Solana has just delivered its second consecutive year hitting $1.4B in protocol revenue, while Ethereum's revenue dropped sharply by 75% to just $666M. The contrast is striking and tells a compelling story about what actually matters in blockchain adoption.

The takeaway? Network dominance isn't won by pushing transaction fees higher—it's won by driving real usage. Solana's ability to maintain strong revenue despite aggressive competition speaks volumes about network activity and validator economics. Ethereum, facing user migration pressures and fee concerns, shows that even the largest ecosystems face headwinds when cost structures don't align with user expectations.

This data point reinforces a fundamental market truth: throughput and affordability beat premium positioning. As Web3 matures, networks that prioritize accessibility and volume growth are capturing outsized value, while fee-dependent models face scaling challenges.