2026-01-04 08:25:28

Entering early 2026, Ethereum and Solana have demonstrated distinctly different yet complementary paths for DeFi recovery. Their infrastructure upgrades completed in 2025 are paving the way for a new wave of DeFi application explosions.

**Infrastructure Maturity Has Become a Key Factor**

Ethereum has completed a major transformation through Layer2 scaling solutions. Ecosystems like Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base have attracted a massive influx of users and capital, with gas fees reduced by over 90% compared to the mainnet. This means the participation cost for ordinary users has dropped significantly. The era when a single swap could cost dozens of dollars in fees is gone.

On the Solana side, the network has overcome early stability issues. Block space has increased by 25%, and the latest Alpenglow upgrade has reduced finality time to under 1 second. It maintains low latency while handling high TPS, representing a qualitative leap for high-frequency trading and payment scenarios.

**Where Are the Real Opportunities in 2026**

From a DeFi perspective, 2026 is likely to be a watershed year. The tokenization of RWA assets on Ethereum is heating up, and on-chain real-world assets will be a major trend. Solana, leveraging its natural advantage in high-frequency trading, is expected to see new growth in payments and derivatives.

More importantly, improvements in the regulatory environment are beginning to attract the attention of traditional financial institutions. They are becoming more proactive in exploring on-chain finance possibilities, injecting new capital and institutional trust into the ecosystem.

**Practical Allocation Strategies**

Regarding underlying assets, ETH and SOL, as the foundational chains, still warrant allocation. But the key is to select high-quality DeFi protocols within their ecosystems.

On Ethereum, blue-chip protocols like Aave, Uniswap, and Lido have stood the test of time, offering proven stability and liquidity. On Solana, Jupiter plays a similar role to Uniswap in aggregation trading, Marinade offers mature liquid staking options, and derivatives platforms like Drift represent emerging trading demands.

Don’t forget infrastructure components like cross-chain bridges and liquidity aggregators. In the era of multi-chain DeFi prosperity, their value will be continuously amplified.

**Technical Price References**

For ETH, there is clear support around the $3100-$3200 range. Breaking through the $3400 threshold could trigger a new upward rally.

For SOL, after stabilizing around $130-$135, the short-term target points to the previous high near $200. Considering network upgrades and application deployment progress, this target is not just wishful thinking.

ETH0,91%

SOL0,35%

AAVE-1,46%

UNI-3,95%

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AlphaBrain

· 18h ago

Gas fees reduced by 90%? Is that true? Why do I still feel like I'm paying transaction fees? It seems like RWA and payments do have opportunities, but the key is how to get involved. About SOL hitting 200... I'll wait and see for now, observe first. The blue-chip protocols on ETH are indeed stable, but the current price is a bit painful. Cross-chain bridging really needs to be on our radar; the multi-chain era has arrived.

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LootboxPhobia

· 01-04 23:01

Gas fees drop by 90% and I just laugh, really? A few days ago I was still spending over ten dollars on L2. SOL's Alpenglow is indeed impressive, but I still remain skeptical about stability... RWA is getting too hot right now, be careful of getting chopped. ETH 3400 probably won't break, feels like we need to wait a bit longer. Jupiter and Marinade are indeed good options, but don't go all-in, everyone. Regulatory friendliness... let's wait and see, there are too many tricks.

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CommunityJanitor

· 01-04 08:55

Gas fees down by 90%? It used to be a complete rip-off, but now finally we can breathe a sigh of relief. The target of SOL 200 sounds comfortable, but I'm worried it might just be paper wealth again. Cross-chain bridging is indeed easy to overlook, but the risks are not small. Aave and Uniswap, being established players, are indeed stable, but the returns are just so-so. Whether the RWA path is well paved or not depends on what happens next; don't just hype the concept again.

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TokenStorm

· 01-04 08:50

Gas fees down 90%? I got scammed yesterday, maybe that 10% is still there. Never mind, I don't want to think about it anymore. SOL 200 bucks? The eye of the storm is the most comfortable, anyway I already went all-in. Old-school protocols like Aave and Uniswap are indeed stable, but are there any new arbitrage opportunities now? I believe RWA is the main direction, but will traditional institutions really come? Feels like just storytelling. Only after breaking through 3400 can I look at 3600. Talking about a new round of rally now seems a bit over the top. Jupiter and Marinade are indeed good, on-chain data shows whales have been active again. Are they about to be harvested again? [Dog head] Who dares to touch cross-chain bridges' risks? I got burned on this last time. Alpenglow's upgrade with 1-second confirmation sounds great, but whether it's truly stable depends on the actual performance. This article is generally optimistic, but it doesn't mention the risk of decline. Gamblers always want to hear good news. L2 ecosystem is indeed thriving, but the status of the Ethereum mainnet still can't be shaken, right?

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ChainDoctor

· 01-04 08:39

Gas fees have dropped by 90%? Finally no more heartache every time I swap, this is what DeFi should look like. I really didn't expect Sol to confirm in 1 second; did the network that used to be so bad now turn into a top student? Looking forward to $200 not being a dream. Projects like Aave and Uniswap truly stand the test of time, unlike those one-hit wonders. The on-chain tokenization of RWA feels like just the beginning; we definitely need to keep a close eye on it in 2026. $3400 is a threshold; once broken, I might change my mind. Integrating traditional finance is really the big event; the amount of capital involved is completely different. Jupiter and Marinade are definitely worth paying attention to, but don’t chase the highs. Why do I always feel like the people writing these things are so confident in SOL... but looking at the upgrade details, they seem to really have some skills. Cross-chain bridging is underestimated; next round, it will definitely be their time to shine.

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BlockchainBrokenPromise

· 01-04 08:28

A 90% reduction in gas fees sounds great, but I still feel like I'm paying various fees to Arbitrum... Can it really save me money?

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NoStopLossNut

· 01-04 08:27

Gas fees down 90%? Is that true? Why do I still feel it's insanely expensive? I'll go all in when ETH breaks 3400; anyway, I don't have any money now, haha. Is SOL stable this time? Last time I got caught at a high point, now I'm even scared to look. Jupiter is indeed very useful, but do you really dare to hold a heavy position? It still feels better to diversify. RWA definitely has potential, but I just don't know when it will really be implemented.

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SerumSqueezer

· 01-04 08:26

Gas fees down 90%? Haha, finally no more risking bankruptcy on a single swap --- Is SOL really stable enough to reach 200? I feel like this price prediction is a bit too optimistic --- I'm optimistic about RWA. The entry of traditional financial institutions is a signal; will they really bring in funds? --- Jupiter is indeed strong, but the Solana ecosystem still tends to have issues, better to be cautious --- L2 has truly changed the game; finally, I can farm yields without worrying about high transaction fees --- Are regulations becoming more friendly? Don’t let me get cut again, okay? --- I never thought Aave and Uniswap would remain stable after so many years --- Will cross-chain bridging become the next breakout point? Feels a bit risky --- If ETH breaks through 3,000, can it reach 5,000? --- I've tried Drift; the high-frequency trading vibe really suits SOL's characteristics

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