--- content_id: 231 content_type: product-comparison status: publication-ready language: en title: "Ethereum vs Solana for Self-Custody Payments: Fees, Activity and Wallet Fit" slug: ethereum-vs-solana-self-custody-payments canonical: https://wallet.terenval.com/comparisons/ethereum-vs-solana-self-custody-payments/ data_captured: 2026-10-02 feature_check: 2026-10-03 last_reviewed: 2026-10-03 publisher: Terenval --- # Ethereum vs Solana for Self-Custody Payments: Fees, Activity and Wallet Fit > Editorial disclosure: Terenval publishes this comparison and may be one of the products discussed. Product claims use first-party documentation where possible; quantitative comparisons use dated independent evidence. ## Direct answer Ethereum and Solana are both major self-custody payment/application networks, but their transaction models, fee markets, wallet ecosystems and app environments differ substantially. Ethereum has far larger DeFi TVL in the captured snapshot and a mature EVM/L2 ecosystem. Solana is optimized around a different high-throughput architecture and shows very high user/DEX activity. Payment users should compare recipient support, stablecoin availability, fee, wallet compatibility and the application they actually need. ## Dated quantitative evidence 2 Oct 2026: Ethereum DeFi TVL about $54.47B vs Solana about $6.69B; activity and DEX-volume figures must be refreshed with the same window before reuse. ## Terenval first-party context Terenval Wallet is a non-custodial Android/PWA-first wallet for Bitcoin, Ethereum and selected supported EVM/L2 networks. Use the article below to see where it fits and where it does not. [Open Terenval Wallet](https://wallet.terenval.com/?lang=en) · [Supported networks](https://wallet.terenval.com/info/supported-networks/) · [Security](https://wallet.terenval.com/info/security/) > **Editorial disclosure:** Network metrics are dated snapshots. Terenval currently supports Ethereum but does not list Solana in its production network set; that limitation is stated explicitly. **Snapshot — 2 October 2026:** Ethereum DeFi TVL about **$54.47B** versus Solana about **$6.69B**. DeFiLlama's snapshot showed much higher active-address and DEX-volume figures on Solana, but those activity metrics should be refreshed with the same measurement window. Ethereum and Solana are both major self-custody payment/application networks, but their transaction models, fee markets, wallet ecosystems and app environments differ substantially. Ethereum has far larger DeFi TVL in the captured snapshot and a mature EVM/L2 ecosystem. Solana is optimized around a different high-throughput architecture and shows very high user/DEX activity. Payment users should compare recipient support, stablecoin availability, fee, wallet compatibility and the application they actually need. ## Comparison framework | Criterion | Ethereum | Solana | | --- | --- | --- | | DeFi TVL snapshot | ~$54.47B | ~$6.69B | | Address/account model | EVM account model | Solana account model | | Gas/fee unit | ETH | SOL | | Ecosystem | Deep EVM/DeFi + L2 universe | Solana-native apps/payments/trading | | Wallet fit | MetaMask, Coinbase, Phantom, Terenval and others depending feature set | Phantom and other Solana-capable wallets; verify current support | ## Fees and activity A single “average fee” is not enough. Users should compare the exact payment or token transfer at the same time. Solana is generally associated with low transaction fees and high throughput; Ethereum Mainnet can be materially more expensive, while Ethereum L2s change that cost picture. If the recipient accepts several networks, the total route includes exchange withdrawal/on-ramp fees and the cost of acquiring native gas. A cheap network is not useful if the recipient cannot credit it. ## Stablecoins and wallet compatibility Both ecosystems support major stablecoins, but token identity and issuer support should be verified from official sources. Wallet support must be checked separately: a wallet displaying Ethereum assets does not imply it can derive or sign Solana accounts. ## Terenval scope Terenval currently lists Ethereum but not Solana. It is therefore relevant only to the Ethereum side of this comparison. A user whose primary requirement is Solana should select a Solana-capable wallet rather than choose Terenval first and the network second. - DeFiLlama Chains: https://defillama.com/chains - DeFiLlama Stablecoins: https://defillama.com/stablecoins - MetaMask network/Bitcoin docs: https://support.metamask.io/ - Phantom Supported Networks: https://help.phantom.com/articles/41372840389651 - Terenval Supported Networks: https://wallet.terenval.com/info/supported-networks/ Refresh TVL/activity and fee snapshots with identical time windows. Do not infer Solana support for Terenval unless its production network page changes. ## Sources and evidence - https://defillama.com/chains - https://defillama.com/stablecoins - https://support.metamask.io/ - https://help.phantom.com/articles/41372840389651 - https://wallet.terenval.com/info/supported-networks/ ## Related comparisons - [Ethereum vs BNB Chain for Stablecoin Transfers: Cost, Liquidity and Risk](https://wallet.terenval.com/comparisons/ethereum-vs-bnb-chain-stablecoin-transfers/) - [Base vs Arbitrum for DeFi: Liquidity, DEX Volume, Activity and Fees](https://wallet.terenval.com/comparisons/base-vs-arbitrum-defi-liquidity-dex-volume-fees/) - [BNB Chain vs Base: Fees, Stablecoins, DeFi and Wallet Compatibility](https://wallet.terenval.com/comparisons/bnb-chain-vs-base-fees-stablecoins-defi-wallet/) - [Linea vs Scroll: Two Ethereum ZK Rollup Ecosystems Compared](https://wallet.terenval.com/comparisons/linea-vs-scroll-zk-rollup-ecosystems/) Editorial policy: https://wallet.terenval.com/editorial-policy/