Solana (SOL) cofounder Anatoly Yakovenko has muddled the Ethereum (ETH) hype after he compared the smart contract pioneer to Windows 95 operating software. Speaking on the Unchained Podcast with Laura Shin, Yakovenko argues that Solana is ahead of Ethereum and can be called Windows 2000, which in the evolution of computers is a proper operating system that can process multiple applications at a time.
The Ethereum versus Solana debate is a volatile and unending one because the former pioneered the industry and set the pace for Solana. Anatoly Yakovenko himself has often come out to recuse himself from any inflammatory comparison between Solana and Ethereum, as he believes both can coexist.
However, in the podcast, the Solana cofounder said the move to build Windows 2000 is necessary as the current bottleneck in the blockchain world, where a single NFT buzz can lead to a gas fee spike in an unrelated transaction, somehow negates what the proponents of the industry are pitching.
Despite his clear position that is far from disdain for Ethereum, the community showed division in the comment, with one party supporting Ethereum and the other supporting Solana.
Who laughs last? Solana or Ethereum
There is one underlying similarity between both blockchain networks, and that is the ability to host decentralized applications (DApps). The difference lies in their respective speed, cost and general public perception.
Despite its woes, Ethereum is currently the most favored of the lot and boasts of a decentralized finance (DeFi) total value locked (TVL) of $28.661 billion against the $703.46 million of Solana. Only recently did Solana’s trading volume exceed those of Ethereum L2s for the first time.
While these figures are significant, both protocols are building for the future, and Solana’s goal remains to become the Apple of the crypto ecosystem.
The next years will determine a lot about which of the two, or other Ethereum-killers, will stand the test of time.