2025 Mainstream Cryptocurrency Real Comparison: Is ETH Still Worth Buying?

Data Overview

A recent phenomenon is quite interesting—BTC surged to $119,000, while ETH dropped to $2,772. But the story behind these prices is far more complex than it appears.

Why is ETH Still Here?

Looking at the numbers alone, SOL’s 2600 TPS is 80 times faster than ETH, and its fees are 50 times cheaper. But in reality:

ETH’s Moat

• Established Ecosystem: Top applications like Uniswap and OpenSea are here—they’re not going anywhere
• Institutional Entry: Spot ETFs approved, traditional capital is pouring in
• Energy Optimization: Switched to PoS in 2022, slashing carbon emissions by 99%, much more eco-friendly than BTC
• Yield Opportunities: Holders can earn 4-6% staking APY

Why Can’t SOL Take Off

SOL is fast, but ecosystem stability is just so-so—network outages and various pitfalls happen from time to time. Phantom wallet downloads are booming, but that doesn’t mean deep ecosystem. Plus, with Pump.fun churning out new coins daily, quality varies wildly.

Hot Questions

BTC vs ETH, Which Is More Valuable?

During the Trump rally, ETH jumped 54%, BTC only 10%. This shows the market is reconsidering: Bitcoin is digital gold, ETH is programmable gold. The latter has broader applications.

But BTC’s scarcity (21 million hard cap) will always be a narrative. Some predict it could reach $185,000. ETH’s upside depends more on ecosystem activity.

What’s WETH?

Simply put: WETH is just ETH with a new wrapper, usable in DeFi protocols. Lock up ETH, mint an equivalent amount of WETH, and swap back 1:1 anytime. The main use is to make ETH compatible with other ERC-20 tokens.

What About Other Coins?

• Cardano: Research-driven, steady but slow, lacking ecosystem applications
• Polkadot: Multi-chain design is good, but adoption is average; $6.3B market cap is far less than ETH
• Ripple: Focuses on cross-border payments, close ties with banks, but SEC regulatory issues persist
• Litecoin: The “digital silver” narrative feels outdated, not much room for innovation

How to Invest in 2025?

Don’t Pick Just One, Diversify

Keep BTC as digital gold, use ETH to earn yield in the ecosystem, bet on SOL’s performance upgrades, and take a chance on XRP’s banking adoption. A diversified strategy is always safer than going all-in.

Target Prices (Based on institutional adoption and upgrade expectations)

• ETH: $6,500–$10,000 (Pectra upgrade + L2 scaling support)
• SOL: If Firedancer succeeds and performance doubles, $200+ is possible
• BTC: Steady growth, $185,000 isn’t a dream

The Key Is Understanding Differences, Not Picking “The Best”

Every chain has its strengths: BTC as a store of value, ETH for its ecosystem, SOL for innovation, XRP for payments. Seasoned investors don’t ask “which is the best,” but “what do I want?”

The industry is still in a phase of major differentiation. The future may not be winner-takes-all, but rather each chain staking out its own territory, each with its own players.