🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 88 (from laksa081)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa088.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/03/27/forget-bitcoin-this-crypto-is-the-smarter-buy-righ/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/03/27/forget-bitcoin-this-crypto-is-the-smarter-buy-righ/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2026\/03\/27\/forget-bitcoin-this-crypto-is-the-smarter-buy-righ\/","crawl_time":1776067101,"first_indexed_time":1774628038,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,fool!www,\/investing\/2026\/03\/27\/forget-bitcoin-this-crypto-is-the-smarter-buy-righ\/ s443","src_root_hash":"16263700115757751488","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Forget Bitcoin: This Crypto Is the Smarter Buy Right Now | The Motley Fool","meta_descriptions":["Solana could generate bigger near-term gains than the top cryptocurrency."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Bitcoin\n(\nBTC\n1.35%\n)\n, the world's most valuable cryptocurrency, has lost nearly 50% of its value since reaching its all-time high of over $126,000 last October. That pullback was caused by elevated interest rates, which drove investors toward more conservative investments, leveraged liquidations, and a lack of new near-term catalysts.\nBitcoin could still have a bright future, but it might be smarter to accumulate some smaller altcoins with more upside potential as the bulls look the other way. One of those altcoins is\nSolana\n(\nSOL\n0.24%\n)\n, which lost nearly 60% of its value over the past six months.\nImage source: Getty Images.\nThe differences between Solana and Bitcoin\nUnlike Bitcoin, which is\nstill mined\nwith the energy-intensive proof-of-work (\nPoW\n) consensus mechanism, Solana is a proof-of-stake (\nPoS\n) token that can't be mined. That makes Solana more similar to\nEthereum\n(\nETH\n1.48%\n)\n, the PoS blockchain leader, than Bitcoin.\nLike Ethereum, Solana supports staking (locking up tokens to earn interest-like rewards) and smart contracts (for developing decentralized applications and other tokens). However, Solana's native Layer 1 (L1) blockchain can achieve real-world speeds of 2,000 to 5,000 transactions per second (TPS), while Ethereum's L1 blockchain tops out at about 30 TPS.\nSOL\nToday's Change\n(-0.24%) $-0.20\nCurrent Price\n$82.16\nSolana achieves those blazing speeds by integrating its own proof-of-history (PoH) mechanism, which timestamps them before they're validated, into its PoS blockchain. Solana's speed drew in 17,708 active developers at the end of 2025, making it the second-largest blockchain-based developer platform after Ethereum, which served 31,869 developers.\nIts speed makes it a useful platform for settling payments.\nVisa\nuses it to settle stablecoin payments, while\nShopify\nrelies on Solana Pay to handle its cryptocurrency payments. Those real-world applications make Solana more useful than other altcoins. Solana's first spot price exchange-traded funds (\nETFs\n) with staking features -- which should attract more attention from institutional investors -- were also approved last year. It even launched two Android phones, the Saga and the Seeker, over the past two years.\nSolana has a circulating supply of 572 million tokens with no supply limit, so it can't be valued by its scarcity in the same way as Bitcoin, which has a supply cap of 21 million tokens. Instead, investors value it by the rapid growth of its developer ecosystem and its enterprise partnerships.\nWhy could Solana outperform Bitcoin?\nSolana, with a market cap of $48 billion, is much smaller than Bitcoin, valued at $1.3 trillion, or Ether, worth $240 billion. If interest rates decline, the macro environment stabilizes, and the crypto market heats up again, more investors could flock toward the smaller altcoins with more growth potential -- like Solana -- instead of blue chip tokens like Bitcoin and Ether. Its new ETFs could accelerate that shift by drawing in more institutional investors. While Bitcoin still has plenty of upside potential, I wouldn't be surprised if Solana bounces back with bigger gains this year.\nLeo Sun\nhas no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, Shopify, Solana, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a\ndisclosure policy\n.","attrs_markdown":"[Accessibility Menu](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2026\/03\/27\/forget-bitcoin-this-crypto-is-the-smarter-buy-righ\/)\n\nSearch for a company\n\n[Accessibility](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2026\/03\/27\/forget-bitcoin-this-crypto-is-the-smarter-buy-righ\/)\n\nLog In\n\n[Help](https:\/\/support.fool.com\/)\n\n[![The Motley Fool](https:\/\/g.foolcdn.com\/misc-assets\/logo-tmf-primary-1-magenta-purple-reversed.svg?_w=320)![The Motley Fool](https:\/\/g.foolcdn.com\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fg.foolcdn.com%2Fmisc-assets%2Ftmf_holdingco_logo_stacked_magenta_royalpurple_rev.png&w=96&op=resize)](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/)\n\n- Our Services\n  [All Services](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/services\/)[Stock Advisor](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/services\/stock-advisor\/)[Epic](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/services\/epic\/)[Epic Plus](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/services\/epic-plus\/)[Fool 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+\\$1.36](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/nasdaq\/meta\/)\n\n[MSFT \\$370.82-0.6% -\\$2.25](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/nasdaq\/msft\/)\n\n[NVDA \\$188.67+2.6% +\\$4.76](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/nasdaq\/nvda\/)\n\n[TSLA \\$348.76+0.9% +\\$3.14](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/nasdaq\/tsla\/)\n\n[Most Active Stocks](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/markets\/most-active-stocks\/)[Daily Stock Gainers](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/markets\/top-stock-gainers\/)[Daily Stock Losers](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/markets\/top-stock-losers\/)\n\n[Most Active Stocks](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/markets\/most-active-stocks\/)[Daily Stock Gainers](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/markets\/top-stock-gainers\/)[Daily Stock Losers](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/markets\/top-stock-losers\/)\n\nFree Article[Explore Premium Services](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/services\/)\n\n# Forget Bitcoin: This Crypto Is the Smarter Buy Right Now\nSolana could generate bigger near-term gains than the top cryptocurrency.\n\nBy [Leo Sun](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/author\/2154\/) – Mar 27, 2026 at 11:58AM EST\n\n[Follow us](https:\/\/profile.google.com\/cp\/CgkvbS8wNTc4bWs)\n\nShare\n\nSummarize with AI\n\n## Key Points\n- Solana’s speed makes it a top platform for developers.\n- Its expanding ecosystem and staking ETFs could draw in more investors.\n\n**Bitcoin** ([BTC](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/crypto\/btc\/) 1\\.35%), the world's most valuable cryptocurrency, has lost nearly 50% of its value since reaching its all-time high of over \\$126,000 last October. That pullback was caused by elevated interest rates, which drove investors toward more conservative investments, leveraged liquidations, and a lack of new near-term catalysts.\n\nBitcoin could still have a bright future, but it might be smarter to accumulate some smaller altcoins with more upside potential as the bulls look the other way. One of those altcoins is **Solana** ([SOL](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/crypto\/sol\/) 0\\.24%), which lost nearly 60% of its value over the past six months.\n\n![An illustration of Bitcoin tokens on a circuit board.](https:\/\/g.foolcdn.com\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fg.foolcdn.com%2Feditorial%2Fimages%2F862242%2Fbitcoin-tokens.jpg&w=3840&op=resize)\n\nImage source: Getty Images.\n## The differences between Solana and Bitcoin\nUnlike Bitcoin, which is [still mined](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/stock-market\/market-sectors\/financials\/cryptocurrency-stocks\/bitcoin-mining\/) with the energy-intensive proof-of-work ([PoW](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/terms\/p\/proof-of-work\/)) consensus mechanism, Solana is a proof-of-stake ([PoS](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/terms\/p\/proof-of-stake\/)) token that can't be mined. That makes Solana more similar to **Ethereum** ([ETH](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/crypto\/eth\/) 1\\.48%), the PoS blockchain leader, than Bitcoin.\n\nLike Ethereum, Solana supports staking (locking up tokens to earn interest-like rewards) and smart contracts (for developing decentralized applications and other tokens). However, Solana's native Layer 1 (L1) blockchain can achieve real-world speeds of 2,000 to 5,000 transactions per second (TPS), while Ethereum's L1 blockchain tops out at about 30 TPS.\n\nCollapse\n\nSOL\n\n## [CRYPTO: SOL](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/crypto\/sol\/)\nSolana\n\nToday's Change\n\n(-0.24%) \\$-0.20\n\nCurrent Price\n\n\\$82.16\n\nUnable to reach the data service. Please check your connection.\n\nYTD\n\n1w\n\n1m\n\n3m\n\n6m\n\n1y\n\n5y\n\nPrice\n\nVS S\\&P\n\n### Key Data Points\nMarket Cap\n\n\\$47B\n\nDay's Range\n\n\\$81.41 - \\$82.78\n\n52wk Range\n\n\\$70.61 - \\$252.78\n\nVolume\n\n2\\.6B\n\nSolana achieves those blazing speeds by integrating its own proof-of-history (PoH) mechanism, which timestamps them before they're validated, into its PoS blockchain. Solana's speed drew in 17,708 active developers at the end of 2025, making it the second-largest blockchain-based developer platform after Ethereum, which served 31,869 developers.\n\nIts speed makes it a useful platform for settling payments. **Visa** uses it to settle stablecoin payments, while **Shopify** relies on Solana Pay to handle its cryptocurrency payments. Those real-world applications make Solana more useful than other altcoins. Solana's first spot price exchange-traded funds ([ETFs](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/stock-market\/market-sectors\/financials\/cryptocurrency-stocks\/cryptocurrency-etf\/)) with staking features -- which should attract more attention from institutional investors -- were also approved last year. It even launched two Android phones, the Saga and the Seeker, over the past two years.\n\nSolana has a circulating supply of 572 million tokens with no supply limit, so it can't be valued by its scarcity in the same way as Bitcoin, which has a supply cap of 21 million tokens. Instead, investors value it by the rapid growth of its developer ecosystem and its enterprise partnerships.\n\n## Why could Solana outperform Bitcoin?\nSolana, with a market cap of \\$48 billion, is much smaller than Bitcoin, valued at \\$1.3 trillion, or Ether, worth \\$240 billion. If interest rates decline, the macro environment stabilizes, and the crypto market heats up again, more investors could flock toward the smaller altcoins with more growth potential -- like Solana -- instead of blue chip tokens like Bitcoin and Ether. Its new ETFs could accelerate that shift by drawing in more institutional investors. While Bitcoin still has plenty of upside potential, I wouldn't be surprised if Solana bounces back with bigger gains this year.\n\n## Read Next\nApr 12, 2026\n\n•By [Alex Carchidi](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/author\/20287\/)\n\n[This 1 Bold Prediction About Bitcoin Could Change How to Invest in It Forever](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2026\/04\/12\/this-1-bold-prediction-about-bitcoin-could-change\/)\n\nApr 12, 2026\n\n•By [Alex Carchidi](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/author\/20287\/)\n\n[Should You Be Using Polymarket to Invest in Crypto?](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2026\/04\/12\/should-you-be-using-polymarket-to-invest-in-crypto\/)\n\nApr 12, 2026\n\n•By [Neil Patel](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/author\/20294\/)\n\n[Could Buying Bitcoin Today Still Set You Up for Life?](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2026\/04\/12\/could-buying-bitcoin-today-still-set-you-up-for-li\/)\n\nApr 12, 2026\n\n•By [Neil Patel](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/author\/20294\/)\n\n[Bitcoin Is Down 42% and Losing Steam. Here's What the Next 2 Years Could Realistically Look Like.](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2026\/04\/12\/bitcoin-down-losing-steam-what-next-2-years-bring\/)\n\nApr 12, 2026\n\n•By [Alex Carchidi](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/author\/20287\/)\n\n[How Much of Your Portfolio Should Be in Cryptocurrency?](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2026\/04\/12\/how-much-of-your-portfolio-should-be-in-cryptocurr\/)\n\nApr 11, 2026\n\n•By [Emma Newbery](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/author\/20301\/)\n\n[3 Cryptocurrencies That AI Assistants Keep Recommending](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2026\/04\/11\/3-cryptocurrencies-that-ai-assistants-keep-recomme\/)\n\n### About the Author\n![Leo Sun](https:\/\/g.foolcdn.com\/avatar\/1742809410\/large.ashx?_w=3840)\n\nLeo Sun is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst who has worked with the company since 2013, covering technology, consumer goods, industrial, and financial sectors. He became a self-made millionaire by age 40 through long-term investing, crediting lessons from Warren Buffett and Peter Lynch. Leo is a regular guest on CNBC Asia providing stock analysis on Chinese technology companies, including Tencent, Baidu, and Alibaba. He previously wrote for InvestorGuide and holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin.\n\n[TMFSunLion](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/author\/2154\/)\n\n[@TMFSunLion](https:\/\/x.com\/TMFSunLion)\n\n*[Leo Sun](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/author\/2154\/) has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, Shopify, Solana, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a [disclosure policy](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/legal\/fool-disclosure-policy\/).*\n\n### Stocks Mentioned\n[BT Bitcoin CRYPTO: BTC\\$70,777.00 (-1.35%)-\\$968.47](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/crypto\/btc\/)\n\n[V Visa NYSE: V\\$304.36 (-1.27%)-\\$3.93](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/nyse\/v\/)\n\n[SH Shopify NASDAQ: SHOP\\$110.79 (-1.42%)-\\$1.59](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/nasdaq\/shop\/)\n\n[ET Ethereum CRYPTO: ETH\\$2,186.63 (-1.48%)-\\$32.75](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/crypto\/eth\/)\n\n[SO Solana CRYPTO: SOL\\$82.16 (-0.24%)-\\$0.20](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/crypto\/sol\/)\n\n\\*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.\n\n## Premium Investing Services\nInvest better with The Motley Fool. Get stock recommendations, portfolio guidance, and more from The Motley Fool's premium services.\n\n[View Premium Services](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/services\/?ftm_cam=footer-services-sitewide-prospects)\n\n[![The Motley Fool](https:\/\/g.foolcdn.com\/misc-assets\/logo-tmf-primary-1-magenta-purple.svg?_w=320)](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/)\n\nMaking the world smarter, happier, and richer.\n\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/themotleyfool)\n- [Twitter](https:\/\/x.com\/TheMotleyFool)\n- [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/the-motley-fool\/)\n- [Pinterest](https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/themotleyfool\/)\n- [YouTube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/TheMotleyFool)\n- [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/themotleyfoolofficial\/)\n- [TikTok](https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@themotleyfoolofficial)\n\n© 1995 - 2026 The Motley Fool. All rights reserved.\n\nMarket data powered by [Xignite](https:\/\/xignite.com\/) and [Polygon.io](https:\/\/polygon.io\/).\n\nAbout The Motley Fool\n\n- [About Us](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/about\/)\n- [Careers](https:\/\/careers.fool.com\/)\n- [Research](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/research\/)\n- [Newsroom](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/contact\/newsroom\/)\n- [Contact](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/legal\/contact-us\/)\n- [Advertise](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#2f4e4b46415e5a465d464a5c6f49404043014c4042)\n\nOur Services\n\n- [All Services](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/services\/)\n- [Stock Advisor](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/services\/stock-advisor\/)\n- [Epic](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/services\/epic\/)\n- [Epic Plus](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/services\/epic-plus\/)\n- [Fool Portfolios](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/services\/fool-portfolios\/)\n- [Fool One](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/services\/one\/)\n- [Motley Fool Money](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/money\/)\n\nAround the Globe\n\n- [Fool UK](https:\/\/www.fool.co.uk\/)\n- [Fool Australia](https:\/\/www.fool.com.au\/)\n- [Fool Canada](https:\/\/www.fool.ca\/)\n\nFree Tools\n\n- [CAPS Stock Ratings](https:\/\/caps.fool.com\/)\n- [Discussion Boards](https:\/\/discussion.fool.com\/)\n- [Calculators](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/calculators\/index\/)\n- [Financial Dictionary](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/terms\/)\n\nAffiliates & Friends\n\n- [Motley Fool Asset Management](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/affiliates\/mfam\/)\n- [Motley Fool Wealth Management](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/affiliates\/mfwm\/)\n- [Motley Fool Ventures](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/affiliates\/ventures\/)\n- [Fool Community Foundation](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/affiliates\/foundation\/)\n- [Become an Affiliate Partner](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/affiliates\/)\n\n- [Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/legal\/terms-and-conditions\/fool-rules\/ \"Terms of Use\")\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/legal\/privacy-statement\/ \"Privacy Policy\")\n- [Disclosure Policy](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/legal\/fool-disclosure-policy\/ \"Disclosure Policy\")\n- [Accessibility Policy](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/legal\/accessibility-policy\/ \"Accessibility Policy\")\n- [Copyright, Trademark and Patent Information](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/legal\/stuff-we-own\/ \"Copyright, Trademark and Patent Information\")\n- [Terms and Conditions](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/legal\/terms-and-conditions\/ \"Terms and Conditions\")\n- [Do Not Sell My Personal Information](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/data-protection\/ccpa-update\/ \"Do Not Sell My Personal Information\")","attrs_readable_markdown":"**Bitcoin** ([BTC](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/crypto\/btc\/) 1\\.35%), the world's most valuable cryptocurrency, has lost nearly 50% of its value since reaching its all-time high of over \\$126,000 last October. That pullback was caused by elevated interest rates, which drove investors toward more conservative investments, leveraged liquidations, and a lack of new near-term catalysts.\n\nBitcoin could still have a bright future, but it might be smarter to accumulate some smaller altcoins with more upside potential as the bulls look the other way. One of those altcoins is **Solana** ([SOL](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/crypto\/sol\/) 0\\.24%), which lost nearly 60% of its value over the past six months.\n\n![An illustration of Bitcoin tokens on a circuit board.](https:\/\/g.foolcdn.com\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fg.foolcdn.com%2Feditorial%2Fimages%2F862242%2Fbitcoin-tokens.jpg&w=3840&op=resize)\n\nImage source: Getty Images.\n## The differences between Solana and Bitcoin\nUnlike Bitcoin, which is [still mined](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/stock-market\/market-sectors\/financials\/cryptocurrency-stocks\/bitcoin-mining\/) with the energy-intensive proof-of-work ([PoW](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/terms\/p\/proof-of-work\/)) consensus mechanism, Solana is a proof-of-stake ([PoS](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/terms\/p\/proof-of-stake\/)) token that can't be mined. That makes Solana more similar to **Ethereum** ([ETH](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/quote\/crypto\/eth\/) 1\\.48%), the PoS blockchain leader, than Bitcoin.\n\nLike Ethereum, Solana supports staking (locking up tokens to earn interest-like rewards) and smart contracts (for developing decentralized applications and other tokens). However, Solana's native Layer 1 (L1) blockchain can achieve real-world speeds of 2,000 to 5,000 transactions per second (TPS), while Ethereum's L1 blockchain tops out at about 30 TPS.\n\nSOL\n\nToday's Change\n\n(-0.24%) \\$-0.20\n\nCurrent Price\n\n\\$82.16\n\nSolana achieves those blazing speeds by integrating its own proof-of-history (PoH) mechanism, which timestamps them before they're validated, into its PoS blockchain. Solana's speed drew in 17,708 active developers at the end of 2025, making it the second-largest blockchain-based developer platform after Ethereum, which served 31,869 developers.\n\nIts speed makes it a useful platform for settling payments. **Visa** uses it to settle stablecoin payments, while **Shopify** relies on Solana Pay to handle its cryptocurrency payments. Those real-world applications make Solana more useful than other altcoins. Solana's first spot price exchange-traded funds ([ETFs](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/stock-market\/market-sectors\/financials\/cryptocurrency-stocks\/cryptocurrency-etf\/)) with staking features -- which should attract more attention from institutional investors -- were also approved last year. It even launched two Android phones, the Saga and the Seeker, over the past two years.\n\nSolana has a circulating supply of 572 million tokens with no supply limit, so it can't be valued by its scarcity in the same way as Bitcoin, which has a supply cap of 21 million tokens. Instead, investors value it by the rapid growth of its developer ecosystem and its enterprise partnerships.\n\n## Why could Solana outperform Bitcoin?\nSolana, with a market cap of \\$48 billion, is much smaller than Bitcoin, valued at \\$1.3 trillion, or Ether, worth \\$240 billion. If interest rates decline, the macro environment stabilizes, and the crypto market heats up again, more investors could flock toward the smaller altcoins with more growth potential -- like Solana -- instead of blue chip tokens like Bitcoin and Ether. Its new ETFs could accelerate that shift by drawing in more institutional investors. While Bitcoin still has plenty of upside potential, I wouldn't be surprised if Solana bounces back with bigger gains this year.\n\n*[Leo Sun](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/author\/2154\/) has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, Shopify, Solana, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a [disclosure policy](https:\/\/www.fool.com\/legal\/fool-disclosure-policy\/).*","meta_canonical":null}

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URL	https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/03/27/forget-bitcoin-this-crypto-is-the-smarter-buy-righ/
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Meta Title	Forget Bitcoin: This Crypto Is the Smarter Buy Right Now \| The Motley Fool
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Boilerpipe Text	Bitcoin ( BTC 1.35% ) , the world's most valuable cryptocurrency, has lost nearly 50% of its value since reaching its all-time high of over $126,000 last October. That pullback was caused by elevated interest rates, which drove investors toward more conservative investments, leveraged liquidations, and a lack of new near-term catalysts. Bitcoin could still have a bright future, but it might be smarter to accumulate some smaller altcoins with more upside potential as the bulls look the other way. One of those altcoins is Solana ( SOL 0.24% ) , which lost nearly 60% of its value over the past six months. Image source: Getty Images. The differences between Solana and Bitcoin Unlike Bitcoin, which is still mined with the energy-intensive proof-of-work ( PoW ) consensus mechanism, Solana is a proof-of-stake ( PoS ) token that can't be mined. That makes Solana more similar to Ethereum ( ETH 1.48% ) , the PoS blockchain leader, than Bitcoin. Like Ethereum, Solana supports staking (locking up tokens to earn interest-like rewards) and smart contracts (for developing decentralized applications and other tokens). However, Solana's native Layer 1 (L1) blockchain can achieve real-world speeds of 2,000 to 5,000 transactions per second (TPS), while Ethereum's L1 blockchain tops out at about 30 TPS. SOL Today's Change (-0.24%) $-0.20 Current Price $82.16 Solana achieves those blazing speeds by integrating its own proof-of-history (PoH) mechanism, which timestamps them before they're validated, into its PoS blockchain. Solana's speed drew in 17,708 active developers at the end of 2025, making it the second-largest blockchain-based developer platform after Ethereum, which served 31,869 developers. Its speed makes it a useful platform for settling payments. Visa uses it to settle stablecoin payments, while Shopify relies on Solana Pay to handle its cryptocurrency payments. Those real-world applications make Solana more useful than other altcoins. Solana's first spot price exchange-traded funds ( ETFs ) with staking features -- which should attract more attention from institutional investors -- were also approved last year. It even launched two Android phones, the Saga and the Seeker, over the past two years. Solana has a circulating supply of 572 million tokens with no supply limit, so it can't be valued by its scarcity in the same way as Bitcoin, which has a supply cap of 21 million tokens. Instead, investors value it by the rapid growth of its developer ecosystem and its enterprise partnerships. Why could Solana outperform Bitcoin? Solana, with a market cap of $48 billion, is much smaller than Bitcoin, valued at $1.3 trillion, or Ether, worth $240 billion. If interest rates decline, the macro environment stabilizes, and the crypto market heats up again, more investors could flock toward the smaller altcoins with more growth potential -- like Solana -- instead of blue chip tokens like Bitcoin and Ether. Its new ETFs could accelerate that shift by drawing in more institutional investors. While Bitcoin still has plenty of upside potential, I wouldn't be surprised if Solana bounces back with bigger gains this year. Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, Shopify, Solana, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .
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[Top 10 Stocks to Buy Now ›](https://api.fool.com/infotron/splitter/route/article-template-button?apikey=5c8e52dd-1bea-455e-87f5-d5506e590f21) [Top 10 Stocks to Buy Now ›](https://api.fool.com/infotron/splitter/route/article-template-button?apikey=5c8e52dd-1bea-455e-87f5-d5506e590f21) [S\&P 500 6,816.89-0.1% -7.77](https://www.fool.com/quote/snpindex/^gspc/) [DJI 47,916.57-0.6% -269.23](https://www.fool.com/quote/djindices/^dji/) [NASDAQ 22,902.89+0.4% +80.48](https://www.fool.com/quote/nasdaqindex/^ixic/) [Bitcoin \$70,777.00-1.3% -\$968.47](https://www.fool.com/quote/crypto/btc/) [AMZN \$238.43+2.0% +\$4.78](https://www.fool.com/quote/nasdaq/amzn/) [GOOG \$315.70-0.2% -\$0.67](https://www.fool.com/quote/nasdaq/goog/) [META \$629.75+0.2% +\$1.36](https://www.fool.com/quote/nasdaq/meta/) [MSFT \$370.82-0.6% -\$2.25](https://www.fool.com/quote/nasdaq/msft/) [NVDA \$188.67+2.6% +\$4.76](https://www.fool.com/quote/nasdaq/nvda/) [TSLA \$348.76+0.9% +\$3.14](https://www.fool.com/quote/nasdaq/tsla/) [Most Active Stocks](https://www.fool.com/markets/most-active-stocks/)[Daily Stock Gainers](https://www.fool.com/markets/top-stock-gainers/)[Daily Stock Losers](https://www.fool.com/markets/top-stock-losers/) [Most Active Stocks](https://www.fool.com/markets/most-active-stocks/)[Daily Stock Gainers](https://www.fool.com/markets/top-stock-gainers/)[Daily Stock Losers](https://www.fool.com/markets/top-stock-losers/) Free Article[Explore Premium Services](https://www.fool.com/services/) # Forget Bitcoin: This Crypto Is the Smarter Buy Right Now Solana could generate bigger near-term gains than the top cryptocurrency. By [Leo Sun](https://www.fool.com/author/2154/) – Mar 27, 2026 at 11:58AM EST [Follow us](https://profile.google.com/cp/CgkvbS8wNTc4bWs) Share Summarize with AI ## Key Points - Solana’s speed makes it a top platform for developers. - Its expanding ecosystem and staking ETFs could draw in more investors. Bitcoin ([BTC](https://www.fool.com/quote/crypto/btc/) 1\.35%), the world's most valuable cryptocurrency, has lost nearly 50% of its value since reaching its all-time high of over \$126,000 last October. That pullback was caused by elevated interest rates, which drove investors toward more conservative investments, leveraged liquidations, and a lack of new near-term catalysts. Bitcoin could still have a bright future, but it might be smarter to accumulate some smaller altcoins with more upside potential as the bulls look the other way. One of those altcoins is Solana ([SOL](https://www.fool.com/quote/crypto/sol/) 0\.24%), which lost nearly 60% of its value over the past six months. ![An illustration of Bitcoin tokens on a circuit board.](https://g.foolcdn.com/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fg.foolcdn.com%2Feditorial%2Fimages%2F862242%2Fbitcoin-tokens.jpg&w=3840&op=resize) Image source: Getty Images. ## The differences between Solana and Bitcoin Unlike Bitcoin, which is [still mined](https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/market-sectors/financials/cryptocurrency-stocks/bitcoin-mining/) with the energy-intensive proof-of-work ([PoW](https://www.fool.com/terms/p/proof-of-work/)) consensus mechanism, Solana is a proof-of-stake ([PoS](https://www.fool.com/terms/p/proof-of-stake/)) token that can't be mined. That makes Solana more similar to Ethereum ([ETH](https://www.fool.com/quote/crypto/eth/) 1\.48%), the PoS blockchain leader, than Bitcoin. Like Ethereum, Solana supports staking (locking up tokens to earn interest-like rewards) and smart contracts (for developing decentralized applications and other tokens). However, Solana's native Layer 1 (L1) blockchain can achieve real-world speeds of 2,000 to 5,000 transactions per second (TPS), while Ethereum's L1 blockchain tops out at about 30 TPS. Collapse SOL ## [CRYPTO: SOL](https://www.fool.com/quote/crypto/sol/) Solana Today's Change (-0.24%) \$-0.20 Current Price \$82.16 Unable to reach the data service. Please check your connection. YTD 1w 1m 3m 6m 1y 5y Price VS S\&P ### Key Data Points Market Cap \$47B Day's Range \$81.41 - \$82.78 52wk Range \$70.61 - \$252.78 Volume 2\.6B Solana achieves those blazing speeds by integrating its own proof-of-history (PoH) mechanism, which timestamps them before they're validated, into its PoS blockchain. Solana's speed drew in 17,708 active developers at the end of 2025, making it the second-largest blockchain-based developer platform after Ethereum, which served 31,869 developers. Its speed makes it a useful platform for settling payments. Visa uses it to settle stablecoin payments, while Shopify relies on Solana Pay to handle its cryptocurrency payments. Those real-world applications make Solana more useful than other altcoins. Solana's first spot price exchange-traded funds ([ETFs](https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/market-sectors/financials/cryptocurrency-stocks/cryptocurrency-etf/)) with staking features -- which should attract more attention from institutional investors -- were also approved last year. It even launched two Android phones, the Saga and the Seeker, over the past two years. Solana has a circulating supply of 572 million tokens with no supply limit, so it can't be valued by its scarcity in the same way as Bitcoin, which has a supply cap of 21 million tokens. Instead, investors value it by the rapid growth of its developer ecosystem and its enterprise partnerships. ## Why could Solana outperform Bitcoin? Solana, with a market cap of \$48 billion, is much smaller than Bitcoin, valued at \$1.3 trillion, or Ether, worth \$240 billion. If interest rates decline, the macro environment stabilizes, and the crypto market heats up again, more investors could flock toward the smaller altcoins with more growth potential -- like Solana -- instead of blue chip tokens like Bitcoin and Ether. Its new ETFs could accelerate that shift by drawing in more institutional investors. While Bitcoin still has plenty of upside potential, I wouldn't be surprised if Solana bounces back with bigger gains this year. ## Read Next Apr 12, 2026 •By [Alex Carchidi](https://www.fool.com/author/20287/) [This 1 Bold Prediction About Bitcoin Could Change How to Invest in It Forever](https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/04/12/this-1-bold-prediction-about-bitcoin-could-change/) Apr 12, 2026 •By [Alex Carchidi](https://www.fool.com/author/20287/) [Should You Be Using Polymarket to Invest in Crypto?](https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/04/12/should-you-be-using-polymarket-to-invest-in-crypto/) Apr 12, 2026 •By [Neil Patel](https://www.fool.com/author/20294/) [Could Buying Bitcoin Today Still Set You Up for Life?](https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/04/12/could-buying-bitcoin-today-still-set-you-up-for-li/) Apr 12, 2026 •By [Neil Patel](https://www.fool.com/author/20294/) [Bitcoin Is Down 42% and Losing Steam. Here's What the Next 2 Years Could Realistically Look Like.](https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/04/12/bitcoin-down-losing-steam-what-next-2-years-bring/) Apr 12, 2026 •By [Alex Carchidi](https://www.fool.com/author/20287/) [How Much of Your Portfolio Should Be in Cryptocurrency?](https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/04/12/how-much-of-your-portfolio-should-be-in-cryptocurr/) Apr 11, 2026 •By [Emma Newbery](https://www.fool.com/author/20301/) [3 Cryptocurrencies That AI Assistants Keep Recommending](https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/04/11/3-cryptocurrencies-that-ai-assistants-keep-recomme/) ### About the Author ![Leo Sun](https://g.foolcdn.com/avatar/1742809410/large.ashx?_w=3840) Leo Sun is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst who has worked with the company since 2013, covering technology, consumer goods, industrial, and financial sectors. He became a self-made millionaire by age 40 through long-term investing, crediting lessons from Warren Buffett and Peter Lynch. Leo is a regular guest on CNBC Asia providing stock analysis on Chinese technology companies, including Tencent, Baidu, and Alibaba. He previously wrote for InvestorGuide and holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin. [TMFSunLion](https://www.fool.com/author/2154/) [@TMFSunLion](https://x.com/TMFSunLion) [Leo Sun](https://www.fool.com/author/2154/) has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, Shopify, Solana, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a [disclosure policy](https://www.fool.com/legal/fool-disclosure-policy/). ### Stocks Mentioned [BT Bitcoin CRYPTO: BTC\$70,777.00 (-1.35%)-\$968.47](https://www.fool.com/quote/crypto/btc/) [V Visa NYSE: V\$304.36 (-1.27%)-\$3.93](https://www.fool.com/quote/nyse/v/) [SH Shopify NASDAQ: SHOP\$110.79 (-1.42%)-\$1.59](https://www.fool.com/quote/nasdaq/shop/) [ET Ethereum CRYPTO: ETH\$2,186.63 (-1.48%)-\$32.75](https://www.fool.com/quote/crypto/eth/) [SO Solana CRYPTO: SOL\$82.16 (-0.24%)-\$0.20](https://www.fool.com/quote/crypto/sol/) \*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close. ## Premium Investing Services Invest better with The Motley Fool. Get stock recommendations, portfolio guidance, and more from The Motley Fool's premium services. 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Readable Markdown	Bitcoin ([BTC](https://www.fool.com/quote/crypto/btc/) 1\.35%), the world's most valuable cryptocurrency, has lost nearly 50% of its value since reaching its all-time high of over \$126,000 last October. That pullback was caused by elevated interest rates, which drove investors toward more conservative investments, leveraged liquidations, and a lack of new near-term catalysts. Bitcoin could still have a bright future, but it might be smarter to accumulate some smaller altcoins with more upside potential as the bulls look the other way. One of those altcoins is Solana ([SOL](https://www.fool.com/quote/crypto/sol/) 0\.24%), which lost nearly 60% of its value over the past six months. ![An illustration of Bitcoin tokens on a circuit board.](https://g.foolcdn.com/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fg.foolcdn.com%2Feditorial%2Fimages%2F862242%2Fbitcoin-tokens.jpg&w=3840&op=resize) Image source: Getty Images. ## The differences between Solana and Bitcoin Unlike Bitcoin, which is [still mined](https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/market-sectors/financials/cryptocurrency-stocks/bitcoin-mining/) with the energy-intensive proof-of-work ([PoW](https://www.fool.com/terms/p/proof-of-work/)) consensus mechanism, Solana is a proof-of-stake ([PoS](https://www.fool.com/terms/p/proof-of-stake/)) token that can't be mined. That makes Solana more similar to Ethereum ([ETH](https://www.fool.com/quote/crypto/eth/) 1\.48%), the PoS blockchain leader, than Bitcoin. Like Ethereum, Solana supports staking (locking up tokens to earn interest-like rewards) and smart contracts (for developing decentralized applications and other tokens). However, Solana's native Layer 1 (L1) blockchain can achieve real-world speeds of 2,000 to 5,000 transactions per second (TPS), while Ethereum's L1 blockchain tops out at about 30 TPS. SOL Today's Change (-0.24%) \$-0.20 Current Price \$82.16 Solana achieves those blazing speeds by integrating its own proof-of-history (PoH) mechanism, which timestamps them before they're validated, into its PoS blockchain. Solana's speed drew in 17,708 active developers at the end of 2025, making it the second-largest blockchain-based developer platform after Ethereum, which served 31,869 developers. Its speed makes it a useful platform for settling payments. Visa uses it to settle stablecoin payments, while Shopify relies on Solana Pay to handle its cryptocurrency payments. Those real-world applications make Solana more useful than other altcoins. Solana's first spot price exchange-traded funds ([ETFs](https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/market-sectors/financials/cryptocurrency-stocks/cryptocurrency-etf/)) with staking features -- which should attract more attention from institutional investors -- were also approved last year. It even launched two Android phones, the Saga and the Seeker, over the past two years. Solana has a circulating supply of 572 million tokens with no supply limit, so it can't be valued by its scarcity in the same way as Bitcoin, which has a supply cap of 21 million tokens. Instead, investors value it by the rapid growth of its developer ecosystem and its enterprise partnerships. ## Why could Solana outperform Bitcoin? Solana, with a market cap of \$48 billion, is much smaller than Bitcoin, valued at \$1.3 trillion, or Ether, worth \$240 billion. If interest rates decline, the macro environment stabilizes, and the crypto market heats up again, more investors could flock toward the smaller altcoins with more growth potential -- like Solana -- instead of blue chip tokens like Bitcoin and Ether. Its new ETFs could accelerate that shift by drawing in more institutional investors. While Bitcoin still has plenty of upside potential, I wouldn't be surprised if Solana bounces back with bigger gains this year. [Leo Sun](https://www.fool.com/author/2154/) has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, Shopify, Solana, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a [disclosure policy](https://www.fool.com/legal/fool-disclosure-policy/).
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