Chainlink vs Solana: Which Is the Better Buy After Chainlink’s 96% Quarter?
Chainlink just outpaced Solana by a wide margin this quarter, but momentum alone does not crown a winner when one asset is seven times smaller and still sitting 71% below its peak.
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Chainlink (CRYPTO: LINK) has seen an impressive boost, nearly doubling in value with a 96% gain over the past three months. By comparison, Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) has also performed well, rising about 67% over the same period.
As of September 29, 2026, Chainlink is priced near $15, while Solana stands at approximately $118. Notably, Chainlink is currently up about 16% for the year, making it one of the few cryptocurrencies in positive territory, whereas Solana remains down around 2%.
When deciding between Chainlink and Solana, weigh Chainlink’s strong quarterly performance against Solana’s larger market presence and substantial institutional backing, including nearly $2 billion in ETFs.
Chainlink’s 96% Quarter Puts It Ahead of Solana on Momentum
Chainlink has outperformed Solana on several fronts recently. It rose about 23% in the month, compared to Solana’s 16%. In the last 24 hours, Chainlink rose about 7% even as the broader market declined, while Solana slipped about 4%. Chainlink, along with Litecoin, Cardano, and Stellar, also outperformed Bitcoin over the same week.
The recent surge has pushed LINK past critical price points. It now trades above $15, surpassing a target that traders had hoped it might reach by the end of October—about a month ahead of schedule.
Chainlink operates an oracle network that connects outside data, such as asset prices, to blockchains, enabling smart contracts to function effectively. However, LINK’s price is heavily influenced by trader sentiment. This quarter’s strong performance reflects high demand for the token, though it doesn’t necessarily indicate broader adoption.
Solana Is Seven Times Bigger With a $2 Billion ETF Market
Solana’s size is a significant advantage in the market. With a market cap of approximately $69.6 billion, it is nearly seven times larger than Chainlink’s $10.4 billion. A larger market lets large investors buy and sell without significantly affecting the price.
Moreover, Solana benefits from a robust U.S. ETF market. As of September 25, spot Solana ETFs held around $1.96 billion in net assets, with $87 million flowing in on a single day, according to SoSoValue. While Chainlink also has ETFs from Grayscale and Bitwise, Grayscale’s fund held only about $72 million at the end of June.
This discrepancy is crucial for retirement savers. Many individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and brokerage accounts can easily buy listed funds but may not allow for the direct purchase of cryptocurrencies. A large, liquid ETF market like Solana’s makes it more accessible for investors.
Chainlink and Solana Still Trade 60% to 71% Below Their Records
Despite recent gains, both cryptocurrencies still trade well below their all-time highs. Chainlink has dropped around 35% over the last year and is now about 71% below its peak of $53 from May 2021—it would require a roughly 250% increase to return to that level.
Solana, meanwhile, has lost about 42% in the past 12 months and is about 60% off its record high of $293 in January 2025, needing about 148% to reach that mark.
With both coins carrying holders who bought at higher prices, selling pressure could build if prices rebound sharply. Chainlink’s rapid rise also opens the door to a quick decline, as a coin that has nearly doubled in value over three months could give back a substantial portion of those gains just as swiftly.
Chainlink vs Solana: Which Is the Better Buy?
For long-term investors, Solana appears to be the more attractive option. Its larger market size and $2 billion ETF market make it easier to own within standard investment accounts. Conversely, Chainlink may appeal more to active crypto traders pursuing momentum, given its recent streak of outperforming Solana and its positive year-to-date performance.
However, investing in Chainlink carries reversal risk, especially if it falls below $15. For Solana, the key indicator to watch is ETF asset growth; continued increases above the $1.96 billion mark while the coin remains stable could signal steady institutional demand beneath the surface price action.
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Sam Daodu is a crypto analyst who's spent nearly a decade making blockchain understandable—no easy task when most whitepapers read like fever dreams. He writes for 24/7 Wall St., covering Bitcoin, altcoins, and crypto market analysis for investors. Before crypto, he was a tech writer (back when explaining "the cloud" was peak innovation). Since 2018, he's written for CoinTelegraph, Yahoo Finance, The Block, Cryptonews, Zypto, Rain, and more—basically anywhere people want crypto news without the headache. Sam runs MacLabs Marketing, a content agency for crypto brands tired of sounding like AI wrote their website. He also publishes free crypto education on his site for Web3 enthusiasts who think "gas fees" is a typo. When he's not writing or staring at charts, Sam's either: - Watching anime (currently convinced One Piece has better tokenomics than most altcoins) - At the gym sculpting himself into a Greek god - Listening to the music your mum warned you only bad boys listen to Connect: LinkedIn | Email | MacLabs Marketing
