$100 a Month Into Solana or Ethereum Since 2021: Which Is Worth More Today?
Two investors put the same $100 a month into Solana and Ethereum starting in 2021, but their portfolios ended up in completely different places. The gap between them reveals something surprising about how dollar-cost averaging plays out when prices swing…
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A hypothetical investor has put $100 a month into Solana (CRYPTO:SOL) and Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) since January 2021. The comparison assumes $7,000 invested in each coin over 70 months. So, which investment has fared better, and by how much?
Both cryptocurrencies have faced challenges recently. Solana is trading at $101, down 15.1% over the past month and 47.9% over the last year. Meanwhile, Ethereum is priced at $2,338, down 12.7% over the last month and 40.1% over the last year.
Solana’s Growth Outpaces Ethereum
Here’s a clear comparison of how each investment performed using the most recent prices—October 24, 2026, for Solana and October 27, 2026, for Ethereum. A second comparison starts from January 2022, when both coins traded near their highs.
| Investment Plan | Amount Invested | Coins Held | Average Cost | Current Value | Total Return | Value at Peak Close |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOL from Jan 2021 | $7,000 | 212.96 SOL | $32.87 | $21,779 | 211.1% | $55,814 |
| ETH from Jan 2021 | $7,000 | 3.237 ETH | $2,162.52 | $7,598 | 8.5% | $15,595 |
| SOL from Jan 2022 | $5,800 | 111.42 SOL | $52.06 | $11,394 | 96.5% | $29,201 |
| ETH from Jan 2022 | $5,800 | 2.653 ETH | $2,186.42 | $6,227 | 7.4% | $12,780 |
The outcomes are strikingly different. The Solana investment grew to $21,779, a 211.1% total return. The Ethereum investment is valued at only $7,598, a modest 8.5% increase.
Solana’s $1.84 Start Made the Difference
Solana started at $1.84 on January 1, 2021, while Ethereum was priced at $729.63. This lower entry point meant each $100 invested in Solana bought significantly more coins, and those coins still make up a major share of the holding.
Dollar-cost averaging—investing a fixed amount regularly regardless of price—benefited Solana significantly during the 2022 downturn. As prices fell, the same $100 purchases bought more coins, lowering the average cost to $32.87 per SOL, well below its current price of $101.
Ethereum did not see a deep price drop during this period. Its average cost stands at $2,162.52, close to its current price, which limits the potential return.
Even starting in January 2022, when Solana traded at $178.96 and Ethereum at $3,781.81, Solana still returned 96.5% versus Ethereum’s 7.4%. It shows Solana’s edge didn’t come only from its cheap 2021 start, a gap our broader Ethereum-vs-Solana outlook expects to persist into 2026.
Both Coins Are Down Sharply From Their 2025 Peaks
Solana peaked at $262.09 on January 18, 2025, a level that capped its biggest rally. At that point, the original investment was worth about $55,814, more than double its value since.
Ethereum’s highest price reached $4,817.76 on August 22, 2025, still well short of a return trip to that level, when the original investment was valued at $15,595. Both coins have since given back much of those gains.
While monthly investing simplifies the buying, the ultimate result depends on when the investor sells. A holder who stays invested rides out every drawdown, for better or worse.
Which Monthly Investment Was More Profitable, Solana or Ethereum?
Solana comes out on top. The $7,000 investment grew to about $21,779, while the same amount in Ethereum grew to about $7,598. Solana’s bigger price swings worked in favor of monthly investors, while Ethereum’s growth barely cleared the amount put in.
Ethereum’s limited gains also expose it to more risk. Its average cost works as a breakeven line. If Ethereum closes below $2,162.52, the investment could fall below the amount invested. Ethereum’s 30-day low was $2,320.67 on October 26, 2026, so the breakeven line isn’t far below, even with some recovery expected next year.
Solana has more room before trouble, since its average cost is just $32.87. Solana trades below its 50-day average of $109.41 but above its 200-day average of $88.62. If Solana closes back above $109.41, the gap between the two investments could widen again, keeping it on track toward the levels some expect by the end of 2026; if it falls through $88.62, Solana’s lead could shrink just as fast.
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Sam Daodu is a crypto analyst and the editor of 24/7 Wall St.'s Crypto Desk, where he covers Bitcoin, XRP, Ethereum, Solana and the altcoins investors search for most. His work focuses on price levels, spot ETF flows, on-chain data and the regulatory decisions that move crypto markets, written so a first-time buyer and a seasoned trader can both use it.
Sam has written about crypto professionally since 2019 and has published more than 2,000 articles. Before joining 24/7 Wall St., he wrote for crypto media outlets and Web3 companies and ghostwrote for crypto founders and token launches. His analysis is syndicated on Yahoo Finance, MSN and AOL and has been cited by other crypto news sites. He also founded MacLabs Marketing, a content and personal branding agency for crypto founders and executives.
When he isn't reading charts, Sam is usually at the gym or watching One Piece, a series he maintains has better tokenomics than most altcoins.
