Mainstream Public Blockchains Tour: How Do Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Others Differ?

After our in-depth exploration of the mind-boggling “Impossible Triangle,” you now hold the “master key” capable of understanding the entire blockchain universe. You understand that behind every blockchain lies a story of “trade-offs.”

So, when you hear people arguing online about “which chain is the best,” you can smile knowingly. Because the correct way to ask is never “which is the best?” but rather “which is most suitable for what purpose?”

Today, we will embark on a grand tour—a “World Expo” of the most famous public chains. We will visit their respective “national pavilions,” witnessing firsthand what kind of “restaurants” or “cities” they have chosen to build.

Let’s set off!

Welcome to the Web3 World Expo! Here, each mainstream public chain is like an independent country pavilion, showcasing its unique culture, technology, and design philosophy.

First Stop: Bitcoin Pavilion — The Impregnable “Digital Gold Fortress”

Entering the Bitcoin Pavilion, you won’t see flashy decorations or dazzling applications. The entire venue feels like a vault built from pure gold and the strongest rocks, located deep within the Swiss mountains. It is ancient, solemn, extremely minimalist, exuding an undeniable sense of power.

The guide explains:

"Welcome to the place where it all began. This is the first and most legendary pavilion opened by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009.

What is its mission? Bitcoin’s goal has always been singular and pure: to become the world’s first truly decentralized, government- and institution-free, secure store of value in human history. It is not an app store, not an operating system; it is a digital gold fortress.

What trade-offs did it make in the ‘Impossible Triangle’? Bitcoin made the most resolute choice: it pushed ‘security’ and ‘decentralization’ to the extreme. To achieve this, it nearly completely sacrificed ‘scalability.’ Here, each transaction (deposit or withdrawal of gold into the vault) may take 10 minutes or longer to confirm, and ‘transaction fees’ are relatively high.

How should you understand it? You wouldn’t use a gold bar to buy groceries downstairs, right? Similarly, you usually wouldn’t use Bitcoin to buy a cup of coffee. Bitcoin’s value lies in its ability to transcend time and space like gold, resist inflation, and serve as the ultimate ballast for your wealth.

In a nutshell: Bitcoin is not a smartphone capable of installing various apps; it is a bar of 99.99% pure gold. It does one thing, but it does it to perfection.

Second Stop: Ethereum Pavilion — The ‘World Computer’ of Prosperity and Congestion

Leaving the Bitcoin Pavilion, we arrive at the neighboring Ethereum Pavilion. The scene before you is astonishing.

This is no longer a quiet vault but an infinitely expanding, vibrant, and somewhat chaotic metropolis. Towering skyscrapers (DeFi protocols), dazzling modern art galleries (NFTs), bustling civic halls (DAOs)… everywhere is under construction, and new ideas are constantly emerging.

The guide explains:

“If Bitcoin is digital gold, then Ethereum is the ‘land’ and ‘operating system’ that carries all digital civilization. Its creator, Vitalik Buterin, designed it not for ‘saving money,’ but for ‘can we do anything on the blockchain?’”

What is its core magic? Smart contracts. Ethereum introduced this concept for the first time, transforming the blockchain from merely a ledger into a ‘world computer.’ Developers can create and deploy any decentralized application (dApp) they can imagine, just like in the Apple App Store. Almost all major innovations like DeFi, NFTs, and DAOs originated here.

What are its trade-offs? Like Bitcoin, Ethereum in its early days also firmly chose ‘security’ and ‘decentralization.’ This made its main network extremely prosperous but also very congested and expensive. During peak times, executing a transaction here can cost a staggering fee, similar to hailing a cab in Manhattan.

How does it solve congestion? Do you see those ‘highways’ and ‘satellite towns’ connecting the main city? Those are Layer 2 solutions. Ethereum is channeling much of its daily traffic onto these Layer 2 networks, enjoying the security of the main chain while achieving faster speeds and lower costs.

In a nutshell: Ethereum is not just a currency (ETH); it is the foundation of the entire Web3 application world. Its token ETH is the ‘electricity and gasoline’ that powers this vast metropolis.

Third Stop: Solana Pavilion — The ‘Supercar’ Born for Speed in Financial Entertainment

Next, we enter the futuristic Solana Pavilion. Everything here is so fast it blurs; data streams surge like fiber optics on the walls, and massive screens display tens of thousands of transactions per second. It feels like Wall Street’s trading floor has been transported into a sci-fi movie.

The guide explains:

“Solana’s creators looked at Ethereum’s traffic congestion and made a bold vow: ‘Can we build a supercar that’s a thousand times faster?’”

What is its mission? To pursue extreme speed and ultra-low costs. Its goal is to support applications with the most demanding performance requirements, such as high-frequency trading, large online games, and real-time social platforms.

What are its trade-offs? It unhesitatingly maximizes ‘scalability.’ To achieve this incredible speed, it requires very high-end, expensive server hardware for its ‘engines’ (validator nodes). This results in fewer ‘racers’ (participants in consensus) compared to Ethereum, sacrificing some decentralization. Additionally, due to cutting-edge and complex technology, early on it faced multiple system ‘shutdowns’ for maintenance due to overloads.

In a nutshell: Solana doesn’t aim to be the most secure vault nor the most democratic parliament. It just wants to be the fastest ‘digital financial and entertainment network’ on the planet.

Special Mention: Layer 2 Traffic Hubs (Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism etc.)

Around the Ethereum Pavilion, you’ll also see many annexed zones labeled ‘Polygon High-Speed,’ ‘Arbitrum Express,’ etc.

Remember, they are not independent cities but ‘transportation and commercial complexes’ attached to Ethereum’s main city. They cleverly share the load of the main chain, providing ordinary users with affordable, high-quality transportation and living experiences. They allow you to enjoy the top security of the main chain while experiencing speeds comparable to ‘supercars.’

Closing Remarks

Friends, our expo tour comes to a temporary end. We visited the vault representing ‘value storage’ (Bitcoin), the capital representing ‘limitless possibilities’ (Ethereum), and the financial special zone representing ‘extreme performance’ (Solana).

Now you understand: there is no absolute ‘king’ in this world—only specialists each fulfilling their roles.

By understanding their positioning and trade-offs, you now have a map for free exploration in the Web3 world. You are no longer a blind tourist but a savvy traveler who can choose the most suitable transportation based on your needs. **$BTC **$ETH **$BNB **