What is app revenue here?

It's the fees users pay inside apps to swap, trade or use features, separate from base chain fees.

Why does Solana lead Base by so much?

Solana keeps execution and payment on one network, while Base shares economics with Ethereum, Crypto Briefing reports.

Does this settle the Layer-1 versus Layer-2 debate?

No. It shows monolithic chains can monetize apps better right now, but later volume trends could change it.

Solana Apps Out-Earn Base by 16.9x Daily

Solana apps earn 16.9x Base revenue daily

L213 Sept 2026, 17:56 UTC2 min readSOLANA

Written by

CoinBatmi Newsroom

Published

Sep 13, 2026

Every figure in this brief is checked against live market data before publication. See our data methodology and editorial policy.

Research and market information only — not financial advice. Report a correction or contact [email protected].

Solana apps earn 16.9x Base revenue daily

CoinBatmiConnecting to market data

Solana apps make 16.9 times more daily revenue than Base apps, Crypto Briefing reports. The gap is not holding still. It's getting wider. App revenue is the money users actually pay to use apps, not to the chain itself. So this is about swaps, trades and other clicks inside Solana programs versus Base programs. And right now Solana is taking in far more of it. The debate has run for years. One side says do everything on a single fast chain and keep the value there. The other says spread load across Layer-2s and let Ethereum anchor them.

Solana keeps trading and payment on one chain

Solana runs everything in one place. Consensus, execution and settlement all happen on the same network, so a user pays once and stays inside Solana. That keeps the fee inside the app that did the work. It doesn't split the bill with another chain. Validators and apps on Solana both draw from that same activity. But that also means congestion shows up fast when demand spikes. Monolithic chains keep the link short between use and pay. A trader pays the app and the chain in a single action, so success shows up fast in revenue. That's why this metric feeds straight into the Layer-1 versus Layer-2 fight.

Base splits activity with Ethereum underneath

Base is a Layer-2, which means it runs transactions itself but still settles them to Ethereum. Users get cheap and quick turns on Base, yet part of the security bill goes back downstairs. So the money spreads across two layers instead of a single one. That design cuts costs for users. It doesn't leave as much fee for apps to keep, though, because the margin stays thin by plan. And cheap fees only turn into revenue if huge volume follows. Ethereum still takes its cut for final safety. Base posts batches of its activity back for that guarantee, and that cost has to come from somewhere. So even popular Base apps work with thinner room to charge.

Builders go where users already pay

Developers watch this spread because it shows where users will open their wallets. An app can win on users and still lose on business if fees can't stick. Solana's lead says its users do pay inside apps, not just pass through. Base bet that low fees would bring constant volume and that volume would pay later. That can still happen, and no single day settles it. But for now the trend points the other way, with Solana pulling further ahead. If Base wants to narrow it, it needs apps people pay to use, not just pass through cheaply. That means trading, lending or games where the fee feels worth it. Until then volume alone won't fix the revenue side. The number to watch is 16.9. If upcoming daily app revenue updates cited by Crypto Briefing hold above that multiple, Solana's edge is still growing. If it slips, Base is starting to close it.

Solana Apps Out-Earn Base by 16.9x Daily

Solana Apps Out-Earn Base by 16.9x Daily

Solana apps earn 16.9x Base revenue daily

Solana Apps Out-Earn Base by 16.9x Daily

Solana apps earn 16.9x Base revenue daily

Solana keeps trading and payment on one chain

Base splits activity with Ethereum underneath

Builders go where users already pay

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