Hoskinson Explains Why Cardano Isn’t as Fast as Solana

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has explained why the network has not prioritized matching Solana’s transaction speed.

For context, Solana ranks among the fastest blockchains globally. While it has a theoretical throughput of up to 65,000 transactions per second (TPS), the network typically processes between 1,500 and 4,000 TPS under real-world conditions.

Consequently, Solana currently outperforms many major blockchains, including Cardano. By comparison, Cardano has a theoretical maximum of around 1,000 TPS, with real-world throughput generally ranging between 250 and 1,000 TPS.

Hoskinson Reveals Why Cardano Lags Behind Solana in Speed

In recent times, many have questioned why Cardano has not achieved a throughput comparable to Solana. Cardano founder addressed this ongoing comparison in a livestream on Monday.

According to Hoskinson, achieving extreme transaction speed is technically feasible. He stressed that as far back as 2018, protocols like RapidChain demonstrated that high throughput was already possible. Meanwhile, he suggested that raw speed alone does not define a resilient blockchain.

Hoskinson emphasized that Cardano’s architecture deliberately prioritizes decentralization, security, and long-term sustainability. He explained that maintaining features such as 50% Byzantine resistance, Nakamoto-style recovery, and full decentralization introduces trade-offs that naturally limit how fast a network can safely operate.

Designing Cardano to Last for 100 Years

Hoskinson stressed that balancing all of these properties simultaneously is far more challenging than simply optimizing the network’s performance. He acknowledged that some critics may perceive this approach as unnecessary or slow-moving.

Yet, he emphasized that the network’s design philosophy reflects a conscious, deliberate choice rather than a technical limitation. Specifically, Hoskinson stressed that his focus remains on building Cardano as a robust, enduring project, capable of lasting 100 years without being corrupted or destroyed, while providing meaningful utility for everyone.

Ongoing Efforts to Enhance Cardano Speed

Even though Cardano is not prioritizing raw speed, Hoskinson emphasized the importance of building Leios, a scalability solution designed to bring the network closer to Solana-level performance. He acknowledged that implementing such improvements takes time, but stressed that the goal is to deliver them correctly, rather than rushing or compromising quality.

As The Crypto Basic previously reported, Hoskinson anticipates that Leios could be available as early as next year. Similarly, the development team is also advancing speed enhancements through the Hydra upgrade.

The update, which launched v1.0.0 in October, achieved 1 million TPS in stress tests, and the team is now working to replicate this milestone on mainnet.

Notably, Hoskinson believes that this deliberate approach will prove decisive, positioning Cardano as a long-term winner because the project bet on the correct principles.