Here’s Why SUI Could Be The New Solana of This Cycle

The crypto market loves a new star every cycle, and while Solana (SOL) certainly turned heads in its last bull run, it’s Sui blockchain that’s quickly positioning itself as a top contender this time around. In recent months, Sui has made impressive progress across multiple areas, drawing comparisons to Solana’s breakout in 2021.

Sui’s Ecosystem Is Growing Fast

Analysis shows daily active addresses on the Sui network jumped over 14% from Q4 2024 to Q1 2025 — a clear sign of rising network activity. Sui’s decentralized finance (DeFi) sector is also booming.

Daily trading volume on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) built on Sui climbed 14.5% to a record $34.3 million. Lending protocols on Sui are also catching attention, offering returns nearly double those on Solana — with APYs reaching 12.69% on stablecoins. Adding to this, Sui has overtaken Solana in daily stablecoin transfer volume.

SUI’s Global Partnerships and ETF Buzz

Sui isn’t just making progress with its on-chain metrics, though. Sui blockchain has partnered with Dubai’s VARA to support and help startups grow in the Middle East’s virtual asset ecosystem.

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Meanwhile, there is growing chatter around the potential for a spot Sui ETF. Asset manager 21Shares has filed for a Sui-based ETF on NASDAQ and Cboe exchanges, with approvals currently pending. If approved, this could open the door for institutional investors to gain easy exposure to Sui.

SUI Price: A Healthy Cool-Off Before the Next Move?

After a strong rally, analysts are now watching for a short-term pullback in the SUI price. Experts expect a possible retracement toward $2.75 before another potential rally.

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While the short-term trend is slightly downward, the overall market structure remains bullish. Key resistance sits at $3.38, and breaking above this level could open doors to targets at $3.74 and $4.22 in the coming weeks. At the time of writing, SUI is down by more than 5% and is trading at $3.