In the fast-paced world of blockchain and meme tokens, transaction speed is everything. Traders chasing the

- The thread discusses EVM chain TPS inflation due to ERC20 approvals.
next viral coin on platforms like Solana or Ethereum want quick, seamless swaps without unnecessary hurdles. But a recent insight shared on X
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highlights a quirky inefficiency in EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) chains that could be skewing our view of their true performance.

The post from @lostin, a technical writer at Helius Labs, points out that EVM chains' touted Transactions Per Second (TPS) numbers might be inflated due to the old

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-school ERC20 approval system. For those new to this, ERC20 is the standard for fungible tokens on Ethereum—like many meme coins you see pumping on DEXes (decentralized exchanges). Before you can swap or transfer these tokens, you often need to "approve" the smart contract to spend them on your behalf. That's an extra transaction right there.

Here's the kicker: A typical token swap on an EVM chain usually requires

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two transactions—one for the approval and another for the actual swap. Compare that to Solana, where meme token ecosystems thrive with its high-speed architecture. On Solana, you can often bundle everything into a single transaction, making it faster and cheaper. No wonder Solana has become a hotspot for meme token launches and frenzied trading—think Pump.fun or Raydium DEX, where speed directly translates to catching those early gains.

The original post asks: Has anyone researched what percentage of EVM transactions are just these approvals? A quick reply chimes in with an estimate—around 50% of sell token transactions could be mere spending approvals. If that's even close to accurate, it means a huge chunk of EVM activity is overhead, not real value-adding trades. This inefficiency isn't just a nitpick; it affects gas fees, user experience, and even how we benchmark chains for meme token projects.

For blockchain practitioners building or trading meme tokens, this underscores Solana's appeal. Its design avoids these legacy pitfalls, allowing for snappier interactions that keep the meme hype alive without the drag. Tools like Solana's SPL tokens (the equivalent of ERC20) integrate approvals more efficiently, often within the same instruction set.

As meme tokens continue to drive on-chain activity— from dog-themed coins to absurd viral experiments—understanding these under-the-hood differences can help you navigate better. Whether you're a dev optimizing a new token launch or a trader dodging

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high fees, ditching the approval hassle could be your edge. What's your take? Have you noticed this in your EVM vs. Solana swaps?---
slug: "why-evm-tps-numbers-are-inflated-the-hidden-cost-of-erc20-approvals-vs-solanas-efficiency"
title: "왜 EVM의 TPS 수치가 부풀려지는가: ERC20 승인 비용의 실체 vs Solana의 효율성"
description: "레거시 ERC20 승인 시스템이 어떻게 EVM 체인의 TPS를 부풀리고 Solana의 단일 트랜잭션 스왑과 비교해 어떤 영향을 미치는지 탐구합니다. 블록체인 성능과 밈 토큰 거래에 미치는 영향을 알아보세요."
tags: "EVM, Solana, TPS, ERC20 approvals, blockchain efficiency, meme tokens, DeFi swaps"

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Have you ever wondered why Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) chains like Ethereum boast impressive transactions per second (TPS) numbers, but in reality, the user experience feels clunky compared to something like Solana? A recent tweet from blockchain researcher @lostin on X (formerly Twitter) sheds light on this exact issue, pointing out how the old-school ERC20 approval system is secretly padding those stats. Let's break it down in simple terms and see what it means for traders, especially in the wild world of meme tokens.

The Tweet That Sparked the Conversation

In a post dated September 12, 2025, @lostin, a technical writer and researcher at Helius Labs, dropped this eye-opener: "Just occurred to me that EVM chain TPS numbers are inflated because of the legacy ERC20 approval system. Typically requires 2 transactions on EVM to do swaps that can be done in 1 transaction on Solana. Has anyone done any research into what % of EVM trxs are just approvals?"

For those new to the jargon, TPS measures how many transactions a blockchain can handle in a second—think of it as the engine's horsepower. EVM chains, which power Ethereum and many layer-2 solutions, often tout high TPS to show off scalability. But as the tweet highlights, a big chunk of those transactions aren't "real" user actions like swapping tokens; they're just approvals.

What's an ERC20 approval? ERC20 is the standard for fungible tokens on Ethereum, like most meme coins you see on Uniswap. Before you can spend someone else's tokens (say, in a decentralized exchange swap), you need to approve the contract to access them. This requires a separate transaction on EVM chains. So, a simple token swap? That's two txs: one to approve, one to swap. On Solana, however, smart contracts can handle approvals and swaps in a single atomic transaction, keeping things sleek and efficient.

The tweet's reply from @0xSrMessi adds fuel to the fire: "The 50% of sell token transactions are just an spending approve 😅." If that's anywhere near accurate, it means half of the "activity" on EVM chains is just housekeeping, artificially boosting TPS figures without adding real value.

Why This Matters for Meme Token Traders

Meme tokens thrive on hype, virality, and quick trades—think Dogecoin, PEPE, or the latest Solana sensations like BONK. High fees and slow confirmations can kill the momentum, especially during pumps. EVM's dual-transaction setup means higher gas costs and longer wait times for swaps, which is a nightmare for degens chasing the next 10x.

Solana, on the other hand, has become a hotspot for meme coins precisely because of its speed and low costs. Platforms like Raydium or Jupiter let you swap in one go, no approvals needed upfront. This efficiency isn't just tech talk; it's why Solana's meme ecosystem exploded, with billions in trading volume. If EVM chains want to compete, they might need to evolve beyond legacy systems—maybe through account abstraction or better standards like ERC-2612 for permit approvals.

Digging Deeper: Is There Research on Approval Transactions?

The tweet poses a great question: What percentage of EVM transactions are just approvals? While I couldn't find a comprehensive study in my quick scan (blockchain analytics tools like Dune Analytics could help here), anecdotal evidence from DeFi users suggests it's significant. For instance, during high-volume events like token launches, approval txs can spike, clogging the network and driving up fees.

Tools like Etherscan show that on Ethereum mainnet, a notable portion of interactions with DEXs involve approvals. Layer-2s like Optimism or Arbitrum mitigate some issues with cheaper txs, but the two-step dance remains. Solana's SPL token standard avoids this by design, making it more user-friendly for casual traders dipping into memes.

The Bigger Picture for Blockchain Practitioners

As someone who's covered crypto from the CoinDesk days to now at Meme Insider, I've seen how these technical quirks shape ecosystems. For developers building on EVM, consider integrating approval-less mechanisms to boost real TPS. For meme token creators, Solana's edge in efficiency could be why it's dominating the fun side of crypto—fewer barriers mean more participation.

If you're a blockchain practitioner looking to level up, check out resources on Solana's docs for swap mechanics or dive into EVM optimizations via Ethereum.org. And keep an eye on this thread; it might inspire more research into fair TPS comparisons.

What do you think— is the approval system holding EVM back, or is it a necessary security feature? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned to Meme Insider for more insights on how tech trends affect your favorite tokens.