TLDR
- Solana has dropped 15.5% from its six-month high of $209.80, raising concerns about a bearish reversal
- SOL maintains strong DeFi dominance with $12.1 billion in Total Value Locked (TVL), up 20% in two months
- Network fees have increased 22% month-over-month, generating $35.6 million over 30 days
- Institutional interest is growing with SOL futures open interest climbing to $10.7 billion
- Technical analysis shows SOL testing the “golden pocket” support zone ($172-$178), with potential for a rebound toward $200-$210
Solana’s native token SOL has experienced a notable price correction, dropping 15.5% since reaching $209.80 last Thursday. This pullback has some traders concerned about a potential bearish reversal, but several fundamental and technical indicators suggest this may instead be a temporary setback before SOL resumes its upward trajectory.
The cryptocurrency is currently hovering around the $175-$178 range, which analysts identify as the “golden pocket” – a key support zone that aligns with the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement level. This area has historically served as a decisive support in trending markets.
SOL has established itself as the second-largest decentralized exchange (DEX) ecosystem, recording an impressive $111.5 billion in 30-day trading volume. While Ethereum maintains the top position, Solana has surpassed the combined volumes of all Ethereum layer-2 networks, which generated $93.1 billion during the same period.
The total value locked on the Solana network has reached $12.1 billion this week, representing a 20% increase over the past two months. This growth further secures its position ahead of BNB Chain, which sits at $7.8 billion.
Several decentralized applications on Solana have individually surpassed $2 billion in TVL, including Kamino, Jito, Jupiter, Sanctum, Raydium, and Marinade. This sustained activity reinforces demand for SOL tokens, as transaction fees are essential for maintaining native staking yields.
Network Performance Drives Value
Solana’s network fee generation has shown robust growth, increasing 22% from the previous month to reach $35.6 million over the past 30 days. This places Solana third in network fees, behind Ethereum’s $41.4 million – which actually declined 7% during the same period.
The competitive advantage of Solana stems from its low fees and seamless user experience, eliminating the need for bridges and complex layer-2 solutions that users encounter on other blockchains.
What makes Solana’s fee ranking particularly impressive is that it has achieved this position despite Ethereum having a much larger smart contract deposit base. Solana’s network design requires validators to have higher hardware capacity and capital commitment, which contributes to its robustness compared to competitors.
The pullback in price has actually helped clear out excess leverage in the market. Data indicates that Solana has eliminated most of its highly leveraged long positions, which reduces the risk of cascading liquidations and helps establish a healthier market foundation.
With fewer aggressive long positions active, price action can now stabilize more organically, allowing spot demand and moderate leverage to guide the next move rather than being driven by speculative excess.
Institutional Interest Grows
Open interest in SOL futures has climbed to $10.7 billion, up from $6.9 billion just two months ago. This figure now exceeds XRP futures, despite XRP having an 81% larger market capitalization. The growth signals rising institutional participation, which is considered a positive factor for long-term adoption.
Further evidence of institutional demand comes from the $2.8 billion currently invested in Solana exchange-traded futures and products. The attractive 7.3% native staking yield could drive even stronger demand once Solana spot ETFs launch in the United States.
Bloomberg analysts project a 90% or greater likelihood of SEC approval for Solana spot ETFs by the end of the year, which could provide another catalyst for price appreciation.
Technical analysts are watching the $185-$188 zone as an immediate resistance area, where SOL is pressing against a descending trendline that has capped momentum throughout its recent pullback. A successful break above this trendline could shift momentum quickly in favor of buyers.
The $SOL chart is pure poetry.
Perfect bounce from the uptrend support, higher lows confirmed.
No need to overthink. Targeting the range highs at $295. pic.twitter.com/PrLu4R1CXm
— Crypto King (@CryptoKing4Ever) August 19, 2025
Some analysts have noted that SOL has entered oversold territory on the Relative Strength Index (RSI) heatmap, with readings now sitting around the mid-30s. Historically, such readings have often signaled exhaustion of selling pressure and presented opportunities for a rebound.
The current price correction appears to be a healthy reset rather than a structural breakdown, as long as the higher-low pattern remains intact above the $170 support level. A rebound from current levels would place $195 and $210 back in play as near-term targets.
While some market participants have taken a bearish stance on Solana’s short-term prospects, others maintain a bullish outlook, viewing the current pullback as a constructive setup rather than a sign of weakness.
The golden pocket support near $175-$178, combined with oversold RSI readings, suggests conditions may be ripe for a potential rebound. If buyers can defend these levels and push through the $185-$188 trendline resistance, SOL could make another run toward the $200-$210 zone.
