Solana (SOL) surged to $240 for the first time since January, with its market capitalization reaching a new all-time high of $126 billion to overtake BNB as the fifth-largest cryptocurrency.
The rally gained momentum as institutional investors poured billions into Solana treasury strategies while Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz declared the market is entering a “season of Solana.”
Corporate treasuries now hold 6.49 million SOL tokens, with rapid expansion accelerating institutional adoption.
Galaxy Digital acquired 2.31 million SOL worth $536 million through transfers from major exchanges, fueling speculation about coordinated accumulation strategies across multiple institutional players.
Source: TradingViewGalaxy Digital Leads $1.65 Billion Institutional Push Into Solana
Galaxy Digital spearheaded a $1.65 billion private placement into Forward Industries alongside Jump Crypto and Multicoin Capital, transforming the publicly traded company into a Solana-focused treasury.
The funding round closed successfully, with proceeds dedicated to SOL accumulation as part of Forward’s strategic repositioning from traditional operations.
Forward Industries shares soared 135% in five days following the announcement.
Multicoin co-founder Kyle Samani was appointed Chairman of the Board, while Galaxy and Jump executives joined as board observers to guide the treasury strategy.
The institutional push extends beyond Forward Industries. BIT Mining Limited also added 17,221 SOL this week, bringing holdings to 44,000 SOL worth $9.95 million as it rebrands to SOLAI Limited.
The company is raising $300 million to build one of the largest corporate SOL treasuries.
Upexi Inc. has also emerged as one of the largest corporate holders with over 2 million SOL valued at $447 million, generating $142 million in unrealized gains.
The company reports daily staking rewards of approximately $105,000 through its 8% annual yield strategy.
Canada-based SOL Strategies began Nasdaq trading under ticker STKE with $94 million in treasury holdings, becoming the first U.S.-listed Solana-focused public company.
The firm manages 3.62 million SOL under delegation with record participation from nearly 9,000 wallets.
FTX Estate Continues Monthly SOL Liquidations Despite Rally
Amid these brewing SOL accumulation, Bankrupt crypto firms FTX and Alameda withdrew 192,000 SOL tokens worth $44.9 million from staking, continuing a pattern of monthly redemptions since November 2023.
The estate has unstaked nearly 9 million SOL valued at $1.2 billion over the past year, averaging $134 per token.
Despite ongoing liquidations, FTX still holds 4.18 million SOL worth $977 million in staked positions.
The estate prepares for its third creditor repayment round on September 30, having returned $6.2 billion to former users through previous distributions processed by BitGo, Kraken, and Payoneer.
Three Arrows Capital liquidators subpoenaed former FTX executives, including Sam Bankman-Fried, over allegations that $1.5 billion in 3AC assets were liquidated unlawfully.
Bankman-Fried’s deposition is scheduled for October 14 at Terminal Island prison, where he serves a 25-year sentence for defrauding customers of $11 billion.
The liquidation pressure from FTX estate sales has not deterred institutional investors from accumulating.
Trader sentiment on social media turned increasingly bullish, with predictions ranging from $300 to $2,000 as SOL breaks key resistance levels.
Technical Analysis Points to Continued Upside Momentum
SOL’s breakout above $230 validates an ascending channel structure that provided support throughout its advance from $87.
The token currently tests critical resistance at $240-250, which are technical levels from both short and long-term chart perspectives.
Daily charts reveal a complex W formation on the weekly timeframe, with projections toward $258 to complete the pattern.
Source: TradingView/theeonlydaveMultiple horizontal resistance levels at $224, $240, and $258 provide a technical roadmap, although each represents a potential selling pressure zone.
On a broader level, the multi-year chart displays a massive cup and handle formation that spans several years.
SOL approaches “one last hurdle at $250” with potential for explosive upside once this black line resistance is cleared, according to technical analysis.
However, Cumulative Volume Delta indicators show negative readings during recent advances, suggesting potential institutional distribution occurring alongside price appreciation.
As it stands now, the immediate challenge involves clearing the $240-250 resistance zone successfully.
Breakout above this confluence area would likely trigger momentum-based buying toward projected targets, supported by strong fundamental adoption metrics and continued institutional interest.
In the short term, technical evidence supports continued bullish momentum toward the $250-258 resistance, with the ascending channel structure and potential cup-and-handle breakout providing frameworks for higher targets.
Successful clearance of the $240-250 zone could drive SOL toward $300, though increased volatility is expected in these price discovery areas.
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