- SOL price stagnates for 3 months despite protocol upgrades; whale moves 186k SOL to Coinbase, booking $823k loss.
- Retail interest grows (11.16M wallets hold 0.01+ SOL) as whales signal skepticism, highlighting divergence between tech and sentiment.
Solana has introduced the Alpenglow upgrade, a protocol-level update replacing its Proof-of-History (PoH) mechanism with two new components: Votor and Rotor. The shift aims to reduce network latency, cutting transaction finality times from over 12 seconds to approximately 150 milliseconds—a pace comparable to centralized systems.
Anza’s @TheWattenhofer introduces Alpenglow
, a new consensus protocol for Solana, live at Accelerate pic.twitter.com/NhtOWNyzhS
— Solana (@solana) May 19, 2025
This technical overhaul seeks to enhance Solana’s efficiency for real-time applications like gaming and finance, positioning it as a practical option for everyday blockchain use.
Despite these advancements, Solana’s native token, SOL, has shown limited price movement over the past three months. Blockchain data reveals mixed signals: while retail participation grows—with wallets holding at least 0.01 SOL reaching a record 11.16 million—larger investors appear cautious.
One whale recently transferred 186,000 SOL (valued at $31 million) to Coinbase after a 10-month staking period, realizing an $823,000 loss despite earning 11,000 SOL in rewards. This divergence between technical progress and market performance underscores broader uncertainty, potentially driven by macroeconomic factors or skepticism about SOL’s valuation.
The Alpenglow Promise
The Alpenglow upgrade replaces PoH, Solana’s original method for ordering transactions, with Votor and Rotor. These components streamline how the network processes and confirms data, addressing prior bottlenecks.
1/ Introducing the largest Solana Protocol change ever: Alpenglow, Solana’s new consensus protocol conceived by the Anza Research team. Say goodbye to Tower BFT and Proof of History. Say hello to Votor & Rotor
pic.twitter.com/KPNQxQ1jBg
— Anza (@anza_xyz) May 19, 2025
By achieving near-instant finality, Solana could attract developers building applications requiring rapid settlements, such as decentralized exchanges or micropayment platforms. The update reflects a focus on scalability, aiming to solidify Solana’s position among leading layer-1 blockchains.
1/ Introducing the largest Solana Protocol change ever: Alpenglow, Solana’s new consensus protocol conceived by the Anza Research team. Say goodbye to Tower BFT and Proof of History. Say hello to Votor & Rotor
— Anza (@anza_xyz) May 19, 2025
Solana (SOL) – Real-Time Price & Technical Analysis – May 20, 2025
Solana (SOL) is currently trading at $166.19, marking a -0.41% decline on the day, and a broader -4.73% drop over the past week. Despite this short-term pullback, SOL remains +18.68% in the last 30 days, confirming a bullish recovery trend after significant prior corrections. However, the asset is still -12.09% year-to-date and -29.57% in the past 6 months, suggesting this uptrend is still in its early stages.
Technically, SOL recently broke out above a descending trendline near $167, and is now consolidating just below $176–$188, a critical resistance zone. A confirmed breakout above $188 could trigger a new leg up toward the $200–$215 range.
If it fails to hold current levels, key support lies at $160, followed by $154. Indicators remain mixed, with oscillators neutral and moving averages approaching crossover points.
On the fundamental front, Solana is experiencing renewed institutional accumulation. ETHNews reports show a whale added 17,226 SOL, while another withdrew 296,000 SOL for staking, signaling long-term confidence.
Meanwhile, the SEC has delayed its decision on several Solana ETFs (by 21Shares, Bitwise, VanEck, and Fidelity), which has created short-term uncertainty but also signals growing regulatory attention and possible legitimacy ahead.
The post Solana’s Alpenglow Upgrade Aims to Boost Speed as Market Awaits Price Momentum appeared first on ETHNews.
