Solana Price Prediction – Rising Demand and Network Activity Keep $97.30 in Sight

Highlights:

• Solana’s rising trading volumes alongside the price signal renewed buyer interest.
• SEC fundraising proposal could boost Solana network activity and drive up SOL demand.
• Whale accumulation and rising institutional inflows could push Solana to $97.30 in the short term.

Solana (SOL) is in the green today, reflecting the overall upside momentum across the cryptocurrency market. When writing, Solana was trading at $77.38, up 1.89% in the day. Solana trading volumes are also up intraday, ticking 3% higher to $1.45 billion. While the volume increase is a low percentage, the concurrence with the price indicates that money is flowing into Solana. Looking ahead, the odds favor more upside for Solana in the short term.

New SEC Proposal Could Spur Activity on Solana Network

A key factor that could push Solana higher is a proposal by the SEC that could spur activity in the cryptocurrency market. The SEC has proposed two fundraising exemptions for new cryptocurrencies. One is for projects that raise $5 million over 4 years. The other is for projects that raise $75 million over a year.

Projects that fall under the exemption categories would not be classified as securities, giving the founders room to innovate. This proposal, if actualized, could trigger a surge in the number of cryptocurrencies launching on the Solana blockchain. By extension, this could drive up the value of SOL, the token that underpins the entire Solana ecosystem.

🚨NEW: The @SECGov has just formally proposed Regulation Crypto Assets, a new framework for crypto fundraising in the U.S.

The proposal would:

📌Allow certain offerings of up to $5M over four years or $75M annually without SEC registration

📌Create a conditional safe harbor… pic.twitter.com/2ATeTddc3s

— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) August 18, 2026

Rising Institutional Interest in Solana ETFs Could Push Price Higher

Solana is also getting a boost from the growing institutional interest in Solana ETFs and related products. Data show that in the past week, Solana investment products have attracted $10.26 million. This is significantly higher than Solana inflows from just a week earlier.

Given that Solana ETFs have struggled for several months, the sudden capital injection suggests that institutional investors have their eyes set on Solana. The immediate impact of the capital injection is that Solana could outperform the broader market in the short- to medium-term.

LATEST: 📊 Solana ETFs pulled in $10.26M last week, their strongest week since May. pic.twitter.com/1VfPZn0vag

— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) August 17, 2026

Whales Accumulating Solana Offers Critical Price Support

Whales are also increasingly accumulating Solana in the spot market. On-chain data show that a whale recently bought 47,535 Solana, worth over $3 million. This is a signal that big market players believe accumulating around the $77 price level is good value. This move could also change the perception of retail money. That’s because if retail money believes whales can support the price around $76 – $77, FOMO could build up in anticipation of a rebound to $100 or higher. 

On-chain Activity Points to Growing Demand for Solana

Solana on-chain activity also points to rising network usage. Data shows that Solana ecosystem fees have shot up exponentially. For context, Pumpswap, a major player in the Solana ecosystem, has seen fees surge by 87%. Similarly, the fees generated by Raydium AMM have been on a consistent growth trajectory for a whole month. As activity level grows on the Solana network, so does Solana’s price potential going into the future.

$pump a 2.5x off the late June low, bullish unlocks, delightful to be nonconsenus and correct

printing $1.7m in fees daily while the rest of the onchain economy is in an extended slumber, just getting started pic.twitter.com/ZMBjqfgVA9

— Mike Dudas (@mdudas) August 19, 2026

RWA Growth Could Drive Solana Higher in the Long Term

Changes in the financial system could drive even more activity on the Solana network. One of the biggest trends at the moment is real-world asset tokenization. These RWA assets can be traded across networks, which means Solana could start attracting more conservative investors in the long term. This new demand could put Solana on a trajectory to retest or even surpass its previous all-time high. 

Technical Analysis – Solana Still In a Multi-Week Consolidation Despite Gains

Despite making some intraday gains, Solana remains stuck in a multi-week range between $82.60 resistance and $71.70 support. If bulls take control and push Solana through the $82.60 resistance, a rally to $97.30 could follow.

On the other hand, if bears take control and push Solana through the $71.70 support, a correction to $62.08 could follow. Of these possible outcomes, a rally to $97.30 is more likely. This is due to a confluence of demand-inducing factors for Solana in the short term.