Solana Whales Shake the Market: $170 Becomes the New Frontline as Millions Flee Binance

Solana’s price action just got interesting—again. The $170 level has turned into a battleground as whales make their move, yanking millions in SOL from Binance. Is this accumulation or just another high-stakes game of hot potato?

Whales aren’t subtle. When they shift stacks, the market feels it. This time, the timing screams strategy—right as SOL tests a key psychological level. Retail traders? Left deciphering whether to ape in or brace for impact.

Meanwhile, the usual suspects—overleveraged degens and institutional ’narratives’—are already spinning this as bullish. Because in crypto, every dip is ’healthy consolidation’ until it isn’t. Here’s to volatility, the only free lunch left in finance.

TLDR

• Solana price rose 3% after a previous 6% drop, currently trading around $165-$170
• Anza unveiled Alpenglow, changing consensus from Tower BFT and Proof of History to Votor and Rotor
• SOL is consolidating in the $160-$180 range with resistance at $180-$190
• Galaxy Digital partnership to launch tokenized equities on Solana boosts institutional momentum
• Total value locked in Solana protocols increased from $7 billion to over $10 billion

Solana’s price has seen modest gains of 3% in recent trading, following a 6% decline the previous day. The cryptocurrency is currently trading around $165-$170 as market participants digest several developments affecting its price action and technology foundation.

The altcoin has been consolidating within a key range between $160 and $180. This range previously held as support before bulls pushed prices NEAR $260.

On May 19, Solana-focused research firm Anza introduced Alpenglow, described as the largest protocol consensus change for the network.

This upgrade marks a shift from the previous Tower BFT and Proof of History consensus protocol to a new system called Votor and Rotor.

The technical improvement is designed to enhance network performance. According to Anza, “Votor finalizes blocks in a single round of voting if 80% stake is participating, and it finalizes in two rounds of voting if 60% of stake is responsive.”

Rotor, the other component of the upgrade, is “flattening the turbine tree to reduce network latency” with “higher fanout, fewer layers, lower latency.”

This protocol upgrade comes as solana experiences growth in its ecosystem. The total value locked in protocols on the network has increased from $7 billion in April to over $10 billion currently.

Institutional Interest Growing

Institutional interest in Solana continues to develop. Galaxy Digital recently partnered to launch tokenized equities on the Solana blockchain, potentially bringing traditional finance assets to the network.

The market is also watching for developments regarding Solana spot ETFs. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has delayed decisions on multiple Solana spot ETF applications, but this hasn’t diminished overall interest.

Adding to the positive regulatory environment, the U.S. Senate passed a key vote advancing the ‘Genius Act,’ legislation aimed at regulating stablecoins. Experts believe the bill now has a high chance of becoming law.

Chart analysts have identified a falling wedge pattern on Solana’s 4-hour chart, which some interpret as a bullish signal that could lead to a short-term bounce.

However, traders are keeping an eye on resistance levels. The $180-$190 zone has served as a ceiling in previous price action, recently halting SOL’s upward momentum.

Meanwhile, large transfers from Binance wallets have raised some questions in the market. Millions of dollars worth of SOL have reportedly been moved from Binance to external destinations, including Wintermute and exchange deposit wallets.

Despite these transfers, buyers appear to be holding support levels, maintaining Solana’s position within its established range.

Bitcoin’s resilience above $100,000 and predictions of potential runs to $150,000-$200,000 in 2025 provide a bullish backdrop for altcoins like Solana.

The latest trading data shows Solana at $165.80, down 2.33% over 24 hours, as it continues to navigate current market conditions.