Solana Price Forecast - SOL-USD Surges To $140.9 As Fidelity ETF Launch Sparks Whale Accumulation

Solana Price Forecast - SOL-USD Surges To $140.9 As Fidelity ETF Launch Sparks Whale Accumulation

After a 27% drop in October, Solana rallies amid Fidelity and VanEck ETF launches, $8.25M daily inflows, and AI-driven forecasts pointing to $350 by year-end | That's TradingNEWS

TradingNEWS Archive 11/18/2025 9:21:28 PM
Crypto SOL/USD SOL USD

Solana (SOL-USD) Faces Crucial Crossroads As ETF Wave, Whale Accumulation, and Technical Breakdown Collide

ETF Momentum Reignites Wall Street’s Interest In Solana

Solana (SOL-USD) is trading near $140.9, up 8.2% in the last 24 hours after weeks of heavy drawdowns that erased nearly 27% of its market value in October. The surge arrives as Fidelity, managing $7 trillion in assets, prepares to launch its spot Solana ETF (FSOL) alongside Canary Capital’s SOLC, marking a turning point for institutional involvement in altcoins. The ETF wave signals Wall Street’s growing recognition of Solana as a standalone macro asset, with analysts eyeing a rebound toward $156–$160 by late November.

The upcoming Fidelity ETF, coupled with VanEck’s newly launched VSOL and Grayscale’s GSOL conversion, expands the pipeline of Solana-linked funds now accessible to U.S. investors. Grayscale’s Solana ETF saw $4 million in first-day inflows post-conversion, while Bitwise’s BSOL reached $129 million, and Canary’s XRP ETF broke 2025 records with $250 million on its debut. Market strategists see Solana’s ETF lineup as a sign that the market is preparing for the next rotation phase, with Grayscale’s head of research predicting $5 billion in total Solana ETF inflows within the first year of approval.

Wall Street Power Shift And Regulatory Thaw Fuel Institutional Entry

Fidelity’s FSOL launch lands just as U.S. regulatory agencies resume operations after a 43-day government shutdown that froze ETF decisions. This reopening has triggered a flood of applications, with asset managers racing to capture first-mover advantage. The absence of BlackRock, which dominates Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs with $133 billion AUM, opens a strategic window for Fidelity to gain share in the Solana category. Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Eric Balchunas noted that with Bitwise, VanEck, and Grayscale already active, “it’s game on” for ETF competition.

The growing institutional presence marks a psychological turning point. Maria Carola, CEO of StealthEx, emphasized that “every bullish cycle needs a new protagonist — and Solana now looks like the most likely contender.” The altcoin’s total value locked in DeFi protocols stands at $13.2 billion, up 7.25% week-over-week, led by Lido ($27.16B) and Aave ($32.54B). This renewed capital inflow aligns with broader risk appetite returning to decentralized finance.

Market Correction, Liquidations, And Volatility Spike

Despite bullish ETF headlines, SOL suffered a sharp correction last week, dropping to $137.07 as crypto-wide liquidations topped $1.01 billion, including $47.1 million in Solana positions. Data from Coinglass showed a 76% spike in 24-hour trading volume to $9.17 billion, signaling panic-driven exits and forced liquidations. Solana’s beta of 3.5× Bitcoin amplified losses, pushing it deeper into oversold territory as the Crypto Fear & Greed Index plunged to 15 (Extreme Fear).

The VanEck Solana ETF (VSOL) launch on November 17 failed to lift sentiment initially, reflecting investor hesitation amid low staking rewards — now just 5.8% APY. Combined SOL ETF holdings stand at $58 million, dwarfed by the $133 billion held in Bitcoin ETFs, but analysts say this gap could close rapidly once yield mechanics stabilize and the market rebounds.

Technical Breakdown: Bearish Indicators Dominate Short-Term Trend

On technical charts, SOL/USD breached critical support at $134.11, confirming a short-term bearish continuation. The MACD (12,26) prints at –14.5, while RSI (14) hovers near 32.8, signaling weak momentum and a near-oversold setup. The Stochastic %K at 9.6 and CCI at –123.5 suggest tentative stabilization but insufficient demand to reverse the downtrend.

The death cross between the 50-day and 200-day SMAs confirms medium-term weakness, with SOL trading far below its 200-day SMA ($180.16). Technical analysts note that failure to reclaim $156.31 (20-day EMA) risks a deeper correction toward $126, with further downside at $115 and $95 if capitulation accelerates.

Key Support Zones Define Near-Term Battle Lines

Solana’s price structure highlights three crucial layers of support — $134.11, $129.02, and $126.00, each tested repeatedly over the past sessions. Breach of $126 would invalidate the rebound setup and expose the April low of $95. On the upside, resistance at $156.31 (20-day EMA) and $185.25 (50-day SMA) remain formidable barriers. A decisive close above $156 would confirm demand absorption and set the stage for a test of $186–$187 (Fibonacci 23.6%), aligning with the ETF momentum narrative.

Whales Accumulate As Futures Pressure Subsides

Blockchain data from CryptoQuant shows that large wallet investors — so-called whales — have started buying aggressively into the dip. The Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD) turned positive, indicating buy-side dominance, while the volume bubble map showed diminishing activity across both spot and futures markets. This decline in volume, coupled with stable ETF inflows, hints at exhaustion of forced selling and potential for an upward reversal once macro sentiment improves.

Whale orders, averaging above $100,000 per transaction, suggest accumulation behavior consistent with previous cycle bottoms. Institutional demand also held firm, with $8.25 million in net SOL ETF inflows on Monday, extending a 15-day streak of positive flows — a rare sign of conviction during a broader crypto sell-off.

AI-Driven Projections Point Toward $350 Recovery By Year-End

While traditional analysts remain cautious, AI models project a more aggressive upside. ChatGPT’s quantitative model places SOL at $350 by year-end, with an upper wick potential to $500 under a synchronized Bitcoin recovery scenario. The model applies Solana’s 1.5–2.0 beta factor to Bitcoin’s projected $165,000 year-end target, mathematically aligning with that $350 range. The AI forecast highlights Firedancer — Solana’s high-performance validator client — as a structural catalyst that could reignite its “Ethereum killer” narrative in 2026.

Analysts from Bitget and DL News support the logic, estimating that ETF inflows, coupled with revived DeFi activity and meme coin liquidity, could lift Solana’s total ecosystem value by 15–20% in Q4.

 

Sentiment Reset And Rebound Probability

The current oversold RSI near 30, combined with reduced open interest in futures and rising whale accumulation, sets the stage for a rebound. Market structure now mirrors conditions from June 2024, when SOL rallied 58% in three weeks after similar liquidation pressure. Analysts warn that reclaiming $150–$155 is essential for trend confirmation, while closing above $160 could unleash a momentum-driven rally toward $185–$190.

Solana SOL-USD: Buy Zone Re-Emerges Between $126–$140 Amid ETF Catalyst Cycle

After integrating on-chain, ETF, and technical data, Solana (SOL-USD) exhibits early bottoming signs within the $126–$140 band. While short-term volatility persists, the underlying fundamentals — record ETF launches by Fidelity, VanEck, and Canary Capital, sustained $8.25M daily inflows, and AI-driven forecasts pointing to $350 — strengthen the medium-term bull case.

The market’s risk premium remains high, but Solana’s position as the sixth-largest crypto with expanding DeFi TVL ($124.9B total) and accelerating institutional access makes current levels attractive for accumulation. Based on combined technicals and inflow data, SOL-USD is rated Buy on Weakness, with an upside target range of $160–$185 short-term and $350 long-term, provided macro liquidity improves.

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