The Solana surge: What’s fueling the rally and why it matters for investors

^{By Maximiliaan Michielsen}

Solana (SOL) is showing early signs of a potential breakout, capturing the attention of investors who are watching for the next big move in crypto. With momentum building and market indicators turning bullish, SOL may be gearing up for a significant price surge.

Solana is currently trading between $155 and $160, up more than 13% over the past month. Its 50-day moving average (purple) has crossed above the 100-day moving average (orange), as shown in Figure 1. This is a classic bullish signal that often precedes upward momentum. At the same time, SOL is challenging its 200-day moving average (blue), a major resistance level on traders’ radar. A clear breakout above this threshold could pave the way for a sustained rally.

_{Figure 1 – Solana tests 200D MA as bullish crossover emerges}

^{Source: 21Shares, TradingView. Data as of May 29, 2025.}

Solana’s momentum isn’t just about price movement, it’s backed by real progress across its ecosystem. Last week, we spotlighted the proposed Alpenglow upgrade, which aims to speed up transaction finality from about 12.8 seconds to just 150 milliseconds. Since then, several new announcements have added to the excitement, including the following:

Solana is powering real-world assets

A major update in the Solana ecosystem comes from R3, the company behind Corda, which oversees more than $10 billion in real-world assets (RWAs). In blockchain terms, RWAs are traditional assets, like real estate or commodities.

R3 is integrating with Solana to connect private networks with public blockchain infrastructure, aiming to boost asset distribution, liquidity, and settlement efficiency.

The partnership includes a new permissioned consensus service on Solana, allowing private Corda transactions to settle directly on-chain without compromising privacy, compliance, or control.

Kraken to launch tokenized US equities on Solana

In parallel, crypto exchange Kraken is gearing up to launch xStocks, which will bring tokenized U.S. equities to the Solana network. In simple terms, tokenization involves converting real-world assets into digital tokens on a blockchain.

The goal is to enable 24/7 global trading without traditional market hours, intermediaries, or slow settlements. These stocks will be tradable on decentralized exchanges and fully integrated into Solana’s ecosystem, essentially recreating a Nasdaq-like experience on-chain.

Despite their potential, tokenized equities currently represent just 1.4% of all tokenized assets (as illustrated below), highlighting a major growth opportunity for Solana to lead in this space.

_{Figure 2 – Breakdown of tokenized assets}

^{Source: 21Shares, RWA.xyz. Data as of May 29, 2025.}

Solana embeds blockchain into hardware devices

As institutional interest in Solana grows, its expansion into hardware devices is also taking important steps to enhance access and user experience. For example, Solana Mobile’s second-generation device, the Seeker, is scheduled to launch on August 4.

It builds on the Saga’s foundation with an architecture that enables interactions between users, developers, and manufacturers. Moreover, the device also introduces an ecosystem token, SKR, a new token to align incentives across the ecosystem.

With over 150,000 pre-orders and $67.5 million in revenue, the Seeker is gaining momentum. As mobile devices drive nearly two-thirds of internet traffic, reaching mobile-first users is key to crypto’s mainstream adoption.

_{Figure 3 – Percentage of internet traffic coming from mobile devices}

^{Source: 21Shares, explodingtopics. Data as of December 31, 2024.}

Similarly, Swiss watchmaker Franck Muller has launched a limited edition Solana-linked timepiece, with 1,111 physical units tied to on-chain wallets via embedded QR codes. Thereby offering consumers a new point of entry into crypto.

These products aim to expand Solana’s reach into new markets, user groups, and use cases. By integrating blockchain into everyday tools, Solana makes Web3 easier to access, letting users engage with blockchain without needing deep technical knowledge.

DOGE x Solana: A cultural fit and natural win

Dogecoin’s integration into the Solana network marks another milestone in the crypto space. By connecting through a trustless bridge, Dogecoin unlocks its $34 billion in capital for use across Solana’s rapidly growing ecosystem.

The benefits go both ways: Dogecoin gains access to a wider range of applications beyond its native chain, while Solana welcomes one of crypto’s most iconic communities, bringing new users, capital, and increased on-chain activity that boosts revenue and growth.

This move is a strategic step in expanding Solana’s economic engine. While tokenized assets attract institutional investors, Dogecoin has the potential to drive large-scale consumer activity. Together, they highlight a key truth: Solana’s future will be shaped not by a single focus, but by the merging of many sectors.

Memecoins may have grabbed headlines in late 2024 and early 2025, but they were just the spark. What’s followed is: Solana’s sustained user growth, real-world integrations, institutional adoption, and increasingly consumer-ready infrastructure. As the chart shows, Solana’s on-chain activity and fee generation continue to deepen and diversify, signs of an ecosystem evolving beyond speculation and maturing for long-term scale.

_{Figure 4 – Solana’s fee generation over time}

^{Source: 21Shares, TokenTerminal. Data as of May 29, 2025.}

Conclusion

Together, these developments highlight Solana’s rising institutional credibility and its commitment to long-term utility. With a fast, low-cost architecture that supports seamless and intuitive user experiences, Solana is emerging as one of the most accessible and user-friendly blockchains, well-positioned for the next wave of mainstream adoption.