Solana is trading near $105 as traders monitor a critical support zone ahead of a planned network upgrade. The Alpenglow upgrade, expected next week, is projected to reduce transaction finality from approximately 13 seconds to 150 milliseconds, according to Grayscale.
Network Performance Metrics
Solana has averaged more than 1,400 transactions per second year-to-date, substantially exceeding competing blockchain networks. By comparison, BNB Chain averaged fewer than 200 TPS, while other blockchain networks processed approximately 40 TPS.
Transaction throughput measures the number of transactions a network processes within a second. Higher throughput can help blockchains handle increased activity, though actual performance also depends on network conditions and transaction demand.
Solana's average transaction fees have been approximately $0.005 this year, making transactions relatively inexpensive for users. Over the past three months, the network processed approximately 25% of all stablecoin transactions, exceeding every other blockchain during that period.
Technical Support Levels
According to crypto trader Don, SOL has stabilized above $100 after facing rejection at a descending trendline. The analyst identifies $80–$95 as a crucial support zone, with a yellow ascending trendline extending from 2023 lows providing additional long-term chart context.
Don's bullish scenario depends on SOL reclaiming the descending trendline, which he identifies as leading to potential upside targets at $166 and $378. Conversely, a move below the $80–$95 support zone would invalidate the bullish structure, according to the analyst.
CoinGecko data shows SOL trading at $104.84, with $2.66 billion in 24-hour trading volume. The token has fallen 1.29% over 24 hours and 4.41% over seven days.
Upgrade Details
Finality indicates when a transaction is considered irreversible under a blockchain's consensus rules. The planned Alpenglow upgrade is expected to substantially reduce the time users wait for transaction confirmation. However, the projected 150-millisecond finality represents an expected outcome from the upgrade, not the network's existing performance.
Faster finality and low fees could support payment applications requiring rapid settlement and may help developers build applications where transaction costs and confirmation times influence user experience.
