Solana’s (SOL) recent climb back above $200 is a sign that the altcoin pivoted from a “meme-driven ecosystem” to a “high-beta, blue-chip alternative” that is attracting institutional attention.
According to MEXC Research chief analyst Shawn Young, the over 34% increase in July to the $202.52 price, as of press time, marks a shift in how the market values the Solana network.
In a note, Young highlighted that SOL outperformed both Bitcoin and Ethereum during the same stretch. Two key forces drive this move: anticipation of a Solana-focused exchange-traded fund (ETF) and tangible progress on core infrastructure.
The implication is that the alignment of institutional appetite, corporate treasury allocation, and network upgrades could let Solana lead the next rotation of capital into altcoins.
Technical enhancements
Young pointed to the Block Assembly Marketplace (BAM) announced by Jito Labs as the kind of technical advance that can change the narrative.
Programmable control over blockspace, lower MEV, and faster, cleaner sequencing would address persistent complaints about Solana’s reliability.
For institutional validators and sophisticated builders, those upgrades signal a network that is maturing, not just riding momentum.
ETF speculation is the other pillar. Young cited more than $73 million in pre-ETF commitments and nearly 3 million SOL moving into corporate wallets last month as evidence of a longer-term positioning shift.
Solana’s market capitalization has surpassed $100 billion, positioning it among the largest crypto.
The analyst argued that it reflects an evolution from speculation to foundation, as Solana can benefit from the proliferation of tokenized real-world assets and the increasing demand for high-throughput on-chain infrastructure.
Next price levels
If those currents continue to flow in the same direction, Young said SOL is positioned to remain a core allocation in diversified crypto portfolios into the third quarter.
Technically, he frames the market in straightforward terms. Clearing and holding above $185 removed a key overhead barrier and opened a path toward $210, and potentially $230, provided there is no shock event and broader conditions remain benign.
However, failing to break through $210 decisively would make a retest of the $185 zone a plausible scenario.
Young’s bottom line is that fundamentals and structure, not just sentiment, are now driving Solana’s case.
If the promised ETF channel opens and BAM delivers the block-level control developers want, the token’s July surge could prove to be the start of a broader reallocating cycle rather than just another spike on the chart.