It hasn’t been a terrific yr for Solana(CRYPTO: SOL). The world’s sixth-largest cryptocurrency is down almost 30% in 2025. Whereas all cryptocurrencies have taken a success over the previous 30 days, Solana has been particularly onerous hit because it fell by the $200 worth stage.
However three large catalysts are on the horizon for Solana. If all the pieces goes in accordance to plan, then the worth of Solana might take off in 2026. This is what to watch.
In the course of the summer season, the U.S. Congress made huge headway on crypto laws. The spotlight, after all, was the passage of recent stablecoin laws referred to as the GENIUS Act.
As soon as that was signed into legislation, the subsequent step was supposed to be the passage of complete new crypto laws. The Digital Asset Market Readability Act (H.R. 3633) handed the Home in July, and all lights had been flashing inexperienced.
However then got here the federal authorities shutdown. Immediately, all of the momentum for crypto got here to a grinding halt. That helps clarify why buyers all of a sudden soured on the crypto market and why sentiment remains to be at very low ranges for Solana proper now.
Picture supply: Getty Photographs.
However all that would change throughout the subsequent few months. The Senate is arising with its personal model of the Digital Asset Market Readability Act, and the pondering now could be that it is perhaps prepared to go by early 2026.
In that case, it will present an enormous enhance to Solana and its blockchain ecosystem. As a layer 1 blockchain community, Solana is a core constructing block of all the pieces that occurs within the blockchain world. So any laws that pushes ahead the mainstream adoption of blockchain know-how might be an amazing driver of worth for Solana.
I would not be shocked if all layer 1 blockchains — together with Ethereum(CRYPTO: ETH) — obtain an enormous enhance from the brand new laws.
On the identical time, Solana simply obtained an vital new blockchain improve within the type of the brand new high-performance Firedancer validator shopper. In layman’s phrases, will probably be simpler, cheaper, and sooner to add blocks to the Solana blockchain, and that can lead to dramatic enhancements in transaction processing speeds and general effectivity.
Solana has already far surpassed Ethereum by way of transaction processing speeds, attracting the eye of high-profile buyers akin to Cathie Wooden of Ark Make investments. Now, Firedancer goes to put Solana into a completely new class of its personal.
The pondering now could be that Solana might be nicely on its approach to processing 1 million transactions per second. That is blazing quick, and that kind of pace has at all times been one of many Holy Grails of the blockchain world. Ethereum, for instance, has been speaking about 1 million transactions per second for years now.
Velocity issues. It is what leads to dramatic upticks in customers and general blockchain utilization. And proper now, the Solana blockchain ecosystem is firing on all cylinders. In accordance to a current analysis report from 21Shares, the Solana blockchain ecosystem generated almost $3 billion in income over the latest 12-month interval.
One space the place Solana is quick changing into a star is decentralized finance (DeFi). Whereas Ethereum remains to be the acknowledged market chief right here, Solana is making large strides. It now ranks second behind Ethereum, with a roughly 10% market share of the DeFi market. And it has already handed Ethereum by way of 24-hour buying and selling quantity on its decentralized exchanges.
All three of those catalysts might assist catapult Solana ahead in 2026. Solana is at the moment buying and selling at a wholesome 55% low cost to its all-time excessive of $294 from January. That looks like a dramatic investor overreaction to the worldwide macroeconomic outlook. How a lot has actually modified for Solana over the previous 12 months?
My prediction is that Solana might make a critical run on the $300 worth stage in 2026. If that is the case, then the time to purchase is now. If you happen to wait till January, it is perhaps too late.
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Dominic Basulto has positions in Ethereum and Solana. The Motley Idiot has positions in and recommends Ethereum and Solana. The Motley Idiot has a disclosure policy.