Solana is handling 100M+ daily transactions and $650B in monthly stablecoin volume while SOL trades below $95, leaving traders to decide if a $100+ rerating is overdue.

Solana (SOL) is trading around the low‑$90s after a series of 5–7% daily moves, even as its underlying network posts activity figures normally associated with far richer valuations. Dune Analytics data shared by Solana Payments shows the blockchain processing roughly 105.3 million transactions per day as of February 19, 2026, “more than all other major blockchains combined.” In February alone, Solana handled about 3.4 billion transactions excluding votes, one of its most active months on record. At the same time, research cited by Grayscale shows the network processed about $650 billion in stablecoin transfers in February, more than doubling its previous record and overtaking both Ethereum and Tron in monthly stablecoin volume.

According to a price outlook from crypto.news, SOL spent early March consolidating near $88–$89 with a market cap around $50 billion, “a blue‑chip alt that has forgotten how to trend” after a brutal February drawdown. On March 4, Solana emerged as the standout top‑10 performer with a 6% jump to $91.45 and a market cap near $52 billion, as 24‑hour trading volume surged to $7.5 billion and the volume‑to‑market‑cap ratio climbed to 14.4% from a 30‑day average of 11.2%. Another 5.12% daily advance pushed SOL to about $91.46 as ETF inflows rose and whale wallets staked roughly 200,000 SOL worth over $17 million, reinforcing support in the $84–$86 band.

Behind the price, regulated products are quietly building a structural bid. U.S. spot Solana ETFs are near the $1 billion net‑inflow mark and have attracted about $1.5 billion since launch, even as SOL’s price has fallen roughly 57% from its July 2025 levels, according to Bloomberg data cited by multiple analysts. “Solana ETFs recorded $16.8 million in net inflows on Monday, lifting cumulative inflows to $1.09 billion,” one recent report noted, with the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF alone drawing over $638 million. Crypto.news has reported that around 30 institutions now hold about $540 million in SOL ETF exposure, highlighting how much of this demand is institutional rather than purely retail.

Those flows are increasingly shaping the tape: Bitwise analysis suggests spot ETF flows now account for around 25% of SOL’s price variance, while basis trades remain subdued. Recent derivative market data shows open interest hovering near $5.01 billion, funding rates turning positive and long‑to‑short ratios hitting monthly highs as SOL traded above $89 after a roughly 10% weekly gain. Technical forecasters at crypto.news say a sustained move into the $95–$105 range is possible if buying pressure persists, with upside confirmation coming on a clear break above $100.

The core question for traders is whether SOL’s price can catch up to a chain that already looks like a high‑throughput payments and stablecoin backbone. Network statistics indicate Solana is handling around 150 million transactions per day and supporting roughly $2 trillion in quarterly stablecoin transfers, placing it “at the center of the stablecoin economy” according to recent market research. Grayscale and Standard Chartered analysts argue that the activity shift away from memecoins toward payments and tokenized finance justifies structurally higher valuations, with one 2026 base case targeting $250 per SOL and a bull case extending to $320 if ETF flows and technical upgrades land cleanly.

Yet technical risk remains. Crypto.news analysis notes that SOL still trades in a broad $80–$100 “trap,” with $80 acting as crucial support and $96–$116 marked out as the zone that would “reopen structural recovery” if reclaimed. Bears warn that a confirmed break below $80 could trigger a slide toward $64 or even the $59 head‑and‑shoulders target flagged on multi‑day charts. For now, the market is paying blue‑chip prices for a chain that is already settling hundreds of billions a month in stablecoins—but not yet the full premium implied by its usage. Whether that gap closes via a rerating higher or a normalization of activity will define Solana’s next leg.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has raised concerns about whether YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, better known as “MrBeast,” intends to market cryptocurrency to teenagers and young adults following his purchase of a mobile banking app.

In a Monday letter to Donaldson, Warren questioned whether the online influencer planned to use his company’s acquisition of the mobile banking app Step to push crypto transactions and purchases on young people. Donaldson, a YouTuber who grew an online following due in part to his stunts and financial giveaways, founded his holding company, Beast Industries, in 2012 with the launch of his channel. 

In February, the company acquired Step, with a reported seven million-person user base. At the time, Donaldson said the purchase was aimed at “giv[ing] millions of young people the financial foundation I never had.” An October 2025 trademark application for ​​MrBeast Financial included plans for a mobile app “providing cryptocurrency exchange services.”

With more than 472 million subscribers on YouTube, Donaldson has one of the largest audiences on the video-sharing platform. His holding company, Beast Industries, already has financial ties with the crypto industry following a $200 million investment from BitMine Immersion Technology in January.

Related: MrBeast allegedly reaped $10M promoting and dumping altcoins

Step announced plans for an app that would allow “teens under 18 and young adults to buy, sell, hold and receive crypto” in 2022. However, the notice said that “parents will be able to oversee their teen’s access” for investments. 

“Despite Step’s careful claims that crypto investing by minors was only with the permission of a parent or guardian, Step published resources encouraging kids to pressure their parents into crypto investments,” said Warren in the Monday letter, adding:

“Beast Industries is primarily an entertainment and consumer product company – and any foray into financial services, particularly services aimed at children – must be done with great care and in compliance with the law.”

Warren requested information from Donaldson and Beast Industries CEO Jeff Housenbold on Step’s plans to allow its young user base to invest in cryptocurrencies or non-fungible tokens (NFTs) by April 3. Cointelegraph has sought comment from both Beast Industries and Warren’s office, but had not received a response as of the time of publication.

‘Hawk Tuah’ influencer speaks out about memecoin

Another online influencer, Haliey Welch, who became known as the “Hawk Tuah” girl following her appearance in a TikTok video went viral in 2024, has addressed the public for the first time in months after the launch of her memecoin left investors with losses estimated at $200,000. Welch reported receiving death threats after her HAWK memecoin surged to a market capitalization of about $500 million before collapsing by more than 90% in what many speculated was a rug pull.