Solana Whale Moves $10.87 Million to Private Wallet, Alpenglow Upgrade Expected in 2026

• A Solana whale moved 80,000 SOL ($10.87 million) from Binance to a private wallet after 365 days of inactivity, indicating a long-term accumulation strategy according to TradingView.
• This movement is seen as bullish for Solana, as it suggests the whale is preparing for long-term holding rather than immediate selling as reported by Yellow.
• The Alpenglow upgrade is expected to significantly enhance Solana's performance by reducing transaction finality time, potentially making it more competitive in the blockchain space according to AOL Finance.

The whale's decision to move the tokens to a private wallet amid market volatility indicates confidence in Solana's future as noted by AInvest. This action has generated excitement in the Solana community as it may signal a potential market rally according to Seeking Alpha.

Large holders are increasingly moving funds from centralized exchanges to private wallets, a pattern that suggests reduced selling pressure and long-term holding intentions according to AInvest. This trend is significant given Solana's price action, with whales persisting in purchases despite a range-bound market as reported by IG.

What is the significance of the whale's movement to a private wallet?

The whale's movement to a private wallet suggests a long-term accumulation strategy rather than immediate selling intentions according to FXStreet. Such moves are typically associated with long-term holding and are seen as bullish signals as reported by Yellow. The transfer also removes selling pressure from centralized order books according to AInvest.

The Solana network has seen similar movements in early 2026, with large wallets repeatedly purchasing 10+ SOL during the downturn as reported by MEXC. These accumulation patterns indicate that large holders view Solana's fundamentals as undervalued.

What improvements does the Alpenglow upgrade bring to Solana?

The Alpenglow upgrade is expected to reduce transaction finality time from 12.8 seconds to 100-150 milliseconds, making Solana faster than credit card transactions. This improvement is part of Solana's ongoing efforts to enhance its performance and compete more effectively in the blockchain space.

The upgrade will also improve security and reliability, which are crucial for gaining a larger share of the stablecoin and real-world asset markets. Alpenglow is scheduled for early 2026, though it might launch earlier.

How does whale accumulation and the Alpenglow upgrade influence the market?

Whale accumulation and the Alpenglow upgrade create a dual catalyst for Solana's 2026 bull case, with infrastructure improvements enhancing scalability and reliability for institutional adoption. These factors could make Solana more competitive in the market for blockchain-based applications and services.

The convergence of whale accumulation and Alpenglow's technical roadmap creates a compelling bull case for 2026, potentially making Solana a prime candidate for institutional reentry. Despite some bearish pressure, institutional demand for Solana has remained a notable driver of interest.

Despite a 46% decline in Solana's price over three months, whale accumulation patterns have emerged. This indicates that while retail sentiment may be tepid, deep-pocketed players are positioning for a potential recovery. Ecosystem developments continue to shape Solana's longer-term narrative, with innovations in institutional products, developer tools, and decentralized finance infrastructure reinforcing the perception that Solana's network layer remains active and evolving.

Solana's price has seen bearish pressure, trading near support levels around $123.00 after earlier declines from higher ranges. Despite this price pressure, institutional demand for Solana has remained a notable driver of interest. If the Alpenglow upgrade is successful, it could help Solana gain a larger share of the smart-contract market in the long term.

Santiment's analysis suggests that the accumulation by large holders alongside recent profit-taking by smaller retail traders could set the stage for renewed upward momentum across the crypto market. Historically, this pattern—large holders accumulating while smaller traders reduce exposure—has often preceded periods of market cap growth.

The last couple of weeks illustrate Solana's position as a market balancing consolidation and ongoing interest. Price action remains under pressure amid a cautious macro backdrop and reduced liquidity, but steady institutional flows, whale accumulation, and broader ecosystem relevance suggest that deeper conviction has not faded entirely.

Solana's price broke above the upper trendline of a falling wedge pattern on December 26, closing above the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $163.45. If the upward trend continues, Solana could extend the rally toward the next resistance level at $150.61, its 100-day EMA. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the daily chart reads 63, indicating bullish momentum gaining traction. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator shows a bullish crossover and rising green histogram bars above the neutral level, further supporting the bullish outlook.

If Solana corrects, it could extend the decline to find support around the weekly level at $126.65. Whether Solana breaks out of its recent range to the upside or drifts lower will likely depend on macro sentiment, liquidity dynamics, and continued engagement from larger market participants. A bearish scenario would involve a fall through the December low at $116.94, while a bullish scenario would require a move above the October-to-December downtrend line at $125.59 and the December high at $146.93.

The Alpenglow upgrade is part of a broader infrastructure strategy that includes the integration of Firedancer, a new validator client designed to scale Solana's transaction capacity to 1 million TPS. The ability to tolerate up to 20% adversarial stake addresses critical pain points for institutional investors, such as network outages and unpredictable latency. The Alpenglow upgrade is expected to unlock new use cases, from stablecoin settlements to tokenized equities, driving demand for SOL as both a utility token and a store of value.

The convergence of whale accumulation and Alpenglow's technical roadmap creates a compelling bull case for 2026. Despite critics pointing to Solana's elevated NVT ratio and declining open interest, the network's growing utility, such as decentralized exchange volume surges, suggests underlying strength. The Alpenglow upgrade and whale activity form a dual catalyst for institutional reentry, setting the stage for a new era of institutional adoption and price discovery.

Institutional demand for SOL continues to strengthen, as spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded positive flows of more than $16 million on Monday, marking the largest single-day inflow since mid-December. The total net assets surpassed $1 billion this week, indicating rising institutional demand. If inflows continue, SOL could see a price rally. On-chain metrics show a bullish bias, with large whale orders, cooling conditions, and buy-side dominance.

Stablecoin market capitalization is also rising, currently standing at $15.32 billion. Such stablecoin activity and value increase on the SOL project indicate a bullish outlook, boosting network usage and potentially attracting more users. The Solana network's 24-hour trading volume dropped to $3.76 billion, reflecting market volatility.

The network's 24-hour trading volume dropped to $3.76 billion, reflecting market volatility. Whale accumulation patterns have been observed throughout early 2026, despite a 46% decline in Solana's price over three months. Large wallets have been repeatedly purchasing 10+ SOL during the downturn. Exchange withdrawals to private wallets are seen as a way to remove selling pressure from centralized order books.