Solana | Crypto Exchanges: SOL | Currency: USD | Type: Cryptocurrency
Key Statistics
About Solana
Solana (SOL) is the native asset of a high-throughput proof-of-stake blockchain designed for fast, low-cost transactions. The network hosts significant decentralised-exchange, payments and consumer-app activity, and SOL is staked by validators to secure it. The asset is regarded as one of the higher-beta large-cap cryptocurrencies, amplifying broader market moves in both directions.
Instrument Details
| Ticker | SOL |
| Exchange / Market | Crypto Exchanges |
| Instrument type | Cryptocurrency |
| Quote currency | USD |
Network & Asset
Solana (SOL) is the native asset of the Solana blockchain, a high-throughput proof-of-stake Layer-1 network focused on low-cost, high-speed transactions.
Market Structure
Solana runs on a decentralised blockchain network, with its price discovered continuously across hundreds of global digital-asset exchanges. There is no closing bell or settlement price — the market simply never stops trading. Supply mechanics defined in the protocol, adoption trends and liquidity conditions shape the long-term price history.
Trading Hours
Solana trades 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — crypto markets never close. Outside those hours this page shows the last traded level, with change figures measured against the previous official close. All session times are expressed in Indian Standard Time (IST).
How to Read Solana
Solana trades around the clock, so daily "close" levels are conventions rather than official settlements — most traders use UTC daily candles. Volume-confirmed breaks of prior highs or lows carry more weight than quiet drifts. Because leverage is widespread, sharp liquidation cascades can exaggerate short-term moves.
52-week range: 60.415 – 253.21. Trailing 12-month change: -50.83%.
By Liveworldmarket Editorial Team · Last reviewed 31 August 2026
Solana (SOL) — A Practical Guide
Solana is a high-performance layer-1 blockchain that has emerged as the leading alternative to Ethereum for high-throughput, low-latency smart-contract applications. SOL is the native token used for transaction fees and staking. The Solana network claims theoretical throughput of 50,000+ transactions per second (vs. Ethereum's ~15 tps and Bitcoin's ~7 tps) using a proof-of-stake variant combined with a unique 'Proof of History' consensus innovation. In practice, real-world Solana throughput typically runs 1,000-3,000 tps with sub-second finality and transaction fees averaging well under $0.01.
Solana's ecosystem has grown to host the second-largest DeFi total value locked after Ethereum, the largest NFT marketplaces by transaction count (Magic Eden, Tensor), several major launchpad ecosystems for AI-token and memecoin issuance, and a growing share of Web3 consumer applications (Helium decentralised wireless, Render Network distributed GPU compute). The chain's combination of speed, cost and ecosystem depth makes it the leading 'Ethereum killer' candidate.
History & contract origins
Solana was founded in 2017 by Anatoly Yakovenko (former Qualcomm engineer) with the mainnet launching in March 2020. The early validator-set and ecosystem build-out was supported by Solana Labs and the Solana Foundation. SOL went mainstream in 2021 during the DeFi/NFT boom, with the token rallying from under $2 in January 2021 to an all-time high of $260.06 in November 2021. The 2022 FTX collapse hit Solana particularly hard (FTX/Alameda were major SOL holders and Solana ecosystem investors); SOL crashed to a low of $8.71 in December 2022. The recovery from 2023 onward was one of the strongest in crypto: SOL retook $100 by late 2023 and $260 in early 2025.
Notable events: 2021 ATH, 2022 FTX collapse and SOL crash to $8, 2022-23 multiple network outages (Solana experienced several day-long downtimes during the 2021-22 period — these have largely been resolved in 2023-2025), 2024 Firedancer client implementation reaching mainnet beta, 2025 spot SOL ETF filings.
Trading hours & session layout
Solana trades 24/7/365:
| Spot SOL availability | 24/7/365 |
| Highest volume | Continuous, with peaks during US trading hours given strong US ecosystem |
Holiday calendar (typical annual closures)
Listed below are the major scheduled closures for the underlying exchange. Exact dates shift year-to-year — always verify against the exchange's official calendar before holding overnight positions across a holiday boundary.
| Holiday | Typical date |
|---|---|
| SOL markets - never closed |
How to read this tape
Read SOL alongside three signals. First, Solana network metrics — daily transactions, active addresses, DeFi TVL, NFT trading volume. Solana is one of the few chains where on-chain activity directly drives SOL demand via fees. Second, ecosystem narrative cycles — Solana has been the leading chain for memecoin launches (BONK, WIF, PEPE-on-Solana ecosystem), AI-token plays, and consumer apps. When these narratives heat up, SOL outperforms. Third, the SOL/ETH ratio — when Solana is gaining share from Ethereum, SOL outperforms; the ratio has more than 3x'd from late-2022 lows.
Solana validators face heavier hardware requirements than Ethereum validators, which has historically led to lower validator-count and higher centralisation concerns. The 2024-25 Firedancer client (a high-performance validator implementation from Jump Trading) is designed to improve client diversity and resilience.
Frequently asked questions
How is Solana faster than Ethereum?
Solana uses 'Proof of History' (a cryptographic clock that pre-orders transactions before consensus) plus parallel transaction processing across multiple CPU cores. This contrasts with Ethereum's sequential single-threaded execution model. The result is much higher theoretical throughput, though it requires more powerful validator hardware.
Does Solana have a max supply?
No hard cap. SOL inflation started at ~8% annually and decreases by 15% per year until reaching a long-term target of 1.5% annual inflation. As of 2026, SOL inflation is around 4-5%. Burning of priority fees (similar to Ethereum's EIP-1559) reduces effective supply growth during high-activity periods.
Why did Solana crash so hard in 2022?
Two factors compounded: (a) the broader 2022 crypto bear market took down all major tokens, (b) FTX/Alameda Research were among Solana's largest investors and token holders; FTX's November 2022 bankruptcy triggered a forced sale of FTX-held SOL, accelerating the price decline. SOL bottomed at $8.71 in December 2022.
Is Solana centralised?
More centralised than Bitcoin or Ethereum on validator-count and hardware requirements. The 2024-25 Firedancer client and growing validator diversity are addressing this. The token-distribution side also remains relatively concentrated (top 100 wallets hold a meaningful share).
Can Indian residents stake SOL?
Yes — via staking pools (Marinade, Jito) or directly through compatible wallets (Phantom, Solflare). Staking yields are typically 6-8% in SOL terms. Indian crypto tax treats staking rewards as income; consult a CA for specifics.
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Editorial article. Information only — not investment advice. Read our Risk Disclaimer before acting on any market data shown here.