Can Solana hit $229? – Whale’s $29M bet says yes, IF…
Key Takeaways
A whale opened a $29 million long on Solana. Meanwhile, SOL’s Futures activity shows overheating, with liquidation clusters amplifying potential volatility risks ahead.
On the 6th of September, a whale deposited $14.53 million in USDC to Hyperliquid. Then, the trader opened a $29 million Solana [SOL] long with 2x leverage, acquiring 143,126 SOL.
Such large moves often signal deep conviction in volatile markets.
At press time, Solana was trading near $202, maintaining a steady trajectory within a well-defined price channel. Increased whale activity supported bullish market sentiment, suggesting the asset could push higher in the near term.
Not to mention, whale accumulation alone cannot drive lasting rallies. The key lies in whether overall liquidity and broad participation align to push the price sustainably higher in the coming weeks.
Solana’s channel structure suggests upside targets
At the time of writing, Solana continued to move within an ascending channel, showing a bullish market structure supported by higher lows and consistent upward tests of resistance.
The channel’s lower support rested around the 0.236 Fibonacci retracement level at $188, while immediate resistance aligned with the 0.786 Fib level at $218.
Beyond this, Fibonacci extensions point to $229 and $263 as higher targets if momentum accelerates. The On-Balance Volume (OBV) indicator rose steadily, signaling accumulation is supporting price action.
That meant – Losing $188 support would weaken this bullish setup and invite strong corrective pressure.
Source: TradingView
Who’s creating an imbalanced market structure?
As we can observe in the chart below, at press time, long positions dominated, with nearly 85% of accounts holding longs compared to just 15% shorts, creating a Long/Short Ratio of 5.66.
AMBCrypto inferred that it meant overwhelming optimism, but note that such an imbalance often leaves markets vulnerable to squeezes when momentum falters.
Retail traders leaning too heavily long can amplify volatility, especially if whales or larger entities unwind positions.
The alignment of whale activity with retail conviction looked supportive, but sustainability hinged on whether Solana absorbed corrective waves without cascading losses.
Here are the signs of overheating conditions
CryptoQuant’s Futures Volume Bubble Map highlighted overheating conditions. Trading in Perpetual contracts intensified, suggesting aggressive positioning by traders chasing momentum.
This typically indicates aggressive positioning by traders chasing momentum, which can create sharp reversals when sentiment shifts.
Overheated markets often precede volatile shakeouts, flushing overleveraged participants before continuation or reversal.
Still, strong momentum can turn speculative demand into breakout fuel when paired with liquidity.
THIS is where volatility traps are!
CoinGlass data placed Solana at $202, between major liquidation clusters. Major short liquidations accumulate above $210 to $220, while heavy long liquidations gather below $195.
This setup makes the price highly sensitive, as even modest moves could cascade liquidations in either direction.
If Solana breaks higher, short liquidations could accelerate the rally toward $218 or $229. However, a dip under $195 would likely trigger long unwinds, amplifying downside pressure.
Conclusively, Solana’s outlook is firmly bullish as whale accumulation, retail conviction, and strong channel structure align toward higher targets.
While cascading short liquidations might fuel gains to $229 or $263, overheating futures and crowded longs left Solana vulnerable to sharp corrections.