Solana (SOL) Price Prediction: Alpenglow Upgrade Vote Passes as Analysts Eye $360 Target

TLDR

Solana’s Alpenglow upgrade receives 99.6% approval from voters, slashing transaction finality from 12.8 seconds to 150 milliseconds The protocol upgrade is Solana’s biggest in history and could make it faster than Google search results SOL breaks above $200 psychological level, currently trading at $207.52 with 3.41% gains Crypto analyst predicts potential rally to $360 based on technical chart patterns Key resistance levels ahead include $250, $277, and $321 before reaching the $360 target

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Solana’s native token SOL has broken above the $200 mark as the blockchain prepares for its most important protocol upgrade in history. The Alpenglow consensus protocol has received overwhelming support from validators, with over 99.6% of votes cast in favor of the proposal.

Solana (SOL) Price

The upgrade promises to reduce Solana’s transaction finality from the current 12.8 seconds to just 150 milliseconds. This represents a nearly 100-fold improvement in speed that would put Solana on par with standard internet infrastructure.

Voting for the Alpenglow proposal began on August 21st and will close at epoch 842, expected to complete on Tuesday at 1 PM UTC. The required quorum threshold of 33% has already been reached, making passage almost certain if current voting patterns continue.

Anza’s @TheWattenhofer introduces Alpenglow 🌄, a new consensus protocol for Solana, live at Accelerate pic.twitter.com/NhtOWNyzhS

— Solana (@solana) May 19, 2025

The protocol upgrade consists of two main components called Votor and Rotor. Votor will handle voting transactions and block finalization, aiming to finalize blocks in a single round with 80% stake participation. Rotor will replace Solana’s current proof-of-history system to reduce the time needed for network consensus.

Technical Breakthrough Could Expand Use Cases

If implemented successfully, Alpenglow would make Solana faster than competing blockchains like Sui, which has 400-millisecond finality. The upgrade could even outperform Google search results, which typically return in about 200 milliseconds.

Anza researchers who developed the protocol believe the speed improvement opens doors to entirely new application categories. The team stated that 150-millisecond latency means Solana could compete directly with Web2 infrastructure for real-time applications.

The upgrade wouldn’t solve all of Solana’s challenges, however. The network still relies on a single production-ready client called Agave, which creates vulnerability to outages. A new client called Firedancer is expected to launch later this year to provide diversification.

Meanwhile, SOL’s price action is attracting attention from technical analysts. The token currently trades at $207.52, representing a 3.41% gain and breaking out of a lengthy consolidation phase.

Solana Price Prediction

Crypto analyst Ali Charts sees potential for SOL to reach $360 based on current chart patterns. The analysis points to key resistance levels at $250.26, $277.18, and $320.99 using Fibonacci extensions.

I told you when to buy Solana $SOL. Now I’m telling you, hold it until $360! https://t.co/rVSo3KhjNZ pic.twitter.com/0h2hrEsJPS

— Ali (@ali_charts) August 23, 2025

The first major test comes around the $206-210 range. If SOL clears this level, traders expect momentum to accelerate toward higher targets. The $250 level represents both a technical and psychological milestone that could trigger additional buying interest.

Support remains strong in the $176-185 zone. As long as SOL holds above this range, the bullish outlook stays intact. A break below could signal the end of the current rally structure.

Market fundamentals appear to support the technical setup. DeFi activity on Solana continues growing while institutional investment flows into the ecosystem. NFT trading volume also remains elevated compared to other blockchain networks.

The combination of the Alpenglow upgrade approval and positive price momentum has created optimism among Solana supporters. Transaction speed has become a key differentiator for layer-1 blockchains competing with Bitcoin and Ethereum.

SOL’s breakout above $200 comes as the broader crypto market searches for direction. The timing coincides with the final voting period for the protocol upgrade, creating potential catalysts for continued price appreciation.

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