Is Solana Dying? DEX Trading Volume Drops 95% as SOL Price Continues to Fall

ccn.comPublished on 2025-12-16Last updated on 2025-12-16

Abstract

Solana's network activity has declined sharply, with DEX trading volume dropping approximately 95% from its January peak of $38.4 billion to $1.7 billion. Active addresses on Solana-based DEXs also fell to a yearly low of 2.85 million, down significantly from 24 million earlier in the year. Application revenue plummeted 96% to under $1.4 million. Despite the downturn, investment continues, with Coinbase announcing expanded access to Solana-based tokens through direct platform integration at the recent Solana Breakpoint conference. SOL's price remains under pressure, trading around $132, down nearly 4% over the past week. Analysts note a bearish technical structure, including an ascending parallel channel and a descending triangle pattern, suggesting potential further downside. A breakdown could lead to a 16% drop to the $106 support level.

Solana’s network activity has declined sharply in recent months, with trading volume on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) falling by approximately 95%.

The downturn comes as the blockchain’s native token remains under pressure, despite continued inflows from institutional investment and expansion.

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Network Participation Plummets

On-chain data indicates a significant contraction in trading activity on Solana-based decentralized exchanges.

According to blockchain analytics , the total value of Solana spot DEX trading volume has declined by 95% to $1.7 billion from its peak of $38.4 billion in January.

The number of active addresses interacting with Solana-based decentralized exchanges fell to approximately 2.85 million during the week of Dec. 8–14, marking the lowest level in a year.

This represents a sharp drop from January, when active addresses peaked at around 24 million.

Meanwhile, Solana application revenue has plummeted a whopping 96% from $40.6 million to under $1.4 million.

Added Investment

The decline in network activity contrasts with continued investment and infrastructure development across the Solana ecosystem.

At the Solana Breakpoint 2025 conference last week, Coinbase announced it would expand access to Solana-based tokens by integrating them directly into its platform.

Speaking at the event, Andrew, a protocol specialist at Coinbase, said, “We think those markets should be accessible to all of our users.”

The integration enables users to trade Solana-based tokens through Coinbase’s standard interface, eliminating the need for additional steps.

“On the surface it looks the same as existing centralized trading, but on the backend all functions operate on-chain,” engineer Sabs Sachdeva added.

Solana Price Action: Where to Next?

Solana’s price remains under pressure as technical indicators continue to signal downside risk, despite recent attempts at stabilization.

At the time of reporting, SOL was trading at around $132, down nearly 4% over the past seven days.

According to analyst Valdrin Tahiri, SOL has been trading within an ascending parallel channel since Nov. 21, a structure that often reflects corrective price action rather than a sustainable uptrend.

“The SOL price has traded inside an ascending parallel channel since Nov. 21,” Tahiri said, adding that “these channels usually contain corrective movements, so an eventual breakdown is likely.”

Tahiri noted that SOL is currently trading in the lower portion of the channel, which increases the probability of a downside move.

SOL/USDT Daily Chart Credit: Valdrin Tahiri/TradingView

“Additionally, the SOL price trades in the channel’s lower portion, making a breakdown more likely,” he explained.

Beyond the broader channel structure, Tahiri pointed to a bearish short-term pattern reinforcing the negative outlook.

“Furthermore, there is a short-term descending triangle in place, confirming the bearish trend,” he said.

Tahiri warned that a confirmed breakdown below key support levels could trigger a sharp decline.

“Once the SOL price closes below support, it could quickly plummet 16% to the next support at $106,” he added.

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