Solana absorbs 98K SOL sell-off – Why price refuses to break

ambcryptoPublished on 2026-01-23Last updated on 2026-01-23

Abstract

A long-term Solana staker has begun a gradual exit, unstaking over 98,000 SOL after nearly two years, resulting in a realized loss exceeding $6.6 million. Despite this distribution, the market has absorbed the selling pressure without a sharp price decline. Solana's price remains range-bound between $120 and $150, with buyers consistently defending the $120–$125 support zone. The daily RSI has softened to around 43.8, indicating weakening momentum but no oversold conditions. Spot Taker CVD shows buyer dominance, absorbing sell pressure without triggering a breakout. Binance top traders maintain a strong long bias, with a Long/Short Ratio of 4.22. Overall, the market reflects a balance between persistent selling and solid demand, lacking decisive directional movement.

A long-term Solana staker has begun a gradual exit after unstaking more than 98,000 SOL following nearly two years of holding.

The wallet originally withdrew the tokens from Binance near cycle highs before committing them to staking.

However, the current exit unfolds at significantly lower prices, locking in a realized loss exceeding $6.6 million. The holder uses a DCA approach rather than a single sell-off, which spreads supply across time.

As a result, the market avoids abrupt liquidation-driven reactions. Still, this steady distribution introduces persistent overhead pressure.

Meanwhile, buyers continue stepping in near support, setting up a clear test between long-term supply and short-term demand.

Solana price compresses inside a familiar range

Solana [SOL] price continued to trade inside a clearly defined range at press time, with buyers repeatedly defending the $120–$125 demand zone. Each dip into this area triggered quick reactions, preventing downside continuation.

However, upside attempts consistently failed near $146–$150, which aligned with the upper boundary of the consolidation box.

Every rally toward that level loses momentum, forcing price back toward the range midpoint. The $135 area acted as a short-term pivot, flipping between support and resistance during recent sessions.

As a result, volatility remained suppressed. Therefore, Solana stayed trapped between $120 and $150, reflecting balance rather than directional control.

Momentum continued to soften as the daily RSI rolled over from recent highs near 70 and drifted lower toward the low-40s.

At the press time, RSI sat around 43.8, confirming weakening upside pressure without signaling oversold conditions. This positioning matters because RSI remains well above the 30 threshold, showing sellers lack dominance.

However, RSI also struggled to reclaim the 50 midline, which caps bullish momentum during consolidation phases. As RSI flattens, it mirrors price compression rather than trend acceleration.

Therefore, momentum points to exhaustion, not breakdown, while buyers continue stepping in before momentum deteriorates further.

Taker demand absorbs sell pressure

Spot Taker CVD over the 90-day window remained buyer-dominant despite visible sell-side distribution from large holders.

Aggressive market buyers continue lifting offers even as long-term exits unfold.

However, price does not expand higher, which signals absorption rather than chase behavior. This dynamic shows buyers meeting supply without forcing breakouts.

Meanwhile, sustained buyer dominance reduces the likelihood of sharp downside continuation. Still, absorption alone does not guarantee upside expansion.

Instead, it stabilizes price while excess supply clears. Therefore, order-flow conditions support range stability rather than immediate directional resolution.

Solana top traders stay aggressively long

Binance top trader positioning remains heavily skewed toward longs despite Solana’s failure to trend.

As of press time, 80.86% of top trader accounts held long positions, while 19.14% remain short.

This imbalance placed the Long/Short Ratio at 4.22, confirming that long exposure outweighs shorts by more than four times. However, the price continues consolidating rather than breaking higher.

The ratio has eased slightly from recent peaks above 4.4, suggesting mild moderation rather than aggressive de-risking. Therefore, trader conviction remains strong, but price structure has yet to confirm it.

To sum up, Solana currently reflects a market absorbing long-term distribution without losing structural support.

Buyers defend key levels, RSI avoids breakdown, taker demand stays active, and top traders remain heavily long. However, the price still lacks expansion.

Until Solana breaks decisively beyond the consolidation range, the market remains balanced between conviction and confirmation.


Final Thoughts

  • Long-term selling pressure persists; however, market structure remains intact as buyers continue absorbing supply.
  • Trader confidence stays elevated, however price still needs expansion to validate bullish expectations.

Related Questions

QWhat was the significance of the 98,000 SOL unstaking event and how did the holder manage the sell-off?

AA long-term Solana staker began a gradual exit by unstaking over 98,000 SOL after nearly two years of holding. Instead of a single sell-off, the holder used a Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA) approach to spread the supply across time, which avoided abrupt liquidation-driven reactions but introduced persistent overhead pressure.

QWhat is Solana's current price range and key levels as described in the article?

ASolana's price was trading inside a clearly defined range between $120–$125 (demand zone) and $146–$150 (upper boundary). The $135 area acted as a short-term pivot, flipping between support and resistance, reflecting market balance rather than directional control.

QWhat does the RSI level of 43.8 indicate about Solana's momentum?

AThe daily RSI sitting at 43.8 confirms weakening upside pressure without signaling oversold conditions. It remains well above the 30 threshold, showing sellers lack dominance, but struggles to reclaim the 50 midline, indicating exhaustion and price compression rather than trend acceleration.

QHow did spot Taker CVD and market buyers respond to the sell pressure?

ASpot Taker CVD over the 90-day window remained buyer-dominant, with aggressive market buyers lifting offers and absorbing the sell-side distribution from large holders. This absorption dynamic stabilized price without forcing breakouts, supporting range stability rather than immediate directional movement.

QWhat is the positioning of Binance top traders regarding Solana, and what does the Long/Short Ratio indicate?

ABinance top trader positioning remains heavily skewed toward longs, with 80.86% of accounts holding long positions and a Long/Short Ratio of 4.22, meaning long exposure outweighs shorts by more than four times. This shows strong trader conviction, although the price has yet to break out and confirm this bullish sentiment.

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