Solana: Why SOL risks a 30% drop after losing KEY support

ambcryptoPublished on 2026-01-30Last updated on 2026-01-30

Abstract

The crypto market faced a slump, intensifying selling pressure on Solana (SOL) as sentiment turned bearish. SOL lost a key support level at $118, which it had held since March 2024. A whale deposited 2M USDC on Hyperliquid DEX and opened a $6.15M SOL short position. U.S. Solana spot ETFs also saw outflows of $2.22M. SOL dropped 6.65% to $115, with trading volume surging 105%. Technical analysis suggests a potential 30% decline to $78 if SOL remains below $118. The 50-day EMA and ADX support the bearish outlook. Derivatives data shows significant leveraged short positions, reflecting trader expectations of further downside.

The crypto market faced a slump, intensifying selling pressure on Solana [SOL] as trader and investor sentiment turned increasingly bearish.

Within this broader sell‐off, SOL was hit the hardest. It lost a key support level at $118, which it had successfully defended since March 2024.

Adding to the bearish outlook, a newly created wallet deposited 2 million USDC on the Hyperliquid DEX and opened multiple short positions. This reflects the current market outlook, according to the crypto tracker Onchain Lens.

Further analysis of the whale’s activity shows that it has opened a massive SOL short position worth $6.15 million at the $122.91 level.

This sell-off is not limited to the crypto market alone; it has also been observed on Wall Street.

According to on-chain analytics platform SoSoValue, U.S.–based Solana spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded a significant outflow of $2.22 million. This suggests that investors and institutions are withdrawing capital from the underlying asset.

Both developments highlight market sentiment toward Solana, and their impact is reflected in the asset’s price.

Solana price action and key levels

At press time, SOL plunged 6.65% over the past 24 hours and was trading near $115.

Despite the price decline, market participation surged significantly, with SOL’s trading volume jumping 105% to $7.60 billion during the same period. This indicates strong interest from traders and investors, leading to heavy market participation.

Looking at the price charts, it appears that SOL has lost one of its strongest key support levels at $118, which it had been holding since March 2024.

On the weekly chart, the asset had previously rebounded from this support more than ten times, but SOL has now failed to hold it.

On the daily chart, price action suggests that SOL could see a strong downside move, potentially declining by 30% and reaching the $78 level in the coming days.

However, this outlook would only be validated if the asset remains below or closes a daily candle under the $118 level.

Technical indicators, including the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) and the Average Directional Index (ADX), support SOL’s bearish outlook.

Notably, SOL was trading below the 50 EMA, indicating that the asset is bearish in the short term.

Meanwhile, the ADX, which measures the strength of the current trend, had risen to 33, above the key threshold of 25, suggesting that SOL is experiencing a strong directional trend.

Traders eye short-leveraged positions

From a derivatives perspective, traders appear to be strongly positioned on the bearish side.

According to CoinGlass data, intraday traders are closely monitoring two critical price levels. On the downside, the focus is on $112.8, while on the upside, attention centers around $120.2.

At these levels, traders have established significant leveraged positions. Short‐leveraged positions total $55.15 million, while long‐leveraged positions are far larger, amounting to $241 million.

This positioning highlights the market’s current tension, with traders preparing for sharp moves in either direction.

This positioning clearly reflects how intraday traders are viewing SOL at the moment.


Final Thoughts

  • Bearish activity from market participants has strengthened Solana’s negative outlook.
  • Price action suggests that another 30% drop in SOL could be on the cards if the asset remains below the $118 level.

Related Questions

QWhat key support level did Solana (SOL) lose, and why is it significant?

ASolana lost the key support level at $118, which it had successfully defended since March 2024. This level is significant because the price had rebounded from it more than ten times on the weekly chart, making it a historically strong support. Losing it suggests a potential shift in market structure and opens the door for further downside.

QWhat on-chain and institutional activities are contributing to SOL's bearish pressure?

AA newly created wallet deposited 2 million USDC on Hyperliquid DEX and opened a massive $6.15 million SOL short position. Additionally, U.S.-based Solana spot ETFs recorded a significant outflow of $2.22 million, indicating that both large traders and institutional investors are withdrawing capital or betting against the asset.

QAccording to the price chart analysis, what is the potential downside target for SOL?

AThe price action on the daily chart suggests that SOL could see a strong downside move, potentially declining by 30% from its current level to reach the $78 level in the coming days, provided it remains below the $118 support.

QWhat do the technical indicators (50-day EMA and ADX) reveal about SOL's current trend?

ASOL was trading below the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), indicating a bearish short-term trend. The Average Directional Index (ADX) had risen to 33, which is above the key threshold of 25, suggesting that the current downtrend is strong and has significant momentum.

QHow are derivatives traders positioned regarding SOL, and what does it indicate?

ADerivatives data shows that intraday traders are focused on the $112.8 (downside) and $120.2 (upside) price levels. There are $55.15 million in short-leveraged positions and a much larger $241 million in long-leveraged positions. This creates significant market tension and indicates that traders are preparing for a sharp price move in either direction, with a large number of long positions at risk if the price falls further.

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