Solana’s upcoming upgrade could boost network capacity, as whales continue to accumulate despite recent price dips.
Solana SOL $199.7 24h volatility: 1.6% Market cap: $109.78 B Vol. 24h: $6.53 B is gearing up for a transformative upgrade aimed at increasing its network performance and scalability.
A recent proposal, Solana Improvement Document 0286 (SIMD-0286), plans to expand the blockchain’s capacity, potentially improving how transactions and smart contracts operate on the network.
The proposal outlines the concept of Compute Units (CUs), the resource that powers every transaction and smart contract on Solana. Each operation consumes a portion of these units, and the current block capacity is capped at 60 million CUs.
SIMD-0286 aims to raise this ceiling by 66%, pushing it to 100 million CUs per block. This upgrade would allow more transactions and smart contract calls to be packed within each block, enhancing network throughput even during high demand.
For developers, this would enable them to build more complex applications without congestion issues, while users could see lower fees and faster transaction finality.
Solana recently increased its block capacity by 20%, with further expansion planned before year-end. Helius CEO Mert Mumtaz noted that the upgrade means more transactions can now fit within each block, leading to an improved user experience.
Solana blocks are now 20% bigger — what does this mean?
on Solana, every transaction sent consumes resources
we call this resource "compute units" or CUs — like fuel for a car
every transaction consumes a different amount of CUs depending on its complexity, a simple transfer… https://t.co/4XOYZDUTtH
— mert | helius.dev (@0xMert_) July 23, 2025
Whales Accumulate SOL Despite Price Dip
Amid the broader crypto market’s cooldown on July 24, Solana’s native token SOL fell 8.5% to around $183 after touching $205. According to data by CoinMarketCap, the token’s market cap now sits near $98 billion, dropping over $10 billion in the past day.
However, market analysts remain optimistic, noting that SOL is close to completing a long-term cup-and-handle pattern that began forming in late 2021. Crypto analyst Ali Martinez has predicted a potential breakout target of $1,315 if the pattern confirms.
Solana $SOL is breaking out of a textbook cup and handle pattern, with a breakout target of at least $1,315! pic.twitter.com/DA0EPGZ5oJ
— Ali (@ali_charts) July 23, 2025
Meanwhile, whale activity also underscores the bullish sentiment for the sixth-largest cryptocurrency. According to Lookonchain, whale wallet KMhcqN withdrew an additional 76,000 SOL (worth around $14.5 million) from Kraken.
Whale KMhcqN withdrew another 76,000 $SOL($14.5M) from #Kraken today.
This whale has withdrawn a total of 164,000 $SOL($30.14M) from #Kraken and staked since July 8.https://t.co/j3nAb4qjQC pic.twitter.com/XVfW1U8OOQ
— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) July 24, 2025
The latest exchange exit brings the whale’s total withdrawals since July 8 to 164,000 SOL (around $30 million). Such a move generally suggests self-custody and long-term bullish positioning, indicating large holders are preparing for Solana’s next major chapter.
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