On the 16th of February, Solana stood at a crossroads.
At the time of writing, SOL traded in the $80–$90 range after steep year-to-date losses. However, beneath that visible weakness, the broader ecosystem showed continued signs of expansion.
Despite ongoing volatility, network activity remained firm across multiple segments of the chain. From liquidity flows to trading participation and settlement usage, engagement did not collapse alongside price.
That contrast mattered.
Therefore, the disconnect between market sentiment and underlying growth became harder to dismiss. The token’s price reflected caution. The network reflected persistence.
What else fueled Solana’s underlying strength at the $80–$90 level despite price weakness?
Solana RWA value hits new ATH
Solana [SOL] real-world asset ecosystem surged to $1.66B in tokenized value at press time. That marked a new all-time high.
Hard capital moved on-chain as tokenized assets expanded across the network.
Source: X
Moreover, this growth reflected increasing institutional participation in Solana’s settlement infrastructure.
The expansion of tokenized value highlighted rising confidence in on-chain financial rails. A $1.66B RWA base carried weight and signaled meaningful ecosystem depth.
Solana spot and futures Taker Dominance remains elevated
According to data from CryptoQuant, Spot Taker CVD (90-day) stayed decisively buy-dominant all week. Aggressive buyers pressed the market consistently. There was no meaningful rotation into sell control.
Source: CryptoQuant
Meanwhile, Futures Taker CVD (90-day) mirrored that strength. Derivatives traders leaned long with conviction.
When Spot and Futures aligned on the buy side, it reflected sustained demand across markets.
Source: CryptoQuant
Therefore, such synchronized buy pressure typically preceded price expansion. If this positioning persisted, price would likely follow from here rather than diverge for long.
Is a structural shift underway?
ATH RWA value, combined with persistent buy dominance, painted a serious picture. Due to these developments, the narrative shifted from survival to expansion. Solana looked less speculative and more foundational.
Looking ahead, if liquidity confirmed this pressure, expansion could follow violently.
However, failure to convert demand into price strength would stall momentum. As we progress into 2026, the data suggests conviction.
The market now had to respond. Was this the start of something larger?
Final Summary
- RWA growth and sustained Taker CVD buy dominance signaled strong underlying demand for Solana.
- Continued Bitcoin strength could spill over and push SOL higher from the $80–$90 range.