Solana's Alpenglow Update Predicted to Skyrocket SOL Price to $250 by the End of the Year, according to an Analyst's Forecast

Solana, the popular layer-1 blockchain, is gearing up for a significant upgrade called Alpenglow. This update, if implemented, promises to deliver a hundred-fold speed increase, reducing transaction finality from over 12 seconds to just 150 milliseconds. With over 99% validator support, the Alpenglow upgrade on Solana's network aims for near-instant transaction finality, making it more attractive to high-frequency applications, payments, and large-scale decentralized finance infrastructure.

According to Shawn Young, chief analyst at MEXC Research, Solana continues to consolidate as the most reliable non-Ethereum layer-1 for capital markets infrastructure. Young's forecast is based on two key drivers: structural supply constraints from staking and sustained institutional adoption channels.

The move from speculation to strategy is evident in the growing number of institutions and companies treating SOL as a strategic reserve or infrastructure asset. More than $1.7 billion in Solana (SOL) is already locked in corporate treasuries, a significant shift from the past. Notable entities include DeFi Development Corp., which has raised over $370 million in 2025 to expand its SOL holdings, and iSpecimen, pursuing a $200 million Solana-based treasury reserve program. Other entities such as Upexi, Forward Industries, Galaxy Digital, Jump Crypto, Multicoin Capital, Sharps Technology, and Pantera Capital have collectively raised or committed billions for Solana treasury demand.

Shawn Young believes Solana's price trajectory may flatten in the short run but the medium-term thesis remains intact. On prediction market Myriad, users place a 64% chance on Solana's next move carrying it to $250. Young forecasts SOL at $215 in September and $250 by year-end, barring setbacks.

The Alpenglow upgrade makes Solana potentially faster than a standard web search response time. Solana's finality speeds, once the upgrade is implemented, would position it within the same range as common internet services. For instance, the 99th percentile latency on Cloudflare's global system of servers is about 500 milliseconds, while the median is less than 10 milliseconds.

Solana has tweeted about the acceleration of its network with the Alpenglow upgrade. However, it's worth noting that Young's forecast does not account for any potential setbacks in the implementation of the Alpenglow upgrade.

Meanwhile, the SEC has punted on two key decision deadlines earlier this month, adding uncertainty to the regulatory landscape for digital assets. Despite this, the ETF prospects are adding momentum to Solana's strategic accumulation. Allocation strategies prioritize balance-sheet exposure, where digital asset treasury firms set "bands that are rebalanced systematically, rather than opportunistically."

As Solana continues to gain traction, it's clear that the Alpenglow upgrade could be a game-changer, further solidifying Solana's position as a strategic asset for institutions and treasuries.

Solana's Alpenglow Update Predicted to Skyrocket SOL Price to $250 by the End of the Year, according to an Analyst's Forecast