Will Solana Price Rally After Alpenglow Upgrade Enters Validator Testing?

Solana price remained near $95 on Tuesday as traders watched the important $100 resistance level closely. The SOL price rose almost 10% over the last week after a rally in the broader crypto market. 

Bitcoin price also hovered above $81,000, fueling sentiment around major altcoins. Solana’s Alpenglow upgrade and the upcoming Senate CLARITY Act vote set for May 14 are currently under investor focus.

Solana Alpenglow Upgrade Enters Live Validator Testing Phase

The Alpenglow upgrade is now being tested by actual validators on Solana’s community test cluster. Solana has begun actual validator testing of the Alpenglow upgrade using a community test cluster. The upgrade is one of the most significant in Solana’s history. 

The upgrade now allows external validation operators to test the upgrade in a more realistic environment of network activity.

In the past Alpenglow had been mainly tested in internal environments. This new stage is a test of the protocol on wider operations before being deployed to the mainnet. The end of the third quarter to the beginning of 2026 is the general date range for the final deployment.

Alpenglow is live on the community test cluster

The biggest consensus change in Solana’s history, now running on validator infrastructure ahead of mainnet

We’re now inviting more validator operators to participate in the next community cluster👇

— Anza (@anza_xyz) May 11, 2026

The new testing phase gives validators the ability to track performance, stability and potential migration risks. Solana developers think that the upgrade may boost consensus efficiency without affecting the current network balance. 

But the protocol needs to go through some technical assessments before the final approval when it comes to the actual network.

Investors are also focused on the Senate CLARITY Act vote this week. The proposed legislation may bring clarity to the regulatory landscape and help to draw in institutional investments. But if delays or adverse progress occurs, it could lead to more volatility in the wider cryptocurrency market.

Solana ETF Demand Surges as Daily Inflows Reach $26 Million

Solana ETFs saw robust trading interest, with the total cumulative net inflows reaching above $1.08 billion as of May 11. The daily inflows were $26.57 million and the total value of trades was about $104 million during the previous trading session. 

Bitwise’s inflows accounted for the largest amount of the incoming funds for the day, totaling more than $21 million. Meanwhile, Fidelity’s FSOL and Grayscale’s GSOL also saw positive inflows. As market sentiment continued to improve on Solana, the demand grew with the increasing interest among institutions.

Is Solana Price Preparing for a Breakout Above $100?

As of the time of reporting, the SOL price traded at $94.87 after slipping nearly 1.2% during the latest session. 

The RSI was still at around 55, indicating a state of moderate buying control. The MACD indicator has begun to show weakness, having had a bullish crossover in the beginning of this month.

The initial resistance is located close to $95 and $100. If the price moves above $100, it will further bullish momentum to the next major target at $105 or higher. If the market continues to rally, the full Solana forecast report may break through the $108 resistance area.

The negative side is that SOL is under the watch of the crucial support at $92. Loss of the zone could lead to further bottoming pressure towards the $88 support zone.