- Solana’s Q1 spot DEX volume hit $180B (+62%), driven by private platforms optimizing liquidity and memecoin trades.
- SOL’s RSI signals overbought risk at $180.97, but CMF strength and institutional buys may cushion short-term dips.
Solana’s decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem is undergoing a structural shift, with private trading platforms now handling up to 60% of transactions routed through Jupiter, a leading aggregator.
These platforms, including SolFi, Obric v2, and ZeroFi, utilize smart contracts and liquidity vaults instead of public order books, prioritizing execution efficiency over transparency.
Private decentralized exchanges (DEXs) on Solana focus on high-liquidity pairs like SOL/USDC and SOL/USDT, leveraging real-time pricing data to minimize slippage. Platforms like Obric v2 limit offerings to assets with reliable oracles, while SolFi accommodates volatile tokens such as memecoins.
— Pine Analytics (@PineAnalytics) May 12, 2025
Solana’s spot DEX volume reached $180 billion in Q1 2025, a 62% quarterly increase. Private DEXs contributed substantially, driven by vault-managed liquidity and aggregation through Jupiter. However, their reliance on closed systems reduces interoperability, a core DeFi principle, raising questions about long-term ecosystem openness.
“Their routing share reflects performance, not branding. These DEXs win routes because they quote tightly, fill reliably, and avoid unnecessary exposure.”
DeFi Development Corp. acquired 172,000 SOL ($23.6 million) as part of a broader strategy to raise $1 billion for Solana investments. A Coinbase report confirmed $42 million has already been secured, signaling institutional confidence in Solana’s scalability and DeFi growth. SOL’s price recently climbed to $180.97, supported by bullish momentum indicators like the Chaikin Money Flow (CMF).
Despite this, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) remains in overbought territory, suggesting potential short-term price corrections.
ETHNews analysts note that sustained institutional accumulation could counterbalance retail profit-taking, stabilizing SOL’s upward trajectory.
Challenges and Network Upgrades
Solana’s pivot toward private DEXs highlights trade-offs between efficiency and transparency. Critics argue closed systems contradict DeFi’s foundational ethos, while supporters emphasize their ability to handle memecoin volatility and institutional demand.
Upcoming network upgrades aim to enhance public DEX performance, potentially redistributing activity toward open platforms. Improvements in security and composability could address current limitations, though private vaults may retain dominance until changes take effect.
Solana’s DeFi evolution reflects broader crypto trends where efficiency increasingly rivals ideology. For institutions, private DEXs offer speed and reduced risk; for retail users, they may limit visibility and control.
Solana (SOL) – Price & Technical Analysis – May 13, 2025
Solana (SOL) is currently trading at $177.21, marking a -3.56% decline on the day, despite maintaining strong weekly momentum. Over the last 7 days, SOL is up +20.65%, and has gained +38.12% over the past month, showing that it remains firmly within an upward trend.
However, year-to-date, SOL is still down -6.14%, and its 6-month performance is -15.43%, reflecting the impact of broader market volatility before the recent breakout.
Technically, Solana has successfully broken past the $164 resistance level, which now acts as support. ETHNews analysts are eyeing a target zone at $211–$240, with $260 identified as a major resistance level.
The price remains well below its all-time high of $295, leaving room for significant upside if the bullish continuation holds. However, today’s dip may represent a short-term correction, especially given large on-chain movements.
One notable development today was a massive transfer of 1.54 million SOL (≈$278.8 million) to Kraken from a known institutional address, according to Whale Alert. This could suggest either profit-taking or a preparation for liquidity events, such as OTC sales or exchange-based moves, and may explain today’s intraday pullback.
