Recent whale activity surrounding Solana [SOL] has drawn attention, with over 17,481 SOL transferred to Kraken after being staked for two years.

As of the time of writing, SOL is trading at $148.52, having dropped 1.74% in the past 24 hours. This price decline is attributed to speculative activity and the rising social attention, partly due to whale movements.

The market's reaction to this activity can provide insights into Solana's next major price movement, which both retail and institutional investors are closely watching.

Surging sentiment: Are retail and smart money on the same page?

Solana's sentiment has been quite volatile recently, with a weighted sentiment reading of -0.47 on April 26, 2025. Nevertheless, crowd sentiment remains strong at 1.81, indicating that retail investors continue to maintain an optimistic outlook.

Meanwhile, the smart money sentiment index stands at 0.88, indicating that institutional investors are being more cautious. This disparity in sentiment highlights the markedly different views of retail and institutional investors.

Retail investors hold an optimistic view of Solana's future, while institutional investors are being more cautious due to the recent price drop. The interplay of these sentiments could lead to short-term volatility, but the long-term outlook remains positive.

Solid foundation: SOL's development activity remains robust.

Solana's development activity remains strong, with a reading of 25.81 as of April 27, 2025. This stable level of development activity suggests that Solana's network is well-positioned for long-term growth.

Despite price fluctuations, steady development progress is the fundamental driving force behind network adoption, making the blockchain more scalable and efficient.

Strong development activity helps to enhance investor confidence and indicates that the team is actively working on improvements.

Social hotspot: Solana dominates cryptocurrency discussions.

Solana's social volume has surged significantly, reaching 216 at the time of this writing, with a social dominance of 8.3%. The increase in social media activity indicates that Solana is attracting the attention of a broader cryptocurrency community.

Social volume refers to the number of times Solana is mentioned on social platforms, while social dominance measures its visibility relative to other cryptocurrencies.

The increase in social activity may indicate growing interest from retail investors and could impact short-term price movements.

Technical price structure: SOL is nearing the key resistance level of $153.65.

At the time of this writing, the token is approaching the key resistance level of $153.65. Solana is forming a cup and handle pattern, which often signals a potential breakout.

The MACD indicator shows a bullish divergence, with the MACD line above the signal line, further supporting the possibility of a breakout. If SOL successfully breaks through this resistance level, the next target may be $180.

However, if Solana faces resistance at this level, it may undergo a period of consolidation or pullback. Traders are closely monitoring this resistance level, as a breakthrough could indicate a strong bullish trend for Solana.

Solana's market continues to be influenced by whale activity, volatile sentiment, and ongoing development. With rising social trading volume and technical indicators pointing toward a breakout, Solana is poised to test the key resistance level of $153.65.

If SOL breaks through this key resistance level, a significant upward movement may occur, with higher target price levels.