Solana (SOL) rose to $78.50 on July 15, up 2.37% in 24 hours, breaking through the short-term resistance level of $78. The move comes as Japan's SBI Holdings announced a joint venture with the Solana Foundation to build Japan's first full-stack on-chain financial market, and as Solana ETF assets under management surpassed $1 billion.
SBI Joint Venture Targets Yen Stablecoins and Tokenization
SBI Holdings and the Solana Foundation have established SBI Solana Global, a joint venture focused on issuing yen-denominated stablecoins, tokenizing corporate bonds, commercial paper, funds and real estate, and providing cross-border payment infrastructure. The venture also plans to offer on-chain services for institutions and payment infrastructure for AI agents. The first products are expected by 2026, with the first external tokenized issuance around 2027. This marks the first time Solana will operate within Japan's regulatory framework for institutional financial products, potentially opening the door to large-scale institutional capital inflows from Asia.
Network Activity and ETF Momentum
Despite price weakness — SOL is down 39% year-to-date and 73% from its all-time high — on-chain activity has reached record levels. The network recently completed its 1000th epoch, processing about 1,100 transactions per second. On July 14, $500 million in USDC was issued on Solana in two tranches, boosting total Solana-based USDC to an estimated $7.2–$8.6 billion. Real-world asset tokenization on Solana also hit a record $3.4 billion. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley has filed for a Solana spot ETF with a 0.14% fee, the lowest among U.S. crypto ETFs. Solana ETF AUM has already exceeded $1 billion.
Price Levels and Derivatives Activity
Analysts see $77 as a trigger level; a decisive break above could push SOL to $125–$130, with a long-term technical target of $233. Near-term resistance is at $78.60, with $80 as the next target. Support sits at $77.60, below which the $77.60–$76.60 range could be retested, and a break lower could send SOL to $75. The 50-day EMA at $76.82 has been reclaimed, but the 200-day EMA at $94.52 remains distant. Derivatives data shows steady retail-driven demand: open interest in Solana futures stands at $4.93 billion, with volume up 15% to $6.9 billion. Positive funding rates and high activity support short-term bullish positioning, but a sustained uptrend requires a move above $81.50.