Why is SOL Down Today? Solana Falls Below $82 After Hawkish Fed Signals

Ben Graham · February 19

Solana (SOL) has officially slipped below the psychological $82 mark. It dropped over 3.6% in the last 24 hours, and the primary culprit is the Federal Reserve.

When the Fed signals a “hawkish” stance, markets tend to shudder. They aren’t ready to lower interest rates just yet.

At the time of writing, SOL is hovering around $81.1 as it tests technical support levels that could determine whether it stabilizes or extends a brutal 45% correction from its January peak near $250.

The asset now sits 67% below its November 2021 all-time high of $260, with technical analysts warning that a sustained break below the $82 support zone could trigger accelerated selling toward $67 and potentially $50 in the coming weeks.

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Bearish Technical Patterns Signal Further Downside Risk: $870M SOL Exits Staking

SOL/USDT after crashed

SOL is holding just above the 80.48 liquidity level. A sweep below this zone followed by a quick reclaim could trigger a strong bounce. First resistance sits at 82.92 , a clean break and hold above opens the door toward the 84.21–85.54 FVG zone.

If… pic.twitter.com/ezO7tNzqIA

— Kodark (@kodarkweb3) February 19, 2026

Nearly $870 million worth of SOL has exited liquid staking protocols in recent weeks, adding significant supply to the market. Direct validator-staked SOL has also declined from 423.43 million to 419.07 million tokens, confirming that holders are reducing their locked positions.

Multiple bearish formations have emerged on Solana’s charts, creating a challenging technical environment for bulls. The cryptocurrency is trading below its 50-week and 100-week exponential moving averages. Both a head-and-shoulders pattern and a bear flag formation have developed, suggesting continued downside momentum if key support fails. Could SOL freefall toward $41, a 50% decline from current levels?

In Bitcoin-denominated terms, the critical support level sits at 0.00122 BTC. A break below this threshold would likely trigger algorithmic selling and push SOL toward 0.00110 BTC (approximately $74.25 at current Bitcoin prices).

However, recovery remains possible if buyers return with conviction. A break above $91 would weaken the immediate bearish pressure and signal stronger demand returning to the market.

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Standard Chartered Sees Solana Hitting $2,000 By 2030 Despite Bump In The Road This Year

Standard Chartered recently updated its Solana forecast, delivering a mixed bag for investors: a price target cut in the near term, but a massive boost for the long haul. The UK-based banking giant lowered its forecast for the end of 2026 to $250, down from an earlier prediction of $310. However, looking further out, the bank now sees SOL hitting a staggering $2,000 by 2030.

Commenting on the update, Geoffrey Kendrick, the banking giant’s Global Head of Digital Assets Research said that decentralised exchange activity is rotating away from memecoin-led speculation toward stablecoin-based trading pairs. When the bank initiated coverage in mid-2025, Solana’s on-chain activity was heavily skewed toward memecoin trading. Since then, flows have increasingly shifted toward SOL–stablecoin pairs as speculative intensity cooled.

Read More: Standard Chartered Sees Solana Hitting $2,000 By 2030 Despite Bump In The Road This Year

Key Takeaways

SOL is hovering around $81.1 as it tests technical support levels that could determine whether it stabilizes or extends a brutal 45% correction from its January peak near $250.

Meanwhile, Standered Chartered lowered SOL forecast for the end of 2026 to $250, down from an earlier prediction of $310. However, looking further out, the bank now sees SOL hitting a staggering $2,000 by 2030.

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