Solana Could Outperform Bitcoin This Year

For years, the narrative has been well-oiled: bitcoin as the ultimate reserve, the rest of the market playing more or less exotic satellites. Yet, some lines are starting to crack. According to crypto analyst and YouTuber FireHustle, the next wave of institutional adoption could well be built elsewhere. More precisely around Solana. A bold hypothesis, almost uncomfortable for maximalists, but deserving more than a shrug.

Institutional before retail: Solana scales up

The first shift, according to FireHustle, is clearly institutional. Where bitcoin long served as a cautious entry point, Solana would begin to play a more operational role. The demand filed by Morgan Stanley for a Solana spot ETF is not just a publicity stunt. It is a signal. That of an asset perceived as sufficiently liquid, fast, and “industrializable” to enter traditional portfolios.

This type of product rarely acts smoothly. When a spot ETF is launched, the mechanism is known: gradual accumulation, deployment delays, then relative scarcity of available supply. FireHustle even talks about a potential “supply shock,” not spectacular in one day, but insidious, built over several quarters.

Added to this is an even more symbolic element: state use. The State of Wyoming has chosen Solana as the infrastructure for its stablecoin. A choice that does not stem from ideology, but from very concrete financial plumbing considerations: high throughput, low fees, and fast finality. This decision also comes in a context where, despite recent pressure on prices, on-chain data continues to signal sustained activity and underlying signs of recovery. In other words, Solana is no longer just a crypto testing ground but a tool.

A macro environment favorable to risk-taking, especially in the crypto market

FireHustle never separates Solana from the macroeconomic backdrop. Bitcoin, solidly established as a macro hedge, plays its role as a foundation. Meanwhile, traditional markets show a kind of confidence: the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 flirt with their highs, while inflation slows without causing a sharp shock.

This climate mechanically favors so-called “high beta” assets. Solana, with its positioning more focused on usage than monetary narrative, captures this flow. FireHustle also emphasizes the role of U.S. regulation: the progressive clarification between financial securities and crypto commodities could unlock massive flows, long held back by legal uncertainty.

Within this framework, Solana appears less as a speculative bet than as an infrastructure ready to absorb institutional capital without excessive friction. Where the analysis becomes finer is at the retail level. Solana advances on several fronts at once. The Seeker phone and its native token introduce a rarely seen logic of incentives: the user is not just a consumer, they become an economic actor in the ecosystem.

Interfaces also play a key role. The Jupiter wallet, developed on SOL, has already attracted millions of users. Few of them understand the subtleties of the underlying blockchain, and that is precisely the goal: the infrastructure fades behind the usage.