Cryptocurrency markets opened 2026 with heightened attention on Solana, after data from Santiment highlighted growing discussion around whale accumulation of SOL-related tokens as the leading trend on Thursday. According to the analytics firm, several assets linked to Solana have recorded repeated purchases of 10 or more SOL by large wallets.

“Market caps vary widely, but liquidity remains strong, indicating sustained interest from large holders,” Santiment said in a Thursday post outlining five trending topics. Its behavioral heuristic scores for these tokens were near 70%, pointing to moderate but consistent investor confidence.

This accumulation trend has emerged even as Solana has declined roughly 46% over the past three months, suggesting that large holders may be positioning ahead of a potential rebound, Santiment noted.

Broader narratives shaping early 2026

Beyond Solana, political and macro narratives also featured prominently in early-year discussions. One of the most talked-about developments was New York City entering 2026 amid political change, following the inauguration of newly elected mayor Zohran Mamdani, who made history by taking his oath of office on the Quran.

Another recurring topic was the debate around Strategy’s ongoing Bitcoin accumulation, which continues to split market participants between those who see it as long-term conviction and those who remain wary of balance-sheet risks after a volatile 2025.

Traditional finance also re-entered the spotlight as Warren Buffett’s official departure from Berkshire Hathaway after six decades reignited conversations about legacy investment approaches and their overlap with digital assets, especially amid speculation that new leadership could be more open to Bitcoin.

ETFs and stablecoins frame adoption outlook

Discussion has also intensified around tokenization and the deeper integration of cryptocurrency with traditional finance. Coinbase head of investment research David Duong said momentum from clearer regulation is expected to build further in 2026, following groundwork laid in 2025 that expanded regulated access to crypto and embedded digital assets more firmly into financial infrastructure.

Duong pointed to spot ETFs, corporate crypto treasuries, stablecoins and tokenized assets as increasingly common elements of mainstream financial workflows. He added that these dynamics are likely to reinforce each other in the year ahead, as ETF approval processes shorten, stablecoins play a larger role in delivery-versus-payment systems and tokenized collateral gains broader acceptance in traditional transactions.

Sources:

https://cointelegraph.com/news/solana-whale-accumulation-santiment-crypto-trends-2026

https://x.com/santimentfeed/status/2006629259624763496

https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/solana