Everyone wants to find the next big crypto win — the hidden gem that turns early believers into overnight millionaires. But by the time most people hear about a coin’s rise, the gains are already gone.
So how do you spot the next Solana before it hits triple digits?
The truth is, crypto isn’t a lottery — it’s a pattern. And if you know where to look, the signs of an incoming breakout aren’t as mysterious as they seem.
Look at What Solana Taught Us
Rewind to early 2021. Solana (SOL) was trading in the low single digits. Fast forward a few years, and the Solana price hit a high of $294.33, surging more than 32,500% from its earlier levels. That’s not just growth — that’s generational wealth for those who got in early.
Today, Solana trades around $175.84, according to data from May 2025. It’s no longer the scrappy newcomer — it’s a proven force with a market cap over $91 billion and a circulating supply of 519.32 million SOL. But the question isn’t whether Solana is still a good bet. It’s this:
What signals were there before that meteoric rise? And how do we catch the next one?
1. Track Developer Activity
Code doesn’t lie. One of the earliest signs that Solana was building something big was the sheer number of developers contributing to its ecosystem. Projects with active GitHub commits, frequent updates, and public developer engagement signal real work is being done.
Watch for:
- Consistent GitHub pushes and releases
- Dev teams speaking at conferences or on Twitter/X
- Ecosystem grants or hackathons (a sign the network is attracting talent)
Projects that are all hype and no code tend to fizzle. The next crypto hit will be backed by builders, not buzzwords.
2. Evaluate Utility Over Hype
Solana succeeded not because it was flashy, but because it solved a real problem — slow and expensive blockchain transactions. Its high-speed, low-cost design was a breath of fresh air during the DeFi and NFT booms.
When you’re evaluating the next coin, ask: What real-world problem does this solve better than anything else?
Here’s a quick test:
- Does it reduce fees or friction?
- Is it scalable under real usage?
- Can developers easily build on it?
If it checks all three, you’re onto something.
3. Watch for Price Momentum Paired with Fundamentals
Every coin has spikes. But sustained upward movement — like Solana’s long climb in 2021 — is usually tied to something real.
The Solana price didn’t just skyrocket randomly. It tracked closely with:
- Mainnet upgrades
- DeFi protocols launching on Solana
- Institutional interest and exchange listings
When fundamentals and price growth align, it’s not a fluke — it’s lift-off.
4. Community Isn’t a Bonus — It’s the Engine
Look at any successful crypto project and you’ll find a passionate, borderline obsessive community behind it. Solana had the builders, sure — but it also had users who were loud, proud, and relentless online.
Before the next breakout coin takes off, you’ll often find:
- A buzzing Discord or Telegram community
- Users creating content, memes, and tutorials for free
- Independent devs building tools or extensions around the coin
In crypto, the crowd moves markets. And a strong community can push a token much further than tech alone.
5. Learn to Read the Macro Climate
Even the best projects need the right timing. Solana didn’t rise in a vacuum — it had tailwinds from a broader crypto bull market. The next big winner will likely ride the same kind of macro wave.
This is where you need to think a little bigger.
In 2025, for instance, stocks and politics are playing an increasingly visible role in crypto price movements. Global regulation shifts, interest rate adjustments, and political tensions can all push investors into (or out of) digital assets.
That means tracking broader markets isn’t optional anymore. It’s essential.
6. Ignore Coins That Only Sell a Dream
You’ve seen them: coins promising to “revolutionize everything” but offering little more than a whitepaper and a flashy website. The next Solana won’t be one of those.
The next breakout coin will have:
- A working product or testnet
- Clear use cases beyond speculation
- Transparent leadership and funding
If you can’t answer “What does this actually do?” in one sentence, it’s probably not the one.
7. Look Where No One Else Is Looking
By the time a project is trending on Reddit or going viral on X, it’s probably too late for outsized gains. The real value comes from spotting promise before the crowd arrives.
Try digging into:
- Layer-2 solutions with actual throughput
- Niche infrastructure plays (like data availability or zero-knowledge proofs)
- New chains with strong compatibility and dev tools
Sometimes the best place to find the next hit isn’t on the front page — it’s three clicks deep in a GitHub repo or a Discord server with 1,000 members.
Patience Is a Position
Solana didn’t pop overnight — it grew steadily through 2020 before exploding in 2021. If you’d only watched the price, you might’ve missed the bigger story.
Yes, the Solana price today is a reminder of what’s possible. But the real lesson is this: the next crypto hit will look boring before it looks brilliant.
So zoom out. Pay attention to what’s being built. And when the fundamentals, community, and timing all line up?
You won’t need to ask if it’s the one. You’ll already know.