Solana Sets a Date for Its Next Major Upgrade

Bitcoin fell to $81,500 after September's CPI report showed a 0.6% monthly increase and 3.7% annual rise, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The dollar strengthened, and Fed rate hike expectations grew, impacting crypto markets. Analyst sentiment shifted positively, but inflation and energy costs remain challenges, according to Bitwise Asset Management and Wincent.

Bastion Trading, holding 10% of SkyAI (NASDAQ: SKYA), opposes the company's tender offer, citing a 70% drop in its Solana (SOL) holdings. SkyAI sold SOL, reducing its treasury from 2M to 600K in a month. Bastion demands transparency on sales and a board overhaul. SkyAI plans to buy back shares at $3 each, but Bastion seeks $3.50. SkyAI rejected an acquisition offer from Forward Industries (NASDAQ: FWDI).

Solana (SOL) will switch to the Alpenglow consensus system on Oct. 21, aiming to reduce transaction finality to 150 milliseconds. Validators will stop on-chain voting, potentially lowering reported transaction counts. The upgrade replaces TowerBFT and requires validators to update software and pay a new fee. SOL has dropped 9.3% in a week, with analysts noting potential support and resistance levels.

Solana's Alpenglow upgrade, launching next week, introduces Votor, a new voting engine that simplifies finality and changes fault tolerance. Validators will trade signed votes, and fee structures will shift. Firedancer clients won't support the migration, requiring temporary use of Agave. The upgrade was delayed from Q1 2026 and marks a shift away from Proof of History for consensus.

Bitcoin fell below $82,000, down 2%, after September's core CPI data showed higher-than-expected inflation, renewing Fed rate hike concerns. Analysts note this could pressure risk assets like BTC through higher Treasury yields and a stronger U.S. dollar. Ethereum, XRP, and Solana also dropped nearly 3%. Analysts have mixed near-term price predictions for BTC, ranging from $75,000 to $90,000.

Major cryptocurrencies fell after U.S. inflation data exceeded expectations, with Bitcoin down 1.8% to $82,000 and Ethereum down 2.8% to $2,440. The total crypto market cap slipped 2.18% to $2.74 trillion. Higher inflation may complicate the Fed's efforts to control prices, potentially impacting risk assets like Bitcoin.