Solana's USDC volume jumps 300% and open interest nears $6B as SOL retests $96

On 17 March 2026, Solana saw network activity and market participation strengthen together as USDC transfer volume rose and derivatives positioning increased. Stablecoin usage remained high with median fees around $0.00047, while open interest climbed from $4.9 billion to nearly $6 billion and SOL's price moved toward $96. This combination suggested buyers were maintaining control of the market structure rather than fading the rally.