VanEck Predicts Solana Hits $520

CRYPTO
VanEck Predicts Solana Hits $520

VanEck predicts Solana’s SOL could reach $520 by the end of 2025, driven by rising demand for smart contract platforms (SCP) and an expanding M2 money supply. The firm forecasts M2 to grow from $21.5 trillion to $22.3 trillion, increasing liquidity and encouraging investment in crypto assets.

VanEck’s autoregressive (AR) model estimates Solana’s market cap could hit $250 billion, with ~486 million floating tokens supporting a $520 price target. The SCP market, where Solana operates, is projected to grow by 43% to $1.1 trillion, with Solana’s share rising from 15% to 22% by year-end.

The firm highlights Solana’s dominance in developer activity, DEX volumes, and active users as key factors. VanEck also filed for a Solana ETF in 2024. In a shift, the SEC recently acknowledged Grayscale’s SOL ETF filing, setting a review deadline for October. This signals potential regulatory progress for Solana-based investment products.

TECH
Bill Ackman Bets Big on Uber

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman sees Uber as a bargain, revealing that his firm, Pershing Square Holdings, has acquired 30.3 million shares worth $2.3 billion. This news sent Uber’s stock soaring nearly 7% on Friday. Ackman, a longtime Uber user, became an early investor after actor Edward Norton introduced him to the app.

Despite lagging the S&P 500’s gains in 2024, Uber has grown 20% in 2025. Concerns over autonomous vehicles remain, but Uber’s partnerships with Waymo suggest driverless tech could complement its business rather than threaten it.

Ackman praised CEO Dara Khosrowshahi for turning Uber into a profitable powerhouse and hinted at future insights on the company. Wall Street largely agrees, with 85% of analysts rating Uber a buy. Analysts speculate Ackman may push for Uber to spin off its struggling freight division or exit unprofitable markets while leveraging a $1.5 billion share buyback plan.

TECH
SoftBank Invests $40B in OpenAI

SoftBank is nearing a $40 billion investment in OpenAI at a $260 billion pre-money valuation, with payments spread over 12 to 24 months, starting as early as spring. This deal would push OpenAI’s post-money valuation to $300 billion, making SoftBank its largest investor, surpassing Microsoft. Initially, the valuation was expected to be $340 billion, but recent reports suggest a lower figure.

A portion of the funding will support Stargate, a joint venture between SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle, aimed at bolstering U.S. AI infrastructure. This move follows SoftBank’s recent $3 billion annual commitment to OpenAI’s technology for its subsidiaries, including Arm.

OpenAI has been expanding aggressively, launching ChatGPT Gov for U.S. government agencies and competing with rivals like xAI, Google, and Meta. Meanwhile, China’s DeepSeek has emerged as a formidable player, prompting OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to acknowledge its capabilities while promising superior future models.

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