# Solana Upgrade Nears, SOL vs XRP Investment Debate

> Solana's Alpenglow upgrade hits October 21, but SOL and XRP both face steep declines as ETFs pull money.
- Title: Solana Upgrade Nears, SOL vs XRP Investment Debate | Shortify
- Summary: Solana's Alpenglow upgrade hits October 21, but SOL and XRP both face steep declines as ETFs pull money. Solana's Alpenglow upgrade goes live October 21…
- Keywords: solana, alpenglow, xrp, sol, etf, crypto, trading, price drop, upgrades, blockchain, Upgrade, Nears
- Source: 24/7 Wall St. — https://247wallst.com/investing/cryptocurrency/2026/10/20/solanas-alpenglow-upgrade-is-about-to-go-live-is-sol-a-better-buy-than-xrp
- Author: Sam Daodu
- Published: 2026-10-20T14:00:11+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: solana, alpenglow, xrp, sol, etf, crypto, trading, price drop, upgrades, blockchain
## Alpenglow Upgrade Set for October 21
Solana's biggest network overhaul in years goes live October 21, promising near-instant transaction finality.
## SOL Drops 11.1% This Week
SOL has fallen 11.1% through October 19, trading at $104, a 16% year-to-date decline.
## XRP Drops 12.5% This Week
XRP has dropped 12.5% through October 19, trading at $1.29, with a monthly low of $1.25.
## ETFs Pull $6.7m from SOL
Solana-focused ETFs recorded a net outflow of $6.7 million on October 19, with outflows since October 5.
## SOL Outperforms XRP Monthly
SOL has fallen less than XRP this month, with SOL down 6.0% versus XRP's 8.1% decline.
## SOL's Price Stabilizes Near $100
SOL recovered above $103 after dipping to $100 on October 15 and October 18.
## XRP Hits Monthly Low
XRP hit a monthly low of $1.25 on October 18, with its last close above $1.40 on October 11.
## Alpenglow Upgrade Timeline
Alpenglow activates on October 21 at 1:20 p.m. UTC, aiming to cut transaction finality from 12.8 seconds to 150 milliseconds.
## SOL's Market Value vs XRP
SOL has a market value of $61.2 billion, while XRP holds $81.6 billion.
## SOL Outperforms Bitcoin and Ethereum
SOL has outperformed Bitcoin and Ethereum over the past 90 days, with a positive trend coinciding with Alpenglow milestones.
## SOL's Outlook After Upgrade
SOL's outlook may improve if Solana ETFs see their first net inflow after Alpenglow activates on October 21.
## Key takeaway

Solana's Alpenglow upgrade goes live October 21, 2026, but SOL has fallen less than XRP this month despite both coins dropping significantly.