{"id":29530,"date":"2026-02-16T13:19:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T13:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/?p=29530"},"modified":"2026-02-17T09:31:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T09:31:22","slug":"standard-chartered-analyst-solana-could-rise-long-term-due-to-micropayments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/standard-chartered-analyst-solana-could-rise-long-term-due-to-micropayments","title":{"rendered":"Standard Chartered Analyst: Solana Could Rise Long-Term Due to Micropayments"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_75 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Alternar tabla de contenidos\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #ffffff;color:#ffffff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #ffffff;color:#ffffff\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/standard-chartered-analyst-solana-could-rise-long-term-due-to-micropayments\/#what_is_solana\" >What is Solana?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/standard-chartered-analyst-solana-could-rise-long-term-due-to-micropayments\/#micropayments_and_stablecoins_why_are_they_relevant\" >Micropayments and stablecoins: Why are they relevant?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/standard-chartered-analyst-solana-could-rise-long-term-due-to-micropayments\/#why_could_solana_benefit_if_micropayments_with_stablecoins_grow\" >Why could Solana benefit if micropayments with stablecoins grow?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/standard-chartered-analyst-solana-could-rise-long-term-due-to-micropayments\/#what_would_have_to_happen_for_the_theory_to_hold\" >What would have to happen for the theory to hold<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Tiempo de lectura:<\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutos<\/span><\/span><p>Geoffrey Kendrick, an analyst at Standard Chartered, highlights Solana&#8217;s potential as\u00a0<strong>key infrastructure for the micropayments market using stablecoins<\/strong>. The thesis argues that\u00a0<strong>if the network manages to establish itself as the standard for low-value, high-frequency transactions, its fundamental value would be strengthened by real and constant utility.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Given the recent crash of SOL, Kendrick has lowered his price forecast for SOL to $250 from $310 by the end of 2026. However, Kendrick remains optimistic, seeing a path to $2,000 by 2030, driven by Solana&#8217;s\u00a0<strong>growing role in stablecoin-based micropayments.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00ab<em>We lower our end-2026 forecast to $250 because\u00a0<strong>Solana\u2019s next dominant utility could take time<\/strong><\/em>,\u00bb Kendrick commented.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-29531 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1-compressed-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"bitnovo_solana_price_prediction_2030\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1-compressed-2-1.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1-compressed-2-1-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Overall, market analysts supported the\u00a0<strong>&#8216;quality wins&#8217; narrative<\/strong>. Investor Mike Alfred described the recent drop as a classic\u00a0<strong>risk-off move<\/strong>. \u00ab&#8230;<em>this is just a typical risk-off move where lower-quality stuff sells off harder, and then everything bounces&#8230; <strong>It\u2019s in these moments where real money is made<\/strong><\/em>,\u00bb Alfred wrote, referring to the recent market downturn.<\/p>\n<p>In reality,\u00a0<strong>Standard Chartered expects Solana to underperform Ethereum until 2026 and part of 2027<\/strong>. But after that period, the bank foresees a phase where\u00a0<strong>Solana closes the gap, thanks to scalability, utility, and cost advantages.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to Kendrick, the current volatility is\u00a0<strong>less a warning signal and more a selection mechanism<\/strong>, which could ultimately benefit investors willing to buy quality while the market remains unstable.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-29630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Inversiones-en-Bolsa-1.jpg\" alt=\"bitnovo_standard_chartered_solana_analysis\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Inversiones-en-Bolsa-1.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Inversiones-en-Bolsa-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Inversiones-en-Bolsa-1-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Inversiones-en-Bolsa-1-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It is important to emphasize that this is a\u00a0<strong>long-term investment thesis based on technological fundamentals<\/strong>. It should not be interpreted as a promise of immediate returns or a prediction of short-term price movements, but rather as a\u00a0<strong>scenario of future adoption.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what_is_solana\"><\/span><strong>What is Solana?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To understand this potential, one must first explain what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/all-about-solana-sol\">Solana<\/a> is: it is an open-source blockchain platform designed to support decentralized applications (dApps) and cryptocurrencies, just like Ethereum. However, the big difference lies in its\u00a0<strong>speed and low cost.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While other blockchains can be slow and expensive when many users are operating simultaneously, Solana can process\u00a0<strong>thousands of transactions per second at minimal cost<\/strong>. That&#8217;s why many consider it one of the fastest blockchains in existence today.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-29498 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3-compressed-1-compressed-1.jpg\" alt=\"bitnovo_solana_blockchain_high_speed\" width=\"768\" height=\"526\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3-compressed-1-compressed-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3-compressed-1-compressed-1-300x205.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Within this ecosystem, the SOL token fulfills an indispensable operational function: it acts as\u00a0<strong>the asset needed to cover network fees (transaction costs) and execute <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/what-is-a-smart-contract\">Smart Contracts<\/a><\/strong>. It is, in essence,\u00a0<strong>the unit that keeps Solana&#8217;s technological machinery moving<\/strong>\u00a0and accessible for any user or application.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"micropayments_and_stablecoins_why_are_they_relevant\"><\/span><strong>Micropayments and stablecoins: Why are they relevant?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Micropayment\">Micropayments<\/a> are defined as\u00a0<strong>digital transactions of very low monetary value that are conducted frequently<\/strong>. For this model to be functional on a large scale, the infrastructure must solve two critical challenges that have traditionally limited financial networks:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cost efficiency and user experience:<\/strong>The expense of processing the transaction must be negligible compared to the amount sent. If the fee is high, the micropayment loses its reason for being. Likewise, the confirmation must be almost instantaneous for a smooth user experience.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Value stability:<\/strong>\u00a0This is where\u00a0<strong>stablecoins come in<\/strong>. By being linked to stable assets like the US dollar, they eliminate the risk of the payment&#8217;s value fluctuating during the transaction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-29532 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3-compressed-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"bitnovo_sol_token_network_utility\" width=\"1344\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3-compressed-1-1.jpg 1344w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3-compressed-1-1-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3-compressed-1-1-1024x585.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3-compressed-1-1-768x439.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1344px) 100vw, 1344px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It is important to note that, even though <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/en\/price\/solana\">Solana&#8217;s price today<\/a> may experience volatility on exchange markets,\u00a0<strong>the viability of micropayments does not depend on its daily price quote<\/strong>, but rather on the network&#8217;s ability to maintain these two conditions constantly and predictably.<\/p>\n<p>By the way, according to Geoffrey Kendrick, Solana&#8217;s\u00a0<strong>very low-cost, high-performance architecture<\/strong>\u00a0strategically positions it to dominate this sector in the future. He notes that this is even more true as\u00a0<strong>AI-driven applications and stablecoin transactions gain popularity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u00ab<em>We increase our forecasts from there onwards, as\u00a0<strong>we see Solana dominating the micropayments space in the future<\/strong><\/em>,\u00bb Kendrick indicated.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-29633\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Stock-Market-Island-Gains-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Stock-Market-Island-Gains-1.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Stock-Market-Island-Gains-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Stock-Market-Island-Gains-1-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Stock-Market-Island-Gains-1-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why_could_solana_benefit_if_micropayments_with_stablecoins_grow\"><\/span><strong>Why could Solana benefit if micropayments with stablecoins grow?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Solana&#8217;s architecture is not only fast, but its design is conceived so that\u00a0<strong>the success of a use case, like micropayments, directly fuels the network&#8217;s health<\/strong>. This benefit is explained through the following causal mechanisms:<\/p>\n<table style=\"height: 138px;\" width=\"1119\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Benefit Factor<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Description of Impact on Solana<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Increase in Activity<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>A higher volume of small payments generates a\u00a0<strong>constant flow of verifiable transactional activity<\/strong>\u00a0on the blockchain.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Proven Scalability<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>To capture this market, the network must demonstrate it can sustain\u00a0<strong>high operational volume while maintaining minimal costs<\/strong>\u00a0recurrently.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Network Effect<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>A massive use of stablecoins tends to attract\u00a0<strong>more developers and companies<\/strong>, increasing demand for the ecosystem&#8217;s resources.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what_would_have_to_happen_for_the_theory_to_hold\"><\/span><strong>What would have to happen for the theory to hold<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>For the analyst&#8217;s vision to be fulfilled, <a href=\"https:\/\/solana.com\/\">network<\/a> speed is not enough. It is essential that there is\u00a0<strong>real, everyday, and sustained use of stablecoins in retail transactions<\/strong>, surpassing the stage of purely speculative usage spikes.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-29533 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4-compressed-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"bitnovo_sol_drop_market_volatility\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4-compressed-2-1.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4-compressed-2-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4-compressed-2-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4-compressed-2-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4-compressed-2-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the network must\u00a0<strong>guarantee operational stability in the face of large traffic volumes<\/strong>\u00a0and compete with other infrastructures targeting the same niche. If you are considering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/en\/buy\/solana\">buying Solana<\/a>, it is crucial to distinguish between personal financial operations and the underlying technological thesis, which depends\u00a0<strong>exclusively on the utility and adoption of the infrastructure in the long term.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"gtx-trans\" style=\"position: absolute; left: 305px; top: 4437.43px;\">\n<div class=\"gtx-trans-icon\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Tiempo de lectura:<\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutos<\/span><\/span>Standard Chartered links Solana&#8217;s future to micropayments with stablecoins. What&#8217;s behind the argument and why it depends on real-world adoption.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":29631,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cryptocurrencies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29530"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29530\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29828,"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29530\/revisions\/29828"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}