Standard Chartered Revises Solana Price Predictions: 2026 Down to $250, 2030 Set for $2,000

Summary:
Standard Chartered has adjusted its price expectation for Solana at the end of 2026, lowering it to $250 from $310. However, the bank maintains a long-term prediction of $2,000 by 2030, emphasizing a shift from memecoin activities to stablecoin-based micropayments.

Key Takeaways:

Standard Chartered revised Solana's 2026 price target down to $250 but still forecasts $2,000 by 2030.
The change reflects a confident outlook on Solana's shift toward stablecoin micropayments.
Solana's network activity is gradually focusing more on sustainable payment solutions rather than speculative trading.
The report highlights Solana's performance potential compared to Ethereum in future years.

Standard Chartered Revises Solana Price Predictions

Understanding Standard Chartered's Revised Prediction for Solana

Standard Chartered has made notable revisions to its projection for Solana’s price, cutting its goal for 2026 to $250 from a previous $310. This adjustment is part of a longer-term view that remains optimistic with a target of $2,000 by 2030. The bank believes that the blockchain's activity is gradually shifting from being driven primarily by memecoins to a focus on stablecoin-based micropayments.

This updated forecast arises from the bank's digital asset research team, which views the current downturn in the market as a time when differences in performance across various cryptocurrencies are becoming clearer, moving away from treating all assets as equal risk.

Why the Change in Expectations?

The reduction in Solana's 2026 target stems from a cautious stance regarding the speed at which Solana can leverage its low transaction costs and high throughput to generate consistent fee-based revenue outside of speculative trading phases. According to Geoffrey Kendrick, head of global digital assets research at Standard Chartered, Solana is undergoing a narrative shift that, while strategically promising, may not yield immediate market results.

Kendrick noted a significant change in the composition of trading activity on decentralized exchanges (DEXs). "When we began covering Solana in May 2025, most activity focused on memecoin trading on DEXs. Now, we see a shift toward SOL and stablecoin pairings."

This transition gained momentum throughout 2025 as traders moved investments away from memecoins—peaking during events like the launch of the Trump token—toward more stable assets such as tokenized dollars. This suggests Solana’s DEX activity is increasingly functioning as a viable payment infrastructure rather than just a speculative marketplace, despite a general cooling in overall trading volumes.

Cost Efficiency and Future Potential

Standard Chartered emphasizes Solana’s exceptionally low transaction fees, positioning them as a critical factor for enabling “micropayment” applications, particularly for AI-driven transactions, where even small fees can hinder profitability. One striking data point from the report is the velocity of stablecoin transactions on Solana, which is already two to three times higher than that of Ethereum. This indicates that Solana may establish a unique role for rapid, low-value transfers.

The bank also connects this potential to new payment protocols, such as the Coinbase-backed x402, while noting that this repositioning will take time before it manifests as market leadership.

Due to the slower anticipated timeline for growth, Standard Chartered expects Solana to trail behind Ethereum in the short term, particularly in 2026-2027. However, they express a more positive outlook on Solana’s long-term capabilities if there is a surge in demand for micropayments.

Despite lowering the 2026 prediction, Standard Chartered maintains an ambitious long-term growth schedule for Solana: $400 by 2027, $700 in 2028, $1,200 in 2029, and $2,000 by the end of 2030, as reported by The Block. This framework underscores the belief that Solana's expansion into micropayments will become increasingly crucial as the cryptocurrency cycle progresses, with projections showing it may outperform Bitcoin from 2027 to 2030.

As of now, Solana (SOL) is trading at $96.93.

Solana price chart