Solana of Cute Memes: From DEX Trading to Stablecoins

The adorable meme that once made Solana famous on DEXs is now a story of change. The investment bank Standard Chartered has just released an in-depth research report on the development trends of this blockchain, with contrasting forecasts for the short and long term.

Standard Chartered Changes Price Forecast: From $250 to $2,000

The report from Standard Chartered presents a very different perspective on Solana’s prospects. According to ChainCatcher, the bank has lowered its short-term price target for SOL by the end of 2026 from $310 to $250. However, the interesting part lies in the long-term forecast, where Standard Chartered asserts that SOL will reach $2,000 by the end of 2030 — an extremely ambitious goal.

To get a clearer picture, the current price of Solana (as of February 12, 2026) is $77.32. Comparing this figure with the forecast of $250 by the end of this year and $2,000 by 2030, we can see that the growth potential expected by Standard Chartered is very significant.

Transition from Meme Trading to SOL-Stablecoin Pairs

A key change highlighted in the report is the transformation in trading activity on Solana’s decentralized exchanges. Instead of focusing on the cute meme tokens as before, trading volume today is shifting strongly toward SOL-stablecoin pairs. This indicates that the Solana market is maturing, moving from short-term speculative games to real payment applications.

Revenue from stablecoins on Solana is said to be increasing two to three times faster than on Ethereum, confirming that users are seeking more efficient payment solutions.

Ultra-Low Cost, High Speed: Solana’s Competitive Edge

Standard Chartered emphasizes that Solana’s “ultra-low cost, fast, and reliable” transaction model is a key factor. This model is expected to dominate high-throughput sectors and optimize transaction fees.

The combination of the fastest processing speed in the industry and the most favorable fee structure makes Solana the preferred choice for applications requiring high economic efficiency.

AI Applications and Micro-Payments on Solana

The report also highlights Solana’s potential in the field of micro-payments — a market controlled by AI protocols like x402. With an extremely optimized cost model and instant transaction speeds, Solana could become an ideal platform for AI applications that need to process millions of small transactions daily.

The shift from adorable memes to practical AI applications demonstrates the maturity of the Solana ecosystem, promising significant growth in the coming years.