Solana is betting on payments, mobile and everyday use. How the network is used beyond trading, and what remains.
Fast confirmations and low fees make Solana well suited to payments. Payment companies and banks have tested stablecoin settlement on the network.
For shops and users, it means money can move in seconds, including across borders.
Solana has invested heavily in mobile. In 2023, Solana Mobile launched the Saga phone with a built-in wallet, and later the Seeker model.
Phone sales were modest, but the effort pointed to crypto as a natural part of the phone, not a separate app for enthusiasts.
Solana is also used for tracking goods, loyalty programmes and tickets, where many small records need to be cheap.
Technology for compressed tokens makes it possible to create millions of digital items at very low cost.
Much of the activity on Solana is still trading and speculation. To succeed in everyday use, services must become simpler, and users must be able to trust that the network is always up.