Standard Chartered just set an ambitious price target for Solana, but the token has barely moved since the forecast was made months ago, raising serious questions about whether the bank’s broader predictions deserve any credibility at all.
The Crypto Desk desk. Editor: Sam Daodu.
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Standard Chartered predicts that Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) will reach $250 by the end of 2026. This projection means the <a href="https://axiomcore.info/state-cryptocurrency-campaign-finance-laws-complete-guide-2026/” title=”State Cryptocurrency Campaign Finance Laws: Complete Guide 2026″>cryptocurrency must more than double its current value of around $121 as of October 5, 2026. This price is almost the same as where it stood on February 3, when Geoff Kendrick from the bank revised his year-end target from $310.
Since that announcement, Solana has not made significant progress toward the $250 goal. The token has risen about 18% in the past month but remains 59% below its record high of $293, reached in January 2025. Meanwhile, Standard Chartered’s long-term forecast extends to $2,000 by 2030.
Standard Chartered Cut Its 2026 Solana Target From $310 to $250
In February, Standard Chartered lowered its 2026 Solana target from $310 to $250. Kendrick made this adjustment because Solana appeared less attractive based on the bank’s model, which compares a network’s market value with the economic activity on it. Despite lowering the 2026 target, he raised targets for subsequent years and introduced a new one for 2030.
| Year-end | Old Target | New Target | Gain Needed from $121 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $310 | $250 | About 107% |
| 2027 | $350 | $400 | About 230% |
| 2028 | $475 | $700 | About 480% |
| 2029 | $500 | $1,200 | About 890% |
| 2030 | No target | $2,000 | About 1,560% |
Kendrick’s analysis centers on how people are using Solana. He notes that trading activity on decentralized exchanges has shifted, favoring pairings of SOL and stablecoins—tokens tied to the U.S. dollar. He also expects automated AI software to facilitate tiny payments on Solana because of its low fees.
However, Kendrick highlighted a potential challenge: Solana may lag behind Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) in 2026 and 2027 until payment volume increases enough to drive up Solana’s price.
Solana Needs a 107% Gain in Under Three Months to Reach $250
To hit $250, Solana needs to rise about 107% in under three months, raising its market cap from roughly $71 billion to around $147 billion. There are currently 588 million Solana coins in circulation, and because there is no maximum supply, new SOL tokens continue to be issued to stakers, meaning buyers must absorb those additional coins during any price rally.
Recently, Solana’s validators decided todouble the network’s disinflation rateon September 26, which will slow the rate at which new coins are issued. Although this helps reduce supply growth, it does not create the demand necessary for a 107% increase.
Traders have watched Solana struggle to stay above the $120 mark—the same level it held in February—suggesting the price has not reflected the optimistic trendKendrick’s year-end target expects.
Stablecoin Payments and ETF Demand Will Test Standard Chartered’s Solana Forecast
Kendrick pointed to two key metrics to watch: the dollar value of stablecoins transacted on Solana and how quickly these stablecoins trade. In February, Standard Chartered reported that stablecoins on Solana transacted two to three times faster than those on Ethereum, suggesting they are used for payments rather than merely held for value.
Another crucial factor is demand from funds. U.S. Solana ETFs experienced12 consecutive weeks of inflowsby mid-September, during which SOLoutperformed Bitcoin(CRYPTO: BTC). Yet, these inflows have not been sufficient to push the price above the February level.
Can Solana Hit Standard Chartered’s $250 Target by December 2026?
Standard Chartered’s $250 target appears challenging to achieve by 2026. Solana must more than double its price in less than three months, and recent trends suggest this may be difficult.
If Solana ends 2026 closer to $121, one has to question the feasibility of the $2,000 prediction for 2030. So how much weight does this Solana price prediction still carry?
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Sam Daodu is a crypto analyst who’s spent nearly a decade making blockchain understandable—no easy task when most whitepapers read like fever dreams. He writes for 24/7 Wall St., covering Bitcoin, altcoins, and crypto market analysis for investors. Before crypto, he was a tech writer (back when explaining “the cloud” was peak innovation). Since 2018, he’s written for CoinTelegraph, Yahoo Finance, The Block, Cryptonews, Zypto, Rain, and more—basically anywhere people want crypto news without the headache. Sam runs MacLabs Marketing, a content agency for crypto brands tired of sounding like AI wrote their website. He also publishes free crypto education on his site for Web3 enthusiasts who think “gas fees” is a typo. When he’s not writing or staring at charts, Sam’s either: – Watching anime (currently convinced One Piece has better tokenomics than most altcoins) – At the gym sculpting himself into a Greek god – Listening to the music your mum warned you only bad boys listen to Connect: LinkedIn | Email | MacLabs Marketing
