Is Solana More Likely to Hit $50 or $250?

By Dominic Basulto – Feb 17, 2026 at 6:35AM ESTKey PointsThe cryptocurrency now trades at a steep 73% discount from its all-time high of $294.Solana is being transformed from a blockchain network for meme coins into a blockchain network for stablecoins.Based on improving fundamentals, the British bank Standard Chartered predicts that Solana could hit $2,000 by 2030.These 10 Stocks Could Mint the Next Wave of Millionaires ›CRYPTO: SOLSolanaMarket Cap$48BToday's Changeangle-down(-0.61%) $0.52Current Price$85.25Price as of February 17, 2026 at 7:32 AM ETDespite a steep decline over the past year, Solana could still triple in value in 2026.With the price of Bitcoin down 48% over the past four months, it's perhaps no surprise that speculative altcoins are being hit hard as well. Solana (SOL 0.61%), for example, is down 37% for the year, and now trades for just $78. That's a 73% discount from its all-time high of $294 from just 12 months ago. The good news is that Solana could turn things around faster than anyone expects. Market sentiment on the crypto is simply too bearish, and this is one digital coin that could triple in value this year. Solana's path to $50 Let's start with the bear-case scenario for Solana. It assumes that Bitcoin will continue to drift lower, dragging the entire crypto market with it. This has been the historical pattern, and there's no reason to think that it can rally if this happens. As Bitcoin goes, so goes the crypto market. ExpandCRYPTO: SOLSolanaToday's Change(-0.61%) $-0.52Current Price$85.25Key Data PointsMarket Cap$48BDay's Range$82.87 - $87.4152wk Range$70.61 - $252.78Volume3.4B Given that Solana recently hit a two-year low of $67, a price target of $50 seems far more likely than a price of $250. There's simply too much downward momentum. If you buy into the predictive power of technical trading charts (including the popular head-and-shoulders pattern), it does appear that Solana is poised for another steep downturn in 2026. Solana's path to $250 But there's a contrarian take that's been circulating in crypto investing circles. According to a new investment thesis from the British multinational bank Standard Chartered (SCBF.Y 0.23%), Solana is in the process of transforming from a meme-coin centric blockchain network into a stablecoin-centric network. Image source: Getty Images. Based on a quick perusal of blockchain performance metrics, this does appear to be the case. In early 2026, Solana passed Ethereum as the fastest-growing blockchain network for stablecoins, based on both transaction volume and transaction velocity. It's both faster and cheaper to use than Ethereum, and that's what makes micro-size stablecoin payments so attractive. According to Standard Chartered, this vast new pocket of growth will propel the crypto to $200 this year, $400 next year, and $2,000 by the end of 2030. So maybe all the bearish sentiment on Solana is overdone right now. What do prediction markets think? One way to stress-test these assumptions is by looking at data from online prediction markets. On the Kalshi prediction platform, for example, traders are giving Solana a 44% chance of hitting $150 this year, a 23% chance of hitting $200, a 14% chance of hitting $250, and a 10% chance of hitting $300. Those are numbers I can live with. It's almost a coin flip about whether it can double in value this year to hit $150. And even $250 is remarkably within reach. With that in mind, I'm still bullish on the crypto's prospects. Once market sentiment catches on to the improving fundamentals at Solana, that's when it could skyrocket in price.Read NextFeb 13, 2026 •By Chris MacDonaldSolana Surges 9% Today: Is a Reversal Underway?Feb 11, 2026 •By Lyle Daly2 Game-Changing Updates Coming to Solana in 2026Feb 9, 2026 •By Dominic BasultoPrediction: This Cryptocurrency Could Soar 187% in 2026Feb 8, 2026 •By Emma Newbery2 Cryptocurrencies Set to Rebound in 2026Feb 8, 2026 •By Alex CarchidiWhat's Next for Solana: $20, $120, or $250?Feb 5, 2026 •By Leo SunHow Buying Ethereum Today Could 10x Your Net WorthAbout the AuthorDominic Basulto is a contributing Motley Fool crypto analyst covering cryptocurrencies, digital assets, and crypto-related companies. Prior to The Motley Fool, Dominic was a technology and innovation journalist at The Washington Post and Fortune. He holds a bachelor’s degree in politics from Princeton University and an MBA in finance from Yale School of Management.TMFCryptoDomX@dominicbasultoStocks MentionedSolanaCRYPTO: SOL$85.25 (0.61%) $0.52*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.