Circle is set to roll out support for the Solana blockchain within its Web3 services, enabling features such as programmable wallets and gas stations. The integration will be phased. According to a June 12 announcement, the first phase will emphasize programmable wallets, allowing developers to manage assets automatically based on predefined rules, and sponsored transaction fees through the gas station feature.

“One of the things that excites us most about the Solana ecosystem is the community’s wide adoption of payment use cases, a trend that closely aligns with Circle's mission to “raise global economic prosperity through the frictionless exchange of value”, as mentioned in Circle’s blog post

Circle believes that the increasing payment ecosystem on Solana is a trustworthy platform for facilitating smooth global value exchange. In the month of May, PayPal made the decision to expand its PYUSD stablecoin onto Solana, making it the first blockchain other than Ethereum to be chosen.

Circle has played an active role in aiding the growth of the Solana community, with past efforts such as incorporating USDC and EURC and implementing the Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP). The introduction of Solana support through Circle's Web3 Services will be implemented in phases, with the initial stage centering on the transfer of fungible tokens and the sponsorship of transaction fees.

Upcoming releases will feature support for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and program interactions through the Smart Contract Platform. These updates will unlock new use cases, including NFT integration for brand loyalty and gaming, as well as the capability to interact with and deploy custom programs on Solana.

Additionally, Solana is gearing up for significant enhancements, including the Firedancer upgrade scheduled for 2025. This upgrade aims to boost Solana's scalability and eliminate network downtime.

Firedancer is an innovative third-party validator client software for the Solana blockchain, intended to increase the network's efficiency and enhance transaction processing capabilities.

“If successful, @jump_firedancer could unlock blue ocean markets for the @Solana ecosystem by offering unprecedented throughput, composability, and low costs.” - Messari