⚡ Why Solana?
With respect to Ethereum — MTC's use case needed Solana.
Ethereum is the pioneer of blockchains that brought smart contracts to the world. It opened up the cultures of DeFi and NFTs; the security and reliability built by its massive developer community and long track record are still unmatched in the industry.
But what MTC wants to realize is "everyday payments on the ground at tourism sites." The act of tossing 100 yen (~$0.70) into the offering box does not tolerate fees of hundreds of yen or waits of tens of seconds.
Comparison: Ethereum vs Solana
| Item | Ethereum | Solana |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer fee | Hundreds to thousands of yen (~$2–$20) | |
| Settlement speed | 12 seconds to several minutes | 0.4 seconds |
| Throughput (per second) | ~15 | Thousands |
| Strength | High-value transactions, DeFi, security-critical use | High-frequency, micro-payment, real-time experience |
Without the foundation Ethereum built, neither Solana nor today's Web3 would exist. On top of that, what can meet the requirements of real tourism demand × high-frequency micro-settlement is, at this moment, only Solana.
📊 Numbers that prove Solana's strength (Q1 2026)
| Metric | Solana's performance |
|---|---|
| DEX trading volume | 🥇 #1 in the world — $117B (more than 2× Ethereum's $52B) |
| Stablecoin volume | 🥇 #1 in the world — record $650B/month. 5.3M+ addresses |
| Transaction speed | 🥇 Fastest in the world — 2,000+ TPS on average, theoretical max 65,000 TPS |
| Transaction fee | 🥇 Among the cheapest — average $0.007 (−85.2% YoY) |
| Developer growth rate | 🥇 #1 in growth rate — Solana +83% vs Ethereum +12% (Electric Capital) |
| Chain revenue | 🥇 Top-tier in the world — $1.03M per 24h (about 5× the sum of the L2 basket) |
To make the feeling of tossing 100 yen (~$0.70) into a shrine's offering box actually work as a micro-payment, fees must remain below 1 yen. Only Solana can do that.