Hey there, crypto enthusiasts! If you’ve been scrolling through X lately, you might have stumbled upon an exciting thread started by Brian Long (@brianlong) on July 3, 2025. This post has sparked a lot of buzz, especially among those interested in how blockchain technology can shake up traditional finance. Let’s dive into what Brian is talking about and why it’s got everyone talking about Solana!

The Big Idea: 100% Savings for Merchants

Brian’s post zeroes in on a game-changing point: when using Solana for transactions, the sender—rather than the merchant—pays the transaction (TX) fee. This simple shift could mean a 100% savings for merchants compared to the hefty fees charged by giants like Visa and Mastercard. He’s quoting an earlier post from the official Solana account, which highlighted a report from Foundation Capital. The report suggests that if the 400 billion transactions processed by Visa and Mastercard last year were handled on Solana, the total fee revenue would drop from $64 billion to just $400 million—a whopping 99% reduction!

So, what does this mean in plain English? Imagine you’re a small business owner. Every time someone pays with a credit card, you’re hit with a fee—usually 1.5% to 2.5% of the transaction value, according to Tremendous. On Solana, that cost could vanish for you if the buyer covers the fee instead. That’s a potential game-changer for profitability!

How Solana Makes This Possible

Solana’s low-cost structure comes from its high-speed blockchain, which can handle up to 65,000 transactions per second. The network charges a base fee of 5,000 lamports per signature (a tiny fraction of a SOL token), plus a prioritization fee based on compute units used. According to Solana’s official site, this keeps costs minimal. When paired with stablecoins like USDC, which maintain a steady value tied to the dollar, Solana offers a fast and cheap alternative to traditional payment systems.

Brian’s point about the sender paying the fee aligns with how Solana’s system works. The first signer on a transaction—the person initiating it—covers the cost. This flips the script on traditional models where merchants often bear the burden, making Solana an attractive option for businesses.

The X Community Weighs In

Brian’s post didn’t just sit there—it ignited a firestorm of reactions! Users like @EKKOPlatform and @SirAnas01 cheered the move, with some even plugging their Solana-based projects like $EKKO. Others, like @Waldo_meme and @Cryptoshiloh, threw in some humor and shade at competing blockchains like Ethereum, which is known for its higher gas fees. One user, @0xKrop, offered a counterpoint, suggesting that shifting fees to senders is just “reshuffled exploitation” and calling for systems that don’t extract rent from anyone. This mix of hype and critique shows how passionate the crypto community is about finding the “perfect” blockchain solution.

Why This Matters for Meme Tokens and Beyond

At Meme Insider, we’re all about keeping you in the loop on how blockchain tech impacts meme tokens and the wider crypto space. Solana’s low fees and speed have already made it a hotspot for meme coin launches, thanks to its efficiency. If merchants start adopting Solana for payments, it could boost the ecosystem further, potentially driving more interest—and value—into Solana-based tokens, including the meme variety.

What’s Next?

This thread is a snapshot of a bigger conversation about the future of finance. Could Solana really challenge Visa and Mastercard? It’s too early to say, but the potential savings are hard to ignore. Keep an eye on Solana’s market data and projects built on its network—things might heat up fast!

What do you think about this shift? Are you ready to see Solana take on the payment giants? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and let’s keep the discussion going! 🚀