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Shinhan Card has announced a formal partnership with the Solana Foundation to test stablecoin payments on Solana, with a proof-of-concept planned for 2026.
Testnet pilot targets real-world payment flows
The Korean financial group will run the advanced trial on Solana’s current testnet. Moreover, the project will focus on consumer-to-merchant scenarios that mirror everyday use, giving the team a practical setting to measure performance.
Shinhan Card will assess whether the setup can handle routine transactions efficiently. However, it will also examine the security and stability of non-custodial wallets, which the company sees as essential before any broader rollout.
Hybrid model combines finance and DeFi tools
The initiative also explores hybrid models that blend the reliability of traditional finance with tools drawn from DeFi. Shinhan Card plans to build DeFi service environments on Solana to support that approach.
In this framework, oracle technology acts as a blockchain oracle integration layer that connects real-world transaction data with blockchain networks. That structure should support smart contract deployment while preserving operational stability through monitoring and governance.
As a result, the testnet will serve as a stress-test environment for each system component before any production launch.
South Korea regulation shapes the timeline
The project arrives as south korea regulation continues to evolve. The country is developing the Digital Asset Basic Act, which is expected to be defined in 2026.
Moreover, Shinhan Card wants to align the pilot’s results with that shifting legal framework. Many local financial institutions are also accelerating blockchain partnerships as they prepare for a more regulated digital asset market.
The company said the proof-of-concept covers security, stability and usability in real-world settings. Therefore, it aims to create a technical and informational base for future implementation decisions.
Solana now gives Shinhan Card a controlled environment to test how stablecoin-based settlement could work in everyday merchant payments.