Travala, a cryptocurrency-based online travel agency, has expanded its payment options to include major tokens on the Solana blockchain. The announcement was made by CEO Juan Otero on September 21 during the Solana Breakpoint conference in Singapore.
With this integration, travelers can now book hotels and flights using Solana’s native token (SOL), as well as popular stablecoins Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC). This partnership positions Solana as a direct competitor to Ethereum, emphasizing faster and more cost-effective execution of smart contracts and decentralized applications (DApps).
Direct SOL Deposits and Zero-Fee Transactions
While Travala has long accepted payments in Bitcoin and several other cryptocurrencies, the new Solana integration allows users to deposit and withdraw the supported tokens directly within their Travala accounts, all with zero transaction fees on bookings.
The crypto community has responded positively to this collaboration, expressing excitement for a more streamlined travel booking experience. Travala also plans to introduce SOL-based travel rewards in the near future.
Solana Gains Attention from Coinbase
In a related development, crypto exchange Coinbase is also embracing the Solana blockchain with plans to launch “cbBTC,” a wrapped Bitcoin asset. Although a specific launch date has not been confirmed, Hassan Ahmed, Coinbase’s country director for Singapore, expressed enthusiasm about the initiative, noting that “users love Solana, and so do we.”
Wrapped Bitcoin products like cbBTC enable users to maintain control of their assets while utilizing Bitcoin as collateral for decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. Initially introduced on the Ethereum and Base networks, cbBTC is backed at a 1:1 ratio with Bitcoin held by Coinbase, ensuring no separate order books or trading pairs exist for the asset on the platform.
