Samsung Wallet to Launch USDC Transfers for U.S. Galaxy Users

Samsung Electronics America announced on October 7, 2026 that stablecoin wallet functionality will launch in Samsung Wallet starting in the last week of October 2026 for eligible Galaxy users in the United States, initially supporting USDC, a U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoin. At launch, the feature will be available across 82 million U.S. Galaxy devices, a figure Samsung defines as the number of Galaxy devices in the country compatible with Samsung Wallet.

The Solana Foundation announced the integration the same day, stating that Samsung Wallet and Samsung Pay will support stablecoins on Solana and that users in the United States will be able to send money across borders using USDC beginning in the last week of October 2026. Additional markets are to follow, subject to local regulatory requirements, the foundation said.

According to the Solana Foundation, the feature is built into Samsung Wallet rather than alongside it. Users will be able to send a remittance from the same interface they already use for cards, boarding passes and IDs, with integrated fiat on- and off-ramps converting to and from local currency, while Solana’s (SOL ) infrastructure operates behind the scenes. Samsung states the native integration removes steps typically associated with stablecoin use, such as installing separate crypto apps, creating wallets, and managing private keys.

Transfer Mechanics and Fees

Eligible Galaxy users will be able to send USDC directly from Samsung Wallet to compatible crypto wallets internationally in seconds and with no transfer fees, according to Samsung’s announcement. Footnotes to the release specify that compatible wallets are third-party crypto wallets or exchange accounts that support USDC on a blockchain network supported by Samsung Wallet, that recipient wallet providers or exchanges may impose their own fees even though Samsung does not charge a fee for USDC transfers to external wallets, that transfer speed depends on blockchain network conditions, and that transfers to sanctioned jurisdictions are prohibited.

Samsung Wallet will also enable eligible users to send money to qualifying bank accounts in more than 60 countries, with funds delivered in the recipient’s local currency. Fees apply to those transfers, vary by destination country and amount, and are shown in the app with an estimated delivery time before the sender confirms the transaction. The company notes that recipient bank eligibility varies, some banks or account types may not be supported, and delivery times may vary. When users select “Buy Stablecoin” in Samsung Wallet, USDC will appear as the default dollar stablecoin.

Custody, Security, and Eligibility

Bastion, described in the release as a licensed stablecoin custodian and infrastructure provider overseen by U.S. financial regulators, will power the cross-border payment framework for Samsung Wallet’s stablecoin capabilities. Bastion has partnered with Coinbase as its official sub-custodian, safeguarding all USDC in Samsung Wallet through Coinbase Prime Vault. According to Samsung, Bastion holds a New York trust charter through Bastion Platforms Trust Company, LLC, for stablecoin issuance and has preliminary conditional approval from the OCC for a national trust bank charter; it is backed by Andreessen Horowitz and Coinbase Ventures, among others, and issues no stablecoin of its own.

Compatible Galaxy devices act as the secure gateway for the service, requiring biometric authentication on registered devices to initiate transfers. Eligibility extends to U.S. residents 18 or older with a Samsung Account, on Galaxy devices compatible with Samsung Wallet running Android 13 or higher, with account registration, identity verification, and biometric authentication setup required. Stablecoin accounts, custody, and money movement services are provided by regulated partners rather than Samsung, the release states, adding that Samsung is not a bank, money transmitter, or digital asset custodian and does not hold customer funds.

Samsung states that USDC functionality is operated together with Bastion and Coinbase, while additional aspects of the service, including infrastructure and blockchain network support, will be provided by separate partners with the required technical capabilities, including Solana and Sui.

“We’re bringing USDC transfers into Samsung Wallet so eligible Galaxy users can get started without installing another app or managing private keys themselves,” said Woncheol Chai, EVP and Head of the Digital Wallet Team at the Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics. In the Solana Foundation’s post, Chai said stablecoins could make cross-border money movement faster and easier and that Solana helps bring that experience to Samsung’s scale. Lily Liu, president of the Solana Foundation, said: “Samsung’s decision to work with Solana puts digital dollars into everyday life through one of the world’s most trusted technology brands.”

Samsung describes the launch as the next chapter of its collaboration with Coinbase, following the addition of Samsung Pay as a payment option in the Coinbase app and access to Coinbase One benefits for eligible users through Samsung Wallet. The company states it is launching the feature following the establishment of a regulatory framework for stablecoins.

The Solana Foundation reports that stablecoin supply on Solana is up nearly 20% year over year and that the network has processed more than $5.25 trillion in stablecoin volume in 2026, naming PayPal and Western Union (WU ) as enterprises already using Solana for stablecoin activity.

Samsung states that future capabilities may include the ability for eligible users to pay with stablecoins online or by tapping an eligible Galaxy device in store, followed by potential expansion into additional markets in line with regulatory developments in each country.