Samsung Wallet’s USDC stablecoin accounts went live on November 5, 2026, for eligible Galaxy users in the United States, according to Decrypt. The rollout followed an October 7 announcement selecting Solana for USDC transfers.
Status at publication: live for eligible U.S. users. Further market expansion and payment features remained prospective.
Timeline: plans, announcement, launch
- Summer, before the launch: Samsung Wallet teased support for USDC, Circle’s U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin.
- October 7: Samsung announced the feature and its use of Solana for USDC transfers.
- November 5: Stablecoin accounts became available to eligible U.S. Galaxy users. According to the announcement, about 82 million compatible Galaxy devices in the U.S. could access the feature.
Users can buy, hold, send and receive USDC within Samsung Wallet without downloading a separate crypto app or managing private keys.
Eligibility, custody and fees
The service requires Android 13 or later and is available to U.S. residents aged 18 or older, excluding residents of New York.
The product was built with Bastion, a licensed stablecoin custodian and infrastructure provider. Coinbase safeguards the USDC as Bastion’s sub-custodian through Coinbase Prime Vault. Samsung’s disclosures emphasize that the account is a crypto wallet, not a bank account.
The reported transfer options and costs were:
- USDC transfers: Users can send to other Samsung Wallet users in the U.S. and compatible external crypto wallets without a Samsung transfer fee. Other providers may charge fees.
- International bank transfers: Users can send to qualifying bank accounts in more than 60 countries, where recipients may receive local currency. Fees vary by destination.
- Credit-card top-ups: A 4% fee applies, including when using Samsung Pay.
- Withdrawals: Transfers to a bank account or debit card also carry a fee.
The launch included an incentive under which new users making a first top-up of $50 or more could receive $25 in USDC.
What remained planned
Solana Foundation President Lily Liu characterized mainstream distribution as a missing piece for stablecoins. Woncheol Chai, who leads Samsung’s mobile digital wallet team, said the aim was to make money transfers easier without requiring users to navigate traditional crypto tools.
Samsung said it expected to explore online and in-store stablecoin payments and expansion into additional markets, subject to local regulation. These were stated intentions, not completed launches or confirmed rollout dates.
Original publication time: November 5, 2026, at 21:01:02 UTC+08:00.
Source: Decrypt — Stablecoins Go Mainstream as Samsung Wallet Adds USDC on Solana