Samsung Wallet launched stablecoin accounts on November 5, 2026, bringing Circle's USDC on the Solana blockchain to roughly 82 million compatible Galaxy devices across the United States. Infrastructure provider Bastion serves as custodian alongside sub-custodian Coinbase, while Samsung maintains the interface without holding customer funds. Eligible users outside New York can transfer funds to external wallets fee-free or send bank payouts across 60 countries, marking a major distribution step for mainstream stablecoin usage.
Samsung Wallet launches USDC integration on Solana
- ▪The Samsung Wallet feature enables users to buy, hold, send, and receive Circle's USDC on the Solana blockchain without managing private keys or downloading a separate application
- ▪Samsung Wallet launched stablecoin accounts for eligible U.S. Galaxy users on November 5, 2026, reaching approximately 82 million compatible devices
- ▪Eligible U.S. residents 18 and older with a device running Android 13 or higher can use Samsung Wallet's Stablecoin Account feature, though New York residents are excluded
Solana blockchain integration
- ▪Samsung first announced its feature selecting the Solana blockchain for USDC transfers
- ▪Routing Samsung Wallet USDC transfers through the Solana blockchain embeds Solana-based dollar transactions directly into a mainstream consumer payments platform
Partnerships supporting the USDC service
- ▪Licensed custodian Bastion serves as the primary custodian for the USDC in Samsung Wallet, while Coinbase acts as sub-custodian using Coinbase Prime Vault
- ▪Samsung does not hold customer funds or act as a digital asset custodian in Samsung Wallet's Stablecoin Account arrangement
- ▪Stripe handles stablecoin purchases for the Samsung Wallet service, while Circle issues the underlying USDC stablecoin
Fee structure and bank transfers
- ▪Samsung Wallet supports sending funds to qualifying bank accounts in more than 60 countries, where recipients may receive local currency
- ▪Samsung Wallet permits transfers to external crypto wallets without Samsung transfer fees, while bank account or debit card withdrawals and credit card top-ups incur fees
Executive perspectives on the launch
- ▪Woncheol Chai, head of Samsung's digital wallet team, stated that Samsung aims to offer faster money movement to Galaxy users without traditional crypto complexity
- ▪Solana Foundation President Lily Liu stated that while stablecoins proved their underlying technology over a decade, they previously lacked a way to reach mainstream consumers
Circle third-quarter earnings
- ▪Circle reported third-quarter 2026 USDC transaction volume grew 49% to $13.9 trillion while reserve income fell 8% to $658 million
- ▪Circle generated $182 million of its $207 million in other third-quarter 2026 revenue from a presale of Arc blockchain tokens
PYMNTS Intelligence stablecoin research
- ▪PYMNTS Intelligence research found that 42% of surveyed middle-market companies expressed interest in stablecoins, though only 13% had used them
- ▪PYMNTS Intelligence found that 88% of surveyed firms receiving stablecoins convert them immediately into U.S. dollars
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