Samsung Wallet launched stablecoin accounts for eligible U.S. Galaxy users on November 5, 2026, bringing Circle’s USDC on Solana into the app alongside credit cards and boarding passes, according to Decrypt’s report published that day.
Users can buy, hold, send and receive USDC without downloading a separate crypto app or managing private keys. The announcement put the potential reach at about 82 million compatible Galaxy devices in the U.S. That is a measure of device eligibility—not evidence that 82 million people have opened or used an account.
What the account supports
The service is 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 this is a crypto wallet, not a bank account.
Eligible users can:
- Send USDC to other U.S. Samsung Wallet users and compatible external crypto wallets without a Samsung transfer fee, although other providers may charge fees.
- Send money to qualifying bank accounts in more than 60 countries, where recipients may receive local currency. Fees vary by destination.
- Add funds using a credit card, including through Samsung Pay, with a 4% fee.
- Withdraw to a bank account or debit card, also for a fee.
Access requires Android 13 or later. Users must be U.S. residents aged 18 or older, and New York residents are excluded.
Distribution is the draw; adoption remains unproven
Samsung first teased support for the dollar-pegged stablecoin over the summer, then announced the feature on October 7, selecting Solana for USDC transfers.
The significance is distribution: users can access stablecoins inside an existing wallet app rather than through a separate crypto service. Solana Foundation president Lily Liu framed mainstream reach as the missing piece for stablecoins, while Samsung digital wallet chief Woncheol Chai said the aim was to simplify moving money without traditional crypto-tool complexity. Those are the organizations’ assessments, not demonstrated adoption outcomes.
Samsung said it expects to explore online and in-store stablecoin payments and expansion into additional markets, subject to local regulation. Those remain plans, not features confirmed as available in this rollout.
Original source: Decrypt, published November 5, 2026, at 21:01:02 UTC+08:00.