According to Samsung's October 7 announcement, USDC transfers through Samsung Wallet will become available during the last week of October 2026 across 82 million US Galaxy devices. The service will enable eligible Galaxy users to send USDC to compatible crypto wallets abroad or directly to eligible bank accounts in more than 60 countries. As per Solana influencer, this feature is set to launch in the last week of October, marking a significant milestone for mobile cryptocurrency adoption. Eligibility is limited to eligible U.S. residents aged 18 or older with a Samsung Account and a compatible Galaxy device running Android 13 or higher, with users required to complete account registration, identity verification, and set up biometric authentication on their registered device. "Sending money abroad should feel as convenient as using the wallet already on your phone," said Woncheol Chai, Samsung Electronics' head of its digital-wallet team, emphasizing the seamless integration with existing Samsung Wallet functionality. However, 82 million devices represent the compatible hardware base rather than active users, with the actual number of eligible participants significantly lower due to age, residence, and identity verification requirements.
For the custody arrangement, Samsung has selected Bastion to operate the accounts, with Coinbase serving as its official sub-custodian. Bastion is a licensed stablecoin infrastructure and custody provider overseen by U.S. financial regulators, holding a New York trust charter and counting Andreessen Horowitz and Coinbase Ventures among its backers. Coinbase, in turn, acts as sub-custodian, entrusting the USDC to its Prime Vault for storage. Solana and Sui have been named among the technical partners supporting blockchain infrastructure, with Solana stating that the feature will be fully compatible with the Samsung Wallet, which is already used for cards, IDs and boarding passes. Bastion CEO Nassim Eddequiouaq stated in an email to AMBCrypto that Samsung's rollout brings stablecoins to millions of U.S. users without exposing them to the underlying custody, compliance, and payment infrastructure, with Bastion handling this complexity to keep the experience simple and secure. Samsung itself is not a bank, money transmitter, or digital-asset custodian and does not hold customer funds, with regulated partners providing the stablecoin accounts, custody, and money movement services. Transactions will require biometric authentication on registered Galaxy devices, adding a security check before users can initiate transfers.
For transfers to compatible crypto wallets, Samsung expects transactions to be completed in seconds without charging users transfer fees, though recipient wallets and exchanges may impose separate charges. International transfers to eligible bank accounts will follow a different process, with recipients in more than 60 supported countries receiving local currency directly into their accounts. The service will include fiat on-ramps and off-ramps, allowing eligible users to move between conventional money and USDC through the supported payment infrastructure. When users select "Buy Stablecoin," USDC will appear as the default dollar stablecoin, though the announcement does not detail all funding methods or establish that users can convert between dollars and USDC entirely inside the app. Transfer speed will depend on blockchain network conditions, and transfers to sanctioned jurisdictions are prohibited. For bank transfers, charges vary by destination country and amount, with Samsung Wallet displaying applicable fees and estimated delivery times before confirmation. Samsung will not charge any fees for USDC transfers to compatible external wallets, though recipient wallets or exchanges may charge their own fees. Solana provides settlement with fees near $0.0005, with each transaction taking less than 12–13 seconds for finality, offering efficient cross-border transfers. The service will be accessible through the existing Samsung Wallet interface used for payment cards and other credentials, with a familiar button potentially lowering setup friction for eligible users.
Samsung's investment in Bastion was previously reported in September 2025, when Coinbase Ventures led a $14.6 million funding round that included Samsung Next, Sony Innovation Fund, a16z crypto and Hashed. The investment brought Bastion's total funding to more than $40 million. Coinbase's CEO Brian Armstrong described the feature as "powered by Coinbase," while Samsung's announcement tells a more layered story about the technical infrastructure. Coinbase is now adding another layer of support by mid-October, making USDC the first stablecoin that Coinbase has chosen to allow into Samsung Wallet. Lily Liu, president of the Solana Foundation, emphasized that "stablecoins have the potential to make moving money around the world faster and easier," noting that blockchain technology has proven highly efficient for money movement but lacked a mainstream adoption path until Samsung's partnership. "Mass adoption was never going to come from people downloading crypto apps. It comes from the phone already in your pocket," said Kevin Lehtiniitty, CEO of Borderless.xyz, suggesting that Apple and Google may follow Samsung's lead. Solana and Sui's partnership represents a significant step in bridging traditional finance with digital assets, offering users easier access to digital currencies through familiar payment infrastructure.
Beyond transfers, Samsung is considering support for stablecoin payments at online merchants and physical stores, with eligible Galaxy users potentially making purchases by tapping their devices at participating retail locations. The company has not provided a launch date for these payment features, which remain under consideration. Future geographic expansion will depend on regulatory requirements in individual markets, with the initial stablecoin service limited to eligible US Galaxy users. Future capabilities may include online or in-store tap-to-pay purchases and expansion into additional markets, though Samsung has not announced plans to introduce its own stablecoin through Samsung Wallet, with USDC remaining the initial supported asset. Solana's stablecoin supply climbed to a record of more than $17 billion, reflecting strong growth in on-chain liquidity as the network continued to expand its settlement activity. Solana currently transfers over $280 billion worth of assets every month, with USDC supply near $7 billion, showing the network can handle large payment flows. Samsung's 82 million-device reach could give USDC a direct path into everyday payments, but distribution alone cannot create demand, with actual usage depending on whether Galaxy owners repeatedly send USDC after launch. Rising wallet transfers would signal that stablecoins are moving beyond trading into payments, with higher repeat usage and merchant adoption further strengthening Solana's role in mainstream cross-border settlement.
