Samsung Wallet launches USDC: stablecoin transfers for 82 million Galaxy phones in the US
On October 7, 2026, Samsung announced that the USDC stablecoin will arrive in Samsung Wallet in the US in the last week of October. Galaxy owners will be able to send USDC to external crypto wallets with no Samsung fee and transfer money to bank accounts in more than 60 countries in local currency. The coins are held by the licensed custodian Bastion and by Coinbase, while Solana and Sui supply the network. Here is how it will work and what you need to know about sending USDC.
What Samsung announced
Samsung Electronics America published the news on October 7. The stablecoin will be built into the regular Samsung Wallet app, which already holds bank cards, boarding passes and IDs. There is no separate crypto wallet to install.
- When: the last week of October 2026.
- Where: US only, on compatible Galaxy smartphones. There are about 82 million such devices.
- Which stablecoin: USDC, Circle's dollar stablecoin. It is the default option in the "Buy stablecoin" section.
- Who: US residents aged 18 and over with a Samsung account and a phone running Android 13 or later. Sign-up, identity verification and biometrics are required: every transfer is confirmed with a fingerprint or face scan.
Samsung first showed a wallet with USDC back on July 22 at Galaxy Unpacked in London, but named neither a launch date nor a network at the time. Now the details are out.
How transfers will work
There are two ways to send money.
USDC to an external wallet or exchange. The coins can go to any wallet that accepts USDC on a supported network. Samsung charges no fee for this kind of transfer, though the receiving side may. According to the company, a transfer takes seconds, and the exact speed depends on network load.
Money to a bank account abroad. The recipient in one of more than 60 countries gets local currency in their account and does not need a crypto wallet. This option does carry a fee: it depends on the country and the amount, and the app shows it along with the delivery time before you confirm the transfer. Transfers to sanctioned countries are blocked.
Inside the wallet, USDC can be bought with dollars and sold back. Next on Samsung's list are online purchases with stablecoins, tap-to-pay in stores and a launch in other countries where local laws allow it.
Who holds the money
Samsung stresses that it is not a bank, money transmitter, or digital asset custodian, and that it does not hold customer funds. Accounts, custody and transfers are handled by regulated companies:
- Bastion, a licensed stablecoin custodian supervised by US regulators, runs the cross-border transfer setup;
- Coinbase holds all the USDC in Samsung Wallet in its Coinbase Prime Vault;
- Solana and Sui supply the blockchain network and technical capabilities. In its announcement, the Solana Foundation says transfers will run on Solana.
Samsung and Coinbase are not new to working together: since October 2025, Galaxy owners in the US have been buying crypto in Samsung Wallet through Coinbase.
One important detail: this is a custodial setup. The keys to the USDC sit with the custodian, not with the phone owner, and access to the money depends on the account and identity verification. That is convenient for sending money to family, but a balance like this is not full ownership.
Why it matters
Until now, getting a stablecoin meant using a trading platform or a crypto exchange service, setting up a separate wallet and understanding how one network differs from another. Samsung is putting USDC where millions of people already keep their money: the wallet that comes with their phone.
“Sending money abroad should feel as convenient as using the wallet already on your phone,” said Woncheol Chai, Executive Vice President and Head of the Digital Wallet Team at Samsung. Solana Foundation President Lily Liu added that stablecoins have spent ten years proving the technology works, and the next step is everyday use.
Solana's numbers show the scale. According to the foundation, more than $5.25 trillion in stablecoin volume moved through the network in 2026, and stablecoin supply on Solana grew by almost 20% over the year. PayPal and Western Union already use stablecoins on this network.
For the market, this is one more step for stablecoins out of the crypto world and into everyday payments. How USDC differs from USDT and which one works better for transfers is covered in our article USDT vs USDC: which stablecoin to choose.
What to check before sending USDC
USDC is issued on many networks: Ethereum, Solana, Base, Arbitrum and others. It is the same coin, but the addresses and networks differ, and sending USDC on a network the recipient does not support is a common and costly mistake. Before sending from Samsung Wallet or any other wallet, check three things:
- The recipient's network. The exchange or wallet must accept USDC on exactly the network you are sending on. If you got it wrong, here is what to do if you sent crypto to the wrong network.
- The full address. Copy it from the deposit page, and after pasting, check not only the beginning and the end but also the middle.
- Fees on the receiving side. Samsung charges nothing to send to an external wallet, but an exchange may charge a deposit or withdrawal fee.
If you hold USDT on TRON and the recipient expects USDC on Solana, you can swap USDT TRC20 to USDC on Solana without an exchange account and send the right coin straight away.
How to get USDC on Solana without registration
Samsung Wallet is built for US residents and keeps USDC with a custodian. If you want USDC in your own wallet, where only you hold the keys, you can get it through a swap: VertEXchange needs no account, email or phone number. You pick a pair, paste your Solana wallet address and see the rate and the final amount before you send anything.
- The coins go straight to your address, and the service does not hold them.
- The fixed rate holds for about 15 minutes, so the amount will not drift while your transfer confirms.
- If the exchange does not go through, the coins return to your refund address.
- The personal fields of the transaction are deleted 24 hours after it completes, and your exchange history stays only in your browser.
- Support chat is on every page, and questions are handled using your exchange code.
For example, you can buy USDC on Solana with bitcoin and receive the stablecoin directly in your own wallet. It works the other way too: if the recipient needs USDT, you can exchange USDC SPL to USDT TRC20.
FAQ
When will USDC arrive in Samsung Wallet?
In the last week of October 2026, and at first only in the US. Samsung calls a launch in other countries a possible next step, if local laws allow it.
Who will be able to use stablecoins in Samsung Wallet?
US residents aged 18 and over with a Samsung account and a compatible Galaxy smartphone running Android 13 or later. Identity verification and biometrics are required.
How much does it cost to send USDC from Samsung Wallet?
Samsung charges no fee of its own to send USDC to an external wallet, but the recipient may charge one. Transfers to a bank account abroad do carry a fee, and the app shows it before you confirm.
Which network does USDC in Samsung Wallet use?
The network side comes from Solana and Sui, and the Solana Foundation says transfers will run on Solana. Before sending, make sure the recipient accepts USDC on the same network.
Does Samsung hold my money?
No. Samsung makes the app, while the USDC is held by the licensed custodian Bastion and by Coinbase in its Coinbase Prime Vault. This is a custodial setup: the keys are not in the phone owner's hands.
Can I send USDC from Samsung Wallet to my own wallet?
Yes, to any wallet or exchange that accepts USDC on a supported network.
No email, no account: enter your wallet address, send your coins and get the new ones straight to it.
Exchange USDT to USDC
