Samsung Targets 82 Million Devices for USDC Transfers Through Galaxy Wallet

Key Facts

Samsung Electronics America announced on October 7 that stablecoin transfers would be available through Samsung Wallet in the final week of October for eligible users in the United States, with USDC as the first supported currency. The company said the service would be available at launch on 82 million compatible Galaxy devices in the United States, a count of eligible devices rather than active users or funded accounts. The move brings USDC transfers into a wallet device owners already use, rather than requiring them to install another app or manage private keys themselves, according to a Samsung official. Initial availability is limited to eligible U.S. residents, while bank transfers cover recipients in more than 60 countries. The launch therefore combines broad domestic reach with the ability to send money abroad, without making the service available to users in those countries.

Users must reside in the United States and be 18 years old or older, have a Samsung account and use a compatible Galaxy device running Android 13 or later. Registration requires identity verification and biometric authentication setup, according to Samsung's terms. Once activated, eligible users will be able to send USDC to compatible external wallets or trading accounts internationally. The company says it charges no fees for transfers to external wallets, though the receiving wallet provider or trading platform may charge its own fees. Fees for transfers to an eligible bank account vary by country and amount and are shown to the sender before the transaction is confirmed. The recipient may receive the funds in local currency, and the wallet displays a list of supported countries.

Samsung assigns service roles to separate partners and says regulated partners handle account, custody and money movement services, while it does not hold customer funds. Bastion provides the cross-border payments framework, while Coinbase acts as a sub-custodian for USDC balances through Coinbase Prime Vault. Under this arrangement, Coinbase holds the assets as a Bastion partner; it does not alone manage all aspects of the transfer. Samsung also named Solana and Sui among partners that will provide infrastructure and network support. The company did not specify a single network for all transfers, so the announcement does not mean every transaction will take place exclusively on Solana or that users must buy SOL.

The wallet launch follows a partnership between Samsung and Coinbase that began in July 2025, when Samsung Pay started rolling out as a payment and deposit method within the Coinbase app to fund accounts and trades. Coinbase said the partnership expanded in October 2026 to include Coinbase One benefits within Samsung Wallet, describing its reach as more than 82 million Galaxy users in the United States; Samsung, by contrast, puts the current launch's reach at 82 million compatible devices. Coinbase has cited figures on the currency's expanding use, saying USDC supply grew 72% during 2025 to more than $75 billion and the number of wallets holding it rose 59% to nearly 7 million. In data published for October 22, 2026, Circle reported 72.0 billion dollars of USDC in circulation, against reserves of 72.2 billion dollars. Alec Lovett, Coinbase's head of infrastructure products, said, "Samsung's global reach represents an important milestone for USDC distribution," referring to the importance of the new distribution channel for the partner company.

Coinbase said USDC is designed to be redeemable 1:1 for U.S. dollars and backed by cash and short-term U.S. Treasury securities, with monthly reserve disclosures. These specifications describe the coin's design according to the company, which participates in custody of wallet balances; Circle's published circulation and reserve figures were 72.0 billion dollars and 72.2 billion dollars, respectively, on October 22, 2026. Samsung's announcement identified USDC as the first stablecoin the wallet would support at launch. On usage, Coinbase said growth in supply and wallets holding the coin during 2025 reflected its expanding presence, while the partnership gives eligible users access to transfers through their existing phone interface. Samsung's announcement does not set a uniform fee for bank transfers, tying fees to destination and amount and showing them before the transaction is completed.

Samsung says future capabilities could include paying with stablecoins online or by tapping a Galaxy device in stores, but presents this as a future possibility rather than a confirmed part of the announced launch. Expansion could extend to additional markets depending on regulatory developments in each country. At launch, the announced service is USDC transfers by eligible users in the United States, including sending it to external wallets or transferring money to eligible bank accounts in more than 60 countries. The company has not set a date for in-store or online payments, or a timetable for adding other markets. The announced service date remains the final week of October 2026.