Samsung Wallet Brings USDC Transfers to 82 Million U.S. Devices
Eligible Galaxy users will be able to send USDC to wallets and bank accounts in more than 60 countries through regulated partners.
Samsung will add USDC transfers to Samsung Wallet for eligible U.S. users in the final week of October, putting stablecoin access inside devices compatible with a wallet used across an estimated 82 million Galaxy phones. Users will be able to send USDC to compatible crypto wallets and remit money to eligible bank accounts in more than 60 countries, where recipients may receive local currency.
The product removes several steps that have kept stablecoins specialist. Eligible users will not need a separate crypto application or direct management of private keys. Identity verification and biometric authentication are required, and the phone acts as the secure access point. USDC will appear as the default dollar stablecoin when a user chooses to fund the feature.
Samsung is the distribution layer, not the financial institution. Bastion provides stablecoin accounts, custody and money-movement infrastructure, while Coinbase is the official sub-custodian through Coinbase Prime Vault. Samsung explicitly says it is not a bank, money transmitter or digital-asset custodian and does not hold customer funds. That division of responsibility is crucial when assessing consumer protection and recourse.
Transfers to compatible wallets carry no Samsung fee, though recipient services can charge and delivery depends on network conditions. Bank-account remittances do have fees that vary by destination and amount, with estimates shown before confirmation. Sanctioned jurisdictions are prohibited, and availability depends on recipient bank and account type. Those qualifications make the offer more conventional than the headline promise of borderless money.
The system initially supports USDC, which Coinbase says is designed to be redeemable one-for-one for dollars and backed by cash and short-dated U.S. Treasuries. Blockchain support includes partners such as Solana and Sui. Coinbase reported that USDC circulation grew 72% in 2025 to more than $75 billion, while the number of wallets holding it rose 59% to nearly seven million.
Samsung and Coinbase already connected Samsung Pay to the Coinbase app and offered Coinbase One benefits through Samsung Wallet. The new service goes further by bringing custody and transfers into the wallet itself. Samsung says later functions could include online and contactless stablecoin payments, with international expansion dependent on local regulation.
For remittance companies and banks, the competitive pressure comes from the front end as much as the rail. Samsung controls a familiar consumer interface, while regulated partners perform the licensed functions behind it. That arrangement can scale quickly, but it also makes disclosure of fees, exchange rates, failed-transfer handling and customer support central to real-world adoption.
Why it matters
Stablecoins have grown fastest in trading and treasury use; mainstream remittances require familiar distribution, compliance and easy conversion into bank money. Embedding USDC in a device wallet gives the format consumer reach without asking users to become their own custodian. It also turns phone manufacturers into important gateways to regulated digital-money providers.
The launch does not eliminate risk. Users still depend on USDC reserves, partner custody, blockchain availability and bank payout rails. Fees apply to many bank transfers, and eligibility is limited. Even with those constraints, the integration is a material shift from a crypto feature to a built-in payments service.