Samsung Opens USDC Access to 82 Million Devices

КЛЁ 8 октября, 2026 8 минут чтения

Samsung is bringing cryptocurrency to 82 million Galaxy devices in the United States. Starting in late October, users will be able to send digital dollars in USDC directly through Samsung Wallet, without installing separate crypto wallets or managing private keys. Coinbase, Bastion, Solana, and Sui are behind the infrastructure. But this is not Samsung’s sudden entry into the crypto market. It is the result of seven years of experimentation and a gradual shift from decentralized wallets toward regulated financial infrastructure.

Seven Years on the Road to the Digital Dollar

The story began in 2019, when Samsung introduced the Galaxy S10 with its built-in Blockchain Keystore. The technology allowed users to store private keys in a protected area of the device, isolated from the main operating system.

At the time, Samsung focused on giving users direct control over their crypto assets. Smartphone owners managed their own keys, while Blockchain Wallet provided access to cryptocurrencies and decentralized applications.

Over the following years, the company steadily expanded its capabilities:

2019. Launch of Blockchain Keystore and a crypto wallet for the Galaxy S10, supporting Ethereum and ERC-20 tokens.
2021. Integration with Ledger Nano S and Nano X hardware wallets.
2022. Introduction of the redesigned Samsung Wallet, combining Samsung Pay and Samsung Pass, with functionality for monitoring cryptocurrency assets.
July 2025. Samsung Pay integration with Coinbase, enabling cryptocurrency purchases and account funding.
October 2025. Expansion of the Coinbase partnership, including special Coinbase One offers for Samsung Wallet users.
October 2026. Announcement of direct USDC integration into Samsung Wallet.

Back in 2025, Samsung and Coinbase estimated that their partnership could reach more than 75 million Galaxy users in the United States. The latest announcement refers to 82 million compatible devices.

However, these figures should not be interpreted as growth in active cryptocurrency users. They represent potential reach rather than actual adoption.

The most important change lies in the product’s underlying model. In 2019, Samsung provided tools for self-custody. In 2026, it is introducing a mainstream payment service in which financial intermediaries hold users’ digital assets.

What Galaxy Users Will Get

On October 7, 2026, Samsung officially announced that USDC transfers would become available during the final week of October.

Initially, the service will be available to eligible adult users in the United States who complete identity verification. A compatible Galaxy smartphone running Android 13 or later and biometric authentication will be required.

The system will allow users to transfer USDC to external cryptocurrency wallets and exchange accounts. It will also support transfers to eligible bank accounts in more than 60 countries, with recipients receiving funds in their local currencies.

Samsung does not plan to charge its own fee for USDC transfers to external wallets. However, third-party fees may still apply. Transfers to bank accounts will have separate pricing.

The company is also considering future stablecoin payments for online purchases and physical retail transactions, including contactless payments. No launch dates for these features have been announced.

The initial October rollout is therefore focused primarily on USDC transfers rather than replacing traditional bank cards.

Who Will Control the Money?

Samsung is not creating its own stablecoin, nor does it intend to hold users’ digital assets directly.

Instead, the financial infrastructure is divided among several partners.

Samsung provides the Wallet interface, access to its Galaxy user base, and device-level transaction security.

Bastion supplies the account infrastructure and international transfer capabilities.

Coinbase Prime Vault serves as the custody infrastructure for USDC.

Solana and Sui provide blockchain networks for supported transactions.

This creates an interesting structure. Users interact with the familiar Samsung Wallet application, but their digital dollars are held within the infrastructure of financial partners rather than directly on their smartphones.

This eliminates the need to manage private keys independently, but it also creates dependence on custodial institutions.

Transactions may be subject to financial monitoring, source-of-funds checks, and restrictions required by applicable laws.

Unlike a self-custodial wallet, access to funds depends not only on possession of the device but also on the financial service provider’s rules.

Why Samsung Chose USDC

The choice of USDC is logical. Samsung needs a payment asset designed to maintain a relatively stable dollar value rather than a cryptocurrency whose price can fluctuate dramatically within minutes.

USDC is issued by Circle and designed to be redeemable at a one-to-one ratio with the US dollar. Its reserves are backed by cash and highly liquid short-term financial instruments, including US Treasury securities.

According to figures cited by Coinbase, USDC circulation increased by 72% in 2025, exceeding $75 billion. The number of wallets holding USDC grew by 59%, approaching seven million.

For Coinbase, the Samsung partnership creates another distribution channel for USDC. Samsung gains access to established financial infrastructure without having to issue its own digital dollar.

However, USDC is not a completely risk-free equivalent of a bank deposit. Its stability depends on the issuer, the quality of its reserves, and the availability of redemption mechanisms.

Solana and Sui: Millions of Users Without Guaranteed Token Growth

The involvement of two blockchain networks deserves particular attention.

Solana positions itself as infrastructure for fast, low-cost stablecoin transfers. Sui offers a gasless transaction model that allows users to send USDC without purchasing SUI to pay network fees themselves.

For mainstream users, this is a major advantage. They do not need to understand native tokens, network fees, or the technical structure of blockchain transactions.

However, this raises an important question for investors.

Growing USDC adoption does not automatically translate into greater demand for SOL or SUI.

Network fees can be paid by corporate operators, while some user transactions may be recorded within custodial partners’ internal systems without every balance change being written to a public blockchain.

Consequently, 10 million payment application users will not necessarily generate 10 million active blockchain addresses.

Samsung has also not disclosed how future transactions will be distributed between Solana and Sui.

Until actual usage statistics become available, it is too early to determine which network will benefit most economically.

Who Pays for Free Transfers?

A zero-fee transfer for the user does not mean that processing the transaction is free.

Blockchain operations incur network costs, while international bank transfers also involve currency conversion and payment processing services.

These expenses may be covered by the service operator, incorporated into other fees, or offset through the partnership’s business model.

Samsung has not disclosed the complete economics of the new system.

These details will ultimately determine whether the service can compete effectively with banks, international payment networks, and specialized money transfer providers.

What matters most is not the cost of an individual blockchain transaction, but the final amount received in the beneficiary’s bank account.

If currency conversion proves expensive, the advantage of low-cost blockchain infrastructure could disappear.

Samsung Enters the Banks’ Territory

The ability to transfer USDC to bank accounts across dozens of countries fundamentally changes how cryptocurrency can be used.

The sender needs only a Samsung smartphone, while the recipient may not need a cryptocurrency wallet at all.

Blockchain becomes an intermediate settlement mechanism, almost invisible to both parties.

This puts Samsung in competition not only with cryptocurrency wallet providers but also with traditional international payment services.

The company has a significant advantage: Samsung Wallet is already used for bank cards, identification documents, digital keys, and other everyday functions.

However, this remains a potential competitive advantage rather than a proven one. Actual data on transfer costs, processing times, and transaction volumes will be needed after launch.

Europe, MiCA, and the New Financial Model

The initial rollout is intended for the US market. Being able to receive a transfer into a bank account in a supported country does not automatically mean that residents of that country can access all Samsung Wallet cryptocurrency features.

Further expansion will require compliance with local regulatory requirements, including applicable provisions of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA).

But the issue goes beyond USDC availability.

If technology companies control the interfaces through which consumers access financial services, traditional banks risk losing their direct relationships with customers.

Banks may continue providing settlement infrastructure and regulated financial services, while users increasingly perceive the product as a Samsung, Apple, or other technology company’s service.

This is still a possible direction for the market, not an established outcome. Nevertheless, Samsung’s chosen architecture demonstrates how such a model could operate.

Where Seven Years of Experimentation Have Led

Since 2019, Samsung has moved from protected private-key storage to a payment service developed with some of the cryptocurrency industry’s largest infrastructure providers.

The real measure of success will not be the headline figure of 82 million devices. It will be the results after launch: active users, transaction volumes, actual fees, and how transactions are distributed between Solana and Sui.

But the most significant development lies elsewhere.

Samsung started by giving users their own cryptocurrency wallets. Seven years later, it is offering cryptocurrency without independent control over private keys.

For the mainstream market, this could be a convenient solution. For supporters of decentralization, the implications are far more controversial.

Cryptocurrencies are gaining access to millions of potential users, while control over the financial infrastructure is becoming increasingly concentrated in the hands of major corporations.

This trade-off between convenience and financial independence could shape the future of mainstream cryptocurrency payments.

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