Samsung Wallet picks Solana for USDC transfers on 82M US Galaxy phones
Serguey Asael Shinder2 min readSamsung Wallet and Samsung Pay will support USDC on Solana, letting users in the United States send money across borders from the last week of October, the Solana Foundation said on 8 October, as reported by Decrypt.
What is announced:
- The feature launches on 82 million US Galaxy devices.
- Built-in on- and off-ramps convert to and from local currency, with Solana's infrastructure working "behind the scenes".
- Additional markets are to follow, subject to local regulatory requirements.
Samsung first said in July, at Galaxy Unpacked in London, that Samsung Wallet would add native stablecoin support, but named no issuer, blockchain or launch date. This release names Solana and USDC. Woncheol Chai, head of Samsung's digital wallet team, said the aim is to let Galaxy users benefit from stablecoins "without having to navigate the complexity of traditional crypto tools".
What the release does not say. Per Decrypt, the announcement does not say whether Circle is a partner, whether users hold their own keys, or what transfers will cost. Those three answers decide whether this is a self-custody wallet feature or a custodial payment product with a blockchain underneath. Some other outlets reported Samsung Wallet support for USDC on other chains as well; the Solana Foundation's release covers Solana only.
Context from the Foundation. It says stablecoin supply on Solana is up nearly 20% year on year and that the network has processed more than $5.25 trillion in stablecoin volume in 2026, citing PayPal and Western Union as enterprise users; Visa also settles with USDC on Solana. Samsung has had a blockchain wallet on Galaxy phones since 2019 and added Coinbase to Samsung Wallet for US users last October.
Why it matters for Solana. Distribution through a default phone wallet is the kind of reach no crypto app can buy. The measurable test after launch will be transfer volume through Samsung's ramps — and the fee and custody terms once Samsung publishes them.
Source: Decrypt, "Samsung Wallet Taps Solana for USDC Transfers on 82M US Galaxy Devices", 8 October 2026 — https://decrypt.co/380377/samsung-wallet-taps-solana-for-usdc-transfers-on-82m-us-galaxy-devices