Stablecoins Go Mainstream as Samsung Wallet Adds USDC on Solana

Samsung is putting digital dollars in the same app where its users keep their credit cards and boarding passes.

Stablecoin accounts went live in Samsung Wallet on Thursday for eligible U.S. Galaxy users, letting them buy, hold, send, and receive Circle’s USDC on the Solana blockchain without downloading a separate crypto app or managing private keys. The feature reaches about 82 million compatible Galaxy devices in the U.S., according to the announcement.

“For a decade, stablecoins have proved the technology works,” said Lily Liu, president of the Solana Foundation. “What they lacked was a way to reach the mainstream.”

Samsung first announced the feature on Oct. 7, when the electronics giant tapped Solana for USDC transfers. Samsung Wallet first teased plans to support the stablecoin, which is pegged to the U.S. dollar, over the summer.

The product is built with Bastion, a licensed stablecoin custodian and infrastructure provider, and Coinbase, which safeguards the USDC as Bastion’s sub-custodian through its Coinbase Prime Vault. Samsung’s disclosures stress that the account is a crypto wallet, not a bank account.

Users can send USDC to other Samsung Wallet users in the U.S. and to compatible outside crypto wallets with no Samsung transfer fee, though other providers may charge one. They can also send money to qualifying bank accounts in more than 60 countries, where recipients may receive local currency, with fees that vary by destination.

Topping up with a credit card, including through Samsung Pay, carries a 4% fee, and withdrawals to a bank account or debit card also come with a fee. New users who make a first top-up of $50 or more can receive $25 in USDC. The service requires Android 13 or later and is open to U.S. residents 18 and older, except those in New York.

"Stablecoins have the potential to make moving money around the world faster and easier, and we want Galaxy users to be able to take advantage of that without having to navigate the complexity of traditional crypto tools,” said Woncheol Chai, who leads the digital wallet team in Samsung’s mobile business. “Solana helps us bring that experience to Samsung's scale."

Samsung said it expects to explore online and in-store stablecoin payments and to expand to additional markets, subject to local regulation.