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At a glance
- What changed
- Samsung Wallet's Stablecoin Account, with USDC as the default dollar stablecoin, is now live.
- Who it affects
- Adults in eligible US states with a compatible Galaxy phone. New York residents are excluded.
- When
- Live from 5 November 2026, after an October announcement that pointed to a late-October start.
What went live
Coinbase announced on its official X account on 5 November 2026 at 17:00 UTC that USDC is now live in Samsung Wallet for Galaxy users in the United States. Coinbase powers USDC as the default dollar stablecoin in the app, and says users can top up, send, receive and hold it. Coinbase puts the reach at more than 82 million Galaxy users.
Samsung first announced the feature on 7 October 2026 and said then that it would arrive in the last week of October. We covered that announcement at the time. The launch came about a week later than that first timetable.
How the Stablecoin Account works
Samsung calls the feature the Stablecoin Account. Its US support pages say the account lets users hold USDC, send and receive it, send money abroad and earn optional rewards. Dollars added from a bank account or card are converted into USDC, and withdrawals to a bank account or debit card are converted back into dollars.
Several companies sit behind the app. Samsung provides the wallet experience, Bastion, a licensed money transmitter, provides the custodial wallet and transfers, and the USDC itself is held in Coinbase's institutional custody under an arrangement managed by Bastion. Because the account is custodial, users do not manage their own private keys. Samsung also stresses that it is not a bank account: the balance is not covered by FDIC, NCUA or SIPC protection.
Who can use it
Users must be at least 18, live in a US jurisdiction where the feature is offered and hold one account in their own name. New York residents cannot use it for now. The phone has to support Samsung Wallet, run Android 13 or later and have built-in fingerprint authentication, because a fingerprint is required each time the account is opened or a transaction is approved. Sign-up includes identity checks such as name, address, date of birth and taxpayer number.
Moving money in and out
Top-ups can come from a bank account or a debit or credit card in the user's name, from a Coinbase account, or as USDC sent from an external crypto wallet on a supported network. USDC can go to another Samsung Wallet user by their Samsung Account email, to an external wallet, or to a bank account abroad in local currency. Samsung's October release said bank transfers would cover more than 60 countries and named Solana and Sui among its network partners.
Opening an account is free, but fees for adding, withdrawing and sending vary by method and destination and are shown before confirming. Rewards on the USDC balance are optional, accrue daily, are paid monthly and are capped at 1,500 USDC a year; the rate is shown in the app.
Our take
Putting USDC next to cards and boarding passes in a default phone wallet is a real step toward everyday stablecoin use in the US. The trade-off is custody: the coins sit with Bastion and Coinbase, not with you. Readers outside the US, or anyone who wants to hold USDC themselves, can use a self-custody wallet such as the Base app or Phantom instead.
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