Coinbase powers USDC in Samsung Wallet for 82 million US devices

2 min

Coinbase will power USDC inside Samsung Wallet, with rollout to an estimated 82 million compatible Galaxy devices in the United States starting in the final week of October. Coinbase Prime Vault will custody assets, and Bastion will provide regulated stablecoin custody and payments infrastructure. USDC will be the default dollar stablecoin within Samsung Wallet when users add a stablecoin balance.

Scope and distribution

Samsung cites 82 million compatible devices in the US, representing potential reach rather than active users. Integration into a pre-installed wallet removes the need for separate crypto apps or manual key management. Transfers will require biometric authentication on registered Galaxy devices.

Functionality and use cases

The feature emphasizes payments over trading: eligible users can send USDC to compatible crypto wallets internationally and to qualifying bank accounts in more than 60 countries. Bank-linked transfers may deliver local currency to recipients. This aligns with stablecoin adoption in remittances, business payments, settlement, and treasury operations.

Partners and technical stack

Coinbase provides custody via Prime; Bastion supports regulated infrastructure. Samsung lists Solana and Sui among partners enabling blockchain connectivity for the service.

Market positioning

The integration places USDC in a mainstream mobile wallet alongside payment cards, IDs, and digital keys. For Coinbase, it extends Prime from institutional infrastructure into a consumer-facing role. For Samsung, it tests stablecoins as a standard wallet feature.

Limitations and roadmap

The initial release is US-only, requires user eligibility and identity verification, and supports only USDC. Samsung is exploring future capabilities: online and in-store stablecoin payments and expansion to additional markets.

Impact: broad distribution through Samsung Wallet could accelerate non-speculative stablecoin usage and increase USDC circulation by reducing onboarding friction.