A separate crypto app won’t be needed: beginning in the last week of October 2026, 82 million Galaxy phones in the U.S. will be able to move digital dollars across borders on their own. That is the promise of Samsung’s new partnership with Solana, which puts USDC stablecoin payments straight into Samsung Wallet.
Still, the service isn’t free in every case, and Galaxy owners don’t all get it automatically. The fine print is where things get interesting.
Zero fees, with an asterisk
The Solana Foundation’s announcement says eligible users can send USDC to compatible crypto wallets without paying transfer fees to Samsung. That wording matters. Samsung itself won’t charge you, but that isn’t a promise about every other cost you might run into.
Bank transfers follow different rules. Users will be able to send funds to eligible bank accounts in more than 60 countries, and those transfers will come with fees. Samsung hasn’t said what those fees will be, so keep an eye on the bank-transfer side once the feature launches.
Access is also gated. The rollout reaches 82 million compatible Samsung Wallet Galaxy devices in the U.S., but users first have to pass eligibility checks and verify their ID.
Solana works behind the scenes
The idea is that the blockchain stays out of sight. Solana’s infrastructure runs underneath, and fiat on- and off-ramps inside the app take care of converting between stablecoins and local currencies.
Solana isn’t the only partner involved. Samsung has teamed up with Coinbase and Bastion for stablecoin custody and payment infrastructure, and USDC will be held in Coinbase Prime. Samsung is also bringing the Sui blockchain into its stablecoin expansion, a sign that it isn’t relying on just one chain.
Why Solana, and why now
Stablecoin activity on Solana has grown quickly. The Solana Foundation says stablecoin supply on the network has risen by almost 20% over the last 12 months.
Transaction volume points the same way. Solana has handled more than $5.25 trillion in stablecoin transaction volume so far in 2026.
Samsung’s crypto push dates back to the Galaxy S10
Samsung has made plenty of crypto moves before this one. In 2019 it launched Samsung Blockchain Keystore with the Galaxy S10, which let users store crypto private keys securely on their phones. Samsung Blockchain Wallet came next and handled digital assets and decentralized apps.
In 2021, Samsung added support for the Ledger Nano S and Nano X hardware wallets. At that point, its blockchain wallet supported Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tron and a range of tokens.
Samsung’s ties with Coinbase have grown closer recently. In July 2025, Coinbase added Samsung Pay, so eligible users could buy crypto and fund their trading accounts through Samsung’s payment service. Then in October 2025, Samsung Wallet users got access to promotional Coinbase One subscriptions and other crypto perks.
How to prepare before launch
If you often send money overseas from a U.S. Galaxy phone, start with the wallet-to-wallet option, because Samsung charges no fees on it. Wait on bank transfers until Samsung releases its fee schedule. Keep your ID handy too, since nothing goes through until you’ve passed verification.