Starting the last week of October 2026, 82 million Galaxy phones in the U.S. will be able to send digital dollars across borders without a separate crypto app. That’s the pitch behind Samsung’s new tie-up with Solana, which builds USDC stablecoin payments directly into Samsung Wallet.
But it isn’t free everywhere, and it isn’t open to every Galaxy owner automatically. The details are where this one gets interesting.
Zero fees, with an asterisk
According to the Solana Foundation’s announcement, eligible users can send USDC to compatible crypto wallets with no transfer fees from Samsung. Note the wording. Samsung isn’t charging you, but that doesn’t cover every possible cost along the way.
Sending to a bank account works differently. You’ll be able to push funds to eligible bank accounts in over 60 countries, but those transfers will carry fees. Samsung hasn’t detailed what those fees are, so the bank-transfer side is the part to watch once the feature goes live.
And there’s a gate. The rollout covers 82 million compatible Samsung Wallet Galaxy devices in the U.S., but you’ll need to pass eligibility checks and ID verification first.
Solana does the work you won’t see
The whole point of this setup is that you shouldn’t notice the blockchain. Solana’s infrastructure runs in the background, while fiat on- and off-ramps built into the app handle swapping between stablecoins and local currencies.
Solana isn’t carrying this alone. Samsung is partnering with Coinbase and Bastion for stablecoin custody and payment infrastructure, and USDC will be held in Coinbase Prime. Samsung is also integrating the Sui blockchain for its stablecoin expansion, which suggests the company isn’t betting on a single chain.
Why Solana, and why now
Stablecoins on Solana have grown fast. Per the Solana Foundation, stablecoin supply on the blockchain is up almost 20% in the last 12 months.
Volume tells a similar story. So far in 2026, Solana has processed over $5.25 trillion in stablecoin transaction volume.
Samsung has been at this since the Galaxy S10
This is far from Samsung’s first crypto move. The company launched Samsung Blockchain Keystore alongside the Galaxy S10 in 2019, letting users store crypto private keys securely on their phones. Samsung Blockchain Wallet followed, handling digital assets and decentralized apps.
In 2021, Samsung added support for Ledger Nano S and Nano X hardware wallets. Back then, its blockchain wallet supported Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tron and a variety of tokens.
The Coinbase relationship has tightened lately. In July 2025, Samsung Pay was added to Coinbase, so eligible users could buy crypto and fund trading accounts through Samsung’s payment service. In October 2025, Samsung Wallet users gained access to promotional Coinbase One subscriptions and other crypto perks.
What to do before launch
If you regularly send money abroad from a U.S. Galaxy phone, the wallet-to-wallet option is the one to try first, since it skips Samsung’s fees entirely. Hold off on the bank-transfer route until Samsung publishes its fee schedule, and have your ID ready, because nothing moves until you’ve cleared verification.
