Samsung Wallet to Integrate USDC: What Should Phone Manufacturers Consider?

Author: Shao Jiadian

Samsung is preparing to allow users to transfer stablecoins directly in their mobile wallets.

On October 7, Samsung Electronics America announced plans to enable USDC functionality for eligible Galaxy users in the last week of October 2026. USDC is a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar, allowing users to hold and transfer it via Samsung Wallet, as well as remit to eligible bank accounts in over 60 countries, enabling recipients to receive local currency.

This feature eliminates the need for separate crypto wallets and managing private keys, bringing stablecoin transfers into the familiar mobile wallet environment for users. Mobile manufacturers already have devices, account systems, and user access points, and Samsung's approach provides them with a way to enhance payment services.

Samsung plans to open USDC functionality to eligible users in the U.S. Source: Samsung Newsroom U.S., announcement on October 7, 2026.

Behind the convenience, account management, custody, and remittance still require professional institutions. Samsung has chosen to integrate these capabilities into its wallet. When other phone manufacturers adopt similar collaborative approaches, the operations they are prepared to engage in and the markets they open to will directly affect their responsibilities.

1. Who is handling user funds in Samsung's wallet?

Samsung Wallet provides a familiar operational entry point for users. Account management, asset custody, and fund transfers are provided by regulated partners. According to Samsung's announcement, Bastion supports the relevant payment framework, while Coinbase acts as a secondary custodian, safeguarding USDC through Coinbase Prime Vault; Sui, Solana, and others provide blockchain network support. Samsung does not hold customer funds.

Bastion supports the payment framework, and Coinbase provides secondary custody. Source: Samsung Newsroom U.S., announcement on October 7, 2026.

With these partners, users can utilize two transfer methods within the same wallet. If the recipient uses a digital asset wallet that supports the corresponding network, they can receive USDC directly; if the recipient uses a supported bank account, they can receive local currency. The latter method also requires currency conversion and bank payment, and the recipient does not need to open a separate crypto wallet.

Transferring USDC to external wallets incurs no transfer fees from Samsung, but the receiving wallet or trading platform may charge fees. Sending to bank accounts incurs fees, which are displayed before user confirmation. The gas-free transfers supported by Sui eliminate on-chain network fees, but the costs for currency conversion and bank payments still need to be calculated separately.

This service is planned to be initially available to eligible adult residents in the U.S., with users required to complete account opening and identity verification steps. Bank accounts in over 60 countries can receive funds, referring to the destination range for remittances, while senders must still meet the account opening conditions for U.S. users. Online shopping and offline tap payments are mentioned as future plans by Samsung.

2. Where are manufacturers prepared to participate in integrating stablecoins into wallets?

Samsung's collaboration provides other phone manufacturers with an integration approach. However, with just a transfer button, some merely direct users to third parties, while others are already arranging transactions on behalf of users. What responsibilities manufacturers themselves need to bear depends on the actual operations behind the button.

If users click the entry point and enter the partner's page to open an account with the partner, receive quotes, and execute transfers, the manufacturer mainly handles display and technical connections. In overseas markets that allow such collaborations, this arrangement typically makes it easier to delineate responsibilities among parties. However, if manufacturers also accept transaction instructions, promise fund arrival, or charge commissions per transaction, they need to further consider local requirements for transaction services, promotion, and solicitation.

To facilitate operations, manufacturers may also integrate partner accounts into their wallets, allowing users to open accounts and transfer without leaving the page. This arrangement requires informing users who the service provider is and obtaining user acceptance of the relevant terms. Backend permissions must also align with the division of labor: even if assets are nominally held by a third party, if manufacturers can recover or transfer assets through account recovery or administrative permissions, they may still bear responsibilities related to custody and asset control. The term "non-custodial wallet" needs to be supported by actual permission arrangements.

If multiple service providers are further integrated to compare quotes and select channels for users, it will form an aggregated service. Accepting orders, determining transaction conditions, and automatically arranging conversions and transfers may involve the corresponding qualifications for exchange, brokerage, or payment services. Whether the recommendation ranking is influenced by commissions should also be disclosed to users. After adding merchant payment functions, it will also involve collecting and settling payments for merchants, and the service scope of partners should adjust accordingly with the manufacturers' responsibilities.

3. Choosing partners also requires consideration of the target market

The integration method must correspond to the rules of the target market. Samsung is initially opening services to U.S. users, while other manufacturers need to assess which companies will provide accounts, custody, exchange, and transfer based on their users' locations, and whether all parties have the corresponding qualifications.

Cross-border remittances also involve the receiving location: whether the sender can open an account and whether the receiving end can complete currency conversion and bank payments all affect whether the funds can be delivered. Samsung supports remittances to multiple countries, relying on corresponding service arrangements. When manufacturers choose partners, they should also verify the remittance routes they are preparing to open, not just how many countries are supported.

For example, in the U.S., companies need to consider federal-level currency service business registration, anti-money laundering obligations, and the requirements for fund transfers and digital asset businesses in various states. Common MSBs are federally registered and should not be mistaken for payment licenses covering nationwide operations.

Singapore's regulations remind aggregation platforms: not holding user funds may still be subject to regulation. Relevant amendments effective from 2024 have brought some activities facilitating token transfers and exchanges under regulatory scope. Therefore, whether manufacturers directly hold assets is only part of assessing their business; it is also necessary to see if they are organizing or facilitating transactions.

Hong Kong also has requirements regarding channels and currencies for purchasing stablecoins. According to the "Stablecoin Regulation" effective from August 2025, any party offering designated stablecoins to users must belong to an approved category, and the currencies provided to retail customers must meet licensed issuance requirements. A wallet displaying a certain stablecoin balance does not automatically imply it can offer purchases to local retail users.

A partner's license may cover custody but not necessarily exchange or remittance; the authorization scope of different companies under the same group may also differ. Manufacturers should align contracted companies, service markets, and specific functions to confirm who legally provides each step in the product.

4. Even with partners in the backend, users will still turn to the mobile wallet when issues arise

Even if financial services are provided by partners, what users see and operate daily is still the wallet of the phone manufacturer. If balances are frozen or transfers do not arrive, the first contact for users is likely the wallet customer service. Therefore, manufacturers need to ensure that transactions can be completed and that issues can be addressed.

This work begins at the account opening page. Who provides the account, what assets the balance consists of, how to convert back to fiat, and what the fees are should be explained before users start using the service. Users typically rely on service providers for selling or exchange channels, and directly redeeming from issuers may have qualification and rule restrictions. Stablecoins pegged to the U.S. dollar may still experience price deviations, address restrictions, or service suspensions; marketing should not misrepresent them as bank deposits or promise unconditional redemption at any time.

Whether users can retrieve their assets also depends on custody arrangements. Partners should separate customer assets from their own, clarify asset ownership and usage, and agree on withdrawal and migration methods after institutional bankruptcy or termination of cooperation. Simply assigning users an independent wallet address is insufficient to resolve legal issues of asset ownership and return.

For mobile wallets, account recovery is particularly noteworthy. Recovering a mobile account may simultaneously restore fund operation permissions. If the usual after-sales process is followed, it may leave opportunities for hackers. The recovery process should incorporate identity verification and security measures that match asset risks, avoiding designs that make it easier to recover accounts but inadvertently facilitate fund transfers.

When transfers fail, customer service should also be able to explain where the money is. For example, if USDC has been transferred out but the bank refuses payment, it is necessary to clarify who holds the pending assets, how to return them, and who bears the costs of exchange discrepancies. Manufacturers and partners must agree in advance on processing procedures and timelines to prevent users from bouncing between several companies without receiving answers.

5. Anti-money laundering and data protection must also be integrated into the wallet

During transactions, service providers need to continuously identify customers, sources of funds, and transaction risks according to applicable rules, handle transactions involving sanctioned entities, regions, or addresses, and transmit payer and payee information when required. Manufacturers are responsible for front-end operations, while partners handle financial services; the information held by both parties and the measures taken need to be able to connect.

This connection needs to be reflected in systems and daily operations. After a risk hit, it must be clear who intercepts, reviews, and reports according to the law, and how transaction statuses are synchronized with wallet customer service. After delegating review work to partners, all parties must still fulfill their legal obligations.

To complete reviews and transactions, all parties will handle identification, bank account, and on-chain address information. Once this information is linked to mobile accounts, it may form detailed personal financial records. Manufacturers and partners should control the scope of collection and sharing according to applicable data protection rules, properly handle notification, consent, and cross-border transfer requirements. Local device verification of fingerprints should not become a default reason for providing biometric data to partners.

Conclusion by Lawyer Mankun

Samsung's approach provides a collaborative path for phone manufacturers: leveraging existing wallets to connect accounts, custody, and financial services, allowing users to use stablecoins more conveniently. Whether this path can be adopted depends on specific transaction permissions, service markets, and whether the qualifications of partners can cover the features intended for launch.

Before integration, manufacturers should walk through a user's money from account opening, deposit, to final receipt, and then check how to handle account theft, transfer failures, and termination of cooperation. The front end can be simplified, but backend responsibilities need to be assigned to specific companies and actual processes. When users encounter issues, the wallet should be able to explain where the money is and provide actionable solutions.

This article discusses the product and compliance arrangements for mobile wallets integrating stablecoins, intended for industry research and does not constitute investment advice, product promotion, or legal opinions on specific projects.