Samsung Wallet users in the United States will soon be able to hold USD Coin (USDC) directly inside the mobile payment and digital wallet application, broadening consumer access to stablecoins through a partnership involving Coinbase and the licensed infrastructure provider Bastion. The service is expected to go live during the final week of October 2026, bringing dollar-pegged digital assets into Samsung's consumer wallet ecosystem.

Under the integration, USDC will appear as the default dollar-backed stablecoin when eligible users add funds to their stablecoin balance, while regulated service providers handle custody of the underlying assets. The initiative marks a widening of Samsung and Coinbase's existing relationship, which has so far covered cryptocurrency purchases and subscription benefits, into direct support for stablecoin balances within Samsung Wallet.

USDC is a stablecoin issued by Circle and designed to maintain a one-to-one value with the US dollar. Embedding it into a widely distributed consumer application could make dollar-denominated digital assets more accessible to users who do not regularly rely on dedicated cryptocurrency platforms such as Coinbase.

Coinbase Prime and Bastion to Handle Custody

Coinbase will provide subcustody services for USDC held through Samsung Wallet on behalf of the licensed provider. The arrangement will use Coinbase Prime, the company's institutional digital asset platform, whose custody services are qualified under the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). The stablecoin balances will be held in Coinbase Prime Vault.

Bastion, a stablecoin custody and infrastructure provider operating under US regulatory oversight, will also participate in the service's custody framework. The setup separates the consumer-facing wallet from the infrastructure responsible for safeguarding the underlying digital assets.

Samsung Wallet will act as the interface through which users access their USDC balances, while the regulated providers manage custody responsibilities. The structure is intended to pair the convenience of a familiar mobile application with institutional-grade digital asset infrastructure.

USDC is designed to be redeemable at a one-to-one ratio with US dollars and is backed by cash and short-dated US Treasury securities. Monthly attestations disclose information about its backing, giving users and market participants additional visibility into the assets supporting the stablecoin. That reserve-and-disclosure structure aligns with the requirements the GENIUS Act established for payment stable when it was signed into law in the United States in July 2025.

The planned launch will initially cover the US market only. The companies have not indicated that the service will be extended to other countries as part of this rollout.

Samsung and Coinbase Expand Existing Partnership

The USDC integration builds on several earlier initiatives between the two companies. Coinbase previously introduced Samsung Pay as a payment option for customers purchasing cryptocurrencies through its app, and the partnership later expanded to reach more than 82 million Galaxy users in the United States, allowing eligible customers to access Coinbase One benefits through Samsung Wallet.

The planned stablecoin feature represents a further step in that relationship, incorporating digital dollar balances directly into Samsung's wallet environment rather than limiting the collaboration to payment processing and membership-related services. By combining Samsung Wallet's consumer distribution with Coinbase's institutional custody infrastructure and Bastion's regulated services, the companies aim to make USDC accessible through an established mobile wallet without requiring Samsung to manage custody of the underlying assets itself.

The arrangement could also offer a more familiar entry point for consumers interested in using stablecoins for digital payments and transferring dollar-denominated value.

Learn more ↓ — Coinbase (@coinbase) October 8, 2026

USDC Growth Supports Broader Consumer Distribution

The expansion comes amid reported growth in USDC adoption. According to figures provided by Coinbase, USDC circulation increased by 72% in 2025, surpassing $75 billion, while the number of wallets holding the stablecoin rose by 59% to nearly seven million.

Coinbase has highlighted the potential of stablecoins to facilitate online payments and cross-border transfers, with transactions possible outside the operating hours of traditional financial systems. Wider integration into consumer applications could help extend their use beyond cryptocurrency trading. Consumer-facing platforms outside the cryptocurrency industry have made similar moves, with PayPal introducing its own dollar-pegged stablecoin, PYUSD, in 2023.

Samsung's distribution network could give USDC access to a substantial audience of smartphone users, while Coinbase contributes the infrastructure needed to support institutional custody. The combination may reduce friction for consumers seeking access to dollar-pegged digital assets through mobile applications they already use.

However, the service's practical impact will depend on its launch, user adoption, applicable eligibility requirements, and the payment and transfer functions ultimately supported.

The planned October rollout represents a further step in bringing stablecoins into mainstream consumer applications, linking Samsung's mobile wallet ecosystem with Coinbase's digital asset infrastructure and regulated custody services.

Source: CoinTrust