Coinbase partners with Samsung to make USDC the default stablecoin in Samsung Wallet, with custody through Coinbase Prime Vault.
DeFi & Yields ·
Coinbase and Samsung have expanded their partnership to integrate USDC as the default stablecoin within Samsung Wallet, with custody managed through Coinbase Prime Vault. The rollout begins in the final week of October 2026 in the U.S. market. This builds on prior collaborations, including Coinbase's integration with Samsung Pay last July and an October extension offering Coinbase One benefits to more than 82 million Galaxy users domestically.
The stablecoin will be protected through Coinbase Prime's NYDFS-qualified custody infrastructure, operated jointly with Bastion, a regulated stablecoin custodian overseen by U.S. financial authorities. USDC is structured to maintain 1:1 redemption for U.S. dollars and is backed by cash and short-duration Treasury securities, with monthly verification disclosures. The asset has demonstrated significant growth, with circulation expanding 72 percent in 2025 to exceed $75 billion, while wallets holding the token grew 59 percent to nearly 7 million accounts.
Samsung's global consumer footprint positions this arrangement as a major distribution expansion for USDC. When Samsung Wallet users replenish stablecoin balances, USDC will load as the automatic default. The partnership aims to increase on-ramp access to round-the-clock cross-border money movement, though specifics on transaction fees, withdrawal mechanics, and geographic expansion beyond the U.S. launch remain unspecified.