Samsung just put stablecoins inside 82M Galaxy devices
Hey FinTech Fanatic!
Stablecoins are getting a very different kind of distribution channel: Samsung Wallet.
Samsung is partnering with Solana to bring USDC transfers directly into Samsung Wallet and Samsung Pay, starting in the U.S. in the last week of October. Users will be able to send money across borders from the same wallet they already use for cards, boarding passes and IDs, without needing a separate crypto app.
And the scale is what caught my attention: the feature will initially reach 82 million U.S. Galaxy devices, with more markets expected to follow. Solana says its network has already processed more than $5.25 trillion in stablecoin volume in 2026.
But there’s another important piece to this rollout: Coinbase will power the USDC experience inside Samsung Wallet, with USDC automatically set as the default dollar stablecoin. Coinbase will custody those balances through Coinbase Prime, using its NYDFS-qualified custody services.
So you have Samsung providing the consumer distribution, Solana providing the infrastructure, and Coinbase handling the stablecoin and custody layer. That’s a pretty significant stack coming together around one wallet.
And if you’re looking at where payments are heading next, ACI Worldwide and Finextra asked 162 payments leaders what they expect by 2030. A2A, instant payments, cloud, and AI are high on the list, with compliance becoming a bigger part of the equation.
That’s just one story from today’s FinTech news.
There’s plenty more below, so let’s get into it.
See you on Monday!
Cheers,
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INSIGHTS
💡 ACI Worldwide and Finextra asked 162 payments leaders what they think payments will look like by 2030 - and the answers point to a pretty busy few years ahead. A2A payments, 24/7 instant payments, cloud infrastructure and AI all feature prominently, while compliance is becoming harder to separate from innovation. See what payments leaders are expecting by 2030.
FINTECH NEWS
🇦🇪 OpenFX launches OpenFX Ventures, its investment arm for the next generation of FinTech founders. The firm says stablecoins alone cannot fix cross border payments without a new middleware layer between rails and applications.
🌐 M-KOPA hits $600M record revenue and 10 million customers as it marks 15 years. Revenue rose 45% in 2025, while three million customers joined over the past year across its five African markets. The FinTech has expanded beyond solar financing into smartphones, digital credit and electric mobility. Continue reading
🇬🇧 Wise to pay customers’ tax bills after software error. Around 4,000 UK users of Wise Assets received incorrect tax statements between 2021 and 2025 because of errors in third-party software used to calculate investment income and capital gains. Wise is negotiating a bulk settlement with HMRC to cover potential tax shortfalls and says it will compensate customers who overpaid, while corrected statements have already been issued.
🇬🇧 FintechOS will launch its Blue Sky AI platform at Elevate '26 in London. Set to debut on October 14, the release brings product rules, pricing workflows and data models into a unified system, enabling AI-driven operations across banking and insurance beyond experimental pilots.
PAYMENTS NEWS
🌍 Mastercard announces offline payments for Europe. From February 2027, all newly issued Mastercard cards in Europe must support offline transactions, followed by new and replacement terminals in May. The capability will allow chip-and-PIN payments of up to €200 per transaction during network outages, with transactions cleared once connectivity returns.
🇪🇺 EPI joins nexo standards to support Wero payment acceptance across Europe. The membership will help extend Wero's acceptance across European merchant payment infrastructure using nexo's open, ISO 20022-based specifications. With 60 million users, Wero aims to expand its account-to-account payment capabilities into everyday retail transactions across Europe.
DIGITAL BANKING NEWS
🇺🇸 Revolut favors US primary listing for potential IPO, CEO Nik Storonsky says. The company plans to roll out credit cards and loans once Revolut gets a full banking charter. The FinTech received preliminary approval for a US national banking licence in September.
🇸🇬 Revolut plans to invest $274M in Singapore over five years, with a focus on profitability. The investment will support product development, regional expansion and hiring. The firm lso plans to open a permanent office in early 2027 and grow its local workforce to more than 300 employees within three years, strengthening Singapore's role as its Southeast Asian hub.
🇭🇺 Revolut users in Hungary woke up to unexpected refunds, after recent card payments were reversed. Visa, Mastercard and Maestro transactions at Lidl, Rossmann and dm were reportedly affected. The incident appears to be a processing error rather than a security breach, though the cause remains unconfirmed.
🇪🇺 N26 expands Flexible Cash Fund access to all membership tiers. Customers can invest from €1 with unlimited deposits and withdrawals. The product is designed for customers seeking potential yield opportunities with limited risk alongside simple, flexible access.
🇳🇱 Backbase launches Conversational Banking for agentic AI. Customers and employees make requests by voice or text, and AI agents turn them into banking actions within bank defined permissions. Tasks include blocking and replacing a lost card or checking a payment. Requests needing human judgment go to employees with an overview of the agent's completed work.
🇮🇳 RBI removes Paytm Payments Bank from its list of scheduled banks. The move follows the cancellation of PPBL's banking licence in April for noncompliance with norms. The Delhi High Court later ordered that PPBL be wound up. The bank has now been excluded from the Second Schedule to the RBI Act, 1934.
BLOCKCHAIN/CRYPTO NEWS
🌐 WhiteBIT launches Bitcoin Lightning Network support, powered by Voltage. The exchange, which serves 10 million users, now supports Lightning across deposits, withdrawals, QR payments and send and receive flows for faster cross border transfers.
🇸🇬 Standard Chartered plans digital asset custody services in Singapore. The bank will offer custody for selected cryptoassets, stablecoins and tokenised assets, subject to regulatory requirements. The service targets institutional clients and accredited investor corporate clients and will complement its Financing & Securities Services business.
🇺🇸 Wells Fargo is in talks with Kraken parent Payward for crypto trading liquidity. Payward could become a crypto liquidity provider to Wells Fargo, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter. The talks are ongoing and may not result in a deal. Wells Fargo previously advised Nasdaq on its $100M investment in Payward.
STABLECOINS NEWS
🇰🇷 Toss and Gwangju Bank complete a proof of concept for stablecoin QR payments. The test verified Gwangju Bank customers paying with stablecoins at offline stores through the linked Toss app with a QR code. Payment and settlement are confirmed at the same moment, with funds going directly to the merchant. The companies are now preparing a second round of verification with actual merchants.
PARTNERSHIPS
🇲🇽 SoFi Tech Solutions, Orbi and Mastercard partner to launch a crypto-linked card in Mexico. Orbi users will be able to spend crypto through physical and virtual cards, with conversion to fiat at checkout. SoFi provides card issuing and processing, while Mastercard enables purchases and ATM withdrawals through its network.
🇿🇦 Mukuru launches a neobank account and card in South Africa with Bank Zero and Mastercard. Customers can receive salaries, make real-time transfers, shop online and in-store, and withdraw cash. Bank Zero serves as the licensed sponsor bank, while Mastercard enables card payments, expanding Mukuru's services beyond remittances.
🇦🇪 LuLu Money Business partners with Mastercard to build a connected financial ecosystem for SMEs. The MoU will combine LuLu Money Business accounts, issued by UAE Islamic bank ruya, with Mastercard’s card solutions and advisory services to broaden financial services for SMEs. The partnership aims to connect payments with expense management, cash flow and other business needs as LuLu Money Business expands its SME proposition.
🇺🇸 Gr4vy partners with Unlimit to give enterprises access to local payment methods worldwide. Merchants can offer locally preferred payment methods without separate integrations for each new market. Options include Pix, Mercado Pago and OXXO in Latin America, M-Pesa in Africa, UPI and GrabPay in Asia Pacific, and SEPA Instant in Europe.
🇺🇸 Pliant sets its sights on the U.S. market. The Berlin-based FinTech has partnered with Coastal Financial as its U.S. sponsor bank, allowing it to issue cards across all 50 states without obtaining its own banking license. Pliant CEO Malte Rau said the partnership will help speed up its U.S. launch, with digital transfers and ACH payments planned as the company expands its offering. Pliant’s U.S. expansion and sponsor-bank partnership.
🇺🇸 Samsung partners with Solana to deliver stablecoins in Samsung Wallet to 82M U.S. Galaxy devices. U.S. users will be able to send money across borders using USDC starting the last week of October 2026. The feature sits inside Samsung Wallet with integrated conversion to and from local currency. Additional markets will follow, subject to local regulatory requirements.
🇺🇸 Coinbase and Samsung bring USDC to Samsung Wallet. Starting in late October, US users topping up their stablecoin balances will have USDC as the default dollar stablecoin. Coinbase Prime will provide custody, with Bastion supporting the underlying infrastructure.
🌏︎ Gate partners with Visa to launch a crypto linked card across 40+ countries and territories. The card converts crypto into fiat currency at the point of sale for spending online and in store wherever Visa is accepted. Users can apply for and manage the card in the Gate app.
🇸🇬 Nium brings global off ramp infrastructure to RedotPay's more than 9M users. Announced at TOKEN2049 in Singapore, the partnership gives RedotPay access to Nium's network spanning 100 currencies and 190 countries. RedotPay will use it to extend its off ramp coverage into new markets. Nium's network moved over $84B globally in the past year.
🇺🇸 Western Union and Publix extend their relationship across the Southeast. The renewal keeps money transfer, bill payment and money order services at Publix stores. The relationship spans more than two decades and supports Publix's expansion into Kentucky.
DONEDEAL FUNDING NEWS
🌐 Meanwhile raises $37.5M at a $350M valuation for its bitcoin life insurance. Backed by Sam Altman, the company offers Bitcoin-denominated life insurance policies that allow customers to build wealth and borrow against their policies, potentially accessing funds without triggering capital gains taxes.
🇪🇺 TrueLayer secures $27M from CDP Venture Capital to scale its European Pay by Bank network. The funding, led by the Italian investor alongside other backers, supports an account-to-account payment network serving over 30 million users across 22 countries. TrueLayer also plans to expand its Milan engineering team through 2027.
🇺🇸 AblePay Health raises $20M Series A to expand healthcare affordability solutions. The round will help AblePay reach more health systems and patients nationwide. The company helps patients manage out of pocket medical costs while improving payment performance for providers. Americans paid $591B out of pocket for healthcare in 2025, up 6% YoY.
🇬🇧 London's IMMIX secures €3.12M to build FX infrastructure for stablecoin payments beyond the US dollar. The AI-native trading firm develops foreign exchange infrastructure for payment providers, helping them convert between currencies using stablecoins. The funding will support further development of its technology.
🇺🇸 Agentiq raises $4M to launch a fan to athlete investment platform. The round was led by defy.vc and a group headed by the owner of two major European football clubs. The funding will accelerate the launch of its platform for backing athletes and help Agentiq scale its team and pipeline.
🇺🇸 Iridium Credit raises $3M to verify every invoice. The funding backs AI agents that verify invoices against supporting documents and debtor records. With manual verification costing around $22 per invoice and only 20% typically checked, the technology aims to make comprehensive verification more affordable.
🌐 Nasdaq Ventures invests in One Trading. The strategic investment backs a European derivatives and digital assets exchange operating under MiFID II. Nasdaq and One Trading will explore next-generation derivatives infrastructure, including 24/7 equity futures trading and integrated trading, risk management and settlement.
🇨🇴 Colombian FinTech Fronte raises a preseed round to build a financial system for transnational families. Co-led by Rally Cap VC and Bankless Ventures, the funding supports a platform designed to help families manage finances across borders, bringing household financial needs into a shared experience rather than treating each family member separately.
M&A
🌐 M-KOPA acquires KilpiTek Oy for $8M. Completed in March 2026, the acquisition brings smartphone-locking technology in-house, giving M-KOPA greater control over devices sold through instalment financing. Continue reading
🌍 barq Group signs deal to bring Beyon Money into its FinTech platform. The proposed transaction would integrate Beyon Money into a platform serving over 15 million users, while Beyon retains an economic interest in barq. The deal remains subject to final documentation, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
🇸🇬 Anyflo emerges from stealth with its acquisition of Native, to simplify stablecoin payments for enterprises. Led by CEO Lola Oyelayo-Pearson, Anyflo orchestrates access to stablecoins across multiple chains while handling liquidity and routing. Native raised just under $2M and ranked among the top five of 630 projects at Sui Overflow 2025. Anyflo enters private alpha in October.
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
🇬🇧 Engine by Starling names Dr Jorg Howein as new chief product officer. Dr Howein brings almost three decades of banking and technology experience to Engine. The company CEO said Howein joins at a "defining moment" as the SaaS firm accelerates its product roadmap and international expansion efforts.
🇳🇱 Adyen shareholders approve Chris Vogelzang's appointment to its Supervisory Board. The board will also undergo a leadership transition on November 1, when Herna Verhagen succeeds retiring Chair Piero Overmars. A separate update to Adyen's executive leadership model will take effect January 31, 2027.
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