Samsung Electronics has filed a U.S. patent application for a smart-contract-based cryptocurrency wallet that could shift part of wallet functionality from individual devices to an on-chain smart contract. The filing was submitted on March 13, 2026, and published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on July 23 under publication number US 2026/0212355.
The proposed system aims to address private key management, one of the most persistent security and usability challenges in digital asset storage. Traditional crypto wallets generally require users to sign transactions with private keys before submitting them to a blockchain. If a private key is lost, access to funds can be cut off; if it is exposed, unauthorized transactions can occur. Samsung's patent instead describes device-specific addresses and authentication information that a supporting device can register before a smart contract is created on the blockchain.
When a user initiates a transaction, the device sends transaction details, its assigned address, and authentication information to the smart contract. The transaction details may include the recipient's blockchain address, asset type, and transaction amount. The smart contract compares the submitted information against previously registered data, and if the details match, it processes the requested transaction. The patent notes that the system does not eliminate private keys entirely: the final transaction can still rely on the smart contract's blockchain address and associated private key.
The patent also describes multi-device wallet management, allowing one wallet to be controlled across several electronic devices. Under the proposed structure, one device can request a transaction while another supports wallet registration, address changes, or recovery. Samsung identifies smartphones, computers, wearable devices, and home appliances as potential participants, potentially connecting digital asset management across its broader hardware ecosystem.
The filing follows Samsung's July announcement that it plans to add stablecoin support to Samsung Wallet, although the company did not identify supported tokens, blockchain networks, or a launch date. The patent does not specify whether the smart-contract architecture will support those planned stablecoin features, nor does it confirm integration with Samsung Wallet or any commercial service. Samsung has not provided a commercialization schedule or confirmed plans to deploy the technology in existing services.
