Points of Focus

• Xiaomi will pre-load a crypto wallet on new devices in major global markets through a partnership with Sei.
• The rollout includes plans for stablecoin payments across Xiaomi’s 20,000-store retail network.
• The move places Xiaomi among firms testing blockchain-enabled smartphones, alongside Solana and Ethereum-based devices.

Xiaomi will pre-install a cryptocurrency wallet and discovery app on smartphones sold outside mainland China and the United States through a partnership with blockchain network Sei. The rollout covers Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa, regions where Xiaomi has a strong market share and shipped more than 168 million devices in 2024.

The integration gives Sei direct access to hundreds of millions of consumers. Xiaomi ranks among the world’s top three smartphone manufacturers with 13% global share, making the partnership one of the largest mainstream distribution channels for blockchain features to date.

Sei gains distribution through Xiaomi’s global smartphone footprint

Sei positions itself as a high-speed blockchain with sub-400 millisecond finality and support for thousands of transactions per second. The pre-installed wallet will offer multi-party computation security, peer-to-peer transfers, consumer-to-business transactions, and access to curated decentralized apps. Users can sign in through Google or Xiaomi ID credentials.

Sei Labs co-founders Jeff Feng and Jay Jog said the partnership lowers onboarding friction by removing the need for separate wallet downloads. They described the move as part of a broader effort to bring blockchain tools into devices people already use rather than requiring new behavior.

The initiative also includes a $5 million Global Mobile Innovation Program designed to support developers building consumer-facing blockchain features.

Xiaomi’s regional strength helps amplify the distribution. The company holds 36.9 percent market share in Greece, 24.2 percent in India, and strong positions across Southeast Asia and Africa. The strategy gives Sei entry into markets with large smartphone-native user bases.

Stablecoin payments planned across Xiaomi’s retail network

Beyond the wallet integration, Xiaomi and Sei plan to enable stablecoin payments at more than 20,000 Xiaomi retail stores. Initial pilots will begin in Hong Kong and the European Union by the second quarter of 2026. Further expansion will depend on local regulations.

Customers will be able to purchase Xiaomi devices, including smartphones and electric vehicles, using stablecoins issued on Sei such as USDC. The companies described the payment feature as a step toward bringing blockchain settlement into everyday consumer purchases.

Smartphone makers test blockchain integrations as competition widens

Xiaomi enters a segment that has seen several earlier attempts to merge mobile hardware with crypto tooling. Solana Mobile released the Saga in 2023, but support for the device ended in October 2025, and the project has since shifted to its newer Seeker model. These efforts followed even earlier experiments such as HTC’s Exodus and Sirin Labs’ Finney, which explored Ethereum-based integrations aimed at niche crypto communities.

None of these devices achieved broad commercial adoption, which raises questions about how much demand exists for dedicated crypto phones. Xiaomi’s approach differs by embedding a wallet on mass-market devices rather than building a separate handset. Whether mainstream users engage with these tools when they are included by default remains an open question for the industry.

A broader push toward mobile-first crypto adoption

The partnership arrives as companies explore how mobile devices can support consumer payments, identity tools, and digital asset storage. For Sei, the deal provides a channel into global markets where smartphone adoption outpaces desktop usage.

As the wallet rolls out and payment pilots begin, the collaboration may test how ready mainstream consumers are to use blockchain services embedded directly into the phones they buy.