A strategic partnership between electronics giant Xiaomi and Sei Labs will bring a pre-installed cryptocurrency wallet to millions of Xiaomi devices sold worldwide, accelerating mobile-first blockchain adoption.
Announced on Thursday, the collaboration will see Xiaomi smartphones sold outside mainland China and the U.S. come equipped with a dedicated Sei wallet and discovery application. The move grants the high-speed Sei blockchain direct access to key crypto markets across Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
Integrated Access and Security
The app will allow users to sign in using existing Google or Xiaomi accounts and will feature a multiparty computation (MPC) wallet—a security model that eliminates single points of failure. Users will gain seamless access to popular decentralized applications (dApps), peer-to-peer transfers, and merchant payment capabilities. According to CoinDesk, MPC wallets are becoming an industry preference for balancing convenience and asset safety.
Roadmap Includes Stablecoin Payments
Beyond the wallet, Xiaomi and Sei plan to pilot stablecoin payments across Xiaomi’s retail and online channels by mid-2026. Initial tests are scheduled for Hong Kong and the European Union, with the goal of allowing customers to purchase Xiaomi products—including smartphones and electric vehicles—using currencies like USDC on Sei. This aligns with a broader trend of consumer electronics companies embracing digital assets, as noted in a TechCrunch report on crypto integration in retail.
Funding Mobile-First Innovation
To spur development, Sei Labs is launching a $5 million grant program aimed at funding mobile projects that embed blockchain functionality into consumer devices. The initiative underscores a growing focus on mobile-centric Web3 growth.
Sei and Xiaomi: A Speed-to-Market Alliance
Launched in 2023, Sei is a layer-1 blockchain engineered for high throughput and low transaction costs. Xiaomi, founded in 2010 and headquartered in Beijing, is a top global vendor of smartphones, IoT devices, and electric vehicles. Together, they aim to lower the entry barrier for everyday users into the crypto economy.
The Growing Trend of Crypto-Enabled Phones
Sei Labs is not alone in viewing smartphones as a catalyst for mass adoption. Solana Mobile has pursued a similar vision, launching its Saga phone in 2023 and following up with the second-generation Seeker device in 2024. As The Block highlights, Solana’s approach includes a dedicated dApp store and wallet, with plans for a native ecosystem token (SKR) by early 2026.
Samsung has also deepened its crypto integration through a partnership with Coinbase, allowing U.S. Galaxy users to buy digital assets directly within Samsung Wallet—a feature slated for expansion to other regions.
Why This Matters
Xiaomi’s global footprint—selling millions of phones annually—could significantly widen exposure to blockchain technology. By pre-installing the Sei wallet, the partnership reduces friction for new users and positions mobile devices as foundational tools for the future of digital ownership and payments.