Sei partners with Xiaomi to preinstall its crypto wallet and discovery app on all new Xiaomi phones sold outside mainland China and the US, starting in 2026
The app will enable peer-to-peer payments, access to decentralized apps, and Web3 exploration, as well as stablecoin payments in retail stores.
Context & Ripple Effects
Xiaomi has already used device distribution to shape software access: its Indus Appstore preinstallation plan in India extended beyond new devices to existing phones. The Sei arrangement applies that same OEM-channel model to a wallet and discovery product across a broader set of markets.
The move also follows Xiaomi's retreat from its own Indian financial-service apps, including the discontinuation of Mi Pay and Mi Credit. Rather than operating a proprietary finance product, Xiaomi is again making its handset setup and distribution layer available to a third-party service.
First-order effects
- Sei gains a default distribution route to users activating eligible new Xiaomi phones from 2026, lowering the need to win every user through standalone wallet downloads.
- Xiaomi buyers in the covered markets will encounter a built-in route to peer-to-peer payments, decentralized apps, Web3 exploration and retail stablecoin payments at device setup or through the preinstalled app.
Second-order effects
- Wallet providers and decentralized-app developers seeking Xiaomi users may face greater pressure to secure OEM placement or integration, rather than relying only on app-store discovery.
- Xiaomi strengthens its role as a software-distribution gatekeeper: as with its India app-store preinstallation, placement can influence which consumer services get early access to a new device base.
Third-order effects
- If more handset makers package wallets with devices, crypto access could shift from an app-download behavior toward a standard device-service layer, though uptake will still depend on user trust and local payment rules.
- The arrangement reinforces OEMs' leverage over the mobile-service stack: third-party financial and Web3 products may increasingly compete for default placement rather than only for end-user attention.
The trend: Consumer crypto services are pursuing OEM preinstallation to turn mobile-device distribution into a mainstream on-ramp for wallets, payments and app discovery.