The project recently received approval to raise private, tax-deductible funding under Brazil’s cultural incentive laws, with a live performance planned in the federal capital. An experimental orchestral project in Brazil aims to convert Bitcoin price data into live music, after receiving approval to raise funds through one of the country’s tax-incentive programs for cultural initiatives. According to Brazil's Federal Register, the authorization allows the project to seek up to 1.09 million reais ($197,000) from private companies and individual donors for an instrumental concert that uses financial data to generate music, drawing on concepts from art, mathematics, economics and physics. The publication does not specify whether any blockchain or onchain infrastructure will be used in the performance. The performance will take place at the country's federal capital, Brasília. Read more
Brazil’s crypto market showed signs of maturity in 2025, with higher transaction volumes, larger per-user investments and growing demand for low-risk products. Crypto activity in Brazil expanded sharply in 2025, with total transaction volume climbing 43% year over year as average investment per user crossed the $1,000 mark, according to a new report from crypto platform Mercado Bitcoin. The report, titled “Raio-X do Investidor em Ativos Digitais 2025,” claimed that the Brazilian crypto market is no longer driven purely by speculation but increasingly shaped by structured investing and portfolio planning. The data was based on activity across Mercado Bitcoin’s platform, the largest digital asset exchange in Latin America. Per the report, the average amount invested per person reached roughly 5,700 Brazilian reais, equivalent to more than $1,000. At the same time, 18% of investors allocated funds across more than one crypto asset, indicating a gradual shift toward diversification rather than single-asset bets. ...
The Solana-linked product expands Valour’s Brazil footprint as demand for regulated crypto exposure grows among regional investors. Valour, a subsidiary of publicly listed digital asset company DeFi Technologies, has received approval to launch a Solana exchange-traded product (ETP) in Brazil, offering local investors regulated exposure to one of the largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization as institutional interest in the region continues to grow. The product, Valour Solana (VSOL), is scheduled to begin trading on Wednesday following approval from Brazil’s main stock exchange, Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão (B3 S.A.), DeFi Technologies announced Tuesday. The Solana (SOL) product will join Valour’s expanding lineup of Brazil-listed ETPs, which already provide exposure to Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), XRP (XRP) and Sui (SUI). Read more
Brazil’s largest private bank says Bitcoin can improve portfolio diversification and hedge currency risk despite a volatile year for the asset. Itaú Asset Management, the investment arm of Brazil's largest private bank, Itaú Unibanco, has recommended that investors hold 1% to 3% of their portfolios in Bitcoin next year. In a new research note, Itaú Asset’s Renato Eid said that the global backdrop of geopolitical tension, shifting monetary policy and persistent currency risks strengthens the case for adding Bitcoin (BTC) as a complementary asset. He called Bitcoin “an asset distinct from fixed income, traditional stocks, or domestic markets, with its own dynamics, return potential, and — due to its global and decentralized nature — a currency hedging function.” Read more
The rollout lets users convert crypto to local currency and pay merchants via QR codes, tapping Latin America’s biggest crypto market. KuCoin Pay has integrated with Pix, Brazil’s central bank-run instant payments network, allowing users to convert and spend cryptocurrencies at any merchant that accepts Pix QR codes. The launch taps into one of the world’s largest crypto user bases, with roughly 26 million Brazilians, about 12% of the population, now using digital assets, according to a Friday announcement from the exchange. The integration supports instant crypto-to-Brazilian currency conversions (Brazil’s currency is the real), enabling users to transfer funds from KuCoin accounts to any Brazilian bank or pay merchants directly through Pix. It also features multi-functional wallet tools for managing both cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies within the KuCoin app. Read more
Coinbase is rolling out its DEX trading platform to Brazil about six weeks after it launched in the US, offering Brazilians over 10,000 tokens to trade without leaving Coinbase’s app. Coinbase is expanding its decentralized exchange trading platform, called “DeFi Mullet,” to Brazil, providing them with access to tens of thousands of tokens without needing to leave the Coinbase app. Powered by Coinbase’s Ethereum layer 2 Base, DeFi Mullet first launched in the US on Oct. 8 and is designed to abstract away the complexities of using decentralized finance protocols. “Using our DEX integration, users can trade on popular DEXs, like Aerodrome and Uniswap, without leaving the familiar ease of the Coinbase interface,” Coinbase said on Wednesday. Read more
Brazil is reportedly considering imposing a tax on the use of cryptocurrency for international payments, as it aligns its rules with a global standard for sharing tax data. Brazil is reportedly weighing a tax on the use of cryptocurrencies for international payments as it moves to adopt a global crypto tax reporting data exchange framework. A Tuesday Reuters report, citing “officials with direct knowledge of the discussions,” claims that the Brazilian government aims to tax cryptocurrency use for international payments. During the confidential talks, representatives of the country’s finance ministry reportedly expressed interest in expanding the Imposto sobre Operações Financeiras (IOF) tax to include some digital asset-based cross-border transactions. Read more
Banco Inter and Chainlink test cross-border trade finance using Brazil’s Drex and Hong Kong’s Ensemble networks in landmark blockchain pilot. Brazilian digital bank Banco Inter has completed a blockchain-based international trade finance pilot with Chainlink, the Central Bank of Brazil and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), showcasing how distributed ledger technology can simplify cross-border settlement. The experiment took place under Phase 2 of Brazil’s Drex central bank digital currency (CBDC) project and simulated the settlement of export transactions between Brazil’s Drex network and Hong Kong’s Ensemble platform, a blockchain system developed under the HKMA’s Project Ensemble initiative. Chainlink provided the interoperability infrastructure connecting the two networks, according to Banco Inter. Read more
Bitcoin surges despite US government shutdowns delay altcoin ETFs; Brazil rolls out a welcome mat for crypto miners. Bitcoin (BTC) surged into October, defying a US government shutdown that has left altcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications in limbo. But while markets welcomed the arrival of “Uptober,” the headlines elsewhere were dominated by regulatory battles and policy experiments. Two defendants pleaded guilty in what UK police called the world’s largest crypto seizure, a case that has left courts wrestling with whether victims should be repaid at today’s Bitcoin value or at what they lost years ago. Read more
Itaú Asset is launching a crypto division within its billion-dollar mutual funds arm, aiming to deliver alpha for clients with digital assets trading. Itaú Asset Management, Brazil’s largest private asset manager, has created a dedicated crypto division and appointed former Hashdex executive João Marco Braga da Cunha to lead the new unit. The unit builds on Itaú Asset’s existing crypto products, including the bank's Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) and a retirement fund offering exposure to digital assets. Itaú Asset manages over 1 trillion reais ($185 billion) in assets for its clients. “The crypto asset segment has unique characteristics for generating alpha. It’s a relatively new market that creates major opportunities due to its volatility,” Cunha said. He previously served as portfolio management director at Hashdex, the Brazilian firm that behind one of the country’s first crypto ETFs. Read more