Brazil | News

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

Police say 15 of 30 passengers died in Brazil bus crash; driver tested negative for alcohol use

Bitpanda has expanded into Brazil through Onda Finance, its first Latin America partnership. Onda has used Bitpanda’s API-first infrastructure for trading, custody and liquidity, with stablecoin-led rollout, optional staking and savings, and BYOL compliance aligned to local rules. The post Bitpanda Expands to Latin America Through Partnership with Brazil’s Ondo Finance appeared first on Cryptonews.

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

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced on Thursday to 27 years and three months in prison, hours after being convicted of plotting a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election, dealing a powerful rebuke to one of the world’s most prominent far-right populist leaders. The conviction ruling by a panel of five justices on Brazil’s supreme court, who also agreed on the sentence, made the 70-year-old Bolsonaro the first former president in the country’s history to be convicted for attacking democracy, and drew disapproval from the Trump administration. “This criminal case is almost a meeting between Brazil and its past, its present and its future,” Justice Carmen Lucia said before her vote to convict Bolsonaro, referring to a history checkered with military coups and attempts to overthrow democracy. There was ample evidence that Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest, acted “with the purpose of eroding democracy and institutions”, she added. Four of the five judges voted to con...

Terceros's half-time penalty sealed 1-0 win over Brazil

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

Brazil's 17.5% crypto tax signals a global shift as governments eye digital assets for revenue, ending the era of tax-friendly crypto investing worldwide. Opinion by: Robin Singh, CEO of Koinly Crypto may be the first tax lever governments pull when scrambling for more revenue, if Brazil’s recent move is anything to go by. In June, Brazil scrapped its tax exemption for minor crypto gains and introduced a flat 17.5% tax on all capital gains from digital assets, regardless of the amount. The decision was part of a broader effort by the Brazilian government to bolster revenue through increased taxation of financial markets.  Read more

Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies Economic Development Commission will hold its first hearing on Aug. 20 to examine a proposal to establish a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve (RESBit) worth up to $18.6 billion. As Agência Câmara de Notícias reported, the 3 P.M. ET session will gather technical perspectives on Bill 4501/24, which seeks to modernize Brazil’s treasury […] The post Brazil to hold first hearing on proposed $19 billion Bitcoin Strategic Reserve appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Costa says he wore women's clothes "to do a personal investigation" and claims he was secretly filmed and extorted after the clip was posted by Goiânia Mil Graus.

If a bill to create a BTC reserves passes in Brazil's House of Representatives, it will require Senate approval before being signed into law or vetoed by the country's president. Brazil’s House of Representatives will hold a hearing on Aug. 20 to discuss a bill proposing the creation of a national Bitcoin reserve in the country. According to the House website, at least six institutions are slated to participate, including the Central Bank of Brazil, the Ministry of Finance, a crypto advocacy association and representatives from fintech companies and the banking sector. The bill, introduced in November 2024, seeks to allow up to 5% of the country's treasury funds to be used to buy Bitcoin, which translates to a potential investment of roughly $15 billion, assuming the central bank’s total reserves of about $300 billion as of February. Read more

A Brazilian judge on Monday placed former president Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest for breaking a social media ban, escalating a dramatic standoff between the court and the politician, who is accused of plotting a coup. Bolsonaro is on trial at the Supreme Court for allegedly plotting to cling onto power after losing 2022 elections to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. President Donald Trump has sought to punish Brazil, a longtime US ally, for what he sees as a politically motivated “witch hunt” targeting Bolsonaro by imposing eye-watering tariffs on Latin America’s biggest economy. The 70-year-old Bolsonaro is banned from social media for the duration of the proceedings, and third parties are barred from sharing his public remarks. But on Sunday, his allies defied the order by sharing footage online of a call between the former army captain and his eldest son Flavio at a solidarity rally in Rio de Janeiro. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes reacted furiously, declaring that the judiciary would no...

As Brazil’s Pix system expands and BRICS eyes a reserve currency, Trump responds with a 50% tariff and a sweeping trade investigation. The United States has launched a formal investigation into Brazil’s digital trade practices, with a spotlight on Pix, the country’s instant payment system that has rapidly displaced private-sector competitors. The probe, announced on Tuesday by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, will examine whether Brazil’s digital and trade policies unfairly disadvantage US companies. Greer said the investigation will review Brazil’s “tariff and non-tariff barriers,” saying the country offers preferential treatment to other trade partners while disadvantaging US exporters. Read more

A cyberattack on Brazil’s Central Bank has triggered a wave of crypto laundering, with at least $40 million in stolen funds funneled into Bitcoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins. The post Brazil’s Central Bank Hack Sparks $40M Crypto Laundering in BTC, ETH appeared first on Cryptonews.

The theft occurred after the hackers allegedly compromised an employee of C&M, a software service provider, by buying the employee’s login credentials. C&M Software, the service provider that connects Brazil’s Central Bank to local banks and other financial institutions, was hacked on Wednesday, leading to 800 million Brazilian reais ($140 million), in stolen funds from six institutions connected to the central bank. The hack occurred after an employee of C&M allegedly sold his login credentials to the threat actor for roughly $2,700, allowing them to access the software system and steal funds held in reserve accounts, according to Brazilian news outlet São Paulo. Onchain detective ZachXBT said the hackers converted an estimated $30 million to $40 million of the stolen funds to Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and USDt (USDT), which they laundered through Latin American exchanges and over-the-counter (OTC) trading platforms. Read more

Brazil’s new 17.5% flat crypto tax replaces previous exemptions and now applies to all digital asset gains. On June 12, 2025, Brazil introduced a sweeping new cryptocurrency tax law under Provisional Measure 1303.  It replaces the old progressive tax model with a flat 17.5% crypto tax on all capital gains — no matter how much is earned or where the assets are held. The policy ends the long-standing exemption that allowed individuals to sell up to 35,000 Brazilian reais (~$6,300) in crypto each month tax-free. Read more

Brazil advocates for a diplomatic resolution to the Russian-Ukrainian war through engagement with a wider range of international partners beyond Europe.

Brazil considers Ukraine one of the most relevant international actors in the food security chain.

Brazil is currently involved in a controversial debate over hyper-realistic baby dolls, also known as reborn dolls, as lawmakers across the country introduce a legislative escalation targeting their use. These hyper-realistic baby dolls, created to resemble real infants with amazing detail, have sparked both captivation and disgrace, mainly on social media platforms where collectors, typically […]

At least eight people were killed Saturday when a hot-air balloon with 21 passengers caught fire in southern Brazil, a state governor said. It was the second fatal balloon accident in the vast South American country in less than a week. “Eight fatalities and 13 survivors,” Santa Catarina state governor Jorginho Mello said on X. […]