The bank will test tokenized fixed-income securities and investment funds as part of an ANBIMA-led industry pilot. Itaú, Latin America’s largest private sector bank, has partnered with digital asset infrastructure provider OpenAssets to participate in an industry-led pilot testing the tokenization of fixed-income securities and investment funds in Brazil. The initiative is led by the Brazilian Financial and Capital Markets Association (ANBIMA), which is testing the issuance, trading and settlement of capital markets instruments using distributed ledger technology (DLT). According to Tuesday’s announcement, the companies will develop technical proofs of concept and assess the operational, compliance and technology requirements for tokenized assets, with debentures and investment funds among the use cases being explored. Read more
The rules, effective Jan. 1, 2027, cover transactions above $10,000 sent to overseas providers or self-custody wallets, along with other transfers flagged for review. Brazil’s central bank will require virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to place precautionary holds of up to 24 hours on certain transfers to foreign platforms or self-custody wallets as part of new measures aimed at preventing fraud. On Friday, the Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) said the requirement will apply to funds received above $10,000, either in a single transaction or based on a customer’s total transactions in a day. Providers must also hold other transfers requiring further scrutiny under their risk-management policies. The rules take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. Providers must notify customers of holds and keep records of fraud incidents, attempted fraud and corrective actions. A VASP may complete its assessment and release a transfer before the 24 hours expire, provided that it follows parameters set out by the central bank. Read m...
The IMF said Brazil’s stablecoin market has expanded rapidly since 2017, with cross-border crypto flows growing faster than traditional capital flows. The International Monetary Fund said Brazil’s crypto asset market, particularly US dollar-pegged stablecoins, has expanded rapidly since 2017 and requires closer oversight as cross-border crypto flows grow faster than traditional capital flows. In its Financial System Stability Assessment released Thursday, the IMF said stablecoins have played a key role in the significant growth of Brazil’s crypto asset market. The report said cross-border crypto flows have “been steadily increasing” and that stablecoin purchases are two to three times more sensitive to global shocks than traditional portfolio investment or foreign direct investment flows. The IMF said Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) has already taken steps to regulate crypto asset service providers, but gaps remain in areas such as customer asset protection, stablecoin issuance rules and anti-money laundering (...
Ten tokenized dairy cows backed a $19,600 loan registered on Brazil’s B3, in one of Brazil’s first uses of tokenized livestock as loan collateral. Brazil’s B3 stock exchange has reportedly found a new use for dairy cows by backing a loan with tokenized cattle. The transaction involved a loan of 100,000 Brazilian reais ($19,600) secured by 10 dairy cows from Fazenda Engenho Velho in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná, valued at about 120,000 Brazilian reais ($23,500). The deal was structured by Brazilian investment fund Target FIDC, according to CNN Brasil. Each cow received a unique digital token linked to an encrypted digital identity, while AI-powered smart collars from agriculture tech company Cowmed monitor each animal’s health, reducing the need for physical inspections. Read more
Brazil’s central bank barred virtual assets from settlement inside regulated eFX payment rails as it tightens oversight of crypto-linked flows. Brazil’s central bank, Banco Central do Brasil (BCB), has barred the use of virtual assets in certain regulated international payment and transfer services, tightening rules for cross-border payment providers operating under the country’s eFX framework. On Thursday, BCB published Resolution BCB No. 561, amending existing rules for eFX, a regulated category covering international payments and transfers. The resolution states that payments or receipts between an eFX provider and its foreign counterparty must be carried out exclusively through a foreign exchange transaction or movement in a non-resident Brazilian real account, with the use of virtual assets prohibited. The restriction also applies under transitional rules for eFX providers that are not yet listed among approved provider categories. Those firms may continue providing eFX only if they apply for authorizati...
Brazil has blocked 27 prediction market platforms, including Kalshi and Polymarket, as new rules classify many contracts as gambling. Brazilian authorities have moved to shut down 27 prediction market platforms, including Kalshi and Polymarket. The decision, announced Friday, follows a directive from the Ministry of Finance and enforcement by the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), according to state-owned news outlet Agência Brasil. Authorities claimed that such services fall outside Brazil’s current legal framework and therefore operate illegally. “We have been monitoring the evolution of this sector in Brazil, which suffered a period of anarchy because there were no rules, no oversight, from 2018 to 2022,” Finance Ministry executive secretary Dario Durigan reportedly said during a press conference at the Palácio do Planalto. Read more
Aimed at fighting organized crime groups, the new law allows confiscated assets including crypto to be used for ”police re-equipment, training, and special operations.” Brazil’s public security agencies have a new weapon for fighting organized crime after national legislators approved a measure allowing them to use confiscated cryptocurrency in their efforts. On Wednesday, Brazil’s legislative branch published Law No. 15.358, establishing a legal framework for combating organized crime. The law allows authorities to prohibit transactions on crypto exchanges by treating digital assets as instruments in a crime, and confiscate crypto to be used to fund public security. “For the purposes of forfeiture of assets, any asset that has been used to commit a crime shall be considered an instrument of the crime, even if it was not intended exclusively for that purpose,” said a translation of the law, which included: Read more
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