Brazil’s central bank has announced comprehensive regulations for trading virtual assets, including cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, aimed at tightening anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism financing controls.
Set to take effect in February 2026, the new framework extends existing financial regulations to virtual-asset service providers, requiring authorization for foreign-exchange, brokerage, and crypto operations.
“New rules will reduce scams, fraud, and money laundering in the virtual asset market,” said Gilneu Vivan, the bank’s director of regulation.
The regulation classifies all virtual-asset transactions linked to fiat currencies as foreign exchange operations, covering international payments and card-based settlements.
Central bank governor Gabriel Galipolo has expressed concern over the rising use of stablecoins, which are increasingly being employed for cross-border payments and to circumvent traditional banking systems.
The updated framework imposes governance, security, and reporting standards, along with customer protection and transparency measures, marking a key milestone in Brazil’s crypto regulation strategy.
