Country overview

#27

Brazil

Country stats

Rating Points

310

This indicator describes the overall rating of a given jurisdiction on several parameters according to cryptocurrency operations - market volume, crypto regulation, business climate, taxation framework.

Crypto Penetration

7.8%

Estimated percentage of crypto users out of the country's total population based on public data.

Legal Entities

Number of crypto companies registered in the country based on regulator data if available or other types of public data.

Regulation Points

120

An overall assessment of the granularity of crypto regulation in a given country. A high score is also given to countries where cryptocurrency transactions are highly regulated.

Amount of crypto users

16 715 400

Total amount of crypto users out of the country's total population based on public data.

Taxation points

This figure, according to our analysts' calculations, indicates the overall level of tax burden for cryptocurrency transactions in a given country. The higher the indicator, the lower the burden.

Market volume points

182.8

A rough estimate of this jurisdiction's retail crypto market relative to the rest of the world. The higher the indicator, the higher the market potential.

Status of crypto

Legally allowed

General status of cryptocurrency regulation in this jurisdiction.

Crypto payments

Legally allowed

The legal status of cryptocurrency payments for goods and services in a given country based on information from regulators, public data and feedback from our community.

Security Level

Very high danger

The overall level of security in a given country based on open data.

Crypto Salaries

No info

The legal status of cryptocurrency salaries to employers in a given country based on information from regulators, public data and feedback from our community.

Business Climate

Medium

Overall assessment of the friendliness of this country for crypto-business. This indicator takes into account the cost of obtaining a license and the attitude towards crypto entities in the country.

Stablecoin Regulation

None

This indicator is evaluating the regulation of stablecoins in a given country. Complex regulation means that it is possible to issue steiblcoins and obtain a license for this activity. Basic regulation means that the issuance of stablecoins is possible, but not all legal aspects are defined in the law. Standard regulation means that there is a legal practice of steylcoin circulation in a given country.

Bad Factors

This section describes the unfavorable economic factors for crypto-business in a given country. These are countries that are under sanctions or on the FATF grey list and other factors.

Types of licenses

Wallet/Custody

This country has a legal licensing procedure for companies that store cryptocurrency - - crypto wallet providers and custodians.

Crypto-to-fiat

This type of license regulates the exchange from cryptocurrency to fiat.

Crypto-to-crypto

This license type allows VASP to provide legal exchange from one cryptocurrency to another.

Good

Medium

Bad

intro

Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America by GDP. It legalized cryptocurrencies in 2019 and approved the crypto bill in 2022. Amid a crypto boom (1) in Brazil, global crypto exchanges see the country as Latin America’s primary market. In fact, crypto companies still don't need a license to operate in Brazil. But local regulators are going to change the framework by the end of 2024.

Security level

Brazil has a very high danger security level according to our rating. Jurisdiction has 33.9 points (from 100) for safety level in Numbeo crime rating (2). The h omicide level (3) is 22.4 per 100,000 inhabitants a year. Story of firearm-related death (4) 23.93 per 100,000 inhabitants a year. Low level of security in the country is probably the main disadvantage of Brazil for digital nomads.

Crypto Payments

The Chamber of Deputies, a national Parliament of Brazil, has approved (5) a bill that legalizes using cryptocurrencies as a payment method within the country.

Crypto Salaries

Currently, there is still a regulatory uncertainty in this niche. According to a local blockchain entrepreneur interview(6), paying a salary in crypto is possible, but there’s still no formal regulation of this topic.

“It is important to highlight that there is a bill 3908/21 (7) (still in progress) that suggests the payment of up to 30% of the salary in cryptocurrencies or non-fiduciary currency. Among startups, paying programmers and designers salaries is already common. Some cases for startups are: Inspireip.io, driveonauto.com, cryptomiles.net, ostenmoove.com.br and btracer.com.br”

Quote from the interview

Legal

Crypto has been legal in Brazil since 2019 based on Economic Freedom Law (8). A new law, which was signed by ex-President Jair Bolsonaro in 2022, defines virtual asset as "digital representation of value that can be negotiated or transferred electronically and used for payments or as an investment," per the bill’s text. Here is the text of the law (9) in Portuguese. You may see a quote from its English translation about types of licensed VASP activities.

Law text

I - exchange between virtual assets and national currency or foreign currency;

II - interaction between one or more virtual assets;

III - transfer of virtual assets;

IV - custody or administration of virtual assets or instruments that allow control over virtual assets; or

V - participation in financial services and provision of services related to the offer by an issuer or sale of virtual assets

Initially based on the law text all VASPs in the country had to get regulators’ approval and license. However, lately this requirements were postponed. It was a plan for new regulations to be implemented by the end of 2024. However, according to Reuters (10) new rules will be implemented during 2025. The reason for such a long absence of regulation, named in the Reuters publication, is the different positions of the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance. But the situation is likely to change with the arrival of the new head of the Central Bank in January 2025.

Currently crypto companies can freely set up an entity in Brazil to operate as a crypto exchange. However, for fiat operations they need financial institution licenses. For instance, Crypto.com has obtained a Payment Institution License from the Central Bank of Brazil. Crypto.com card was availavle in the country since November 2021 (11) in partnership with Foris GFS BR LTDA pursuant to a Visa Worldwide Pte Limited license. Local customers can now make purchases with local fiat and their cryptos. Binance has launched a prepaid card for brazilians in partnership with Mastercard. Also, NuBank and Bank of Brazil launch crypto operations services. Ripio also has Payment Institution license and crypto card in Brazil.

Possible regulation updates include the following terms: the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) will be in charge when Bitcoin is used as payment, while the country’s Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) will be the watchdog when it is used as an investment asset. Both the BCB and the CVM, along with the federal tax authority (RFB), helped lawmakers craft the overhaul legislation.

If you wish, you can familiarize yourself with the following laws: PL 4401/2021 (12) and LAW Nº 14.478, OF DECEMBER 21, 2022 (13).

Taxation

Tax name	Index
PIT tax Min	7.5
PIT tax Max	27.5
Corporate tax (CIT)	34
Min Individual CGT (for crypto)	15
Max Individual CGT (for crypto)	22.5
Wealth tax Min	0
Wealth tax Max	0

PIT

Brazil has a PIT rate from 7.5% to 27.5%, according to Worldwide Tax (14). You may also find more details from a short crypto taxation guide from a government site (15). Also, there is an Official Taxation Framework in Portuguese (16).

CGT

According to Cointelegraph (17), new tax rules for foreign crypto income will be implemented. Overseas earnings up to 6,000 Brazilian reals (~$1,200) will be exempt from taxation under the new rules. Earnings between 6,000 and 50,000 reais (~$10,000) are subject to a 15% tax rate. Above this threshold, taxes will be applied at 22.5%. Inland Capital gains tax is exempt for cryptocurrency transactions under 35,000 reals and 15-22.5% for a higher personal income.

CIT

Corporate income tax rate is 34%, (composed of IRPJ at the rate of 25% and CSLL at the rate of 9%. Also there is a detailed instruction (18) from local tax authority about corporate taxation (2019). Information about mining taxation you can check here (19).

More information about crypto taxation in Brazil you can get in Global Legal Insights (20) and PWC Taxsummaries (21). The government also presented an initiative to increase taxes (22) on cryptocurrency exchanges to equalize residents and non-residents. The base rate without tax benefits will be 22.5%.

Links

1)Triple A. Brazil | 2022Cryptocurrency adoption in Brazil as of 2022

2)Crime Index by Country 2023 Mid-Year

3)List of countries by intentional homicide rate

4)List of countries by firearm-related death rate

5) Charltons Quantum. Brazil Approves Crypto AS a Legal Payment Method. Article

6) Especialista explica como receber o salário em criptomoedas e como funciona esse ativo. Expert explains how to receive salary in cryptocurrencies and how this asset works. EDUARDA ANDRADE. Article

7) Bill 3908/21

8) CHANGES IN THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT WITH THE ECONOMIC FREEDOM LAW LAW No. 13,874, DATED September 20, 2019

9) LEI Nº 14.478, DE 21 DE DEZEMBRO DE 2022. LAW No. 14,478, OF DECEMBER 21, 2022

10) Reuters Brazil eyes closer regulatory cooperation with new central bank leadership

11) Crypto.com. Visa Cards Are Now Available in Brazil. November 11, 2021. Article

11) Bill PL 4401/2021

12) PL 4401/2021

13) LAW Nº 14.478, OF DECEMBER 21, 2022

14) PWC Brazil Taxes

15) gov.br. Declarar operações com criptoativos. Declaring operations with crypto assets.

16) Official Taxation Framework in Portuguese

17) Cointelegraph. Brazil’s Congress moves to levy higher taxes on cryptocurrencies

18) Normas. INSTRUÇÃO NORMATIVA RFB Nº 1888, DE 03 DE MAIO DE 2019. NORMATIVE INSTRUCTION RFB No. 1888 OF MAY 03, 2019

19) bitcoin.tax. Crypto Taxes in Brazil: An In-Depth Tax Guide

20) Global Legal Insights

21) PWC Taxsummaries

22) França concede a primeira licença de operação cripto para unidade de blockchain do Société Générale

Last update: November 2024

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intro

Security level

Crypto Payments

The Chamber of Deputies, a national Parliament of Brazil, has approved (5) a bill that legalizes using cryptocurrencies as a payment method within the country.

Crypto Salaries

Quote from the interview

Legal

Law text

I - exchange between virtual assets and national currency or foreign currency;

II - interaction between one or more virtual assets;

III - transfer of virtual assets;

IV - custody or administration of virtual assets or instruments that allow control over virtual assets; or

V - participation in financial services and provision of services related to the offer by an issuer or sale of virtual assets

If you wish, you can familiarize yourself with the following laws: PL 4401/2021 (12) and LAW Nº 14.478, OF DECEMBER 21, 2022 (13).

Taxation

Tax name	Index
PIT tax Min	7.5
PIT tax Max	27.5
Corporate tax (CIT)	34
Min Individual CGT (for crypto)	15
Max Individual CGT (for crypto)	22.5
Wealth tax Min	0
Wealth tax Max	0