Brazil’s Central Bank sets 2027 capital rules for crypto exchanges

Brazil has approved new prudential rules that will require virtual asset service providers to meet capital, risk management, and disclosure standards from 2027.

The Central Bank approved the requirements on July 1, a local media report said. They take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, as part of the country’s ongoing implementation of its cryptoasset legal framework.

Once the rules come into force, companies offering cryptocurrency and other virtual asset services must maintain minimum capital reserves, establish formal risk management policies, and periodically disclose information about their financial and operational condition. The Central Bank said the measures are intended to strengthen the financial system and reduce risks for customers and the market.

The report stated that firms providing crypto brokerage, custody, and transfer services will be classified as Type 3 institutions together with the economic groups they lead. According to the Central Bank, the classification follows the principle that activities carrying similar risks should be subject to similar regulatory standards.

Another part of the framework introduces a phased transition into Brazil’s banking supervision structure. The report said all virtual asset service providers will be placed in Segment 4, or S4, by June 30, 2028, regardless of their size, giving them additional time to comply with the full prudential requirements.

Smaller institutions classified under Segment 5, or S5, which follows a simplified regulatory regime, will no longer be permitted to provide virtual asset services because the Central Bank considers those activities incompatible with lighter supervisory standards.

The new requirements add to a series of regulatory measures introduced over the past year. In November 2025, the Central Bank published the first operating rules for virtual asset service providers, establishing standards covering governance, anti-money laundering controls, foreign exchange participation, and operational requirements.

Earlier this year, Brazil’s National Monetary Council required crypto platforms to follow confidentiality rules comparable to those imposed on traditional financial institutions, including compliance with Complementary Law 105 on bank secrecy.

The latest prudential framework also follows a June rule requiring crypto companies seeking authorization or license renewals to submit independent audit reports prepared by professionals registered with Brazil’s securities regulator.

The audits review anti-money laundering controls, counter-terrorism financing procedures, customer asset segregation, internal risk management, and employee compliance programs before licensing decisions are made, the reports said.

Regulators have also tightened oversight in other areas during 2026. In May, Brazil’s Central Bank prohibited regulated cross-border electronic foreign exchange providers from using crypto assets to settle international payments, while still allowing digital assets to be traded and transferred outside the supervised payment system.

More recently, federal prosecutors reminded political parties that cryptocurrency donations remain prohibited in election campaigns because campaign finance rules require donors to be clearly identified.