IMF has called for closer oversight of Brazil’s stablecoin market as cross-border crypto flows outpace traditional capital movements.
Summary
- The IMF has urged Brazil to strengthen oversight of stablecoins as cross border crypto flows continue to grow faster than traditional capital movements.
- The fund said Brazil’s crypto market has become more connected with the financial system while gaps remain in stablecoin rules, customer protection and AML compliance.
- IMF analysis found stablecoin purchases are two to three times more sensitive to global shocks than portfolio investment and foreign direct investment.
- Brazil already bars virtual assets from settling payments through regulated foreign exchange channels while allowing crypto trading and stablecoin use outside that framework.
- Dollar backed stablecoins continue to account for a large share of Brazil’s crypto activity even as regulators tighten oversight of the sector.
According to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) latest Financial System Stability Assessment, Brazil’s crypto asset market has expanded rapidly since 2017, with U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins becoming a major part of that growth.
The report says cross-border crypto transactions have increased faster than conventional capital flows and now require closer regulatory attention because of their growing links with the country’s financial system.
The assessment says stablecoin purchases respond much more strongly to global financial shocks than traditional portfolio investment or foreign direct investment.
Based on the IMF’s analysis, purchases of dollar-backed stablecoins are two to three times more sensitive to external market events, raising concerns over how quickly international volatility could spread through crypto markets.
Brazil’s stablecoin market has drawn IMF attention
Brazil has emerged as one of the world’s more active crypto markets, with stablecoins accounting for a significant share of digital asset activity. The IMF said the country’s crypto ecosystem has become increasingly connected with the traditional financial sector, making regulatory oversight more important as adoption continues to rise.
The report acknowledges that Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) has already introduced measures to regulate crypto asset service providers. Even so, the IMF said several areas still need stronger rules, including customer asset protection, stablecoin issuance requirements, and compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) standards.
While discussing financial stability risks, the IMF did not call for restrictions on stablecoins. Instead, it recommended strengthening the regulatory framework as crypto markets become more integrated with existing payment and financial infrastructure.
Cross-border crypto flows have grown faster than traditional capital
One of the report’s central findings is the pace at which crypto is moving across borders. According to the IMF, cross-border crypto flows have increased steadily over recent years and are now expanding faster than conventional international capital movements.
The assessment says stablecoin transactions react more sharply during periods of global market stress than portfolio investment or foreign direct investment. Such sensitivity, the IMF said, could make capital movements through crypto markets more volatile during external financial shocks.
The institution linked those risks to the growing use of dollar-backed stablecoins, which continue to dominate Brazil’s crypto market. Earlier comments from BCB Governor Gabriel Galípolo have also pointed to stablecoins accounting for about 90% of the country’s reported crypto flows, with regulators monitoring possible tax, money laundering and reserve-related risks.
Existing rules already separate crypto from regulated payment channels
The IMF’s recommendations come after Brazil introduced new rules governing how digital assets interact with the country’s regulated foreign exchange system.
In April, Banco Central do Brasil published Resolution BCB No. 561, which amended regulations for electronic foreign exchange (eFX) providers. Under the updated framework, payments and receipts between regulated eFX providers and foreign counterparties must be completed through foreign exchange transactions or movements in non-resident Brazilian real accounts.
The regulation also prohibits the use of virtual assets to settle transactions inside those supervised cross-border payment channels. At the same time, the measure does not prohibit crypto trading or stablecoin transfers more broadly. Instead, it separates regulated international settlement from private crypto activity conducted through exchanges, wallets and other digital asset services.
Transitional provisions allow firms that have not yet received authorization as eFX providers to continue operating if they apply for central bank approval before May 31, 2027. Those firms must still comply with the same settlement restrictions during the transition period.
Earlier regulatory proposals have also examined stablecoins issued outside the central bank’s supervision. In technical comments submitted to Brazil’s Congress, the BCB warned that offshore-issued stablecoins, particularly real-denominated tokens beyond its oversight, could raise concerns around monetary sovereignty, regulatory consistency and capital flows.
Stablecoins remain central to Brazil’s payment landscape
Regulatory scrutiny has increased even as stablecoins continue gaining ground alongside Brazil’s domestic payment infrastructure.
Recent reporting by crypto.news showed that Tether-backed payment platform Oobit integrated Pix, allowing users to deposit Brazilian reais, hold USDT and complete payments through Pix keys or QR codes. The development illustrates how dollar-backed stablecoins can operate alongside Brazil’s widely used instant payment system without replacing it.
The latest IMF assessment also arrives shortly after trade tensions between Brazil and the United States brought the country’s payment ecosystem into focus.
A Section 301 investigation by the Office of the United States Trade Representative cited Brazil’s Pix payment system among several practices considered unfair to U.S. electronic payment companies, although the resulting 25% tariffs targeted Brazilian imports rather than the payment network itself.