Hassan Maishera
TL;DR
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Brazil will require crypto providers to hold certain transfers for 24 hours starting January 1, 2027.
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The rule applies when transfers to self-custody wallets or offshore crypto firms exceed $10,000 per transaction or in aggregate over one day.
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Providers may also hold smaller transactions when they detect signs of fraud.
Brazil’s central bank will require cryptocurrency companies to impose a 24-hour waiting period on certain customer transfers beginning January 1, 2027.
The requirement applies when users transfer crypto to self-custody wallets or offshore cryptocurrency service providers shortly after funding their accounts.
Under Resolution 584, crypto firms must delay transfers when a single transaction or a customer’s combined daily transactions exceed $10,000.
Smaller transfers may also be held if the provider’s risk-monitoring systems flag them as potentially suspicious.
Central Bank Introduces 24-Hour Fraud Review
The central bank described the waiting period as a precautionary measure intended to give providers additional time to assess possible fraud.
It is not designed to permanently freeze customers’ assets. Once the 24-hour period expires, the provider must either release the transfer immediately or reject it.
Crypto firms may approve a held transaction before the waiting period ends if they complete and document an appropriate review.
Providers must notify affected customers when a transfer is delayed. The notification must explain that the hold is precautionary and state how long it will remain in effect.
Before processing a flagged transaction, service providers will be expected to conduct a risk-based assessment.
The review must consider several factors, including:
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The customer’s risk profile
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The nature of the transaction or service
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The recipient or counterparty
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The jurisdiction in which the recipient is based
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Any indicators of fraud or suspicious activity
The rules apply to both traditional cryptocurrencies and stablecoins pegged to fiat currencies.
The inclusion of stablecoins is significant because they are widely used in Brazil for payments, trading, savings, and international transfers.
Brazil’s central bank may impose additional requirements on providers that fail to comply with the new framework.
Potential measures include ordering a company to hold transactions for longer than 24 hours, extending the requirement to transfers below the $10,000 threshold, or limiting its ability to release transactions before the waiting period ends.
These penalties give the central bank flexibility to introduce tougher controls based on a provider’s compliance history and fraud-prevention practices.
Regulation Expands Existing Fraud Controls to Crypto
Resolution 584 updates a 2021 fraud-prevention framework originally created for payment service providers.
The amended rules extend the framework to cryptocurrency activities and require companies to maintain detailed daily records of both successful and attempted fraud.
Providers must also document the preventive measures they use to identify and address fraudulent transactions.
The regulations will apply to financial institutions, payment institutions, and other cryptocurrency providers operating during Brazil’s regulatory transition period.
Brazil has spent the past year integrating cryptocurrency companies into the central bank’s existing financial regulatory system.
Rules that took effect in February require crypto service providers to obtain authorization and comply with governance, operational security, anti-money laundering, and counterterrorist financing standards.
An earlier regulatory framework also brought fiat-pegged stablecoin transactions and some international crypto transfers under Brazil’s foreign exchange regulations.
Together, the measures indicate that Brazil is treating crypto providers more like conventional financial institutions, particularly in areas involving fraud prevention, cross-border transfers, and customer protection.
Brazil Remains a Major Crypto Market
The stricter requirements arrive as Brazil maintains its position as one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency markets.
Brazil placed fifth in Chainalysis’ 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index. The country received approximately $318.8 billion in cryptocurrency between July 2024 and June 2025.
That figure represented nearly one-third of all crypto activity recorded across Latin America during the period.
The scale of the market has made crypto regulation an increasingly important priority for Brazilian authorities. While the new waiting period could slow some transfers, the central bank says it is intended to give providers time to detect fraud before funds leave the regulated financial system.
