In an effort to combat financial fraud, Brazil's central bank has mandated that cryptocurrency exchanges postpone certain customer transactions to international platforms and self-custody wallets for up to 24 hours.
This new regulation, set to take effect on January 1, 2027, is outlined in Resolution BCB No. 584/2026, which was published on August 7.
The rule specifically targets transfers that exceed $10,000, whether made in a single transaction or across multiple transactions in a single day. Additionally, smaller transactions may also experience delays if flagged as potentially risky by the exchanges.
The central bank has expressed concerns that cryptocurrencies, including stablecoins, are being used to facilitate the movement of funds acquired through fraudulent activities, often before victims or financial institutions can intervene.
While the 24-hour hold is not absolute, exchanges have the authority to release a transaction sooner if their risk assessment indicates no signs of illegality. They are required to document this decision and inform customers when a transaction is placed on hold.
This regulation also places a greater onus on exchanges to evaluate risks based on various factors, including the customer profile, transaction details, counterparty, and the destination jurisdiction.
Regina Pedroso, president of the Brazilian tokenization group Abtoken, has warned that this policy could lead to additional costs for legitimate users and may diminish the competitive edge of domestic exchanges, as reported by local news outlet Portal do Bitcoin.