Central Bank of Brazil: Stablecoins Dominate Over $6.9 Billion Crypto Purchases Registered in Q1

Key Takeaways:

• Brazil’s Central Bank reported a Q1 2026 crypto volume of $6.9B, with stablecoins driving 98% of trades.
• President Lula da Silva paused stablecoin taxes, boosting Brazil to TRM Labs’ 5th-largest global market.
• Fernando Rocha expects new crypto exchange regulations to yield more robust transaction data by H2 2026.

Brazilians Purchased $6.8 Billion Worth of Stablecoins in Q1

Stablecoins have become a stellar use case for cryptocurrency tech in Latam and around the world, and Brazil is one of the most relevant examples.

According to data revealed by the Central Bank of Brazil, the volume of cryptocurrency transacted during Q1 2026 reached $6.9 billion. This number more than doubled the volumes registered during Q1 2025, when Brazilians bought $6.9 billion between January and March 2026.

Of all this spending, over 98% comes from stablecoins, which have emerged as an alternative for payments and remittances and are not subject to financial taxes, unlike regular currencies. This means that $6.8 billion of the total volume corresponded to stablecoin purchases.

While the government planned to introduce financial taxes on stablecoins purchases and remittances, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has reportedly suspended this action to focus on the upcoming presidential elections.

According to Valor Econômico, the central bank’s head of statistics, Fernando Rocha, highlighted that due to the ongoing regulatory process for crypto exchanges, the bank expects to have a more accurate estimate of these volumes.

He stated:

The rise of stablecoins in Brazil has been exponential, pushing the country to the top spots in cryptocurrency adoption. According to TRM Labs, Brazil is currently the fifth-largest cryptocurrency market, just behind the U.S., South Korea, Russia, and India, registering $40.4 billion in retail volume during Q1 2026.

This popularity has led stablecoins to exit the cryptocurrency niche and be adopted in other sectors and industries, including B2B transactions. Most international travel agencies operating in Brazil have reportedly adopted stablecoins, and remittances using these assets are also surging.