Brazil Central Bank Proposes 24-Hour Hold On Large Stablecoin Transfers

Brazil’s central bank has proposed a 24-hour preventive hold on certain large virtual-asset transfers, adding new friction to stablecoin flows that move out of regulated platforms or into self-custody.

The rule would apply when transactions involving virtual assets have a destination abroad or go to self-custody wallets. The threshold is the equivalent of US$10,000, either in a single transaction or through the total amount moved by the same client on the same day.

The hold is designed to give virtual asset service providers more time to assess risk before completing the transfer. Firms would need to review the client’s risk profile, the transaction or service, the counterparty and the jurisdiction where the destination entity is based.

The proposal does not create a permanent freeze. Transfers could be released before 24 hours if the provider’s internal risk policies, strategy and controls allow the operation to clear earlier.

Stablecoin Payments Face More Compliance Friction

The measure would hit one of stablecoins’ strongest use cases: fast, cross-border dollar movement outside bank hours. Brazil has already been one of the most important Latin American markets for dollar-linked tokens, with stablecoins used for treasury movement, offshore payments, savings access and crypto trading liquidity.

The proposal follows Brazil’s earlier move to keep crypto out of regulated cross-border payment settlement. That rule barred virtual assets from serving as the settlement route inside the country’s eFX framework, forcing regulated international payment providers back through approved foreign-exchange rails.

The new hold targets a different part of the flow. Instead of limiting how eFX providers settle with foreign counterparties, it gives Brazilian crypto providers a temporary review window before large assets leave the regulated environment.

That makes self-custody and foreign-platform transfers the main focus. Once funds move to an external wallet or offshore service provider, domestic intermediaries have less control over reversals, recovery, fraud response and post-transfer monitoring.

Comment Deadline Comes Before October Start

The proposal is part of a planned change to Resolution BCB No. 142 of 2021, which deals with procedures and controls for fraud prevention. The central bank also wants virtual-asset service providers to keep daily records of fraud and attempted fraud involving crypto services.

The BCB presentation ties the change to financial-system resilience, cybersecurity and misuse of virtual assets to disperse funds. It also cites international examples, including Singapore’s payment-fraud controls and South Korea’s 2026 regulatory agenda for transfers involving domestic VASPs, self-custody wallets and foreign platforms.

The policy direction fits a wider global shift toward treating stablecoins as regulated payment and compliance infrastructure rather than only crypto trading balances. Recent U.S. proposals have also moved stablecoin issuers toward stricter KYC obligations, while global central-bank research increasingly links dollar stablecoins to wider dollar dominance.