Five more firms apply for crypto licence from Brazil's central bank, list grows to 22

The race for authorisation to operate with cryptocurrencies in Brazil gained five more participants on Wednesday (28). Avenia, Liqi, Bloquo, Nonco and Lumx confirmed licence applications to Brazil's central bank, the Banco Central do Brasil, bringing to 22 the number of companies identified in a survey of the sector's regulatory processes, two days ahead of the regulator's final deadline.

Unlike large exchanges such as Mercado Bitcoin and Binance, which serve investors directly interested in trading Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, the five companies operate mainly in digital asset infrastructure, international payments and financial services for businesses, with the exception of Avenia, which is the issuer of the BRLA stablecoin.

According to the survey, the 22 cases include publicly announced authorisation requests, processes identified in the central bank's records, and a notification of activities filed by Itaú. The total also includes one application that has already been rejected by the regulator.

This does not mean, therefore, that 22 companies have already received a licence, nor does it necessarily represent the total number of applications filed with the central bank.

The new rules, published in November 2025, require firms providing virtual asset services to meet requirements on capital, governance, cybersecurity, internal controls and anti-money-laundering measures.

The deadline for institutions already operating in Brazil to submit the first stage of their authorisation applications ends this Friday (30). Companies that meet the conditions of the transition regime will be able to keep operating while they await the central bank's assessment.

The first of the companies is Avenia, which issues the BRLA stablecoin. The firm is seeking to operate in custody and intermediation of cryptocurrencies, as well as to obtain the authorisations needed to offer foreign exchange services and payment accounts.

The company has issued BRLA, a cryptocurrency that seeks to maintain parity with the Brazilian real, since 2023. It also develops international payment solutions using stablecoins for companies operating in Latin America.

According to Avenia, the application is part of a compliance process that began before the publication of the central bank's new rules, focused on requirements relating to capital, governance and anti-money-laundering measures.

"We are advancing a regulatory structuring process that began even before the publication of the new rules for the sector. From the start, our goal has been to develop a payments infrastructure based on digital assets, with governance, security and compliance," said Hector Fardin, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Avenia.

The executive added that the application represents a further step in the company's strategy to continue operating in the Brazilian market. Avenia said there would be no immediate changes to the services offered to clients and partners.

Liqi and Bloquo join the race for a crypto licence

Liqi, a Brazilian company specialising in tokenisation and blockchain infrastructure, confirmed that it has filed its authorisation application under the category of virtual asset intermediary.

The application was filed through Liqi Sociedade Prestadora de Serviços de Ativos Virtuais S.A., which is responsible for the purchase, sale and exchange of cryptocurrencies on behalf of clients.

The company develops Crypto as a Service solutions, a model that allows banks and other companies to offer digital asset services using outsourced technology infrastructure.

According to Daniel Coquieri, CEO and co-founder of Liqi, the company already supplies technology to institutions including Itaú, Avenue, Méliuz and Porto Bank. "Liqi's authorisation application to the central bank is a continuation of that story, now within the regulatory perimeter," the executive said.

Another company that confirmed its application was Bloquo, which filed on 26 October. The firm intends to operate under the category of virtual asset exchange, which covers intermediation and custody of cryptocurrencies.

Its business is focused on stablecoin-based financial solutions, including international payments, foreign exchange operations and liquidity provision for companies.

Carlos Russo, CEO and co-founder of Bloquo, said the company had built its structure with the regulatory requirements being discussed in Brazil in mind.

"From the outset, we developed innovative, pioneering products with reference to the new regulatory framework that was taking shape for international payments and foreign exchange operations with stablecoins," he said.

Nonco and Lumx also apply for authorisation from the central bank

Nonco, a company specialising in institutional cryptocurrency trading, also confirmed that it has filed its authorisation application.

The company offers buying and selling services for digital assets to financial institutions and other businesses, including over-the-counter (OTC) operations and liquidity provision.

Among its solutions is an infrastructure that uses blockchain to facilitate international operations involving traditional currencies and stablecoins.

In Brazil, Nonco operates through Nonco Serviços Digitais Ltda., based in São Paulo. The company did not disclose which authorisation category it applied for or the number of the process filed with the central bank.

Lumx, which develops infrastructure for international stablecoin payments, confirmed the filing of its application after roughly two years of regulatory preparation.

The company provides technology that allows fintechs and financial institutions to carry out international transfers using digital assets, connecting traditional financial systems to blockchain.

"After two years of building, this week we reached an important milestone: the filing of Lumx's authorisation application with Brazil's central bank," said Luana Peterle, partner and head of legal and compliance at the company. In its regulatory filing, Lumx states that it is seeking classification as a virtual asset intermediary.

The five announcements add to applications disclosed recently by Mercado Bitcoin, Binance, Ripio, Bybit and OKX, among other companies.

With the 30 October deadline approaching, further companies may disclose their applications in the coming days. Submitting the documentation is only the start of the process, which will still depend on the central bank's assessment before definitive licences are granted.

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