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A leading payments industry news source for more than 17 years. Glenbrook curates the news and keeps you abreast of the important daily headlines in payments.
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November 20, 2025
On the web
Central Bank of Brazil Clarifies Rules for Rejecting Transactions Suspected of Fraud
Finsiders Brasil
"The Central Bank [of Brazil] published clarifications regarding the rejection of payment transactions whose recipients are accounts identified as having " founded suspicion of involvement in fraud. According to Communiqué No. 44,253, the responsibility for rejecting suspicious transactions does not lie solely with the institutions where the funds ended up. "Sending institutions must also reject the transfer of funds to the recipient account if there is a well-founded suspicion of fraud," the text states."
November 18, 2025
On the web
Brazil Eyes Taxing Crypto for Cross-Border Payments, Sources Say
Reuters
"Brazil is looking at taxing the use of cryptocurrencies for international payments, two officials with direct knowledge of the discussions told Reuters, closing a loophole in the country's usual levy on foreign-exchange transactions. One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity about the confidential talks, said the Finance Ministry is looking at expanding its financial transaction tax (IOF) to some cross-border transfers using virtual assets and stablecoins that the central bank classified this month as forex operations."
November 17, 2025
On the wires
Pix to Approach 8 Billion Monthly Transactions as It Marks Five-Year Milestone, Ebanx Study Finds
GlobalNewswire
"Marking its fifth anniversary on November 16, Brazil’s instant payment system, Pix, is on course to surpass seven billion monthly transactions for the first time, potentially reaching 7.9 billion in December. In this month, holiday shopping typically drives peak volumes—an expected 15% increase from September. This growth is expected to push Pix’s total transaction volume in 2025 to USD 6.7 trillion. No other instant payment system worldwide has achieved this milestone so quickly—not even India’s real-time payment method, UPI."
October 23, 2025
On the web
Brazil Shelves Digital Currency—for Now
Funds Society
"After two phases (which involved several banks and consortia), the Drex project was rolled back and will now launch in 2026, in an initial version without blockchain, focused on infrastructure for reconciling credit liens—that is, systems to centralize records and legal restrictions affecting assets used as collateral in financial operations."
October 22, 2025
On the web
New Hacker Attack via Pix Hits Tech Company and Could Reach R$40 Million
Finsiders Brasil
"Fraudsters hacked into the systems of Diletta, a company specializing in white-label software for the financial sector; FictorPay was one of the affected institutions."
October 17, 2025
On the web
Banks Will Have to Reject Transfers and Payments to Accounts Suspected of Fraud; Rule Is Now in Effect and Changes Pix Security [Brazil]
CPG Click Petróleo e Gás
"In September 2025, the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) required banks, fintechs and digital wallets to automatically reject payments and transfers to accounts classified as suspected of fraud. The regulation is already in force and marks a new stage in the security policy of the national financial system. Each financial institution is now obliged to integrate its monitoring systems with the central register of suspicious accounts maintained by the Central Bank."
October 3, 2025
On the web
Hacker Attacks Force Central Bank to Curb Pix Innovations
Finsiders Brasil
"Recent hacker attacks have led the Central Bank ( BC ) to slow down Pix's innovation agenda and adjust its priority agenda. At the top of the list now is the "regulation of intermediaries" in the instant payment system. Initiatives such as Pix Installments , MED 2.0 , and hybrid billing (" bolepix ") continue to advance in the coming months. However, the regulator is postponing the development of solutions such as Pix as collateral and Pix duplicate payments until the 2026/27 biennium."
October 1, 2025
On the web
Pix Will Have a “Dispute Button” for Cases of Scams and Fraud
Finsiders Brasil
"Amid the rise in scams and fraud, Pix continues to evolve on the security front. Starting this Wednesday (October 1st), Brazilians will have access to the " dispute button " in the apps of the financial institutions where they hold accounts. The feature, known in the market as the Special Return Mechanism ( MED ) self-service, will allow users to dispute transactions in cases of fraud , scam, or coercion."
September 24, 2025
On the wires
EBANX Enables Pix Recurring Payments for Hotmart, Leading to a 32-Point Retention Increase
PR Newswire
"Hotmart, a global technology company and leader in digital business in the Creator Economy, announced strong performance results following the adoption of Pix Automático, Brazil's new recurring feature within the real-time payment system Pix. Integrated through EBANX, a global fintech specializing in payments for emerging markets, Pix Automático has been live on the Hotmart platform since June 16, the first day of the feature's operations."
September 8, 2025
On the web
Central Bank Flags Security Gaps in Payment System After Hacks [Brazil]
Valor International
"Brazil’s Central Bank has completed an investigation into the vulnerabilities that enabled three hacker attacks on institutions operating at the core of Pix, the country’s instant payment platform. It is now preparing a set of measures to prevent further criminal incursions. The issues were found in three main areas: payment institutions operating without prior authorization from the Central Bank; weaknesses at IT service providers, known as PSTIs, that connect smaller banks to the payment system; and the use of pooled accounts, where client funds are moved without individual identification."
August 25, 2025
On the web
'New Voucher Track': The Transformation of Corporate Benefits [Brazil]
Finsiders Brasil
"Since August 1st, the Brazilian corporate benefits market has entered a new phase with the implementation of the so-called 'new voucher rail ." This model broke with the traditional logic of closed networks and established a system of open arrangements. Under this model, issuers and acquirers must interoperate. This is a milestone that promotes a more integrated, competitive, and innovation-friendly ecosystem, structurally changing the dynamics of the sector."
August 21, 2025
Top Post
Pix Under Fire: U.S. Challenges Brazil’s State-Led Payment Revolution
The Rio Times
"The United States Trade Representative (USTR) launched an investigation in July 2025 into Brazil’s fast-growing payment system Pix. Washington acts on complaints from the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), a group representing major U.S. technology and financial firms. The ITI argues that Brazil’s central bank plays a double role by both regulating and running Pix, creating unfair competition for private players."
August 15, 2025
On the web
Central Bank of Brazil Has a Plan to Migrate Companies From Ted [Transfers] to Pix
Finsiders Brasil
"Pix quickly became popular for transfers between individuals. It's expected to gain traction in payments between individuals and businesses with this year's launches—Pix by Contactless and Pix Automatic...Among the security initiatives, MED 2.0 will go live in early 2026. MED stands for Special Return Mechanism, a tool created by the Central Bank to facilitate the return of funds transferred via Pix in proven cases of fraud."
August 13, 2025
On the web
Brazil’s Drex CBDC Project Pivots Away From Blockchain, Tokenization
Ledger Insights
"DREX was always part of an open finance push by the Banco Central do Brasil, and it will remain so. But the focus of the next phase of work is now far narrower – for brokers to enable clients to use assets – stocks, bonds and others – as loan collateral. So it’s now a lien reconciliation project that will use neither blockchain nor decentralization technologies, but will integrate with PIX, Brazil’s successful retail instant payment system."
August 11, 2025
On the wires
Stripe Users Can Now Accept Pix in Brazil via Ebanx
PR Newswire
"EBANX, a global technology company specializing in payment services for emerging markets, has deepened its four-year partnership with programmable financial services company Stripe to expand coverage of Brazilian payment methods worldwide. Businesses on Stripe can now offer Pix, the popular instant payment method developed by the Central Bank of Brazil."
August 7, 2025
On the web
Pix Did Not ‘Cannibalize’ Cards, Says BC President
Finsiders Brasil
"The most widely used payment method in Brazil, Pix cannot be considered a rival to cards, nor has it "cannibalized" them. Quite the contrary: the banking and financial inclusion enabled by the instant payment system have contributed to a surge in annual growth in transactions with debit, credit, and prepaid cards."
dlocal Revolutionizes Pix Payments in Brazil With Smartpix, Enabling Unique ‘Pix on File'
dLocal
"dLocal, the leading cross-border payment platform specialized in emerging markets, announced the launch of SmartPix, a groundbreaking payment solution that enables merchants in Brazil to process tokenized Pix payments, including recurring and on-demand charges, without requiring customers to manually authorize each transaction."
July 30, 2025
On the web
Boku Secures Payment Institution License by Central Bank of Brazil
FX News Group
"Payment solutions provider Boku has been granted a Payment Institution license by the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB). This authorisation enables Boku to operate as a Payment Initiator and E-money Issuer, positioning the company to participate in Brazil’s evolving Open Finance ecosystem as a Payment Initiator Service Provider (PISP) – a key step toward enabling seamless Pix payments without redirection (JSR). With this licence, Boku is on track to make Pix Automático available to merchants in early 2026."
July 25, 2025
On the web
Central Bank Tightens Security Rules for Pix, Its Instant Payment System
Valor International
"Brazil’s Central Bank has introduced new regulations to enhance security in Pix, the country’s widely used instant payment system. Under the new rules, banks and financial institutions must remove Pix keys (unique identifiers used for transactions) associated with individuals and businesses whose tax records are not in good standing with the Federal Revenue Service."
July 17, 2025
On the web
Pix Drives Sharp Decline in Cash Use in Brazil
Valor International
"Fewer Brazilians are using physical cash for payments as the country embraces what Google calls the “Cashless Era,” marked by a decisive shift from paper currency to digital transactions, according to the study Payments in Transformation: From Cash to Code. Regarding how Pix is used, 76% have used it for direct transfers, 75% for QR code payments, and 37% for contactless transactions."
June 12, 2025
On the web
Central Bank of Brazil Hints at Credit-Focused CBDC Pilot Phase
Bitcoin News
"The third phase of the CBDC pilot will involve implementing tokenization solutions that allow customers to provide banks with visibility into their collateral assets in Brazil. The drex pilot, currently in its second phase, has encountered issues that impact its viability. Its main roadblock has been the lack of a privacy solution that fulfills all the requirements the bank needs to apply bank secrecy-like laws to drex transactions, meaning that transactions must be obfuscated from third parties but visible for regulators."
June 9, 2025
On the web
Automatic Pix: BC Publishes Rules to Prevent Corporate Fraud
Finsiders Brasil
"The Central Bank (BC) published a set of rules to reinforce security in Automatic Pix , a modality aimed at recurring transactions that will be launched on June 16. One of the measures, for example, is that only companies with an active CNPJ for at least six months will be able to receive payments via Automatic Pix. Payment service providers must also verify the “reliability” of client companies, in order to prevent fraud."
June 5, 2025
On the web
Netflix, Amazon, Globoplay, OLX and Others Are ‘Pioneers’ in Automatic Pix
Finsiders Brasil
"On June 16, Automatic Pix will debut with eight companies selected by the Central Bank (BC), a group called “Pioneers”: Amazon, Globoplay, Grupo OLX, Cemig, Disney+, Netflix, Spotify and Visão Prev. The new feature was designed to replace or compete with recurring payments made today using credit cards, bank slips or direct debit, but with greater security, reach and fluidity."
Brazil’s Payment Revolution Accelerates: Pix Automático Launches
MEF
"Brazil’s payment landscape is evolving yet again with the launch this month of PIX Automático. With PIX already transforming how individuals and businesses transact, the addition of automation has major implications for the mobile ecosystem. In this post, MEF CEO Dario Betti explores how enabling automated recurring payments marks the next phase in Brazil’s instant payments journey and may impact stakeholders."
May 29, 2025
On the web
BS2 Buys Fintech Platform to Advance With “International Pix”
Finsiders Brasil
"BS2 , a digital bank focused on companies, wants to move forward with an “international Pix” solution this year. To this end, the Minas Gerais-based institution is purchasing VoucherPay , a platform that allows Brazilians to pay for purchases abroad with Pix or credit card in installments in reais."
May 22, 2025
On the wires
Binance Pay Integrates With Pix, Enabling Instant Crypto-Powered Payments in Brazilian Reais Across Brazil
PR Newswire
"Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency platform by trading volume and number of users, has integrated its payment solution, Binance Pay, with Brazil's Pix system to enable instant payments in the local currency using cryptocurrencies and transfers to any individual or merchant across Latin America's largest country."
May 15, 2025
On the web
Streaming Services Have a “Huge Appetite” for Automatic Pix, Says BC
Finsiders Brasil
"With its launch confirmed for June 16, Automatic Pix has already been attracting interest from large companies, including some of the largest streaming services operating in Brazil. The new method, which has been undergoing approval testing since the end of April, is designed to facilitate recurring payments, such as utility bills, subscription plans, school fees, and more."
May 13, 2025
Top Post
‘It Is Not Illegal to Charge Fees,’ Apple Tells Brazilian Regulator on NFC Probe
9 to 5 Mac
"Apple Pay and the iPhone’s NFC sensor have long been the subject of disputes around the globe. Last year, the European Commission compelled Apple to grant developers access to the NFC reader, and more recently, the company expanded this access in other regions due to increasing regulatory pressure. Now, a national payment system in Brazil has a regulatory body taking an even closer look at the iPhone’s NFC, and it appears the company isn’t willing to budge."
May 9, 2025
On the web
Brazil’s Central Bank Presents Regulatory Priorities for 2025 and 2026
Mattos Filho
"On April 24, 2025, the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) announced its list of regulatory priorities for 2025 and 2026. The main topics include the evolution of Open Finance, virtual asset regulations, monitoring artificial intelligence usage, and the expansion of Pix's functionalities."
May 7, 2025
On the web
Central Bank of Brazil Publishes New Rules for the Operation of Automatic Pix
Finsiders Brasil
"In recent days, the Central Bank (BC) published new rules for the operation of Automatic Pix . The measures include, for example, a longer period for financial institutions that serve companies to stop offering the modality. With its launch confirmed for June 16, Automatic Pix entered the testing phase."
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