Coinbase teams up with Brazilian central bank’s Pix to offer expanded services

Brazilians will have more options for trading in crypto and better customer service as the U.S.-based exchange partners with the popular instant payment app.

Coinbase is expanding its services in Brazil through partnerships with local services, the company announced March 21. Round-the-clock customer support in Portuguese and easier onboarding are among its upgrades.

Coinbase has inked deals with Brazilian payment solutions provider Ebanx and Pix, the instant payment app operated by the Central Bank of Brazil. The new partnerships will make it easier to purchase crypto using the Brazilian real, as well as enable deposits and withdrawals from Coinbase accounts in real. Brazilians will also have easier access to opening a Coinbase account.

Coinbase has had a presence in Brazil since 2021, when it established a tech hub there, according to its statement. It had 40 employees there by June 2022, when it announced the launching of services for the Brazilian public.

Its current Brazilian upgrades are part of a broader international expansion, the company said. It is also reportedly planning to set up an exchange platform outside the United States.

4/ Excited to announce #Coinbase expansion in #Brazil today! We’re integrating with Central Bank of Brazil’s Pix for seamless transactions, offering a fully localized app, and 24/7 support. We are also building for Brazil, from our tech hub in Brazil!https://t.co/gf53W1Ybzy

— Nana Murugesan (@NanaMurugesan) March 21, 2023

Brazil has the highest level of digital payment adoption in Latin America. Coinbase’s Brazilian expansion comes on the heels of a deal made in January between Binance and Mastercard to launch a prepaid crypto card in the country.

A regulatory framework for crypto is gradually emerging in Brazil. The Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission sought changes to proposed cryptocurrency regulation in September, reportedly because of uncertainty about whether crypto is a security or digital asset. That legislation has passed both houses of the Brazilian parliament and was signed into law in December. It is expected to come into force in June 2023.

Pix is a non-blockchain service established in 2020. All financial and payment services licensed by the Brazilian central bank are required to facilitate Pix transfers. It already has integrations with OKEx, Crypto.com, and LocalBitcoins.