Brazil’s largest exchange triples down on crypto with new trading options

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Published 11 Feb 2025

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Brazil’s main stock exchange, B3, will soon allow investors to trade more types of cryptocurrency products. According to local news outlet Valor Investe, B3 plans to add Bitcoin options alongside Ethereum and Solana futures trading.

B3’s Bitcoin futures first launched in April 2023. Now, it generates monthly trading volumes of R$5 billion ($860 million), according to local news outlet Valor Investe. This success has prompted the exchange to broaden its cryptocurrency offerings.

    “We plan to launch crypto derivatives by year-end,” said B3’s CFO Andre Milanez during a press event. The exchange, which processes most of Brazil’s stock, bond, and commodity trades, aims to meet the rising demand for regulated cryptocurrency investments.

    Regular crypto exchanges in Brazil handled R$6.66 billion worth of trades in January, according to Biscoint. Many Brazilians see digital money as a way to protect their savings when the country’s currency loses value.

    Brazil’s central bank has vowed to tighten oversight of crypto platforms amid crypto growth and adoption nationwide. Central Bank President Gabriel Galipolo noted the surge in cryptocurrency transactions. Stablecoins account for 90% of crypto activity in Brazil, which he emphasizes “maintains some kind of opaque vision for taxation or for money laundering.”

    B3 broke new ground last August when Brazil approved the world’s first Solana spot ETF. The fund tracks Solana’s value using the Chicago Mercantile Exchange price data. In December, the exchange upgraded its trading system to use blockchain technology, allowing market participants to see their transactions almost instantly.

    The exchange supports over twenty cryptocurrency tokens through its digital asset division, B3 Digitas. The division also tests Brazil’s upcoming central bank digital currency, Drex, exploring its use in digital bonds and car loans. Drex aims to lower borrowing costs and speed up bank transfers using blockchain.

    This expansion of regulated crypto trading products positions Brazil as a key player in South America’s digital asset market, balancing innovation with regulatory oversight.