Brazil's Pix Opens to Crypto via Binance Pay
Hey Payments Fanatic!
Today, I bring you something that, not long ago, might have seemed far off. Two institutions that couldn’t be more different in origin, Pix, the instant payment platform developed by Brazil’s Central Bank, and Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by users, are now working together.
Of course, it’s becoming more common to see partnerships between crypto and traditional finance, sometimes through joint ventures, sometimes by one stepping into the other’s space. But a direct integration between a state-backed payment network and a global crypto platform still feels like new ground.
Binance Pay is now officially integrated with Pix. This means users in Brazil can make real-time payments in Brazilian reais using over 100 supported cryptocurrencies. Rather than making crypto trading more accessible, the aim here is to make crypto payments feel as intuitive and immediate as fiat. For Binance, it marks a major step. “It is the first time Binance Pay is integrated into a national payment system,” said Guilherme Nazar, Binance’s Regional VP for Latin America.
Brazil ranks as the 6th-largest crypto market in the world. A recent survey by Instituto Locomotiva for Binance shows that 42% of Brazilian investors already own crypto. Interestingly, that is the same percentage as those who invest in stocks or mutual funds.
What’s next? Will Binance Pay integrate with UPI in India?
Read more global payment industry updates below👇 and I'll be back with more tomorrow!
Cheers,
PAYMENTS NEWS
🇺🇸 Airwallex raises $300 million at a $6.2 billion valuation to build the future of global banking. Airwallex will use the additional capital to expand its global infrastructure into new markets and continue refining and scaling the software that empowers businesses to operate anywhere, anytime.
🇺🇸 Block leans into lending after winning direct loans approval. The company has extended nearly $15 billion worth of short-term credit across over 9 million Cash App active accounts through its product Borrow, and over $22 billion worth of small business financing through Square Loans.
🇺🇸 Google introduced a new shopping experience in AI Mode. The new shopping experience combines Gemini’s capabilities with the Shopping Graph to assist users in browsing for inspiration, considering their options, and narrowing down product choices. The Shopping Graph now includes over 50 billion product listings.
🇬🇧 Worldpay collaborates with Yabie to power Worldpay 360: a modern payments solution for UK SMBs. The UK collaboration will help deliver streamlined, user-friendly solutions to independent businesses looking for a payments system that can enhance customer experiences and empower their business.
🇨🇴 Colombia to issue first CBDC on Cosmos. The initiative seeks to modernize cross-border settlements by leveraging the efficiency of programmable money without compromising institutional security. A CBDC is a digital form of a country’s sovereign money, issued and regulated by its central bank.
🇺🇸 Blooms raises $2.6m in seed funding. The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its development efforts. Led by Francisco Meré, Blooms focuses on AI-driven trade finance, payments, and FX solutions for Latin American produce exporters supplying the US and Canadian markets.
🇩🇪 German FinTech startup Aufinity Group raises €23 million to innovate payments in the automotive sector. With this funding round, the group is setting its sights on accelerating growth across Europe. By forming new strategic partnerships with leading OEMs and maintaining a strong focus on dealerships.
🇧🇷 Juspay expands to Brazil and establishes its first hub in Latin America. This marks a significant milestone in the company's international expansion, since it is the first official effort to acquire a solid customer base in the country as well as in Latin America.
🇺🇸 Visa announces the general availability of Visa AR Manager in the U.S. It is designed to grow and maintain existing card volume by automating the virtual card transaction process, addressing a significant pain point for suppliers accepting commercial credentials. Meanwhile, Visa launches commercial integrated partners to turbo-charge the FinTech ecosystem. The new program is designed to improve connectivity between FinTechs and Visa Commercial products through its commercial platform.
🇸🇦 Mastercard launches Cyber Resilience Center in Saudi Arabia. The initiative brings together key players from the financial sector to foster collaboration and support shared goals in building a secure commerce and payment ecosystem in the Kingdom.
🇦🇪 FAB pilots virtual B2B card solution with Oracle and Mastercard. The new system is intended to address long-standing inefficiencies in corporate payment processes, such as manual data entry, disjointed workflows, and limited financial visibility.
🇺🇸 Circle Payments Network (CPN) mainnet is officially live, with a growing roster of financial institutions now moving value globally using this new network and coordination protocol. CPN delivers a significant software upgrade for global payments while enabling innovation to flourish.
GOLDEN NUGGET
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 (𝐂𝐏𝐍) — orchestrating 𝐅𝐈𝐀𝐓, 𝐔𝐒𝐃𝐂 & other Payment 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐬 🌐 Created by Arthur Bedel
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 is the Circle 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤?
► The Circle Payments Network (hashtag#CPN) is a programmable, compliant, and seamless infrastructure that enables global money movement using FIAT, USDC, and regulated stablecoins.
► It acts as a coordination protocol, not a fund transferor, connecting financial institutions (banks, PSPs, fintechs) for real-time, low-cost, borderless payments via open blockchain networks.
► Built for businesses, individuals, and institutions, it leverages smart contracts, APIs, and SDKs to streamline cross-border transactions while maintaining regulatory compliance (AML/CFT, FATF).
Other 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 in this new blockchain-payment wave:
► Dfns → Digital Wallet Infrastructure
► Lightspark → Open protocol for money
► ZeroHash Technology → Blockchain Payments Infrastructure
► Mural Pay → Stablecoins Payments
► Lyzi → Online & In-store Crypto Payments
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 & 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐏𝐍
► CPN envisions a global, always-on payment layer, replacing fragmented and costly legacy systems (Swift, ACH).
► It eliminates intermediaries, reduces FX costs, and enables programmable money.
► Through regulated stablecoins like USDC and EURC, CPN ensures stable, interoperable, and transparent transactions.
𝐂𝐏𝐍 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 — Business, Consumer & Institutional 🌍
𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
► Supplier Payments → Fast cross-border payments (Mexico to Germany).
► Payroll → Instant salary disbursements for global teams.
► Retail & Trade Finance → Faster settlements, lower risks.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
► Remittances → Lower fees, near-instant transfers (US to Philippines).
► E-commerce → Global reach with efficient FX conversion.
► Micropayments & Subscriptions → Enable real-time, low-value transactions.
𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
► Capital Markets → Faster settlement, reduced counterparty risks.
► Treasury & FX → Streamlined fund repatriation, competitive FX.
► DeFi Integrations → On-chain lending, borrowing, saving.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 — Simplified:
1️⃣ Sender (e.g., USA) → Converts USD to USDC via an Originating Financial Institution (OFI).
2️⃣ CPN connects to a Beneficiary Financial Institution (BFI) (e.g. Philippines).
3️⃣ BFI → Converts USDC to local fiat (PHP), delivers to the receiver.
4️⃣ Settlement → Smart contract orchestration for compliance, efficiency, and speed.
Source: Circle Payments Network
Want your message in front of 100.000+ FinTech fanatics, founders, investors, and operators?
Shoot me a message on LinkedIn or send me an e-mail.
Comments ()