The banking giant is advancing at the pace of the law to capture the institutional segment in the region.
Brazil’s regulation could lean toward strict restrictions like the European MiCA model.
For years, the relationship between traditional banking and the cryptoasset ecosystem was marked by a cautious distance and strict regulatory rigor. However, that border is blurring as Bradesco, a financial giant that manages one of the largest banking networks in Brazil, formalizes its infrastructure in this sector.
The entity confirmed this May 14, 2026 that, now prepares a digital asset custody servicea movement that responds to the need to offer a regulated environment for an asset class that is no longer alien to the balance sheets of large investors.
This transition is the result of more than a decade of research in cryptocurrency networks that is now translated into an operational structure, as detailed by Renata Petrovic, head of innovation at the bank, during the Blockchain.Rio 2026 event.
According to Petrovic, the project is designed to offer security across “the entire spectrum” of digital assets, spanning from cryptocurrencies and stablecoins to the tokenization of real financial assets. To achieve this, the bank consolidated an alliance with an external technological partner, whose identity remains confidential while the implementation protocols are refined.
Bitcoin custody between control and compliance
The operational viability of this infrastructure depends on the bank’s ability to integrate cryptoassets into current supervision protocols. For this reason, the entity decided to integrate Chainalysis tools for data tracking and monitoring the origin and destination of funds in the blockchain. In the banking environment, this level of transparency is the minimum requirement for prevent money laundering and comply with the requirements of international regulators.
This monitoring and analysis system is what enables compliance with the Travel Rulethe international regulation that obliges financial institutions and digital asset service providers to fully identify the originator and beneficiary of each transfer, accompanying the data throughout the entire operation.
In this sense, Bradesco opts for this exhaustive control strategy to ensure that its digital services remain within the margins of legal security required by the Brazilian authorities. Thus preventing the assets in their custody from being compromised by illicit activities.
Nevertheless, The final deployment of these services will be conditioned by the evolution of the legal framework and the final approval of the competent authorities. This is taking into account that the financial institution’s plans coincide with a moment of regulatory tension in the country.
The offensive against stablecoins in Brazil
As CriptoNoticias recently reported, the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) formalized a recommendation to the National Congress to prohibit or severely restrict stablecoins issued by foreign companies that do not have local supervision, such as Tether (USDT) or Circle (USDC).
Additionally, the institution issued BCB Resolution No. 561 through which it prohibits the use of bitcoin, and any other digital asset, including stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies, in settlement with the international payment and transfer service known as eFX.
Therefore, Bradesco’s strategy of advancing “without getting ahead or falling behind” makes complete sense in this scenario. By developing institutional and local custody, The bank is positioned to offer an alternative that meets the requirements that the Central Bank demandsanticipating a possible liquidity gap if foreign stablecoins are banned.
This crossroads now shifts attention to the National Congress, which will determine whether Brazil opts for an exclusion policy or a strict authorization regime similar to the MiCA model in the European Union.
This European regulation, which came into force to organize the sector, demonstrated that regulating does not mean prohibiting. Instead of vetoing stablecoins, the EU required local licenses and audited reserves, forcing global issuers to integrate into the system or leave the market.
Now, for the Brazilian market, The bet is on the capacity of institutions to offer regulated channels that reconcile the need for State control with the demand for efficient digital tools by citizens.