Convert USDT to USD for Business in Brazil (2026)

Key takeaways

Since 2 February 2026, Resolution BCB 277, Article 76-A, as amended by Resolution BCB 521, prohibits providers from buying or selling virtual assets with payment or receipt in foreign currency.
Inside Brazil, stablecoins can be sold only for reais, and only through institutions the BCB authorizes for virtual asset services in the foreign exchange market.
International payments with stablecoins to counterparties that are not authorized exchange institutions are capped at US$100,000 for SPSAVs and US$500,000 for brokers and other listed institutions.
From 1 October 2026, Resolution BCB 561 prohibits eFX providers from using virtual assets to pay or receive with their counterparties abroad.
Moving a company's own stablecoins abroad is an international transfer with virtual assets, with a purpose code, counterparty details and monthly BCB reporting by the provider.
Stablecoins and dollars held abroad are Brazilian capital abroad under Resolution BCB 279, with an annual declaration at US$1 million or more on 31 December.

Can a Brazilian company convert USDT to USD? The 2026 rules

Brazil restricts this heavily. Since 2 February 2026, Resolution BCB 521 of the Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) has placed the purchase, sale and exchange of stablecoins inside the foreign exchange market, where only institutions the BCB authorizes may provide them, and it prohibits a provider from buying or selling virtual assets with payment or receipt in foreign currency. In plain terms: a Brazilian company cannot convert USDT or USDC into US dollars through a Brazilian provider. Inside Brazil, stablecoins can be sold only for reais.

The restrictions go further. An international payment or transfer with stablecoins is now a foreign exchange operation, with a purpose code, counterparty details and monthly reporting to the BCB. Where the counterparty abroad is not an authorized foreign exchange institution, such payments are capped at US$100,000 for a virtual asset service provider company and US$500,000 for brokers and the other institutions listed in the resolution. Payments for third parties are prohibited. And since 1 October 2026, Resolution BCB 561 has barred eFX providers, the regulated international payment services, from using virtual assets to pay or receive with their counterparties abroad.

Rule	What the BCB resolutions say	Source
Converting stablecoins to US dollars in Brazil	Prohibited: providers may not buy or sell virtual assets with payment or receipt in foreign currency	Res. 277, Art. 76-A, §2, as amended by Res. 521
Selling stablecoins for reais	A foreign exchange market service that only authorized institutions may provide	Res. 277, Art. 29, as amended by Res. 521
International payments with stablecoins	Foreign exchange operations; capped at US$100,000 (SPSAVs) or US$500,000 (brokers and other listed institutions) where the counterparty is not an authorized exchange institution	Res. 277, Art. 29, as amended by Res. 521
Payments for third parties	Prohibited, except where the provider serves an authorized exchange institution acting for its clients	Res. 277, Art. 76-A, §3
Transfers to or from self-custody wallets	The provider must identify the wallet owner and verify the origin and destination of the assets	Res. 277, Art. 76-A, §5
Client information	Purpose code for each payment, with US$50,000 as the threshold for the shorter code list, plus details of the payer or recipient abroad and the relationship to the client	Res. 277, Art. 76-C, from 4 May 2026
eFX providers	May not use virtual assets as the means of payment with the counterparty abroad	Res. 561, from 1 October 2026
Stablecoins and assets held abroad	Within the Brazilian capital abroad rules; annual declaration at US$1 million or more on 31 December	Res. 279, as amended by Res. 521

Sources: Banco Central do Brasil, Resolutions BCB 277, 279, 520, 521 and 561. As published on 29 October 2026.

USDT (issued by Tether) and USDC (issued by Circle) are stablecoins. Resolution BCB 520 defines a fiat-referenced virtual asset as one backed by reserve assets and created to keep its value linked to a reference currency, and requires providers to assess a stablecoin's reserves, issuer and price stabilization mechanism before offering it. An SPSAV (sociedade prestadora de serviços de ativos virtuais) is a virtual asset service provider company authorized under Resolution BCB 520. A self-custody wallet is a wallet whose keys the owner holds, rather than a provider.

What the rules mean for a business

The 2026 rules turn stablecoin conversion into a foreign exchange process, with the same paperwork and the same institutions as a wire. Four consequences matter most for an importer, exporter or service firm.

1. Dollars cannot come from a Brazilian stablecoin sale

Because Article 76-A, §2, prohibits buying or selling virtual assets against foreign currency, the only conversion a Brazilian provider can offer is stablecoin to reais. A company that wants dollars in Brazil must then buy them under a foreign exchange contract (contrato de câmbio), the record of one purchase or sale of foreign currency with an authorized institution. That is two conversions and two spreads.

2. Most companies cannot hold the dollars in Brazil anyway

Resolution BCB 575 opened foreign currency deposit accounts at Brazilian banks from 1 October 2026 to new groups, including companies that export goods. Their accounts may be credited only with export revenue and other amounts from abroad, and conversion to reais needs a foreign exchange contract. Dollars bought with reais from a stablecoin sale do not qualify. Service exporters and most other companies are not on the list at all.

3. Moving stablecoins abroad is an exchange operation

Sending the company's own USDT from a Brazilian provider to its account abroad is an international payment or transfer with virtual assets: the sending or receipt, to or from abroad, of virtual assets owned by the same person. The provider collects a purpose code and counterparty details, reports monthly to the BCB, and applies the Article 29 limits as it reads them. Ask the provider in writing how it applies the US$100,000 or US$500,000 cap to transfers to the company's own account abroad.

4. Holdings abroad are reported

Resolution BCB 279 treats deposits at institutions abroad as Brazilian capital abroad, and since 2 February 2026 virtual assets held abroad are covered too. A company with US$1 million or more abroad on 31 December files an annual declaration; US$100 million or more triggers quarterly declarations. Supporting documents are kept for 10 years.

For the full rules on dollar accounts for Brazilian companies, see our guide to a USD business account in Brazil.

The routes that remain open

The table sets out what a Brazilian company can still do with USDT or USDC under the 2026 rules. It is not a ranking.

Route	What you end up with	Rules that apply
Sell to an authorized provider in Brazil for reais	Reais in the company's account, paid by Pix or transfer	Foreign exchange market service under Res. 521; authorized institutions only
Sell for reais, then buy dollars under a foreign exchange contract	Dollars sent abroad, or held in Brazil only where the company qualifies under Res. 575	Two conversions; Res. 277 for the dollar purchase
Transfer the company's own stablecoins abroad through an authorized provider, then convert abroad	US dollars in an account abroad in the company's name	International transfer with virtual assets: purpose code, counterparty data, Art. 29 limits; Res. 279 declaration for holdings abroad
Receive stablecoins directly into an account abroad and convert there	US dollars in an account abroad in the company's name	Brazilian capital abroad under Res. 279; take advice on how export revenue is recorded
Convert through a Brazilian provider into US dollars	Not available	Prohibited by Res. 277, Art. 76-A, §2
Pay a remittance or eFX provider that settles abroad in stablecoins	Not available from 1 October 2026	Prohibited for eFX providers by Res. 561

Sources: Banco Central do Brasil, Resolutions BCB 277, 279, 521, 561 and 575. As published on 29 October 2026.

Pix is the BCB's instant payment system for reais. eFX is the BCB's term for international payment and transfer services provided under Resolution BCB 277, such as cross-border payment platforms. The Paypers reported that Resolution BCB 561 affects providers that had built stablecoin settlement into their flows, and that authorized virtual asset service providers can still use stablecoins for international payments under Resolution BCB 521.

Selling for reais in Brazil

This is the simplest route when the company's costs are in reais. Use an institution authorized under Resolution BCB 520 or listed in Article 29 of Resolution BCB 277. Compare the reais you receive with what a dollar wire of the same value would convert to; the VET (Valor Efetivo Total), the total cost of a foreign exchange operation in reais per unit of foreign currency, is the figure banks must state for spot operations up to US$100,000.

Converting abroad

This is the only one-step route from stablecoins to dollars. It suits companies that pay suppliers in dollars or hold dollars abroad. It brings the reporting of a foreign exchange operation when stablecoins leave a Brazilian provider, and the Brazilian capital abroad rules once they arrive.

P2P and informal desks

Resolution BCB 521 regulates providers, not individual users, but a company that sells to an unauthorized desk or a P2P buyer does so outside the foreign exchange framework the BCB has built. The reais arrive from a third party's account, the trade carries no purpose code or exchange record, and the company has nothing to show its bank or auditor if asked.

Getting US dollars into an account in the company's name

Because Brazil prohibits stablecoin-to-dollar conversion by Brazilian providers, a company that wants dollars in its own name has two lawful paths: buy them with reais under a foreign exchange contract, or convert abroad.

Step	Path A: reais then dollars	Path B: convert abroad
1	Sell stablecoins to an authorized provider for reais	Confirm an account abroad in the company's name that supports USDC or USDT
2	Receive reais by Pix or transfer	Transfer the stablecoins abroad through an authorized provider, giving the purpose code and counterparty details, or have the customer abroad pay the account directly
3	Buy dollars from a bank under a foreign exchange contract	Convert to USD inside the account
4	The bank wires the dollars abroad, or credits a Res. 575 account only where the funds qualify	Hold the dollars, pay suppliers abroad, or wire them to Brazil
Conversions	Two	One
Reporting	Foreign exchange contracts for each conversion	Exchange operation on the transfer; Res. 279 declaration if holdings abroad reach US$1 million on 31 December

Sources: Banco Central do Brasil, Resolutions BCB 277, 279, 521 and 575. As published on 29 October 2026.

When dollars held abroad later come to Brazil, the receiving bank converts them to reais under a foreign exchange contract, or, for a goods exporter with a Resolution BCB 575 account, credits them in dollars without a contract, because that resolution dispenses with one for foreign currency transfers to and from those accounts. Spot foreign exchange contracts settle within two business days under Resolution BCB 277, excluding non-business days in either currency's center, so a US holiday can delay settlement.

Network and wallet checks

USDT and USDC exist on several blockchain networks. Confirm the network the receiving account supports before any transfer, because a transfer on an unsupported network may not be recoverable. Where a Brazilian provider sends to a wallet it does not hold, it must identify the wallet owner, so expect to prove that the destination account belongs to the company.

Importers and exporters: points to watch

Paying suppliers in stablecoins. A payment to a supplier's wallet is an international payment with virtual assets. Where the supplier is not an authorized exchange institution, an SPSAV may make it only up to US$100,000, with a purpose code and supplier details. Payments for third parties are prohibited.
Cross-border platforms. From 1 October 2026, eFX providers must settle with their counterparties abroad through a foreign exchange transaction or a non-resident real account in Brazil, not stablecoins, as The Paypers reported. A payment service that used stablecoins behind the scenes will have changed its process.
Customs records. Import payments are matched to the DUIMP, the import declaration in Brazil's single trade portal. A stablecoin payment through a third party does not match the import record.
Export revenue. Resolution BCB 277 allows export revenue to enter Brazil in reais or foreign currency, before or after shipment. If a buyer pays in stablecoins, agree with your accountant how the receipt is recorded against the export before you accept it.

Importers should read our guide on paying Chinese suppliers from Brazil, which covers foreign exchange contracts and published bank costs.

Documents, records and tax points

Authorized providers collect more information since the 2026 rules. Expect the following, and keep your own copy.

Document or record	Why you need it
Articles of association (contrato social) and CNPJ card	Identify the company and its registered activities
Identification of administrators, signatories and beneficial owners	Client due diligence by the authorized provider
Purpose code and counterparty details for each international transfer	Required from the client under Res. 277, Art. 76-C
Proof that a destination wallet or account belongs to the company	Providers must identify the owner of wallets they do not hold
The invoice, contract or export record behind each receipt	Explains what the stablecoins paid for
Blockchain transaction record (hash, network, addresses)	Shows the transfer that took place
Conversion confirmation and foreign exchange contract	Shows the rate, fee and amount
Year-end balances abroad, including virtual assets	Needed for the Res. 279 declaration test at US$1 million

Sources: Banco Central do Brasil, Resolutions BCB 277, 279 and 521; typical onboarding documents compiled by the Helm Editorial Team. As published on 29 October 2026.

The CNPJ is the Brazilian company tax registration number. A transaction hash is the unique identifier of a blockchain transfer.

Tax points to agree with your accountant

Tax is separate from the BCB rules. The resolutions set exchange and reporting rules, not tax. EuQueroInvestir noted when the rules were published in November 2025 that classifying stablecoin operations as foreign exchange could open the way for IOF, the tax on financial operations, on some of them. Ask your accountant how IOF and income tax apply to each conversion.
Value on receipt and on conversion. Record the real value at both points.
Retention. Resolution BCB 279 requires supporting documents for capital abroad to be kept for 10 years after the operation ends.

This guide does not give tax advice.

Where Helm fits, and where it does not

Helm is a financial technology company, not a bank. Accounts are held with regulated partner institutions. Helm can serve businesses in Brazil.

A Helm account gives the company USD account details in its own name, held outside Brazil, with a US routing and account number that receives ACH, Fedwire and SWIFT payments. ACH is the low-cost US domestic bank transfer system, Fedwire is the Federal Reserve's same-day system for large payments, and SWIFT is the international network banks use for cross-border payments.

Where it fits. The account can receive USDC and USDT and convert them to USD inside the account. That covers stablecoins a customer abroad pays to the account, and the company's own stablecoins transferred abroad through an authorized Brazilian provider as an international transfer under Resolution BCB 521.
Where it does not. Helm is not a way around Article 76-A: a Brazilian provider still may not sell stablecoins for dollars, and the transfer abroad remains a foreign exchange operation with a purpose code, counterparty details and the provider's limits.
Reporting. The balance, including any stablecoins, is Brazilian capital abroad and counts toward the US$1 million annual declaration threshold.
Using the dollars. Pay suppliers abroad by SWIFT or by local rails in the supplier's currency where available, with the rate, fee and expected arrival shown before sending. Goods exporters with a Resolution BCB 575 account in Brazil can move dollars between the two without a foreign exchange contract.

Each account has a named account manager, and review questions are answered in writing within one business day. Trade finance, such as supplier finance, receivables finance and working capital, is arranged case by case. Helm agrees pricing with each business in writing before the account opens, and shows the rate, the fee and the expected arrival before you confirm each payment.

A checklist before you convert

Do not expect a Brazilian provider to convert stablecoins into dollars; Article 76-A, §2, prohibits it.
Decide whether you need reais (sell in Brazil) or dollars (convert abroad, or buy dollars under a foreign exchange contract).
Use only institutions authorized by the BCB for stablecoin services.
Prepare the purpose code, counterparty details and proof of wallet ownership for any transfer abroad.
Ask the provider how the US$100,000 or US$500,000 limit applies to your transfer.
Do not pay suppliers or third parties in stablecoins without checking the limits and the third-party prohibition.
Track year-end balances abroad, including stablecoins, against the US$1 million declaration threshold.
Agree the tax treatment, including IOF, with your accountant before the first conversion.

Open a Helm account

USD, EUR and GBP accounts in your company's name, with a named account manager.

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Questions

Can a Brazilian company convert USDT to US dollars in Brazil?

No. Since 2 February 2026, Resolution BCB 277, Article 76-A, as amended by Resolution BCB 521, prohibits providers from buying or selling virtual assets with payment or receipt in foreign currency. Inside Brazil, an authorized provider can sell stablecoins only for reais.

Are stablecoins legal in Brazil for companies?

Yes, within the BCB framework. Resolution BCB 520 governs virtual asset service providers, and Resolution BCB 521 places international payments with virtual assets and the purchase, sale or exchange of stablecoins inside the foreign exchange market, where only authorized institutions may provide them.

What is the limit on international stablecoin payments from Brazil?

Where the counterparty is not an authorized foreign exchange institution, a virtual asset service provider company may make an international payment with virtual assets up to US$100,000, and brokers and other institutions listed in Article 29, II, of Resolution BCB 277 up to US$500,000.

What did Resolution BCB 561 change for stablecoins?

From 1 October 2026, Resolution BCB 561 prohibits eFX providers, the regulated international payment services, from using virtual assets as the means of payment or receipt with their counterparties abroad. Authorized virtual asset service providers can still carry out stablecoin operations under Resolution BCB 521.

Can I move my company's USDT to an account abroad and convert it there?

The transfer is an international transfer with virtual assets under Resolution BCB 521, carried out by an authorized provider with a purpose code and counterparty details. Once abroad, the holdings are Brazilian capital abroad under Resolution BCB 279, with an annual declaration at US$1 million or more on 31 December.

Can a Brazilian company hold dollars from a stablecoin sale at a Brazilian bank?

Usually not. Resolution BCB 575 opened foreign currency accounts from 1 October 2026 to listed groups such as goods exporters, whose accounts may be credited only with export revenue and other amounts from abroad. Dollars bought with reais from a stablecoin sale do not qualify.

Can I pay a supplier abroad in USDT from Brazil?

Only within the Resolution BCB 521 rules. An SPSAV may pay a counterparty that is not an authorized exchange institution up to US$100,000, with a purpose code and counterparty details, and payments for third parties are prohibited.

Do I need to report stablecoins held abroad to the Central Bank of Brazil?

Yes, if total Brazilian capital abroad reaches US$1 million or more on 31 December. Since 2 February 2026, Resolution BCB 279 as amended by Resolution BCB 521 covers virtual assets held abroad as well as deposits.

Is IOF charged on stablecoin conversions in Brazil?

The BCB resolutions do not set tax. Press coverage when the rules were published noted that classifying stablecoin operations as foreign exchange could open the way for IOF on some of them, so ask your accountant how IOF applies before converting.

References

HelmHelm is a business account for companies that trade internationally: USD, EUR and GBP accounts, international payments, collections and currency exchange, with a named account manager. Questions: [email protected].

This guide is general information for businesses, not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules, fees and timings were checked against the sources listed on the review date and may change.

How to convert USDT to USD for a business in Brazil