Brazilian tax authorities expand cryptocurrency regulation and launch international data sharing mechanism

Source: PortaldoBitcoin Original Title: Federal Revenue Agency expands oversight and begins sharing cryptocurrency data with other countries Original Link: Brazil’s tax authority (Receita Federal) has issued new regulations that include crypto assets (such as Bitcoin) in the mechanism for automatic exchange of financial information with other countries’ tax authorities, significantly expanding the scope of international cooperation in digital asset transaction regulation.

This measure is specified in the “RFB Normative Instruction No. 2.298/2025,” which amends the rules for identifying financial accounts to include electronic money, Central Bank digital currencies (CBDCs), and crypto assets in the reporting scope, aligning Brazil with the international standards developed by the OECD—the Crypto Asset Reporting Framework (CARF).

The regulation will take effect on January 1, 2026, with actual data exchange expected to begin in 2027.

With this update, financial institutions and crypto asset service providers will bear obligations similar to those in traditional financial products. Exchanges, custodians, and other platforms managing crypto assets for clients must identify account holders and report detailed account balance and transaction data to the Brazilian tax authority, including transactions involving overseas platforms, as long as these platforms serve Brazilian residents.

The new rules update “RFB Normative Instruction No. 1.680/2016,” which pertains to the automatic exchange of financial information under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), now explicitly include digital assets within this international cooperation mechanism.

The tax authority aims to close historic gaps in the regulation of cryptocurrency transactions, especially those conducted outside the traditional financial system, thereby strengthening efforts to combat tax evasion and money laundering.

Including crypto assets in international data exchange is a supplement to other changes implemented by the Brazilian tax authority during 2025. In November, the tax authority established the DeCripto declaration, a new monthly reporting system via electronic channels that will replace the previous system and increase the level of detail required for digital asset transactions. This new system is also aligned with the OECD’s CARF and is expected to become mandatory starting July 2026.

Through these measures, Brazil has made progress in modernizing its digital asset regulatory framework, aligning with standards adopted by other major economies, and closing historic gaps that previously allowed crypto transactions—especially in international contexts—to operate with lower transparency.