Itaú Unibanco Registers Crypto Services with Brazil's Central Bank

Brazil’s largest private bank, Itaú Unibanco, has completed the regulatory filing process for cryptocurrency trading and custody services with the Central Bank of Brazil.

Valor Econômico reported on October 27 that Itaú Unibanco registered its cryptocurrency trading and custody operations with Brazil’s central bank, ahead of the October 30 compliance deadline under Brazil’s new digital asset framework.

The bank’s crypto services, launched in December 2023, allow users to trade cryptocurrencies on the Itaú banking platform and manage digital assets through its own infrastructure.

Itaú currently supports 15 digital assets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and USDC stablecoin. Customers can begin investing with a minimum of R$10.

The bank has not disclosed the number of customers or trading volumes associated with its crypto services. Guto Antunes, digital assets executive at Itaú, emphasized the importance of clear regulations and strong governance standards for financial institutions.

Meanwhile, Russia’s central bank approved Sberbank for crypto exchange services on October 13, allowing the bank to operate under its regulatory framework.