Brazil’s Central Bank Orders 24-Hour Delays on Some Crypto Transfers Abroad

Brazil will require cryptocurrency exchanges to hold certain overseas transfers for 24 hours starting Jan. 1, a new anti-fraud step that puts more of the risk decision on the exchange. For high-risk PSPs and crypto venues, the practical takeaway is simple: cross-border flow controls are getting tighter, and the compliance burden is moving closer to the platform.

1. According to a resolution published Friday (Aug. 7), Brazil’s central bank is requiring exchanges to delay some overseas transfers by 24 hours beginning Jan. 1. The rule was reported by CoinDesk.
2. The hold applies to deposits made in Brazilian reais, or crypto held with an exchange, when a user wants to send funds abroad or to a wallet they control. Transfers exceeding $10,000 are covered, whether that amount comes from a single transaction or multiple transfers in one day.
3. Smaller transfers can also be delayed if the exchange considers them risky. The thing is, the rule is not just about size; it also asks exchanges to assess the customer, transaction, counterparty and destination jurisdiction before releasing funds.
4. The hold is temporary. Exchanges may release a transfer before the 24 hours are up if they find no signs of wrongdoing, but they must document that decision and notify customers when a transaction has been put on hold.
5. The policy is aimed at criminals using cryptocurrencies, including stablecoins, to move fraud proceeds before they can be recovered. Regina Pedroso, president of Brazilian tokenization group Abtoken, told Portal do Bitcoin that the policy could raise costs for legitimate crypto users and make domestic exchanges less competitive.

For PSPs and exchanges operating in Brazil, this is another reminder that crypto transfer monitoring is no longer just about AML screens on paper. If your business relies on fast outbound settlement, the new bottleneck is the exchange’s own risk judgment, and that means more friction, more documentation, and more customer-facing exception handling.