2. Ignoring that Brazil operates on a deeply consolidated trust infrastructure
One of Brazil’s biggest differences from other emerging markets is the presence of operational trust: users trust that money arrives instantly, that apps work, that payments clear, that transactions show up on time.
This expectation is deeply ingrained.
So when a crypto neobank introduces flows that feel risky, slow, unpredictable, or technically complex, it clashes directly with this trust culture.
Brazilian users don’t trade predictability for “freedom.”
They only trade predictability for real relevance.
In many countries, Web3 UX beats traditional banking.
In Brazil, it doesn’t.
Brazilians are already used to:
A good UX does not differentiate a crypto neobank here, it simply prevents the product from looking worse than what users already have.
This is one of the most common mistakes.
In global Web3 thinking:
“Stablecoins replace banks, cards, and payments.”
In Brazil, Pix exists, instant, free, dominant, cultural.
Stablecoins thrive in:
But they do not replace Pix.
The winning strategy is complementary, not competitive.
Playbooks that succeeded in markets that are:
simply do not apply to Brazil.
The country has already solved many of the issues that Web3 claims to solve.
Crypto neobanks must address other pain points, not repeat promises that are already delivered here.
Brazilian users are naturally multibanked.
And in crypto, it’s the same:
A crypto neobank trying to “centralize everything” misunderstands Brazil.
The correct path is integration, not monopoly.
On-chain data is powerful, but in Brazil, it is not enough.
Here, real financial life happens through:
Effective credit requires combining on-chain data with multiple off-chain signals.
Relying solely on blockchain to model risk misreads the country.
Blockchain rails are excellent for global liquidity.
But in Brazil, everyday life is shaped by Pix.
This means users expect:
A crypto neobank that ignores Pix becomes irrelevant.
One that integrates Pix becomes useful.
While many Web3 founders see traditional banks as slow, Brazil is different:
Crypto doesn’t compete with banks by being “faster”, that race is already won in Brazil.
Crypto competes by enabling things the traditional system cannot, such as:
Brazil faces:
For Brazilians, security is a core value.
Crypto neobanks that fail in:
lose trust instantly.
Web3 often uses:
This does not work in Brazil.
Brazilians respond better to:
A globalized “Web3 voice” feels distant.
A contextual, local voice builds trust.
This is the most critical mistake.
Brazil is not:
The country demands:
Those who come “to experiment” don’t last.
Those who come to build with Brazil unlock the biggest Web3 opportunity in the Southern Hemisphere.
Brazil doesn’t test technology.
Brazil tests depth.
Crypto neobanks that succeed here are those that:
Brazil doesn’t reward speed.
Brazil rewards vision.
This analysis complements Episode 1 of Café, Cripto e Surf, our docu-series exploring how crypto, stablecoins, and digital finance are shaping real life across Latin America.
The series is supported by NounsBR, and the community is open to anyone who wants to join discussions, propose ideas, or participate in future projects.
