Brazil’s gen Z drives crypto boom as stablecoins, income tokens surge

In Brazil, cryptocurrency adoption isn’t being led by traders betting big on volatile tokens. It’s being shaped by younger, more cautious investors, often using stablecoins and tokenized bonds as a way to protect their wealth.

According to new data from local cryptocurrency exchange Mercado Bitcoin, shared with CoinDesk via a report titled “Raio-X do Investidor em Ativos Digitais,” the fastest-growing cohort of the investor base this year was under 24.

Participation among that age group increased 56% from the previous year, with many opting for low-volatility assets, such as stablecoins and digital fixed-income products, as their entry point, the report said.

These products, offered on the platform as Renda Fixa Digital (RFD), which translates directly to “digital fixed income,” allow investors to buy tokenized slices of real-world income-generating assets. Their naming is part of Mercado Bitcoin’s “invisible blockchain” approach.

In 2025 alone, RFD volume more than doubled, with Mercado Bitcoin distributing 1.8 billion reals (roughly $325 million) to users. On average, those products delivered 132% of Brazil’s “risk-free” benchmark rate, the Certificado de Depósito Interbancário (CDI).

Other protocols in Brazil also offer similar blockchain-based products. Real-world asset (RWA) platforms offering fixed-income products in the country include Liqi and AmFi.

The exchange also reported a 43% year-over-year increase in overall crypto transaction volume, with Mondays emerging as the busiest day for both new investors and trading activity.

That pattern suggests a shift in how cryptocurrency is being used: from a speculative vehicle to a more integral part of a weekly financial routine.

Investing based on income

Investor strategy differed sharply by income bracket.

Middle-income users were more likely to allocate funds to stablecoins, up to 12% of their portfolios, while keeping 86% in less volatile assets, presumably tokenized bonds.

“Important events, like the crypto regulation by the Central Bank and the rise of stablecoins, have further boosted Brazilian interest in digital assets,” Fabrício Tota, VP of Crypto Business at Mercado Bitcoin, said in the report.

Brazil’s central bank introduced new cryptocurrency rules last month, requiring crypto service providers to obtain licenses and establishing specific capital requirements.

Lower-income investors placed over 90% of their funds in traditional cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, likely seeking higher returns and accepting the added risk, per the report.