Brazilian Central Bank Enlists Mercado Bitcoin for CBDC Pilot with Mastercard

In a significant development in Brazil’s journey towards digital currency, the country’s central bank recently approved the participation of Mercado Bitcoin, the largest local cryptocurrency exchange, in a pilot program for the digital real, Brazil’s proposed central bank digital currency (CBDC).

The consortium led by Mercado Bitcoin is not short of high-profile partners. International financial services corporation Mastercard, Brazilian stock broker Genial, registrar Cerc, and financial software company Sinqia are all members of the group, according to local news outlet Valor.

Adding to this, the central bank also approved the participation of state-owned Brazilian bank Caixa in its CBDC pilot. This group includes card provider Elo and multinational technology company Microsoft.

A Change in Fortunes

Earlier in May, Mercado Bitcoin was not included in the central bank’s selection of 14 participants, as the consortium did not have a regulated financial or payment institution with direct access to Brazil’s national financial system. However, the situation changed when Mercado Bitcoin received a payment institution license from the central bank on June 2.

Fabricio Tota, Mercado Bitcoin’s director of new business, spoke positively about the news. He said, “Our participation validates the Central Bank’s intention to bring innovation to the financial system with those who have already been working with this technology and not just with the incumbents who have appropriated it,” according to Valor.

Starting from mid-June 2023, the central bank plans to incorporate participants into the Real Digital Pilot platform. The consortium intends to participate in testing the issuance of the CBDC and treasury bills. Additionally, they aim to examine the technical aspects of the network and the governance model of the distributed ledger technology, as reported by Glovo.

The involvement of Mercado Bitcoin and the associated consortium in the CBDC pilot is a significant step forward in the integration of digital currencies into Brazil’s financial infrastructure.