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Brazil Coaf reports: R$50k cash, FX cash and crypto over $10k

Brazil now reports R$50k cash moves, FX cash and self-custody crypto over $10k to Coaf. Thresholds, the 2027 filing delay and the Nov 6 crypto deadline.

In Brazil, withdrawing R$50,000 in cash, buying US$10,000 in banknotes or moving US$10,000 in crypto from an exchange to your own wallet now lands in an automatic report to Coaf, the country's financial intelligence unit. In September 2026 the Central Bank added foreign-currency cash and self-custody crypto to the list, then on October 1 pushed delivery of those two new reports to January 2027.

What is an automatic Coaf report?

Under Brazil's anti-money-laundering law and Central Bank Circular 3.978/2020, regulated institutions file two kinds of reports, as summarised by Schiefler Advocacia: objective reports (art. 49), triggered by amount alone, which imply no suspicion and do not block the transaction; and suspicious activity reports (art. 48), filed after the institution reviews unusual activity within 45 days. Customers are not told either way.

What gets reported, and from what amount?

TransactionThresholdSinceFiling deadline
Cash deposit or withdrawalR$50,000+Existing ruleNext business day
Payments or transfers against cashR$50,000+Existing ruleNext business day
Request to provision a cash withdrawalR$50,000+Existing ruleNext business day
Foreign exchange in physical cashUS$10,000+Oct 1, 2026Oct–Dec 2026 trades: first business day of Jan 2027
Crypto to or from a self-custody walletUS$10,000+Oct 1, 2026Oct–Dec 2026 trades: first business day of Jan 2027

Sources: the Central Bank vote behind Resolution 591 and Schiefler's analysis.

What changed with Resolutions 588 and 591?

Resolution 588 (September 23) added the FX-cash and self-custody items with an October 1 start. Resolution 591, approved September 30 and published in an extra edition of the official gazette on October 1, according to Let's Money, revoked 588, kept the same items and moved delivery of the October–December reports to January 2027, citing operational difficulties at banks and at Coaf. The obligation stands; only the filing date moved.

The rule does not ban self-custody or cap cash FX, but Capital Aberto notes exchanges may ask for more proof of source of funds and hold withdrawals to private wallets while they review them. Since May, Resolution 521/2025 has required providers to identify self-custody wallet owners.

Does splitting transactions avoid the report?

No. Splitting amounts to stay under the threshold can itself trigger a suspicious activity report. Brazil's cash rule mirrors the US Currency Transaction Report, filed for cash over $10,000 in a day; in the US, structuring is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, per FinCEN. Large cash withdrawals in Brazil also require at least three business days' notice (art. 36).

What is the November 6 deadline?

Under Resolution 589, from November 6, 2026 banks and payment institutions may not transact with crypto providers that lack authorization to operate in Brazil, except where the rules allow, Capital Aberto reports. Existing providers had until October 30 to file the first phase of their application.

How to stay compliant

  • Keep records of source of funds and wallet ownership.
  • Do not split transactions to dodge the threshold.
  • Check that your exchange has applied for Central Bank authorization.
  • Never lend your account to move other people's money.

More in our money laundering and crypto sections, FATF, Coaf and Brazil's crypto rules and Brazil regulation. Informational content, not legal advice.

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