A bold new proposal is shaking up Brazil’s financial landscape. Bill PL 957/2025, introduced by Luiz Philippe de Orleans e Bragança, would allow companies to pay up to half of their workers’ salaries in cryptocurrencies. Yes, Bitcoin paychecks could become reality in South America’s largest economy.
Brazil could soon revolutionize paychecks, with proposed law allowing half your salary in Bitcoin instead of reais.
But don’t get too excited. There’s always a catch. The arrangement would require mutual agreement between employers and employees. No forced crypto payments here. And at least 50% of salaries must still be paid in good old Brazilian reais. Those labor laws aren’t budging.
The bill has some serious guardrails. Companies must provide detailed payment statements. They’ll need to follow Central Bank-approved exchange rates. And get this—employers would have to provide financial education about crypto risks. Because nothing says “I care” like a mandatory PowerPoint about market volatility.
Freelancers, expatriates, and the self-employed? They’re completely excluded from the 50% limit. Independent contractors could actually receive their entire compensation in digital currencies. Lucky them.
The legislation doesn’t exist in a regulatory vacuum. Brazil’s Federal Revenue Service would monitor transactions. The CVM (Brazil’s version of the SEC) would watch for fraud. It builds on existing virtual asset laws already in place. The bill was officially filed on March 12 this year, marking a significant step toward cryptocurrency integration in Brazil’s economy.
Brazil isn’t exactly pioneering here. Japan and Portugal have similar regulations. El Salvador went all-in with Bitcoin as legal tender back in 2021. That worked out… intriguingly.
The potential upside is substantial. Fintech boost. Foreign investment. Payment flexibility. Less dependence on traditional banks. The legislation could position Brazil as a global digital assets hub if implemented successfully.
Implementation won’t be simple, though. Crypto values swing wildly. Payroll systems need updates. Tax implications are murky at best. Companies will need to implement efficient crypto on-ramps to convert traditional currency to digital assets for payroll purposes.
The bill still faces a long road to reality. It needs approval from the Chamber of Deputies, the Federal Senate, and finally, presidential sign-off. The timeline? Uncertain.
Brazil’s crypto salary experiment could fail spectacularly or change everything. Either way, it’s definitely not boring.
