Itau Unibanco Plans to Launch Brazilian Real-Pegged Stablecoin

In Brief:

Itau Unibanco is preparing to issue a stablecoin backed by the Brazilian Real.

The bank is waiting for Brazil’s regulatory framework before launching.

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Itau Unibanco, Brazil’s largest bank with over 55 million customers, is developing a stablecoin pegged to the Brazilian Real. The initiative reflects rising institutional interest in blockchain and stablecoin technology.

Guto Antunes, Head of Digital Assets at Itau, cited growing demand for stablecoins driven by recent shifts in U.S. crypto policy. He highlighted blockchain’s benefits for secure and atomic transactions, noting that Itau is closely studying the efforts of other banks before rollout.

Antunes also called for a balanced regulatory approach, proposing a whitelist of approved wallets to enhance oversight. The move signals growing acceptance of blockchain-based financial products among traditional institutions in Latin America.

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