Brazilian lawmakers are considering new legislation that would officially authorize employers to pay salaries to employees using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
Federal deputy Luiz Philippe de Orleans e Bragança has introduced a bill proposing regulation of crypto payments for wages, remunerations and labor benefits.
Filed on March 12, the bill PL 957/2025 legalizes voluntary and partial salary payments in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) while also requiring employers to proceed with a part of the pay in the national currency, the Brazilian real.
Preview of the draft bill PL 957/2025 by Luiz Philippe de Orleans e Bragança (translated via Google). Source: Camara.leg.br
Orleans-Braganza, a descendant of Brazil’s former royal family, is serving his second term as a federal deputy for São Paulo and supports Truth Social, the social media platform owned by US President Donald Trump.
Bitcoin may only account for 50% of a salary payout
In the proposed legislation, Orleans-Braganza asked lawmakers to prohibit employees from paying full salaries in crypto, capping such payments at 50%.
“The payment of salaries exclusively in virtual assets is prohibited,” except for cases involving expatriate employees or foreign workers, under the terms of regulations by the Central Bank of Brazil.
An excerpt from the proposed bill PL 957/2025 (translated via Google). Source: Camara.leg.br
The bill also allows full crypto payments by “independent service providers,” subject to certain contractual provisions.
Otherwise, the share of the payment in the Brazilian real may not be less than 50% of the employee’s total salary payout.
The conversion of the amount paid into crypto must follow the exchange rate officially established by an institution authorized by the Central Bank of Brazil.
Reasons behind the bill
According to Orleans-Braganza, the introduction of crypto payment salaries in Brazil has the potential to boost the financial technology sector and attract crypto investment in the local economy.
Additionally, the measure “reinforces the principle of autonomy of will, allowing workers and employers greater freedom to decide on their contractual relations, without prejudice to fundamental guarantees,” the bill reads.
Related: Brazil fintech unicorn Meliuz adopts Bitcoin treasury strategy
The proposal aims to follow successful crypto payment implementation in many global jurisdictions, including Switzerland, Japan and Portugal, Orleans-Braganza mentioned, adding:
“In Japan, for example, legislation requires individual agreement between employer and employee, as well as specific guidelines for the conversion of the amounts paid. In Portugal, regulation brought flexibility and drove the adoption of virtual assets in the financial sector.”
While some global jurisdictions allow Bitcoin use in payments, many countries — like Turkey and Russia — prohibit citizens from using any cryptocurrency as a means of payment.
El Salvador — the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021 — allows voluntary payments in crypto but no longer allows tax payments and any government fees in crypto following a deal with the International Monetary Fund.
Separately from the crypto salary news in Brazil, the Brazilian government has recently pushed a new initiative to facilitate BRICS transactions using cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, according to a March 12 report by Valor International.
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