Almost a thousand companies already receive in cryptocurrencies, says survey

A quarter of Brazilians are willing to buy products and services with cryptocurrencies, says the Crypto Literacy 2021 survey.

And this desire is already starting to come true, with more than 900 establishments in Brazil that accept these assets in payments, according to CoinMap. Worldwide, there are almost 30,000.

The regulation of this market advanced in the Senate this week and now needs final approval in the House. Even so, companies like Wine and Visa already have options for payments in cryptocurrencies, and Rappi can expand the experience started in Mexico.

Among the governments, the city of Rio de Janeiro announced that the IPTU can be paid in this way as early as 2023.

Demand

To meet the wishes of some customers, Wine decided to enter this market last month.

For now, payment with bitcoins (the only cryptocurrency accepted at the moment) can be made only through the company’s application, but gradually the intention is to release it to the website and other sales channels.

“We believe that the use of cryptocurrencies will be more common in the near future and the payment method is also a way to attract customers,” said the company’s CFO, Clayton Freire.

In 2021, investment in crypto assets in Brazil reached US$ 5.995 billion, according to data from the Central Bank, the highest annual volume since the body began recording operations in 2017.

Data up to February show continued growth, accumulating US$ 6.210 billion.

In the case of Wine, the director revealed that transactions through these currencies “are still not very high”.

“As the volume is still small, it is possible to carry out operations with our own tools, but we are already seeing a more modern alternative”, he says.

Cryptocurrencies are known for high fluctuation in values. The company, however, does not transact directly with bitcoins and receives the amount in reais through the conciliator, the company that performs the operation.

“There is no variation volatility. This is for the customer. For us, the price doesn’t change.”

For Jefférson Colombo, finance professor at FGV-EESP and expert on the subject, the pricing difficulties and the high volatility are challenges for use as a recurring means of payment, in addition to the lack of regulation.

“The fact that there are 900 places that accept cryptocurrencies as a form of payment does not mean that people will transact,” says Colombo.

The information is from the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo.