Key Takeaways
- Brazil's proposed bill allows Bitcoin salary payments up to 50%.
- Independent contractors may receive full payment in Bitcoin.
- Bitcoin salaries must follow a central bank-approved exchange rate.
A Brazilian lawmaker has introduced legislation to regulate salary payments in Bitcoin, setting limits on how much of an employee’s wages can be paid in the digital currency.
Proposed legislation
Federal Deputy Luiz Philippe de Orleans e Bragança filed bill PL 957/2025 on March 12, proposing that employers be allowed to pay workers partially in Bitcoin while mandating that at least 50% of salaries remain in the Brazilian real.
The bill explicitly prohibits full salary payments in virtual assets, except for expatriate employees or foreign workers, as determined by the Central Bank of Brazil.
Independent contractors
The legislation allows independent service providers to be fully compensated in Bitcoin, provided certain contractual conditions are met.
Any Bitcoin payments must be converted at an exchange rate established by an institution authorized by the central bank.
Potential impact
Orleans-Bragança, a descendant of Brazil’s former royal family, argues that permitting Bitcoin salaries could boost the country’s fintech sector and attract crypto investment.
He cited similar regulations in Japan and Portugal, where crypto salary payments have been implemented with employer-employee agreements and conversion guidelines.
Global context
While some global jurisdictions permit Bitcoin payments, others, like Turkey and Russia, have outright banned cryptocurrency transactions.
In contrast, El Salvador, which adopted Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021, has since restricted its use for tax and government fee payments following an IMF agreement.
