Former Brazil central bank official launches yield-bearing real stablecoin

A former director at Brazil’s Central Bank has launched a real-pegged stablecoin designed to provide global investors access to the country’s high interest rates, according to an announcement.

Summary

• Tony Volpon introduced BRD, a Brazilian real–pegged stablecoin backed by government bonds and designed to pass through sovereign yield to token holders.
• BRD is backed by National Treasury bonds linked to Brazil’s Selic rate, near 15%, offering global investors blockchain-based exposure to Brazilian sovereign debt without navigating local market barriers.
• BRD is structured as an interest-bearing digital instrument, signaling a broader trend toward tokenizing high-yield government debt in emerging markets.

Tony Volpon introduced BRD, a stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the Brazilian real and backed by Brazilian government debt. The token is structured to distribute yield to holders, converting sovereign interest rates into a blockchain-based investment product.

The stablecoin is backed by Brazilian National Treasury bonds held in reserve. These bonds earn interest tied to Brazil’s benchmark Selic rate, which currently stands near 15 percent, among the highest policy rates in major economies.

The returns generated by the underlying government debt are designed to pass through to token holders, though the precise technical mechanism has not been fully disclosed.

The structure positions BRD as a yield-bearing digital instrument representing Brazilian sovereign debt rather than a traditional payment stablecoin, according to the project description.

The token aims to address barriers that have historically limited foreign investor access to Brazil’s fixed-income market, including capital controls, local custody requirements, currency conversion challenges, and regulatory complexity. The blockchain-based token is intended to offer foreign institutions a simplified entry point to Brazil’s high-yield environment.

BRD enters a market that already includes real-pegged stablecoins such as BRZ, issued by Transfero, and BBRL, backed by Braza Bank. Those tokens primarily function as transactional stablecoins and do not explicitly distribute yield from backing assets to holders. BRD represents the first real-denominated stablecoin explicitly designed to distribute returns from Brazilian government bonds, according to available information.

The launch reflects a developing trend in digital finance toward tokenization of interest-bearing sovereign assets. The structure could serve as a model for other emerging markets with high interest rates seeking to offer sovereign yield through blockchain-based instruments without requiring investors to access domestic financial systems directly.