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The Creator of Pix Takes on a Mission at the IMF and Advances in International Pix Initiatives and Payment Infrastructure. Learn More.
The most used payment system in Brazil has just gained an international chapter. Carlos Eduardo Brandt, a public servant who dedicated more than 20 years to the Central Bank, left his position and the country three months ago to work in Washington at the IMF, where he is developing proposals for an international pix.
The change occurred after a trajectory marked by direct influence on the modernization of the Brazilian financial system, including leadership in the creation of Pix, which transformed the way the country relates to instant payments.
His trip abroad aims precisely to expand this successful model and strengthen faster and cheaper global solutions—something considered urgent by multilateral organizations.
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For the economist José Kobori, the USA gained a trump card to “blackmail” Brazil and undermine China’s influence by classifying the PCC and Comando Vermelho as terrorists, increasing the power to pressure companies, banks, and even Pix.
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The labor shortage has changed its face in Brazil: companies hire 80% more, but workers stay only 6.8 months in the job, the service market becomes a “revolving door,” and businesses spend increasingly more to train teams that soon leave.
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Chinese giant chooses SC to set up its first factory in Brazil, investing R$ 250 million and producing MRI machines costing R$ 10 million each, with 100 direct jobs and 5% of revenue allocated to research.
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After selling a unit for R$ 115 million to pay off debts, a traditional factory in SC founded in 1932 has a new R$ 64.8 million plan denied by the court and retains about 690 workers in Joinville.
Pix Establishes Itself as a World Reference and Takes Brandt to the International Stage
The relevance gained by Pix was decisive for Brandt to be invited by the IMF. The system, which was born in 2020, reached unprecedented numbers: 161.7 million Brazilians, in addition to 16.3 million companies, use the technology daily.
In five years, the volume surpassed R$ 85 trillion, with 93% of the adult population already connected.
These results earned the creator of Pix global recognition. In 2021, he made the Bloomberg list of the 50 people who shaped business worldwide.
Now, he brings Brazilian experience abroad—considered one of the most successful in digital payment methods.
New Challenge: Reduce Costs of International Transfers
At the International Monetary Fund, Brandt is working on initiatives that aim to tackle one of the biggest obstacles of the current financial system: slow, expensive international transfers with incompatible technical standards among countries.
Today, remittances abroad cost an average of 6.5%, according to the IMF itself. The institution’s director, Tobias Adrian, points out that part of these costs weighs primarily on poorer consumers.
According to him, part of the US$ 45 billion paid in fees could return to the pockets of poorer families if more efficient systems were implemented.
Projects That Can Accelerate International Pix
Among the programs monitored by Brandt are:
SADC Financial System, which brings together 16 southern African countries;
Nexus, from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), known as a kind of international Pix. The solution connects national instant payment networks and is already advancing in countries like India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.
In an interview, Brandt stated that the focus is on using Brazilian learning to expand the global reach of payment technologies.
“To be able to contribute on a global scale,” he told Folha.
Central Bank Pix Gains Highlight Over Private Models
One of the points that attract the most international attention is the fact that the Central Bank developed, operated, and maintained Pix—something different from countries like India, where large tech companies dominate digital platforms.
For financial institutions and regulators, the Brazilian model appears to be more secure, inclusive, and competitive, precisely because it does not depend on the infrastructure of big techs.
Economic Impact of Pix Grows and Reinforces International Projection
Pix completed five years establishing itself as the main payment method in the country. In 2024 alone, it transacted R$ 26.4 trillion, an amount nearly twice as high as Brazil’s GDP.
In light of this scenario, Brandt’s mission at the IMF takes place at a strategic moment, reinforcing Brazil’s potential to lead discussions on global financial modernization and accelerate the creation of a true international pix.
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