BRAZIL · CRYPTO
Key Facts
- Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 75.0 points (October 2026 edition).
- What is happening Mercado Bitcoin, a Brazilian crypto exchange, suspended deposits and withdrawals on Monday, 2 November, after saying it contained a security incident in one of its systems.
- Why it matters A blockchain-security firm estimates more than US$40 million left wallets linked to the exchange, but the company itself has confirmed no loss figure.
- The numbers The estimate is above US$40 million, about BRL 217 million at the central bank rate of 5.4212, while the company says no client lost money and no personal data leaked.
- Who is who Mercado Bitcoin is a Brazilian crypto exchange, Hypernative is a security firm that tracks suspicious wallet transfers, and the central bank is the regulator.
- What to watch When withdrawals resume, whether the company confirms a loss figure, and whether the central bank or police announce any action.
- What it means for you Customers should rely only on the exchange’s official channels, and users of Brazilian exchanges abroad should expect delays while withdrawals stay paused.
Mercado Bitcoin, a Brazilian crypto exchange, has paused deposits and withdrawals after what it calls a contained security incident. A security firm says over US$40 million moved out.
Mercado Bitcoin, a Brazilian crypto exchange, suspended deposits and withdrawals on Monday, 2 November, after a security incident in its systems. The company says no client lost money and no customer data leaked.
Hypernative, a blockchain-security firm, estimates more than US$40 million moved out of wallets linked to the exchange. That is about BRL 217 million at the central bank’s 30 October rate of 5.4212.
Mercado Bitcoin has not confirmed that figure or said whether funds were stolen. It calls the event a security incident.
What the Company Has Said
Mercado Bitcoin said it identified and contained the incident in the early hours of Monday. It suspended deposits and withdrawals as a precaution and has given no date for their return.
Its teams are tracing the assets and working with the authorities, the company said, and it will update clients through official channels. It also posted destination wallet addresses on X to help track the funds.
The addresses cover five networks: Ethereum-compatible chains, Bitcoin, Solana, Stellar and Tron. The company has not said how much those addresses hold.
What the Security Firm Says
Hypernative calls its figure a preliminary estimate of suspicious movements from wallets it links to Mercado Bitcoin. The transfers spanned several networks, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and Tron.
No one has been named as responsible for the incident. No link to other incidents has been announced.
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| Instrument | Last | Change | YoY | Prev. | High | Low | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BTC | 80,543 | +0.67% | -29.41% | 80,007 | 80,550 | 79,380 | 21,816,416,256 |
| ETH | 2,348 | +1.18% | -43.00% | 2,320 | 2,349 | 2,295 | 8,316,267,520 |
| SOL | 100.98 | +0.22% | -49.19% | 100.75 | 101.04 | 99.17 | 2,110,777,984 |
| XRP | 1.32 | +1.04% | -49.89% | 1.31 | 1.32 | 1.29 | 1,574,615,552 |
| BNB | 750.98 | +1.29% | -34.10% | 741.42 | 751.10 | 733.56 | 1,470,316,160 |
| ADA | 0.21 | -0.30% | -69.21% | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.20 | 190,120,672 |
| DOGE | 0.08 | +0.78% | -60.98% | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 441,746,112 |
| AVAX | 8.84 | -1.36% | -56.54% | 8.96 | 8.96 | 8.67 | 289,961,824 |
| LINK | 11.47 | +0.80% | -37.04% | 11.38 | 11.47 | 11.23 | 248,509,440 |
| DOT | 0.99 | -2.05% | -68.52% | 1.01 | 1.01 | 0.98 | 109,918,912 |
| LTC | 56.59 | -0.13% | -43.06% | 56.66 | 56.87 | 55.70 | 169,852,160 |
| BCH | 290.36 | +3.57% | -47.81% | 280.36 | 292.52 | 277.47 | 195,939,216 |
| TRX | 0.33 | -0.51% | +9.69% | 0.33 | 0.33 | 0.33 | 371,519,040 |
| XLM | 0.17 | +0.21% | -47.60% | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 107,134,680 |
| HBAR | 0.08 | -1.56% | -58.82% | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 55,674,584 |
| NEAR | 4.62 | +2.60% | +97.50% | 4.50 | 4.64 | 4.39 | 630,712,192 |
| ATOM | 1.61 | -1.48% | -49.28% | 1.64 | 1.64 | 1.60 | 30,012,314 |
| AAVE | 132.37 | -2.36% | -43.78% | 135.57 | 135.87 | 129.56 | 246,790,448 |
The Wider Backdrop in Brazil
Four days earlier, on Thursday, 29 October, Binance, a global crypto exchange, estimated a separate theft of US$6.3 billion. No link between the two events has been announced.
Brazil’s central bank has required crypto firms to seek authorization since new rules took effect on 2 February 2026. Firms already operating had until Friday, 30 October to file their requests.
What It Means for You
For US readers, the case follows the Binance theft and adds to security worries around exchanges that hold customers’ coins. No US customer is named as affected in the sources checked.
Anyone with funds on a Brazilian exchange should use the company’s official channels and expect delays until withdrawals resume. Related Rio Times reports are Binance Loses US$6.3 Billion in Record Hack and Coinbase, Kraken Seek Brazil Crypto Licenses.
Background is in Brazil Crypto Rules 2026 and Bitcoin and Crypto in Latin America. More is on the Brazil hub and the São Paulo city page.
What Is Not Known
As of 2:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, 3 November, Mercado Bitcoin has given no loss figure and no restart date. The US$40 million estimate comes from a security firm, not from the company.
It is unclear how the funds were moved, who is responsible and whether any customer money was involved. No police or central bank action has been announced in the sources checked.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at Mercado Bitcoin?
The Brazilian crypto exchange said it contained a security incident on Monday, 2 November, and suspended deposits and withdrawals. It says clients lost nothing and no data leaked.
How much money was taken?
A security firm estimates over US$40 million left wallets linked to the exchange, about BRL 217 million at the central bank rate. The company has not confirmed any amount.
Are customers’ funds safe?
The company says clients suffered no losses, but that is its own statement. Withdrawals were suspended with no restart date, so check only official channels for updates.
Is this linked to the Binance theft?
No link has been announced. Binance estimated a separate US$6.3 billion theft on 29 October, and nobody has tied the two events together.
Sources: Banco Central do Brasil, presentation of the virtual-asset rules, 10 November 2025; Banco Central do Brasil, PTAX rate of 30 October 2026; Brazilian business magazine, report of 2 November 2026; Brazilian news site, report of 2 November 2026; Crypto-industry news report, 2 November 2026 (all accessed 3 November 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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