What Is DePix: A Complete Guide to the Brazilian Real Stablecoin
If you have heard about crypto but never understood what it is good for day to day, start here. DePix is the easiest case to grasp: it is the Real, it is always worth R$ 1.00, and it lives in a wallet that belongs to you.
DePix is the Real that you control, not the bank. It is a Brazilian stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the Real that circulates on the Liquid Network, a Bitcoin sidechain. While money in a bank account passes through your bank on every move, DePix sits in a wallet whose private key is yours.
1 DePix is always worth 1 Real. No volatility, no chart to follow, no risk of the value dropping while you sleep. It is the opposite of speculation: it preserves what you already have, in a different format.
What a Stablecoin Is
Unlike Bitcoin, which rises and falls every day, a stablecoin is a digital currency with a fixed value, tied to a traditional currency. The best known stablecoins in the world track the dollar. DePix tracks the Brazilian Real.
- 1 DePix = R$ 1.00, always
- It does not go up or down: the price is not the product
- You do not have to watch a quote to use it day to day
Think of DePix as reais in digital form, running on a blockchain instead of sitting in a bank account.
Why a Stablecoin Pegged to the Real
| Aspect | Bitcoin | Real in the bank | DePix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Volatile | Fixed | Fixed, 1:1 with the Real |
| Technology | Blockchain | Centralised banking system | Blockchain (Liquid) |
| Privacy | Pseudonymous, amounts public | Your bank sees everything | Confidential amounts |
| Control | Self-custody | The bank is the custodian | Self-custody |
| Ease of use | Requires learning | High | High, it is the Real without a bank |
DePix combines two things that used to be mutually exclusive: blockchain technology, which brings self-custody and privacy, with the stability of the Real, which brings predictability. To understand the network underneath, read the guide on the Liquid Network for beginners.
How DePix Works in Practice
The full path, from the first time to normal usage, is shorter than it looks:
- Verify your CPF or CNPJ once. You send R$ 1 by ordinary PIX to the Depix.Online key. That binds your tax ID to your PIX key.
- Open the platform. There is no sign-up and no password: you fill in the order details and that is it.
- Place your first order. Enter the verified tax ID, your Liquid wallet address and the amount, capped at R$ 500 the first time.
- Pay the PIX QR code the platform generates, exactly like any other PIX.
- Receive DePix in your wallet. It does not sit in a Depix.Online app: it goes straight to your Liquid wallet, such as Blockstream Green or SideSwap.
- Enter the normal flow. After the first 24 hours, limits rise to R$ 1,500 on the second order and R$ 5,000 on the third.
- Use it as you wish. Hold, send, swap or sell back to Real.
Why the R$ 1 Verification
Verification exists for security, and R$ 1 is the cheapest way to do it. It proves three things at once:
- That the tax ID provided is real
- That the originating bank account is yours, because only whoever controls the account can send the PIX
- That nobody is using someone else's tax ID to route crypto into a third-party wallet
Once done, that tax ID is cleared for all of your later orders.
Fees Are Progressive
The larger the purchase, the lower the percentage charged:
| Amount | Fee |
|---|---|
| R$ 100 to R$ 499 | 10% + R$ 0.99 |
| R$ 500 to R$ 2,000 | 3% + R$ 0.99 |
| R$ 2,001 to R$ 3,500 | 2% + R$ 0.99 |
| R$ 3,501 to R$ 5,000 | 1.5% + R$ 0.99 |
Worth knowing before you buy
What the Liquid Network Is
Liquid is a Bitcoin sidechain created by Blockstream and operated by a federation of industry members, including exchanges and financial institutions. According to the network's official technical documentation, it has these characteristics:
- One-minute blocks, with final settlement in two confirmations, roughly two minutes
- Fees of fractions of a cent, orders of magnitude below a bank wire
- Confidential Transactions, which hide the amount and the asset type by default
- No bank in the path: the network does not depend on a financial institution to function
It is worth understanding what Liquid's confidentiality does and does not do. It hides how much and which asset moved. It does not make you anonymous, and buying or selling on the PIX ramp remains tied to your tax ID.
Why That Matters
- Your balance is not locked inside a bank and does not depend on its hours or uptime
- You can send to anyone, anywhere, in minutes
- Nobody blocks a transfer between wallets
- Amounts stay private from anyone watching the network from outside
- The key is yours, and that is what self-custody means
What DePix Is For Day to Day
If your first thought was “but I already have PIX”, the answer depends on what you value. PIX solves speed. DePix solves control.
DePix Makes Sense for You If
- You want to hold Real outside a bank, with the key in your own hands
- You want the amounts you move to stay invisible to third parties
- You want to avoid preventive blocks and security reviews that freeze money without notice
- You receive crypto from abroad and need to convert to Real regularly
- You want to pay someone without exposing your tax ID and your bank
- You lost access to banking services and need a working alternative
Case 1: Freelancer Paid in Crypto
You work remotely, get paid in Bitcoin or USDT by clients abroad, and need Real to pay the month's bills.
- Receive USDT from the client
- Swap USDT for DePix on DepixSwap, a decentralised exchange on Liquid itself
- Sell the DePix for Real on Depix.Online
- The Real lands in the account you designated
No broker charging a spread on top of the exchange rate, and no waiting days for an international transfer.
Case 2: Seller Who Wants Privacy
You sell things online and would rather not have every buyer learn your full name, your tax ID and which bank you use.
- You build up DePix in your wallet
- You sell DePix on Depix.Online, entering the destination PIX key, which can belong to a third party
- The recipient sees the Real arrive without knowing who originated it
- Your data does not circulate
The full walkthrough is in the guide on private payments with Depix.Online.
Case 3: Leaving the Bank Without Leaving the Real
You do not want to speculate on crypto, you simply want to stop keeping everything inside the banking system. You convert part of your balance to DePix, hold it in a personal wallet and sell it back when needed. Purchasing power stays the same, because it is still the Real.
DePix and PIX: Where Each One Wins
PIX is excellent and it transformed payments in Brazil. DePix does not try to replace it: it uses PIX as the on-ramp and the off-ramp. The real difference is where the money sits afterwards.
PIX in a bank account and DePix in your wallet
| Aspect | PIX directly | DePix |
|---|---|---|
| Where the balance sits | In your account, under bank custody | In your Liquid wallet, under your key |
| Who sees the amount | Your bank and the recipient | Nobody, by default |
| Availability | 24/7, subject to your bank's uptime | 24/7, as long as the network is up |
| Night-time cap | R$ 1,000 for individuals between 8pm and 6am | No time-based cap |
| Preventive block | Yes, the bank can hold funds | No, there is no intermediary between wallets |
| Reversal | Yes, via MED, within 80 days | No, the transaction is final |
Security and Regulation
Where Regulation Stands Today
Brazil does have a regulatory framework for virtual asset service providers: Central Bank Resolutions 519, 520 and 521 of 2025, in force since 2 February 2026.
What that framework sets up is an adaptation period. Firms already operating have 270 days from that date to file their authorisation request with the Central Bank, a deadline that closes on 30 October 2026, and may keep operating in the meantime as long as they do not expand their activity.
Be sceptical of anyone claiming to be “Central Bank authorised”
And on the Tax Authority Side
The old IN 1888/2019, still widely quoted, has been revoked. It was replaced by IN RFB 2,291/2025, which created DeCripto and aligned Brazil with the OECD's CARF standard. Two dates matter:
- 1 January 2026: it applies to crypto asset service providers
- 1 July 2026: it applies to individuals and companies dealing with providers abroad, in DeFi or without an intermediary, which includes self-custody, whenever monthly operations exceed R$ 35,000
In plain terms for self-custody holders
Who Controls Your Funds
You do, and that is not a figure of speech. When the order settles, DePix goes to the Liquid address you provided, inside a wallet installed on your own device. Depix.Online is the bridge that converts Real into DePix, not the custodian of your balance. There is no “Depix.Online account” holding money inside.
The trade-off of self-custody is honest and has to be stated: there is no password recovery. Lose the 12 words and you lose access, and nobody can restore it for you.
Who Can Use DePix
The requirements are few: an account with PIX enabled, an internet connection and a phone or computer. You do not need to read charts, keep an exchange account or understand how a blockchain works internally.
In practice, DePix tends to be most useful for a few profiles:
- Freelancers paid in crypto who need to convert to Real regularly
- Online sellers who would rather not expose personal data on every sale
- Sole traders and small businesses reducing dependence on a single bank
- People who value privacy and do not want every amount on record
- People working for clients abroad who pay too much on international transfers
How to Get Started on Depix.Online
Step 1: Create Your Liquid Wallet
Download Blockstream Green, free on iOS and Android. It takes about five minutes:
- Open the app and choose to create a new wallet
- Write down the 12 recovery words on paper
- Set a 6-digit PIN
- Enable biometrics if you want
The 12 words are your money
Step 2: Verify Your Tax ID
Send R$ 1 by ordinary PIX to the Depix.Online key. That binds your tax ID to the originating bank account. It happens once, and it is the most bureaucratic part of the whole process.
Step 3: Place Your First Order
Open the platform, choose to buy DePix and fill in the verified tax ID, your Liquid wallet's public address and the amount, capped at R$ 500 on this first order. The fee appears on screen before you confirm.
Step 4: Pay the QR Code
The platform generates a PIX QR code. You pay it in your banking app, exactly as you would any other PIX.
Step 5: Receive and Enter the Normal Flow
The first purchase carries a 24-hour window before release. After that, the tax ID is “warmed up” and limits rise with each completed order:
| Order | Limit |
|---|---|
| First | up to R$ 500 |
| Second | up to R$ 1,500 |
| Third onwards | up to R$ 5,000 |
Step 6: Use Your DePix
- Hold it in the wallet, under your key
- Sell it back to Real through Depix.Online
- Swap it for USDT or Bitcoin on DepixSwap
- Send it to any Liquid wallet, in minutes
- Pay someone without exposing your data
All four exit routes, with the pros and cons of each, are detailed in the guide on how to convert DePix.
Selling DePix Requires No Verification
If your goal is to sell DePix and receive Real, including to someone else's PIX key, verifying your tax ID is not required. The reason is technical rather than commercial: a sale starts from a blockchain transaction, which is final, so the chargeback risk that verification guards against in the other direction does not exist.
The sale limit is up to R$ 6,000 per transaction. Fees run slightly higher than on purchases, to sustain the platform's liquidity:
| Amount | Fee |
|---|---|
| R$ 499 to R$ 2,000 | 5% |
| R$ 2,001 to R$ 3,500 | 4% |
| R$ 3,501 to R$ 6,000 | 3% |
DePix Compared With Other Options
DePix and Bitcoin
Two assets with different purposes
| Aspect | Bitcoin | DePix |
|---|---|---|
| Value | Volatile | Fixed, 1:1 with the Real |
| Price risk | High | None, it is the Real |
| What it is for | Long-term reserve and speculation | Everyday use and short-term holding |
| Privacy | Pseudonymous, amounts public | Confidential amounts |
They are not competitors. Bitcoin is for people who accept swings in exchange for long-term appreciation. DePix is for people who want the Real, just outside the bank.
DePix and Drex
Private digital Real and state digital Real
| Aspect | DePix | Drex |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Private issuer, backed by the Real | Central Bank of Brazil |
| Current status | Live | In development, not launched |
| Self-custody | Yes, the key is yours | Access expected through financial institutions |
| Privacy | Confidential amounts on Liquid | Model still being defined |
Comparisons with Drex deserve care, because it does not yet exist as a product. The Central Bank shut down the platform used in the second phase of the pilot precisely over unresolved privacy questions. The full analysis is in Drex and DePix, what changes for your privacy.
Conclusion
DePix is the Real in digital form, in your wallet. You convert what you already have, hold it under your own key and gain four things a bank account does not offer: confidential amounts, direct control, no dependence on approval, and availability that does not hinge on any institution's mood.
None of this is free. You trade the bank's safety net for the responsibility of safeguarding 12 words, and you trade chargebacks for the finality of a blockchain. For people who want autonomy, that trade is worth it. For people who would rather not think about key backups, probably not.
If it makes sense for you, the path is short: create the Liquid wallet, send the R$ 1 verification and place a first R$ 500 order on Depix.Online.
This content is educational and informational and does not constitute financial, legal or investment advice. Digital assets involve risk.
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