A Brazilian federal deputy has proposed new legislation that would allow employers to pay portions of worker salaries in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. The bill, filed on March 12, requires that at least 50% of wages remain in Brazilian real while permitting the remainder to be paid in digital assets as reported by BTC Peers.

Federal Deputy Luiz Philippe de Orleans e Bragança introduced the legislation, known as PL 957/2025. Orleans-Bragança, who descends from Brazil's former royal family, is currently serving his second term representing São Paulo in the Brazilian legislature.

The bill would make cryptocurrency salary payments legal on a strictly voluntary basis. It explicitly forbids paying full salaries in cryptocurrencies for most workers, stating: "The payment of salaries exclusively in virtual assets is prohibited."

Exceptions to this rule would apply only to expatriate employees or foreign workers under Central Bank regulations. The legislation does permit full cryptocurrency payments for independent contractors and freelancers.

Brazil, as a founding member of the BRICS economic bloc which expanded to 10 nations in January 2025 with Indonesia's entry, has been exploring financial innovations. The alliance now includes major economies like Russia, India, China, and South Africa, collectively growing its global economic influence through strategic partnerships.

For standard employment arrangements, the bill states that at least half of any salary must be paid in the national currency. It also requires that cryptocurrency payments use exchange rates established by institutions authorized by Brazil's Central Bank.

Orleans-Bragança believes the measure could benefit Brazil's economy in several ways:

• Boost the financial technology sector
• Attract cryptocurrency investment
• Provide greater contractual freedom between employers and employees

The lawmaker points to several countries with similar regulations. "In Japan, legislation requires individual agreement between employer and employee, as well as specific guidelines for the conversion of the amounts paid," he noted. He also cited Switzerland and Portugal as positive examples.

While Brazil considers this approach, other nations have different positions on cryptocurrency usage. El Salvador, which adopted Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021, allows voluntary payments in crypto but recently stopped accepting it for tax payments following an agreement with the International Monetary Fund.