Chainlink, Plexos Institute, and EDinheiro Partner To Democratize Financial Access in Brazil

This new initiative establishes a replicable model for blockchain-based public infrastructure and inclusive finance in Brazil.

BRASÍLIA, Brazil, July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Plexos Institute, the EDinheiro platform, and Chainlink have announced a new partnership to democratize financial access for underserved communities by powering Brazil's blockchain-based social currencies. Issued locally by Brazilian Municipal or Community Banks, social currencies are a social initiative designed to drive economic growth and expand financial inclusion, whose benefits include the disbursement of municipal aid to vulnerable populations. The project will launch in the city of Indiaroba, Sergipe, with the Aratu social currency, marking a milestone in bringing social currencies to underserved regions. The local community of approximately 18,000 residents is primarily composed of marisqueiras—women whose sustainable, low-impact shellfish harvesting is a vital pillar of the local economy.

The use case combines EDinheiro's proven platform and extensive experience—having supported over 180 of Brazil's social currencies—with the Chainlink standard for onchain finance through the leadership of the Plexos Institute. The initiative will leverage Chainlink and blockchain technology to improve transparency, increase financial inclusion, and support democratic community governance for underserved populations.

Chainlink is being integrated to provide highly secure and reliable connectivity between offchain data and systems and onchain operations, enabling automated, verifiable processes for community reporting, usage audits, and compliance with the Brazilian government's data protection laws (LGPD). These capabilities are powered by the Chainlink Runtime Environment (CRE), a secure platform that connects and orchestrates activity across public blockchains, private ledgers, and existing financial systems.

"Adopting the Chainlink standard while evolving EDinheiro's platform to blockchain is a decisive step toward expanding transparency and securing the social impact of solidarity currencies, while ensuring autonomy for local communities. Aratu is a symbol of social innovation rooted in local realities, now entering a new era of technological modernization." 
— Camila Rioja, President of Plexos Institute

"By integrating the Chainlink standard into EDinheiro's already proven system, we show that cutting-edge technology can strengthen what matters most: people and the solidarity economy." 
— João Joaquim, Coordinator at EDinheiro Institute Brazil

"Providing critical infrastructure for digital money, Chainlink, in partnership with Plexos Institute and EDinheiro, is bringing transparency, accessibility, and connectivity to Brazil's social currencies. As the global standard, Chainlink is committed to creating a more inclusive financial system for all, from the world's largest financial institutions to vibrant local communities that are the heartbeat of Brazil." 
— Thomas Trepanier, Head of Business Development LATAM & Canada, Chainlink Labs

As the newest associate member and validator of the Blockchain Brazil Network (RBB)—a public digital infrastructure developed by the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) and the Brazilian National Development Bank (BNDES)—the Plexos Institute embodies the convergence of blockchain innovation and real-world public goods. Designed to enhance transparency, security, and efficiency in public service delivery, the RBB serves as a shared platform for collaboration among public institutions.

As an official RBB use case, the initiative showcases the network's potential to power inclusive, decentralized economic development, highlighting how blockchain technology can strengthen local resilience and advance innovation in decentralized digital public infrastructure.

The Aratu currency marks the beginning of a new chapter for digital social currencies designed specifically for underserved communities and individuals. The Indiaroba project is set to become a model for replication in other regions across Brazil. The RBB's support further solidifies the importance of these programs across the country.

Stakeholders and the general public can follow project updates via the Plexos Institute, EDinheiro, and Chainlink websites.

About Plexos Institute 
Plexos Institute is a Brazilian Science and Technology Institute dedicated to democratizing access to emerging technologies through research, partnerships, and development of solutions that aim to regenerate both society and the economy.

About EDinheiro 
EDinheiro is a Civil Society Organization that developed a digital platform to support the management of social currencies in Brazil. With more than 170 active currencies in its ecosystem, EDinheiro offers tools for governance, transparency, and secure transactions — advancing solidarity-based finance and digital inclusion.

About Chainlink 
Chainlink is the backbone of the blockchain industry, the global standard for connecting blockchains to real-world data, other blockchains, governments, and enterprise systems. Chainlink has enabled tens of trillions in transaction value across the blockchain economy, powering critical use cases across DeFi, banking, tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), cross-chain, and more. Chainlink is widely adopted by major financial market infrastructures, institutions, and top DeFi protocols, including Swift, Euroclear, Mastercard, Fidelity International, UBS, ANZ, Aave, GMX, Lido, and many more. Learn more by visiting chain.link.

SOURCE Chainlink; Plexos Institute