Itaú Unibanco, the largest private bank in Brazil, has formally registered with the Central Bank of Brazil to intermediate and custody crypto assets. This move comes as Brazil's crypto sector faces a compressed timeline to obtain licenses under new regulations that took effect on February 2, 2026, requiring all companies handling customer crypto to register as regulated providers. The bank's filing signals its commitment to keeping crypto within the domestic financial system, with stricter financial security requirements for providers set to begin in 2027.