TikTok, the short-form video platform owned by China’s ByteDance, has submitted applications to Brazil’s central bank to operate as a fintech that can both issue electronic money and provide direct credit, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plans remain confidential.
The filings request two separate authorizations. The first application seeks permission to become an "electronic money issuer," which would allow TikTok to offer prepaid accounts where users could hold balances, receive funds and make payments inside the app. The second seeks recognition as a "direct credit company," a type of fintech that is not permitted to accept public deposits but may lend using its own capital or serve as a platform linking borrowers and lenders.
If regulators grant both licenses, TikTok would be positioned to introduce a range of basic financial services to Brazilian users, applying a model similar to that used by major local digital banks. It remains unclear from the filings whether the company intends to expand into a broader suite of financial products or to focus these capabilities on supporting e-commerce and creator monetization within its platform.
Requests for comment from TikTok went unanswered. Brazil’s central bank also declined to comment on the applications. The confidentiality of the plans and the decision to speak anonymously limit additional details about the scope and timing of the proposed services.
Executives from ByteDance, including Liao Baohua, the head of Global Payments, met with central bank chief Gabriel Galipolo in Brasilia earlier on Tuesday, according to the central bank chief’s public calendar. The meeting occurred as the company pursues regulatory approval for the two fintech roles.
ByteDance has sought to integrate payments into its platforms before. In 2021 the company launched Douyin Pay in China to support e-commerce on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, positioning the product alongside established digital payment services such as Alipay and WeChat Pay.
More recently, TikTok pursued a payments license in Indonesia in 2023 but was prevented from processing transactions directly on its platform late that year, prompting it to pursue local partnerships instead. The Brazil applications represent another step in TikTok’s regional efforts following the company’s announcement late last year of a planned investment of more than 200 billion reais in a data center in the country. The announcement highlighted Brazil as a significant market for the company, which faces high social media usage among the population.
Market data cited in the filings and public reports indicate TikTok had 131 million users aged 18 and over in Brazil in late 2025, and that advertising on the platform reached 80% of adults in the country, according to research firm DataReportal. The applications and investment plans are disclosed amid ongoing scrutiny by regulators and observers of how large technology platforms expand into financial services.
For reference on currency conversion noted in public materials, $1 equals 5.21 reais.
Summary
TikTok has applied to Brazil’s central bank for two fintech licenses that would allow it to issue electronic money and operate as a direct credit company. The company and the central bank declined to comment; ByteDance executives met with the central bank chief in Brasilia the same day the filings were reported. Prior regional efforts and a large planned data center investment underline TikTok’s expanding focus in Brazil.