CFI Financial Group has secured authorization from Brazil's central bank to operate as a securities brokerage firm in the country, the company said today (Thursday). The Banco Central do Brasil cleared CFI to function as a Corretora de Títulos e Valores Mobiliários, allowing it to offer local clients access to equities and fixed-income securities.
Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)
The approval lifts the Dubai-based group's regulatory footprint to 15 licenses worldwide. It also gives CFI a foothold in a market the company has watched from the sidelines while it built out positions across the Middle East, Africa, and, more recently, parts of Latin America.
CFI reported $2.3 trillion in trading volume in the first quarter of 2026, up 11% from the previous quarter and 81% from a year earlier, according to its own disclosures. Total 2025 volume came in at $6.4 trillion, with active clients up 18% year over year.
A Locally Regulated Entry, Not an Offshore Play
The CTVM authorization places CFI under direct Brazilian prudential oversight rather than letting it serve clients on a cross-border basis from elsewhere. That structure stands apart from the offshore CFD model used by many international retail brokers in the region.
Ziad Melhem, who took over as Group CEO last June, said the firm sees the local market as ready for a deeper offering.
"Brazil represents an important pillar in our global expansion, and this step reflects our focus on building a strong, licensed, and locally grounded presence," he said in a company statement.
- Best Brokers in LATAM in 2026: Compared For Regulation, And Platforms
- Why Is Latin America Hard to Enter for Retail IBs?
- Processing Payments in Latin America
Melhem, who succeeded co-founders Hisham Mansour and Eduardo Fakhoury when they moved to chairman and vice chairman roles, also said clients in the country are "looking for depth, transparency and a platform that can support more sophisticated trading needs," according to the company.
Brazil Joins a Crowded but Bumpy LATAM Map
CFI is entering Brazil at a moment when other foreign brokers are finding the country less straightforward than it appeared.
Polish broker XTB obtained Brazilian regulatory approval earlier in 2025, only to disclose in October that it was evaluating "all potential business options, including the possibility of ceasing further operations", citing what it called local protectionist measures.
The Warsaw-listed firm later suspended new account openings for Brazilian residents after ending its partnership with Finvest DTVM Ltda.
Other foreign players have taken different routes. Binance acquired the locally licensed broker-dealer Sim;paul in January 2025 to obtain its own Brazilian authorization, while payments group Airwallex secured a payment institution license and acquired Mexico's MexPago to round out a Latin American push.
Plus500 chose Colombia rather than Brazil for its first regional foothold last August, opening a representative office under the Financial Superintendence.
Building on a Recent LATAM Move
The Brazil license follows CFI's authorization from Colombia's Financial Superintendence in August 2025, which cleared the way for a representative office in Bogotá.
That approval came within days of similar Colombian green lights for Plus500, Libertex Group's offshore brand LBX, and Australian broker ACY, as FinanceMagnates.com reported at the time.
Melhem said CFI plans to set up a dedicated Brazilian team, including local leadership, client service, and partnerships with domestic fintechs and content platforms.
The firm also intends to roll out Portuguese-language research and educational material, mirroring a localization playbook it has used in MENA markets.
The wider group operates under regulators including the UK's FCA, the UAE's Capital Market Authority, CySEC in Cyprus, the Jordan Securities Commission, and the Central Bank of Bahrain.
CFI added a Bahrain office last October, opened a Baku entity in early 2025 after acquiring AzFinance Investment Company, and named Amr Abdelbaky CEO of its Egyptian unit earlier this month.
