The 5 best ways to dollarize your assets and earn up to 10% per year

Source: PortaldoBitcoin Original Title: The 5 Best Ways to Dollarize Your Wealth and Earn Up to 10% Annually Original Link: https://portaldobitcoin.uol.com.br/as-4-melhores-formas-de-dolarizar-seu-patrimonio-e-ganhar-ate-10-ao-ano/ The option to dollarize investments and assets is becoming increasingly popular among Brazilians. The main reason for this search is that the dollar is one of the most effective ways to protect against market instability, helping to preserve purchasing power and reduce exposure to the fragility of the real.

Until recently, however, the Brazilian population had few options to dollarize. The options basically boiled down to buying cash in foreign currency (to be stored at home or in safes) or sending funds abroad, a process that is usually bureaucratic, expensive, and restricted to those able to open an account outside the country.

This scenario began to change with the emergence of fintechs offering international accounts to Brazilian clients. On these platforms, it is possible to deposit reais and convert them into dollars relatively easily. Still, this model involves significant costs, such as taxes and fees, which reduce the efficiency of dollarization.

The next step in this evolution came with the cryptocurrency market. In this context, stablecoins emerged, which are digital tokens backed by fiat currencies, such as the dollar, maintaining parity with these assets. This allows investors to easily buy assets like USDT and USDC, maintaining a dollarized wealth with high liquidity and without the incidence of the Financial Operations Tax (IOF).

Today, with a market offering multiple alternatives, Brazilians need to carefully evaluate the best way to dollarize their assets. More than just preserving purchasing power, the trend is that the search will also include strategies capable of generating returns on the allocated dollars.

Below, we analyze five options available for Brazilians who want to buy and hold dollars:

Dollar in an international account

Buying dollars through international accounts is subject to a 3.5% IOF tax for each operation performed by the customer.

In addition, there is also the currency spread, which is the difference between the amount the financial institution pays for the US dollar and the amount it charges to sell it. This difference represents the institution’s profit on the dollar buy and sell operation.

Currently, the spread usually varies between 1% and 5%, depending on the financial institution and the type of operation performed, such as international remittances, paying credit card bills with overseas purchases, or transfers. Research shows that the spread for buying dollars ranges between 0.9% and 2% across different platforms.

Another important point is that the money kept in dollars in these accounts tends to remain idle, losing value over time due to inflation, albeit at a slower rate than observed in other fiat currencies.

Furthermore, sending dollars abroad or bringing them into Brazil must be done through banks or fintechs, which involves additional bureaucracy, authorization requirements, and operational costs.

Physical dollar

Buying physical dollars is one of the oldest forms of dollarization but also one of the riskiest. By choosing to hold physical cash, the investor is exposed to irreversible losses in cases of theft, robbery, loss, or even damage to the banknotes, such as fires and floods. Unlike funds held in financial institutions, there is no protection or reimbursement mechanism.

Another relevant point is the difficulty in proving the origin of the resources. In future operations, the holder of the cash may be required to justify the source of the dollars in cash to financial institutions or authorities, which is not always simple, especially if the purchase was made a long time ago or without proper documentation.

Additionally, buying physical dollars at currency exchange offices involves a 3.5% IOF tax on each purchase operation and the cost of the currency spread.

Finally, physical dollars do not generate any income and are subject to loss of value over time due to inflation, making this alternative inefficient as a long-term strategy for wealth preservation and growth.

Dollar in stablecoins

Buying stablecoins is today one of the most practical and accessible ways for Brazilians to dollarize. As they are digital tokens pegged to the dollar, such as USDT and USDC, these operations are generally not subject to IOF, making the process more tax-efficient compared to traditional exchange. There are also no currency spread costs.

Another major benefit is convenience. Stablecoins can be quickly purchased on local exchanges using reais, and transferred almost instantly anywhere in the world, without the need for banking intermediaries. This facilitates international transfers, payments, and custody of assets outside the traditional financial system, usually at low costs and with high liquidity.

On the other hand, holding stablecoins passively does not generate returns. Like idle dollars in a bank account, these assets remain subject to value loss over time due to US inflation. That is, although they are efficient for currency protection and liquidity, stablecoins alone are not a solution for those seeking dollar-based profitability.

Dollar in international fixed income

An alternative to dollarize resources is investing in international financial products denominated in dollars. Brazilians can do this through investment funds, ETFs, or international fixed income applications.

In these cases, the IOF is 1.1%, lower than the rate charged on direct currency purchase, precisely because it is an investment operation. The spread is around 1.5%, and the estimated proportional gain over three months is 1%.

Additionally, those who choose this method must bear management fees, meet minimum investment amounts, deal with lower liquidity, and accept that redemptions may take a few days after the investment is settled.

Turbocharged Digital Dollar

Now, options are emerging to have a digital dollar in stablecoin format with the money earning in dollars. In early 2026, cryptocurrency platforms renewed products called “Passive Income with Digital Dollar,” where dollar investments yield up to 10% per year for three months, making it one of the most profitable options at the moment.

With this product, the purchase is made with reais, an international account is not required, there is no IOF or currency spread charge, no management fee, and the customer can receive daily rewards.

Redemption can be made immediately, and the estimated proportional gain over three months is approximately 2.41% on the amount held in digital dollars.

This return is possible because the dollars are allocated in DeFi (Decentralized Finance) protocols that pay rewards for providing liquidity with the assets.

It is worth noting that rewards may fluctuate, as DeFi platforms calculate rewards based on supply and demand within the protocols. This can cause daily variations, but over a year, gains tend to be around 10% annually with this operation.

After the three-month promotional period, allocations follow the standard conditions of Passive Income with Digital Dollar, with estimated gains of up to 5% per year, depending on market conditions.

Passive income obtained with stablecoins is considered taxable income earned abroad.

Comparison of each modality

Conclusion

The best way to dollarize your assets depends on your goals and needs. If the focus is solely on preserving value in dollars with maximum security and liquidity, stablecoins offer the best cost-benefit ratio. If the goal is to generate returns, international fixed income options and digital dollars with passive income stand out as more efficient alternatives compared to traditional methods.