Brazil’s Pix instant-payment network had 1.008 billion registered keys at 30 September, Banco Central do Brasil data showed. That was up from 998 million in August and 920 million at the end of 2025. Individuals held 956.7 million keys, while companies held 51.2 million. The figures marked the first time the registry exceeded one billion keys.
The key total does not equal the number of users because one person or company can register several identifiers. Agência Brasil reported that Pix had about 170 million customers, implying close to six keys per customer using rounded figures. Random identifiers accounted for 526.8 million registrations, or 52.3% of the total. Telephone numbers, taxpayer numbers and email addresses made up most of the remainder.
PAYMENT VOLUMES SHOW SYSTEM SCALE
The central bank’s Instant Payments System processed 7.1 billion inter-institution transactions in September. Those transfers were worth about R$3.2 trillion. The totals exclude transactions settled internally between customers of the same institution, which do not pass through the central bank’s system.
Pix keys link an identifier to a bank or payment account and simplify sending or receiving money. Individuals can register up to five keys per account, while companies can register up to 20. A key can be linked to only one account at a time, although users can also make transfers with bank details or QR codes.
ADOPTION MILESTONE SHARPENS OPERATING FOCUS
The registry added about 80 million keys between the end of 2025 and September. That increase, alongside the transaction volumes, shows the reach of Brazil’s central-bank-operated instant-payment infrastructure. It also underlines the importance of controls around registration and recipient identification as the network expands.
The next Banco Central monthly update will show whether registered keys remained above one billion and whether transaction volumes held their September level. Further detail on proposed safeguards against unauthorised key creation will also be relevant for participating banks and payment institutions.