This week, Brazil’s Plexos Institute and EDinheiro platform announced a new partnership with Chainlink to democratize financial access via blockchain-based social currencies that drive economic growth and support vulnerable communities.
EDinheiro is a civil society organization whose digital platform manages an ecosystem of more than 170 active social currencies issued locally by Brazilian municipal community banks to boost production, consumption, and financial inclusion for historically underserved populations.
Led by Plexos Institute, a science and technology organization democratizing access to innovative regenerative solutions, the use case combines EDinheiro’s platform with the Chainlink standard for onchain finance, which has securely enabled more than $22 trillion in transaction value throughout the blockchain economy.
The project is set to launch with the Aratu social currency in Indiaroba, Sergipe, where the majority of approximately 18,000 residents are marisqueiras – women whose sustainable shellfish harvesting is a mainstay of the local economy. This initial implementation will help establish a replicable model for other tokenized social currencies in regions throughout Brazil.
The initiative leverages the Chainlink Runtime Environment (CRE), a chain-agnostic computing environment that connects offchain data and blockchain-based operations. CRE enables automated, verifiable processes for community reporting, usage audits, and compliance with Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (LGPD).
In an official announcement, Camila Rioja, President of Plexos Institute, called EDinheiro’s Chainlink integration “a decisive step” toward amplifying the positive impact of social currencies.
“Aratu is a symbol of social innovation rooted in local realities, now entering a new era of technological modernization,” she said.
“By integrating the Chainlink standard into EDinheiro’s already proven system, we show that cutting-edge technology can strengthen what matters most: people and the solidarity economy,” added João Joaquim, Coordinator at EDinheiro Institute Brazil.
Thomas Trepanier, Head of Business Development for LATAM and Canada at Chainlink Labs, said Chainlink’s essential infrastructure makes transparent digital currencies possible in both established and emerging economies.
“As the global standard, Chainlink is committed to creating a more inclusive financial system for all, from the world’s largest financial institutions to vibrant local communities that are the heartbeat of Brazil.”