MERCADOS PREDITIVOS: A REVOLUÇÃO QUE VAI MUDAR ELEIÇÕES E POLÍTICA | POLYMARKET

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Os Economistas Podcast Dec 10, 2025

Audio Brief

Show transcript
This episode covers the high hidden costs of traditional international investing, exploring how cryptocurrencies and asset tokenization offer cheaper, more efficient cross-border solutions amidst evolving regulations. There are three key takeaways from this discussion. First, meticulously calculate all costs when investing internationally. Second, explore stablecoins for efficient cross-border capital movement, while recognizing regulatory shifts. Third, observe Real World Asset tokenization as a disruptive force in finance. Traditional international investing incurs significant costs, primarily through exchange spreads that can reach 2% and mandatory taxes like IOF. These hidden fees significantly impact returns, especially for smaller investors. Understanding these true transaction costs is crucial before committing capital abroad. Stablecoins offer a technically viable and highly efficient alternative for global value transfer, bypassing the high fees of traditional banking systems. However, their current ability to circumvent certain taxes exists within a regulatory gray area. Investors should remain aware of potential future government taxation and evolving regulations on these digital assets. The tokenization of real-world assets is poised to disrupt traditional finance significantly. By representing assets like stocks on a blockchain, it enables 24/7 global trading, direct ownership, and democratizes access to markets previously restricted, offering a more direct and cost-effective investment avenue. This evolving landscape highlights both the challenges and innovative opportunities in global capital markets.

Episode Overview

  • The episode discusses the high hidden costs associated with investing internationally through traditional financial platforms, such as exchange spreads and taxes (IOF).
  • It explores how cryptocurrencies, particularly stablecoins, present a technologically viable and much cheaper solution for cross-border capital movement.
  • The speakers analyze the regulatory uncertainties surrounding crypto transactions and highlight the emerging trend of tokenizing real-world assets (RWA) as a major disruption to traditional finance.

Key Concepts

  • International Investment Costs: The primary fees for investing abroad via traditional brokers consist of the exchange spread (spread cambial), which can be around 2%, in addition to the mandatory IOF tax, making it costly, especially for smaller investors.
  • Crypto as a Transactional Solution: Stablecoins (crypto-dollars) offer a mechanism to transfer value globally almost instantly and at a fraction of the cost of traditional systems, effectively bypassing the high fees charged by banks and brokers.
  • Regulatory Arbitrage and Future Risks: While crypto currently allows users to avoid certain taxes like IOF, this exists in a regulatory gray area. There is an ongoing debate about how governments will eventually regulate and tax these new financial avenues.
  • Tokenization of Real-World Assets (RWA): This involves representing traditional financial assets (like stocks) as tokens on a blockchain. This innovation allows for 24/7 global trading, direct ownership in a personal wallet, and democratizes access to markets that were previously restricted.

Quotes

  • At 00:35 - "Um dos principais custos está no spread cambial. Então, seja Avenue, o BTG... ali a gente vai escolher o menos caro." - The speaker highlights that even when choosing between the best traditional options for international investment, the exchange spread remains a major cost factor.
  • At 02:04 - "É meio que já resolveu, né? Tecnicamente falando. Porque hoje tu tem os cripto-dólares, as stablecoins, que tu consegue comprar em qualquer corretora nacional e tu manda pro exterior." - The speaker explains that the technical problem of expensive international remittances has already been solved by cryptocurrencies, allowing for efficient cross-border value transfer.
  • At 05:35 - "Um dos exemplos atualmente que já está funcionando até que bem redondo é o da Ondo, que eles estão tokenizando ações pra do mundo inteiro ter acesso já a esse mercado de ações dos Estados Unidos." - The speaker gives a practical example of how Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization is already enabling global access to the US stock market directly through blockchain technology.

Takeaways

  • Before investing internationally, calculate the total cost of the transaction, including both the visible taxes (like IOF) and the often-hidden exchange spread, to understand the true impact on your investment.
  • Explore stablecoins as a potential tool for moving capital across borders more efficiently, but remain aware of the evolving regulatory landscape and potential future tax implications.
  • Pay attention to the growth of Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization, as this trend is poised to disrupt traditional finance by offering a more direct, accessible, and cost-effective way to invest in global assets.