Brazilian Blockchain: Opportunities for Russian Business

As part of the research "Digitalization of Latin America: Prospects for Cooperation with Russia" the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) conducted an interview with Thiago Rüdiger Rangel, CEO of the Tanssi Foundation. The interview was conducted by Alexandra Terzi, RIAC Program Coordinator. It will be included in the RIAC report "The Information Technology Market of Latin America: The Case of Brazil" in 2026.

As part of the research "Digitalization of Latin America: Prospects for Cooperation with Russia" the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) conducted an interview with Thiago Rüdiger Rangel, CEO of the Tanssi Foundation. The interview was conducted by Alexandra Terzi, RIAC Program Coordinator. It will be included in the RIAC report "The Information Technology Market of Latin America: The Case of Brazil" in 2026.

Tell us about your professional path and what you do now.

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I have a background in economics and business, which I studied in Germany. I spent most of my career, about 15 years, working in management consulting and hedge funds. Then I discovered blockchain. I was immediately drawn to it because it is an area at the intersection of technology and finance, which I had studied and worked with. After nine years at the fund, I decided to leave and become an entrepreneur in the blockchain space.

My first role after that was at a crypto payments company. It was an interesting experience, but not entirely entrepreneurial, as I was working for an established company, albeit while launching a new business unit. It was there that I met my future co-founders, and we got the opportunity to establish the Tanssi Foundation.

Today, I lead the Tanssi Foundation. What we offer is not a general-purpose blockchain like Ethereum or Solana. It is an infrastructure protocol, blockchain-as-a-service, designed to orchestrate other blockchains. In other words, it is a platform for launching blockchains.

My role as CEO is to lead the business areas: sales, development, operations, marketing, and legal matters. My co-founder, in turn, is responsible for all engineering, product development, and IT infrastructure. Our organizational culture reflects the collaborative and relationship-oriented management style common in Latin America, combined with global best practices in technology operations.

Do you need any additional competencies or resources, such as developers or analysts?

We are always looking for good people. There is not a single Russian specialist in the company at the moment, but we have many clients and partners who are Russian entrepreneurs. In my opinion, Russia has very strong technical talent. Furthermore, according to everyone I've spoken with, there is a strong culture of hard work in the country, which I highly value.

In my speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, I addressed this very topic. Undoubtedly, there are both similarities and differences between our markets, but one key unifying factor must be noted: both Brazil and Russia have produced some of the world's largest neobanks that started precisely as fintech companies—T-Bank and Nubank. The success of these companies, which have grown into global players, clearly indicates that Russia is a rather innovative place when it comes to finance.

What do you pay attention to when choosing partners in the crypto world?

Crypto is a niche world with a very specific feature — permissionlessness. This means that no one needs to ask for permission to use your services. Sometimes you don't even know who your clients are.

However, when it comes to a strategic partnership, I want to be sure that I am dealing with reliable people. Several criteria can be highlighted: financial stability, the existence of a user base, the long-term commitment and passion of the leaders, and shared values, such as permissionlessness. In general, it all comes down to finding serious, dedicated people.

What forms of cooperation are possible in this sphere? Are outsourcing, out staffing, and joint projects feasible?

Crypto is interesting because we are all building blocks. We take ideas from some protocols, add something of our own, and create a new product. This is normal practice, as the code is often open source.

Typically, cooperation happens as follows: we provide the infrastructure — the "operating system" (Tanssi) — and other companies create end-user products based on it. For example, if a Russian company wants to tokenize oil or energy, it can use our protocol as a base layer. Tanssi provides open-source infrastructure that enables developers to deploy their own networks. The Foundation itself does not operate end-user applications or provide financial intermediation.

We are also looking for partners who can add new functionality to our ecosystem. A classic example is integration with crypto wallets. Every project needs wallets to store tokens, so we are interested in having leading wallets work with our infrastructure.

Do payment problems and sanctions affect your work?

While global financial sanctions have created challenges in cross-border payments, blockchain technology offers alternative infrastructures that can increase transparency and efficiency for legitimate international transactions within applicable legal frameworks.

Do you face other barriers, such as language?

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Yes, it is definitely a challenge. I was surprised to find that in such an international city as Moscow, not everyone speaks English, just like in Brazil. The English language is the common denominator for international business.

Across the Tanssi ecosystem, approximately 35 contributors collaborate globally, with a small core team based in Latin AmericaIn my opinion, this is a key area where RIAC could help — by facilitating communication and building connections through events or other initiatives.

How do you assess the niche market of Brazil and Latin America? What is your opinion on the competition and regulatory environment?

Brazil is a very special place for blockchain and crypto. Brazilians are very open to new technologies. A prime example is the central bank's launch of the instant payment system PIX, which became the main payment method in the country within a few years.

Brazil has taken a pragmatic, innovation-friendly approach to digital assets, establishing regulatory sandboxes and open dialogue with the Central Bank and CVM.

Of course, Brazil has its own complexities for business: high costs, expensive capital. But from a regulatory standpoint, the conditions here have always been favorable for innovation.

What is it like for foreign companies to work in Brazil?

It is very difficult. Brazil, like Russia, is a huge country with a large internal economy. This leads to many local entrepreneurs thinking very locally and not focusing on global markets. I consider this a mistake.

Other barriers add to this, such as language, protectionist measures in national economic policy, and bureaucracy. For instance, opening a special bank account for foreign companies is a long process with thorough due diligence.

Because of this, many international companies start operations without a Brazilian account, using fintech to carry out financial transactions, which adds complexity and costs. I see the root of the problem in the combination of the government's protectionist policies and the local mindset of the business community.

What possible projects or areas for cooperation with Russian companies do you see? What could be the next steps?

Several directions can be identified:

• Mentorship: I would be happy to act as a mentor for Russian students working on blockchain-related projects, as I do in Brazil.
• Business Cooperation: My project, Tanssi, is quite niche, but I am open to meeting entrepreneurs in the fintech sphere, especially those exploring asset tokenization, international payments, and lending. If they are considering using crypto infrastructure, I can advise, introduce them to the right people, or they can build their product on top of Tanssi.
• Networking and Demo Days: I am a strong proponent of simple communication and networking. An excellent initiative would be regular working groups or events, such as "demo days." At such meetings, business founders can briefly present their products, and participants (investors, entrepreneurs, networkers) can find common ground and start cooperation. I would gladly participate in such a format to meet Russian founders and find new opportunities.

I believe that about 20% of time in business development should be spent on such meetings and helping others, as this benefits all participants in the ecosystem in the long term.