Anna Lucia Berardinelli Castello Branco
Founding President at Brazil Chapter, Association for Women in Cryptocurrency
Anna, your career began in law and has expanded into blockchain, tokenisation and digital assets. What drew you to this field, and which experiences most influenced the leader you are today?
My journey in law has always unfolded at the intersection of law, technology and innovation. Everything changed when I accepted the challenge of leading the legal team at a company that tokenised precatórios, Brazilian court-ordered government debt. That was when my interest in blockchain really took off.
I saw how technology could transform what was around us, especially by bringing greater transparency and security to transactions. One of the most important experiences was working on the Crypto Tax Offset project in the City of Rio de Janeiro’s innovation sandbox. The project makes tax offsets more accessible and simplifies processes that used to be complicated.
That innovative energy, closely connected to the cypherpunk spirit, captivated me and made me want to go much deeper into the field.
It’s interesting to hear that the innovative energy of the industry was what captivated you and ultimately encouraged you to stay in the field. What prompted you to become part of the Association for Women in Cryptocurrency’s Brazil Chapter, and which gaps in the local industry do you think need to be addressed first?
My decision to join the Association for Women in Cryptocurrency’s Brazil Chapter comes from a very personal place. I believe it is essential to create a space where more women feel seen and supported in this sector.
There is still a huge gap in visibility and opportunities for women, and it is time to change that together. Our first priorities should be education and professional development, alongside a culture that genuinely values diversity in all its forms.
Indeed, fostering diversity through education and professional development can help create stronger pathways for women to enter the industry and grow within it. In your opinion, where are women currently most visible in Brazil’s crypto ecosystem, and in which areas, particularly senior decision-making roles, are they still significantly underrepresented?
In Brazil’s crypto ecosystem, I see women gaining ground in areas such as marketing, sales and communications, where our creativity and empathy stand out. Yet women remain significantly underrepresented in decision-making roles and technical fields such as software development and engineering.
That concerns me and motivates me to work actively to change this reality, so women’s voices are present across the entire ecosystem.
The fact that this concern also motivates you to work towards changing the situation for the better is encouraging. Turning back to regulation, Brazil is entering a more mature phase of digital-asset regulation. How could greater female participation in regulatory, legal and corporate discussions improve the way this market develops?
I strongly believe that greater female participation in discussions on digital-asset regulation could be a turning point.
As women leaders, we can bring perspectives that help build a fairer and more inclusive environment. A genuine diversity of viewpoints is essential for creating a balanced and resilient ecosystem.
This also matters because regulation shapes much more than compliance. It influences how companies build products, how investors are protected and how much trust the wider public places in the market. The more perspectives included in those discussions, the better the chance of creating rules that reflect the needs of a broader range of participants.
When regulation has to balance innovation with protection and trust, your perspective seems especially important. With that in mind, based on your experience with pioneering tokenisation projects, what needs to happen for innovation to advance without compromising legal certainty, investor protection and public trust?
For innovation to move forward with legal certainty, we need a clear regulatory framework that protects both investors and entrepreneurs. It should give companies enough certainty to develop new products while also setting clear boundaries around responsibility, disclosure and investor protection.
This will require genuine collaboration between the private sector and regulators, with practical tokenisation experience informing the discussion. Regulation works best when it reflects how these products are actually designed, issued and used in the market, rather than being developed in isolation from the technology itself.
I am encouraged by what I am seeing, particularly the CVM’s creation of the Tokenisation Working Group. It is a sign that we are moving in the right direction and that regulators are willing to engage more closely with the realities of this market.
Thank you for sharing your perspective. To close, what practical advice would you give to women who want to enter the crypto sector or progress into leadership but feel they lack the technical background, network or visibility to do so?
To every woman who dreams of entering or progressing in the crypto sector, my message is to believe in yourself. Keep learning, take courses and workshops, and build a support network with other women in the industry.
Visibility and credibility come from being prepared and willing to put yourself forward. Your perspective is valuable, and the sector needs voices like yours. Together, we can make a difference and open the way for the next generation.
