TikTok has applied for two licenses with the regulator. One would allow it to operate as an "electronic money issuer," offering prepaid accounts for users to hold balances, receive funds and make payments within its app. The second license would make it a "direct credit company," a kind of fintech that cannot take public deposits but can lend its own capital or act as a platform connecting borrowers and lenders.
The Brazil push marks another step in TikTok's regional expansion plans after it said late last year it would invest more than 200 billion reais ($38.4 billion) in a data center in the country, a market known for high social media penetration.
