As a seasoned crypto investor with a penchant for fintech innovations and a soft spot for Brazilian startups, I must say that Nubank’s decision to suspend trading of Nucoin has left me both intrigued and cautious. Having witnessed similar policy changes in other companies before, my antennae are up and my investment strategies are on high alert.


Fintech bank Nubank has announced the suspension of trading for its cryptocurrency, Nucoin.

This comes against a backdrop of scrutiny over the bank’s financial stability.

Nubank’s Policy Change

In a blog post dated September 10th, Nubank announced that, starting immediately, the buying and selling of Nucoin is no longer possible within their app. This digital currency was introduced towards the end of 2022 on the Polygon blockchain as part of an incentive program offering users various benefits.

From now on, it’s designed specifically for accessing perks and incentives inside its system. This encompasses discounts at Nubank Shopping and numerous privileges offered in diverse experiences provided by the bank.

The message indicated that they’ve chosen to halt trades right away, to prevent potential changes in the worth of Nucoins in the marketplace.

As a researcher, I’d like to share an update: The bank has announced that customers can continue to exchange their Nucoins for either Bitcoin or USDC digital dollars until December 9, 2024. What’s more exciting is that Nubank will be hosting raffles with prizes worth up to R$1 million for those who decide to redeem their coins!

It’s not entirely clear what led to this move, but it appears that the sudden shift in policy might be related to the bank being under investigation for its financial stability. This is due to increasing worries about mounting bad loans and the overall value of its assets.

Rising Non-Performing Loans and Asset Quality

Based on a Bloomberg report, while the company’s stock has significantly increased more than 60% this year, some experts caution that it might be considered excessively priced or overvalued.

In the second quarter, Nubank’s loans that have been unpaid for 90 days or longer reached an all-time high of 7%, surpassing the industry average of 5.5%. Simultaneously, the bank decreased its provisions for bad debt from $831 million to $760 million.

Fernando Fontoura, a portfolio manager at Persevera Asset Management, expressed that such worries about credit quality caused the company to adopt a more cautious stance towards it.

In June, Persevera decided to liquidate all of its holdings in the bank, characterizing it as a heavily invested sector. Furthermore, both JPMorgan Chase and UBS adjusted their assessments for Nubank to “unbiased” in July, attributing this change primarily to a decline in asset quality.

Despite some criticism, the company’s leaders stand by their lending policies. As Youssef Lahrech, the Chief Operating Officer, pointed out during a financial update, this bank focuses more on long-term goals rather than immediate loan performance issues.

The press office responded to the report by saying that the worries expressed don’t accurately represent the general mood on Wall Street as a whole. They made it clear that the data in the report, which relied on statistics from the Brazilian Central Bank, employed a distinct methodology for calculating loss provisions compared to Nubank’s own approach.

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2024-09-12 01:26