How to buy Bitcoin privately using DePix

Buying Bitcoin in Brazil almost always means create an account with a broker, pass an identity check and have all your BTC transactions linked to your CPF.

What is emerging as an alternative to reduce this traceability is the DePix, a stablecoin pegged to the real, purchased at Liquid - a sidechain whose transactions are confidential by default.

If that sounds complicated, it's not. In practice, the process is very simple. Buying DePix is fast, easy and helps preserving privacy when buying bitcoin. Pix is only a gateway, without the direct purchase of bitcoin.

In this article, you will understand why use DePix and see a practical step-by-step to buy Bitcoin more privately using the DePix and SideSwap.

Why buy DePix before buying Bitcoin?

DePix is a token backed by reais, issued at Liquid Network. It works like a decentralized Pix, offering not only fast and cheap transactions, but also totally private.

Features	Pix	DePix
Speed	Instant	~2 minutes
Cost	Free of charge	~0.1 sat/byte (practically free)
Privacy	Transactions linked to CPF	Confidential transactions
Intermediaries	Banks and the Central Bank	Eulen (DePix's broadcaster) and Liquid Federation

Using DePix, the flow of buying Bitcoin changes completely:

Instead of buying BTC with reais on an exchange
You buy DePix with Pix
And exchange DePix for bitcoin within Liquid

This doesn't create absolute anonymity, after all you use a Pix from your bank account to buy DePix. But since the exchange of DePix for bitcoin can be done privately on SideSwap, there is no more direct association between you and your BTC.

It is important to note that financial privacy is not about hiding crimes, but about limit unnecessary exposure. Therefore, you significantly increase your security by using private means of negotiation, as you reduce the risk of robberies and kidnappings.

Process overview

Before the detailed guide, take a look at the complete flow:

Buy DePix using DePix.online
Receive DePix in your SideSwap wallet
Exchange DePix for Liquid Bitcoin (L-BTC) on SideSwap
Exchange L-BTC for BTC (optional, but recommended for large amounts)

Step 1 - Create the SideSwap wallet

A SideSwap is a Liquid Network wallet that allows direct swaps between assets, such as DePix and L-BTC, DePix and USDT, etc.

If you don't know SideSwap yet or don't know how to use it, Soberano has already published a complete SideSwap tutorial, including a step-by-step video:

Summary of what is needed:

Install SideSwap
Create the portfolio
Write down and save the 12 words for backup
Generate and copy your Liquid address in “Receive”, “Normal Portfolio”, “Generate”

This address will be used to receive DePix.

Addresses on the Liquid network accept any token issued on it, so even if DePix doesn't appear on your wallet's home screen yet, there's no problem. The balance will be displayed as soon as the coins are received.

Step 2 - Buy DePix

The official website of this Brazilian stablecoin is DePix.info, but it is purely informative. To buy DePix you need to go through a partner vendor of the project, one of which is DePix.online, where you can buy and sell safely.

The process is simple:

Access DePix.online/verify and verify your account
Pay the verification fee by making a Pix of R$ 1
Go back to the home page DePix.online and insert:
- CPF
- Your Liquid wallet address
- Amount payable in reais
Click on “Continue” and pay via Pix

Steps 1 and 2 are only necessary for the first purchase. And, according to the website, “verification has no fiscal purpose. The responsibility for declaring transactions lies with the client.”

In your first purchase, the minimum limit is R$ 100 and a maximum of R$ 500.

After 24 hours, the maximum limit increases to R$ 1,500 on second purchase e R$ 5,000 from the third.

Step 3 - Exchange DePix for L-BTC on SideSwap

With DePix in your wallet, it's time to buy bitcoin. You have three possible paths. The simplest is:

Open SideSwap
Go to “Swap”
Choose “DePix” in “Deliver” e “L-BTC” in “Receive”
Confirm the exchange

But you can also create a buy market order using the “Swap Market”.

In “Products” select the pair “L-BTC / DePix”
Click on “Market Order” e “L-BTC” below
In “Amount”, enter how many bitcoins you want to buy
After reviewing the order details, tap “Continue”

If you want to set the price at which you want to buy bitcoin and are willing to wait for someone to accept your offer, create a passive order.

Next to “Market Order”, select “Limit Order”
Enter the amount of L-BTC you want to buy
Set the rate in DePix per L-BTC (use the “Index Price” as a base)
Click on “Continue”

After the exchange, DePix is converted and you now have L-BTC in your SideSwap wallet.

But what is L-BTC?

O L-BTC is Bitcoin tokenized on the Liquid Network, with 1:1 ballast in real BTC on-chain.

With bitcoin at Liquid, you have it:

Transactions at least 5 times faster (~2 minutes for confirmation)
Fees at least 10 times cheaper (~0.1 sat/byte)
Better privacy than Bitcoin on-chain (confidential transactions)

Most importantly, you can convert between L-BTC and BTC on-chain at any time.

To do this in SideSwap:

Just go to “Peg-In/Out”
Select “Peg-Out”
Enter the amount of L-BTC you want to turn into BTC (use the “MAX” to use the maximum balance)
Paste your bitcoin receiving address
Set the transaction fee and confirm with the “Peg-Out”

Limitations and important precautions

Understand this guide as a way to buy bitcoin with more privacy, but there is a cost to this.

First of all, pay attention at DePix Online rates, at SideSwap fees and also to SideSwap offer book.

Next, it's important to understand that by using Liquid, you is not in full self-custody, but in a model of semi-decentralized custody, operated by the Liquid Federation.

In practice, it is extremely unlikely that the majority of the members of this federation collude to steal funds or censor transactions, because this would would destroy the credibility and the very business model of the network (which earns from fees).

Even so, this possibility exists from a technical point of view. Therefore, the most prudent course of action is use Liquid as a means, but prioritize self-custody on the main Bitcoin network, especially when accumulating higher values.

Finally, there is a risk related to DePix ballast, which is made up of bank deposits. These deposits can, in theory, be fraudulent chargebacks via MED or blockages by court decision. This risk, however, is reduced by the DePix model itself, which only works with well-known partner institutions and imposes transaction limits per CPF, This reduces the potential impact of this type of event.

Conclusion

By following this guide carefully and adopting the precautions presented at each stage, it is clear that increasing privacy when buying Bitcoin is not complex nor restricted to advanced users.

With the right tools and a well-defined flow, it's possible to significantly reduce the exposure of your financial data and regain control over how and when you move your money.

The use of DePix as a bridge between the traditional banking system and the Bitcoin ecosystem enables the privacy of its satoshis. In practice, this represents a concrete gain in sovereignty, as it reduces traceability, reduces unnecessary risks and offers more freedom to trade.

At the end of the process, you will have Bitcoin without KYC, This is a relatively simple way of acquiring financial privacy, with reasonable fees, fast transactions and a level of privacy far superior to the traditional exchange model. It's up to you to assess limits, costs and risks, but the path presented here shows that financial privacy is possible when done consciously and responsibly.

Do you want to deepen your understanding of Bitcoin and financial sovereignty? If you have any questions, want to better organize your studies or understand how to use sovereign tools in a practical and safe way, fill in the form below.