Pix e os meios de pagamentos instantâneos no Brasil: a dinâmica espacial da digitalização financeira

Abstract

This study analyzes the spatial dynamics and econometric impacts of the initial adoption of the Instant Payment System (Pix) in Brazilian municipalities, between 2021 and 2023. The research adopts a quantitative approach based on three axes: unsupervised clustering to outline socioeconomic profiles, exploratory spatial data analysis to evaluate the topology of technological adoption, and a fixed-effects panel data econometric model to measure the elasticity of the system's usage on the formal credit market. The results indicate strong geographic dependence, with the formation of high digital maturity hubs in the Center-South in contrast to digital voids in the North and Northeast regions. In the econometric scope, the transacted financial volume presents a positive and significant impact on the expansion of credit supply across most of the territory, especially in small municipalities and large metropolises. It concludes that the system acts as a digital public good that reduces transaction costs and frictions in the financial system, although it demands public policies focused on connectivity infrastructure to overcome the exclusion of less developed areas.