
Brazil is a politically divided country, but there's one thing that those on all sides of the political spectrum love: PIX, the country's instant payment system that allows users to pay for everything, from ice cream on the beach to clothes in a shopping mall and even a car.
Unlike payment apps run by private banks, PIX is governed Brazil's Central Bank. Its massive popularity drove $7 trillion in transactions last year, though now it faces scrutiny from the U.S. government over claims of unfair trade practices for bypassing traditional credit networks like Visa and Mastercard.