iEquity, PIX and the Future of Digital Transactions and Sustainable M&A in Brazil

Abstract This paper analyzes the role of the fintech iEquity as an innovation catalyst in sustainable and accessible mergers and acquisitions (M&A), within the context of Brazil’s digital financial transformation driven by the introduction of the instant payment system PIX. The study is structured in two complementary dimensions. First, it provides a conceptual and empirical discussion of the macroeconomic impacts of PIX on transaction speed, financial inclusion, and cost reduction in the Brazilian financial system, highlighting its relevance for emerging fintech-based business models. Second, the paper employs a Vector Autoregressive (VAR) framework using quarterly data on global M&A volumes, startup creation, financial digitalization proxies, global GDP, and fintech-related deals in Brazil to estimate the dynamic effects of digitalization on M&A activity. Impulse response and variance decomposition analyses indicate that positive shocks to financial digitalization—proxied by PIX adoption—anticipate increases in global M&A volumes and fintech deal activity, with effects stabilizing over the medium term. The results suggest that platforms such as iEquity, by combining instant payments, digital contracting, and ESG-oriented operations, contribute to accelerating transaction velocity, lowering entry barriers, and democratizing access to complexfinancial operations in emerging markets. Keywords: Macrofinancial Transmission; Credit Amplification Mechanisms; Fintech-Driven Financial Inclusion.