The backlands didn't turn into a sea, but the city of São Paulo was flooded by the artificial waves of surf clubs. This is the new and beloved Instagrammable sport of the Faria Lima residents in this new year.
Under his helmet, Arthurito da Faria Lima frequently travels around the county to understand the trends and perspectives for 2026.
He himself brings news in this interview with NeoFeed : the influencer will dedicate himself exclusively to his profile and put new projects at the "crest of the wave".
With Venezuela demanding from experts that mirrored-window perspective of São Paulo's financial center, and the Master case returning to the agenda in gourmet coffee shops, it's necessary to extend the vision to the middle of the year and the World Cup.
And may coach Carlo Ancelotti carefully consider the list of names for the world football tournament. Arthurito gave his champion's tip: mounjaro on the Ronaldos.
If slimming pens are working miracles on Faria Lima Avenue, imagine how they would help put star players back on the national team.
The new year started off turbulent. How does Faria Lima assess this mess in Venezuela ?
We know that the group around here likes to don the "expert's lab coat" on a wide variety of topics, and geopolitics is perhaps one of their favorites. Obviously, the subject has gained prominence in discussions, but with little impact on the market. Even oil & gas analysts seem a little confused.
Did anything particularly catch your attention?
The sharp rise in the Venezuelan stock market and how the market rushed to seize the opportunity, filing a request with the SEC to create an ETF with exposure to the country, drew attention. Several questions remain about how this will play out... Will Los Roques compete with the beaches of Northeast Brazil as a destination for New Year's Eve 2027?
Speaking of behavioral trends, padel became pickleball , which became functional crossfit. What will be the next sport that the Faria Limers (residents of Faria Lima, Rio de Janeiro) will master this year to post on Instagram?
I think you forgot about the most promising sport on Faria Lima in 2026: pool surfing ! The city's surf clubs have become highly desirable, whether for practicing the sport, networking, or creating content for social media. In parallel, sports linked to "resilience and overcoming challenges," such as jiu-jitsu and triathlon, should continue to grow strongly.
Of all the racket sports, the only one I'd bet on is good old tennis.
Can we be optimistic about the Brazilian stock market?
It caught my attention that market projections for the Ibovespa diverge by almost 60,000 points, a 35% difference that reflects not only technical uncertainty but a genuine philosophical divide about the country's future and the outcome of the elections. My interpretation is that 2026 will be a year of two distinct halves. The first half offers an interesting tactical window, driven by the start of the Selic rate cut cycle and still positive foreign capital flows. The second half, with the elections gaining prominence, will require greater selectivity and active risk management. Note: I continue to buy!
Another asset that everyone's talking about is cryptocurrencies. People are really excited, aren't they?
Last year ended with a lot of stomach-churning for many people. People only like Bitcoin when it goes up, and the vast majority aren't prepared for the volatility. I think 2026 will be a good year for crypto, with BTC consolidating as a digital store of value, driven by ETFs and institutional adoption. I see a lot of potential for growth in stablecoins and tokenized assets.
Is it easier to bet on the Brazilian national team winning the 2026 World Cup or on the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates?
I can't get excited about the national team. I think there's a lack of connection with the fans and names that take on the responsibility. I'd call up Neymar even if he's injured, and I'd even give a monjaro to the Ronaldos and take them too. There's a lack of star players! That said, I think the Fed is already moving towards a lower interest rate regime, and this is already reflected in asset prices. Now, what I'm really betting on is predictive markets. The story of Luana from Kalshi that you interviewed was impressive, by the way.
If interest rates in the United States are trending downwards, what about in Brazil: will they rise or fall?
Here we continue with structurally high interest rates, still timid expectations of cuts, and a "political-fiscal risk" embedded in long-term interest rates. The cycle of cuts will begin, but it will be moderate and will not be enough to make Brazilians abandon the "simple life" of fixed income more significantly.
Will the next Brazilian unicorn come from artificial intelligence?
Probably yes, but not in the obvious way. I think the next Brazilian unicorn will tend to emerge less as a "foundational model" of AI and more as a vertical application: AI solving real pain points in sectors where Brazil is strong (finance, agriculture, healthcare, legal, logistics). But for that to happen, it has to "make a deal with the Russians," with the large venture capital funds that don't seem so enthusiastic about Brazil.
You, with five years of profile activity, are increasingly seen wearing your helmet. What are your plans for 2026?
This year I decided to invest 100% of my time and energy in my profile, my investments, and some digital projects. I'm going to live off my art (laughs). The main one is the transformation of the "Humans of Faria Lima" project, a collection of biographies of big names in the financial market, into a podcast. It's a project I'm co-producing with B3 and we should be launching it in a few weeks. We've already recorded some really cool conversations with Roberto Sallouti and Roberto Campos Neto, for example.
How do you see the current state of influencer marketing, especially in the financial sector? According to Anbima's figures, there are over 800 finance influencers in Brazil: is it saturated?
I've been involved in this "world" for eight years. It seems like a short time, but a lot happens in the internet universe during that period. Influencers continue to grow, as content is the best way to reduce CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) and generate leads for financial institutions, in addition to being a powerful tool in the investor education process. I think the big players will continue to play in this arena, whether by hiring influencers or creating their own. Often with the CEO himself.
Is there a secret to staying in this game?
The secret to staying strong on this journey is maintaining the quality of the content and conveying authority in a way that connects with people. Note: and be very selective about accepting strange "job offers," especially those that involve attacking institutions.
Finally: what is the phrase for the year 2026?
This will be a difficult, tense year, full of uncertainty, and, as I always say, the ideal is to hold on to what is within our control. Considering this, I think the phrase that resonates on Faria Lima Avenue is: "hair back and move forward".
