Something that's probably not mentioned in the article is that it's really easy to get into day trading in Brazil. I think I read somewhere that in the US you n

Something that's probably not mentioned in the article is that it's really easy to get into day trading in Brazil. I think I read somewhere that in the US you need a US$ 25k account to day trade; in Brazil with a US$ 50 account you're in the game. There are many zero-fee brokers (though those are a recent development, I don't remember those in 2013), and capital gain taxes are 20%. In fact I'm surprised that day trading in Brazil is not more popular than it already is. It's basically legalized gambling. I do remote work as a software developer in Brazil and I've been playing a bit with options swing trading on the side (which is even cheaper than day trading); I don't plan to make a living out of it, but it can be fun (and a bit addictive).