Xp Inc.
A Brazilian fintech that helps everyday people invest, offering stocks, funds, fixed income, digital banking, and credit cards through its brokerage and app. It was founded in 2001 in Porto Alegre by Guilherme Benchimol and Marcelo Maisonnave, who started the firm after Benchimol was fired from a brokerage. The name "XP" was reportedly chosen for reasons the founders only fully understood years later — it is often mistaken for short for "experience."
20-F · Fiscal year ended Dec 31, 2025 · SEC filing ↗
The original filing sections are available below.
We are exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of our business, including the effects of interest rate changes and foreign currency fluctuations. Information relating to quantitative and qualitative disclosures about these market risks is described below and in note 34 to…
We are exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of our business, including the effects of interest rate changes and foreign currency fluctuations. Information relating to quantitative and qualitative disclosures about these market risks is described below and in note 34 to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report. We conducted a sensitivity analysis for market risks we considered relevant as of December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023. For this analysis, we adopted the following three scenarios: •Scenario I, which contemplates an increase in fixed interest rate yields, exchange coupon rates and inflation of one basis point, and an increase in the prices of shares and currencies of one percentage point; •Scenario II, which contemplates 25% increases and decreases in fixed interest rate yields, exchange coupon rates and inflation, assuming the largest possible losses per scenario; and •Scenario III, which contemplates 50% increases and decreases in pre-fixed interest rate yields, exchange coupon rates, inflation and interest rates, assuming the largest possible losses per scenario. The below table sets forth the impact of each scenario on each market risk. It does not account for the risk protocols of our risk and treasury areas, which trigger risk mitigation measures as soon as losses are detected, minimizing the risk of significant losses: As of December 31, 2025 Trading Portfolio Exposures Scenarios Risk Factors: Risk of Variation in: I II III (R$ millions) Pre-fixed Pre-fixed interest rate in reais — (224) (408) Exchange coupons Foreign currencies coupon rate — (15) (40) Foreign currencies Exchange rates — 82 49 Price indexes Inflation coupon rates — (49) (81) Shares Shares prices — 59 150 Seed Money Seed Money — (21) (60) (1) (167) (390) 132 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents As of December 31, 2024 Trading Portfolio Exposures Scenarios Risk Factors: Risk of Variation in: I II III (R$ millions) Pre-fixed Pre-fixed interest rate in reais — 8 50 Exchange coupons Foreign currencies coupon rate — 7 (15) Foreign currencies Exchange rates — 65 148 Price indexes Inflation coupon rates — (12) (25) Shares Shares prices (6) (162) (459) Seed Money Seed Money — (4) 18 (7) (129) (283) As of December 31, 2023 Trading Portfolio Exposures Scenarios Risk Factors: Risk of Variation in: I II III (R$ millions) Pre-fixed Pre-fixed interest rate in reais — 21 23 Exchange coupons Foreign currencies coupon rate — (18) (37) Foreign currencies Exchange rates — 343 907 Price indexes Inflation coupon rates — (13) (25) Shares Shares prices (3) (252) (290) Seed Money Seed Money (3) (71) (141) (7) 11 438 Currency Risk We are subject to foreign currency risk as we hold interests in XP Holding International LLC, one of our international financial holding companies in the United States, XP Advisors Inc., our finance services consulting company in the United States, and XP Holding UK Ltd, one of our international financial holding companies in the United Kingdom, whose equity as of December 31, 2025 was US$114.2 million (US$96.8 million as of December 31, 2024), US$15.3 million (US$12.3 million as of December 31, 2024) and GBP 6.4 million (GBP 16.5 million as of December 31, 2024) respectively. The foreign currency exposure risk of XP Holding International and XP Advisors Inc. is hedged with the objective of minimizing the volatility of our functional currency (the real) against the U.S. dollar arising from foreign investments offshore. The foreign currency exposure risk of XP Holding UK Ltd has not been hedged. For more information on our outstanding agreements, see “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—B. Liquidity and Capital Resources—Indebtedness." Interest Rate Risk Interest rate risk arises from the possibility that we incur in gains or losses arising from fluctuations in interest rates on our financial assets and liabilities. The following are the risk rates that we are exposed to: (1) SELIC rate; (2) IGP-M, the Brazilian general market price index (Índice Geral de Preços do Mercado); (3) IPCA, the Brazilian national consumer price index (Índice Nacional de Preços ao Consumidor Amplo); (4) PRE, the Brazilian required reference equity index (Patrimônio de Referência Exigido); and (5) foreign exchange coupon. We have floating interest rate indebtedness, so we are exposed to interest rate risk as a result of changes in the level of interest rates, and any increase in interest rates could negatively affect our results of operations and would increase the costs associated with financing our operations. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, substantially all of our total indebtedness consisted of floating rate debt and was principally indexed to the CDI. Furthermore, our exposure to interest rate risk also applies to our cash and cash equivalents deposited in interest-bearing accounts which are indexed to the CDI, which can affect our results of operations and cash flows. 133 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Price Risk Price risk is the risk arising from price changes in investment fund portfolios and shares listed on the stock exchange held in our portfolio, which may affect profit or loss. Price risk is mitigated by our management through the diversification of our portfolio and/or through the use of derivatives contracts, such as options or futures. We believe we adopt conservative price risk limits in our risk budget. Liquidity Risk Liquidity risk relates to maintaining sufficient cash and securities through an adequate amount of committed credit facilities to meet obligations when due and to close out market positions. We have a liquidity risk management policy, which aims to ensure a minimum level of liquidity considered adequate by our management. This policy establishes actions to be taken in the event of liquidity contingencies, which are designed to reframe cash within required minimum liquidity limits. Our risk department is responsible for the structure and management of risks, and is under the supervision of the board of directors, for the avoidance of any conflicts of interest with departments requiring liquidity. Liquidity risk control is based on forecasts of cash and assets with credit risk. The cash forecast relies on the free funds deposited by customers, while fund allocations can be classified according to their settlement or zero settlement periods. The stressed scenario models for delays in private credit assets and the extent to which possible stress would affect our liquidity conditions. Credit Risk Credit risk is the risk of suffering financial losses related to noncompliance by any of our clients and market counterparties with financial obligations, agreement devaluations as a result of the deterioration in the risk rating of borrowers, reduced gains or remuneration, and concessions granted in the renegotiation of financial arrangements and recovery costs, among others. Credit risk includes, among other risks: (1) non-compliance by counterparties with obligations related to the settlement of transactions in financial assets, including derivative financial instruments; (2) losses related to non-compliance with financial obligations by borrowers located abroad, as a result of the actions taken by the government of the country in which they reside; (3) cash disbursements to honor warranties, co-obligations, credit commitments or other transactions of a similar nature; and (4) losses associated with non-compliance by intermediaries or borrowers with financial obligations pursuant to financing agreements. In our credit operations, we use client investments as collateral to reduce potential losses and mitigate credit risk exposure by managing collateral so that they are always sufficient, legally enforceable (effective) and viable. We also monitor the value of the collateral. The credit risk management provides recommendations to set risk appetite strategies, to set limits, including exposure analysis and trends as well as the effectiveness of the credit policy. We believe our credit operations have high credit quality and we often use risk mitigation measures, primarily through client investments as collateral. Our risk department is responsible for managing credit risk, ensuring compliance with our credit risk policy and established operating limits. Our credit policy is based on our internal scenario, including portfolio composition by security, issuer, rating, economic activity and duration of the portfolio, and on the external economic scenario, including interest rates and inflation, among others. The credit analysis department is also actively involved in this process and is responsible for assessing the credit risk of issues and issuers with which we maintain or intend to maintain credit relations. It also recommends limiting the credit risk positions of customers. We use both National Scale ratings from internationally recognized Credit Rating Risk Agencies and our internal rating scales to subdivide portfolios into High, Medium and Low Risk. Management undertakes credit quality analysis of all assets, including those that are not past due or reduced to recoverable value. For credit operations, we often use the relevant client’s investments under custody with us as collateral to reduce potential losses and protect against credit risk exposure, and we manage and monitor this collateral to ensure it remains sufficient, legally enforceable (effective) and viable. Our credit risk management operations allow us to formulate risk appetite strategies and establish limits, including exposure analysis and trends as well as the effectiveness of our credit policy. As of December 31, 2025, such assets were substantially represented by credit operations and securities purchased under agreements to resell the counterparties, which include Brazilian banks with low credit risk, securities issued by the Brazilian government, as well as derivative financial instruments transactions, which are mostly traded on the B3. 134 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Market Risk Market risk is the risk that the fair value or future cash flows of a financial instrument will fluctuate because of changes in market prices. Market risk comprises three main types of risk: foreign exchange variation, interest rates and share prices. The aim of market risk management is to control exposure to market risks, within acceptable parameters, while optimizing returns. Market risk management for operations is carried out through policies, control procedures and prior identification of risks in new products and activities, with the purpose of maintaining market risk exposure at levels considered acceptable by us and to meet the business strategy and limits defined by the risk committee of XP Brazil. The main tool used to measure and control our exposure risk to the market, mainly in relation to the trading assets portfolio, is the Maps Luna program, which calculates the capital allocation based on the exposure risk factors in the regulations issued by the Central Bank for financial institutions, which we apply to verify the risk exposure of our assets. In order to comply with the provisions of the Central Bank, our financial institutions monitor our exposure and calculate it on a daily basis, in accordance with CMN Resolution No. 4,557, and submit it daily to the Central Bank. With the formalized rules, the risk department of XP Brazil has the objective of controlling, monitoring and ensuring compliance with the pre-established limits, and may decline, in whole or in part, to receive and/or execute the requested transactions, upon immediate communication to customers, in addition to intervening in cases of non-compliance and reporting all unusual events to the committee. In addition to aforementioned controls, we adopt guidelines to control the risk of the assets that mark treasury operations so that the portfolios of the participating companies are composed of assets that have low volatility and, consequently, less exposure to risk. In the event of non-compliance with the operational limits, the treasury manager can take the necessary measures to remedy this as quickly as possible. Operating Risk Operating risk is the risk of direct or indirect losses resulting from a variety of internal factors associated with our processes, personnel, technology and infrastructure, and with external factors, except for credit, market and liquidity risks, such as those deriving from legal and regulatory requirements and from generally accepted standards of business behavior. Operating risks arise from all of our operations. Our objective is to manage operating risk to avoid financial losses and damage to our reputation, and also to seek cost efficiency, avoiding control procedures that restrict initiatives and creativity. The main responsibility for development and implementation of controls to deal with operating risks is attributed to key management within each business unit, and is supported by the development of our general standards for management of operating risks in the following areas: (1) requirements of segregation of functions, including independent authorization for transactions; (2) requirements of reconciliation and monitoring of transactions; (3) compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; (4) documentation of controls and procedures; (5) requirements of periodic assessment of the operating risks faced and the adequacy of the controls and procedures for dealing with the identified risks; (6) development of contingency plans; (7) professional training and development; and (8) ethical and business standards. Our financial institutions, in compliance with the provisions of CMN Resolution No. 4,557, have a process that encompasses institutional policies, procedures, systems and contingency plans and business continuity for the occurrence of external events, in addition to formalizing the single structure required by the Central Bank.
A. [Reserved.] B. Capitalization and Indebtedness Not applicable. C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds Not applicable. D. Risk Factors Summary of Risk Factors Our business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects could be adversely affected if any of thes…
A. [Reserved.] B. Capitalization and Indebtedness Not applicable. C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds Not applicable. D. Risk Factors Summary of Risk Factors Our business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects could be adversely affected if any of these risks occurs, and as a result, the trading price of our common shares could decline. The risks described below are those known to us and those that we currently believe may materially affect us. Certain Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry •If we cannot make the necessary investments to keep pace with rapid developments and change in our industry, the use of our services could decline, reducing our revenues. •Substantial and increasingly intense competition within our industry may harm our business. •Client attrition could cause our revenues to decline or our expenses to increase, and the degradation of the quality of the products and services we offer, including support services, could adversely impact our ability to attract and retain clients and partners. •Our investment services to our retail clients subject us to additional risks. •We do not have long-term contractual arrangements with most of our institutional brokerage clients, and our trading volumes and revenues could be reduced if these clients stop using our platform and solutions. 5 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents •Our institutional brokerage business depends on our key dealer clients providing us with liquidity and supporting our marketplaces by transacting with our other institutional and wholesale clients. •A significant part of our business depends on B3. •If we fail to maintain our reputation, our business, operating results and financial condition may be adversely affected. •Unauthorized disclosure, destruction or modification of data, through cybersecurity breaches, computer viruses or otherwise, or disruption of our services could expose us to liability and protracted and costly litigation and damage or our reputation. •We may not be able to ensure the accuracy of the third-party product information on our platform, and we have limited control over the performance of third-party financial products we offer. •We are subject to increasing scrutiny from certain investors with respect to the societal and environmental impact of investments made at our platform, which may constrain capital deployment opportunities and adversely impact our ability to attract new customers or raise capital. •We derive a significant portion of our revenues from one of our operating subsidiaries. •We are exposed to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and enter into derivatives transactions to manage our exposure to exchange rate risk. •We could fail to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting, and thus be unable to accurately report our results of operations, meet our reporting obligations and/or prevent fraud. •Our business is subject to complex and evolving regulations and oversight related to our provision of financial products and services and to costs and risks associated with other increased or changing laws and regulations affecting our business, including developments in data protection and privacy laws, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Certain Risks Relating to Brazil •The Brazilian federal government has exercised, and continues to exercise, significant influence over the Brazilian economy. This involvement as well as Brazil’s political and economic conditions could harm us and the price of our Class A common shares. •Inflation and certain measures by the Brazilian government to curb inflation have historically harmed the Brazilian economy and Brazilian capital markets, and high levels of inflation in the future would harm our business and the price of our Class A common shares. •Economic uncertainty and political instability in Brazil may harm us and the price of our Class A common shares. •Exchange rate instability may have adverse effects on the Brazilian economy, us and the price of our Class A common shares. •Infrastructure and workforce deficiency in Brazil may impact economic growth and have a material adverse effect on us. •Developments and the perceptions of risks in other countries, including other emerging markets, the United States and Europe, may harm the Brazilian economy and the price of our Class A common shares. Certain Risks Relating to Our Class A Common Shares •An active trading market for our common shares may not be sustainable. If an active trading market is not maintained, investors may not be able to resell their shares at or above offering price and our ability to raise capital in the future may be impaired. •The dual class structure of our common shares has the effect of concentrating voting control with XP Control, our controlling shareholder; this will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters. •We are a Cayman Islands exempted company with limited liability. The rights of our shareholders, including with respect to fiduciary duties and corporate opportunities, may be different from the rights of shareholders governed by the laws of U.S. jurisdictions. 6 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Certain Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry If we cannot make the necessary investments to keep pace with rapid developments and change in our industry, the use of our services could decline, reducing our revenues. The financial services market in which we compete is subject to rapid and significant changes. This market is characterized by rapid technological change, new product and service introductions, evolving industry standards, changing client needs and the entrance of nontraditional competitors. In order to remain competitive and maintain and enhance customer experience and the quality of our services, we must continuously invest in projects to develop new products and features. These projects carry risks, such as cost overruns, delays in delivery, performance problems and lack of client adoption. There can be no assurance that we will have the funds available to maintain the levels of investment required to support our projects, and any delay in the delivery of new services or the failure to differentiate our services or to accurately predict and address market demand could render our services less desirable, or even obsolete, to our clients. In addition, the services we deliver are designed to process highly complex transactions and provide reports and other information concerning those transactions, all at high volumes and processing speeds. Any failure to deliver an effective and secure service, or any performance issue that arises with a new service, could result in significant processing or reporting errors or other losses. As a result of these factors, our development efforts could result in increased costs and/or we could also experience a loss in business that could reduce our earnings or could cause a loss of revenue if promised new services are not timely delivered to our clients or do not perform as anticipated. We also rely in part, and may in the future rely in part, on third parties for the development of, and access to, new technologies. Our future success will depend in part on our ability to develop or adapt to technological changes and evolving industry standards. We cannot predict the effects of technological changes on our business. If we are unable to develop, adapt to or access technological changes or evolving industry standards on a timely and cost-effective basis, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. Furthermore, our competitors may have the ability to devote more financial and operational resources than we can to the development of new technologies and services that provide improved functionality and features to their existing service offerings. If successful, their development efforts could render our services less desirable to clients, resulting in the loss of clients or a reduction in the fees we could generate from our service offerings. Substantial and increasingly intense competition within our industry may harm our business. The financial services market is highly competitive. Our growth will depend on a combination of the continued growth of financial services and our ability to increase our market share. Our primary competitors include traditional financial services providers such as affiliates of financial institutions and well-established financial services companies in Brazil. We also face competition from non-traditional financial services providers that have significant financial resources and develop different kinds of services. Many of our competitors have substantially greater financial, technological, operational and marketing resources than we do. Accordingly, these competitors may be able to offer more attractive fees to our current and prospective clients, especially our competitors that are affiliated with financial institutions. In recent years, we announced the elimination of brokerage fees for online stock trades at Rico Corretora de Títulos e Valores Mobiliários S.A., or “Rico,” and a 75% reduction in brokerage fees for online stock trades through XP Direct. If the expected offset does not materialize, we will need to offset the impact by reducing and eliminating costs in order to maintain our profit margins. Moreover, we may not be successful in reducing or controlling costs and our margins may be adversely affected. In particular, we may need to further reduce the fees we charge in order to maintain market share, as clients may demand more customized and favorable pricing from us. In addition, we may incur increased costs from incentive payments made to independent financial advisors, or “IFAs” in order to gain or maintain market share. We may also decide to terminate client relationships which may no longer be profitable to us due to such pricing pressure. Competition could also result in a loss of existing clients, and greater difficulty in attracting new clients. One or more of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For further information regarding our competition, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Competition.” 7 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Client attrition could cause our revenues to decline or our expenses to increase, and the degradation of the quality of the products and services we offer, including support services, could adversely impact our ability to attract and retain clients and partners. We experience client attrition resulting from several factors, including, among others, client business closures, transfers of accounts to our competitors and lack of client satisfaction with our platform and overall user experience, including the reliability, performance, functionality and quality of our products and services. We cannot predict the level of attrition in the future, and our revenues could decline as a result of higher than expected attrition, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our growth to date has been partially driven by the growth of our clients’ businesses. Should the rate of growth of our clients’ business slow or decline, this could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Furthermore, should we not be successful in selling additional solutions to our active client base, we may fail to achieve our desired rate of growth. Moreover, our clients expect a consistent level of quality on our platform and in the provision of our products and services. The support services that we provide are also a key element of the value proposition to our clients. In addition, increased market volatility may result in unexpected losses in equities, derivatives and other products, which may lead to questions regarding the accuracy of our suitability procedures and our advisory services. If the reliability, performance or functionality of our products and services is compromised or the quality of those products or services is otherwise degraded, or if we fail to continue to provide a high level of support, this could adversely affect our reputation and the confidence in and use of our products and services, and we could lose existing clients and find it harder to attract new clients and partners. If we are unable to scale our support functions and our suitability procedures to address the growth of our client and partner network, the quality of our products and services may decrease, which could adversely affect our ability to attract and retain clients and partners. For more information on consumer complaints and proceedings, see “Item 8. Financial Information—A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal Proceedings—Consumer Matters.” Our investment services to our retail clients subject us to additional risks. We provide investment services to our retail clients, including through IFAs. The risks associated with these investment services include those arising from possible conflicts of interest, unsuitable investment recommendations, inadequate due diligence on the issuer or the provider of the security, inadequate disclosure and fraud and risk associated to investments in general, including those related to the issuer of the securities. Realization of these risks could lead to liabilities for client losses, regulatory fines, civil penalties and harm to our reputation and business. The realization of these risks may be heightened during periods of increased market volatility, which may result in unexpected losses in the products provided to our retail clients. We do not have long-term contractual arrangements with most of our institutional brokerage clients, and our trading volumes and revenues could be reduced if these clients stop using our platform and solutions. Our business largely depends on certain of our institutional brokerage clients using our solutions and trading on our platforms. A limited number of such clients can account for a significant portion of our trading volumes, which in turn results in a significant portion of our transaction fees. Most of our institutional brokerage clients do not have long-term contractual arrangements with us and utilize our platform and solutions on a transaction-by-transaction basis and may choose not to use our platform at any time. These institutional brokerage clients buy and sell a variety of products within various asset classes using traditional methods, including by telephone, email and instant messaging, and through other trading platforms. Any significant loss of these institutional brokerage clients or a significant reduction in their use of our platform and solutions could have a substantial negative impact on our trading volumes and revenues, and materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our institutional brokerage business depends on our key dealer clients providing us with liquidity and supporting our marketplaces by transacting with our other institutional and wholesale clients. Our institutional brokerage business relies on its key dealer clients to provide liquidity on our trading platforms by posting prices on our platform and responding to client inquiries, and this business has historically earned a substantial portion of its revenues from such dealer clients. Increased market volatility and market declines can cause our key dealer clients to experience reduced liquidity or to decrease their use of our platform. Market knowledge and feedback from these dealer clients have been important factors in the development of many of our offerings and solutions. In addition, these dealer clients also provide us with data via feeds and through the transactions they execute on our trading platforms, which is an important input for our market data offerings. 8 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Our dealer clients also buy and sell through traditional methods, including by telephone, email and instant messaging, and through other trading platforms. Some of our dealer clients have developed electronic trading networks that compete with us or have announced their intention to explore the development of such electronic trading networks, and many of our dealer clients are involved in other ventures, including other trading platforms or other distribution channels, whether as trading participants and/or as investors. In particular, some of our dealer clients or their affiliates, as is typical for a large number of major banks, have their own single bank or other competing trading platform and frequently invest in such businesses and may acquire ownership interests in similar businesses, and such businesses may also compete with us. These competing trading platforms may offer some features that we do not currently offer or that we are unable to offer, including customized features or functions and solutions that are fully integrated with some of their other offerings. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that such dealer clients’ primary commitments will not be to one of our competitors or that they will not continue to rely on their own trading platforms or traditional methods instead of using our trading platforms. Although we have established and maintain significant long-term relationships with our key dealer clients, we cannot assure you that all of these relationships will continue or will not diminish. Any reduction in the use of our trading platforms by our key dealer clients for any reason, including increased market volatility, and any associated decrease in the pool of capital and liquidity accessible across our marketplaces, could reduce the volume of trading on our platform, which could, in turn, reduce the use of our platform by their counterparty clients. In addition, any decrease in the number of dealer clients competing for trades on our trading platforms could cause our dealer clients to forgo the use of our platform and instead use platforms that provide access to more competitive trading environments and prices. The occurrence of any of the foregoing may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. A significant part of our business depends on the B3. The B3 is the only public stock exchange in Brazil, and a significant volume of our trading activities is conducted through the B3, for which we pay the B3 clearing, custody and other financial services fees. We cannot assure you that the B3 will not impose restrictions on trading, request additional guarantees or margin requirements, increase existing fees or introduce new fees, among other measures. The occurrence of any of the foregoing may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we fail to maintain our reputation, our business, operating results and financial condition may be adversely affected. We believe that our brand and reputation is an important factor in the success and development of our business, enabling us to attract and retain customers and enter into business agreements with third parties. XP has developed an ecosystem involving investment advisors, consultants, asset managers and distributors, of which our business is dependent. We also rely on third parties for the development of, and access to, new technologies. We believe that our reputation distinguishes us from our competitors, which is essential for maintaining and expanding our market share by supporting our sustainable growth. Any negative publicity and news coverage relating to us may harm our reputation. Thus, maintaining, protecting, and enhancing our reputation is important to our development plans, operational stability, and relationships with our customers, business partners and other counterparties. XP CCTVM depends in part on the performance of its IFAs. If XP CCTVM is unable to hire, retain and qualify such IFAs, our business may be harmed. XP CCTVM, one of our principal operating subsidiaries and a securities broker, has a broad network of IFAs, and our business depends in part on such IFAs. Pursuant to CVM Resolution No. 178, which replaced CVM Resolution No. 16 on June 1, 2023, IFAs may carry out the following activities on behalf of a broker-dealer: (1) prospecting and acquiring customers; (2) receiving and registering orders and transmitting such orders to the appropriate trading or registration systems; and (3) providing information and recommendation on the products offered and the services provided by XP CCTVM. XP CCTVM’s reliance on IFAs creates numerous risks. As of December 31, 2025 XP CCTVM’s individual IFAs were responsible for serving approximately 25% of XP CCTVM’s active clients. 9 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents In accordance with CVM Resolution No. 178 of February 14, 2023, which replaced CVM Resolution No. 16 of June 1, 2023, XP CCTVM is liable for the acts of its IFAs when acting on XP CCTVM’s behalf. As a result, XP CCTVM may be subject to claims, lawsuits, arbitration proceedings, government investigations and other legal and regulatory proceedings seeking to hold XP CCTVM liable for the actions of IFAs. We cannot give any assurances as to the outcome of any such claims, lawsuits, arbitration proceedings, government investigations or other legal or regulatory proceedings. Any claims against XP CCTVM, whether with or without merit, could be time-consuming, result in costly litigation, be harmful to its reputation and to the “XP” brand, require significant management attention and divert significant resources, and the resolution of one or more such proceedings may result in substantial damages, settlement costs, sanctions, consent decrees, injunctions, fines and penalties that could adversely affect XP CCTVM’s business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, no assurances can be given that these IFAs’ interests will continue to be aligned with the interests of XP CCTVM, that there will be no commercial disagreements between the IFAs and XP CCTVM, that such IFAs will not compete with XP CCTVM or that they will not engage in improper conduct (i.e., churning) in their role as IFAs. In Brazil, there is competition between financial institutions seeking to attract IFAs to increase their client base, assets under custody and business possibilities. No assurances can be given that XP CCTVM will be able to remain an attractive player to such IFAs or to retain such agents in its business platform. Furthermore, many clients have their commercial relationship directly with the IFA of their choice and trust and not with the employees of XP CCTVM, despite the relation with XP to intermediate all the transactions. Accordingly, the loss of IFAs may result in loss of clients and assets under custody, which would affect XP CCTVM’s business. Furthermore, the independent contractor status of the IFAs may be challenged in the courts of Brazil. For example, XP CCTVM has in the past been involved in, and successfully challenged, a number of legal proceedings claiming that IFAs should be treated as its employees rather than as independent contractors, and there can be no assurance that we will be successful in challenging any future claims. Changes to foreign, federal, state, and local laws governing the definition or classification of independent contractors, or judicial decisions regarding independent contractor classification, could require classification of IFAs as employees. If, as a result of legislation or judicial decisions, XP CCTVM is required to classify IFAs as employees, XP CCTVM would incur significant additional expenses for compensating IFAs, potentially retroactively to the past five years and including expenses associated with the application of wage and hour laws (including minimum wage, overtime, meal and rest period requirements), vacation, 13th-month salary, Fundo de Garantia do Tempo de Serviço, or “FGTS,” severance, employee benefits, social security contributions, taxes, and penalties (including collective moral damages in case of a collective lawsuit). Moreover, on February 14, 2023, the CVM issued CVM Resolution No. 178, which replaced CVM Resolution No. 16 on June 1, 2023. According to such new resolution, the exclusivity provision set forth in CVM Resolution No. 16 is no longer mandatory, but is still permitted through contract between XP and the IFA. The new CVM Resolution no. 178 also allows IFA entities to become corporations and to admit unlicensed partners (i.e., non-IFA partners) as shareholders or quotaholders of an IFA entity. Poor investment performance could lead to a loss of assets under management and a decline in revenues. Distributing investment fund quotas managed by third parties or by our asset managers represents a relevant part of our business, which income is a percentage of the management and/or performance fee related to such funds. Moreover, a portion of our consolidated income is derived from management and performance fees collected by our three principal asset managers, XP Gestão, XP Advisory and XP Vista. Poor investment performance by the investment funds managed by third parties or by our asset managers for a number of reasons including as a result of overall market declines, could hinder our growth and reduce our revenues because (1) existing clients might withdraw funds in favor of better performing products or fixed income products, such as government debt, which would result in lower investment advisory and other fees; (2) our ability to attract capital from existing and new clients might diminish; and (3) the negative investment performance will directly reduce our managed assets and revenues base, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and the price of our Class A common shares. 10 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Unauthorized disclosure, destruction or modification of data, through cybersecurity breaches, computer viruses or otherwise, or disruption of our services could expose us to liability and protracted and costly litigation and damage our reputation. Our business involves the collection, storage, processing and transmission of customers’ personal data, including names, addresses, identification numbers, bank account numbers and trading and investment portfolio data. An increasing number of organizations, including large clients and businesses, other large technology companies, financial institutions and government institutions, are the target of, and have been impacted by, breaches of their information technology systems, some of which have involved sophisticated and highly targeted attacks, including on or against portions of their websites, networks or infrastructure, or those of third parties who provide services to them. We could also be subject to such breaches of security by hackers or other unauthorized third parties. In addition, cyber or data security threats may derive from human error, fraud, malice or malfeasance on the part of employees, third-party service providers or IFAs, or may result from accidental, or unanticipated disruptions or other technological failure. Concerns about security are increased when we transmit information electronically, as such transmissions can be subject to attack, interception or corruption. Also, computer viruses and malware can be distributed and spread rapidly over the internet and could infiltrate our systems or those of our associated participants, which may adversely impact the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information, and the integrity and availability of our products, services and systems, among other effects. Denial of service or other attacks could be launched against us for a variety of purposes, including to interfere with our services or to create a diversion for other malicious activities. Each of the foregoing types of actions and attacks could disrupt our delivery of products and services or make them unavailable, or result in the exposure of our sensitive, proprietary, and/or personal information, that we hold or process, which could damage our reputation, force us to incur significant expenses in remediating the resulting impacts, expose us to uninsured liability, subject us to lawsuits, fines, sanctions, or other enforcement actions, distract our management or increase our costs of doing business. Moreover, in the scope of our business activities, we disclose information to third parties, including thousands of IFAs, commercial partners, third-party service providers and other agents, who collect, process, store and transmit sensitive information, on our behalf, and we may be held responsible for any failure or cybersecurity breaches attributed to these third parties insofar as they relate to the information we share with them. Cyber-attacks, security breaches, and other similar incidents, whether directed at us or at third-party service providers with access to our confidential, proprietary, personal and other information, and the loss, destruction or unauthorized use, disclosure or modification of information by us or such third parties or through systems we provide could result in significant fines, sanctions and proceedings or actions against us by governmental bodies or third parties, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Any such proceeding or action, and any related indemnification obligation, could damage our reputation, force us to incur significant expenses in defense of these proceedings, distract our management, increase our costs of doing business or result in the imposition of financial liability or sanctions that prevent us from processing data. Cybersecurity incidents are increasing in frequency and evolving in nature and sophistication, and include, but are not limited to, installation of malicious software, unauthorized access to data and other electronic security breaches that could lead to disruptions of our systems, unauthorized release of confidential or otherwise protected information and the corruption of data. Given the unpredictability of the timing, nature and scope of information technology disruptions, there can be no assurance that the procedures and controls we employ will be sufficient to prevent security breaches from occurring, and we could be subject to manipulation or improper use of our systems and networks or financial losses from remedial actions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations We are subject to cybersecurity risks and have experienced cybersecurity incidents and attempted breaches in the past. A recent incident resulted in an unauthorized third party gaining access of a company database, hosted by a third-party vendor, as discussed in “Item 16K. Cybersecurity.” There is no assurance that we will not experience additional impacts related to this incident. Though we have implemented and maintain what we believe to be reasonable physical, technical, and administrative security measures, these may not prevent future security incidents, which may materially impact our business operations or financial condition, harm our reputation or deter clients from using our products and services, thus reducing our revenues, or could cause us to incur costs to correct the breaches or failures, expose us to uninsured liability, increase our risk of regulatory scrutiny, subject us to lawsuits, and result in the imposition of material penalties and fines under state and federal laws or regulations.We cannot assure you that there are written agreements in place with every third party service provider that we engage, or that such written agreements will prevent the unauthorized use, modification, destruction or disclosure of data or enable us to obtain reimbursement from such third parties in the event we should suffer incidents resulting in unauthorized use, modification, destruction or disclosure of data. Any such unauthorized use, modification, destruction or disclosure of data caused by third party service providers could result in protracted and costly litigation, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. 11 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Moreover, while we maintain cyber insurance, which may help provide coverage for these types of incidents (including both cybersecurity incidents and civil damages arising therefrom), we cannot assure that our insurance will be adequate to cover all costs and liabilities related to these incidents. In addition, such insurance may not be available to us in the future on economically reasonable terms, or at all. Further, our insurance may not cover all claims made against us and could have high deductibles in any event, and defending a suit, regardless of its merit, could be costly and divert management attention. As administrative sanctions established by Law No. 13,709/2018 (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais), or the “LGPD” are now enforceable, cybersecurity incidents and personal data breach or leakage events may subject us to penalties under LGPD. Any proceeding or action, and any related indemnification obligation, could damage our reputation, force us to incur significant expenses in defense of these proceedings, divert the attention of our management, increase our costs of doing business or result in the imposition of financial penalties. Our business depends on well-regarded and widely known brands, including “XP Investimentos,” “Clear,” “Rico,” “XP Asset Management,” “Infomoney,” “XP Educação,” “XP Seguros,” “XP Investments,” and “Banco XP”” and any failure to maintain, protect, and enhance our brands, including through effective marketing and communications strategies, would harm our business. We have developed well-regarded and widely known brands, including “XP Investimentos,” “Clear,” “Rico,” “XP Asset Management,” “Infomoney,” “XP Educação,” “XP Seguros,” “XP Investments” and “Banco XP” that have contributed significantly (and recently in the case of Modal Group) to the success of our business. Maintaining, protecting, and enhancing our brands are critical to expanding our client base, and that of other third-party partners, as well as increasing engagement with our products and services. This will depend largely on our ability to remain widely known, maintain trust, be a technology leader, and continue to provide high-quality and secure products and services. Any negative publicity about our industry or our company, the quality, reliability and performance of our products and services, our suitability, risk management and business continuity policies and processes, changes to our products and services, our ability to effectively manage and resolve client complaints, our privacy and security practices, litigation, regulatory activity, and the experience of clients with our products or services could adversely affect our reputation and the confidence in and use of our products and services. Harm to our brands can arise from many sources, including failure by us or our partners to satisfy expectations of service and quality, inadequate protection of personal information, compliance failures and claims, litigation and other claims, third-party trademark infringement claims, administrative proceedings at the applicable national trademark offices, employee misconduct, and misconduct by our associated participants, partners, service providers, or other counterparties. If we do not successfully maintain well-regarded and widely known brands, our business could be materially and adversely affected. We have been from time to time in the past, and may in the future be, the target of incomplete, inaccurate, and misleading or false statements about our company, our business, and our products and services that could damage our brands and materially deter people from adopting our services. For example, over the past several years, certain persons or entities have fraudulently used the “XP” brand and/or presented themselves as part of or affiliated with the “XP” brand as IFAs carrying out activities on our behalf. Negative publicity about our company or our management, including about our product quality, reliability and performance, changes to our products and services, privacy and security practices, litigation, regulatory enforcement, and other actions, as well as the actions of our clients and other users of our services, even if inaccurate, could cause a loss of confidence in us. In addition, we believe that promoting our brands in a cost-effective manner is critical to achieving widespread acceptance of our products and services and to expanding our base of clients. Our brand promotion activities may not generate customer awareness or increase revenue, and even if they do, any increase in revenue may not offset the expenses we incur in building our brands. If we fail to successfully promote and maintain our brands or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our business could be materially and adversely affected. The introduction and promotion of new services, as well as the promotion of existing services, may be partly dependent on our visibility on third-party advertising platforms such as Google, Facebook or Instagram. Changes in the way these platforms operate or changes in their advertising prices or other terms could make the maintenance and promotion of our products and services and our brands more expensive or more difficult. If we are unable to market and promote our brands on third-party platforms effectively, our ability to acquire new clients would be materially harmed. 12 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents An increase in volume on our systems or other errors or events could cause them to malfunction. Most of our trade orders to buy or sell securities or invest in the broad range of asset classes we offer are received and processed electronically. This method of trading is heavily dependent on the integrity and availability of the electronic systems supporting it. While we have never experienced a significant failure of our trading systems, heavy stress placed on our systems during peak trading times could cause our systems to operate at unacceptably low speeds or fail altogether, such as in periods of increased market volatility. Any significant degradation or failure of our systems or the systems of third parties involved in the trading process (e.g., online and internet service providers, the systems of the B3, record keeping and data processing functions performed by third parties, and third-party software), even for a short time, could cause customers to suffer delays in trading. In addition, systems errors, including as a result of human error, could occur. These delays or errors could cause substantial losses for customers and could subject us to claims from these customers for losses or other regulatory penalties or other sanctions or increased settlement disbursements. There can be no assurance that our network structure will operate appropriately in the event of a subsystem, component or software failure or error. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that we will be able to prevent an extended systems failure in the event of a power or telecommunications failure, earthquake, terrorist attack, war, epidemics or pandemics, fire or any act of God. Any systems failure, including any infrastructure or other failure outside of our control, that causes interruptions in our operations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We rely on a number of external service providers for certain key market information and data, technology, processing and supporting functions. We rely on a number of external service providers for certain key market information and data, technology, processing and supporting functions, such as Microsoft, SAP and Oracle, among others. These include trading platform, portfolio management and asset allocation services, account opening and management systems, communication systems, registration systems, data control systems, information security systems, anti-fraud systems, trading surveillance systems, exchanges, clearinghouses, accounting and others which are of critical importance for us in order to provide our services to our clients in a satisfactory manner as well as to maintain our internal control systems, including accounting and risk management. These service providers may face technical, operational and security risks of their own, including risks similar to those that we face as described herein. Any significant failures by them, including improper use or disclosure of our confidential customer, employee or company information, could interrupt our business, cause us to incur losses and harm our reputation. Particularly, we have contracted with Bloomberg, Reuters and certain other institutions to allow our clients to access real-time market information data, which are essential for our clients to make their investment decisions and take certain actions (such as making trades). Also, for our accounting, risk management and internal control processes, we rely on several other software services that are subject to malfunction, errors, bugs and/or security issues. Any failure of such information or software providers to update, deliver, prepare or process the data in a timely and/or correct manner as provided in the agreements could lead our clients or us to potential losses, which may in turn affect our business operations and reputation and may cause us to incur losses. We cannot assure you that our external service providers will be able to continue to provide these services to meet our current needs in an efficient and cost-effective manner, or that they will be able to adequately expand their services to meet our needs in the future. Some external service providers may have assets and infrastructure that are important to the services they provide us that are located in or outside Brazil, and their ability to provide these services is subject to risks from unfavorable political, economic, legal or other developments, such as social or political instability, changes in governmental policies or changes in the applicable laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which their assets and operations are located. An interruption in or the cessation of service by any external service provider as a result of system failures, capacity constraints, financial constraints or problems, unanticipated trading market closures or for any other reason and our inability to make alternative arrangements in a smooth and timely manner, if at all, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Further, disputes might arise in relation to the agreements that we enter into with our service providers or the performance of the service providers thereunder. To the extent that any service provider disagrees with us on the quality of the products or services, terms and conditions of the payment or other provisions of such agreements, we may face claims, disputes, litigation or other proceedings initiated by such service provider against us. We may incur substantial expenses and require significant attention of management in defending against these claims, regardless of their merit. We could also face damage to our reputation as a result of such claims, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. 13 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents We may not be able to ensure the accuracy of the third-party product information on our platform, and we have limited control over the performance of third-party financial products we offer. We offer certain third-party financial products. The acceptance and popularity of our platform is partially premised on the reliability and performance of the relevant underlying products and information on our platform. We rely on the relevant third-party providers of the relevant products for the authenticity of their underlying products and the comprehensiveness, accuracy and timeliness of the related financial information. While the products and information from these third-party providers have been generally reliable, there can be no assurance that the reliability can be maintained in the future. If these third-party providers or their agents provide inauthentic financial products or incomplete, misleading, inaccurate or fraudulent information, we may lose the trust of existing and prospective investors. In addition, if our investors purchase the underlying products that they discover on our platform and they suffer losses, they may blame us and attempt to hold us responsible for their losses, even though we have made risk disclosures before they invest. Our reputation could be harmed and we could experience reduced user traffic to our platform, which would adversely affect our business and financial performance. Furthermore, as investors access the underlying products through our platform, they may have the impression that we are at least partially responsible for the quality and performance of these products. Although we have established standards to screen product providers before distributing their products on our platform, we have limited control over the performance of the third-party financial products we offer. In the event that an investor is dissatisfied with underlying products or the services of a products provider, we do not have any means to directly make improvements in response to user complaints. If investors become dissatisfied with the underlying products available on our platform, our business, reputation, financial performance and prospects could be adversely affected. We rely upon our systems and upon third-party data center service providers to host certain aspects of our platform and content, and any systems failure due to factors beyond our control or any disruption to, or interference with, our use of third-party data center services could interrupt our service, increase our costs and impair our ability to deliver our platform, resulting in customer dissatisfaction, damaging our reputation and harming our business. We utilize data center hosting facilities from third-party service providers to make certain content available on our platform. Our primary data centers are located in the cities of Barueri and Santana do Parnaíba, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil (which are located approximately five miles apart). Additionally, we have a cloud data center that provide us remote computing resources and storage. Our operations depend, in part, on our providers’ ability to protect their facilities against damage or interruption from natural disasters, power or telecommunications failures, criminal acts and similar events. The occurrence of spikes in user volume, traffic, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, vandalism or sabotage, or a decision to close a facility without adequate notice, or other unanticipated problems at our providers’ facilities, could result in lengthy interruptions in the availability of our platform, which would adversely affect our business. In addition, we depend on the efficient and uninterrupted operation of numerous systems, including our computer systems, software, data centers and telecommunications networks, as well as the systems of third parties. Our systems and operations, or those of our third-party providers, could be exposed to damage or interruption from, among other things, fire, natural disaster, power loss, telecommunications failure, unauthorized physical entry and computer viruses. We do not maintain insurance policies specifically for property and business interruptions. Defects in our systems or those of third parties, errors or delays in the processing of transactions, telecommunications failures or other difficulties could result in: •loss of revenues; •loss of clients; •loss of client data; •loss of licenses or authorizations with the CVM, the Central Bank, the Superintendency of Private Insurance (Superintendência de Seguros Privados), or “SUSEP,” and/or any other applicable authority; •loss of our membership to the B3 and/or loss of access to the trading facilities of the B3; •fines imposed by applicable regulatory authorities and other issues relating to non-compliance with applicable financial services or data protection requirements; •a failure to receive, or loss of, Central Bank authorizations to operate as a financial services provider in Brazil; •fines or other penalties imposed by the Central Bank, as well as other measures taken by the Central Bank, including intervention, temporary special management systems, the imposition of insolvency proceedings, and/or the out-of-court liquidation of XP CCTVM and any of our subsidiaries to whom licenses may be granted in the future; 14 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents •harm to our business or reputation resulting from negative publicity; •exposure to fraud losses or other liabilities; •additional operating and development costs; and/or •diversion of technical and other resources. We are subject to risks in using prime brokers and custodians. Our asset management division and its managed funds depend on the services of prime brokers, administrators and custodians to settle and report securities transactions. In the event of the insolvency of a prime broker, administrator or custodian, our funds might not be able to recover equivalent assets in whole or in part, as they will rank among the prime broker’s, the administrator’s and the custodian’s unsecured creditors in relation to assets that the prime broker, administrator or custodian borrows, lends or otherwise uses. In addition, cash held by our funds with the prime broker, administrator or custodian will not be segregated from the prime broker’s, administrator’s or custodian’s own cash, and the funds will therefore rank as unsecured creditors in relation thereto. If we lose key personnel, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected. We are dependent upon the ability and experience of a number of key personnel who have substantial experience with our operations, the financial services industry and the markets in which we offer our products and services. Many of our key personnel have worked for us for a significant amount of time or were recruited by us specifically due to their industry experience. It is possible that the loss of the services of one or a combination of our senior executives or key managers, including our chief executive officer, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—A. Directors and Senior Management—Executive Officers.” The ability to attract, recruit, develop and retain qualified employees and continue to strengthen our existing infrastructure and systems is critical to our success and growth. If we are not able to do so, our business and prospects may be materially and adversely affected. Our business functions at the intersection of rapidly changing technological, social, economic and regulatory developments that require a wide-ranging set of expertise and intellectual capital. In order for us to successfully compete and grow, we must attract, recruit, develop and retain the necessary personnel who can provide the needed expertise across the entire spectrum of our intellectual capital needs. While a number of our key personnel have substantial experience with our operations, we must also develop our personnel to provide succession plans capable of maintaining continuity in the midst of the inevitable unpredictability of human capital. However, the market for qualified personnel is competitive, and we may not succeed in recruiting additional personnel or may fail to effectively replace current personnel who depart with qualified or effective successors. We must continue to hire additional personnel to execute our strategic plans. Our effort to retain and develop personnel may also result in significant additional expenses, which could adversely affect our profitability. We cannot assure you that our qualified employees will continue to be employed by us or that we will be able to attract and retain qualified personnel in the future. Failure to retain or attract key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, in order to manage our growth effectively, we must continue to strengthen our existing infrastructure, develop and improve our internal controls, create and improve our reporting systems, and timely address issues as they arise. Furthermore, we encourage employees to quickly develop and launch new features for our products and services. As we grow, we may not be able to execute as quickly as smaller, more efficient organizations. If we do not successfully manage our growth, our business will suffer, which may have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and capacity to fulfill our contractual obligations. 15 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents We are subject to increasing scrutiny from certain investors with respect to the societal and environmental impact of investments made at our platform, which may constrain capital deployment opportunities and adversely impact our ability to attract new customers or raise capital. In recent years, certain investors, including public pension funds, have placed increasing importance on the negative impacts of investments made by the private equity and other funds to which they commit capital, including with respect to ESG matters. Certain investors have also demonstrated increased activism with respect to existing investments, including by urging asset managers to invest or refrain from investing in securities of certain companies and/or industries. Increased focus and activism related to ESG and similar matters and the demands of certain investors, including public pension funds, may further limit the types of investments that are available to our customers through our platform or to investments by the funds we manage, including our ability to raise capital and deploy such resources, which may impact our Client Assets and, therefore, our related fees. In addition, investors, including public pension funds, may decide to withdraw capital from our platform or funds we manage or to not commit capital to future fundraises as a result of their assessment of our approach to and consideration of the social cost of investments made by our operations or companies that received investments from the funds we manage. To the extent our access to capital from investors, including public pension funds, is impaired, we may not be able to maintain or increase the size of our funds or raise sufficient capital for new funds, which may adversely impact our revenues. For further information on our ESG matters, see “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—C. Board Practices – Environmental, Social and Governance Committee.” In addition, ESG matters and concerns relating to the use of misleading labels and marketing materials in relation to investment products have been the subject of increased focus by regulatory authorities in the EU. For example, in 2021 certain requirements under Regulation (EU) 2019/2088, also known as the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation or SFDR, came into force. The SFDR was introduced to improve transparency in the market for sustainable investment products, to prevent greenwashing and to increase transparency around sustainability claims made by, among others, fund and asset managers. In 2022, the EU Taxonomy Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2020/852) entered into force. The Taxonomy Regulation establishes a framework for classifying whether an economic activity is “environmentally sustainable”. As a result of these and other legislative initiatives, we may be required to provide additional disclosure to EU-based investors in our funds with respect to ESG matters. On this subject, also in 2022, came into effect, a regulatory framework related to ESG in the scope of Central Bank supervision. The following regulations can be mentioned: Resolution CMN 4943/2021, Resolution CMN 4945/2021, Resolution CMN 4944/2021, and enacted by Central Bank, Resolutions n. 139/2021 and 151/2021. In October 2023, the CVM issued Resolution No. 193, which provides for the preparation and disclosure of consolidated financial statements related to sustainability, based on ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board) standards. In November 2024, the Brazilian Central Bank published CMN Resolution No. 5,185, which requires financial institutions to prepare and disclose, along with their financial statements, the sustainability-related financial information report, in accordance with the pronouncements IFRS S1 - General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information and IFRS S2 - Climate-related Disclosures, issued by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and approved by the Brazilian Sustainability Pronouncements Committee (CBPS). Preparation and disclosure of the report is mandatory for all institutions that currently disclose consolidated annual financial statements adopting international accounting standards in accordance with the pronouncements issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), which are institutions incorporated as publicly traded companies or which are leaders of prudential conglomerates classified in the S1, S2 or S3 segment. The measure also stipulates that the report must be subject to reasonable assurance by an independent auditor. At the same time, initiatives and business practices of financial institutions with respect to ESG matters have become the subject of significant and sometimes opposing scrutiny by regulatory agencies and government officials. In particular, a growing number of regulatory initiatives in certain jurisdictions (notably in the United States) are aimed at discouraging or limiting the consideration of ESG factors by financial institutions, and proceedings have been brought asserting that such consideration conflicts with regulatory requirements, fiduciary duties or the expectations of clients, shareholders and other stakeholders. These dynamics are not static; they continue to evolve, and at times diverge across jurisdictions, in response to global initiatives, stakeholder pressure, political dynamics and changing regulatory regimes. 16 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents The Company is subject to general Social, Environmental and Climate Risks, associated to the Company’s business, which may adversely impact its operations and financial/reputational standing. For us, social and environmental risks refer to the likelihood of losses arising from exposure to environmental and social events related to our activities. We also understand climate risk as the possibility of losses caused by the materialization of climatic events, including extreme weather events and chronic changes in climate patterns, as well as climate-transition risks, including reputational, legal, and market risks that may arise as a consequence of transitioning to a low-carbon economy. Social, Environmental, and Climate risks can directly affect our daily activities, as well as indirectly impact our relationship with clients and operations we support in some way. Our daily activities as well as our revenues, AuC and AUM can be directly impacted by: (i) increased compliance costs for meeting new regulations related to social, environmental, and climate issues set by various regulatory bodies that require us to exercise greater control and disclose more information to regulators and stakeholders; (ii) restrictions on opening new accounts, conducting operations, and launching new products that are not aligned with the company's Environmental, Social, and Climate Responsibility Policy, or “PRSAC”; (iii) difficulties in raising capital and attracting new clients and investors due to greater activism and scrutiny from clients, investors, and multilateral agencies related to social, environmental, and climate issues (see “—Certain Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry — We are subject to increasing scrutiny from certain investors with respect to the societal and environmental impact of investments made at our platform, which may constrain capital deployment opportunities and adversely impact our ability to attract new customers or raise capital”); (iv) physical damage to our facilities due to extreme weather events, resulting in increased costs; (v) financial impact from receiving fines or having our activities halted due to non-compliance with social, environmental, and climate regulations; and (vi) reputational impact if we fail to meet voluntary commitments we have made, which could also impact the market value of our brand. Through our relationship with our clients, we may be impacted by: (i) the deterioration of credit quality in our loan portfolio and the consequent increase in delinquencies due to social, environmental, or climatic events affecting our clients and operations, either through some eventual social, environmental, or climatic damage, a decrease in profitability and an increase in costs to our company or sector arising from physical or transitional climate risks and non-compliance with social, environmental, or climatic laws and regulations, which could also adversely affect our profitability; (ii) social, environmental, or climatic events related to clients and operations we support, which could adversely affect the value of our brand and our reputation; (iii) risk of indirect liability related to social, environmental or climatic damage caused by clients and operations we finance; (iv) deterioration of financial and non-financial collateral due to social, environmental, or climatic events, such as the reduction of market value of a company's stocks or assets, a decrease in the financial value of properties that may be contaminated, affected by physical impacts of climate change, or non-compliance with social and environmental legislation related to the property, reducing the recoverable value in our portfolios; and (v) the deterioration of the market value of companies in our proprietary portfolios due to social, environmental, or climatic events, adversely impacting our revenue and profitability. The absence of the incorporation of social, environmental, and climatic risks into our risk governance structure for adequate measurement, assessment, management, monitoring, and disclosure of information may result in adverse impacts on our profitability, revenue generation, competitiveness, funding costs, and capital requirements. In light of the relevance of managing and mitigating these risks in our activities, our PRSAC is aimed at reinforcing the social, environmental and climate principles and guidelines applied to our business, activities, processes and stakeholder relationships, and seeks to prevent and mitigate negative impacts and increase positive impacts to the environment and society, based on the principles of relevance and proportionality and our other specific internal policies. We are subject to various risks associated with the securities industry, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows and results of operations. We are subject to uncertainties that are common across the securities industry. These uncertainties include: •the volatility of domestic and international financial, bond and stock markets, and the markets for funds and other asset classes; •extensive governmental regulation; •litigation; •intense competition; •poor performance of investment products that our advisors recommend or sell or that are otherwise sold or distributed on our platform, including poor performance of investment portfolios as a result of strategies or other trading actions; 17 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents •substantial fluctuations in the volume and price level of securities; and •dependence on the solvency of various third parties. As a result, our revenues and earnings may vary significantly from quarter to quarter and from year to year. In addition, lower price levels of securities may result in reduced volumes of securities, options and futures transactions, with a consequent reduction in our commission revenues. In periods of low retail and institutional brokerage volume and reduced investment banking activity, profitability is impaired because certain expenses remain relatively fixed. Sudden sharp declines in market values of securities and the failure of issuers and counterparties to perform their obligations can result in illiquid markets, which, in turn, can make it difficult to sell securities. In the event of a market downturn, our business could be adversely affected in many ways, potentially for a prolonged period of time, adversely impacting our equity and equity funds’ position and the fair value of our Client Assets, which could lead to reduced demand for the asset class. Our revenues are likely to decline in such circumstances, and if we are unable to reduce expenses at the same pace, our profit margins would erode, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. We derive a significant portion of our revenues from one of our operating subsidiaries. A significant portion of our revenues is derived from one of our principal operating subsidiaries, XP CCTVM. For the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, the average net revenue of XP CCTVM represented 51% of our total consolidated net revenue. We expect that we will continue to depend on XP CCTVM for a significant portion of our revenues for the foreseeable future, and any decrease in the revenue of XP CCTVM or any other event significantly affecting XP CCTVM may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Our holding company structure makes us dependent on the operations of our subsidiaries. We are a Cayman Islands exempted company with limited liability. As a holding company, our corporate purpose is to invest, as a partner or shareholder, in other companies, consortia or joint ventures in Brazil, where most of our operations are located, and outside Brazil. Accordingly, our material assets are our direct and indirect equity interests in our subsidiaries, and we are therefore dependent upon the results of operations and, in turn, the payments, dividends and distributions from our subsidiaries for funds to pay our holding company’s operating and other expenses and to pay future cash dividends or distributions, if any, to holders of our Class A common shares, and we may have tax costs in connection with any dividend or distribution. In addition, the payments, dividends and distributions from our subsidiaries to us for funds to pay future cash dividends or distributions, if any, to holders of our Class A common shares, could be restricted under financing arrangements that we or our subsidiaries may enter into in the future, and we and such subsidiaries may be required to obtain the approval of lenders to make such payments to us in the event they are in default of their repayment obligations. Furthermore, we may be adversely affected if the Brazilian government imposes legal restrictions on dividend distributions by our Brazilian subsidiaries, and exchange rate fluctuations will affect the U.S. dollar value of any distributions our subsidiaries make with respect to our equity interests in those subsidiaries. For further information, see “—Certain Risks Relating to Brazil—Exchange rate instability may have adverse effects on the Brazilian economy, us and the price of our Class A common shares,” “—Certain Risks Relating to Brazil—Economic uncertainty and political instability in Brazil may harm us and the price of our Class A common shares” and “Item 8. Financial Information—A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Dividends and dividend policy.” We are exposed to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and enter into derivatives transactions to manage our exposure to exchange rate risk. We hold certain funds in non-Brazilian real currencies, and will continue to do so in the future, and our offshore operating subsidiaries generate revenue in non-Brazilian real currencies. Accordingly, our financial results are affected by the translation of these non-real currencies into reais. In addition, to the extent that we need to convert future financing proceeds into Brazilian reais for our operations, any appreciation of the Brazilian real against the relevant foreign currencies would materially reduce the Brazilian real amounts we would receive from the conversion, and any depreciation of the Brazilian real against the relevant foreign currencies could increase the amounts in Brazilian reais that we are require to convert into the relevant foreign currencies in order to service such relevant foreign currency financings. No assurance can be given that fluctuations in foreign exchange rates will not have a significant impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We may also have foreign exchange risk on any of our other assets and liabilities denominated in currencies, or with pricing linked to currencies, other than our functional currency, including certain contract assets. Fluctuations in the Brazilian real versus any of these foreign currencies may have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations. 18 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents In addition, we enter into derivatives transactions to manage our exposure to exchange rate risk. Such derivatives transactions are designed to protect us against increases or decreases in exchange rates, but not both. If we have entered into derivatives transactions to protect against, for example, decreases in the value of the real and the real instead increases in value, we may incur financial losses. Such losses could materially and adversely affect us. XP CCTVM is subject to liquidity risks. XP CCTVM is subject to liquidity risks. Liquidity is the ability to meet current and future cash flow needs on a timely basis at a reasonable cost. XP CCTVM requires sufficient liquidity to meet customer and clearinghouse deposit maturities/withdrawals, payments on debt obligations as they become due and other cash commitments under both normal operating conditions and other unpredictable circumstances causing industry or general financial market stress or increased volatility. XP CCTVM’s access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance its activities on terms that are acceptable to it could be impaired by factors that affect it specifically or the financial services industry or economy generally. To the extent XP CCTVM is unable to maintain adequate levels of liquidity, it may not be able to meet its payment obligations, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, XP CCTVM invests funds held in customer accounts in fixed income financial instruments and securities that meet certain liquidity conditions. To the extent customers withdraw a substantial amount of their funds held in such customer accounts for other uses, XP CCTVM might experience liquidity constraints, requiring it to rapidly sell financial assets at a discounted price, and may be unable to obtain funding and default on its payment obligations to market counterparties and other customers, which may cause XP CCTVM to incur losses, and consequently harm our image and reputation and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We could fail to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting, and thus be unable to accurately report our results of operations, meet our reporting obligations and/or prevent fraud. Our controls are designed to provide reasonable assurance on the information disclosed in our financial report, but, we cannot assure that significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting will not be identified in the future. In addition, if we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting, as accounting standards are modified, supplemented or amended from time to time, we may not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. For further information, see “Item 15. Controls and Procedures—D. Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.” If we fail to maintain an effective internal control environment, we could suffer material misstatements in our financial statements, fail to meet our reporting obligations or fail to prevent fraud, which would likely cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information. This could, in turn, limit our access to capital markets, harm our results of operations, and lead to a decline in the trading price of our Class A common shares. Additionally, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could expose us to increased risk of fraud or misuse of corporate assets and subject us to potential delisting from Nasdaq, regulatory investigations and civil or criminal sanctions. We are subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which requires, among other things, that we establish and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. Under the current rules of the SEC, we are required to perform system and process evaluation and testing of our internal controls over financial reporting to allow management to assess their effectiveness. Our testing may in the future reveal deficiencies in our internal controls that are deemed to be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies and render our internal controls over financial reporting ineffective. If we or our management identifies material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal controls over financial reporting the market price of our Class A common shares may decline and we may be subject to investigations or sanctions by the SEC, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or “FINRA,” or other regulatory authorities, as well as litigation. 19 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Requirements associated with being a public company in the United States may strain our resources, require significant company resources and management attention and we may not be able to comply with these requirements in a timely or cost-effective manner. We are subject to certain reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the “Exchange Act,” and the other rules and regulations of the SEC and Nasdaq. We are subject to various other regulatory requirements, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We expect these rules and regulations to increase our legal, accounting and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, we expect these rules and regulations to make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantial costs to maintain the same or similar coverage. New rules and regulations relating to information disclosure, financial reporting and controls and corporate governance, which could be adopted by the SEC, Nasdaq or other regulatory bodies or exchange entities from time to time, could result in a significant increase in legal, accounting and other compliance costs and make certain corporate activities more time-consuming and costly, which could materially affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. These rules and regulations may also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. These obligations also require substantial attention from our senior management and could divert their attention away from the day-to-day management of our business. These cost increases and the diversion of management’s attention could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our business is subject to complex and evolving regulations and oversight related to our provision of financial products and services and to costs and risks associated with other increased or changing laws and regulations affecting our business, including developments in data protection and privacy laws, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. As a financial services institution in Brazil, our business is subject to Brazilian laws and regulations relating to financial services in Brazil, comprising Federal Law No. 4,595/64, Federal Law No. 6,385/76 and related rules and regulations issued by the Central Bank, CMN, CVM, B3/BSM and ANBIMA, among others. In addition, our insurance business is subject to various laws and regulations in Brazil, such as Federal Law No. 4,595/64, Decree Law No. 73/66 and certain other rules and regulations issued by the National Private Insurance Council (Conselho Nacional de Seguros Privados), or “CNSP,” and SUSEP, among others. The laws, rules, and regulations that govern our business include or may in the future include those relating to banking, deposit-taking, cross-border and domestic money transmission, foreign exchange, payments services (such as payment processing and settlement services), consumer financial protection, tax, anti-money laundering and terrorist financing and escheatment (rules relating to unclaimed property). These laws, rules, and regulations are enforced by multiple authorities and governing bodies in Brazil, including the Central Bank and the CMN. In addition, as our business continues to develop and expand, we may become subject to additional rules and regulations, which may limit or change how we conduct our business. We are subject to anti-money laundering and terrorist financing laws and regulations in multiple jurisdictions that prohibit, among other things, involvement in transferring the proceeds of criminal or terrorist activities. We could be subject to liability and forced to change our business practices if we were found to be subject to, or in violation of, any laws or regulations impacting our ability to maintain a bank account in the countries where we operate, including the United States and the Cayman Islands, or if existing or new legislation or regulations applicable to banks in the countries where we maintain a bank account, including the United States, were to result in banks in those countries being unwilling or unable to establish and maintain bank accounts for us. If any person in the Cayman Islands knows or suspects or has reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting that another person is engaged in criminal conduct or money laundering or is involved with terrorism or terrorist financing and property and the information for that knowledge or suspicion came to their attention in the course of business in the regulated sector, or other trade, profession, business or employment, the person will be required to report such knowledge or suspicion to (1) the Financial Reporting Authority, or “FRA,” of the Cayman Islands, pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, if the disclosure relates to criminal conduct or money laundering, or (2) a police officer of the rank of constable or higher, or the FRA, pursuant to the Terrorism Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, if the disclosure relates to involvement with terrorism or terrorist financing and property. Such a report shall not be treated as a breach of confidence or of any restriction upon the disclosure of information imposed by any enactment or otherwise. 20 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Certain of our subsidiaries are subject to regulation in the United States, such as our subsidiary, XP Investments US, LLC, which is registered with the SEC and FINRA as a broker-dealer, and XP Advisory US, Inc., which is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser. We do not believe that we or any of our subsidiaries engage in any financial services activities in the United States that would require a license from any U.S. federal or state banking authorities or other financial regulators, except those licenses and registrations that have already been obtained. If we are found to have engaged in a banking or other financial services business in the United States without an appropriate registration or license, we could be subject to liability, or forced to cease doing such business, change our business practices, or obtain the appropriate license or registration. If we or any of our subsidiaries obtain additional licenses or registrations in the United States, we could be subject to compliance with additional applicable laws and regulations, including anti-money laundering and terrorist financing laws and regulations, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Although we have a compliance program focused on applicable laws, rules, and regulations (which currently is principally focused on Brazilian and U.S. law) and are continually investing in this program, we may nonetheless be subject to fines or other penalties in one or more jurisdictions levied by federal, state or local regulators as well as those levied by foreign regulators. In addition to fines, penalties for failing to comply with applicable rules and regulations could include significant criminal and civil lawsuits, forfeiture of significant assets, or other enforcement actions, including loss of required licenses or approvals in a given jurisdiction. We could also be required to make changes to our business practices or compliance programs as a result of regulatory scrutiny. In addition, any perceived or actual failure to comply with applicable laws, rules, and regulations could have a significant impact on our reputation as a trusted brand and could cause us to lose existing clients, prevent us from obtaining new clients, require us to expend significant funds to remedy problems caused by breaches and to avert further breaches, and expose us to legal risk and potential liability, and we could be (1) required to pay substantial fines and disgorgement of our profits; (2) required to change our business practices; or (3) subjected to insolvency proceedings such as an intervention by the Central Bank, as well as the out-of-court liquidation of XP CCTVM, and any of our subsidiaries to whom authorizations may be granted in the future. Any disciplinary or punitive action by our regulators or failure to obtain required operating authorizations could seriously harm our business and results of operations. In addition, the Brazilian regulatory and legal environment exposes us to other compliance and litigation risks that could materially affect our results of operations. These laws and regulations may change, sometimes significantly, as a result of political, economic or social events. Some of the federal, state or local laws and regulations in Brazil that affect us include: those relating to consumer products, product liability or consumer protection; those relating to the manner in which we advertise, market or sell products; labor and employment laws, including wage and hour laws; tax laws or interpretations thereof; bank secrecy laws, data protection and privacy laws and regulations; and securities and exchange laws and regulations. For instance, data protection and privacy laws are developing to take into account the changes in cultural and consumer attitudes towards the protection of personal data (including as a result of the LGPD). There can be no guarantee that we will have sufficient financial and personnel resources to comply with any new regulations or successfully compete in the context of a changing regulatory environment. The laws regulating privacy rights and data protection have evolved considerably over recent years. Prior to August 2018, when the LGPD was enacted, practices involving the processing of personal data has been governed by certain sectorial laws, such as the Consumer Defense Code (Law No. 8,078/1990) and the aforementioned “Law No. 12,965/2014.” Since then, the LGPD has imposed more restrictive requirements regarding the collection and processing of personal data by regulated organizations, such as XP. On August 14, 2018, the President of Brazil approved the LGPD, a comprehensive personal data protection law establishing general principles and obligations that apply across multiple economic sectors and contractual relationships. The LGPD establishes detailed rules for the collection, use, processing and storage of personal data and affects all economic sectors, including the relationship between customers and suppliers of goods and services, employees and employers and other relationships in which personal data is collected, whether in a digital or physical environment. The penalties and fines for violations of the LGPD, which became applicable as of August 1, 2021, include: (1) warnings, with the imposition of a deadline for the adoption of corrective measures; (2) a one-time fine of up to 2% of gross sales of the company or a group of companies up to a maximum amount of R$50,000,000 per violation; (3) a daily fine, up to a maximum amount of R$50,000,000 per violation; (4) public disclosure of the violation; (5) the restriction of access to the personal data to which the violation relates, until corrective measures are implemented; (6) deletion of the personal data to which the violation relates; (7) partial suspension of the databases to which the violation relates for up to 12 months, until corrective measures are implemented; (8) suspension of the personal data processing activities to which the violation relates for up to 12 months; and (9) partial or full prohibition on personal data processing activities. 21 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Compliance with the LGPD is required since the date it became effective, and all administrative fines and sanctions are currently enforceable by the National Data Protection Authority (Autoridade Nacional de Proteção de Dados) or “ANPD,” which acts as the main regulatory authority over the subject, and can investigate and sanction the processing activities of controllers. Nonetheless, data subjects, the public prosecutor’s offices and private associations, for example, are also able to file lawsuits to enforce the provisions of the LGPD and seek redress. Moreover, the LGPD does not preclude the imposition of administrative sanctions set forth in other laws dealing with privacy and data protection matters, such as the Consumer Defense Code and the Brazilian Internet Law (Marco Civil da Internet). These administrative sanctions could be enforced by other public authorities, such as the public prosecutor’s offices and consumer protection agencies together with sanctions and fines under the LGPD. We cannot assure you that our LGPD compliance efforts will be deemed appropriate or sufficient by regulatory authorities or by courts of competent jurisdiction. To enhance compliance with the LGPD, we have appointed Data Protection Officer (DPO) and assembled a team specializing in privacy and the protection of personal and sensitive data and tasked with overseeing our compliance with the LGPD. Furthermore, ANPD is working to promote additional regulation on several aspects of the LGPD. The 2025-2026 regulatory schedule is focused on topics that include biometric data, personal data of children and teens, good practice and governance rules, a Guidelines for the National Policy on the Protection of Personal Data and Privacy, legal hypotheses for consent and credit protection, and technical and administrative security measures, among other issues. These developments could require us to change our business practices, implement additional measures to adapt our personal data processing activities, or expose us to regulatory oversight and sanctions. This could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Any additional privacy laws or regulations enacted or approved in Brazil or in other jurisdictions in which we operate could cause us to incur costs to conform to any new requirements, expose us to uninsured liability, increase our risk of regulatory scrutiny, subject us to lawsuits, and result in the imposition of material penalties and fines under state and federal laws or regulations, which could materially harm our business, financial condition or results of operations. We are subject to regulatory activity and antitrust litigation under competition laws. We are subject to scrutiny from governmental agencies under competition laws in countries in which we operate. Some jurisdictions also provide private rights of action for competitors or consumers to assert claims of anticompetitive conduct. Other companies or governmental agencies may allege that our actions violate antitrust or competition laws, or otherwise constitute unfair competition. Contractual agreements with clients or companies, as well as our unilateral business practices, could give rise to regulatory action or antitrust investigations or litigation. Some regulators may perceive our business to have such significant market power that otherwise uncontroversial business practices could be deemed anticompetitive. Any such claims and investigations, even if they are unfounded, may be expensive to defend, involve negative publicity and substantial diversion of management time and effort, and result in significant judgments against us. In order to obtain antitrust regulatory approvals from Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica), or “CADE,” and the Central Bank for the Itaú Transaction, we entered into agreements with CADE and the Central Bank, which have been terminated and are no longer in force. As a result of the Itaú Unibanco Holding spin-off, the Central Bank restrictions were lifted on July 23, 2021 and CADE’s restrictions were lifted on December 31, 2022 Future breaches may result in financial penalties, antitrust investigations and other legal and administrative proceedings. Although such agreements expired, we cannot predict whether we will need to enter into similar agreements with CADE or the Central Bank in connection to any new transaction we might do in the future. We are subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering and sanctions laws and regulations. We operate in jurisdictions that have a high risk of corruption, and we are subject to anticorruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering and sanctions laws and regulations, including Brazilian Federal Law No. 12,846/2013, or the “Clean Company Act,” the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or the “FCPA” and the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom, or the Bribery Act. Each of the Clean Company Act, the FCPA and the Bribery Act impose liability against companies who engage in bribery of government officials, either directly or through intermediaries. We have a compliance program that is designed to manage the risks of doing business in light of these new and existing legal and regulatory requirements. Violations of the anticorruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering and sanctions laws and regulations could result in criminal liability, administrative and civil lawsuits, significant fines and penalties, forfeiture of significant assets, as well as reputational harm. 22 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Regulators may increase enforcement of these obligations, which may require us to adjust our compliance and anti-money laundering programs, including the procedures we use to verify the identity of our clients and to monitor our transactions and transactions made through our platform. Regulators regularly reexamine the transaction volume thresholds at which we must obtain and keep applicable records, verify identities of customers, and report any change in such thresholds to the applicable regulatory authorities, which could result in increased costs in order to comply with these legal and regulatory requirements. Costs associated with fines or enforcement actions, changes in compliance requirements, or limitations on our ability to grow could harm our business, and any new requirements or changes to existing requirements could impose significant costs, result in delays to planned product improvements, make it more difficult for new customers to join our network and reduce the attractiveness of our products and services. We are subject to the Economic Substance Regime in the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands enacted the International Tax Co-operation (Economic Substance) Act (As Revised) (the “Economic Substance Act”). The Economic Substance Act is supplemented by the issuance of related Guidance on Economic Substance for Geographically Mobile Activities, version 3.2 of which was issued in July 2022. We are currently subject to the Economic Substance Act. As a Cayman Islands exempt company, our compliance obligations include filing annual notifications which need to state whether we are carrying out any relevant activities and, if so, whether we have satisfied economic substance tests to the extent required under the Economic Substance Act. Given our business activities and operations may change from time to time, it is difficult to predict if we will continue to be subject to the Economic Substance Act and the impact that the Economic Substance Act could have on us and our subsidiaries. For example, compliance with any applicable obligations may create significant additional costs that may be borne by us or otherwise affect our management and operation. We will continue to consider the implications of the Economic Substance Act on our business activities and operations and reserve the right to adopt such arrangements as we deem necessary or desirable to comply with any applicable requirements. Failure to satisfy these requirements may subject us to penalties under the Economic Substance Act. Changes in tax laws, tax incentives, benefits or differing interpretations of tax laws may adversely affect our results of operations. Changes in tax laws, regulations, related interpretations and tax accounting standards in Brazil, the United States or the Cayman Islands, may result in a higher tax rate on our earnings, which may significantly reduce our profits and cash flows from operations. In Brazil, our operations are subject to corporate income tax (IRPJ) and the social contribution on net profits (CSLL), including differentiated regimes historically applicable to financial institutions. While CSLL rates applicable to financial entities have varied in recent years, including temporary surcharges, such rates remain subject to legislative changes and may increase again in the future, adversely affecting our results of operations. In addition, in December 2025, Brazil enacted Supplementary Law No. 224/2025, which introduced a structural reduction in federal tax incentives and benefits, including a general 10% reduction in several tax benefits and more restrictive criteria for the granting, renewal and extension of incentives. Currently, this reduction does not affect the R&D tax incentives under Brazilian Law No. 11,196/05 ("Lei do Bem"), a relevant tax incentive which reduces our annual income tax expense. However, we cannot guarantee that this legislation will not diminish the economic value of our existing tax benefits, increase our effective tax burden and raise compliance complexity, particularly in connection with IRPJ, CSLL, PIS and COFINS, among other taxes. Furthermore, Law No. 15,270/2025, enacted in November 2025, introduced significant changes to Brazil’s income tax framework, including the reintroduction of withholding income tax on dividends distributed to individuals or abroad and the establishment of minimum taxation regimes applicable to high-income individuals, with effects beginning in 2026. Although this law primarily targets individual taxpayers, it may indirectly affect our business by increasing the overall tax burden on shareholders, altering investment behavior and increasing the complexity of tax planning and compliance within the Brazilian financial system. Our financial condition and results of operations may also be adversely affected if certain tax incentives are not maintained or renewed. For example, Lei do Bem currently grants tax benefits to companies that invest in research and development activities, provided specific requirements are met, significantly reducing our annual corporate income tax expense. The reduction, modification or revocation of this incentive, or the imposition of additional restrictions under newer fiscal frameworks, could materially increase our tax expenses. We are also subject to indirect taxes, including federal contributions to PIS and COFINS, as well as the Municipal Tax on Services (ISS). Any increases in the rates of these taxes, limitations on credit mechanisms, or changes in their interpretation or enforcement could negatively affect our profitability. 23 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents In January 2025, Brazil enacted Supplementary Law No. 214/2025, that regulated Constitutional Amendment No. 132/2023, which established the legal framework for a comprehensive indirect tax reform (the VAT Reform). This reform eliminates several existing taxes on goods and services (including ICMS, ISS, IPI, PIS and COFINS) into three new taxes: the Contribution on Goods and Services (CBS) at the federal level, the Goods and Services Tax (IBS) at the state and municipal levels, and the Selective Tax (IS) on certain goods and services. The VAT Reform will be implemented through a long transition period beginning in 2026, during which the new taxes will coexist with the current tax system. Initial pilot phases start in 2026, followed by gradual implementation and rate adjustments, with the full replacement of the existing indirect taxes expected by 2033, and residual transition mechanisms potentially extending beyond that date. During this period, taxpayers will be required to operate under dual and partially overlapping tax regimes, which is expected to increase compliance costs, operational complexity, systems requirements and the risk of divergent interpretations by tax authorities. Applicable tax rates for the regular regime of CBS and IBS will be defined and adjusted through further regulation, creating additional uncertainty regarding our future tax burden. Moreover, tax laws and regulations in Brazil are complex and subject to differing interpretations by tax authorities and taxpayers. The application of indirect taxes, including VAT-type taxes, sales and use taxes and municipal taxes, requires the use of significant judgment. Tax authorities at the federal, state or municipal level may challenge the tax treatment applied to our transactions or impose new reporting, record-keeping or collection obligations. Compliance failures or changes in interpretation could result in additional tax assessments, penalties and interest, and may require us to incur substantial costs to adapt our systems and processes, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. The costs and effects of pending and future litigation, investigations or similar matters, or adverse facts and developments related thereto, could materially affect our business, financial position and results of operations. We are, and may be in the future, party to legal, arbitration and administrative investigations, inspections and proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business or from extraordinary corporate, tax or regulatory events, involving our clients, suppliers, customers, investors, as well as competition, government agencies, tax and environmental authorities, particularly with respect to civil, tax and labor claims. Indemnity rights that we seek to negotiate in certain transactions may not cover all claims that may be asserted against us, and any claims asserted against us, regardless of merit or eventual outcome, may harm our reputation. Also, we may in the future be party to one or more securities class actions regarding our registration statements, annual reports on Form 20-F, and other related reports. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that we will be successful in defending ourselves in future litigation or similar matters under various laws. Should the ultimate judgments or settlements in any future litigation or investigation significantly exceed any amounts we are able to recover under any indemnity arrangements, such judgments or settlements could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and the price of our Class A common shares. Further, even if we adequately address issues raised by an inspection conducted by an agency or successfully defend our case in an administrative proceeding or court action, we may have to set aside significant financial and management resources to settle issues raised by such proceedings or those lawsuits or claims, which could adversely affect our business. See “Item 8. Financial Information—A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal Proceedings.” 24 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents The credit quality of our loan portfolio may deteriorate beyond expectations and our collateral supporting our loan portfolio may be insufficient to cover our outstanding exposure, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Risks arising from changes in credit quality and the recoverability of amounts due from counterparties are inherent in many aspects of our businesses, in particular our collateralized credit products business. We expect the amount of reported non-performing loans to increase in the future on an absolute basis as a result of the expected growth in our total loan portfolio, the credit quality of which may turn out to be worse than anticipated. The amount of reported non-performing loans may also increase due to factors beyond our control, such as adverse changes in the credit quality of our borrowers and counterparties or a general deterioration in economic conditions in the markets in which we operate. Our provisions for credit losses are based on our current assessments and expectations concerning various factors affecting the quality of our loan portfolio. These factors include, among other things, our borrowers’ financial condition, government macroeconomic policies, interest rates, exchange rates, tariffs and the legal and regulatory environment. As many of these factors are beyond our control and there is no infallible method for predicting loan and credit losses, we cannot guarantee that our current or future reserves for credit losses will be sufficient to cover actual losses. If our assessment of and expectations concerning the above-mentioned factors differ from actual developments, if the quality of our total loan portfolio deteriorates beyond expectations, for any reason, or if the future actual losses exceed our estimates of expected losses, we may be required to increase our provisions for credit losses, which may adversely affect our financial condition. As such, any unexpected increase in the level of our non-performing loans could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. We may not be able to successfully manage our intellectual property and may be subject to infringement claims. We rely on a combination of contractual rights, trademarks and trade secrets to establish and protect our proprietary technology. Third parties may challenge, invalidate, circumvent, infringe or misappropriate our intellectual property, including at the administrative or judicial level, or such intellectual property may not be sufficient to permit us to take advantage of current market trends or otherwise to provide competitive advantages, which could result in costly redesign efforts, the discontinuance of certain service offerings or other competitive harm. Others, including our competitors, may independently develop similar technology, duplicate our services or design around our intellectual property, and in such cases, we could not assert our intellectual property rights against such parties. Further, our contractual arrangements may not effectively prevent disclosure of our confidential information or provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of our confidential information. We may have to litigate to enforce or determine the scope and enforceability of our intellectual property rights, trade secrets and know-how, which is expensive, could cause a diversion of resources and may not prove successful. Also, because of the rapid pace of technological change in our industry, aspects of our business and our services rely on technologies developed or licensed by third parties, and we may not be able to obtain or continue to obtain licenses and technologies from these third parties on reasonable terms or at all. The loss of intellectual property protection, the inability to obtain third-party intellectual property or delay or refusal by relevant regulatory authorities to approve pending intellectual property registration applications could harm our business and ability to compete. With respect to trademarks, loss of rights may result from term expirations, owner abandonment and forfeiture or cancellation proceedings before the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial), or the “INPI.” In addition, if we lose rights over registered trademarks, we would not be entitled to use such trademarks on an exclusive basis, and therefore, third parties would be able to use similar or identical trademarks to identify their products or services, which could adversely affect our business. 25 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents We may also be subject to costly litigation in the event our services and technology infringe upon or otherwise violate a third party’s proprietary rights. Third parties may have, or may eventually be issued, patents that could be infringed by our services or technology. Any of these third parties could make a claim of infringement against us with respect to our services or technology, and we have been subject to such claims in the past. Also, we may in the future be party to one or more claims by third parties for breach of copyright, trademark, license usage or other intellectual property rights. We are not currently a defendant in any proprietary rights infringement proceedings. Any claim from third parties may result in a limitation on our ability to use the intellectual property subject to these claims or could prevent us from registering our brands as trademarks. Additionally, in recent years, individuals and groups have been purchasing intellectual property assets for the sole purpose of making claims of infringement and attempting to extract settlements from companies like ours. Even if we believe that intellectual property-related claims are without merit, defending against such claims is time-consuming and expensive and could result in the diversion of the time and attention of our management and employees. Claims of intellectual property infringement also might require us to redesign affected services, enter into costly settlement or license agreements, pay costly damage awards, change our brands, or face a temporary or permanent injunction prohibiting us from marketing or selling certain services or using certain brands. Even if we have an agreement for indemnification against such costs, the party providing such indemnification may be unwilling or unable to comply with its indemnification obligations. If we cannot or do not license the infringed technology on reasonable terms or substitute similar technology from another source, our revenues and earnings could be adversely impacted. Our use of open-source software could negatively affect our ability to sell our solutions and subject us to possible litigation. Our solutions incorporate, and are dependent to some extent, on the use and development of open-source software and we intend to continue our use and development of open-source software in the future. Such open-source software is generally licensed by its authors or other third parties under open-source licenses and is typically freely accessible, usable and modifiable. Pursuant to such open-source licenses, we may be subject to certain conditions, including requirements that we offer our proprietary software that incorporates the open-source software for no cost, that we make available source code for modifications or derivative works we create based upon, incorporating or using the open-source software and that we license such modifications or derivative works under the terms of the particular open-source license. If an author or other third party that uses or distributes such open-source software were to allege that we had not complied with the conditions of one or more of these licenses, we could be required to incur significant legal expenses defending against such allegations and could be subject to significant damages, enjoined from the use or sale of our solutions that contained or are dependent upon the open-source software and required to comply with the foregoing conditions, which could disrupt the distribution and sale of some of our products and services. Litigation could be costly for us to defend, have a negative effect on our financial condition and results of operations or require us to devote additional research and development resources to change our platform. The terms of many open-source licenses to which we are subject have not been interpreted by courts. As there is little or no legal precedent governing the interpretation of many of the terms of certain of these licenses, the potential impact of these terms on our business is uncertain and may result in unanticipated obligations regarding our solutions and technologies. Any requirement to disclose our proprietary source code, termination of open-source license rights or payments of damages for breach of contract could be harmful to our business, financial condition or results of operations, and could make it easier for our competitors to develop products and services that are similar to or better than ours. In addition to risks related to license requirements, use of open-source software can lead to greater risks than use of third-party commercial software, as open-source licensors generally do not provide warranties, controls on the origin or development of the software, or remedies against the licensors. Many of the risks associated with usage of open-source software cannot be eliminated and could adversely affect our business. Although we believe that we have complied with our obligations under the various applicable licenses for open-source software, it is possible that we may not be aware of all instances where open-source software has been incorporated into our proprietary software or used in connection with our solutions or our corresponding obligations under open-source licenses. We do not have open-source software usage policies or monitoring procedures in place. We rely on multiple software programmers to design our proprietary software, and we cannot be certain that our programmers have not incorporated open-source software licensed under copyright license or similar provisions into our proprietary software that we intend to maintain as confidential or that they will not do so in the future. To the extent that we are required to disclose the source code of certain of our proprietary software developments to third parties, including our competitors, in order to comply with applicable open-source license terms, such disclosure could harm our intellectual property position, competitive advantage, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, to the extent that we have failed to comply with our obligations under particular licenses for open-source software, we may lose the right to continue to use and exploit such open-source software in connection with our operations and solutions, which could disrupt and adversely affect our business. 26 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents We may face challenges in expanding into new geographic regions outside of Brazil. We may face challenges in connection with our expansion through XP Investments and certain of our other subsidiaries into new geographic regions outside of Brazil, and we will face challenges associated with entering markets in which we have limited or no experience and in which we may not be well known. Offering our services in new geographic regions requires substantial expenditures and takes considerable time, and we may not recover our investments in new markets in a timely manner or at all. For example, we may be unable to attract a sufficient number of clients, fail to anticipate competitive conditions or fail to adapt and tailor our services to different markets. In addition, the ongoing economic uncertainty and political instability in the countries in which we operate may adversely affect us. The development of our products and services globally exposes us to risks relating to staffing and managing cross-border operations; increased costs and difficulty protecting intellectual property and sensitive data; tariffs and other trade barriers; differing and potentially adverse tax consequences; increased and conflicting regulatory compliance requirements, including with respect to privacy and security; lack of acceptance of our products and services; challenges caused by distance, language, and cultural differences; exchange rate risk; and political instability. Accordingly, our efforts to develop and expand the geographic footprint of our operations may not be successful, which could limit our ability to grow our business. Any acquisitions, partnerships or joint ventures that we make or enter into could disrupt our business and harm our financial condition. Acquisitions, partnerships and joint ventures are part of our growth strategy. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—A. History and Development of the Company—Acquisitions and New Lines of Business.” We evaluate, and expect in the future to evaluate, potential strategic acquisitions of, and partnerships or joint ventures with, complementary businesses, services or technologies. We may not be successful in identifying acquisition, partnership and joint venture targets. In addition, we may not be able to successfully finance or integrate any businesses, services or technologies that we acquire or with which we form a partnership or joint venture, and we may lose clients as a result of any acquisition, partnership or joint venture. In addition, we may be unable to realize the expected benefits, synergies or developments that we may initially anticipate. Furthermore, the integration of any acquisition, partnership or joint venture may divert management’s time and resources from our core business and disrupt our operations. In addition, we may spend time and money on projects that do not increase our revenue or profitability. To the extent we finance any acquisition or investment in cash, it would reduce our cash reserves, and to the extent the purchase price is paid with our common shares, it could be dilutive to our shareholders. To the extent we finance any acquisition or investment with the proceeds from the incurrence of debt, this would increase our level of indebtedness and could negatively affect our liquidity and credit rating and restrict our operations. Our competitors may be willing to pay more than us for acquisitions or investments, which may cause us to lose certain opportunities that we would otherwise desire to complete. Moreover, we may face contingent liabilities in connection with our acquisitions and joint ventures, including, among others, (1) judicial and/or administrative proceeding or contingencies relating to the company, asset or business acquired, including civil, regulatory, tax, labor, social security, environmental and intellectual property proceedings or contingencies; and (2) financial, reputational and technical issues, including with respect to accounting practices, financial statement disclosures and internal controls, as well as other regulatory or compliance matters, all of which we may not have identified as part of our due diligence process and that may not be sufficiently identifiable under the relevant acquisition or joint venture agreement. We cannot assure you that any acquisition, partnership, investment or joint venture we make will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. As of the date of this annual report, there were no indicators of a potential impairment in our goodwill and intangible assets. Our insurance policies may not be sufficient to cover all claims. Our insurance policies may not adequately cover all risks to which we are exposed. A significant claim not covered by our insurance, in full or in part, may result in significant expenditures by us. Moreover, we may not be able to maintain insurance policies in the future at reasonable costs or on acceptable terms, which may adversely affect our business and the trading price of our Class A common shares. 27 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Our risk management policies and procedures may not be fully effective in mitigating our risk exposure in all market environments or against all types of risks, which could expose us to losses and liability and otherwise harm our business. We operate in a dynamic industry, and we have experienced significant change in recent years, including undertaking certain acquisitions and conducting our initial public offering, and the emergence of new risks within the industries in which we operate or may operate in the future. Accordingly, our risk management policies and procedures may not be fully effective in identifying, monitoring and managing our risks. Some of our risk evaluation methods depend upon information provided by others and public information regarding markets, clients or other matters that is otherwise inaccessible by us. In some cases, however, that information may not be accurate, complete or up-to-date. If our policies and procedures are not fully effective or we are not always successful in capturing all risks to which we are or may be exposed, we may suffer harm to our reputation or be subject to litigation or regulatory actions that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We have implemented risk management and mitigation processes and strategies, including the use of risk models in analyzing and monitoring the various risks that our subsidiaries are exposed to as part of our activities. Our risk management policies are designed to identify and analyze the risks, to set appropriate risk limits and controls, and to monitor risks and adherence to the limits. Risk management policies and systems are reviewed regularly to reflect changes in market conditions and in our activities. In our credit operations, we are exposed to credit defaults and the incurrence of losses on the credit transactions we make to our customers. We seek to mitigate the risks inherent to our credit portfolio by our use of client investments as collateral in an effort to reduce potential losses, and we also seek to mitigate our credit risk exposure by managing collateral and by monitoring the value of existing collateral. Although we believe that our credit portfolio criteria are, and historically have been, appropriate for the various kinds of credit transactions we make, we may incur losses on credit transactions that have met these criteria, and may experience higher-than-expected losses depending on economic factors and consumer behavior. Further, we may have higher credit risk, or experience higher credit losses, to the extent our credit operations are concentrated by loan type, industry segment, borrower type, or location of the borrower or collateral. Any changes affecting any of the sectors to which we have significant lending exposure, and changes in the value of the collateral securing our credit operations, may result in a reduction in the value we realize from collateral and in our loan portfolio. The value of any collateral supporting the credit portfolio may be insufficient to cover our outstanding exposure. Consequentially, this may have an adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition, and it could also adversely affect the growth rate and the mix of our credit portfolio. We offer financial services and other products and services to a large number of clients, and we are responsible for vetting and monitoring these clients and determining whether the transactions we process for them are legitimate. When our products and services are used in connection with illegitimate transactions, and we settle those funds to clients and are unable to recover them, we suffer losses and liability. These types of illegitimate, as well as unlawful, transactions can also expose us to governmental and regulatory sanctions, including outside of Brazil (for example, U.S. anti-money laundering and economic sanctions violations). Our risk management policies, procedures, techniques, and processes may not be sufficient to identify all of the risks to which we are exposed, to enable us to mitigate the risks we have identified, or to identify additional risks to which we may become subject in the future. Furthermore, if our risk management policies and processes contain errors or are otherwise ineffective, we may suffer large financial losses, we may be subject to civil and criminal liability, and our business may be materially and adversely affected. Holding large and concentrated positions may expose us to losses. Concentration of risk may reduce revenues or result in losses in our institutional and retail investment business, our market-making activities and our underwriting businesses in the event of unfavorable market conditions, failed executions or settlements with respect to transactions that we underwrite, or in instances in which market conditions are more favorable to our competitors. We commit substantial amounts of capital to these businesses, which often results in our taking large positions in the securities of a particular issuer or issuers in a particular industry, country or region, and any losses in these large positions may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. 28 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents We may not be able to secure financing on favorable terms, or at all, to meet our future capital needs. We have funded our operations since inception in part through equity financings, bank credit facilities and other financing arrangements. In the future, we may require additional capital to respond to business opportunities, refinancing needs, challenges, acquisitions, or unforeseen circumstances and may decide to engage in equity or debt financings or enter into credit facilities for other reasons, and we may not be able to secure any such additional debt or equity financing or refinancing on favorable terms, in a timely manner, or at all. Any debt financing obtained by us in the future could also include restrictive covenants relating to our capital-raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities, including potential acquisitions. Our credit facilities contain restrictive covenants, including customary limitations on the incurrence of certain indebtedness and liens. Our ability to comply with these covenants may be affected by events beyond our control, and breaches of these covenants could result in a default under our credit facilities and any future financing agreements into which we may enter. If not waived, defaults could cause our outstanding indebtedness under our credit facilities and any future financing agreements that we may enter into under these terms to become immediately due and payable. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us when we require it, our ability to continue to grow or support our business and to respond to business challenges could be significantly limited. See “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—B. Liquidity and Capital Resources—Indebtedness.” Some of our clients reach us on digital media platforms, leading to our difficulties in maintaining all the communication records. Under the relevant laws and regulations of Brazil (including CVM Resolution No. 35), we are generally required to keep the records of our communications with customers concerning our services for at least a period of five years, including from IFAs. To ensure all of our users and customers are best served, we occasionally provide customer service on popular digital media platforms in a similar way as other market participants in both our industry and other industries. However, we cannot solve all the difficulties arising therefrom because the digital media platforms usually do not have functions that telephone or email operation systems use for the long-term storage of communication records, which, such difficulties, if questioned by the CVM, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we are not able to respond to changes in user preferences for our financial products and services and provide a satisfactory user experience on our platform, or our existing and new products and services do not maintain or achieve sufficient market acceptance, we will not be able to maintain and expand our user base and increase user activities, and our financial results and competitive position will be harmed. We believe that our user base is the cornerstone of our business. Our ability to maintain and expand our user base depends on a number of factors, including our ability to offer suitable financial products and services for our users, and our ability to provide relevant and timely products and services to meet changing user needs at a reasonable cost. If we are unable to respond to changes in user preference and deliver a satisfactory and distinguishable user experience at a reasonable cost, our users may switch to competing platforms or, in relevant cases, obtain the relevant products and services directly from their providers. As a result, user access to and activity on our platform will decline, our products and services will be less attractive to our users, and our business, financial performance and prospects will be materially and adversely affected. We have devoted significant resources to, and will continue to emphasize, upgrading and marketing our existing financial products and services and enhancing their market awareness. We also incur expenses and expend resources upfront to develop, acquire and market new financial products and services that incorporate additional features, improve functionality or otherwise make our products more desirable to clients. New financial products and services must achieve high levels of market acceptance in order for us to recoup our investment in developing, acquiring and bringing them to market. Our existing and new financial products and services could fail to attain sufficient market acceptance for many reasons, including: •investors are not willing to deploy their funds in a timely or efficient manner; •we may fail to predict market demand accurately and provide products and services that meet this demand in a timely fashion; •users may not like, find useful or agree with any changes; •there may be defects, errors or failures on our platform; •there may be negative publicity about our financial products and services or our platform’s performance or effectiveness; 29 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents •if new financial products and services or changes to our platform do not comply with Brazilian laws, regulations or rules applicable to us; •there may be competing products and services introduced or anticipated to be introduced by our competitors; and •there may be changes in our clients’ preferences towards low-risk investments with traditional banks, which could decrease our net inflows from both new and existing clients. If our existing and new financial products and services do not achieve adequate acceptance in the market, our competitive position, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. Our balance sheet includes significant amounts of goodwill and intangible assets. The impairment of a significant portion of these assets would negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. As of December 31, 2025, our balance sheet includes goodwill and intangible assets that amounted to R$2,763 million. These assets consist primarily of identified goodwill and intangible assets associated with our acquisitions and investments in associates and joint ventures. We also expect to engage in additional acquisitions and investments in associates and joint ventures, which may result in our recognition of additional goodwill and intangible assets. Under current accounting standards, we are required to amortize certain intangible assets over the useful life of the asset, while certain other intangible assets (including goodwill) are not amortized. On at least an annual basis, we assess whether there have been impairments in the carrying value of certain intangible assets and goodwill. If the carrying value of the asset is determined to be impaired, then it is written down to fair value by a charge to operating earnings. An impairment of a significant portion of goodwill and intangible assets could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we do not respond to rapid technological changes, our services could become obsolete and we could lose customers. To remain competitive, we must continue to enhance and improve the functionality and features of our services. We may face material delays in introducing new services, products and enhancements. If this happens, our customers may forgo the use of our websites and use those of our competitors. If competitors introduce new products and services using new technologies, including artificial intelligence (“AI”) tools or technologies or if new industry standards and practices emerge, our existing technology and systems may become obsolete. Our failure to respond to technological change or to adequately maintain, upgrade and develop our computer network and the systems used to process customers’ orders and payments, or if our competitors adopt AI or generative AI more quickly or more effectively than we do, this could harm our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. Use of social media may adversely impact our reputation. There has been a marked increase in the use of social media platforms and similar devices, including blogs, social media websites and other forms of internet-based communications that allow individuals access to a broad audience of consumers and other interested persons. Consumers value readily available information concerning retailers, manufacturers, and their goods and services and often act on such information without further investigation, authentication and without regard to its accuracy. The availability of information on social media platforms and devices is virtually immediate as is its impact. Social media platforms and devices immediately publish the content their subscribers and participants post, often without filters or checks on accuracy of the content posted. The opportunity for dissemination of information, including inaccurate information, is seemingly limitless and readily available. Information concerning our company may be posted on such platforms and devices at any time. Information posted may be adverse to our interests, may be inaccurate, and may harm our performance, prospects or business. The harm may be immediate without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction. Such platforms also could be used for the dissemination of trade secret information or otherwise compromise valuable company assets, all of which could harm our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, in September and November 2023, respectively, BSM and ANBIMA issued new rules regarding the contractual relationships between influencers and broker dealer firms such as XP CCTVM. Moreover, in November 2023, the CVM opened a public hearing to debate the scope of the duties and responsibilities of regulated entities (such as XP CCTVM) when hiring and/or interacting with digital influencers. These new rules may expose us to additional risks in connection with contractual arrangement we enter into with influencers (e.g., conflicts of interests, validation and disclosure of documents containing services offered by XP CCTVM). 30 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Our expansion into new products, services, technologies, and geographic regions subjects us to additional risks. We may have limited or no experience in our newer markets, and our customers may not adopt our product or service offerings. These offerings, which can present new and difficult technology challenges, may subject us to claims if customers of these offerings experience service disruptions or failures or other quality issues. For example, certain digital assets may prove to be speculative and not sustain the value they currently have to our clients. In addition, profitability, if any, in our newer activities may not meet our expectations, and we may not be successful enough in these newer activities to recoup our investments in them. Failure to realize the benefits of amounts we invest in new technologies, products, or services could result in the value of those investments being written down or written off. Certain Risks Relating to Brazil The Brazilian federal government has exercised, and continues to exercise, significant influence over the Brazilian economy. This involvement as well as Brazil’s political and economic conditions could harm us and the price of our Class A common shares. The Brazilian federal government frequently exercises significant influence over the Brazilian economy and occasionally makes significant changes in policy and regulations. The Brazilian government’s actions to control inflation and other policies and regulations have often involved, among other measures, increases or decreases in interest rates, changes in fiscal policies, wage and price controls, foreign exchange rate controls, blocking access to bank accounts, currency devaluations, capital controls and import and export restrictions. We have no control over and cannot predict what measures or policies the Brazilian government may take in the future. We and the market price of our Class A common shares may be harmed by changes in Brazilian government policies, as well as general economic factors, including, without limitation: •growth or downturn of the Brazilian economy; •interest rates and monetary policies; •exchange rates and currency fluctuations; •inflation; •liquidity of the domestic capital and lending markets; •import and export controls and tariffs; •exchange controls and restrictions on remittances abroad and payments of dividends; •modifications to laws and regulations according to political, social and economic interests; •fiscal policy, monetary policy and changes in tax laws; •labor market volatility, lack of qualified labor force and a reduction in the purchasing power of consumers; •economic, political and social instability, including general strikes and mass demonstrations; •labor and social security regulations; •epidemics, pandemics and other public health crises; •energy and water shortages and rationing; •commodity prices; and •other political, diplomatic, social and economic developments in or affecting Brazil. Uncertainty over whether the Brazilian federal government will implement reforms or changes in policy or regulation affecting these or other factors in the future may affect economic performance and contribute to economic uncertainty in Brazil, which may have an adverse effect on our activities and consequently our results of operations, and may also adversely affect the trading price of our Class A common shares. In recent years, economic and political instability has led to a negative perception of the Brazilian economy and higher volatility in the Brazilian securities markets, which also may adversely affect us and our Class A common shares. See “—Economic uncertainty and political instability in Brazil may harm us and the price of our Class A common shares” and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—A. Operating Results—Brazilian Macroeconomic Environment.” 31 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Economic uncertainty and political instability in Brazil may harm us and the price of our Class A common shares. Brazil’s political environment has historically influenced, and continues to influence, the performance of the country’s economy. Political crises have affected and continue to affect the confidence of investors and the general public, which have historically resulted in economic deceleration and heightened volatility in the securities offered by companies with significant operations in Brazil. In recent years, economic instability in Brazil has contributed to a decline in market confidence in the Brazilian economy as well as to a deteriorating political environment. In addition, various ongoing investigations into allegations of money laundering and corruption being conducted by the Office of the Brazilian Federal Prosecutor have negatively impacted the Brazilian economy and political environment. The potential outcome of these investigations is uncertain, but they have already had an adverse impact on the image and reputation of the implicated companies, and on the general market perception of the Brazilian economy. We cannot predict whether the ongoing investigations will result in further political and economic instability, or if new allegations against government officials and/or executives of private companies will arise in the future or will result in additional investigations. A failure by the Brazilian government to implement necessary reforms may result in diminished confidence in the Brazilian government’s budgetary condition and fiscal stance, which could result in downgrades of Brazil’s sovereign foreign credit rating by credit rating agencies, negatively impact Brazil’s economy, lead to further depreciation of the real and an increase in inflation and interest rates, adversely affecting our business, financial condition and results of operations. Any of the above factors may create additional political uncertainty, which could harm the Brazilian economy and, consequently, our business, and could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and the price of our Class A common shares. Inflation and certain measures by the Brazilian government to curb inflation have historically harmed the Brazilian economy and Brazilian capital markets, and high levels of inflation in the future would harm our business and the price of our Class A common shares. In the past, Brazil has experienced extremely high rates of inflation. Inflation and some of the measures taken by the Brazilian government in an attempt to curb inflation have had significant negative effects on the Brazilian economy generally. Inflation, policies adopted to curb inflationary pressures and uncertainties regarding possible future governmental intervention have contributed to economic uncertainty and heightened volatility in the Brazilian capital markets. According to the National Consumer Price Index (Índice Nacional de Preços ao Consumidor Amplo), or “IPCA,” which is published by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica), or “IBGE,” Brazilian inflation rates were 4.8%, 4.6%, and 5.8% for the years ended as of December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Brazil may experience high levels of inflation in the future and inflationary pressures may lead to the Brazilian government’s intervention in the economy and introducing policies that could harm our business and the trading price of our Class A common shares. One of the tools used by the Brazilian government to control inflation levels is its monetary policy, specifically relating to interest rates. An increase in the interest rate restricts the availability of credit and reduces economic growth, and vice versa. During recent years there has been significant volatility in the official Brazilian interest rate. The base interest rate (Sistema Especial de Liquidação e Custódia), or “SELIC rate,” is set by the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank (Comitê de Política Monetária), or “COPOM.” In 2023, COPOM decreased the SELIC rate to 13.25% on August 3, 2023, to 12.75% on September 21, 2023, to 12.25% on November 2, 2023, to 11.75% on December 13, 2023, to 11.25% on January 31, 2024 and to 10.75% on March 20, 2024. As of April 25, 2024, the SELIC rate was 10.75%. As of May 05, 2024 SELIC rate was reduced to 10.50% until September 18, 2024 when COPOM reversed the trend and increased SELIC rate to 10.75%, on November 6, 2024 to 11.25%, on December 11, 2024 to 12.25%, on January 29, 2025 to 13.25%, on March 19, 2025 to 14.25%, on May 7, 2025 to 14.75%, on June 18, 2025 to 15.00% which was still the same until March 19, 2026 when it was reduced to 14.75%. Increases in inflation in the past years led to more stringent monetary policies and interest rate increases by the COPOM. Any further increase in inflation may trigger further price volatility and the need for further interest rate increases, which could negatively affect our business and increase our indebtedness. Any change in interest rates, in particular any volatile swings, could adversely affect our growth, results of operations and financial condition, mainly by affecting product mix and client sentiment in the short term. 32 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Also, in 2021, Complementary Law No. 179 (Lei Complementar No. 179) was enacted to grant more stability to the Central Bank’s president and its officers and restricting the possibilities of removal from office by the President of Brazil and therefore reducing influence on the execution of monetary policies established by the COPOM. Recently, Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, the current President of Brazil, mentioned that such law could be rediscussed. If Complementary Law No. 179 is revoked or amended, reducing stability of Central Bank’s president and officers, there can be new uncertainties regarding possible future governmental intervention and increase volatility in the Brazilian capital markets. Moreover, any reduction on interest rates due to political pressure may increase inflation in the future. Exchange rate instability may have adverse effects on the Brazilian economy, us and the price of our Class A common shares. The Brazilian currency has been historically volatile and has been devalued frequently over the past three decades. Throughout this period, the Brazilian government has implemented various economic plans and used various exchange rate policies, including sudden devaluations, periodic mini-devaluations (during which the frequency of adjustments has ranged from daily to monthly), exchange controls, dual exchange rate markets and a floating exchange rate system. Although long-term depreciation of the real is generally linked to the rate of inflation in Brazil, depreciation of the real occurring over shorter periods of time has resulted in significant variations in the exchange rate between the real, the U.S. dollar and other currencies. In December 31, 2023, the real/U.S. dollar exchange rate reported by the Central Bank was R$4.841 per US$1.00, which reflected a 7.2% appreciation of the real against the U.S. dollar during 2023. As of December 31, 2024, the real/U.S. dollar exchange rate reported by the Central Bank was R$6.192 per US$1.00, a depreciation of 27.9% of the real since December 31, 2023. In 2025, the real appreciated 11.1% to R$5.502 per US$1.00. There can be no assurance that the real will not appreciate or further depreciate against the U.S. dollar or other currencies in the future. A devaluation of the real relative to the U.S. dollar could create inflationary pressures in Brazil and cause the Brazilian government to, among other measures, increase interest rates. Any depreciation of the real may generally restrict access to the international capital markets. It would also reduce the U.S. dollar value of our results of operations. Restrictive macroeconomic policies could reduce the stability of the Brazilian economy and harm our results of operations and profitability. In addition, domestic and international reactions to restrictive economic policies could have a negative impact on the Brazilian economy. These policies and any reactions to them may harm us by curtailing access to foreign financial markets and prompting further government intervention. A devaluation of the real relative to the U.S. dollar may also, as in the context of the current economic slowdown, decrease consumer spending, increase deflationary pressures and reduce economic growth. On the other hand, an appreciation of the real relative to the U.S. dollar and other foreign currencies may deteriorate the Brazilian foreign exchange current accounts. We, and certain of our suppliers, purchase services from countries outside Brazil, and thus changes in the value of the U.S. dollar compared to other currencies may affect the costs of services that we purchase from international suppliers. Depending on the circumstances, either devaluation or appreciation of the real relative to the U.S. dollar and other foreign currencies could restrict the growth of the Brazilian economy, as well as our business, results of operations and profitability. Infrastructure and workforce deficiency in Brazil may impact economic growth and have a material adverse effect on us. Our performance depends on the overall health and growth of the Brazilian economy. Growth is limited by inadequate infrastructure, including potential energy shortages and deficient transportation, logistics and telecommunication sectors, general strikes, the lack of a qualified labor force and the lack of private and public investments in these areas, which limit productivity and efficiency. Any of these factors could lead to labor market volatility and generally impact income, purchasing power and consumption levels, which could limit growth and ultimately have a material adverse effect on us. Developments and the perceptions of risks in other countries, including other emerging markets, the United States and Europe, may harm the Brazilian economy and the price of our Class A common shares. The market for securities offered by companies with significant operations in Brazil is influenced by political, economic and market conditions in Brazil and, to varying degrees, market conditions in other Latin American and emerging markets, as well as the United States, Europe and other countries. To the extent the conditions of the global markets or economy deteriorate, the business of companies with significant operations in Brazil may be harmed. The weakness in the global economy has been marked by, among other adverse factors, lower levels of consumer and corporate confidence, decreased business investment and consumer spending, increased unemployment, reduced income and asset values in many areas, reduction of China’s growth rate, currency volatility and limited availability of credit and access to capital. Developments or economic conditions in other countries may significantly affect the availability of credit to companies with significant operations in Brazil and result in considerable outflows of funds from Brazil, decreasing the amount of foreign investments in Brazil. 33 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Crises and political instability in other emerging market countries, the United States, Europe or other countries could decrease investor demand for securities offered by companies with significant operations in Brazil, such as our Class A common shares. Investor sentiment in one country may cause capital markets in other countries to fluctuate, affecting the value of our Class A common shares, even if indirectly. The economic, political and social instability in the United States, the trade war between the United States and China, crises in Europe and other countries and global tensions, as well as economic or political crises and social unrest in Latin America or other emerging markets, can significantly affect the perception of the risks inherent in investment in Brazil. On November 5, 2024, Donald Trump won the presidential election in the United States and assumed office as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025. The U.S. president has considerable influence, which may materially impact global economy and political stability. Following his inauguration, President Trump has pursued a more protectionist trade agenda, including the use and expansion of tariffs and other trade-restrictive measures affecting a broad range of countries and sectors. The U.S. government has also signaled the possibility of further trade or economic actions against Brazil and other emerging market countries, including members of the BRICS group, based on geopolitical considerations, foreign policy objectives or concerns regarding international financial arrangements. We cannot ensure that the Trump administration will adopt further policies designed to promote macroeconomic stability and fiscal discipline, as well as domestic and foreign investment, which may materially and adversely impact the trading price of securities of Brazilian issuers, including our common shares. Economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, proposed policies including tariffs, reciprocal tariffs, trade restrictions or export controls may also create uncertainty in the Brazilian economy. These developments, as well as potential crises and other forms of political instability or any other as of yet unforeseen development, may harm our business and the price of our Class A common shares. As Brazil moves toward nationwide elections scheduled for October 2026, uncertainty regarding the outcome of the elections may result in deterioration of the political environment and, as a consequence, affect the confidence of investors and the general public. We may incur losses as a result of unforeseen or catastrophic events, including the emergence of a pandemic, cybersecurity incidents and events, terrorist attacks, war, trade policies, military conflict, climate-related incidents or other natural disasters. The occurrence of unforeseen or catastrophic events, including the emergence of a pandemic, or other widespread health emergency (or concerns over the possibility of such an emergency), cybersecurity incidents and events, terrorist attacks, war, trade policies, military conflict, extreme climate-related incidents or events or other natural disasters, could create economic and financial disruptions. For instance, the spread of illnesses or pandemics has, and could in the future, cause illness, quarantines, various shutdowns, reduction in business activity and financial transactions, labor shortages, supply chain interruptions and overall economic and financial market instability. Governmental responses to such incidents may disrupt supply chains and otherwise continue to reduce international trade and business activity, and result in increased unemployment rates in Brazil, which may decrease the flow of money into investments and increase withdrawal of funds from investment and other financial products, negatively impacting our business. This may result in changes in fair value of assets and liabilities that are recognized in our income statement. Economic slowdowns and market downturns caused by pandemics, epidemics or similar crises could also negatively impact specific portfolios through negative ratings migration and higher than expected losses, potentially leading clients to redirect investments away from us and to more traditional financial institutions, as well as reduced management fees from our asset management businesses, which are required to meet certain criteria to earn performance fees. We may be unable to meet our financial targets as a result of similar incidents. In addition, geopolitical and military conflicts, such as the war between Russia and Ukraine, war or conflicts in the Middle East and other countries and terrorist organizations, have and will continue to result in instability and adversely affect the global economy or specific markets, which could continue to have an adverse impact or cause volatility in the financial services industry generally or on our results of operations and financial conditions. These geopolitical tensions can cause an increase in volatility in commodity and energy prices, creating supply chain issues, and causing instability in financial markets. Sanctions imposed by the United States, EU, the U.K. and other countries in response to such conflicts include financial measures such as freezing central bank assets, limiting the access of and restricting dealings with designated financial institutions and sectors. These actions could further adversely impact the financial markets and the global economy, and any economic countermeasures by the affected countries or others, could exacerbate market and economic instability. 34 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents While the precise effect of the ongoing armed conflict and these sanctions on the Russian, the Middle Eastern and global economies remains uncertain, should tensions continue to increase, markets may face continued volatility as well as economic and security consequences including, but not limited to, supply shortages of different kinds, increases in prices of commodities, including piped gas, oil and agricultural goods, among others. Particularly, these effects could result in increased inflation in Brazil and in measures by the Brazilian government to contain inflation, such as raising the basic interest rate (SELIC rate), which could materially impact the cost of debt and third-party capital for financing and investing activities across industries. As of December 31, 2025, we did not have any relevant direct or indirect exposure to Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Israel, Iran, or Middle East through our operations, employee base, investments, suppliers or securities trading. However, such conflict may affect the global economy and its uncertainty may cause an increase of costs related to certain financial operations, such as hedge instruments, which may affect our financial results. Such events could have an adverse effect on our business and financial performance, through increased worldwide inflation, increased costs of compliance, higher volatility in foreign currency exchange rates, and increases in provisions for expected credit losses for our clients that sell goods to Russia counterparties. Any further downgrading of Brazil’s credit rating could reduce the trading price of our Class A common shares. We may be harmed by investors’ perceptions of risks related to Brazil’s sovereign debt credit rating. Rating agencies regularly evaluate Brazil and its sovereign credit ratings, which are based on a number of factors including macroeconomic trends, fiscal and budgetary conditions, indebtedness metrics and the perspective of changes in any of these factors. The rating agencies began to review Brazil’s sovereign credit rating in September 2015. Subsequently, the three major rating agencies have downgraded Brazil’s investment-grade status on multiple occasions. Brazil’s sovereign credit rating is currently rated below investment grade by the three main credit rating agencies. Consequently, the prices of securities offered by companies with significant operations in Brazil have been negatively affected. A prolongation or worsening of the current Brazilian recession and continued political uncertainty, among other factors, could lead to further ratings downgrades. Any further downgrade of Brazil’s sovereign credit ratings could heighten investors’ perception of risk and, as a result, cause the trading price of our Class A common shares to decline. Certain Risks Relating to Our Class A Common Shares An active trading market for our common shares may not be sustainable. If an active trading market is not maintained, investors may not be able to resell their shares at or above offering price and our ability to raise capital in the future may be impaired. Although our Class A common shares are listed and traded on Nasdaq, an active trading market for our shares may not be maintained. If an active market for our Class A common shares is not maintained, it may be difficult for you to sell shares you have purchased without depressing the market price for the shares or at all. An active trading market may also impair our ability to raise capital to acquire other companies or technologies by using our shares as consideration. XP Control owns 100.0% of our outstanding Class B common shares, which represents approximately 71.34% of the voting power of our issued share capital, and controls all matters requiring shareholder approval. This concentration of ownership and voting power limits your ability to influence corporate matters. As of December 31, 2025, XP Control controlled our company and did not hold any of our Class A common shares, but beneficially owned 19.88% of our issued share capital through their beneficial ownership of an aggregate of 100.0% of our outstanding Class B common shares, and consequently, 71.34% of the combined voting power of our issued share capital. Our Class B common shares are entitled to 10 votes per share and our Class A common shares are entitled to one vote per share. Our Class B common shares are convertible into an equivalent number of Class A common shares. As a result, XP Control controls the outcome of all decisions at our shareholders’ meetings, and is able to elect a majority of the members of our board of directors. The decisions of XP Control on these matters may be contrary to your expectations or preferences, and it may take actions that could be contrary to your interests. XP Control is able to prevent any other shareholders, including you, from blocking these actions. So long as XP Control beneficially owns a sufficient number of Class B common shares, even if it beneficially owns significantly less than 50% of our outstanding share capital, it will be able to effectively control all decisions requiring shareholder approval. 35 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents We have granted the holders of our Class B common shares preemptive rights to acquire shares that we may sell in the future, which may impair our ability to raise funds. Under our Memorandum and Articles of Association, the holder of our Class B common shares, XP Control is entitled to preemptive rights to purchase additional common shares in the event that there is an increase in our share capital and additional common shares are issued, upon the same economic terms and at the same price, in order to maintain their proportional ownership interests, which are approximately 19.88% of our outstanding shares. The exercise by XP Control of its preemptive rights with respect to our Class B common shares may impair our ability to raise funds, or adversely affect the terms on which we are able to raise funds, as we may not be able to offer to new investors the quantity of our shares that they may desire to purchase. For more information, see “Item 10. Additional Information—B. Memorandum and Articles of Association—Preemptive or Similar Rights.” Class A common shares eligible for future sale may cause the market price of our Class A common shares to drop significantly. The market price of our Class A common shares may decline as a result of sales of a large number of our Class A common shares in the market or the perception that these sales may occur. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. As of December 31, 2025, we had 415,368,323 Class A common shares and 103,375,726 Class B common shares issued and outstanding. The Class A common shares sold in our public offering are freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act by persons other than our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 of the Securities Act. Our shareholders or entities controlled by them or their permitted transferees are able to sell their Class A common shares in the public market from time to time without registering them, subject to certain limitations on the timing, amount and method of those sales imposed by regulations promulgated by the SEC. If any of our shareholders, the affiliated entities controlled by them or their respective permitted transferees were to sell a large number of their Class A common shares, the market price of our Class A common shares may decline significantly. In addition, the perception in the public markets that sales by them might occur may also cause the trading price of our Class A common shares to decline. Sales of substantial amounts of our Class A common shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales may occur, could cause the market price of our Class A common shares to decline. This could also impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of our equity securities. Under our Articles of Association, we are authorized to issue up to 3,500,000,000 shares, of which 518,744,049 common shares were outstanding as of December 31, 2025. We cannot predict the size of future issuances of our shares or the effect, if any, that future sales and issuances of shares would have on the market price of our Class A common shares. Our Memorandum and Articles of Association contain antitakeover provisions that may discourage a third party from acquiring us and adversely affect the rights of holders of our Class A common shares. Our Memorandum and Articles of Association contain certain provisions that could limit the ability of others to acquire our control, including a provision that grants authority to our board of directors to establish and issue from time to time one or more series of preferred shares and to determine, with respect to any series of preferred shares, the terms and rights of that series. These provisions could have the effect of depriving our shareholders of the opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over the prevailing market price by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain our control in a tender offer or similar transactions. If securities or industry analysts do not publish research, or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research, about our business, the price of our Class A common shares and our trading volume could decline. The trading market for our Class A common shares depends in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our Class A common shares or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the price of our Class A common shares would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our Class A common shares could decrease, which might cause the price of our Class A common shares and trading volume to decline. 36 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents We may not pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. The declaration, payment and amount of any future dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon, among other things, the results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, operating and capital requirements, and other factors as our board of directors considers relevant. In addition, our holding company structure makes us dependent on the operations of our subsidiaries. See “—Certain Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—Our holding company structure makes us dependent on the operations of our subsidiaries.” There is no assurance that future dividends will be paid, and if dividends are paid, there is no assurance with respect to the amount of any such dividend. See “Item 8. Financial Information—A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Dividends and Dividend Policy” and “Item 10. Additional Information—B. Memorandum and Articles of Association—Dividends and Capitalization of Profits.” The dual class structure of our common shares has the effect of concentrating voting control with XP Control, our controlling shareholder; this will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters. Each Class A common share entitles its holder to one vote per share and each Class B common share entitles its holder to 10 votes per share, so long as the total number of votes of the issued and outstanding Class B common shares represents at least 10% of the voting share rights of the Company. As of December 31, 2025, the beneficial owner of our Class B common shares consisted of XP Control with 100.0% of the Class B common shares issued and outstanding. Due to the ten-to-one voting ratio between our Class B and Class A common shares, our controlling shareholder, XP Control, controls a majority of the combined voting power of our common shares and therefore is able to elect a majority of the members of our board of directors, so long as the total number of the issued and outstanding Class B common shares is at least 10% of the voting share rights of the Company. In addition, our Memorandum and Articles of Association provide that at any time when there are Class A common shares in issue, additional Class B common shares may only be issued pursuant to (1) a share split, subdivision of shares or similar transaction or where a dividend or other distribution is paid by the issue of shares or rights to acquire shares or following capitalization of profits; (2) a merger, consolidation, or other business combination involving the issuance of Class B common shares as full or partial consideration; or (3) an issuance of Class A common shares, whereby holders of the Class B common shares are entitled to purchase a number of Class B common shares that would allow them to maintain their proportional ownership and voting interests in XP (following an offer by us to each holder of Class B common shares to issue to such holder, upon the same economic terms and at the same price, such number of Class B common shares as would ensure such holder may maintain a proportional ownership and voting interest in XP pursuant to our Memorandum and Articles of Association). In light of the above provisions relating to the issuance of additional Class B common shares, as well as the ten-to-one voting ratio of our Class B common shares and Class A common shares, holders of our Class B common shares in many situations maintain control of all matters requiring shareholder approval. This concentrated control limits or precludes your ability to influence corporate matters for the foreseeable future. For a description of our dual class structure, see “Item 10. Additional Information—B. Memorandum and Articles of Association—Voting Rights.” 37 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents We are a Cayman Islands exempted company with limited liability. The rights of our shareholders, including with respect to fiduciary duties and corporate opportunities, may be different from the rights of shareholders governed by the laws of U.S. jurisdictions. We are a Cayman Islands exempted company with limited liability. Our corporate affairs are governed by our Memorandum and Articles of Association and by the laws of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders and the responsibilities of members of our board of directors may be different from the rights of shareholders and responsibilities of directors in companies governed by the laws of U.S. jurisdictions. In particular, as a matter of Cayman Islands law, directors of a Cayman Islands company owe fiduciary duties to the company and separately a duty of care, diligence and skill to the company. Under Cayman Islands law, directors and officers owe the following fiduciary duties: (1) duty to act in good faith in what the director or officer believes to be in the best interests of the company as a whole; (2) duty to exercise powers for the purposes for which those powers were conferred and not for a collateral purpose; (3) directors should not improperly fetter the exercise of future discretion; (4) duty to exercise powers fairly as between different sections of shareholders; (5) duty to exercise independent judgment; and (6) duty not to put themselves in a position in which there is a conflict between their duty to the company and their personal interests. Our Memorandum and Articles of Association have varied this last obligation by providing that a director must disclose the nature and extent of his or her interest in any contract or arrangement, and following such disclosure and subject to any separate requirement under applicable law or the listing rules of the Nasdaq, and unless disqualified by the chairman of the relevant meeting, such director may vote in respect of any transaction or arrangement in which he or she is interested and may be counted in the quorum at the meeting. Conversely, under Delaware corporate law, a director has a fiduciary duty to the corporation and its stockholders (made up of two components) and the director’s duties prohibits self-dealing by a director and mandates that the best interest of the corporation and its shareholders take precedence over any interest possessed by a director, officer or controlling shareholder and not shared by the shareholders generally. See “Item 10. Additional Information—B. Memorandum and Articles of Association—Principal Differences Between Cayman Islands and U.S. Corporate Law.” We may need to raise additional capital in the future by issuing securities or may enter into corporate transactions with an effect similar to a merger, which may dilute your interest in our share capital and affect the trading price of our Class A common shares. We may need to raise additional funds to grow our business and implement our growth strategy through public or private issuances of common shares or securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, our common shares, which may dilute your interest in our share capital or result in a decrease in the market price of our common shares. In addition, we may also enter into mergers or other similar transactions in the future, which may dilute your interest in our share capital or result in a decrease in the market price of our Class A common shares. Any fundraising through the issuance of shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares, or the participation in corporate transactions with an effect similar to a merger, may dilute your interest in our issued share capital or result in a decrease in the market price of our Class A common shares. As a foreign private issuer, we have different disclosure and other requirements than U.S. domestic registrants. As a foreign private issuer, we are subject to disclosure, reporting and compliance obligations that differ from those applicable to U.S. registrants. For example, we are not required to file quarterly reports on Form 10-Q current reports on Form 8-K, or comply with the U.S. proxy rules under Section 14 of the Exchange Act or the insider and short-swing profit rules under Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we rely on exemptions from certain U.S. rules which permit us to follow Cayman Islands legal requirements rather than certain of the requirements that are applicable to U.S. domestic registrants. We follow Cayman Islands laws and regulations that are applicable to Cayman Islands companies, including such laws and regulations applicable to entities registered with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority ("CIMA"). However, Cayman Islands laws and regulations applicable to Cayman Islands companies do not contain any provisions comparable to the U.S. proxy rules, the U.S. rules relating to the filing of reports on Form 10-Q or 8-K or the U.S. rules relating to liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time, as referred to above. Furthermore, foreign private issuers are required to file their annual report on Form 20-F within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, while U.S. domestic issuers that are large accelerated filers are required to file their annual report on Form 10-K within 60 days after the end of each fiscal year. Foreign private issuers are also exempt from Regulation Fair Disclosure, aimed at preventing issuers from making selective disclosures of material information, although we are subject to Cayman Islands laws and regulations having, in some respects, a similar effect as Regulation Fair Disclosure. As a result of the above, even though we are required to file reports on Form 6-K disclosing the limited information which we have made or are required to make public pursuant to Cayman Islands law, or are required to distribute to shareholders generally, and that is material to us, you may not receive information of the same type or amount that is required to be disclosed to shareholders of a U.S. company. 38 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents As a foreign private issuer, we rely on exemptions from certain Nasdaq corporate governance standards applicable to U.S. issuers. This may afford less protection to holders of our Class A common shares. Section 5605 of the Nasdaq equity rules requires listed companies to have, among other things, a majority of their board members be independent, and to have independent director oversight of executive compensation, nomination of directors and corporate governance matters. As a foreign private issuer, however, we are permitted to follow, and we do follow home country practice in lieu of the above requirements. Accordingly, as a foreign private issuer, we are not required to (i) have a board that is composed of a majority of “independent directors,” as defined under the rules of Nasdaq; (ii) have a compensation committee that is composed entirely of independent directors; or (iii) have a nominating and corporate governance committee that is composed entirely of independent directors. See “Item 10. Additional Information—B. Memorandum and Articles of Association—Principal Differences between Cayman Islands and U.S. Corporate Law.” We may lose our foreign private issuer status, which would then require us to comply with the Exchange Act’s domestic reporting regime and cause us to incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses. The determination of foreign private issuer status is made annually on the last business day of an issuer’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter. In order to maintain our current status as a foreign private issuer, either (1) more than 50% of our Class A common shares must be either directly or indirectly owned of record by nonresidents of the United States or (2)(a) a majority of our executive officers or directors may not be U.S. citizens or residents; (b) more than 50% of our assets cannot be located in the United States; and (c) our business must be administered principally outside the United States. If we lose this status, we would be required to comply with the Exchange Act reporting and other requirements applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, which are more detailed and extensive than the requirements for foreign private issuers. We may also be required to make changes in our corporate governance practices in accordance with various SEC and Nasdaq rules. The regulatory and compliance costs to us under U.S. securities laws if we are required to comply with the reporting requirements applicable to a U.S. domestic issuer may be significantly higher than the costs we will incur as a foreign private issuer. Our shareholders may face difficulties in protecting their interests because we are a Cayman Islands exempted company. Our corporate affairs are governed by our Memorandum and Articles of Association, by the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, or the “Companies Act” and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against our directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as that from English common law, which has persuasive, not binding, authority on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less exhaustive body of securities laws than the United States. In addition, some U.S. states, such as Delaware, have more fulsome and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than the Cayman Islands. While Cayman Islands law allows a dissenting shareholder to express the shareholder’s view that a court-sanctioned reorganization of a Cayman Islands company would not provide fair value for the shareholder’s shares, Cayman Islands statutory law does not specifically provide for shareholder appraisal rights in connection with a court sanctioned reorganization (by way of a scheme of arrangement). This may make it more difficult for you to assess the value of any consideration you may receive in a merger or consolidation (by way of a scheme of arrangement) or to require that the acquirer gives you additional consideration if you believe the consideration offered is insufficient. However, Cayman Islands law provides a mechanism for a dissenting shareholder in a statutory merger or consolidation to apply to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands for a determination of the fair value of the dissenter’s shares if it is not possible for the company and the dissenter to agree on a fair price within the time limits prescribed. Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies (such as us) have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records and accounts or to obtain copies of lists of shareholders. Our directors have discretion under our Memorandum and Articles of Association to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest. 39 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Subject to limited exceptions, under Cayman Islands law, a minority shareholder may not bring a derivative action against the board of directors. Class actions are not recognized in the Cayman Islands, but groups of shareholders with identical interests may bring representative proceedings, which are similar. United States civil liabilities and certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable. We are a Cayman Islands exempted company and substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States. In addition, the majority of our directors and officers are nationals and residents of countries other than the United States. A substantial portion of the assets of these persons is located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons. It may also be difficult to enforce in U.S. courts judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors who are not resident in the United States and the substantial majority of whose assets that are located outside of the United States. Further, it is unclear if original actions predicated on civil liabilities based solely upon U.S. federal securities laws are enforceable in courts outside the United States, including in the Cayman Islands and Brazil. Courts of the Cayman Islands may not, in an original action in the Cayman Islands, recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state of the United States on the grounds that such provisions are penal in nature. Although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction if such judgment is final, for a liquidated sum, provided it is not in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, is not inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matters and was not obtained in a manner which is contrary to the public policy of the Cayman Islands. In addition, a Cayman Islands court may stay proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere. Judgments of Brazilian courts to enforce our obligations with respect to our Class A common shares may be payable only in reais. Most of our assets are located in Brazil. If proceedings are brought in the courts of Brazil seeking to enforce our obligations in respect of our Class A common shares, we may not be required to discharge our obligations in a currency other than the real. Under Brazilian exchange control laws, an obligation in Brazil to pay amounts denominated in a currency other than the real may only be satisfied in Brazilian currency at the exchange rate, typically as determined by the Central Bank, in effect on the date the judgment is obtained, and such amounts are then typically adjusted to reflect exchange rate variations and monetary restatements through the effective payment date. The then-prevailing exchange rate may not afford non-Brazilian investors with full compensation for any claim arising out of or related to our obligations under the Class A common shares. Our Class A common shares may not be a suitable investment for all investors, as investment in our Class A common shares presents risks and the possibility of financial losses. The investment in our Class A common shares is subject to risks. Investors who wish to invest in our Class A common shares are thus subject to asset losses, including loss of the entire value of their investment, as well as other risks, including those related to our Class A common shares, us, the sector in which we operate, our shareholders and the general macroeconomic environment in Brazil, among other risks. Each potential investor in our Class A common shares must therefore determine the suitability of that investment in light of its own circumstances. In particular, each potential investor should: •have sufficient knowledge and experience to make a meaningful evaluation of our Class A common shares, the merits and risks of investing in our Class A common shares and the information contained in this annual report; •have access to, and knowledge of, appropriate analytical tools to evaluate, in the context of its particular financial situation, an investment in our Class A common shares and the impact our Class A common shares will have on its overall investment portfolio; •have sufficient financial resources and liquidity to bear all of the risks of an investment in our Class A common shares; •understand thoroughly the terms of our Class A common shares and be familiar with the behavior of any relevant indices and financial markets; and •be able to evaluate (either alone or with the help of a financial adviser) possible scenarios for economic, interest rate and other factors that may affect its investment and its ability to bear the applicable risks. 40 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents There can be no assurance that we will not be a passive foreign investment company for any taxable year, which could subject United States investors in our Class A common shares to significant adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences. Under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the “Code,” we will be a passive foreign investment company, or “PFIC,” for any taxable year in which, after the application of certain look-through rules with respect to subsidiaries, either (1) 75% or more of our gross income consists of “passive income”; or (2) 50% or more of the average quarterly value of our assets consists of assets that produce, or are held for the production of, “passive income.” Passive income generally includes dividends, interest, certain non-active rents and royalties, and capital gains. Based on our operations, income, assets and certain estimates and projections, including as to the relative values of our assets, including goodwill, which is based on the market price of our Class A common shares, we do not believe we were a PFIC for our 2025 taxable year. However, there can be no assurance that the Internal Revenue Service, or the “IRS” will agree with our conclusion. In addition, whether we will be a PFIC in 2026 or in any future year is uncertain because, among other things, our PFIC status for any taxable year will depend on the composition of our income and assets and the value of our assets from time to time (which may be determined, in part, by reference to the market price of our Class A common shares, which could be volatile). Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will not be a PFIC for any taxable year. If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. investor holds Class A common shares, we generally would continue to be treated as a PFIC with respect to that U.S. investor for all succeeding years during which the U.S. investor holds Class A common shares, even if we ceased to meet the threshold requirements for PFIC status. Such a U.S. investor may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences, including (1) the treatment of all or a portion of any gain on disposition as ordinary income; (2) the application of a deferred interest charge on such gain and the receipt of certain dividends; and (3) compliance with certain reporting requirements. A “mark-to-market” election may be available that will alter the consequences of PFIC status if our Class A common shares are regularly traded on a qualified exchange. For further discussion, see “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
A. History and Development of the Company Corporate Information Our legal and commercial name is XP Inc., a financial holding company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with indefinite duration and limited liability on August 29, 2019, that…
A. History and Development of the Company Corporate Information Our legal and commercial name is XP Inc., a financial holding company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with indefinite duration and limited liability on August 29, 2019, that through our affiliates, provides financial solutions by universalizing access to top-quality financial services through a strategy that explores the synergy between retail investment, retail cross-sell, and wholesale banking. Our registered office is c/o Maples Corporate Services Limited, P.O. Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands and our principal office is located at 20, Genesis Close, Grand Cayman, George Town, Cayman Islands, KY-1-1208, and our telephone number at this address is +55 11 3075 0429. We have appointed XP Investments US, LLC, with offices at 55 West 46th Street, 30th Floor, New York, NY 10036, as our agent for service of process with respect to any action brought against us in the United States under the federal securities laws of the United States or of any state in the United States. Investors should contact us for any inquiries through the address and telephone number of our principal executive office. Our principal website is www.xpinc.com. The information contained in, or accessible through, our website is not incorporated into this annual report. In addition, the SEC maintains a website at https://www.sec.gov, from which you can electronically access this annual report, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Share Capital As of December 31, 2025, we had a total of 518,744,049 common shares issued, 103,375,726 of these shares are Class B common shares beneficially owned by XP Control, and 415,368,323 of these shares are Class A common shares owned by investors. 41 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Capital Expenditures and Divestitures Our principal capital expenditures and divestitures since the beginning of our last three financial years relate primarily to investments in technology and operational infrastructure supporting our platform and operating capabilities, as well as selective acquisitions and minority investments intended to expand capabilities and distribution. The amounts invested, and the related cash flow impacts, are presented in “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Liquidity and Capital Resources” and in our consolidated financial statements (including the consolidated statement of cash flows and relevant notes) included elsewhere in this annual report. Information regarding principal capital expenditures and divestitures currently in progress, including the geographic distribution of these investments (home and abroad) and the method of financing (internal or external), is included in “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Liquidity and Capital Resources” and in our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report. Acquisitions and New Lines of Business Banco Modal S.A. acquisition by Banco XP S.A. On January 6, 2022, we entered into a binding agreement to acquire Banco Modal S.A., or “Modal,” with Banco XP through certain corporate acts pursuant to which Banco XP would deliver up to 19.5 million newly issued XP Inc. Class A common shares in the form of XP BDRs to shareholders of Modal. The transaction was approved by CADE in July 2022 and by the Central Bank in June 2023. We closed the transaction on July 1, 2023, the date on which we obtained control of Modal in exchange for the delivery of 18.7 million XP BDRs to the shareholders of Modal. This amount reflects the initial amount of 19.5 million XP BDRs adjusted for the interest on equity amount of R$82.1 million, distributed by Banco Modal between January 6, 2022 and the closing date of the transaction. On September 1, 2025, after concluding all business integration, the Brazilian Central Bank approved the merger of Banco Modal to Banco XP, through the incorporation of Banco Modal’s assets and liabilities by Banco XP. As a result, Banco Modal was dissolved. This transaction has no significant impact on our financial position or results of operations. Acquisition of Minority Stakes in Asset Managers In line with our strategy of acquiring minority stakes in asset managers, since 2020 we have invested in relevant asset managers, such as Vista Capital Holding S.A., or “Vista Capital,” Giant Steps Empreendimentos S.A., or “Giant Steps,” Capitânia Holding S.A. or “Capitânia”, Jive Investments Consultoria S.A., or “Jive,” AZ Quest Holding S.A or “AZ Quest”, Newave Holding S.A. or “Newave”, Novus, Encore and Augme. These are all independent investment managers in Brazil, each with different strategies such as credit recovery, real estate, energy sector and distressed strategies. In 2025, we signed a convertible loan agreement with JGP Crédito and increased our stake in Jive. These transactions reinforce our strategy to develop the most complete ecosystem of managers and distributors in Brazil. Additionally, we believe the development of independent asset managers contributes to an increase in secondary market liquidity, helping to democratize access to investment products to more Brazilians. Acquisition of Minority Stakes in IFA Firms During the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2024, we have entered into agreements through our subsidiary, XP Controle 5 Participações Ltda, with the largest independent financial adviser firms of our network (Monte Bravo, FMX Capital, Blue3, Manchester, Nomos, SVN and Ável, or our “IFA Firms”) and their respective principal shareholders, pursuant to which we have been acquiring minority interests in a holding company that will consolidate the business generated by the main shareholders of the IFA Firms in the financial market, including through the IFA Firms. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we have entered into agreements through our subsidiary, XP Controle 5 Participações Ltd, with Kona, Critéria, Center and Inove. As of December 31, 2025, we owned minority interests in the holding companies of Monte Bravo, Blue3, Ável, FMX, SVN, Manchester, Nomos, Kona, Critéria, Center and Inove. We intend to continue to acquire interests in the holding companies of the IFA Firms subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions precedent. 42 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents B. Business Overview Our Mission Our mission is to transform the financial markets in order to improve people’s lives in Brazil, which is the eleventh largest economy in the world with over 213 million people in 2025 and a GDP of R$12.7 trillion (approximately US$2.3 trillion) in 2025, according to the IBGE. We believe the financial services industry in Brazil is inefficient and expensive by international standards and provides poor client experiences. Brazil’s investments industry is highly concentrated and we estimate our Individual’s Client Assets as of December 31, 2025 to account for nearly 12% of a market totaling R$ 8.6 trillion, according to internal research and public data from Anbima. We believe this concentration has enabled the incumbent players to secure a large profit pool and restrict the market in Brazil by: (1) providing a more narrow selection of financial products than typically found in larger markets, such as the United States and Europe; (2) promoting inefficient financial products, such as savings accounts called poupança, which provide investors with relatively low returns, at times below the inflation rate, and come with highly restrictive and punitive redemption options; (3) charging relatively high fees with low yields since the clients are captive and the products made available are often limited only to those issued by each bank; and (4) providing poor customer service due to a low prioritization of the client experience, limited market competition, and a lack of alternative choices available to consumers. Our vision is to become leaders in the Brazilian investment market and to provide the best complementary financial services, such as asset management and wholesale banking, to our clients. We are dedicated to disrupting this market and improving people’s lives by providing them with access to more financial products and services through multiple channels, at lower fees, with a strong emphasis on financial education and high-quality services delivered through a highly differentiated client-centric approach and innovative technology solutions. More recently, we have been evolving beyond the market in order to differentiate ourselves with higher quality end-to-end services, by providing superior functionality, smarter curated advice, better software and Apps, and high-quality support. Introduction to XP XP is a leading, technology-driven platform and a trusted provider of low-fee financial products and services in Brazil. We have developed a mission-driven culture and a business model that we believe provide us with strong competitive advantages in our market. We use these to disintermediate the legacy models of traditional financial institutions by educating new classes of investors, democratizing access to a wider range of financial services, developing new financial products and technology applications to empower our clients and providing what we believe is the highest-quality customer service and client experience in the industry in Brazil. We believe we have established ourselves as the leading alternative to the traditional banks, with a large and fast-growing ecosystem of retail investors, institutions, and corporate issuers, built over many years that reached approximately 4.7 million active clients. Based on data from the sources indicated below, we believe we are the: •#1 Ranked Financial Investment Brand in Brazil – with an NPS of 65 as of December 2025; •#1 Independent Financial Investment Platform in Brazil – with Client Assets of R$1.5 trillion as of December 31, 2025; •#1 Independent Digital Platform for Investors in Brazil – with three digital portals: XP, Rico™ and Clear™, serving clients directly, XP Inc. has the largest number of followers on Instagram among investment firms in Brazil; •#1 Financial Investment Network in Brazil – with a range of proprietary XP Advisory Services and IFAs, which altogether corresponds to approximately 18,000 advisors as of December 31, 2025, our network onboard new clients onto the XP Platform; •#1 Financial Media Portal in Latin America – with approximately 8.0 million monthly unique visitors to our Infomoney™ website as of December 31, 2025; and •#1 Financial Services Event in Latin America – with over 50,000 in-person attendees at our annual EXPERT conference held both in-person and virtually in August 2025, we believe it ranks as the largest investment services event in Latin America and one of the largest in the world based on an internal analysis of third-party data. 43 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Our Founding and Evolution We were founded in 2001 as a small, independent financial advisor partnership dedicated to improving the lives of people in our country. In order to build our business from the ground up, while competing against the traditional banks, we dedicated ourselves to the search for new ways to compete and to leverage next-generation technologies that enable us to differentiate ourselves and provide the operating efficiencies to scale. Over the years, we have been able to consistently innovate, develop our technology solutions and evolve our proprietary business model in several integrated phases that have complemented each other and compounded our capabilities. We believe this evolution has enabled us to instill trust in the XP brand and begin a revolution in the way financial services are sold in Brazil. These integrated evolutionary phases include: •Providing Financial Education and Empowerment – We began our evolution by providing financial education courses to empower new classes of first-time and early-stage investors teaching them how to invest and how to access new types of financial products and services that they may not previously have had access to through traditional financial institutions. These educational courses began to build trust in XP and became an effective client acquisition model by converting students into empowered clients. •Democratizing Access to Financial Products and Services – We developed an open product platform which provided our clients with a much wider selection of financial products than the traditional banks provide to their customers. This platform included a more diverse selection of financial investment products, such as equity and fixed income securities, mutual and hedge funds, structured products, life insurance, retirement plans and real estate trusts, and a wider choice of issuers that include XP, our product partners and our competitors. The breadth of our open platform was a significant market innovation, that enhanced our brand further, and provided clients with new opportunities for risk taking and investment returns. We believe it remains substantially differentiated when compared to the relatively closed platforms of the traditional banks or to similar open platforms from new players. •Scaling of Our Ecosystem of Users, Distribution and Media Content – We expanded our ecosystem of users, distribution channels, and proprietary digital content and marketing. As our retail customer base and Client Assets volumes grew, we attracted new issuers of financial products, corporate clients and institutional traders into our fast-growing ecosystem of clients. We complemented our distribution by scaling our network of IFAs located across Brazil who solicit new clients, provide them access to our wide selection of financial products and technology applications, and help us onboard them as XP clients. These IFAs are our strategic business partners who share our entrepreneurial spirit and mission to democratize financial services in Brazil and benefit from the competitive advantages provided by our platform and technology. To support this expansion while building trusted relationships in the market, we expanded our proprietary marketing initiatives and digital media content. We continued to build our educational course offerings, created what we believe is the largest investment conference in the world, developed the largest financial information online portal in Latin America and developed a range of social media and digital influencer programs to promote our services and brand. •Diversification and Enhancement of Our Direct Digital Channels and Brands – We expanded our distribution significantly by leveraging our growing ecosystem to (1) grow and enhance XP Direct, our primary digital portal for investors and our internal team of financial advisors; (2) develop new digital channels, such as Rico, our digital portal brand for self-directed investors, and Clear, our digital portal and online trading platform brand for retail active traders; and (3) develop our Direct Channel, with internal advisors that have been growing strongly in the recent years. We also enhanced these direct portals further by leveraging our technology platform, fast-growing data lake, and artificial intelligence capabilities to provide more sophisticated functionality and offer more advanced data analytics tools through more intuitive and convenient user interfaces, or “UX.” •Empowerment of the Client Journey – We leveraged the significant technology DNA in our company, comprising our innovation and development teams and agile software development methods to develop a suite of new products, services and technology applications that engage and serve our clients across their financial journeys. We launched an advanced suite of cloud-based and mobile technology applications, with sleek advanced UX and easy user experience, that complement our advisory services and provide powerful functionality across the user journey, enabling our clients and partners to better manage their various accounts, trading activities, analytics and data queries. We have also begun to expand our solutions into adjacent and complementary financial services that our clients use. Main product developments include: (1) retirement plans platform launched in 2019; (2) collateralized credit in 2020; (3) Visa Infinite credit cards in 2021; and (4) digital account, international investments platform and life insurance in 2022. •Empowerment of XP Advisors to Provide Enhanced Quality & Experience – By providing our advisors with our cutting-edge proprietary software in order to personalize client’s asset allocation and risk management, we are able to continue to differentiate ourselves with higher quality end-to-end services, and smarter curated advice. 44 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents The chart below illustrates the growth of our total client assets as our business evolved over time. Total Client Assets Under Custody (in Reais millions) The XP Business Model Our business model has been developed over the course of our evolution and enables us to go to market in a different way from the legacy models of the large traditional financial institutions. We believe our model provides us with a unique value proposition for our clients and partners, and it has begun to change the way investment services are accessed and sold in Brazil. Our differentiated approach incorporates a unique combination of proprietary capabilities, services and technologies to deliver a highly customized and integrated client experience, with significant operating efficiency advantages that have enabled us to scale and grow profitably. As illustrated in the following image, our differentiation pillars in the market are based on four principles: These principles are linked to the key components of our business model: (1) a mission-driven culture; (2) a self-reinforcing ecosystem; (3) a superior products and services platform; and (4) a differentiated, advanced technology platform. •A Mission-Driven Culture – Our culture remains central to XP and we remain vigilant in preserving and nurturing it, so that it can continue to guide our firm by promoting: (1) a strong collaborative environment within our company; (2) a clear focus on our mission to improve people’s lives by empowering them as investors; (3) a zero-fee pricing philosophy wherever possible; (4) a strong, long-term client-centric focus which we prioritize ahead of maximizing short-term gains; and (5) an energetic entrepreneurial spirit with a commitment to innovation and the pursuit of improvement. 45 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents •A Self-Reinforcing Ecosystem – We believe we have developed a valuable ecosystem of clients, distribution channels and media content that are a powerful lead-generation engine, reinforcing each other and helping promote XP’s products and services as they grow. These include: ▪User Base of Clients – This includes our (1) approximately 4.8 million retail clients who buy and sell the financial products on our platform as of December 31, 2025, benefiting from our ecosystem because they can access a much broader portfolio of financial products, from hundreds of different providers, and get help finding the product that is right for them, all in a user-friendly way, with exceptionally low fees; and (2) over 800 commercial clients as of December 31, 2025, such as institutions and corporate issuers, fund managers, private banks, corporate treasuries and insurance companies, who provide additional liquidity and unique financial products for our platform. These issuers benefit from our ecosystem because they are provided with dedicated strategic advisory services that enable them to access a much broader pool of capital, from our retail investors, at an overall lower cost. ▪Omni-Channel Distribution Network – This enables us to reach clients and deliver our products and services through a range of proprietary brands and channels, that includes (1) XP Direct, our fast-growing full-service offering for mass-affluent clients; (2) RicoTM, our online-only solution for self-directed investors; and (3) ClearTM, our digital portal and electronic trading platform for retail active traders. We also reach clients through our proprietary, and efficient distribution network of IFA partners. Our IFA partners benefit from our suite of financial products, education tools, and the IFA-specific applications that we developed to help them build and grow their businesses, and we benefit from their abilities to reach and cultivate new clients. Altogether, our distribution network encompasses approximately 18,000 thousand advisors, forming the largest financial advisor network in the country. ▪Complementary Capabilities – In order to extend our services and reach, we have built over the last few years complementary business lines such as asset management and wholesale banking, which we believe can benefit from and reinforce our powerful ecosystem. •A Superior Product and Services Platform – We primarily provide our clients with two types of offerings, our financial advisory services and our open financial product platform. We have developed both of these solutions to provide our clients with significant differentiation and a superior value proposition versus the legacy offerings of traditional banks. Additionally, in order to improve our client’s experience with our platform and, consequentially, capture additional funds, we have launched over the past 5 years different lines of products, such as: retirement plans, collateralized credit, cards, international investments, life insurance, foreign exchange (FX), and digital account, among others. These and other solutions include: ▪Suite of XP Advisory Services – Comprised of services such as; (1) XP Investimentos, for our retail clients in Brazil; (2) XP Private, for our high-net-worth clients; (3) XP Investments, for our international clients; and (4) XP Issuer Services, for our corporate and institutional clients. ▪Open Product Platform – This is our open product platform that provides our clients access to investment products, without the protectionist barriers, conflicts and closed-loop restrictions of traditional banks. These include investment products from XP, our partners and our competitors, such as equity and fixed income securities, mutual and hedge funds, structured products, life insurance, retirement plans, real-estate investment funds, or “REITs” and others. ▪VIP Customer Service – This is our premier customer service program and support organization, designed to provide our clients and partners with the highest-quality client service. We train our customer service personnel to (1) understand the daily activities and processes across the client journey in order to help resolve customer issues more effectively; (2) prioritize positive client experiences and long-term relationships above short-term performance results; and (3) leverage and promote our advanced technologies to serve our clients more efficiently. ▪Collateralized Credit Products – We have offered our XP-brand clients access to low-fee collateralized credit lines to improve their experience within the XP ecosystem since 2020. Most of our credit portfolio is collateralized with investments held in XP, both from companies and individuals. Our loan book, excluding credit cards, increased 1.2% , reaching R$25.2 billion in December 31, 2025. ▪Credit and Debit Cards – Our credit card is the first of its kind to offer an investment-back award, or “investback,” of 1% of all purchases, free of any charges for clients in the XP brand with over R$50,000 in investments. In December 2021, we lowered that threshold for clients that have at least R$5,000 invested with us, further improving our client’s experience within the XP ecosystem. In October 2022, we further expanded the eligible client base for both credit and debit cards with the official launch in the Rico brand. In December 31, 2025, we had a total of approximately 1.5 million active cards, both credit and debit, and a total payments volume, or TPV, of R$52.2 billion in 2025. 46 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents •A Differentiated, Advanced Technology Platform – We have developed a powerful, integrated suite of proprietary technology assets, technology applications, and technology development resources that enable us to differentiate us in the market, manage all of our solutions, conduct all of our activities and operate with low-cost advantages and efficiencies. These include: ▪XP Genius – This is our powerful, integrated, cloud-based technology platform built with a modular architecture that efficiently leverages a range of microservices to help: (1) connect our various portals, systems, technologies and environments; (2) power our solutions and applications across our organization; (3) manage our large, valuable and rapidly growing pools of proprietary data; (4) conduct our big data analytics and artificial intelligence initiatives; (5) provide us with proprietary information and market insights; and (6) extend our reach and capabilities into new areas. ▪XP Innovation Teams – These dedicated technology resources develop and support our solutions by using agile software development methods and leveraging our significant technology and data assets. These include XP Tribes, comprising two to three managers each, that help guide and support our development priorities across numerous projects, and XP Squads, comprising autonomous integrated teams of eight to ten people, including a product owner and business expert, a UX specialist, a technology leader and several developers, that collaborate to create new technologies and solutions or improve our current offerings. These teams focus on the complete customer experience, conducting client interviews, prototyping, behavior analysis and user tests. One of the most visible external examples of our technology capabilities is the suite of technology applications that we provide to our clients and partners. The technology evolution of XP Inc. was followed by a deeper and broader corporate transformation process, which involved the creation of business units and integrated our front-office to the company’s foundations – back-office, middle-office and innovation teams. We believe that among the main benefits of the transformation are a leaner and more efficient corporate organization that allows us to optimize decision making and execution of our projects. ▪XP Technology Apps – This is an advanced suite of cloud-based and mobile technology applications, that complement our advisory services and provide powerful functionality across the user journey, enabling our clients and partners to better manage their various accounts, trading activities and data queries. Our apps are integrated with our powerful databases and analytics tools and are designed to be powerful, yet simple, attractive, and easy to use, with sleek user interfaces, or “UX,” that are comparable to some of the top consumer technology products in the world. Our Operations We operate an asset-light, scalable business model that emphasizes operational efficiency and profitability. We leverage our business model to serve a diverse group of retail, corporate and institutional clients in local and international markets, with offices in Brazil, New York and Miami. We currently serve approximately 4.8 million active retail clients who have an investment account with us. Approximately 25% of our clients are served by one of our IFA partners whereas approximately 75% of our clients are served through direct channels, either utilizing an account through one of our websites, or served by an investment adviser through XP Direct. As of December 31, 2025, our average Retail Client Assets per client account was approximately R$263 thousand. We generate our revenues primarily by (1) providing our existing clients with a growing range of financial products and services in which to invest their existing Client Assets already on our platform; (2) attracting additional money onto our platform from existing investors to grow total Client Assets; and (3) attracting new clients and money inflows onto our platform across a variety of channels to increase total Client Assets. As shown in the following chart, we generate a significant amount of our revenues from existing clients and Client Assets, which is recurring and predictable in nature. 47 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Depending on the mix of products and services, we generate numerous forms of income from Client Assets, including advisory fees, commissions, distribution fees from product offerings, asset management fees, among others. Following the launch of some of the aforementioned new products, we were able to add new forms of income into our ecosystem, such as credit card interchange fees, and income from interest on loans. As a result of our enhanced business model and market position, our revenue tends to be more diversified now than it was a few years ago, with non-investments retail business lines representing close to 26.5% of total revenues in 2025, making our business less cyclical. We have established a track record of delivering strong financial performance, even during difficult macroeconomic conditions in Brazil. For example, while Brazil GDP growth fluctuated significantly over the past decade, with Brazil going through cycles, our core investment KPIs kept growing consistently, with Client Assets reaching R$1.5 trillion in December 31, 2025.Our technology-driven business model is asset-light and highly scalable. This enables us to generate scale efficiencies from increases in Client Assets. We conduct the majority of our business online and through mobile applications and emphasize operational efficiency and profitability throughout our operations. These operating efficiencies enable us to generate strong cash flow in various market conditions, allowing us to continue investing in the growth of our business. Additionally, our strong balance sheet serves as a substantial competitive advantage in relation to other independent financial services providers in Brazil, enabling us to underwrite, develop and distribute new financial products and services, and capture inorganic opportunities, such as our acquisitions of equity in DM10 in November 2020, Antecipa in September 2020, WHG in September 2020, in some asset managements throughout 2021 and 2023, such as Giant Steps, Jive, Capitânia, Vista Capital, AZ Quest, Newave and Habitat Capital; Trybe, BTR Benefícios e Seguros, some research companies such as Suno. In addition between the second half of 2021 and 2022, we entered into investment agreements with, among other entities, IFAs, and in the end of 2023 and during 2024 we have concluded the acquisition of minority stake in some IFAs, such as Manchester, Blue 3, Ável, Monte Bravo, FAMI and SVN. We may carry out additional stake acquisitions or investments from time to time. Our Market Brazil is a large and attractive market for financial services and financial technology solutions. The country has the seventh largest population and the tenth largest economy in the world with over 213 million people and a GDP of nearly US$2.3 trillion in 2025. Brazil’s GDP growth fluctuated significantly over the past decade, with Brazil going through different recessions, political turmoil and the COVID-19 outbreak, our core investment KPIs kept growing consistently, with Client Assets reaching R$1.5 trillion in December 31, 2025. For more information on our outstanding agreements, see “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—A. Operating Results”. Key Market Challenges We believe the Brazil financial services industry faces several important market challenges that create market inefficiencies and opportunities for disruption, including: •Highly Concentrated Market – In Brazil, the financial services market continues to be controlled by a few traditional financial institutions. We estimate our Individual Client Assets as of December 31, 2025 to account for nearly 12% of a market totaling R$8.6 trillion, based on Anbima our internal analysis. According to the latest information from the Central Bank and Fenaprevi for 2025, these same five banks collectively accounted for: (1) 63% of the R$6.5 trillion in all deposits; (2) 97% of the R$1,320 billion in mortgages; (3) 54% of the R$735 billion in credit card outstanding balances for individuals; (4) 85% of the R$1.5 trillion in open retirement plans; (5) 69% of the R$4.7 trillion in total individual loans ; and (6) 58% of the R$3.2 trillion in corporate credit balances. We believe this concentration has created material market inefficiencies which provide significant opportunities for disruption, disintermediation, and new business models. •Bureaucratic, Asset-Heavy Infrastructures – The legacy models of the traditional banks are based on asset-heavy infrastructures such as large networks of physical bank branches, large bureaucratic organizations with hundreds of thousands of personnel and processes, and older, segregated technology platforms. We believe these cumbersome infrastructures encourage the traditional banks to focus more on (1) managing the internal burdens of their operations; (2) pushing their in-house products over alternatives from third-party providers; and (3) preserving the status quo. •Narrow Selection of Financial Products – The concentration of traditional financial institutions in Brazil provide their customers with more limited access to financial products than typically found in larger and more developed markets, such as the United States and Europe. These banks have closed-loop product platforms which significantly restricts the selection of investment products made available to their customers typically to those that were created in-house by each bank or have significant embedded costs to drive promotion. We believe these practices tend to drive high fees and/or low cost of funding for the traditional banks, but severely limit choice for investors. 48 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents •Promotion of Inefficient Financial Products – In Brazil, the traditional banks continue to promote inefficient financial products, such as self-issued time deposits, or “CDBs,” and savings accounts called poupança, since their primary business is related to grow the loan book, therefore they provide a large number of the mass population of investors with very low returns and punitive redemption options, often at an attractive margin to the bank. Poupança accounts account for 11.2% of the volume invested by all individual investors in Brazil, according to Anbima data as of December 31, 2025, despite paying relatively low interest rates, often lower than the SELIC rate in Brazil, and occasionally even lower than the inflation rate, as shown in the graph below. We believe the continued promotion of these products is not in the best interests of investors, but they continue to generate high fees for the traditional banks. •High Costs and Spreads – We believe overall fees and spreads for financial products in Brazil are too high and are driven by (1) the closed platforms of the incumbent banks who often limit their customer’s selection of financial products to those created and controlled by each bank; (2) the promotion of inefficient financial products that pay very low yields, such as poupança; and (3) the high, asset-heavy infrastructure costs of the incumbent banks. •Poor Customer Service – We believe the incumbent banks and other service providers generally provide poor customer service in Brazil based on market surveys, given the lack of market competition and alternative choices available to their clients. We believe these factors drive the prioritization of near-term results over long-term client relationships and discourage the banks from (1) focusing on their client’s day-to-day needs; (2) serving the entire customer experience; and (3) looking for new ways to add value. •Underpenetrated Debt Capital and Other Financial Markets – We believe the debt capital markets in Brazil are significantly underpenetrated for the issuance of fixed income products and corporate bonds, particularly when compared to larger markets such as the United States and Europe. The incumbent banks control the majority of the debt market and typically steers clients to bank issued term loans or limited fixed income products that are sold to their asset management businesses, which we believe limits the amount of available credit in the market and fosters an environment for higher costs due to limited competition. Similarly, other lending products, commonly found in larger markets, such as home equity loans, are very limited in Brazil. Key Market Trends •Favorable and Highly Aligned Regulatory Initiatives – The Central Bank is actively promoting what it calls financial democratization policies that seek to provide easier access to financial markets, and better and more transparent financial services. We believe these regulatory initiatives provide a favorable regulatory environment that are closely aligned and complement our mission to improve people’s lives by transforming the financial markets in Brazil. The Central Bank, has implemented an active regulatory agenda, called BC# which is focused on addressing structural issues of the National Financial System by fostering technological innovation. The Central Bank has defined five dimensions for its agenda, including: ▪Inclusion – which it defines as to ensure “non-discriminatory access to the market for all those wishing to participate: small and large businesses entrepreneurs, investors and borrowers, both domestic and foreign clients.” Initiatives in this dimension involve: (1) fostering the expansion of credit cooperatives; (2) simplifying and modernizing foreign exchange and international trade regulation (convertibility of the real); (3) local capital market development; and (4) enlarging access to microcredit; ▪Competitiveness – which it defines as “to promote adequate pricing by favoring competitive access to markets.” Initiatives in this dimension involve: (1) innovation and preparing the financial system for a technological and inclusive future (e.g., instant payments, open banking, and cyber risk management); (2) improving the management of international reserves; and (3) increasing market efficiency (e.g., market infrastructure and reserve requirements). ▪Transparency – which it defines as to improve “the price formation process and the quality of information originated from markets and the Central Bank. It focuses on broadening communication, as well as evaluating its results and symmetry of information.” Initiatives in this dimension involve (1) improving conditions for rural and mortgage loans; (2) strengthening the Central Bank’s relationship with the Brazilian Congress and foreign investors; and (3) enhancing transparency and communication of the Central Bank’s actions, including monetary policy decisions. ▪Education – which it defines as to promote “citizens awareness so that everyone can participate in the financial markets and strength their habit of saving.” Initiatives in this dimension involve providing scalable financial education solutions to school students, indebted individuals and low-income citizens. 49 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents •Sustainability: which it defines as “the allocation of resources directed towards the development of a more sustainable, dynamic and modern economy”. Initiatives in this dimension involve improvement of regulation on socio-environmental risks, improvement of the stress test for climate risks and nomination of the Central Bank representatives to join the Network from Greening the Financial System (NGFS). •Cybersecurity and Fraud Prevention - The Central Bank is seeking to develop new ways of preventing money transfer fraud and irregularities, including through Joint Resolution No. 6, which establishes criteria for selecting and sharing data records related to indications of fraud. •Increasing Demand for Financial Education and Information – With the volatility in interest rates in recent years, we believe there are a growing number of people interested in learning (1) the basics of financial freedom and empowerment; (2) how to access the financial markets more effectively; and (3) more sophisticated financial management strategies. We have seen the number of financial education students increase significantly in the market and believe the demand for financial media content has grown materially in the last few years across a number of channels. •Increasing Demand for Financial Products – As more customers claim their financial freedom from the traditional banks, and yields on other bank products remain stagnant, we believe the market will see a steady increase in the demand for more types of financial products and more choices of issuers across different asset classes and risk appetites. We believe there will also continue to be an increasing interest from institutions and corporates for more product issuing opportunities and product structuring services. We believe this is a long-term trend as the Brazilian market expands to close the product selection gap with other large markets, such as the United States and Europe. •Increasing Demand for Technology to Manage Financial Services – Similar to other trends in commerce, customers in Brazil are increasingly looking to conduct their financial journeys through digital channels, via online portals, cloud-based platforms and mobile technology applications, instead of in bank branches. In addition, as customers engagement increases, they are also demanding access to more sophisticated analytical tools and technology applications, such as comparison engines, risk management tools, and electronic trading platforms, through digital channels that can enable these features at low costs and high efficiency. In addition to BC#, the Central Bank is planning to launch a new digital currency and blockchain platform, Drex. •Increasing Demand for Better UX Experiences – As customers engage in more digital channels, they are increasingly demanding sleeker, more powerful and more convenient UX, similar to the consumer technology products and software applications that they interact with in other areas of their daily lives. We believe these digital customers will increasingly demand technology applications that provide intuitive, easy-to-use, yet powerful features that can integrate and utilize all of their data, and empower them to do more across their client journeys, versus just siloed applications with one or two functions. •Increasing Number of Independent Financial Advisors – The career market for registered IFAs is growing rapidly in Brazil as the traditional banks continue to close branches and reduce costs from their large legacy operations. Many top financial services professionals who previously worked in these banks are looking to become IFAs. The total number of IFAs in Brazil has grown from over 5 thousand in 2015 to more than 20 thousand by 2025, according to the Brazilian National Association of Brokers and Dealers of Securities, Foreign Exchange and Commodities (Associação Nacional das Corretoras e Distribuidoras de Títulos e Valores Mobiliários, Câmbio e Mercadorias), or “ANCORD.” •Increasing Demand for Turn-Key Solutions and Applications for IFAs – Many of these IFAs are looking for new platforms, that provide the product suites, business management tools and technology applications that they can use to start their businesses, attract new customers and manage their operations more effectively. •Disintermediation of Investments, Credit and Market Equitization – Greater access to information and technology is making Brazilians increasingly aware and inclined to look for alternatives outside the traditional retail banks for investment products and services. Brazil is in the early stages of this process and we estimate our Client Assets as of December 31, 2025 to account for nearly 12% of a market totaling R$ 8.6 trillion. In addition, equities as an asset class is still incredibly underpenetrated among retail investors, with only approximately 0.7% of Brazilians having an active brokerage account. Further evidence of this trend is the spike seen in the number of individual investors in the B3. This figure increased almost 283% from 1.4 million individual investors in December 2019 to 5.5 million individual investors in December 2025. In 2024, the CVM published a two-year risk based approach plan through which it would define priority regulatory risks and a new form of regulatory analysis: a thematic supervision that may be exemplified by: (i) AML procedures; (ii) operational structure requirements for asset management that do not comply with regulations; (iii) diligence failures in the liquidity management process in open-ended funds; and (iv) irregular and/or indiscriminate leverage strategies in investment funds. 50 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Addressable Market Opportunities We believe our XP Model will benefit from these key market trends and the favorable macroeconomic environment in Brazil, and has positioned us to continue to penetrate, grow and expand our large addressable market opportunity in Brazil. According to internal estimates, as of December 31, 2025, our Client Assets only account for 12% of a R$ 8.6 trillion market. Given our leadership, scale, brand and competitive advantages provided by our XP Model, we believe we will benefit from and continue to be a catalyst for: •Continued Growth of the Investment Assets Addressable Market – According to our estimates, the total addressable market of investment assets in Brazil is expected to reach R$9.8 trillion in 2026. •Continued Expansion of Our Addressable Market into New Areas – We have made significant progress in disrupting the investment services of traditional banks, which can be among the hardest to penetrate, due to the difficulty in gaining customer trust, and have one of the highest switching costs in the financial services industry, due to the expense and tax impact of moving accounts. According to our estimates for 2025, we believe the total addressable market size, including adjacent markets that could be complementary to XP, such as insurance, credit and debit cards and other loans was larger than R$600 billion in gross revenues before funding costs. Our Competitive Strengths Over the last 20 years, we have developed a differentiated set of capabilities and attributes in our business that we believe provide us with meaningful strategic advantages and have helped us to disintermediate the legacy models of traditional financial institutions. We believe these competitive strengths form the foundations of our business and drive value creation for our shareholders. Investment platform Our open product platform, which we believe is a pioneer in the market and is the most complete among Brazilian players, combines: (i) a wide network of third party partners such as independent asset managers, medium-sized banks and insurance companies; (ii) a comprehensive range of proprietary products that includes our Asset, our funds administration business and our global investment platform; and (iii) capital markets access powered by our Investment Banking business, which originates IPOs and debt issuances. Distribution network We are the main benchmark in financial advisory services in Brazil according to Folha de São Paulo and we helped develop this sector in Brazil. Our distribution network has a wide range of professionals, from independent financial advisors (IFA) to internal advisors and wealth managers. We also offer a complete ecosystem for professionals, including systems and tools such as CRM and strategic business support for third parties. Trusted Brand We are established as a trusted brand in the financial services in Brazil. This trust has been built through transparency. client-centric innovation, and dedication to providing comprehensive financial education to our clients, enhancing customer engagement and satisfaction. Our reputation as a trusted brand not only attracts new customers but also engenders loyalty among existing clients, thereby supporting sustainable growth. Our status as a trusted entity distinguishes us from competition, providing a significant competitive edge that is essential for maintaining and expanding our market share. Ability to execute and innovate Our culture allows us to quickly execute challenging projects and to constantly innovate. For example, in just a few years we were able to build an advisory distribution network, a Retail Liquidity Provider (RLP) service, an Investment Banking business, one of the fastest growing pension insurers in Brazil, a premium credit card and a global investment platform. 51 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Mission-Driven Culture Our culture remains central to XP and we believe it is the core strength of our company, enabling us to attract talent, unify our people, maintain the mindset to innovate and disrupt, guide our go-to-market-approach, develop powerful relationships with our clients and establish our identity in the marketplace. We remain vigilant in preserving and nurturing it, so that it can continue to guide our firm. We believe the key strengths of our culture are: •a Collaborative Partnership Model – that fosters a collaborative environment within our company and an ownership mentality across our organization, which have enabled employees at all levels to remain focused and well aligned despite our rapid growth and expansion; •a Client-Centric Focus – that prioritizes transparency in our services, high-quality customer service and positive client experiences above short-term performance results, which helps us build a loyal customer base and long-term relationships that can be seen in our client cohorts and retention data; and •an Entrepreneurial Spirit – that keeps us focused on the pursuit of innovation across our firm to improve our operations and our client experiences. This fosters an energetic, meritocratic environment that attracts the most innovative financial and technological talent in the country to work or partner with us, which has helped us remain creative and avoid complacency. Efficient and Self-Reinforcing Business Model Our model incorporates a unique combination of proprietary capabilities, services and technologies to deliver a highly differentiated and integrated client experience, that have enabled us to differentiate from our competitors. In addition, the XP Model has resulted in several strategic and operating advantages, including: •Highly Efficient Financial Model – We believe our technology-driven business model provides us with significant scale and operating efficiencies, including: ▪Asset-Light, Low-Cost Structure – Our technology-driven business model is asset-light and highly scalable. We conduct the majority of our business online and through mobile applications and emphasize operational efficiency and profitability throughout our operations. Strong Free Cash Flow Generation – Our business model operating efficiencies enables us to generate strong cash flow in various market conditions, and enables us to continue investing in the growth of our existing business; •Network Effects – As we grow our business, we believe our model demonstrates distinct self-reinforcing network effects that help compound our growth; and •Powerful Combination of Attributes – The success of XP is due to the combination of capabilities, trusted brand, size and scalability of the XP Model that have been developed and nurtured over time. Our Growth Strategies Despite our success to date, we believe our business is still in the early days of driving the disintermediation of traditional financial institutions in Brazil and offering better alternatives to their legacy models and practices. We believe there is a large addressable market opportunity remaining in our core business and significant market share to win since, as of December 31, 2025, our Client Assets (assets under custody) accounts for only 12% of a R$ 8.6 trillion market, according to our internal estimates. We intend to leverage our competitive strengths and continue to enhance the strategic advantages we have created through the XP Model in order to continue to grow and expand our business. 52 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents We have four strategic pillars that we believe will guide us to our long term vision. These pillars are known by every employee and they guide our business decisions such as choosing priority projects and the allocation of resources in the budget. Our strategic pillars are the following: •Leadership in Investments - Our first pillar aims to protect and expand our core business. We will continue to seek a greater share of the total Client Assets and trading volumes from our clients, who often keep assets in different accounts and may use the services of several firms. We also intend to continue to grow our base of active retail clients, which reached approximately 4.8 million as of December 31, 2025, an increase of 2% year over year, as well as our base of institutional trading partners and corporate issuers who provide additional liquidity and products to our platform. We intend to do so by: ▪Improving segmented value proposition – We aim to grow our client base and our share of wallet in different customer segments. It is key to customize our value proposition to individual investors from Retail to Private segments and to companies from SMEs to Corporate segments; ▪Expanding Our Omni-Channel Distribution Network – We intend to lead the evolution of the investments advisory profession in Brazil. We want to position XP Inc. as the premier HUB for all types of financial advisory entrepreneurs, including: Independent Financial Advisors (IFA), Internal advisors in the XP’s brands, Wealth Managers and Financial Consultants. We also want to offer white label solutions for partners, with a Broker as a service business. ▪Growing Our Investment Platform Offering – While we believe our open product platform is key competitive advantage versus the limited, closed-loop platforms of the traditional financial institutions, we believe there is a significant opportunity to continue to build on this strength and provide our clients with greater selection and investment opportunities by (1) developing new investment products; and (2) incorporating new investment products from our partners and competitors. ▪Providing the best financial planning solution for our clients – We aim to offer the best portfolio allocation solutions, customized by client profile and objective. •Retail cross-sell: Based on customer needs, we expanded our portfolio to serve the customer's complete financial life, seeking to break once and for all the link between investors and large banks. We believe this strategy diversifies our revenue sources and reinforces our core business since it creates a positive feedback loop where the adoption of cross-sell products increases client’s share of wallet. Our cross-sell products include our credit card, digital account, FX solutions, insurance and more. •Corporate & SMB – We intend to offer better business solutions by leveraging existing relationships to gain penetration with products like FX, derivatives, loans, and insurance, among others. We can also rely on our consolidated Investment Banking and Global Markets business to complement our Ecosystem. Our quality initiative and objective are the foundation of our three pillars of growth, based on delivering a higher quality experience end-to-end. We are focusing on offering superior functionalities, services, support, software and apps. Our goal is to achieve leadership in the Brazilian investment market and provide the best complementary financial services. We believe in incremental opportunities to disintermediate traditional financial institutions' legacy models in other financial sectors beyond investments. These sectors tend to be easier to penetrate and have much lower switching costs versus the investment services industry. We estimate that the total addressable market size was larger than R$600 billion in gross revenues in 2025, including adjacent markets complementary to XP's core market, such as insurance, credit and debit cards, and other loans. Our Environmental, Social and Governance Commitment Overview and Business Relevance We view environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters primarily through the lens of (i) governance and risk management, (ii) trust and quality of client outcomes, and (iii) the long-term resilience of our platform and ecosystem. Since 2020, we have continued to evolve our ESG agenda by integrating relevant ESG considerations into internal operations, risk management processes and business practices, with particular focus on matters we consider material to our activities, including social, environmental and climate-related risks in our operations and credit and capital markets activities, as well as people, culture and inclusion. 53 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Our ESG agenda intersects with our strategy and operating model in multiple ways, including: (1) strengthening governance and oversight of key risks; (2) supporting the development and distribution of investment solutions that incorporate ESG-related considerations where relevant; and (3) enhancing the sustainability and resilience of our operations and supply chain. We have also joined the Climate Commitment, an initiative by Instituto Ekos Brasil that connects companies interested in offsetting their Greenhouse Gas Emissions and projects dedicated to generating social and environmental benefits. With respect to Diversity and Inclusion we have partnerships with Racial Equity Movement (MOVER), Pact for the Promotion of Racial Equity and Inclusion Business Network, and Pact for Inclusion of People with Disabilities (Rede Reis). Voluntary Commitments and External Frameworks We participate in certain voluntary initiatives and frameworks that we use to inform aspects of our ESG governance, risk management and disclosure practices. These include being a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment (“PRI”) and the UN Global Compact, and participating in initiatives related to climate disclosure and financed emissions methodologies, including the Carbon Disclosure Project (“CDP”) and the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (“PCAF”). We also participate in local initiatives and partnerships focused on social themes, including diversity, inclusion and accessibility. Participation in these initiatives does not, by itself, determine the scope of our ESG practices or disclosures. The relevance of any framework depends on our business model, regulatory context and the materiality of specific ESG-related risks and opportunities. ESG Governance and Risk Management (PRSAC and Oversight) We maintain a governance structure intended to support oversight and execution of ESG-related priorities and the implementation and monitoring of our Social, Environmental and Climate Responsibility Policy (Política de Responsabilidade Social, Ambiental e Climática, or “PRSAC”). Our executive leadership is responsible for supervising ESG strategy and the implementation of PRSAC-related processes and controls. We also designate an executive officer responsible for supporting PRSAC implementation, monitoring and reporting, and assisting executive leadership and, where applicable, the Board of Directors. Our social, environmental and climate risk management framework is organized around five pillars: 1.Governance and regulatory – development and maintenance of governance processes, policies, standards, procedures and metrics, including alignment with applicable regulatory requirements relating to ESG and climate-related matters. 2.Methodologies and analysis – development and refinement of internal methodologies used to assess ESG and social, environmental and climate risks, including tools such as internal rating methodologies, climate sensitivity assessments, financed emissions methodologies and, where applicable, carbon footprint methodologies for certain portfolios or products. 3.Management and reporting – monitoring and reporting of selected ESG and social, environmental and climate risk indicators, including internal reporting to relevant governance forums and committees, and management of social, environmental and climate-related events or losses where applicable. 4.ESG products – development and monitoring processes for certain products that incorporate ESG-related characteristics or labeling, including governance intended to support product integrity and appropriate disclosure. 5.Institutional sustainability and education – training and awareness initiatives designed to strengthen internal capabilities on social, environmental and climate risks, including human rights and diversity-related topics. We also consider recommendations from the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”) as an input to our climate governance and disclosure practices. In 2022 and 2023, we developed and implemented methodologies for measuring and managing climate risk and, in 2024, we continued to evolve our climate agenda, including through climate stress tests and scenario analyses and, to reinforce this commitment, in 2025, we have established climate transition targets. Integration Across Business Processes To support integration of ESG and social, environmental and climate risk considerations into business practices, we apply ESG related assessments and controls across selected processes and activities, which may include, depending on the business line and risk profile: –onboarding and due diligence processes (individual and corporate, as applicable); –supplier onboarding and monitoring (including supplier homologation); –selected treasury and foreign exchange-related activities; 54 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents –corporate credit and rural credit processes ; –capital markets-related activities (including DCM and ECM processes, as applicable); –asset management and product governance processes; and –evaluation of selected new products and business initiatives. In addition, we maintain technical ESG subject-matter capabilities embedded within certain internal areas and controlled companies (sometimes referred to internally as an “ESG chapter”) to support implementation, monitoring and continuous improvement across business units. Climate Risk, Financed Emissions and Environmental Management We monitor climate-related topics through both institutional and portfolio-related lenses. For example: –We analyze climate risk exposure and climate sensitivity of our credit portfolio using sector and proportionality-based approaches, including tools developed by the Brazilian Federation of Banks (“FEBRABAN”), which combine variables such as sector classification, credit rating, portfolio representation and weighted average tenor to identify climate-sensitive exposure. –Since 2019, we have calculated, monitored and published an annual greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions inventory, including Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions. We have refined the scope and methodologies used to calculate emissions over time, including in 2023 and 2024 through expanded scope coverage and third-party verification processes. In 2025 we continued to evolve our methodologies, and we have established emissions targets. –We seek to offset portions of our institutional carbon footprint through the acquisition of carbon credits from selected projects (including conservation and energy-related projects). The scope and methodology for offsetting may vary depending on market conditions, project availability and internal governance criteria. We consider social, environmental and climate risk management to be relevant to the resilience of our platform and, in certain contexts, material to our business. However, climate-related risks and opportunities may evolve over time depending on regulatory developments, market dynamics and methodological changes in the measurement of financed emissions and climate sensitivity. We expect to continue evolving our methodologies, controls and disclosures as regulatory expectations, market practices and risk profiles develop over time. Sustainable Investment Solutions and ESG-Related Products We offer access to investment solutions that incorporate ESG-related considerations in their strategy, labeling or investment process. These solutions may include third-party and proprietary products across different asset classes, such as equity, fixed income, hedge fund, index, private equity and pension funds, and may include local and global strategies. Definitions of “ESG,” “sustainable” and “ESG-labeled” products vary across market participants and frameworks, and product characteristics depend on the relevant offering documents and investment mandates. We also support ESG-related market content and research coverage. For example, in 2025 our research team published 94 ESG- focused reports (including thematic reports and updates), and ESG-related analysis coverage expanded to 106 companies under coverage. During 2025, the team also held over 180 ESG-related meetings with institutional investors and promoted events related to ESG topics. In addition, we have launched ESG ETFs on B3 and introduced sustainable securities in the fixed income market, considering both local and international debt markets. In 2025 we also launched sustainable investment funds managed by our asset management business. Diversity, Inclusion and People We seek to foster an inclusive and respectful working environment and monitor selected people metrics, including gender, ethnicity and disability representation, supported by internal initiatives and affinity groups. Our diversity initiatives also include participation in external networks and programs related to diversity, inclusion and accessibility. 55 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents We track and report selected diversity metrics internally and, where applicable, externally. For example, the representation of women in our total workforce increased from 26.5% in 2020 to 34.0% in 2025, and the representation of women in leadership increased from 12.0% to 26.7% over the same period. Representation of black individuals increased from 17.6% in 2020 to 20.5% in 2025, and representation of black leaders increased from 2.0% in 2021 to 13.8% in 2025. Representation of people with disabilities in 2025 was 2.42% and we aim to achieve more than 5% by 2030. These metrics are based on internal data and are subject to the limitations of self-identification and data collection methodologies. Financial and Technology Education Financial and technology education are part of our broader efforts to support long-term client outcomes and financial inclusion. We engage in partnerships and initiatives aimed at financial education and provide free technology education programs intended to promote accessibility and inclusion. The scope and impact of these initiatives depend on program design, participant engagement and the broader market environment. For additional information regarding risk factors that may relate to ESG, climate, social or governance matters, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors.” Our Products and Services We sell a wide range of products and services in various combinations to our clients. We have developed these solutions to provide our clients with significant differentiation and a superior value proposition versus the legacy offerings of traditional banks. Open Product Platform We offer our client and partners the XP Platform, which is an open product platform that provides our clients with the broadest access to investment products in the market, ranging from our own XP-branded products to those of our partners and our competitors. We believe the open nature of our product platform is highly differentiated in the market and a key driver of the early success of XP. Traditional financial institutions in Brazil tend to favor a closed-loop models which significantly restricts the selection of investment products made available to their customers to those that were created in-house or have significant embedded costs to drive promotion. For example, these products include: 56 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Name Type Description Clients Brokerage Securities Investment Products Hundreds of equity securities and futures, such as: •Equities, iShares, or “ETFs” and BDRs;•Dollar, Ibovespa and rate futures; and•Commodities, such as feeder cattle, coffee, soy; corn, ethanol, oil and gold. •Retail •Institutional Fixed Income Securities Investment Products Over 275 fixed income securities, including: Bank Deposits: LCI, LCA, CDB, and LC; Corporate Bonds: Debentures, CRI, CRA, LF and FIDC; Sovereign Bonds: NTN-B, NTN-F, LTN, LFTs; and Interest Rate Swaps •Retail •Institutional Mutual, Hedge and Private Equity Funds Investment Products •Over 200 XP Asset Management Funds;•Over 500 third-party funds curated by XP from over 160 asset managers; and•Over 100 international funds. •Retail •Institutional Structured Products Investment Products Derivatives and synthetic instruments including:•Derivatives – Structures set up with options, using the margin as security. Can be done with Index, Dollar, Shares, Interest, feeder cattle and corn commodities; and•COE (“Structured Operations Certificate”) – Instruments combining fixed and variable income elements, with returns linked to assets indices such as exchange, inflation, shares and international assets. These products appear as one single (synthetic) asset for the client, facilitating monitoring of performance and single taxation, and can have lower costs compared with investing in assets/derivatives separately. •Retail •Institutional Credit Cards Credit Products We offer to our clients in both XP and Rico a Visa Infinite Credit Card free of charges and with a pioneer “Investback” program - a cash-back program that automatically invests at least 1% of every paid invoice in a liquid fixed-income fund on behalf of the customer as a reward. •Retail Loan operations/Collateralized Credit Products Credit Products Our platform offers hassle-free, low-interest personal loans secured on the customer’s invested assets, which allows for rates below market averages. 90-day NPL is almost zero due to the structured nature of the credit. •Retail Retirement Plans and Life Insurance Investment Products XP branded solutions and distribution of over 296 funds from 109 leading independent insurers and asset managers, including:•Pension and social security funds; and•Life insurance products of the main independent providers, with similar characteristics to those offered in more developed markets. •Retail•Institutional Wealth Management Services Investment Products A suite of asset organization, succession planning and other services. •Retail Other Investment Products Investment Products •Real Estate funds of corporate assets logistics, retail and receivables; and•Equity and debt capital markets solutions. •Retail•Institutional 57 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Our Marketing, Sales and Distribution We market our brands and value-proposition through our proprietary media and we sell our products and services through our omni-channel distribution network and online portals, which are part of our self-reinforcing ecosystem that promotes XP’s products and services. We believe the primarily digital, technology-enabled nature of our media and our distribution is a significant differentiator for our business and a key competitive advantage. Proprietary Media and Digital Content Our media and digital content are an ecosystem of portals and initiatives that aim to democratize access to financial content in Brazil. It is composed of five key initiatives: Infomoney, XP Educação, EXPERT Platform, EXPERT Event and XP Influencers. As we empower Brazilians on how to take investment decisions more independently, we help attract, retain and monetize our clients. We attract clients by providing multiple, ongoing touch points, which we believe help build brand awareness, trust and a greater familiarity and comfort level with investing. These initiatives provide us with a strong organic flow of prospective clients and a highly efficient source of customer acquisition. With millions of users navigating through our platforms monthly, we leverage big data analytical tools and artificial intelligence technology to help create an increasingly personalized experience that helps retain clients. Our content also helps our clients navigate and evolve through their journey as investors, which we believe helps them optimize their asset allocations over time. •Infomoney – acquired in 2011, Infomoney is the largest investment-related website in Latin America, with approximately 8 million monthly unique visitors as of December 31, 2025. •XP Educação – a key part of our mission since our founding, XP Educação is a leading financial education portal in Brazil. XP Educação provides seminars, classes and learning tools to help investors, entrepreneurs and executives to evolve through their respective journeys and according to their specific needs. •EXPERT Platform – our proprietary investment phygital content platform, comprising a research group of specialists serving retail clients in Portuguese and institutional clients in English. This group produces a wide range of content, which includes insights into fixed income, equities, funds, REITs, asset allocation, economics and politics, among others, covering from the basics to a more advanced content. •EXPERT Event – our annual conference for clients, IFAs and partners has become the largest investment event in Latin America. In 2025, the EXPERT event had over 50.000 attendees, including approximately 230 sponsors, over 350 speakers, and over 120 hours of content. EXPERT 2025 included many of world-renowned speakers, including the actor and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger and the former Vice-President of the United States Al Gore. Omni-Channel Distribution Network We onboard and serve our clients though our omni-channel distribution network, which enables us to deliver our products and services through a range of proprietary channels designed to provide different levels of service and functionality. These include: •XP Direct – Our full-service website and internal advisory teams focused on mass-affluent clients, which provides access to all of our products and more sophisticated functionality. •Rico – Our online-only solution for self-directed investors, which provides powerful, yet convenient and easy-to-use investment services, decision-making tools and custom-designed educational software applications. These are delivered through a simple, attractive and intuitive online portal that is supported by a dedicated marketing and digital media program. Online stock trades at Rico are not subject to brokerage fees. •Clear – A part of XP since 2014, Clear was first to offer zero brokerage fees in Brazil. Clear’s goal is to provide its clients, both professional and novice investors, with the best investment experience at a low cost. One of Clear’s main highlights is an intuitive and simple Home Broker application that allows the user to invest in various asset classes in the equities and futures market such as options, stocks, ETFs and futures contracts, among others. Clear is a 100% digital service, with innovative collateral management tools and proprietary front ends designed for retail active traders, and is integrated with the best trading platforms available in the market. 58 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents •IFA Network – Our proprietary distribution network of IFA partners solicit new clients and help us onboard them as XP clients. We believe our IFA partners choose to work with XP for a number of reasons, including: (1) our deep understanding and appreciation of the IFA business model and our promotion of IFA careers given our origins as an IFA; (2) our dedicated suite of technology tools designed to help IFAs manage their businesses more effectively; (3) our trusted brand and reach across Brazil; and (4) our proprietary market information, which can help IFAs reach and sell their services to customers more effectively. •Wealth Services – Our Wealth Services channel (Consultores, Gestores and Multi-Family Offices) encompasses CVM-registered investment consultants (consultores de valores mobiliários), which are referred to in this form as Registered Investment Advisors - RIA, portfolio managers (gestores), and multi-family offices (MFOs). CVM-registered investment consultants are independent professionals registered with the CVM pursuant to CVM Resolution No. 19/2021, who provide personalized investment advice on a fiduciary basis and are compensated exclusively through fees charged directly to clients, independent of product distribution. Portfolio managers and MFOs are also licensed by the CVM and utilize our platform to deliver comprehensive investment solutions to their clients. Our Technology Our technology is a significant competitive advantage for XP. We have developed a powerful, integrated suite of data-driven technology systems, applications, and development resources that enable us to differentiate XP in the market, manage all of our solutions, conduct all of our activities and operate with low-cost advantages and efficiencies. We are leveraging the significant technology DNA in our company, our innovation and development teams, and agile software development methods to develop a suite of new products, services and technology applications that engage and serve our clients across their financial journeys. XP Genius Platform Our core technology is XP Genius, which is an integrated, cloud-based technology platform with a modular architecture that is highly scalable and secure, and hosted in two fully redundant hot site data centers that operate with real time data synchronization. XP Genius enables us to: •connect our various systems, micro-services, technologies and environments, enabling us to expand our capabilities modularly, while maintaining an efficient architecture and software code base; •power our solutions and applications across our organization with integrated data harmonized code; •manage our large, valuable and rapidly growing central database of proprietary data with the ability to access information in our data lake in real time; •conduct our big data analytics and artificial intelligence initiatives, such as our online customer behavior monitoring and our machine learning techniques to identify deviations in customer information; and •provide us with proprietary information and market insights from across our integrated ecosystem. XP Innovation Development Teams We have also built a dedicated innovation development program, called XP Innovation. These dedicated technology resources develop and support our solutions by using agile software development methods and leveraging our significant technology and data assets. These include XP Tribes, comprising two to three managers each, that help guide and support our development priorities across numerous projects, and XP Squads, comprising autonomous integrated teams of eight to ten people, including a product owner and business expert, a UX specialist, a technology leader and several developers, that collaborate to create new technologies and solutions or improve our current offerings. These teams focus on the complete customer experience, conducting client interviews, prototyping, behavior analysis and user tests. One of the most visible external examples of our technology capabilities is the suite of technology applications that we provide to our clients and partners. Our technology evolution was followed by a deeper and broader corporate transformation process, which involved the creation of business units and integrated our front-office to our foundations – back-office, middle-office and innovation teams. We believe that the main benefits of the transformation are a leaner and more efficient corporate organization that allows us to optimize decision making and execution of our projects. 59 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents XP Technology Apps We complement and enrich our XP Advisory services and XP Platform of products by developing and offering a differentiated suite of proprietary XP Apps, including cloud-based and mobile technology applications and tools, that are designed to be powerful, yet simple, attractive, and easy to use, with sleek user interfaces, or UX, that are comparable to the look and convenience of some of the top consumer technology products in the world. We combine some of the powerful technical capabilities of XP Genius, with the large amount of proprietary data that flows through our systems, and the agile software development methods of our technology innovation XP Tribes and XP Squads to generate functionality and market insights that are value-added for our clients. As a result, XP Apps enable users to incorporate a range of activities across their customer experience journeys, such as managing their accounts, executing trades, performing custom analytics and creating custom reports. Bull - Pro Bull is our free, cloud-based trading platform designed for retail and institutional traders, that includes powerful data visualization, custom simulations, analytics, and advance graphics tools that can be used from any internet connected device, such as a desktop, tablet, mobile phone and smart watch. The user can analyze the main flows of the market, time and schedule trades, and conduct various forms of charting and volume and pricing analysis. In addition, the user has access to several trading tools such as Chart Trading and DOM, that can be used to run various market and performance simulations and execute trading quickly and efficiently. Rede Rede is an IFA management solution application developed for a desktop environment, that was designed to help an IFA run its business. It provides a comprehensive suite of CRM, account management and investing tools that enable IFAs to: (1) access their customer’s information; (2) manage their customer relationships; (3) monitor their clients’ financial activity; (4) develop the best investment strategies for their clients based on key performance metrics; and (5) communicate with clients across a range of platforms. HUB App HUB is an IFA management solution application, similar to Hub, but designed to help an IFA run its business on-the-go through a mobile application. HUB also provides a comprehensive suite of tools for IFAs that enable them to: (1) access client information in real time; (2) manage their CRM application and organize their schedules and meetings on the go; (3) monitor client activity, net funding and upcoming maturities; (4) quickly define and chart investment strategies remotely; and (5) communicate with clients across a range of platforms and third-party applications. XP App Enhances our advisory services and product platform through a suite of proprietary apps. These cloud-based and mobile applications combine powerful technology from XP Genius with vast proprietary data and agile development methods from XP Tribes and XP Squads. This integration produces market insights and functionality that add value for our clients. XP Apps allow users to manage accounts, execute trades, perform analytics, and create custom reports, encapsulating all financial activities in one app, from cash flow management to the procurement of credit products and insurance, all easily accessed and backed by our investment platform. Nasdaq Services Agreements On September 16, 2021, we entered into a master services agreement with Nasdaq Technology AB, or “Nasdaq AB,” for (i) our trading services, or the “Trading Platform Agreement;” and (ii) our market surveillance services, or the “Market Surveillance Agreement” (and together with the Trading Platform Agreement, the “Nasdaq Agreements”). We don’t expect to incur capital expenditures in connection with the Nasdaq Agreements other than standard onboarding fees. Pursuant to the Trading Platform Agreement, Nasdaq AB has undertaken to develop a digital environment to allow us to connect our application programming interfaces with Nasdaq’s system, enabling the trading of digital assets on our platform. Pursuant to the Trading Platform Agreement, we have agreed to pay to Nasdaq AB an onboarding fee, a monthly service fee payable annually as from the date the platform goes live, and a variable fee based on the daily trading volume of all digital assets, as from the beginning of the third year of the Trading Platform Agreement. The monthly fee contemplates a minimum number of transactions per second and the parties can agree to increase capacity for an additional variable monthly fee based on transaction volume. 60 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Moreover, pursuant to the Nasdaq Agreements, Nasdaq AB has agreed to certain information security obligations and service level requirements as provided for in the Nasdaq Agreements. The parties have also agreed to indemnify each other upon the occurrence of certain events, subject to certain limitations on liability. The Nasdaq Agreements have an initial term of five years: (i) the Market Surveillance Agreement is renewable for one additional year; and (ii) the Trading Platform Agreement is automatically renewed for successive three-year terms unless either party provides at least six months prior written notice of non-renewal. The Nasdaq Agreements may be terminated by either party upon the occurrence of certain customary termination events and/or material breaches, including a failure to pay amounts due and bankruptcy proceedings. Our Support Functions In order to provide, fulfill and support our products, services and platforms, we have built a robust yet efficient operations organization that leverages our technology to onboard our clients, provide high-quality customer support and conduct our fraud prevention and risk management. These support functions include: Our Customer Onboarding Our client onboarding process is primarily a digital experience and highly efficient. Prospective clients must register on a web based platform and enter their basic identification information, such as a name, date of birth and government ID number, as well as their residential address and financial data, such as monthly income and total assets. This process is highly efficient and compliant with Brazilian banking regulation and international anti-money laundering and know-your-customer best practices. All information registered by our prospective clients is verified and validated through third-party data services that integrate automatically with our systems through our API applications. On average, this validation procedure takes less than two minutes to be completed and for prospective clients to be informed whether their application was successful or not. Once a client account is opened, the client is able to login to the platform and respond to the suitability questionnaire. Based on their answers, clients will be informed about their investment profile classification and the products suitable to their profiles. Once the suitability process is completed, clients are able to browse the website, get information of all types of investments available, transfer money to their XP accounts and proceed with investments. Our Customer Support Our customer support organization serves our clients across multiple brands and channels providing support online or by phone through our efficient automated technology tools, client relationship personnel and help desk personnel. Our customer support organization professionals are highly trained and have the appropriate market certifications to interact with clients about our financial products and services. Our customer support personnel are also encouraged to continue to enhance their training and raise their qualification levels through in-house courses and additional financial certifications. For customers of our XP-branded services, such as those that reach us through XP Direct or our IFA network, we provide dedicated support depending on the customer profile. For example, depending on the client profile, our first level of support may be a dedicated advisor, who maintains a close relationship with the client, understands their needs and offers solutions to any questions they have or issues they want to resolve. Our second level of support may be our centralized help desk personnel that are available to answer any operational and technical questions about a client’s account via telephone, chat and email. For customers of our Rico and Clear branded online services, our first level of support may be our automated technology tools, such as our self-help tools and chatbots. Our second level of support may be our specialized help desk personnel, who can be reached online, through email and dedicated communication tools, such as online chats and a dedicated WhatsApp application, as well as via telephone. We closely measure our clients’ satisfaction and overall happiness with our services, across all of our brands, through quality indicators and surveys such as NPS and CSAT. These metrics are directly linked with our internal customer support personnel evaluation and compensation, which we believe reinforces our team alignment and commitment to proving high-quality customer service. We are also highly focused on delivering a highly positive overall client experience and intend to continue investing in this area. We have a specific team of professionals that are dedicated to coordinating client experience improvement projects across each point of customer contact throughout our company. 61 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Our Fraud Prevention and Risk Management Our fraud prevention and risk management operations are primarily managed by three different groups that are staffed with dedicated employees to audit and mitigate our company risk exposure. This team is composed of highly qualified personnel that come from a variety of backgrounds in other areas, such as telecommunications, credit card issuing, merchant acquiring, banking and the stock market. They are completely independent from our business functions and report directly to our Chief Risk Officer. These groups include: •Corporate Risk – this group is focused on identifying, classifying and mitigating operational, reputational, environmental and strategic risks, including any potential internal fraud; •Financial Risk – this group is focused on monitoring our financial positions and managing our exposure to liquidity risk, market risk, and credit risk; and •Fraud Prevention – this group is comprised of fraud experts, data scientist, database administrators, investigators and regulator staff, who focus on managing our antifraud strategy and ensuring the legitimacy of client transactions; their work entails: (1) detecting and preventing potential external fraud with different models of client authentication, such as user logins; (2) managing our transaction verification services; (3) monitoring financial advisors activities; (4) employee and partner fingerprinting; (5) managing our data tokenization and token management technology; and (6) managing our biometric facial recognition technology, among others. Competition The Brazilian financial services industry is highly competitive and fast-changing. The markets for our solutions continue to evolve and are competitive in the asset classes, products and geographies in which we operate. We face competition to acquire customers from a variety of traditional and nontraditional financial institutions. Our primary competitors are traditional financial institutions, including Itaú Unibanco, Bradesco, Caixa, Banco do Brasil and Santander. We also face competition across business units, particularly from other financial services companies such as BTG Pactual, Safra, Nubank and Inter, among others. Other potential competitors are other providers in some specific categories, such as asset management firms, insurance companies, investment banking firms, institutional brokerage firms, private banking and wealth management firms, digital banks and research reports providers. The most significant competitive factors in this business line are prices as well as the quality, reliability, security and ease of our platform and solutions. We believe that our comprehensive products and services and geographic reach increasingly differentiate us from other market participants. For information on risks relating to increased competition in our industry, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—If We Cannot Make the Necessary Investments to Keep Pace with Rapid Developments and Change in Our Industry, the Use of Our Services Could Decline, Reducing Our Revenues,” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—Substantial and Increasingly Intense Competition Within Our Industry May Harm Our Business.” Seasonality We have experienced in the past, and expect to continue to experience, seasonal fluctuations in our revenues. Historically, our revenues have been strongest during the second and the last quarter of each year as a result of performance fees of mutual funds from both our own asset management business as well as third-party funds distributed through our platform. Adverse events that occur during those periods could have a disproportionate effect on our results of operations for the entire fiscal year. In addition, we are also impacted by the number of business days in each quarter, which affects our trading and brokerage businesses. As a result of quarterly fluctuations caused by these and other factors, comparisons of our results of operations across different fiscal quarters may not be accurate indicators of our future performance. Regulatory Overview We are subject to government authorizations in the jurisdictions in which we operate and conduct our activities. 62 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Our Regulatory Position Five of our subsidiaries, XP CCTVM S.A., Banco XP S.A., or “Banco XP,” XP DTVM Ltda and XP Serviços Financeiros DTVM Ltda. perform activities that are subject to regulation in Brazil by the Central Bank. As required by the applicable Brazilian regulation, they must possess authorizations from the Central Bank in order to operate, as follows: •XP CCTVM is authorized by the Central Bank to (1) be constituted and operate as a securities broker; (2) carry out operations in the foreign exchange market; and (3) receive direct or indirect foreign investments of up to 100% of its capital stock. •Banco XP is authorized by the Central Bank to operate as a multi-purpose bank. On October 10, 2019, the board of officers of the Central Bank granted Banco XP’s authorization to operate as a multi-purpose bank, with both commercial and investment bank activities, as well as to carry out transactions in the foreign exchange market. The authorization was published in the National Official Gazette (Diário Oficial da União) on October 11, 2019. On November 13, 2019, the Central Bank authorized direct or indirect foreign investments in Banco XP of up to 100% of its capital stock. •XP DTVM is authorized by the Central Bank to, among other activities, carry out public offering and distribution of bonds and securities, provide securities portfolio management services and carry out operations in the foreign exchange market. •Class B Bank Branch & Trust License – Since January 1st, 2023, Banco XP is licensed by CIMA to perform banking, investments, and trust activities. Eight of our subsidiaries, XP CCTVM, XP DTVM, XP Serviços Financeiros DTVM, XP Gestão, XP Advisory, XP Vista, XP PE, XP Sports, and XP Allocation perform activities that are subject to regulation in Brazil by the CVM. As required by the applicable Brazilian regulation, they are authorized to operate by the CVM, as follows: •XP CCTVM is authorized to provide securities broker dealer services, securities portfolio management services (exclusively to its own proprietary portfolio) and securities custody services; •Each of XP DTVM, XP Gestão, XP Advisory, XP Vista, XP Allocation and XP PE are authorized to provide securities portfolio management services. •XP Serviços Financeiros DTVM is authorized to provide depository services, distribution, portfolio management, administration, book-keeping and controlling of investment funds activities. Two of our subsidiaries, XP Investments and XP Advisory US, Inc., or “XP Advisory US,” perform activities that require registration with and regulation by appropriate regulatory authorities in the United States, as follows: •XP Investments is (1) registered as a securities broker-dealer with the SEC and in twenty-six U.S. states and territories; (2) registered with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or the “CFTC,” as an introducing broker; and (3) a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or “FINRA,” and the National Futures Association, or the “NFA,” self-regulatory organizations overseen by the SEC and the CFTC, respectively; and •XP Advisory US became registered as an investment adviser with the SEC on January 30, 2019. XP Advisory US was previously registered as an investment adviser in the state of Florida. One of our subsidiaries, XP Private Holding UK Ltd., or “XP Private UK,” is a holding company, with no operations. On June 16, 2021, XP Private UK sold its subsidiary, XP Private (Europe) S.A. In December 2021, in virtue of the sale of XP Private (Europe) S.A., XP Private UK decided to write down its other subsidiary, Chameleon Bravery Unipessoal Lda (“XP Portugal”). Currently, XP Private UK does not hold equity in any entity. Two of our subsidiaries, XP Corretora de Seguros Ltda., or “XP CS,” and XP VP, perform activities that are subject to regulation by SUSEP. As required by the applicable regulation, both have obtained authorizations to operate from SUSEP, as follows: •XP CS, our insurance broker-dealer, is authorized to operate as an insurance brokerage; and •XP VP, our insurance company, is authorized to operate life insurance and private retirement plans. 63 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Regulatory Environment in Brazil Our main subsidiaries in Brazil are subject to extensive regulation, such as those applicable to banks (in the case of Banco XP), securities and foreign exchange brokers (in the case of XP CCTVM), securities portfolio managers (in the case of XP Gestão, XP Advisory, XP PE, XP Allocation Asset Management Ltda. and XP Vista), insurance companies and insurance brokers (in the case of XP VP and XP CS, respectively). We offer various financial and capital markets services; in particular, we conduct activities related to banking, underwriting, brokerage services, portfolio management and insurance. Legislation Applicable to Financial Institutions and Portfolio Managers in Brazil The current Brazilian banking and financial institutional system was established by Law No. 4,595 of December 31, 1964, as amended, or the “Banking Law.” The Banking Law laid out the structure of the national financial system, which is made up of the CMN, the Central Bank, Banco do Brasil S.A., the National Bank for Economic and Social Development – BNDES, or the “BNDES,” and other public or private financial institutions. While the following entities do not fall under the purview of the Banking Law, they play key roles in the financial system: the CVM, SUSEP, the National Superintendency of Retirement Plans (Superintendência Nacional de Previdência Complementar), or “PREVIC;” the CNSP, and the National Council for Retirement Plans (Conselho Nacional de Previdência Complementar), or “CNPC.” Law No. 4,728 of July 14, 1965, as amended, or “Law No. 4,728/65,” regulates Brazilian capital markets through setting standards and various other mechanisms. Further, pursuant to Law No. 6,385 of December 7, 1976, as amended, or “Law No. 6,385/76,” the distribution and issuance of securities in the market, trading of securities and settlement and/or clearance of securities transactions all require prior authorization by the CVM. The banking and capital markets regulatory framework in Brazil is further supplemented by the regulation issued by CMN, CVM and the Central Bank, and self-regulation policies, such as those issued by various associations, over-the-counter organized markets and securities exchanges, that govern their members and participants, (for example, B3, ANBIMA, and the Brazilian Association of Investment Analysts, or “APIMEC”). The incorporation and operation of financial institutions in Brazil depend on prior authorization from the Central Bank (under Decree No. 10,029 of September 26, 2019, the Brazilian Executive Branch granted authority to the Central Bank to approve foreign investments in financial institutions. Such decree was further regulated by Circular No. 3,977 of January 22, 2020), and are also subject to oversight from the CVM when they participate in the Brazilian capital markets (such as XP CCTVM). Financial institutions in Brazil can operate under various forms—such as commercial banks, investment banks, credit, financing and investment companies, cooperative banks, leasing companies, securities brokerage companies, securities distributor companies, real estate credit companies, mortgage companies, among others—all of which are regulated by different rules issued by the CMN, the Central Bank, and, if such financial institutions participate in capital markets activities, the CVM. In addition, like financial institutions, stock exchanges are also subject to CMN, the Central Bank, and the CVM approval and regulation as well in accordance with Law No. 4,728/65. Pursuant to Banking Law, CMN Resolution No. 4,970 of November 25, 2021, as amended, or “CMN Resolution No. 4,970,” and CMN Resolution No. 5,008 of March 24, 2022, as amended, or “CMN Resolution No. 5,008,” financial institutions that are securities brokerage firms (such as XP CCTVM) must seek approval from the Central Bank, and, in certain cases, the CVM when appointing managers (including directors, officers and members of certain statutory boards, such as fiscal councils). According to Law No. 4,728/65, for securities brokerage firms (such as XP CCTVM), managers are subject to further restrictions and are prohibited from working for or fulfilling any administrative, advisory, tax or decision-making positions at entities listed on the Brazilian stock exchange. In addition, managers of XP CCTVM are prohibited from filling managerial functions in other brokerage firms authorized to carry out foreign exchange transactions pursuant to CMN Resolution No. 5,009 of March 24, 2022. However, Banco XP, our multi-purpose bank, is authorized to carry out foreign exchange transactions. For additional information, please see “—Multi-Purpose Banks.” 64 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents According to CMN Resolution No. 5,043 of November 25, 2022, with the exception of (1) equity interests typically held in proprietary investment portfolios by investment banks, development banks, development agencies (agências de fomento) and multiservice banks (bancos múltiplos); and (2) temporary equity interests not categorized as permanent assets (ativos permanentes) and not subject to consolidation by the financial institution, financial institutions must receive prior authorization from the Central Bank to hold capital interest of other companies. In order to receive authorization, the financial institutions’ activities must justify the need to hold capital interest for other companies; however, should the financial institutions participate in underwriting activities falling under certain exceptions established by the CMN, they will not need to provide justification. In addition, as a principle, according to the Banking Law, Brazilian financial institutions are banned from granting loans or cash advances to their managers (officers, directors, and members of advisory boards, as well as their relatives). Certain exceptions to such restrictions are set forth in CMN Resolution No. 4,693 of October 29, 2018. Furthermore, XP CCTVM and XP VP are required to maintain certain levels of regulatory capital, as determined by the Central Bank and SUSEP, respectively. For further information, see note 35 to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report. Securities Brokerage Firms Securities trading in stock exchange markets shall be carried out exclusively by securities brokerage firms (such as XP CCTVM) and certain other authorized institutions. Brokerage firms are part of the national financial system and are subject to regulation by and the oversight of the CMN, the Central Bank and the CVM. Securities brokerage firms must be authorized by the Central Bank to trade on the stock exchange market. Among other roles, securities brokerage firms and certain other authorized institutions can act as underwriters in the public offering of financial instruments and may participate in the foreign exchange trades in any foreign exchange market, subject to certain limitations, as set forth in Central Bank regulations. Brokerage firms are regulated by CMN Resolution No. 5,008, which allows brokerage firms to participate, among others, in the following activities: (1) trading in stock exchanges; (2) underwriting; (3) intermediating public offerings; (4) managing investment portfolios; and (5) intermediating foreign currency trades. In addition to CMN Resolution No. 5,008, brokerage firms are subject to regulations from the CVM. Under the rules set forth by the Central Bank, brokerage firms (such as XP CCTVM) cannot execute transactions that may result in loans, facilities or cash advances to their clients, including through synthetic transactions (such as assignment of rights), with the exception of margin transactions and other limited transactions. Moreover, brokerage firms can neither charge commissions in connection with trades during primary distribution, nor purchase real property, except for their own use or as payment under “bad debts” (in which case, the asset must be sold within a year). Third-Party Funds Management XP Gestão, XP Advisory, XP Vista, XP PE Gestão de Recursos Ltda. and XP Allocation Asset Management Ltda. are asset managers licensed to operate by, and subject to the rules and oversight of, the CVM, pursuant to Law No. 6,385/76 and CVM Resolution No. 21 of February 25, 2021, as amended, or “CVM Resolution No. 21.” XP LT is currently an inactive company and it´s not proving any services. CVM Resolution No. 21 defines asset/portfolio management activities as professional activities directly or indirectly related to the operation, maintenance and management of securities portfolios, including the investment of funds in the securities market on behalf of clients. 65 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents CVM Resolution No. 21 provides for two categories of asset managers: (i) trustee administrator and/or (ii) portfolio manager. XP Gestão, XP Advisory, XP Vista and XP PE Gestão de Recursos Ltda., XP Allocation Asset Management Ltda. and XP Sports Asset Management Ltda. are registered as portfolio managers. To be authorized by the CVM to engage in such activity, legal entities that operate as asset managers must (1) have a registered office in Brazil; (2) have securities portfolio management as a corporate purpose and be duly incorporated and registered with the National Register of Legal Entities – CNPJ; (3) have one or more officers duly certified as asset managers as approved by CVM to take on liability for securities portfolio management, pursuant to CVM Resolution No. 21; (4) appoint a compliance officer and a risk management officer; (5) be controlled by reputable shareholders (direct and indirect), who have not been convicted of certain crimes detailed in article 3, VI of CVM Resolution No. 21; (6) not be unable or suspended from occupying a position in financial institution or other entities authorized to operate by the CVM, the Central Bank, SUSEP or PREVIC, and not have been banned from asset management activities by judicial or administrative decisions; (7) put in place and maintain personnel and IT resources appropriate for the size and types of investment portfolio it manages; and (8) execute and provide the applicable forms to the CVM so as to prove its capacity to carry out such activities, pursuant to CVM Resolution No. 21. Under CVM Resolution No. 21, asset management must, among other requirements, conduct their activities in good faith, with transparency, diligence and loyalty with respect to their clients and perform their duties with the aim of achieving their investment objectives. This same regulation requires asset managers to maintain a website, with extensive current information, including, but not limited to, (1) an updated annual filing form (formulário de referência); (2) a code of ethics; (3) rules, procedures and a description of internal controls in order to comply with CVM Resolution No. 21; (4) a risk management policy; (5) a policy of purchase and sale of securities by managers, employees and the company; (6) a pricing manual for assets from the securities portfolios managed by such asset manager, even if the manual has been developed by a third party; and (7) a policy of apportionment and division of orders among the securities portfolios. Moreover, under CVM Resolution No. 21, asset management firms are forbidden from (1) making public assurances of profitability levels based on the historical performance of portfolio and market indexes; (2) modifying the basic features of the services they provide without following the prior appropriate procedures under the asset management agreement and regulations; (3) making promises as to future results of the portfolio; (4) contracting or granting loans on behalf of their clients, subject to certain exceptions set out in regulation; (5) providing a surety, corporate guarantee, acceptance or becoming a joint obligor in any other form, with respect to the managed assets; (6) neglecting, under any circumstances, the rights and intentions of the client; (7) trading the securities from the portfolios they manage with the purpose of obtaining brokerage revenues or rebates for themselves or third parties; or (8) subject to certain exceptions set out in the regulation, acting as a counterparty, directly or indirectly, to clients. IFAs The activity of IFAs (assessor de investimentos) is regulated by CVM Resolution No. 178 of February 14, 2023, as amended, or “CVM Resolution No. 178,” and CVM Resolution No. 179 of February 14, 2023, as amended, or “CVM Resolution No. 179.” Pursuant to such rules, IFAs are individuals, acting as agents and representatives for an institution that integrates the securities distribution system, registered with the CVM to conduct client development and prospection, to receive and register orders and transmit such orders to the appropriate trading or registration systems, to provide information and recommendation on the products offered and on the services provided by the institution with whom they share a commercial relationship. Although they are individuals, CVM Resolution No. 178 allows IFAs to carry out their activities through corporate entities, which must also be registered with the CVM. IFAs are allowed to provide complementary services to clients, as long as they don’t conflict with their main services, being prohibited however, to provide portfolio management, securities consultancy and securities analysis services. The IFAs must be engaged by an institution integrating the securities distribution system and, according to CVM Resolution No. 178, IFAs will not be required to act on an exclusivity basis and may be engaged by multiple institutions, although exclusivity may still be agreed contractually among the parties. The IFAs are also required to ensure the confidentiality of information to which they have access. In carrying out their services, the IFA must act with integrity, good faith and professional ethics, applying the care and diligence expected from a professional in its position, with respect to clients and its employer. Given IFAs can now have a commercial relationship with more than one financial intermediary, they must take additional care to observe the rules of each such financial intermediary. The brokerage firms are responsible for verifying their respective IFAs and for overseeing their activities and compliance with the applicable law. They may even be held responsible for malpractice or misconduct by such agents acting in their capacities as such. 66 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Multi-Purpose Banks According to CMN Resolution No. 2,099 of August 17, 1994, Brazilian multi-purpose banks (such as Banco XP) are subject to extensive and continuous regulatory scrutiny by Brazilian authorities. Multi-purpose banks conduct at least two types of banking activities, provided that at least one of such activities falls into either the category of commercial or investment banking. Banking regulation is enforced by the relevant government entities and regulators with the goal of controlling credit availability and reducing or increasing consumption. Certain controls are temporary in nature and may vary from time to time in accordance with the relevant government’s or regulator’s credit policies, including: •minimum capital requirements; •compulsory reserve requirements; •lending limits and other credit restrictions; and •accounting and statistical requirements. The following rules are applicable to multi-purpose banks, such as Banco XP: •they shall ensure the adequacy of products and services for customers’ needs, interests and objectives, as well as the integrity, reliability, security and confidentiality of transactions, services and products; •they may not own real estate other than the property they occupy, unless they take possession of real estate in satisfaction of a debt or when expressly authorized by the Central Bank, subject to certain CMN rules. Moreover, the total amount of fixed assets must be limited to 50.0% of the institution’s regulatory working capital; •they shall comply with the principles of selectivity, guarantee, liquidity and risk diversification; •financial institutions are prohibited from granting loans or advances without an appropriate agreement formalizing such debt; •financial institutions may not grant loans to, or guarantee the transactions of, their affiliates, except in certain limited circumstances (see “—Other Rules —Transactions with Affiliates” below); •the registered capital and total net assets of financial institutions must be compatible with the rules governing share capital and minimum capitalization enforced by the Central Bank for each type of financial institution; and •financial institutions shall maintain internal policy and procedures governing their relationships with clients and users of their products and services. In recent years, CMN has issued rules with the intention of modernizing financial services and retail banking. On September 26, 2019, CMN issued Resolution No. 4,753, as amended, or “CMN Resolution No. 4,753,” which, effective as of January 1, 2020, replaces and consolidates a series of sparse CMN Resolutions dealing with the opening of bank accounts. In addition, CMN Resolution 4,949 of September 30, 2021, effective as of March 1, 2022, sets forth procedures to be adopted by financial institutions with respect to client relationship. Aiming to enable the use of more modern and efficient technology for the purpose of attracting new customers through electronic service channels, a process known as digital onboarding, CMN Resolution No. 4,753 removed from the regulatory framework several existing restrictions arising from the adoption of procedures relating to physical handling of documents, such as the requirement that the identification and location details of the client should be physically checked, as previously contained in Resolution No. 2,025, of 1993. The Central Bank acknowledged that there currently are more efficient and secure ways of verifying data by electronic means, which reduces administrative costs. The integration of modern technology such as Application Programming Interfaces, or “APIs,” big data and blockchain/DLT, has incentivized the CMN and the Central Bank to develop new rules in connection with Agenda BC+. The regulatory framework tends to evolve accordingly. With this aim in mind, regulatory authorities are striving to create technological solutions that would plug the gaps from traditional inefficiencies in the banking system. The regulators have expressed significant interest in the benefits and efficiencies that such technology may bring to the banking industry and to its financial inclusion strategies. 67 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents According to CMN Resolution No. 4,893 of February 26, 2021, financial institutions and other institutions authorized to operate by the Central Bank must implement cybersecurity policies in order to ensure the integrity of their data systems. Under such Resolution, which regulates cybersecurity policies and the requirements for contracting data processing, storage and cloud computing services, covered institutions are required to appoint an officer who will be responsible for implementing and overseeing cybersecurity policy, and to adopt procedures and controls to prevent and respond to cybersecurity incidents. The Cybersecurity Regulation also requires relevant institutions to provide an annual report to the Central Bank disclosing any cybersecurity incidents as well as remediation efforts. In addition, communication to the Central Bank is required should any third-party service providers be hired for data processing, storage and cloud computing services. When services are rendered abroad, there are additional requirements for contracting, including the existence of a cooperation agreement between the Central Bank and the supervisory authority of the foreign country, or, absent such cooperation agreement, such contracting is subject to the prior approval of the Central Bank. Last year, the SUSEP, the CVM and the Central Bank issued regulation approving a regulatory sandbox model in Brazil. The implementation of such a regulatory regime is expected to promote the development of more inclusive and higher quality products and services and to foster constant innovation in the financial, security and capital markets. Securities Analysts The activity of securities analysts (analista de valores mobiliários) is regulated by CVM Resolution No. 20, of February 25, 2021, and by CVM Circular Letter No. 2/2019/CVM/SIN, of March 1, 2019 and by CVM Circular Letter No. 13/2020/CVM/SIN of November 11, 2020. Pursuant to such rules, securities analysts are individuals or legal entities that, on a professional basis, prepare analyst reports for publication, disclosure or distribution to third parties, even if limited to certain clients. For purposes of CVM Resolution No. 20, “analyst reports” mean any texts, follow-up reports, studies or analyses regarding specific securities or issuers that may assist or influence investors in the investment decision process. Securities analysts must be registered before a certifying entity duly authorized by CVM. Currently, the certification of securities analysts is carried out by APIMEC, which also serves as a self-regulatory entity for securities analysts. In carrying out its services, securities analysts must act with integrity, good faith and professional ethics, and the analysts’ reports must be prepared by the analyst applying the care and diligence expected from a professional in its position. As set forth in CVM Resolution No. 20, except in relation to the cases set forth therein, securities analysts (both individuals and legal entities) and other professionals that effectively participate in the preparation of the reports, are prohibited from the following activities: •issuing analyst reports aiming to obtain, for itself or for third parties, unfair advantages; •omitting information about conflicts of interest in analyst reports; •trading, on behalf of themselves or of third parties, securities covered by the analysts’ reports or derivatives backed in such securities for a period of 30 days prior to and five days after the disclosure of the analyst report about such security or its issuer; •trading, on behalf of themselves or of third parties, securities covered by the analyst reports or derivatives backed in such securities in the opposite direction of the recommendations or conclusions expressed in the analyst reports for (1) six months as of the disclosure of such report; or (2) until the disclosure of a new report about the same issuer or security, if such disclosure occurs within the six-month period mentioned above; •participating, directly or indirectly (1) in any activity related to the public offering of securities, including sales efforts involving products or services related to the capital markets and efforts for prospecting new clients or jobs; (2) in the structuring of financial products and securities; and (3) in any activity related to M&A financial consulting; and •disclosing the analyst reports or their content, even partially, to persons that are not part of the analyst team, in particular the issuer or the securities the subject of the analyst report before its publication, disclosure or distribution through the proper channels. Securities analysts operating as legal entities are responsible for declaring in a clear and highlighted manner, whenever applicable, in all analysts’ reports that are published, disclosed or distributed, situations that may impact the report’s impartiality or that are or may be a conflict of interest. 68 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Among others, CVM Resolution No. 20 considers that a conflict of interest may exist whenever the securities analyst entity, its controlled entities, controlling shareholders or entities under common control: (1) have a relevant equity participation in the issuer covered by the analyst report, and vice versa; (2) have relevant financial and commercial interests over the issuer or the securities covered by the analyst report; (3) are involved in the acquisition, selling or intermediation of securities covered by the analyst report; and (4) are paid for other services rendered to the issuer covered by the report or its related parties. Main Regulatory Entities National Financial System The main regulatory authorities in the Brazilian financial system are the CMN, the Central Bank and the CVM. In addition, most Brazilian investment banks, brokerage firms, securities distributors and asset managers are associated with and subject to the self-regulatory rules issued by ANBIMA. In addition, trading segments managed by B3 are self-regulated and supervised by BSM—Supervisão de Mercados, or “BSM,” a nonprofit organization that forms part of the B3 group. We present below a summary of the main duties and powers of each regulatory agent, ANBIMA and BSM. CMN CMN is the main monetary and financial policy authority in Brazil, responsible for creating financial, credit, budgetary and monetary rules. According to Banking Law, the CMN’s main responsibilities are to oversee the regular organization, operation and inspection of entities that are subject to the Banking Law, as well as the enforcement of applicable penalties. In addition, Law No. 4,728/65 delegates to the CMN the power to set general rules for underwriting activities for resale, distribution or intermediation in the placement of securities, including rules governing the minimum regulatory capital of the companies that contemplate the underwriting for resale and distribution of instruments in the market and conditions for registration of the companies or individual firms which contemplate intermediation activities in the distribution of instruments in the market. The CMN has the power to regulate credit transactions involving Brazilian financial institutions and Brazilian currency, supervise the foreign exchange and gold reserves of Brazil, establish saving and investment policies in Brazil and regulate the Brazilian capital markets. The CMN also oversees the activities of the Central Bank, the CVM and SUSEP. Other CMN responsibilities include: •coordinating monetary, credit, budget and public debt policies; •establishing policies on foreign exchange and interest rates; •seeking to ensure liquidity and solvency of financial institutions; •overseeing activities related to the stock exchange markets; •regulating the structure and operation of financial institutions; •granting authority to the Central Bank to issue currency and establish reserve requirement levels; and •establishing general guidelines for the banking and financial markets. The Central Bank The activities of financial institutions are subject to limitations and restrictions. The Central Bank is responsible for (1) implementing those CMN policies that are related to monetary, credit and foreign exchange control matters; (2) regulating Brazilian financial institutions in the public and private sectors; and (3) monitoring and regulating foreign investments in Brazil. The president of the Central Bank is appointed by the president of Brazil (subject to ratification by the Senate) for a four-year term. 69 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Banking Law delegated to the Central Bank the responsibility of permanently overseeing companies that directly or indirectly interfere in the financial and capital markets, controlling such companies’ operations in the foreign exchange market through operational proceedings and various modalities, and supervising the relative stability of foreign exchange rates and balance of payments. In addition, Law No. 4,728/65 states that the CMN and the Central Bank shall exercise their duties related to the financial and capital markets with the purpose of, among other things, facilitating the public’s access to information related to bonds or securities traded in the market and on the companies that issue them, protecting investors against illegal or fraudulent issuances of bonds or securities, preventing fraud and manipulation modalities intended to create artificial conditions of the demand, supply or pricing of bonds or securities distributed in the markets and ensuring the observance of equitable commercial practices by all of those professionals who participate in the intermediation of the distribution or trading of bonds or securities. The Central Bank has authority over brokerage firms, financial institutions, companies or individual firms performing underwriting for resale and distribution of bonds or securities, and maintains a record on, and inspects the transactions of, companies or individual firms that carry out intermediation activities in the distribution of bonds or securities, or which conduct, for any purposes, the prospecting of popular savings in the capital market. Other important responsibilities of the Central Bank are as follows: •controlling and approving the organization, operation, transfer of control and corporate reorganization of financial institutions and other institutions authorized to operate by the Central Bank; •managing the daily flow of foreign capital and derivatives; •establishing administrative rules and regulation for the registration of foreign investments; •monitoring remittances of foreign currency; •controlling the repatriation of funds (in case of a serious deficit in Brazil’s payment balance, the Central Bank may limit remittances of profits and prohibit remittances of capital for a limited period); •receiving compulsory collections and voluntary deposits in cash from financial institutions; •executing rediscount transactions and granting loans to banking financial institutions and other institutions authorized to operate by the Central Bank; •intervening in the financial institutions or placing them under special administrative regimes, and determining their compulsory liquidation; and •acting as depositary of the gold and foreign currency. CVM The CVM is a federal authority responsible for implementing the CMN’s policies related to the Brazilian capital market and for regulating, developing, controlling and inspecting the securities market. The main responsibilities of the CVM are the following: •regulating the Brazilian capital markets, in accordance with Brazilian corporation law and securities law; •setting rules governing the operation of the securities market; •defining the types of financial institutions that may carry out activities in the securities market, as well as the kinds of transactions that they may perform and services that they may provide in such market; •controlling and supervising the Brazilian securities market through, among others: ▪the approval, suspension and delisting of publicly held companies; ▪the authorization of brokerage firms to operate in the securities market and public offering of securities; ▪the supervision of the activities of publicly held companies, stock exchange markets, commodities and future markets, financial investment funds and variable income funds; ▪the requirement of full disclosure of relevant events that affect the market, as well as the publication of annual and quarterly reports by publicly held companies; ▪the imposition of penalties; and ▪permanently supervising the activities and services of the securities market, as well as the dissemination of information related to the market and the amounts traded therein, to market participants. 70 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents The CVM has jurisdiction to regulate and supervise financial investment funds and derivatives markets, a role previously fulfilled by the Central Bank. Pursuant to Law No. 10,198 of February 14, 2001, as amended, and Law No. 10,303 of October 31, 2001, the regulation and supervision of both financial mutual funds and variable income funds and of transactions involving derivatives were transferred to the CVM. In compliance with the Brazilian legislation, the CVM is managed by a president and four officers, all of whom are appointed by the president of the Republic (and approved by the Senate). The persons appointed to the CVM shall have strong reputations and be recognized as experts in the capital markets sector. CVM officers are appointed for a single term of office of five years, and one-fifth of the members shall be renewed on an annual basis. All decisions issued by the CVM and by the Central Bank in administrative proceedings on the topics of the national financial system and the foreign exchange market are subject to appeal before the Appeals Council of the National Financial System, which is composed of members appointed by public authorities and members of the private sector. The CVM is also responsible for determining and regulating the performance of IFAs. Due to the relevance of the IFAs and our subsidiaries, we highlight below the relevant regulatory frameworks such entities are subject to. Retirement Plans and Insurance SUSEP and CNSP In Brazil, the regulation of insurance, coinsurance, retrocession, capitalization, supplementary retirement schemes and brokerage is carried out by CNSP and SUSEP. SUSEP is an independent agency in charge of implementing and conducting the policies established by CNSP and the supervision of the insurance, coinsurance, retrocession, capitalization, supplementary retirement schemes and brokerage. SUSEP neither regulates nor supervises (1) the supplementary retirement entities that are regulated by the SPC; and (2) the operators of private healthcare assistance plans, which are regulated by ANS. With the enactment of Supplementary Law No. 126 on January 15, 2007, the CNSP and SUSEP are also responsible for the regulation of the Brazilian reinsurance market. CNSP is made up of one representative of each one of the following bodies: Ministry of Social Security, the Central Bank, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Justice, the CVM and the superintendent of SUSEP — Private Insurance Authority. The supplementary insurance and retirement sectors in Brazil are subject to overlapping regulations. Decree-Law No. 73 of November 21, 1966, as amended, sought to centralize the legislation and inspection activities in the sector by creating the National Private Insurance System – SNSP, composed of: (1) CNSP; (2) SUSEP; (3) insurance companies duly authorized to operate in the private insurance market; (4) the reinsurance companies; and (5) duly qualified and/or registered insurance brokers. CNSP is linked to the Ministry of Economy and its main roles include establishing the guidelines and rules for the private insurance policy in Brazil; regulating the incorporation, organization, operations and inspection of insurers, reinsurers, supplementary open retirement funds and capitalization companies as well as establishing capital thresholds for such entities; establishing the general characteristics of insurance and reinsurance contracts; establishing general guidelines for insurance, reinsurance, supplementary open retirement funds, and capitalization operations; establishing general accounting and statistical rules as well as legal, technical and investment limits for the operations of insurers, reinsurers, supplementary open retirement funds and capitalization companies; and regulating insurance and reinsurance broker activities and profession. SUSEP’s main roles include processing application requests of incorporation, organization and operations, and inspecting insurers, reinsurers, supplementary open retirement funds, and capitalization companies; issuing instructions and circular letters in connection with the regulation of insurance, reinsurance, supplementary open retirement funds and capitalization operations, in accordance with CNSP guidelines; setting forth the conditions of insurance plans to be used by the insurer market; approving limits for the operations of supervised companies; authorizing the use and release of assets and amounts given in guaranty for technical provisions and discretionary capital; inspecting and implementing the general accounting and statistical rules set forth by CNSP; inspecting the operations of supervised companies; and conducting the liquidation of supervised companies. Self-Regulatory Entities ANBIMA ANBIMA is a private self-regulatory association of investment banks, asset managers, securities brokers and investment advisers, which, among other responsibilities, establishes rules as well as codes of best practices for the Brazilian capital market, including punitive measures in case of noncompliance with its rules. 71 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents BSM BSM supervises these markets and monitors operations, orders and trades executed in trading environments, supervises market participants and, if necessary, imposes penalties against those who infringe regulations. Working in close collaboration with CVM and the Central Bank, BSM acts to ensure that institutions and their professionals comply with market regulations, by: •conducting market surveillance — BSM monitors all orders and trades in B3’s markets in order to identify signs of irregularities; •auditing — BSM audits all B3 participants to ensure their compliance with the regulations and to identify possible violations of market rules; •imposing punitive processes and other enforcement actions — when violations of regulations occur, BSM adopts guidance, persuasion or disciplinary measures such as letters of recommendation, letters of censure or administrative sanctioning proceedings, in accordance with the severity of the violation that has been identified; in addition, BSM can, in connection with administrative sanctioning proceedings, apply penalties to or enter into Terms of Commitment (termo de compromisso) with the accused; •providing compensation for loss — BSM analyzes and adjudicates complaints presented to the investor compensation mechanism (mecanismo de ressarcimento de prejuízos), or “MRP,” which awards damages of up to R$120,000 to investors harmed by a B3 participant’s inappropriate activity; and •facilitating market development — BSM develops education initiatives, rule enhancements and institutional relationships with market participants, regulatory bodies and international organizations. APIMEC APIMEC is a private self-regulatory association authorized by CVM to perform the certification and self-regulation of securities analysts (both individuals and legal entities), establishing rules, procedures and best practices that must be followed by securities analysts, under penalty of punitive measures in case of noncompliance with its rules. Other Rules Adequacy of Capital and Limits of Exposure and Other Solvency Rules The financial institutions are subject to an extensive set of rules issued by the CMN and the Central Bank related to capital amounts, exposure limits and other solvency rules that follow principles recommended by the Basel Committee, especially in view of the systemic risks associated with the relationship and activity of the financial institutions. As such, the CMN and the Central Bank sought to guarantee the solvency of the financial system and mitigate systemic risks. With this aim, CMN Resolution No. 5,237 of September 1, 2025, as amended, or “CMN Resolution No. 5,237,” and CMN Resolution No. 5,008 established minimum capital and net equity requirements for various types of financial institutions. For example, the CMN set a minimum capital amount and net equity amount of R$1.5 million for brokerage firms providing firm guarantee of underwriting of securities, in the manner operated by XP CCTVM, and R$17.5 million for multi-purpose banks, such as Banco XP after all due approvals from the Central Bank. In accordance with the Basel Committee principles, other relevant rules for financial institutions are CMN Resolution No. 4,955 of October 21, 2021, as amended, or “CMN Resolution No. 4,955,” and CMN Resolution No. 4,958, as amended, or “CMN Resolution No. 4,958,” which set out the methodology for calculating the reference capital and the ascertainment of the minimum requirements for the reference capital, the main capital and additional capital. CMN Resolution No. 4,557 of February 23, 2017, as amended, or “CMN Resolution No. 4,557,” unifies and expands Brazilian regulation on risk and capital management for Brazilian financial institutions and other institutions authorized to operate by the Central Bank. The rule is also an effort to incorporate recommendations from the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision into Brazilian regulation. The rule states that risk management must be conducted through a unified effort by the relevant entity (i.e., not only must risks be analyzed on an individual basis, but financial institutions and other institutions authorized to operate by the Central Bank must also control and mitigate adverse effects caused by the interaction of different risks). It also strengthens the rules and requirements related to risk management governance and expanded on the competence requirements and duties of the risk management officer. 72 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents The rule sets out different structures for risk and capital management, which are applicable for different risk profiles set out in the applicable regulation. Consequently, less sophisticated financial institutions can have a simpler risk management structure, while institutions with more complexity must follow stricter protocols. Insurance companies are also subject to an extensive set of laws and regulations governing solvency, notably CNSP Resolution No. 432/2021, as amended, and Circular SUSEP No. 648/2021, as amended, which outline minimum regulatory capital parameters, prudential accounting adjustments, limitations on collateral assets supporting insurance reserves (ativos garantidores) and other related rules. An insurance company’s minimum regulatory capital may vary from time to time in light of periodic risk-based calculations required by such regulations. Factors such as the risk profile of the insurance portfolio, credit risk of clients, general market-related risks and other indicators may result in the increase or decrease of regulatory capital over time, with corresponding effects of requiring additional capital or releasing capital, as the case may be. Insurance companies have limited control over the variation of such factors, and therefore may be required from time to time to make capital contributions exceeding their projections. The aforementioned rules also contemplate the creation of various levels of internal and external controls overseeing solvency, such as auditing by independent actuaries, establishing internal audit committees for companies exceeding certain financial thresholds, limiting acceptable assets for purposes of covering insurance reserves and requiring monthly reporting to the insurance regulator, among other requirements. Internal Compliance Procedures All financial institutions shall maintain internal guidelines and procedures to control their financial, operational and managerial information systems and shall comply with all the applicable legislation. CMN Resolution No. 4,595 of August 28, 2017, states that Brazilian financial institutions and other institutions authorized to operate by the Central Bank shall implement and maintain a compliance policy compatible with the nature, size, complexity, structure, risk profile and business model of the institution. According to CMN Resolution No. 4,968 of November 25, 2021, the executive officers of the financial institution are responsible for implementing an efficient structure of internal control, by defining responsibilities and control procedures and establishing corresponding objectives and procedures throughout all levels of the institution. The executive officers are also responsible for verifying compliance with all internal procedures. The internal audit department of a financial institution reports directly to the executive officers or directors of the institution, as applicable. Laws on Insolvency of Financial Institutions in Brazil Financial institutions are subject to the procedures set out by Law No. 6,024 of March 13, 1974, as amended, or “Law No. 6,024/74,” and Decree-Law No. 2,321 enacted on February 25, 1987, as amended, which set out the provisions applicable to intervention, temporary administration or extrajudicial liquidation by the Central Bank, as well as to bankruptcy proceedings. Temporary Administration As per the Decree-Law No. 2,321, the Central Bank may assume the temporary administration of a Brazilian financial institution in certain situations, determining the temporary special administration regime. The Central Bank is the authority empowered to determine this sort of regime, which shall take place: (1) in case the financial institution (a) performs recurring practices against the economic and financial policies provided in federal law; (b) faces a shortage of assets; (c) fails to comply with the compulsory banking reserve rules; (d) has a reckless or fraudulent management; or (2) in case of the existence of any of the reasons for an intervention by the Central Bank, as provided for in Law No. 6,024/74. The administration of the financial institution subject to this temporary administration will be carried out by a directive board named by the Central Bank, with ordinary management powers. The financial institution administrators and members of the board of auditors have their mandates immediately terminated. The directive board is expected to issue one or more reports to the Central Bank based on which the regulatory authority shall decide on the actions to be taken in relation to the financial institution. The temporary administration regime ceases: (1) if the Federal Government takes control over the financial institution; (2) in case the financial institutions go through a corporate restructuring, merger, spin-off, amalgamation or transfer of its controlling interest; (3) in case of normalization of the situation of the finance institution, at Central Bank’s discretion; or (4) with the Central Bank decision for its extrajudicial liquidation. 73 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Intervention and Extrajudicial Liquidation Intervention and extrajudicial liquidation occur when a financial institution is in a precarious financial condition or upon the occurrence of triggering events that may impact its creditors’ situation. Such measures are imposed by the Central Bank in order to avoid the entity’s bankruptcy. Intervention Law No. 6,024/74 granted the Central Bank the power to appoint a liquidator to intervene in the transactions or liquidate any financial institution other than public financial institutions controlled by the Federal Government. The intervention may be ordered at Central Bank’s discretion, if the following is verified: •due to mismanagement, the financial institution has suffered losses exposing creditors to risk; •the financial institution has consistently violated Brazilian banking laws or regulation; or •such intervention constitutes a viable alternative to the liquidation of the financial institution. Effective the date on which it is ordered, the intervention will automatically trigger the following: (1) suspension of the enforceability of payable obligations; (2) suspension of the maturity of previously contracted and imminently due obligations; and (3) the freezing of deposits already existing on the date of its determination. The intervention shall cease (a) if the interested parties, presenting the necessary guarantees, at the Central Bank’s discretion, undertake to continue the company’s economic activities; (b) at the Central Bank’s discretion, if the entity’s situation has been normalized; or (c) if extrajudicial liquidation or bankruptcy of the entity is ordered. The intervention may also be ordered upon request of the management of the financial institution. Any intervention period may not exceed six months, and may be extended once, by up to six additional months, by the Central Bank. The intervention procedure shall terminate if the Central Bank determines that the factors that motivated the intervention have been eliminated or upon the presentation of adequate guarantees by interested parties. On the other hand, the Central Bank may order the extrajudicial liquidation of the institution or authorize the intervener to request the bankruptcy thereof. According to Law No. 6,024/74, the intervention may be converted in a bankruptcy proceeding, currently governed by Law No. 11,101 of February 9, 2005 (which is the Law governing the Bankruptcy and Receivership of Companies, referred hereinafter as the “LFRJE”), if, among others, the assets of the institution under intervention are not enough to cover at least 50% of the amount of its outstanding unsecured credit. Extrajudicial Liquidation In accordance with Law No. 6,024/74, extrajudicial liquidation is an administrative procedure ordered by the Central Bank (not applicable to the financial institutions controlled by the federal government) being enforced by a liquidator appointed by the Central Bank. This measure aims to terminate the activities of a troubled financial institution, removing it from the Brazilian national financial system, liquidating its assets and paying its liabilities, as in an extrajudicially decreed bankruptcy. The Central Bank will order the extrajudicial liquidation of the financial institution if: •the economic or financial situation of the institution is at risk, particularly when the institution fails to comply with its obligations in a timely manner, or upon occurrence of an event that indicates a state of insolvency according to LFRJE’s rules; •management seriously violates the banking laws, rules or regulation; •the institution suffers a loss that subjects its unprivileged and unsecured creditors to severe risk; or •upon revocation of the authorization to operate, the institution fails to initiate, within 90 days, its ordinary liquidation, or, if initiated, the Central Bank verifies that the pace of the liquidation may harm the institution’s creditor. Extrajudicial liquidation may also be ordered upon the request of a financial institution’s management, if its bylaws entitle it to do so or upon request by the intervener, with an indication of the causes of the request. 74 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents The decree of extrajudicial liquidation shall trigger the following: (1) suspend the actions or foreclose on rights and interests relating to the collection of the entity being liquidated, so that no other actions or executions may be brought during the liquidation; (2) accelerate the obligations of the entity being liquidated; (3) stall the statute of limitations with respect to the obligations assumed by the institution; (4) trigger the penal clauses provided in unilateral agreements that became due by virtue of the extrajudicial liquidation; (5) ratably deduct interest, against the estate, until the date when the debts are paid in full; and (6) preclude claims for monetary correction of any passive currencies or pecuniary penalties for infringement of criminal or administrative laws. Extrajudicial liquidation procedures may be terminated (1) if the financial institution is declared bankrupt or (2) by decision of the Central Bank upon the following events: (a) full payment of the unsecured creditors; (b) change of corporate purpose of the institution to an economic activity that is not part of the CMN; (c) transfer of the controlling interest of the financial institution; (d) conversion into ordinary liquidation; (e) exhaustion of the assets owned by the financial institution upon its full realization and distribution of the proceeds among the creditors, even if full payment of the credits did not occur; or (f) acknowledgement by the Central Bank that the remaining assets are illiquid or of difficult disposal. Repayment of Creditors in an Extrajudicial Liquidation or Bankruptcy In November 1995, the CMN created the Credits Guarantee Fund, or the “FGC,” according to CMN Resolution No. 2,197, of August 31, 1995, amended and superseded by CMN Resolution No. 4,222, of May 23, 2013, in order to guarantee the payment of funds deposited with financial institutions in the event of intervention, extrajudicial liquidation, bankruptcy or other states of insolvency. The FGC is mainly funded by mandatory contributions from all Brazilian financial institutions that work with customer deposits. The FGC is a deposit insurance system that guarantees, pursuant to CMN Resolution No. 4,688 of September 25, 2018, as amended, a maximum amount of R$250,000 of deposit and certain credit instruments held by a customer against a financial institution (or against member financial institutions of the same financial group) and a maximum amount of R$1.0 million per creditor against the set of all consolidated financial institutions every four years. The liability of the participating institutions is limited to the amount of their contributions to the FGC, with the exception that in limited circumstances if FGC payments are insufficient to cover insured losses, the participating institutions may be asked for extraordinary contributions and advances. The payment of unsecured credit and customer deposits not payable under the FGC is subject to the prior payment of all secured credits and other credits to which specific laws may grant special privileges. In addition, Law No. 9,069, enacted in 1995, sets forth that compulsory deposits maintained by financial institutions with the Central Bank are immune to actions by a bank’s general creditors for the repayment of debts. Transactions with Affiliates The Banking Law (paragraph 4, article 34), as amended by Law No. 13,506 of November 13, 2017, or “Law No. 13,506,” prohibits financial institutions from conducting credit transactions with related parties, except in certain specific circumstances as provided below. Pursuant to CMN Resolution No. 4,693 of October 29, 2018, the following persons are considered related parties of a financial institution for the purpose of such restriction: •its controlling shareholders (individuals or legal entities), pursuant to Article 116 of Law No. 6,404/76; •its officers and members of statutory or contractual bodies; •spouses, partners and blood relatives up to the second degree of individuals specified in items (a) and (b); •its individual shareholders with stakes equal to or greater than 15% in its capital, or Qualified Equity Interest; and •its legal entities: ▪with Qualified Equity Interest in the financial institutions’ capital stock; ▪in which capital, directly or indirectly, the financial institution holds Qualified Equity Interest; ▪in which the financial institution holds effective operational control or relevance in the deliberations, regardless of the equity interest held; and ▪with a common officer or board member in relation to the financial institution. 75 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents The following credit transactions with related parties are exempt from the prohibition referred to above: (1) transactions carried out under market-compatible conditions, without additional benefits or privileges when compared to transactions granted to other clients of the same profile of the respective institutions; (2) transactions with companies controlled by the Federal Government, in the case of federal public financial institutions; (3) credit transactions whose counterparty is a financial institution that is part of the same prudential conglomerate, provided that they contain a contractual subordination clause, subject to the provisions of item V of art. 10 of the Banking Law, in the case of banking financial institutions; (4) interbank deposits; (5) obligations assumed between related parties as a result of liability imposed on clearinghouse participants or providers of clearing and settlement services authorized by the Central Bank or by the CVM; and (6) other cases authorized by CMN Resolution No. 4,693. According to CMN Resolution No. 4,693, as of April 1, 2019, all financial institutions must adopt internal policies regulating transactions with related parties. Law No. 7,492 enacted on June 16, 1986, which regulates crimes against the Brazilian financial system, criminalized the extension of credit by a financial institution to certain related parties mentioned in the Banking Law, which are any of its controlling individuals or entities, directors or officers, members of statutory or contractual bodies and certain of their family individual members or legal entities with a qualified interest in the financial institution, as well as any legal entity with qualified interest in the financial institution or in which the financial institution has a qualified interest, either direct or indirect, under common effective control or with common officers or directors. Punitive Sanctions Legal violations under Brazilian banking and/or securities laws may lead to administrative, civil and criminal liability. Offenders may be prosecuted under all three legal theories separately, before different courts and regulatory authorities, and face different sanctions with respect to the same legal offense. Law No. 13,506, Central Bank Resolution No. 131 of August 20, 2021 and CVM Resolution No. 45 of August 31, 2021, as amended, regulate administrative sanctioning proceedings as well as the various penalties, consent orders, injunctive measures, fines and administrative settlements imposed by the Central Bank and the CVM. Law No. 13,506 is noteworthy, as it: •sets fines imposed by the Central Bank of up to R$2 billion or 0.5% of the entity’s revenue, arising from services and financial products provided in the year prior to the violation; •limits fines imposed by the CVM to the greater of the following amounts: R$50 million, twice the value of the irregular transaction, three times the amount of the economic gain improperly obtained or loss improperly avoided, or twice the damage caused by the irregular conduct. Repeat offenders may be subject to treble the amounts above; •provides for the suspension, disqualification and prohibition from engaging in certain activities or transactions in the banking or securities market for a period of up to twenty years; •temporarily bans offending individuals from serving in any managerial capacity for financial institutions; •imposes coercive or precautionary fines of up to R$100,000 per day, subject to a maximum period of 30 days in punitive fines; •defines the scope of the Central Bank’s regulatory authority; •prohibits the offending institutions themselves from participating in the markets; •provides for a penalty of “public admonition” in place of “warning,” imposed by the Central Bank; •empowers the Central Bank to enter into cease-and-desist commitments; •empowers the Central Bank and the CVM to enter into administrative agreements; •provides the CVM with the authority to ban the accused from contracting with official Brazilian financial institutions and participating in public bidding processes for a period of up to five years; and •redefines related-party transactions. 76 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Penalties may be aggregated, and are calculated based on the following factors: •gains obtained or attempted to be gained by the offender; •economic capability to comply; •severity of the offense; •actual losses; •any recurrence of the offense; and •the offender’s cooperativeness with the investigation. Law No. 7,492 provides a legal framework to hold controlling shareholders, officers and managers of a financial institution criminally liable. The regime under Law No. 7,492 also covers interventionists, liquidators and real estate managers, in the context of interventions, extrajudicial liquidation or bankruptcy, respectively. Those found criminally liable under Law No. 7,492 will be subject to detention and/or pecuniary fines. Law No. 6,385 also imposes imprisonment and/or fines for banking or securities infractions. For example, those liable for market manipulation and insider trading are subject to sentences of up to eight and five years, respectively, plus fines of up to three times the illicit benefit gained. Regulation Against Money Laundering and Bank Secrecy in Brazil Law No. 9,613 of March 3, 1998, as amended by Law No. 12,683 of July 9, 2012, or the “Anti-Money Laundering Law,” and Law No. 13,506 of November 13, 2017 (related to administrative procedures and enforcement conducted by CVM and the Central Bank) play a major regulatory role in the oversight of banking and financial and insurance activities in Brazil. The Anti-Money Laundering Law sets forth the rules and the penalties to be imposed upon persons engaging in activities that constitute “laundering” or the concealing of property, cash or assets acquired or resulting from any kind of criminal activity. Such regulation further prohibits individuals from using the financial system for the aforementioned illicit acts. Pursuant to the Anti-Money Laundering Law, banks (such as Banco XP), securities brokers (such as XP CCTVM), securities distributors, asset managers (such as XP Gestão, XP Advisory and XP Vista), leasing companies, credit card companies, insurance companies and insurance brokers (such as XP VP and XP CS, respectively), among others, must: (1) identify and maintain up-to-date records of their clients, for a period of at least five years; (2) keep up-to-date records of all transactions, for a period of at least five years, in Brazilian and foreign currencies, involving securities, bonds, credit, financial instruments, metals or any asset that if converted into cash exceed the amount set forth by the competent authorities, and which shall be in accordance with the instruction issued by these authorities; (3) keep up-to-date records of all transactions, for a period of at least five years, in Brazilian and foreign currency, involving securities, bonds, credit, instruments, metals, or any asset that if converted into cash exceeds the applicable minimum amount set forth by the relevant authorities, such transactions must be in accordance with guidance on amount, timing and counterparties from the relevant authorities; (4) adopt AML internal control policies and procedures that are compatible with the size of the company; (5) register and maintain up-to-date records with the appropriate regulatory agency (i.e., the Brazilian Financial Intelligence Unit (Unidade de Inteligência Finceira), or “UIF,” CVM and/or SUSEP); (6) comply with UIF’s requests and obligations; (7) pay special attention to any transaction that, in light of the provisions set forth by competent authorities, may indicate the existence of a money laundering crime; (8) report all transactions referred to in items 2, 3 and 7 to UIF within twenty-four hours, while abstaining from notifying their customers of such report; and (9) confirm to the applicable regulatory agency (i.e., UIF, CVM and/or SUSEP) that no offending transactions have occurred. 77 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents In accordance with Circular No. 3,978 enacted by the Central Bank on January 23, 2020, as amended, or “Central Bank Circular No. 3,978,” financial institutions are required to (1) maintain updated client registration data (including declarations regarding the purposes and nature of the transactions and verification of the of clients’ statuses as politically prominent persons); (2) adopt preventative internal policies and procedures; (3) record transactions involving amounts in national or foreign currencies, securities, metals or any other assets that may be converted to cash, including specific records for the issuance or reloading of amounts in the form of prepaid cards; (4) maintain records of all financial services provided and all financial transactions carried out with clients or on their behalf as well as consolidated information that allows for verification of the flow of funds, the economic activity and financial capacity of the client, the origin of funds and end beneficiaries of the transactions; (5) maintain records of transactions carried out by individuals or legal entities that involve the same groups of companies, in an amount greater than R$10,000.00 over the course of a calendar month or transactions that reveal patterns of activity that indicate a scheme to prevent identification; (6) review transactions or proposals that may indicate criminal activities; (7) maintain records of all transfers of funds related to (a) deposits, electronic transfers, checks, among others, and (b) issuance of checks, payment orders, among others, in amounts greater than R$1,000.00; (8) maintain records of issuances or loading of credit cards that allow the identification of transactions in amounts greater than R$100,000.00 or which reveal patterns of activity that indicate a scheme to prevent identification; (9) maintain records of transaction activities in amounts greater than R$100,000.00 in cash or which reveal patterns of activity that indicate a scheme to prevent identification; and (10) notify the relevant authority of any transaction that may be deemed suspicious by the financial institution. SUSEP Circular No. 612/2020, as amended, or “SUSEP Circular No. 612/2020” imposes similar internal controls and monitoring requirements upon insurance and capitalization companies, complementary retirement companies, (entidades abertas de previdência complementar), cooperative companies (sociedades cooperativas), including those authorized to provide reinsurance services, in particular: (1) the monitoring of transactions involving politically prominent persons, terrorism and money laundering; (2) the prevention, monitoring and detection of suspicious transactions; (3) the registration of transactions with clients and beneficiaries, third parties and related parties; and (4) the validation of compliance mechanisms by internal auditing. Companies subject to this regulation are also required to appoint one of their Officers as head of compliance and register such individual in accordance with the Anti-Money Laundering Law and SUSEP Circular No. 612/2020. 78 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Along the same lines, CVM Resolution No. 50 of August 31, 2021, as amended, or “CVM Resolution No. 50,” which entered into force on October 1, 2021, establishes, among other obligations, that persons who engage in, on a permanent or occasional basis, as a main or ancillary activity, cumulatively or not, the custody, issuance, distribution, settlement, trade, intermediation, consultancy or management of bonds or securities, and independent audit within the scope of the stock exchange market must adopt rules, procedures and internal controls in accordance with previously and expressly established procedures to confirm the registration information of its clients, keep such information updated and monitor the transactions carried out thereby, so as to prevent the use of the account by third parties and identify the end beneficiaries of the transactions, such entities shall also identify and closely monitor the business relations maintained with politically exposed person. Under CVM Resolution No. 50, the following should be monitored: (1) situations in which (a) it is not possible to maintain current their client registration information, (b) it is not possible to identify the ultimate beneficial owner of a transaction and/or (c) independent auditors are unable to undertake the verifications required by article 19 of CVM Instruction No. 50; (2) transactions in amounts incompatible with the transacting parties’ professional occupation, income, and/or equity/financial position (applicable to natural person); (3) transactions incompatible with the transacting parties’ economic activity, corporate purpose or income, when compared with the operational pattern adopted by clients with the same profile (applicable to legal entities); (4) repeated transactions between the same parties, through which one or all of the parties involved has registered consistent gains or losses; (5) transactions indicating a material discrepancy between the volume and/or frequency of the business of the parties involved; (6) transactions that may involve identity deception of the parties involved and/or their beneficiaries; (7) transactions that may indicate insubordinate acts committed by agents against their principals; (8) transactions reflecting a sudden and objectively unjustified change in the operations of the persons involved; (9) transactions reflecting a complexity and risk profile incompatible with the investment profile (suitability) of the client or its agent and/or the clients’ size and corporate purpose; (10) transactions carried out with the purpose of generating loss or gain for which there is no objective economic basis; (11) private transfers, without apparent reason, of funds and securities; (12) deposits or transfers made by third parties in order to settle client transactions or in order to provide collateral in transactions in future settlement markets; (13) payments made to third parties, in any form, by means of settlement of transactions or redemption of amounts deposited as collateral, registered in the client’s name; (14) transactions made with off-market prices; (15) transactions and situations related to people with suspicions to be involved with terrorist acts; (16) transactions with the participation of individuals residing, or entities organized, in countries that either do not follow or insufficiently follow the recommendations from the Financial Action Group against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing – GAFI, or in countries with favorable taxation and subject to privileged tax regimes, pursuant to the regulation issued by the Brazilian Federal Revenue; (17) transactions settled in cash, if and where permitted; (18) transactions with individuals considered to be Politically Exposed Persons; (19) the business relationship maintained with Politically Exposed Persons, non-resident investors (especially when incorporated as trusts) and private banking; (20) the proposals of new relationships and operations with Politically Exposed Persons, including those from countries with which Brazil has a large volume of financial and commercial transactions, common borders or ethnic, linguistic or political proximity; (21) clients that have become, since the beginning of the relationship with the institution or have already initially been considered to be Politically Exposed Persons, and apply the treatment of items (18) and (19) above; and (22) the origin of the resources involved in the transactions of clients and beneficiaries identified as Politically Exposed Persons. On March 3, 1998, the Federal Government created the Council of Control of Financial Activities, or the “COAF,” that was reviewed and changed in 2019 and in 2020. Pursuant to Federal Law No. 13,974/2020, as amended, COAF was transformed into the Brazilian Financial Intelligence Unit (Unidade de Inteligência Finceira), or “UIF.” UIF’s purpose is to verify, examine, identify and apply administrative penalties to any suspicious or unlawful activities related to money laundering in Brazil, without prejudice to the jurisdiction of other bodies and entities, as well as report suspicious activities to the prosecutors and the police. UIF’s full commission is composed of a president appointed by the President of the Central Bank and by a representative of each one of the following bodies and entities: (1) the Central Bank; (2) the CVM; (3) the Ministry of Foreign Relations; (4) SUSEP; (5) the Federal Revenue Office; (6) the Federal Police Department; (7) the Brazilian Intelligence Agency; (8) the Comptroller General; and (9) the National Treasury Attorney-General’s Office. The term of office for each member is three years, with the option of reelection. The financial institutions shall inform UIF (necessarily without informing its client) of certain transactions that present the characteristics established in the Central Bank Circular No. 3.978, CVM Resolution No. 50 and Circular SUSEP No. 612/2020, under the suspicion of money laundering. The same obligation is imposed upon asset managers (such as XP Gestão, XP Advisory, XP PE Gestão de Recursos Ltda., XP Vista and XP Allocation Asset Management Ltda.) and insurance companies and insurance brokers (such as XP CS and XP VP). 79 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Bank Secrecy Brazilian financial institutions, by virtue of Supplementary Law No. 105 of January 10, 2001, are also subject to strict secrecy rules on transactions, and are required to preserve the confidential nature of their assets and liabilities transactions and of the services provided to their clients. The only circumstances under which the information regarding clients, services or transactions of the financial institutions may be disclosed to third parties are as follows: (1) disclosure of confidential information with the express consent of the interested parties; (2) exchange of information between financial institutions for data registration purposes, including through risk assessment centers, subject to the rules issued by the CMN and the Central Bank; (3) the supply, to credit protection entities, of information included in the register of issuers of rubber checks and debtors, subject to the rules issued by the CMN and the Central Bank; (4) disclosure of the occurrence or suspicion of unlawful criminal or administrative acts, among others; (5) reporting of information addressed by article 11, paragraph 2 of Law No. 9,311 of October 24, 1996; (6) reporting of information in accordance with the conditions foreseen in articles 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 of Supplementary Law No. 105 of January 10, 2001; and (7) reporting of financial and payment data related to credit operations and completed or ongoing payment obligations from individuals or legal entities to database administrators for the purpose of credit history formation. Politically Exposed Persons Pursuant to Central Bank Circular No. 3,978, SUSEP Circular No. 612/2020 and CVM Instruction No. 50, those financial institutions and other institutions authorized to operate by the Central Bank, SUSEP and CVM are required to obtain sufficient information from their clients to identify any Politically Exposed Persons from their client base and monitor their transactions accordingly. Central Bank Circular No. 3,978, SUSEP Circular No. 612/2020 and CVM Instruction No. 50 define Politically Exposed Persons as any government agent who, in the last five years, has held or is holding, in Brazil or in foreign territories relevant government positions, jobs or public office, as well as their representatives, family members and other closely related persons. Central Bank Circular No. 3,978, SUSEP Circular No. 612/2020 and CVM Instruction No. 50 establish that the internal procedures developed and implemented by the financial institutions subject to such regulation must be structured to enable the identification of Politically Exposed Persons and the origin of the funds for such clients’ transactions. Internal Auditors On December 23, 2020, the CMN issued Resolution No. 4,879 establishing the rules governing internal audits at financial institutions and others authorized to operate by the Central Bank. Pursuant to the resolution, financial institutions and others authorized to operate by the Central Bank must implement and maintain internal audit functions compatible with the nature, size, complexity, structure, risk profile and business model of the respective institution. Such activity must be the responsibility of a discrete unit in the institution or institutions that are part of its financial conglomerate, directly subordinated to the board of directors or by an independent auditor, provided that such independent auditor is not in charge of the institution’s financial statements or any other activity that may create a conflict of interest. Independent Auditors in Brazil Pursuant to CMN Resolution No. 4,910 of May 27, 2021 as amended, or “CMN Resolution No. 4,910,” all financial institutions must be audited by independent auditors. The financial institutions may only hire independent auditors registered with the CVM and certified as experts in banking analysis by the Central Bank. After such auditors have issued opinions auditing the financial statement of a certain financial institution for up to five consecutive fiscal years, the Auditor’s team, including managers, supervisors or any members with managerial positions, must be replaced. Similarly, pursuant to CVM Resolution No. 23 of February 25, 2021, if the audited company has a permanent audit committee, the term limit of five consecutive years provided above may be increased to ten years. The independent auditors and the audit committee, if applicable, must notify the Central Bank, within three business days, of the existence or evidence of error or fraud, such as: •lack of compliance with rules and regulations, which could affect the business of the audited entity; •fraud of any amount conducted by the management of the institution; •relevant fraud conducted by employees of the institution or of third parties; and •relevant errors in the accounting records of the audited entity. 80 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Audit Committee CMN Resolution No. 4,910 requires financial institutions and other institutions authorized by the Central Bank to operate in Brazil, as well as for clearinghouses and clearance and custody service providers that (1) present reference equity equal to, or greater than, R$1 billion; (2) manage third-party funds in amounts equal to, or greater than, R$1 billion; or (3) have deposits and funds under management in a total amount equal to, or greater than, R$5 billion, to maintain an audit committee (comitê de auditoria). The Brazilian legislation, in certain circumstances, allows the creation of a single audit committee for the financial operating companies (such as XP CCTVM, Banco XP, XP DTVM and XP Serviços Financeiros DTVM) of an economic group. Ombudsman Pursuant to CMN Resolution No. 4,860 of October 23, 2020, financial institutions (such as XP CCTVM and Banco XP) and other entities authorized to operate by the Central Bank are required to create an Ombudsman to establish an independent communication channel between the institutions and their clients, while observing strict compliance with consumer protection legislation and seeking improvement and enhancement of products, consumer services and other services. The Ombudsman shall be the responsibility of an appointed officer (who can also be the ombudsman himself, however, such person shall not be in charge of any other activity in the financial institution) and shall be compatible with the activities of the institution, as well as the complexity of its operations. Those institutions that are part of a financial conglomerate shall be authorized to implement a single Ombudsman to assist the entire conglomerate. The following are the ombudsman department’s responsibilities: (1) receiving, recording, instructing, analyzing and providing formal and adequate attention to claims from clients and users of products and services of financial institutions; (2) providing clarification regarding the status of a claim and information as to when a response is expected to be given; (3) sending a final answer by the date on which a response is required; (4) keeping the board of directors or, if one does not exist, the financial institution’s board of executive officers, informed of the problems and shortcomings detected in the performance of its duties and the results of the actions taken by the financial institution’s officers to resolve them; and (5) preparing and sending to the internal audit department, to the audit committee (if one exists), and to the board of directors (or if one does not exist, to the board of executive officers of the financial institution), at the end of each fiscal semester, a quantitative and qualitative report on the ombudsman department’s activities and its performance. The financial institutions must report and keep up-to-date information on the officer in charge of the Ombudsman. Such officer shall prepare a semiannual report (on June 30 and December 31 of each year) and whenever a material event is determined, in accordance with the Central Bank’s instructions. In addition, Brazilian law allows for the creation of a single ombudsman department structure for a group of related companies, such that a single ombudsman department can be responsible for all financial institutions that are part of the same group. Any financial institution carrying out leasing transactions, however, shall create its own segregated ombudsman structure. Insurance companies (such as XP VP) are likewise required by local insurance regulations (CNSP Resolution No. 445/2022) to have an Ombudsman with a substantially similar purpose and responsibilities as those described above. Whistleblowing/Hotline Pursuant to CMN Resolution No. 4,859 of October 23, 2020, financial institutions (such as XP CCTVM and Banco XP) are required to have a whistleblower hotline (canal de denúncias), through which their employees, clients, contractors and/or suppliers may anonymously report situations involving potential illicit activities of any nature related to the financial institution. Accordingly, financial institutions are required to appoint a responsible department for forwarding all reported events to the appropriate departments for further handling. This department is also required to prepare reports semiannually detailing, at minimum, the following information relating to each reported event: (1) number of reported events and their nature; (2) the relevant departments that handled them; and (3) the average time frame and relevant measures adopted to solve them. Such reports must be (a) approved by the board of directors of the financial institution or, absent the board of directors, by its officers; and (b) made available to the Central Bank for at least five years. 81 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Foreign Investment in National Financial Institutions In accordance with Article 192 of the Constitution, Article 52, II, of the Brazilian Transitory Constitutional Rulings enacted in 1988, or “ADCT,” foreign investors (regardless of being an individual or entity and irrespective of their nationality) are prevented from controlling, acquiring or increasing equity interest held in a Brazilian financial institution, directly or indirectly, unless there is a bilateral international treaty or such foreign acquisition or increase is in the interest of the Brazilian government. Until September 26, 2019, the interest of the Brazilian government for such foreign acquisition of voting or nonvoting equity interest in financial institutions was determined by specific Presidential Decree. On September 26, 2019, the Brazilian president enacted Decree No. 10,029, transferring to the Central Bank the authority to approve foreign investments in Brazilian financial institutions, eliminating the necessity of specific presidential decree on a case-by-case basis. Decree 10,029 was regulated by Circular No. 3,977 of January 22, 2020, providing that the acquisition of voting or nonvoting equity interest in a Brazilian financial institution by foreign investors, held directly or indirectly, will depend only on the Central Bank’s prior approval. On November 13, 2019, the Central Bank authorized direct or indirect foreign investments in XP CCTVM and Banco XP of up to 100% of their respective capital stock. Furthermore, a Presidential Decree of December 9, 1996, declared that it is in the interest of the Brazilian government to allow foreign investors to acquire non-voting shares issued by Brazilian financial institutions that are traded on a stock exchange. Such Decree is generally applicable to all Brazilian financial institutions. Corporate Interest Held by Financial Institutions in Nonfinancial Companies Pursuant to CMN Resolution No. 5,043 of November 25, 2022, as amended, or “CMN Resolution No. 5,043,” financial institutions may only directly or indirectly hold equity in legal entities (incorporated locally or abroad) that supplement or subsidize the financial institutions’ activities, provided that they obtain prior authorization from the Central Bank and that the invested entity does not hold, directly or indirectly, equity of the referred financial institution. However, this requirement for authorization does not apply to (1) equity interests typically held in the investment portfolios of investment banks, development banks, development agencies (agências de fomento) and multiservice banks with investment or development portfolios; and (2) temporary equity interests not registered as permanent assets and not subject to consolidation of the financial institution. Regulation of Branches and Subsidiaries As provided by CMN Resolution No. 5,043, Central Bank authorization is required for operations of foreign branches or subsidiaries of Brazilian financial institutions, including compliance with the following rules: (1) the institution must be in compliance with operational limits and minimum capital and equity requirements currently in force; (2) the entity must carry out complementary or subsidiary activities to those of the institution holding the equity interest; (3) consistency with the institution´s operating strategy. In addition, the Central Bank will only grant such authorization if it has access to information, data and documents relating to the operations and accounting records of such subsidiary financial institutions abroad. In addition, the failure by a Brazilian bank to comply with the requirements of CMN Resolution No. 5,043 would cause the deduction of a designated percentage of the assets of such branch or subsidiary from the net worth of such bank for the purpose of calculating such bank’s compliance with the capital adequacy requirements of the Central Bank, on top of the other penalties imposed pursuant to the applicable regulation, including the cancellation of the Central Bank’s authorization. CMN Resolution No. 4,970 sets forth the Central Bank requirements and procedures for approving the establishment, authorization to operate, cancellation of authorization, changes of control and corporate reorganizations of Brazilian financial institutions. Such resolution further requires the Central Bank’s approval for the election and confirmation of directors, executive officers and members of the audit committee as set forth in the company’s bylaws. In addition, under the terms of CMN Resolution No. 5,043, the Central Bank’s prior authorization is also required in order for Brazilian financial institutions to: (1) acquire equity interests, directly or indirectly, in any entity incorporated in Brazil or abroad; (2) increase equity interests, directly or indirectly, in subsidiaries abroad; and/or (3) establish a branch abroad. Legislation Applicable to Insurance Brokerage Firms in Brazil XP VP is a Brazil-based insurance company formed in 2018 and licensed by SUSEP to operate in the life and private retirement lines, focusing primarily on the distribution of its products to individuals through XP’s proprietary digital platform. As a local insurer, XP Seguros is subject to the insurance laws and regulation generally applicable to life and private retirement carriers in Brazil. 82 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents XP CS is an insurance brokerage company focused on life and retirement insurance brokerage, duly licensed by SUSEP to operate in the insurance market as per SUSEP Circular Letter No. 510 of January 22, 2015, and registered with SUSEP under No. 10,0628468. Therefore, it is subject to the applicable legislation and regulation applicable to insurance brokers. Insurance companies such as XP Seguros and XP VP are required to be duly licensed by SUSEP in order to operate in any given insurance field and are subject to the local legal and regulatory framework governing their operations, governance, solvency, products, accounting, actuarial standards and other technical aspects of their business. By engaging in the insurance business, XP Seguros is subject to a number of regulatory risks, such as (1) changes in solvency and minimum capital regulation, which could result in the need for increased capital to cover new solvency requirements and/or in the divestment of certain classes of assets; (2) changes in product regulation, which could materially alter the way in which the company’s products are created, sold or operated in general; (3) intervention and/or liquidation proceedings by SUSEP in the event of solvency-sensitive scenarios, which could lead to material deviations or interruptions to the company’s ordinary course of business and/or regulatory sanctions upon the company and its management; and (4) incurrence of fines and other penalties (such as temporary suspension of activities or license cancellation) imposed by SUSEP for perceived breaches of applicable regulation, among others. Insurance brokerage firms such as XP CS must obtain SUSEP registration and authorization for their operations, pursuant to the rules in force and in accordance with Law No. 4,594 of December 29, 1964, as amended, or “Law No. 4,594/64” and Decree-Law No. 73/66. The insurance broker, whether an individual or legal entity, is the intermediary legally authorized to solicit and promote insurance contracts accepted by the current legislation, between the insurance companies and individuals or public or private legal entities. Only duly qualified insurance brokers pursuant to Law No. 4,594/64 that have signed the insurance proposal shall be paid the brokerage fees related to each insurance modality, based on the respective tariffs, including in case of adjustment to the issued premium. It is not mandatory that an insurance brokerage company sells its insurance through intermediation. Such companies may seek clients directly. However, when a direct sale of insurance occurs, a fee must be paid to FUNENSEG. The Brazilian legislation does not establish a minimum brokerage fee in such cases. Under the applicable regulation, insurance brokerage companies, such as XP CS, are obligated to prove technical certification of all their employees and workers who directly participate in the regulation and settlement of insurance claims, customer service and direct sales of insurance, capitalization and open supplementary retirement products. Such certification shall be provided by an institution of recognized technical capacity, duly accredited by SUSEP. Insured persons and insurance firms can pursue civil action against insurance brokers for losses incurred as a result of intentional malfeasance or negligence caused by brokerage activity. In case of noncompliance with the regulatory rules, in addition to the legal sanctions, insurance brokers and managers are subject to fines, temporary suspension from the exercise of the profession or registration cancellation. Regulation Applicable to the Controlled Companies Outside Brazil XP Investments – United States of America XP Investments is registered as a securities broker-dealer with the SEC and in thirty U.S. states and territories, and is a member of FINRA, a self-regulatory organization, or “SRO,” subject to SEC oversight. Consequently, XP Investments and its personnel are subject to extensive requirements under the Exchange Act, state securities laws and SEC and FINRA rules, including requirements relating to, among other things, sales and trading practices, recordkeeping, anti-money laundering, financial and other reporting, supervision, misuse of material nonpublic information and the conduct and qualifications of certain personnel. SEC-registered broker-dealers are also subject to capital requirements, which mandate that they maintain minimum levels of capital, or “net capital,” and effectively require that a significant portion of a broker-dealer’s assets be kept in relatively liquid form. SEC and FINRA rules also require notification when a broker-dealer’s net capital falls below certain predefined criteria, limit the ratio of subordinated debt to equity in a broker-dealer’s regulatory capital composition and constrain the ability of a broker-dealer to expand its business or distribute capital under certain circumstances. XP Investments is also registered with the CFTC as a swap dealer, an introducing broker and is a member of the NFA, an SRO that regulates certain CFTC-registrants. CFTC-registered introducing brokers are subject to expansive requirements under the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC and NFA rules, including requirements relating to, among other things, sales practices, regulatory capital, anti-money laundering, financial reporting, supervision and recordkeeping. 83 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents The violation of laws, rules or regulation that govern the activities of an SEC-registered broker-dealer or CFTC-registered introducing broker could result in administrative or court proceedings, censures, fines, penalties, disgorgement, suspension or expulsion from a certain jurisdiction, SRO or market, the revocation or limitation of licenses, the issuance of cease-and-desist orders or injunctions or the suspension or disqualification of the entity and/or its officers, employees or other associated persons. C. Organizational Structure We are a Cayman Islands exempted company incorporated with limited liability on August 29, 2019 for purposes of effectuating our initial public offering. At the time of our incorporation, XP Controle (the predecessor-in-interest to XP Control), Itaú Unibanco (the predecessor-in-interest to ITB Holding and Itaú Unibanco Holding), G.A. Brasil IV Fundo de Investimento em Participações (the predecessor-in-interest to GA Bermuda) and DYNA III held 2,036,988,542 shares (prior to giving effect to the Share Split) of XP Brazil, which were all of the shares of XP Brazil, our Brazilian principal non-operating holding company at the time. The table below is a list of our subsidiaries, joint ventures and associated companies: % of Group’s interest (i) Entity name Country of incorporation Principal activities 2025 2024 2023 Directly controlled XPAC Sponsor LLC Cayman Special Purpose Acquisition (SPAC) Sponsor 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XProject LTD Cayman Holding 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP Holding International LLC USA International financial holding 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP Advisory US USA Investment advisor 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP Holding UK Ltd UK International financial holding 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP Finance Holding S.A. (vi) Brazil Financial holding 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % Indirectly controlled XP Investimentos S.A. Brazil Holding 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP Investimentos Corretora de Câmbio, Títulos e Valores Mobiliários S.A. Brazil Broker-dealer 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP Vida e Previdência S.A. (ii) Brazil Retirement plans and insurance 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % Banco XP S.A. Brazil Multipurpose bank 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XPE Infomoney Educação Assessoria Empresarial e Participações Ltda. Brazil Digital content services 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % Tecfinance Informática e Projetos de Sistemas Ltda. Brazil Rendering of IT services 99.70 % 99.70 % 99.70 % XP Corretora de Seguros Ltda. Brazil Insurance broker 99.99 % 99.99 % 99.99 % XP Gestão de Recursos Ltda. Brazil Asset management 95.76 % 95.80 % 95.50 % XP Finanças Assessoria Financeira Ltda. Brazil Investment consulting services 99.99 % 99.99 % 99.99 % Infostocks Informações e Sistemas Ltda. Brazil Mediation of information systems 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP Advisory Gestão Recursos Ltda. Brazil Asset management 95.55 % 99.53 % 99.53 % XP Vista Asset Management Ltda. Brazil Asset management 99.99 % 99.99 % 99.99 % XP Controle 4 Participações S.A. Brazil Insurance holding 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP Investments UK LLP UK Inter-dealer broker and Organized Trading Facility (OTF) 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP Private Holding UK Ltd UK Investment Advisor — % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP Investments US, LLC US Broker-dealer 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP PE Gestão de Recursos Ltda. Brazil Asset management 98.00 % 97.90 % 98.10 % XP Allocation Asset Management Ltda. Brazil Asset management 99.96 % 99.97 % 99.97 % XP Eventos Ltda. Brazil Media and events 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % DM10 Corretora de Seguros Ltda. Brazil Insurance broker — % — % 100.00 % XP Comercializadora de Energia Ltda. Brazil Energy trading 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP Distribuidora de Títulos e Valores Mobiliários Brazil Securities dealer 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % Instituto de Gestão e Tecnologia da Informação Ltda. Brazil Educational content services 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % Xtage Intermediação S.A. Brazil Digital assets 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP Administradora de Benefícios Ltda. Brazil Individual health plan intermediation 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % 84 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents XP Corretora de Seguros Riscos Brazil Retirement plans and insurance 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP Representação Seguros Ltda. Brazil Insurance broker 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % Banco Modal S.A. (iii) Brazil Multipurpose bank — % 100.00 % 100.00 % Modal Assessoria Financeira Ltda. Brazil Investment consulting services 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP Serviços Financeiros DTVM Ltda. (v) Brazil Securities dealer 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % Modalmais Treinamento e Desenvolvimento Ltda. Brazil Professional training services — % — % 100.00 % XP Holding Participações Brazil Insurance broker — % 100.00 % 100.00 % Eleven Serviços de Consultoria e Análise S.A. (iii) Brazil Investment consulting services — % 100.00 % 100.00 % Banking and Trading Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda. (“Carteira Global”) Brazil Softwares development services — % — % 100.00 % Refinaria de Dados – Análise de Dados Ltda. Brazil Digital content services — % — % 100.00 % Hum Bilhão Educação Financeira Ltda. Brazil Digital content services — % — % 100.00 % Vaivoa Educação Financeira Ltda. Brazil Digital content services — % — % 100.00 % Modal As a Service S.A. Brazil Financial services — % — % 100.00 % Galapos Consultoria e Participações Ltda. Brazil Consulting services 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % W2D Tecnologia e Soluções Ltda. Brazil Rendering of IT services — % — % 100.00 % XP Controle 5 Participações Ltda. Brazil Holding 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % XP Sports Asset Management Ltda. Brazil Asset management 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % Our material subsidiaries and a summary of their operations are as follows: XP Investimentos Corretora de Câmbio, Títulos e Valores Mobiliários S.A., or “XP CCTVM” XP CCTVM, our 100% owned indirect subsidiary incorporated in Brazil, is a Brazilian broker-dealer entity and the core entity of the group, with the highest concentration of the group’s employees. All retail clients of XP Investimentos (including XP Direct and through our IFA network), Clear and Rico brands onboard and access all the products in our investment platform through XP CCTVM. In addition, it provides brokerage and issuer services to institutional and corporate clients. XP CCTVM had assets of R$103,289 million (representing 41.5% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2023, R$154,407 million (representing 44.4% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2024, and R$132,881 million (representing 33.5% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2025. XP CCTVM recorded total revenue and income of R$7,832 million during 2023 (representing 52.7% of our consolidated total revenue and income), R$7,693 million during 2024 (representing 45.2% of our consolidated total revenue and income) and R$8,493 million during 2025 (representing 46.2% of our consolidated total revenue and income). XP Gestão de Recursos Ltda., or “XP Gestão” XP Gestão, our 100% owned indirect subsidiary incorporated in Brazil in 2005, was the first asset management firm within the group. It manages mutual funds focused on stocks and macro strategies, which are distributed to our retail clients via XP CCTVM and to institutional clients. XP Gestão had assets of R$108 million (representing 0.04% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2023, R$89 million (representing 0.03% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2024 and R$54 million (representing 0.01% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2025. XP Gestão recorded total revenue and income of R$91 million during 2023 (representing 0.6% of our consolidated total revenue and income), R$63 million during 2024 (representing 0.4% of our consolidated total revenue and income) and R$46 million during 2025 (representing 0.3% of our consolidated total revenue and income). XP Advisory Gestão de Recursos Ltda., or “XP Advisory” XP Advisory, our 100% owned indirect subsidiary incorporated in Brazil, is a Brazilian asset management firm focused on single client mandates, including managing exclusive funds and managed portfolios for our high-net-worth retail clients via XP CCTVM and managing proprietary treasury funds that constitute part of our Adjusted Gross Financial Assets. XP Advisory had assets of R$48 million (representing 0.02% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2023, R$30 million (representing 0.01% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2024 and R$39 million (representing 0.01% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2025. XP Advisory recorded total revenue and income of R$49 million during 2023 (representing 0.3% of our consolidated total revenue and income), R$36 million during 2024 (representing 0.2% of our consolidated total revenue and income) and R$39 million during 2025 (representing 0.2% of our consolidated total revenue and income). 85 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents XP Vista Asset Management Ltda., or “XP Vista” XP Vista, our 100% owned indirect subsidiary incorporated in Brazil and acquired in 2018, is a Brazilian asset management firm focused on managing passive mutual funds that track market indexes, and mutual and investment funds focused on fixed income, credit, real estate, infrastructure and other alternative strategies, which are distributed to our retail clients (via XP CCTVM) and institutional clients. XP Vista had assets of R$266 million (representing 0.1% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2023, R$332 million (representing 0.1% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2024 and R$380 million (representing 0.1% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2025. XP Vista recorded total revenue and income of R$225 million during 2023 (representing 1.7% of our consolidated total revenue and income), R$317 million during 2024 (representing 1.9% of our consolidated total revenue and income) and R$359 million during 2025 (representing 1.9% of our consolidated total revenue and income). XP Corretora de Seguros Ltda., or “XP Seguros” XP Seguros, our 100% owned indirect subsidiary incorporated in Brazil in founded in 2008, is a Brazilian insurance broker focused on providing retirement plans, both from our insurance company and from third-party insurance companies, and life insurance products from third-party insurance companies. XP Seguros provides such products to our retail clients through our platform. XP Seguros had assets of R$134 million (representing 0.1% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2023, R$229 million (representing 0.1% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2024 and R$336 million (representing 0.1% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2025. XP Seguros recorded total revenue and income of R$43 million during 2023 (representing 0.3% of our consolidated total revenue and income), R$144 million during 2024 (representing 0.8% of our consolidated total revenue and income) and R$310 million during 2025 (representing 1.7% of our consolidated total revenue and income). XP Investments US, LLC, or “XP Investments” XP Investments, our 100% owned indirect subsidiary incorporated in the United States and founded in 2010, is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and FINRA, as well as an interdealer broker member with the NFA. With offices in New York and Miami, its key businesses include providing securities brokerage services for institutional and retail investors (most of which are Brazilian) and interdealer brokerage services for institutional traders. XP Investments had assets of R$907 million (representing 0.4% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2023, R$1,252 million (representing 0.4% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2024, and R$1,037 million (representing 0.3% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2025. XP Investments recorded total revenue and income of R$481 million during 2023 (representing 3.2% of our consolidated total revenue and income), R$627 million during 2024 (representing 3.7% of our consolidated total revenue and income) and R$705 million during 2025 (representing 3.8% of our consolidated total revenue and income). XPE Infomoney Educação Assessoria Empresarial e Participações Ltda., or “XP Educação” XP Educação, our 100% owned indirect subsidiary incorporated in Brazil in 2003, focuses on our digital content services, including developing and selling financial education courses and events online and in person to retail clients. XP Educação had assets of R$60 million (representing 0.02% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2023, R$62 million (representing 0.02% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2024 and R$66 million (representing 0.02% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2025. XP Educação recorded total revenue and income of R$2 million during 2023 (representing 0.01% of our consolidated total revenue and income), R$70 million during 2024 (representing 0.0004% of our consolidated total revenue and income) and R$62 million during 2025 (representing 0.0003% of our consolidated total revenue and income). XP Vida e Previdência S.A., or “XP VP” XP VP, our 100% owned indirect subsidiary incorporated in Brazil in 2017, as a life insurance and retirement plans provider in Brazil. On September 5, 2018, the Superintendence of Private Insurance (Superintendência de Seguros Privados), or “SUSEP,” granted it the authorization to operate as an insurance company in Brazil, and it became operational in April 2019. XP VP had assets of R$56,860 million (representing 23% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2023, R$66,645 million (representing 19.2% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2024 and R$93,577 million (representing 23.6% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2025. XP VP recorded total revenue and income of R$271 million during 2023 (representing 1.8% of our consolidated total revenue and income), R$308 million during 2024 (representing 1.8% of our consolidated total revenue and income) and R$442 million during 2025 (representing 2.4% of our consolidated total revenue and income). 86 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Banco XP S.A. Banco XP, our 100% owned indirect subsidiary incorporated in Brazil in 2019, as a financial institution in Brazil. On October 11, 2019, the Central Bank authorized Banco XP to operate as a multipurpose bank, with both commercial and investment banking activities, as well as to carry out transactions in the foreign exchange market. Banco XP had assets of R$114,726 million (representing 46.1% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2023, R$188,670 million (representing 54.3% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2024 and R$208,537 million (representing 52.6% of our consolidated assets) as of December 31, 2025. Banco XP recorded total revenue and income of R$689 million during 2023 (representing 4.6% of our consolidated total revenue and income), R$298 million during 2024 (representing 1.8% of our consolidated total revenue and income) and a loss of R$2,458 million during 2025 (representing (13.4)% of our consolidated total revenue and income). For the purposes of the foregoing, the assets amounts refer to assets held by each entity directly, as well as their investments in other subsidiaries of ours (not presented on a consolidated basis) in relation to the Group consolidated total assets. Total revenue and income amounts are presented for each entity on a consolidated basis in relation to the Group consolidated total revenue and income. For more details about our organizational structure please refer to note 5 to our audited consolidated financial statements. D. Property, Plants and Equipment Intellectual Property We rely on a combination of trademark, domain names and trade secret laws, as well as employee and third-party nondisclosure, confidentiality and other types of contractual arrangements to establish, maintain and enforce our intellectual property rights, including with respect to our proprietary rights related to our products and services. In addition, we license technology from third parties. As of December 31, 2025, we did not own any Brazil-issued patents or copyrights. We own a number of trademarks including XP, XP Investimentos, XP Private, RICO CORRETORA, CLEAR CORRETORA DE VALORES, INFOMONEY and TECFINANCE, as well as XP Inc, in the United States, and other valuable trademarks and designs covering various brands, products, programs and services, including EXPERT CONVENÇÃO NACIONAL XP INVESTIMENTOS. We also own a number of domain names registered in Brazil, including “xp.com.br,” “leadr.com.br,” “rico.com.br,” “clear.com.br” and “infomoney.com.br,” and abroad such as “xpi.us.” As of December 31, 2025, we held a 21.83% equity interest in “O Primo Rico Midia, Educacional e Participações Ltda.,” with the remaining interest held by our partner, Thiago Lolkus Nigro, which owns the trademark PRIMO RICO. Properties Our corporate headquarters are located in Rio de Janeiro, we have an executive office located in Belo Horizonte and our principal executive offices, which include the majority of our product development, sales, marketing and business operations, are located in São Paulo. Our principal executive offices consist of approximately 129,895 square feet of space under a lease that expires in December 2027. We also have offices in other locations, including offshore in the United States of America and believe our facilities are sufficient for our current needs. As of December 31, 2025, we had a services agreement with a data center service provider for the provision of data services to us from its data centers in the cities of Barueri and Santana do Parnaíba, in the State of São Paulo, Brazil (which are located approximately five miles apart). We believe that our facilities are suitable and adequate for our business as presently conducted; however, we expect to continue our periodical review of our facility requirements and may acquire new space to meet the needs of our business or consolidate and dispose of facilities that are no longer required.
The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 and for years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 and the notes thereto, included el…
The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 and for years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 and the notes thereto, included elsewhere in this annual report. 87 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth in “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors.” A. Operating Results Overview XP is a leading, technology-driven platform and a trusted provider of low-fee financial products and services in Brazil. We have developed a mission-driven culture and a business model that we believe provide us with strong competitive advantages in our market. We use these to disintermediate the legacy models of traditional financial institutions by educating new classes of investors, democratizing access to a wider range of financial services, developing new financial products and technology applications to empower our clients, and providing what we believe is the highest-quality customer service experience in the industry in Brazil. We believe we have established ourselves as the leading alternative to the traditional banks, with a large ecosystem of retail investors, institutions and corporate issuers in local and international markets, with offices in Brazil, New York and Miami. Our XP Business Model has been developed over the course of our evolution and enables us to go to market in a very different way from the legacy models of the large traditional financial institutions. We believe our model provides us with a unique value proposition for our clients and partners and has enabled us to instill trust in the XP brands and begin to change the way investment services are sold in Brazil. This proprietary approach incorporates a unique combination of capabilities, services and technologies to deliver a highly differentiated and integrated client experience, with significant operating efficiency advantages that have enabled us to scale and grow profitably. Our technology-driven business model is asset-light and highly scalable. This enables us to generate scale efficiencies from increases in total Client Assets. We conduct most of our business online and through mobile applications and emphasize operational efficiency and profitability throughout our operations. These operating efficiencies enable us to generate strong cash flow in various market conditions, allowing us to continue investing in the growth of our business. Our business requires minimal capital expenditures to facilitate growth, with capital expenditures amounting to 2.7% of net revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025. 88 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Key Business Metrics The following table sets forth our key business metrics as of and for the periods indicated. These supplemental business metrics are presented to assist investors to better understand our business and how it operates. As of and for the year ended December 31, 2025 2024 2023 Operating Metrics (Unaudited) Total Client Assets (in R$ billions) 1,491 1,286 1,122 Total Net Inflow (in R$ billions) 94.3 108.8 104.9 Annualized Retail Take Rate 1.25 % 1.29 % 1.28 % Active clients (in R$ thousands) 4,762 4,684 4,531 Headcount (EoP) 8,093 7,442 6,669 Total Advisors 18.0 18.2 17.2 Retail DATs (in R$ millions) 2.2 2.3 2.2 Retirement Plans Client Assets (in R$ billions) 95 81 73 Cards TPV (in R$ billion) 53 48 41 Loan Portfolio (in R$ billion) 35 29 29 Financial metrics (in R$ millions) Gross revenue and income 19,434 17,988 15,726 Retail (1) 14,584 13,489 11,791 Institutional 1,373 1,373 1,516 Corporate & Issuer Services(1) 2,733 2,289 1,576 Other 743 837 842 Total Revenue and Income 18,399 17,031 14,860 Gross Margin (%)(²) 68.2 % 68.6 % 68.0 % EBT 5,449 4,986 3,936 EBT Margin (%)(³) 29.6 % 29.3 % 26.5 % Net Income 5,169 4,515 3,899 Net Margin (%)(4) 28.1 % 26.5 % 26.2 % Adjusted Net Income 5,218 4,544 3,899 Adjusted Net Margin (%)(4) 28.4 % 26.7 % 26.2 % (1)Revenues associated with corporate clients, companies with annual revenues above R$700 million, were segregated from retail clients, which include individuals and companies with lower revenues. The change was motivated by the growth of the Corporate business. Revenue from Corporate clients is being reported in Corporate & Issuer Services. (2)Calculated as total revenue and income less operating costs, including expected credit losses, and divided by total revenue and income. (3)Calculated as income before income tax divided by total revenue and income. (4)Calculated as Net Income divided by total revenue and income. Total Client Assets Total client assets represent the aggregated value, as of the applicable measurement date, of assets serviced by XP across its different service models – including investment advisory, self-directed brokerage, and financial and wealth planning services, among others. Retail – Active Clients Active clients are the number of total clients served through XP, Rico, Clear and XP Investments brands, with Client Assets above R$100.00 or that have transacted at least once in the last thirty days. The majority of clients are individuals, but we also include retail, small and medium-sized enterprise clients and corporate clients that have investment accounts with us. 89 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Retail – Gross Total Revenues Retail gross total revenues include all types of revenue and income streams directly related to retail clients, including, but not limited to: (1) management and performance fees from funds managed by our asset managers, and rebates from management and performance fees from mutual funds managed by third-party asset managers, that are distributed to our retail clients; (2) rebates from management fees from retirement plans funds issued by third-party insurance companies or XP VP that are distributed to our retail clients; (3) management fees from exclusive funds of high net worth retail clients; (4) brokerage commissions earned on trading of stock, futures and derivatives listed on the B3 (although we charge zero commissions on self-directed trading of equities on Rico and Clear, and of futures on the three brands); (5) securities placement fees earned on structured operations certificates (COEs) sales to retail clients; (6) the distribution fee component from securities placement fees earned on the sale of funds and fixed income and equity securities to retail clients; (7) net income from corporate, bank and government fixed income securities and from derivatives sold to retail clients; (8) net interest income from credit products, such as loans and credit cards (interchange fees included), and (9) net income earned on Float Balances, which we allocate in sovereign bonds; (10) net income earned on demand deposits; (11) insurance brokerage fees from insurance products sold to retail clients from third-party insurance companies and premiums from insurance products sold to retail clients by XP VP; (12) Digital Content revenues generated from selling XP Educação educational courses and content sold to retail clients and to non-client individuals, selling branded content articles, direct media advertisements on websites or mobile sites, Infomoney TV insertions, and other advertising and digital content fees generated by Infomoney; and (13) sale of research reports and educational courses to retail clients and other non-client subscribers. A portion of our management fees is calculated based on the performance of the mutual funds we manage or distribute. Institutional – Gross Total Revenues Institutional gross total revenues include all types of revenue and income streams directly related to Institutional clients — asset managers, pension fund managers, bank treasuries and private client desks, single and multi-family offices, corporate client treasuries, municipal and state pension fund managers and insurance companies, among others. These clients, across all regions such as Asia, Europe, the United States and Latin America (mainly Brazil), are served through our onshore and offshore trading desks and dedicated support teams in São Paulo and New York, both via electronic trading and voice platforms, and access a wide range of products and services, including products such as equities (cash, derivatives, stocks lending and index), fixed income government and corporate bonds, FX (spot, NDF, futures, derivatives), rates (futures, swaps and derivatives), commodities, XP Gestão and XP Vista mutual funds, among others. Therefore, we include in this line: (1) brokerage commissions on trades by Institutional clients; (2) the distribution fee component out of securities placement fees earned on the sale of fixed income and equity securities to Institutional clients; (3) management fees from funds managed by our asset managers and XP Vista and sold to Institutional clients; and (4) net income from corporate, bank and government fixed income securities and from derivatives sold to Institutional clients, among others. A portion of our management fees are calculated based on the performance of the mutual funds we manage or distribute. Corporate & Issuer Services – Gross Total Revenues Corporate & Issuer Services gross total revenues include capital markets security placement fees earned from corporate clients that hire XP for structuring, underwriting or placement of debt (such as Debentures, Infrastructure Bonds, CRIs, CRAs, FIDCs, LFs) or equity securities (IPOs, follow-ons, block trades and tender offers), the majority of which are sold to our retail clients given the breadth and reach of our platform. Corporate & Issuer Services revenues also include services such as M&A advisory, structured finance operations and other services, including derivatives, credit and treasury solutions. We define our corporate clients as entities with more than R$700 million in annual revenue. Other – Gross Total Revenues We include in Other gross revenues and income not allocated to Retail, Institutional and Corporate & Issuer Services solution categories, such as principal trading operations, which consists of investing our own net cash balances in low-risk securities, arbitrage transactions and other investments with limited exposure to market risk. 90 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Review of 2025 Results Retail – Our number of active clients increased 2%, from 4,684 thousand as of December 31, 2024 to 4,762 thousand as of December 31, 2025. Retail daily average trades were 2.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 2.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Retail Client Assets increased 17%, from R$1,081 billion as of December 31, 2024 to R$1,260 billion as of December 31, 2025, driven primarily by net inflows and the growth of our client base. Retail Gross Total Revenues increased 8%, from R$13,489 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 to R$14,584 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, mainly reflecting (i) growth in Client Assets and (ii) product mix and performance across solutions, including fixed income and certain cross-sell activities. Institutional – Institutional Gross Total Revenues totaled R$1,373 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, stable from R$1,373 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Corporate & Issuer Services — Corporate & Issuer Services Gross Total Revenues totaled R$2,733 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, a 19% increase from R$2,289 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. This increase was primarily attributable to stronger Debt Capital Markets activity, higher advisory-related revenues and our ability to cross-sell and deliver a broader set of solutions to our Corporate Clients, such as derivatives and credit. Corporate & issuer and institutional activities together represent our wholesale-related performance, which may vary with capital markets conditions, issuance volumes, spreads and the timing of transactions. As a result, our total revenue and income increased 15%, from R$17,031 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 to R$18,399 million for the year ended December 31, 2025. Selling expenses increase 98%, from R$149 million to R$294 million, for the year ended December 31, 2025 and administrative expenses increased 7%, from R$6,001 to R$6,419 million for the same period, driven by higher personnel expenses and data processing. The increase in expenses and revenue resulted in a 9% higher income before income tax. Our tax expense was R$192 million lower in the year ended December 31, 2025, resulting in a higher net income, from R$4,515 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 to R$5,169 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, and a net margin increase from 26.5% to 28.1%. Adjusted Net Income also increase from R$4,544 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 to R$5,218 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, and a adjusted net margin increase from 26.7% to 28.4%. Review of 2024 Results Retail – Our number of active clients increased 3%, from 4,531 thousand as of December 31, 2023 to 4,684 thousand as of December 31, 2024. The daily average trades for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 2.3 million, 4% lower compared with the year ended December 31, 2023. Driven by a monthly average net inflow of R$9 billion, our Total Client Assets increased 9% from R$1,122 billion as of December 31, 2023 to R$1,227 billion as of December 31, 2024. Also, there’s a natural organic growth due to the expansion of our client base. Retail Gross Total Revenues increased 14% from R$11,791 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 to R$13,489 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, attributable mostly to (1) growth in the client base and total Client Assets and (2) increased performance from products such as fixed income, credit cards and other retail revenue. Institutional – gross revenues totaled R$1,373 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, a 9% decrease from R$1,516 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, mainly due to lower trading activity. Corporate & Issuer Services – gross revenues totaled R$2,289 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, a 45% increase from R$1,576 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This increase was attributable to a strong performance in Debt Capital Markets (DCM). The robust activity in DCM was driven by (1) favorable market conditions, that allowed the company to capitalize on high demand for debt financing solutions, thereby securing substantial deal flow and revenue, and (2) a lower cost of capital and funding for XP, which increase our competitiveness in underwriting . Simultaneously, the company experienced higher M&A advisory fees, reflecting its strategic effectiveness in navigating complex transactions and integrations for clients, along with more transactions with corporate clients with derivative instruments. 91 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents As a result, our total revenue and income increased 15%, from R$14,860 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 to R$17,031 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The year ended December 31, 2024 was also marked by an increase in technology solutions associated with new products, infrastructure and also in expanding our employee base. Selling expenses decreased 12%, from R$169 million to R$149 million, for the year ended December 31, 2024 and administrative expenses increased 10%, from R$5,461 million to R$6,001 million for the same period, driven by higher personnel expenses and data processing. The increase in expenses and revenue resulted in a 27% higher income before income tax. Our tax expense was R$434 million higher in the year ended December 31, 2024, resulting in a higher net income, from R$3,899 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 to R$4,515 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, and a net margin increase from 26.2% to 26.5%. Adjusted Net Income also increase from R$3,899 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 to R$4,544 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, and adjusted net margin increase from 26.2% to 26.7%. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This annual report presents our Adjusted Net Income and its respective reconciliation for the convenience of investors, which is a non-GAAP financial measures. A non-GAAP financial measure is generally defined as a numerical measure of historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flows that purports to measure financial performance but excludes or includes amounts that would not be so adjusted in the most comparable GAAP measure. For further information on why our management chooses to use these non-GAAP financial measures, and on the limits of using these non-GAAP financial measures, please see “Presentation of Financial and Other Information—Special Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures.” Adjusted Net Income As of December 31 2025 2025 2024 2023 (US$)(1) (R$) (in millions) Net Income 940 5,169 4,515 3,899 PSU expiration expenses 2 10 (12) — Tax expenses 7 39 41 — Adjusted Net Income 949 5,218 4,544 3,899 (1)For convenience purposes only, amounts in reais as of December 31, 2025 have been translated to U.S. dollars using an exchange rate of R$5.502 to US$1.00, the commercial selling rate for U.S. dollars as of December 31, 2025 as reported by the Central Bank. These translations should not be considered representations that any such amounts have been, could have been or could be converted at that or any other exchange rate. See “—Exchange Rates” for further information about recent fluctuations in exchange rates Significant Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations We believe that our results of operations and financial performance are driven by the following factors: Growth of Our Retail Client Assets We generate a significant portion of our revenues from fees derived from our balance of Retail Client Assets, including advisory fees, commissions, distribution fees from product manufacturers and asset management fees across various solution categories. This income is primarily driven by: •Current Balance of Retail Assets from Existing Clients – We provide our existing clients with a large range of financial products and services in which to invest their existing assets already on our platform. Depending on the mix of products and services that our clients choose, we generate numerous forms of income from our current balance of Client Assets. As our clients choose to diversify their portfolios and shift their investments from one product to another, we can generate new income from our current balance of Client Assets. •New Assets from Existing Clients – As our clients enjoy the XP client experience, many choose to add more money into their accounts. They may use these additional funds to acquire (1) a greater amount of their existing products and services or (2) diversify their portfolios by purchasing additional products and services in new categories. For example, a customer with a portfolio of equity securities may purchase additional equity products and diversify into fixed income products. As our clients add more money to their accounts, we generate additional income from the new balance of Client Assets introduced onto our platform. 92 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents •New Assets from New Clients – As our omni-channel distribution and brands continue to grow, we attract and onboard new clients onto our platform who fund their accounts with new money. We generate additional income from the new balance of Client Assets introduced by these new clients. Given the size and economies of scale of our platform and the recurring nature of our revenues due to our business model, we generate a significant amount of our revenues from our current balance of Client Assets and new Client Assets from existing clients. , versus Client Assets from new clients (activated within the last twelve months). Adoption of Our Retail Financial Products and Services We grow our Client Assets, in part, by providing an open platform that has a large and expanding base of retail financial products and services for our existing active clients to choose from. As our clients choose to diversify their portfolios and shift their investments from one product to another, we generate new income from their purchase of additional products and services. We drive the adoption of our retail financial products and services by: •Cross-Sale of Our Products and Services – Our existing clients represent a sizable opportunity to cross-sell products and services with relatively low incremental marketing and advertising expenses for us. We believe the breadth of our offerings represents an opportunity to further increase engagement with our existing clients. To the extent that we are able to cross-sell these products and services and develop and introduce new products and services to our existing clients and attract new clients, we expect our revenues and financial income to continue to grow and our margins to increase. •Development of New Products and Services – We strive to stay on the cutting edge of the financial technology solutions industry by developing and launching new products and services and intend to continue to invest in product development to build new products and services and to bring them to market. This allows us to continue to meet the needs of our clients, as these needs grow and change over time. We develop our products and services from: (1) our internal new product structuring initiatives; (2) our internal development of new services; (3) third-party vendors who provide complementary financial products and services that we do not provide ourselves; and (4) third-party vendors who provide competitive financial products and services that are similar to those that we offer or are in similar categories. We plan to continue to invest in product development in order to maintain and increase the attractiveness of our products and services. We also plan to continue integrating value-added services, including the expansion of our asset management and wealth management services to improve the popularity of our platform, enhance customer stickiness and increase revenue streams. While we expect our total expenses to increase in the short term as we plan for growth, we expect our expenses to decline as a percentage of our total revenue and income over the medium term as these investments benefit our business and our business grows. In addition, in implementing new solutions, we expect to incur initial operational investments in periods prior to the realization of any future revenues associated with this upfront investment. With the deployment of new and better technologies, management processes and training, we expect the productivity of our solutions to improve over time. Growth of Our Active Retail Clients We grow our Retail Client Assets, in part, by increasing the number of active clients who invest on our platform. We attract new active clients through our digital content initiatives, our direct online portals, such as XP Direct, Rico and Clear, and our IFA network. The number of these clients depends on several factors, including but not limited to: (1) our brand awareness and reputation; (2) the usability and popularity of our platform; (3) the user experience across the client’s journey in our ecosystem and on our platform; (4) our offerings, including access to our broad range of existing products and services and potential new solutions that add value to our clients; (5) the level of customer service and support; and (6) our ability to continue to adapt and innovate. Our ability to increase our Retail Client Assets from new clients who invest with us is an important lever of revenue growth, though it is decreasing in contribution due to the size and economies of scale of our platform and the recurring nature of our revenues due to our business model. 93 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Growth of Our Commercial Services We also generate a smaller portion of our revenues from our Issuer and Institutional services, which are complementary to our platform and enhance the value and liquidity (through the volume of unlisted securities traded through our platform in the secondary market) of our ecosystem. These include a range of financial services to over 800 commercial clients, such as institutions and corporate issuers, that generate several revenue streams, including advisory, structuring and distribution fees from issuers and commissions and asset management fees from institutions. These revenues are based on the volume of investment and capital markets activity accessed through or transacted on our platform. We have developed tailored solutions for commercial customers and intend to (1) expand our service offerings to them; (2) foster long-term partnerships with them; and (3) increase the proportion of revenues generated from them. Management and Improvement of Our Technology Platform Our technology platform is critical for us to offer high quality products and services as well as to retain and attract users and customers. We must continue to expand our platform capabilities for our users and customers and enhance our clients’ experience by improving existing, and developing new and innovative, features and services. We intend to continue strengthening the innovation, security, efficiency and effectiveness of our services, including our user-friendly interfaces, comprehensive functionalities and customer service capabilities. With the ongoing improvement of our technology infrastructure and compliance capabilities, we are able to serve more clients. Our ability to serve more clients, depends on, among other things, our ability to support all aspects of customer verification, record keeping and compliance functions using our technology and human resources. In addition, our technology infrastructure and compliance capabilities also enable us to facilitate secure, fast and cost-efficient financial transactions on our platform. We must continue to upgrade our technology infrastructure and to strengthen our compliance system to keep pace with the growth of our business. In addition, we experience cyber threats and attempted security breaches. If these were successful, these cybersecurity incidents could impact revenue and operating income and increase costs. We therefore continue to make investments, which may result in increased costs, to strengthen our cybersecurity measures. Implementation of Our Marketing Strategy Our marketing strategy is designed to grow our business and platforms by reinforcing brand recognition and confidence associated with the XP brand and our related brands. We will continue to build and maintain brand recognition and awareness, while generating demand for our products and services through a variety of marketing campaigns, including advertising through traditional media, such as television, magazines and newspapers, online advertising and advertising through digital media, such as social media accounts, social media influencers, online videos and sponsored blogs. Marketing initiatives that specifically aim to attract new customers currently focus on introducing them to our financial services and products through our platform, enhancing our brand awareness by connecting them to our history, and creating awareness of the poor services and low returns of the products offered by traditional banks. We believe that introducing our financial services and products to potential customers is the most efficient and cost-effective strategy to sustain our growth, creating a “network effect” where existing customers recruit new customers for us through word-of-mouth recommendations. Given the nature of our revenue streams, our investments in marketing and advertising campaigns do not realize returns in the same period in which they are made but over subsequent periods, which could adversely affect our short-term results. Our Ability to Compete Effectively We and our competitors compete to attract new customers and increase volume of Client Assets, attract IFAs, increase returns on customer investments, offer a broad range of products and services at competitive prices, win mandates on capital markets transactions; and introduce innovations in online digital solutions and financial services. Our ability to compete is influenced by key factors such as (1) the performance of our products and their asset classes; (2) our ability to improve our platform and launch new products and services; (3) the liquidity we provide on transactions; (4) the transaction costs we incur in providing our solutions; (5) the efficiency in the execution of transactions on our platform and through our issuer services business; (6) our ability to hire and retain talent and IFAs; and (7) our ability to maintain the security of our platform and solutions. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Competition” for more detail on our competitors. Brazilian Macroeconomic Environment Our business is impacted by overall market activity and, in particular, trading volumes and market flows and volatility. 94 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents While our business is impacted by the overall activity of the market and market volatility, this impact is partially mitigated by the fact that customers do not typically withdraw the funds they invest with us, and instead allocate them to different products we offer depending on market and macroeconomic conditions. For example, during periods of high market volatility or high interest rates, our clients tend to allocate their funds in low-risk, fixed-income instruments, and during periods of low market volatility or low interest rates, they tend to allocate their funds to higher risk, high-yield instruments such as equities. In addition, we are actively engaged in the further digitalization of our financial services and products, which will help further mitigate this impact as we believe secular growth trends can offset market volatility risk. Nevertheless, there may be changes in our clients’ preferences towards low-risk investments within the traditional banks, which could decrease our net inflows from both new and existing clients. The vast majority of our operations are located in Brazil. As a result, our revenues and profitability are subject to political and economic developments and the effect that these factors have on the availability of credit, disposable income, employment rates and GDP growth in Brazil. Our results of operations are affected by levels of interest rates, the expansion or retraction of the capital markets, trading volumes and market inflows in Brazil, each of which impacts the number and overall volume of capital markets transactions and available overall liquidity. For more information, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Certain Risks Relating to Brazil—Economic Uncertainty and Political Instability in Brazil May Harm Us and the Price of Our Class A Common Shares.” Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America, as measured by GDP. The following table shows data for real GDP, inflation and interest rates in Brazil and the U.S. dollar/real exchange rate at the dates and for the periods indicated. For the year ended December 31, 2025 2024 2023 (in percentages, except as otherwise indicated) Real growth (contraction) in gross domestic product 2.3 3.4 3.2 Inflation (IGP-M)(1) (1.1) 6.5 (3.2) Inflation (IPCA)(2) 4.3 4.8 4.6 Long-term interest rates–TJLP (average)(3) 14.3 7.6 6.6 CDI interest rate (average)(4) 10.9 10.9 13.0 Period-end exchange rate–R$ per US$1.00 0.006 6.192 4.841 Average exchange rate–R$ per US$1.00(5) 0.006 5.399 4.993 Unemployment rate(7) 5.6 6.2 7.8 Sources: FGV, IBGE, IPEA, Central Bank and Bloomberg. (1)Inflation (IGP-M) is the general market price index measured by the FGV. (2)Inflation (IPCA) is a broad consumer price index measured by the IBGE. (3)TJLP is the Brazilian long-term interest rate (average of monthly rates for the period). (4)The CDI (certificado de depósito interbancário) interest rate is an average of interbank overnight rates in Brazil (daily average for the period). (5)Average of the exchange rate on each business day of the period. (6)Comparing the US$ closing selling exchange rate as reported by the Central Bank at the end of the period’s last day with the day immediately prior to the first day of the period discussed. (7)Average unemployment rate for year as measured by the IBGE. Inflation has a direct effect on our contracts with certain suppliers, such as telecommunications operators, whose costs are indexed to the IPCA, and data processors, whose labor costs are adjusted according to inflation. While inflation may cause our suppliers to increase their prices, we are generally able to offset this effect as higher inflation typically results in higher interest rates, increasing our spreads on certain transactions. Our financial performance is also tied to fluctuations in interest rates, such as the Brazilian interbank deposit (certificado de depósito interbancário) rate, which is an average of interbank overnight rates in Brazil, or “CDI,” because such fluctuations affect the value of the net interest margins we earn on financial investments we allocate customer funds to on an overnight basis, compounding our Client Assets base as well as the potential mix of products clients are willing to invest in. Exchange Rates Brazil’s foreign exchange system permits the purchase and sale of foreign currency and the international transfer of reais by individuals and legal entities, subject to applicable regulatory procedures. The Brazilian real has historically experienced significant volatility against the U.S. dollar, and movements in the exchange rate may affect investor sentiment, cross-border flows and the valuation of assets or liabilities denominated in foreign currency, to the extent applicable. 95 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents The real/U.S. dollar exchange rate reported by the Central Bank was R$4.841 per US$1.00 as of December 31, 2023, R$6.192 per US$1.00 as of December 31, 2024 and R$5.502 per US$1.00 as of December 31, 2025. There can be no assurance that the real will not further depreciate or appreciate against the U.S. dollar. The Central Bank has previously intervened in the foreign exchange market in response to instability, and we cannot predict whether the Central Bank or the Brazilian government will continue to allow the real to float freely or may intervene in the future. In addition, Brazilian law provides that, under certain circumstances involving serious balance of payments imbalances (or the expectation of such imbalances), temporary restrictions may be imposed on remittances of foreign capital abroad. The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the high, low, average and period-end exchange rates for the purchase of U.S. dollars expressed in Brazilian reais per U.S. dollar. The average rate is calculated using the average of exchange rates reported by the Central Bank on each business day during the applicable period. Year Period-End Average(1) Low(2) High(3) 2021 5.581 5.397 4.894 5.879 2022 5.218 5.166 4.618 5.704 2023 4.841 4.995 4.720 5.446 2024 6.192 5.828 5.426 6.209 2025 5.502 5.586 5.273 6.209 Source: Central Bank. (1)Represents the average of the exchange rates on the closing of each business day during the year. (2)Represents the minimum of the exchange rates on the closing of each business day during the year. (3)Represents the maximum of the exchange rates on the closing of each business day during the year. Month Period-End Average(1) Low(2) High(3) October 2025 5.384 5.386 5.321 5.498 November 2025 5.334 5.341 5.273 5.395 December 2025 5.502 5.453 5.295 5.574 January 2026 5.230 5.388 5.184 5.437 February 2026 5.150 5.201 5.138 5.259 March 2026 5.219 5.231 5.160 5.288 April 2026 (through April 24, 2026) 5.001 5.044 4.953 5.165 Source: Central Bank. (1)Represents the average of the exchange rates on the closing of each business day during the month. (2)Represents the minimum of the exchange rates on the closing of each business day during the month. (3)Represents the maximum of the exchange rates on the closing of each business day during the month. Description of Principal Line Items Total Revenue and Income Our total revenue and income consist of (1) net revenue from services rendered; and (2) net income from financial instruments. Net Revenue from Services Rendered This is our main source of revenue, deriving mostly from services rendered and fees charged at daily transactions from customers and consisting of: •Brokerage commissions, which consist of: (1) commissions earned on trading of stock, futures and derivatives listed on the B3 by our retail clients; (2) commissions earned on trading of stock, futures and derivatives listed on the B3 by our institutional clients; (3) commissions earned on intermediation of non-deliverable-forward and other over-the-counter contracts; and (4) commissions earned on trading of US equities, futures and derivatives by our international institutional clients. •Securities placements, which consist of: (1) fees earned on COE sales to retail clients (we structure the COE based on perception of demand and attractiveness of a specific exposure under current and prospective macroeconomic scenarios, and a partner bank issues the COE); (2) structuring fees related to issuer services where we are hired by corporate clients placing fixed income, equity or exchange traded fund securities in the capital markets; (3) distribution fees on the sale of such securities to our retail and/or institutional clients; and (4) recurring fees we charge third-party financial institutions that regularly offer CDs or other bank fixed income securities to our retail clients. 96 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents •Management fees, which consist of (1) fixed and performance-based management fees from funds managed by our asset managers and sold to our clients; (2) fees from distributions (rebates from fixed and performance-based management fees) of mutual and hedge funds managed by third-party asset managers to our clients; and (3) fixed management fees from XP Advisory managed portfolios and exclusive funds for high net worth retail clients. Fixed management fees are charged on a monthly basis and performance-based management fees for the majority of our funds are charged in June and December of each year. •Insurance brokerage fees, which consist of (1) fees from distributions (rebates from fixed and performance-based management fees) of retirement plans managed by third-party asset managers sold to our retail clients; and (2) rebates on Whole Life insurance products issued by third-party insurance companies, sold to our retail clients. •Commission Fees, which consist mainly of interchange fees, related to credit card transactions, and loan operations structuring fees. •Other services, which consist of several small revenue streams, including (1) fees charged to retail clients with negative cash balances (typically as a result of margin calls related to equities and derivatives trading); (2) advertising and other digital content fees generated by Infomoney; and (3) issuer services advisory fees from M&A and other financial advisory mandates. •Deduction from sales taxes and contributions on revenues, including taxes on services (ISS) and contributions on revenues (Social Integration Program – PIS, and Social Security Program – COFINS). Net Income from Financial Instruments. A portion of our total revenue and income we generate from our investment distribution platform to retail clients and our institutional brokerage business lines are accounted for not as net revenue from services rendered but as net income from financial instruments, including through: (1) the difference between purchases and sales earned on sales of corporate, bank and government fixed income securities to our retail clients and institutional clients (some of which we purchase from the issuer and resell to the client instantaneously, and some of which we hold over short periods to leverage flow and add liquidity to the market); (2) sales of structured notes and more complex derivative instruments to our retail clients (in which we are the counterparty of the listed derivative that the client is buying to build the structured note, and we then hedge consolidated exposures in the market); (3) interest income on loans to our retail clients; and (4) interest earned on uninvested cash balances of our retail clients which we allocate to overnight and other highly liquid investments. In addition, a small portion of this revenue line is linked to our principal trading operations, which in general consist of investing our own net cash balances in conservative securities and arbitrage and other investments with little to no direct exposure. Income from financial instruments is deducted by taxes and contributions on financial income. Operating Costs and Expenses Operating costs. Operating costs primarily consist of: (1) commission and incentive costs paid to IFAs based on the revenues they generate from the retail clients that they serve and additional incentives to accelerate business expansion; (2) clearinghouse, custody and other financial services fees paid, primarily to the B3; (3) operating losses related to our activities in the ordinary course of our business; and (4) provisions for bad debts. Selling expenses. Selling expenses consist of advertising and publicity/marketing expenses, primarily in connection with our initiatives to promote our brands to retail clients. Administrative expenses. Administrative expenses primarily consist of personnel related expenses, including fixed and variable compensation, benefits and social and payroll taxes. Administrative expenses also consist of expenses related to: (1) data processing services; (2) technical services; (3) third-party services; (4) office rent; (5) depreciation and amortization; (6) communications; (7) travel; (8) legal and judicial; and (9) miscellaneous taxes. Other operating income (expenses), net. Other operating expenses, net primarily consist of: (1) incentives earned from the Brazilian Treasury Bonds (Tesouro Direto) and B3 transactions as a result of marketing campaigns to increase our number of retail clients and Client Assets of certain asset classes and incentives received from third parties, mainly due to the joint development of retail products; (2) recovery of charges and expenses; (3) reversal of operating provisions, and other income lines, net of expenses; (4) legal, administrative proceedings and agreements with customers; (5) operating losses on write-offs and disposal of assets; (6) fines and penalties; (7) charitable contributions; (8) associations and regulatory fees and (9) other expenses. Expected credit losses. Expected credit losses primarily consist of the difference between the contractual cash flows due in accordance with certain agreements and all the cash flows that we expect to receive, discounted at an approximation of the original effective interest rate. 97 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Interest expenses. Interest expenses arising from the loans, lease liabilities and debentures that we have borrowed, contracted and issued. Share of profit or (loss) in joint ventures and associates. Share of profit or (loss) in joint venture and associates is related to equity accounting. Income before Income Tax Income before income tax consists of our net revenue and income minus our operating costs, selling and administrative expenses, others deductible expenses and interest expenses. Income Tax Expense Our subsidiaries are subject to different income tax regimes and statutory rates as of December 31, 2025. Given that: (1) Banco XP is taxed at a 45% corporate income tax rate; (2) XP CCTVM, XP Seguradora and XP Investments US LLC are taxed at a 40% corporate income tax rate; (3) XP Gestão, XP Educação, XP Corretora de Seguros, XP Vista, XP Energia and holding entities are taxed at a 34% corporate income tax rate; (4) XP Finanças, Infomoney, Tecfinance, XP PE and XP Allocation and other operating entities are taxed at a 10.9% tax rate on revenues (34% corporate income tax rate on a presumed net margin of 32%); and (5) XP Investments is taxed at the U.S. Accordingly, the effective tax rate of our consolidated operations fluctuates over time according to the portion of our total net income that was generated in each of these entities. For 2025, 2024 and 2023, our effective tax rate was 5.1%, 9.4% and 0.9%, respectively. Net Income for the Year Net income for the year consists of our income before income tax minus our income taxes and social security obligations. Results of Operations Year Ended December 31, 2025, Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2024 The following table sets forth our income statement data for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024: For the years ended December 31, 2025 2024 Variation (%) (R$ millions, except for percentages) Income statement data Net revenue from services rendered 7,967 7,425 7 % Net income from financial instruments at amortized cost and at fair value through other comprehensive income (5,806) (1,766) 229 % Net income from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss 16,238 11,372 43 % Total revenue and income 18,399 17,031 8 % Operating costs and expenses Operating costs (5,463) (5,063) 8 % Selling expenses (294) (149) 98 % Administrative expenses (6,419) (6,001) 7 % Other operating income (expenses), net 128 189 (32) % Expected credit losses (392) (288) 36 % Interest expense on debt (625) (780) (20) % Share of profit or (loss) in joint ventures and associates 116 47 145 % Income before income tax 5,449 4,986 9 % Income tax expense (279) (471) (41) % Net income for the year 5,169 4,515 14 % n.m. = not meaningful. 98 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Total Revenue and Income Total revenue and income for the year ended December 31, 2025 was R$18,399 million, an increase of R$1,368 million, or 8%, from R$17,031 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Net revenues from services rendered represented an increase of R$542 million within total revenue and income, driven by: •a R$212 million increase in revenue from securities placements, primarily attributable to the increase in mandates where we acted as placement agents or underwriters for third-party transactions in the domestic and international capital markets. Despite the unfavorable scenario for equity capital markets, our debt capital markets revenue has been more relevant, as we believe it tends to be less volatile in different macroeconomic scenarios; •a R$144 million increase in management fees, as a result of a 9% increase in Retail Fund’s Client Assets. Additionally, (1) fees from distributions (rebates from management fees) of funds managed by third-party asset managers and management fees attributable to funds managed by third parties (fees from distributions) decreased from 45% of total management fees for the year ended December 31, 2024 to 43% for the year ended December 31, 2025, or R$30 million, while management fees attributable to funds and portfolios managed by our asset managers increased from 55% to 57%, or R$ 114 million, during the same period. For the year ended December 31, 2025, 5% of management fees were performance-based and 95% were non-performance-based (i.e., fixed annual fees); •a R$19 million increase in insurance brokerage fees, driven by a higher sale of retirement plans and insurance products to retail clients; •a R$193 million increase in commission fees, mainly related to interchange fees received in credit card transactions, due to the greater volume of these transactions; •a R$208 million increase in other services, including a R$4 million increase in penalties collected from retail clients, a R$2 million increase in client’s margin coverage fees, a R$112 million increase in other ancillary revenues related to the increase in trading operations, such as third-party trading platform fees, revenue from marketing events, and education services; and •net of a R$125 million increase in taxes and contributions on services. Net income from financial instruments represented R$826 million of the increase in total revenue and income, driven by the growth in our retail investment distribution platform, in our institutional businesses, and the increase in our Adjusted Gross Financial Assets balances. Operating Costs and Expenses Operating costs. Operating costs for the year ended December 31, 2025 were R$5,463 million, an increase of R$400 million, or 8%, from R$5,063 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. This increase was primarily attributable to a R$71 million increase in cashback costs related to credit card transactions performed by our customers, which are a strategy for customer acquisition, since it is a percentage of client spending and a R$36 million increase in commission and incentive costs payable to our IFAs as part of the growth of our omni-channel distribution network. In addition, clearinghouse fees increased by R$70 million and other costs and third-party services by R$210 million. As a percentage of total revenue and income, our operating costs were 29.7% for the year ended December 31, 2025, the same as for the year ended December 31, 2024. Selling expenses. Selling expenses for the year ended December 31, 2025 were R$294 million, a increase of R$145 million, or 98%, from R$149 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, due to higher investments in brand awareness and marketing campaigns. Administrative expenses. Administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2025 were R$6,419 million, an increase of R$418 million, or 7%, from R$6,001 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. This increase was primarily attributable to: •a R$273 million, or 7% increase in personnel expenses related to an increase in total employee headcount; •a R$155 million, or 18%, increase in data processing expenses, mainly related to consultancy services in connection with the operation and maintenance of our platform’s software; •a R$59 million, or 18%, decrease in third parties’ services, mainly due to the optimization of expenses with technological solutions related to social and online media; •a R$16 million, or 13%, increase in depreciation of property and equipment and right-of-use assets as a result of new leases contracts; and 99 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Other operating income (expenses), net. We recorded other operating income/expenses, net of R$128 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to other operating income, net of R$189 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. This variation is primarily due to an decrease of R$72 million income related to incentives from third parties, mainly as a result of the joint development of retail products and also the association of such entities with the XP ecosystem. Income before Income Taxes As a result of the foregoing, income before income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2025 was R$5,449 million, an increase of R$463 million, or 9%, from R$4,986 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Income Tax Expense Income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2025 was a R$279 million expense, a decrease of R$192 million from a R$471 million expense for the year ended December 31, 2024. This decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in our effective tax rate to 5.1% for the year ended December 31, 2025 from 9.4% for the year ended December 31, 2024, as a result of revenues at the level of entities and investment funds which adopt different taxation regimes according to the applicable rules in their jurisdictions. Net Income for the Year As a result of the foregoing, net income for the year ended December 31, 2025 was R$5,169 million, an increase of R$654 million from R$4,515 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Year Ended December 31, 2024, Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2023 The following table sets forth our income statement data for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023: For the years ended December 31, 2024 2023 Variation (%) (R$ millions, except for percentages) Income statement data Net revenue from services rendered 7,425 6,532 14 % Net income from financial instruments at amortized cost and at fair value through other comprehensive income (1,766) 1,573 (212) % Net income from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss 11,372 6,756 68 % Total revenue and income 17,031 14,860 15 % Operating costs and expenses Operating costs (5,063) (4,399) 15 % Selling expenses (149) (169) (12) % Administrative expenses (6,001) (5,461) 10 % Other operating income (expenses), net 189 11 1676 % Expected credit losses (288) (361) (20) % Interest expense on debt (780) (617) 26 % Share of profit or (loss) in joint ventures and associates 47 74 (36) % Income before income tax 4,986 3,936 27 % Income tax expense (471) (37) 1175 % Net income for the year 4,515 3,899 16 % n.m. = not meaningful. Total Revenue and Income Total revenue and income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was R$17,031 million, an increase of R$2,171 million, or 15%, from R$14,860 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Net revenues from services rendered represented an increase of R$893 million within total revenue and income, driven by: •a R$306 million increase in revenue from securities placements, primarily attributable to the increase in mandates where we acted as placement agents or underwriters for third-party transactions in the domestic and international capital markets. Despite the unfavorable scenario for equity capital markets, our debt capital markets revenue has been more relevant, as we believe it tends to be less volatile in different macroeconomic scenarios; 100 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents •a R$141 million decrease in brokerage commissions, driven by an increase in the average daily traded volume in equities in the year ended December 31, 2024; •a R$115 million increase in management fees, as a result of a 9% increase in Retail Fund’s Client Assets. Additionally, (1) fees from distributions (rebates from management fees) of funds managed by third-party asset managers and management fees attributable to funds managed by third parties (fees from distributions) increased from 44% of total management fees for the year ended December 31, 2023 to 45% for the year ended December 31, 2024, or R$48 million, while management fees attributable to funds and portfolios managed by our asset managers decreased from 56% to 55%, or R$ 1 million, during the same period. For the year ended December 31, 2024, 5% of management fees were performance-based and 95% were non-performance-based (i.e., fixed annual fees); •a R$44 million increase in insurance brokerage fees, driven by a higher sale of retirement plans and insurance products to retail clients; •a R$207 million increase in banking fees, mainly related to interchange fees received in credit card transactions, due to the greater volume of these transactions; •a R$145 million increase in other services, including a R$34 million decrease in penalties collected from retail clients, a R$32 million increase in client’s margin coverage fees, a R$135 million increase in other ancillary revenues related to the increase in trading operations, such as third-party trading platform fees, revenue from marketing events, and education services; and •net of a R$65 million increase in taxes and contributions on services. Net income from financial instruments represented R$1,278 million of the increase in total revenue and income, driven by the growth in our retail investment distribution platform (whose number of retail clients grew 20% and Client Assets grew 19% period-over-period), in our institutional businesses, and the increase in our Adjusted Gross Financial Assets balances. Operating Costs and Expenses Operating costs. Operating costs for the year ended December 31, 2024 were R$5,063 million, an increase of R$664 million, or 15%, from R$4,399 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This increase was primarily attributable to a R$55 million increase in cashback costs related to credit card transactions performed by our customers and a R$390 million increase in commission and incentive costs payable to our IFAs as part of the growth of our omni-channel distribution network. Incentive costs are capitalized and amortized over the life of the signed contracts. In addition, clearinghouse fees increased by R$102 million and other costs and third-party services by R$82 million. As a percentage of total revenue and income, our operating costs increased at 29.7% for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the 29.6% for year ended December 31, 2023. Selling expenses. Selling expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 were R$149 million, an increase of R$21 million, or 12%, from R$169 million for the year ended December 31, 2023,due to higher investments in brand awareness and marketing campaigns. Administrative expenses. Administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 were R$6,001 million, an increase of R$ 540 million, or 10%, from R$5,461 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This increase was primarily attributable to: •a R$268 million, or 7% increase in personnel expenses related to an increase in total employee headcount; •a R$128 million, or 17%, increase in data processing expenses, mainly related to consultancy services in connection with the operation and maintenance of our platform’s software; •a R$11 million, or 3%, increase in third parties’ services, mainly due to the optimization of expenses with technological solutions related to social and online media; •a R$7 million, or 6%, increase in depreciation of property and equipment and right-of-use assets as a result of new leases contracts; and 101 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Other operating income (expenses), net. We recorded other operating income/expenses, net of R$189 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to other operating income, net of R$11 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This variation is primarily due to a decrease of R$148 million income related to incentives from third parties, mainly as a result of the joint development of retail products and also the association of such entities with the XP ecosystem for the year ended December 31, 2023. Income before Income Taxes As a result of the foregoing, income before income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2024 was R$4,986 million, an increase of R$1,050 million, or 27%, from R$3,936 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Income Tax Expense Income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 was a R$471 million expense, an increase of R$434 million from a R$37 million income for the year ended December 31, 2023. This increase was primarily attributable to an increase in our effective tax rate to 9.4% for the year ended December 31, 2024 from 0.9% for the year ended December 31, 2023, as a result of revenues at the level of entities and investment funds which adopt different taxation regimes according to the applicable rules in their jurisdictions. Net Income for the Year As a result of the foregoing, net income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was R$4,515 million, an increase of R$615 million from R$3,899 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. B. Liquidity and Capital Resources As of December 31, 2025, we had R$19,221 million in cash and cash equivalents. We believe that our current available cash and cash equivalents and the cash flows from our operating activities will be sufficient to meet our working capital requirements and capital expenditures in the ordinary course of business for the next 12 months. The following table shows the generation and use of cash for the periods indicated: For the year ended December 31, 2025 2024 2023 (R$ millions) Cash flow data Income before income tax 5,449 4,986 3,936 Adjustments to reconcile income before income tax 645 2,910 1,193 Income tax paid (314) (542) (403) Contingencies paid (53) (8) (53) Interest paid (367) (349) (141) Additional contingent consideration paid (110) — — Changes in assets and liabilities 6,795 4,183 3,595 Net cash flows from (used in) operating activities 12,045 11,179 8,127 Net cash flows from (used in) investing activities (716) (1,667) 539 Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities (4,927) (5,784) (4,395) Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 6,402 3,727 4,271 Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (91) (28) (28) Our cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand, deposits at Brazilian Central Bank, interbank certificate deposits with banks and other highly liquid securities purchased under agreements to resell with original maturities of nine months or less, which have an immaterial risk of change in value. For more information, see note 6 to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report. 102 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Net Cash Flows from Operating Activities Our net cash flows from operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2025 increased to a net cash generated of R$12,045 million from a net cash generated of R$11,179 million in the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily driven by: (1) higher balance of securities and derivatives that we hold in the ordinary course of our business as a retail investment distribution platform and as an institutional broker-dealer (with respect to the sale of fixed income securities and structured notes); (2) our strategy to allocate excess cash and cash equivalents from treasury funds, from Float Balances and from retirement plans balances to securities and other financial assets. These balances may fluctuate substantially from quarter to quarter and were the key drivers to the net cash flow from operating activities figures; (3) increases in our banking activities from loans operations, market funding operations mainly derived from deposits (time deposits), structured operations certificates (COEs) and financial bills as a result of our expected growth in new financials services verticals; and (4) other financial liabilities as structure financing, credit card operations among others. Our income before tax combined with non-cash income/expenses consisted primarily of (a) net foreign exchange differences of R$981 million in 2025 and R$1,188 million in 2024, (b) share-based plan of R$392 million in December 31, 2025 and R$417 million in 2024, (c) interest accrued of R$547 million in 2025 and R$609 million in 2024, and (d) depreciation and amortization of R$ 304 million in 2025 and R$265 million in 2024. The total amount of adjustments to reconcile income before income taxes was R$645 million in 2025 and R$2,910 million in 2024. Our net cash flows from operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased to a net cash generated of R$11,179 million from a net cash generated of R$8,127 million in the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily driven by: (1) higher balance of securities and derivatives that we hold in the ordinary course of our business as a retail investment distribution platform and as an institutional broker-dealer (with respect to the sale of fixed income securities and structured notes); (2) our strategy to allocate excess cash and cash equivalents from treasury funds, from Float Balances and from retirement plans balances to securities and other financial assets. These balances may fluctuate substantially from quarter to quarter and were the key drivers to the net cash flow from operating activities figures; (3) increases in our banking activities from loans operations, market funding operations mainly derived from deposits (time deposits), structured operations certificates (COEs) and financial bills as a result of our expected growth in new financials services verticals; and (4) other financial liabilities as structure financing, credit card operations among others. Our income before tax combined with non-cash income/expenses consisted primarily of (a) net foreign exchange differences of R$1,188 million in 2024 and R$471 million in 2023, (b) share-based plan of R$417 million in 2024 and R$366 million in 2023, (c) interest accrued of R$609 million in 2024 and R$638 million in 2023, and (d) depreciation and amortization of R$ 265 million in 2024 and R$252 million in 2023. The total amount of adjustments to reconcile income before income taxes was R$2,910 million in 2024 and R$1,193 million in 2023. Net Cash Flows used in Investing Activities Our net cash flows used in investing activities increased from R$1,667 million used in the year ended December 31, 2024 to a cash consumption of R$716 million in the year ended December 31, 2025, primarily affected by: (1) R$335 million in investments in subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures, mostly related to our asset management strategy, which decreased from R$1,394 million in the year ended December 31, 2024; and (2) R$490 million in investments in intangible assets and property plants and equipment, mostly IT infrastructure and capitalized software, which increased from R$330 million in the year ended December 31, 2024. Our net cash flows generated or used in investing activities decreased from R$539 million generated in the year ended December 31, 2023 to a cash consumption of R$1,667 million in the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily affected by: (1) R$1,394 million in investments in subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures, mostly related to our asset management strategy, which decreased from R$705 million generated in the year ended December 31, 2023; and (2) R$330 million in investments in intangible assets and property plants and equipment, mostly IT infrastructure and capitalized software, which increased from R$196 million in the year ended December 31, 2023. Net Cash Flows from Financing Activities Our net cash flows from financing activities decreased from a cash used in financing activities of R$5,784 million in the year ended December 31, 2024 to R$4,927 million used in the year ended December 31, 2025, primarily due to (1) the acquisition of treasury shares under the share buy-back program in the total amount of R$1,900 million; (2) the payments of borrowings, lease liabilities and debt securities in the total amount of R$5,158 million; (3) the acquisition of borrowings in the total amount of R$2,626 million and (4) dividends paid in the total amount of R$495 million. 103 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents Our net cash flows generated or used in financing activities decreased from R$4,395 million used in the year ended December 31, 2023 to a cash consumption of R$5,784 million in the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily affected by: (1) R$1,394 million in investments in subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures, mostly related to our asset management strategy, which decreased from R$65 million generated in the year ended December 31, 2023; and (2) R$330 million in investments in intangible assets and property plants and equipment, mostly IT infrastructure and capitalized software, which increased from R$196 million in the year ended December 31, 2023. Indebtedness As of December 31, 2025, we had R$238 million in outstanding loans, R$311 million in lease liabilities, R$651 million in outstanding debentures and R$5,151 million in senior notes issued by us. As of December 31, 2025, we were in compliance with all the covenants of our material loan agreements and debentures. The following is a description of our material indebtedness as of the date of this annual report: Borrowings On March 28, 2018, XP Brazil entered into a loan agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), or the “IFC Loan,” in the amount of R$325.4 million, which was borrowed to finance the expansion of operations and increase the number of clients and IFAs. The loan accrues interest at a rate per annum equal to the CDI Rate + 0.74% and matured on April 15, 2023. The principal amount was due on the maturity date and interest was payable semiannually on April 15 and October 15 of each year. In July 2020, we prepaid a portion of the IFC Loan in the aggregate amount of R$54 million. According to the maturity date, the principal amount was paid in April 2023. On May 28, 2021, we entered into a credit agreement with Banco Nacional de México S.A. for a term loan in the amount of US$295 million. This loan bears interest at the annual rate of 2.55%, payable annually in arrears on May 23, 2022, and matured on the same date. On May 2022, the loan agreement was rolled over for 1 year, amending the maturity to May 23, 2023. The loan was guaranteed by collateral securities. We paid off this agreement on the maturity date. On September 26, 2023, we entered into a credit agreement with Banco Nacional de México S.A. for a term loan in the amount of US$250 million. The loan accrues interest at a rate per annum equal to Term SOFR + 0.40% and matured on August 30, 2024. The principal amount was due on the maturity date and interest is payable quarterly on November 30, February 29, May 30 and August 30. We paid off this agreement on the maturity date. On October 23, 2023, we entered into a credit agreement with Banco Nacional de México S.A. for a term loan in the amount of US$200 million. The loan accrues interest at a rate per annum equal to Term SOFR + 0.40% and matured on August 30, 2024. The principal amount was due on the maturity date and interest is payable quarterly on November 30, February 29, May 30 and August 30. We paid off this agreement on the maturity date. On December 27, 2024, we entered into a credit agreement with Banco Citi México in the total amount of R$ 1.7 billion. The borrowing accrues interest at a rate per annum equal to Term SOFR + 0.60% and matured on June 30, 2025. This amount was disbursed by the counterparty on January 6, 2025. We paid off this agreement on the maturity date. On January 16, 2025, we entered into a credit agreement with Banco Santander for a term loan in the amount of US$180 million. The loan accrues interest at a rate per annum equal to SOFR overnight + 0.79% and matured on December 22, 2025. The principal amount was due on the maturity date and interest is payable quarterly on March 24, June 23 and September 22. We paid off this agreement on the maturity date. On February 24, 2025, we entered into a credit agreement with Bank of America for a term loan in the amount of US$64 million. The loan accrues interest at a rate per annum equal to 4.358% and matured on May 6, 2025. The principal and interest amounts were due on the maturity date. We paid off this agreement on the maturity date. On February 24, 2025, we entered into a credit agreement with Bank of America for a term loan in the amount of US$36 million. The loan accrues interest at a rate per annum equal to 4.395% and matured on June 3, 2025. The principal and interest amounts were due on the maturity date. We paid off this agreement on the maturity date. On March 11, 2025, we entered into a credit agreement with Bank of America for a term loan in the amount of US$27.5 million. The loan accrues interest at a rate per annum equal to 4.343% and matured on May 6, 2025. The principal and interest amounts were due on the maturity date. We paid off this agreement on the maturity date. 104 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents On March 11, 2025, we entered into a credit agreement with Bank of America for a term loan in the amount of US$27.5 million. The loan accrues interest at a rate per annum equal to 4.332% and matured on August 4, 2025. The principal amount was due on the maturity date and interest was amortized on June 11, 2025. We paid off this agreement on the maturity date. 3.250% Senior Notes Due 2026 On July 1, 2021, we issued senior notes due 2026 in an aggregate principal amount of US$750.0 million. The 3.250% notes due 2026 bear interest at the annual rate of 3.250%, payable semiannually in arrears on January 1 and July 1 of each year, which commenced on January 1, 2022. The 3.250% notes due 2026 are guaranteed by XP Investimentos S.A. and have been listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited since July 1, 2021. As of December 31, 2025, the aggregate principal amount outstanding of the 3.250% notes due 2026 was US$435 million. 6.750% Senior Notes Due 2029 On July 2, 2024, we issued senior notes in an aggregate principal amount of US$500.0 million. The 6.750% senior notes due 2029 bear an annual interest rate of 6.750% payable semiannually in arrears on January 2 and July 2 of each year, which commenced on January 2, 2025. The 6.750% notes due 2029 are guaranteed by XP Investimentos S.A and have been listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange since July 2, 2024. As of December 31, 2025, the aggregate principal amount outstanding of the 6.750% notes due 2029 was US$503 million. Certain of our loans are subject to certain restrictive covenants and require that the borrower entity (as indicated below) meet certain financial ratios. As of December 31, 2025, we were in compliance with the covenants in our loan agreements. Off-balance Sheet Arrangements As of December 31, 2025, the off-balance sheet arrangements total an amount of R$8,017 million (compared to R$7,874 million as of December 31, 2024). The off-balance sheet arrangements refer to credit card limits granted and not used by our customers. The amounts granted are linked to the value of customers’ assets held in guarantee by XP, and may vary daily according to the variation in the credit risk of our customers, as well as the variation in the value of the guarantees. Besides that, we offer to our customers other types of collateral agreements, such as letters of guarantee. Capital Expenditures In the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, we made capital expenditures of R$490 million, R$330 million, and R$196 million, respectively. Total capital expenditures as a percentage of total net revenue and income were 2.7% in 2025, 1.9% in 2024, and 1.3% in 2023. These capital expenditures mainly include expenditures related to the upgrade and development of our IT systems, software and infrastructure, and the expansion of our office spaces due to accelerated growth in employee headcount. We expect to increase our capital expenditures to support the growth in our business and operations in Brazil. We expect to meet our capital expenditure needs for the foreseeable future from our operating cash flow and our existing cash and cash equivalents. Our future capital requirements will depend on several factors, including our growth rate, the expansion of our research and development efforts, employee headcount, marketing and sales activities, the introduction of new features to our existing products and the continued market acceptance of our products. C. Research and Development, Patents and Licenses, Etc. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—D. Property, Plants and Equipment—Intellectual Property.” D. Trend Information For a discussion of trend information, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Secular Trends Reshaping the Market.” E. Critical Accounting Estimates Not applicable. See note 4 to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report. 105 FORM 20-F «Table of Contents