Bitcoin Magazine reported that Hunter Albright, chief revenue officer at SALT Lending, expects more Bitcoin holders to borrow against their BTC rather than sell it over the next three to five years, a shift he said could create a new relationship between Bitcoin, credit and stablecoins.
Speaking on BMTV, Albright said Bitcoin-backed lending could become more common as the market matures and holders grow more comfortable using Bitcoin as collateral. 「I’d like to think we will see a growing percentage of the population of bitcoin holders borrow against it,」 he said.
Albright also said that this change could alter how Bitcoin and stablecoins work alongside each other. 「I do believe people borrowing against their bitcoin and leveraging stables is the difference between money in motion and money at rest,」 he said. 「The speed of conversion really creates a utility and advantage for people willing to operate in that ecosystem.」
Bitcoin as long-term collateral, stablecoins as liquidity
In that framework, Bitcoin increasingly becomes "money at rest" — an asset held for the long term — while stablecoins serve as "money in motion," supplying liquidity that can be transferred and used more easily without forcing holders to sell their Bitcoin.
The article describes this as a model in which Bitcoin does not need to move every time its value is put to use. Instead, liquidity can move around the asset while the holder keeps Bitcoin exposure.
Mainstream adoption would require education and a shift in behavior
Albright said broader adoption will require more than building lending products. He said the market needs more education around both Bitcoin itself and the mechanics of borrowing against Bitcoin, something the article says SALT Lending has made part of its own efforts.
That also means a change in how Bitcoin holders think about the value stored in their assets. Rather than seeing Bitcoin only as something to accumulate and eventually sell, holders could use it as collateral to access liquidity while maintaining their Bitcoin exposure.
A model already familiar in other areas of finance
The article notes that this approach is already common in traditional finance, where owners of real estate, equities and other assets often borrow against their holdings instead of liquidating them.
For Bitcoin holders in the U.S., the piece says there can also be tax advantages. Borrowing against an asset generally does not itself constitute a taxable sale, while selling appreciated Bitcoin can trigger capital gains taxes.
It also adds that individual tax consequences depend on the structure of the transaction and the borrower’s circumstances, and says readers should consult a tax advisor.
Sponsorship disclosure and disclaimer
Albright said long-term Bitcoin holdings, rising stablecoin adoption and easier access to credit could form part of a broader shift in how Bitcoin holders eventually use their wealth. In his view, Bitcoin can remain at rest while liquidity moves around it.
The article discloses that SALT Lending is BMTV’s Official Liquidity Sponsor and includes a link to SALT Lending’s BMTV offer page.
It also states that SALT Lending is a paid sponsor of BMTV and that the article is sponsored content that does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Bitcoin Magazine. The information is presented for promotional purposes and should not be considered financial advice. Readers are encouraged to do their own research before making investment decisions related to Bitcoin or other financial products mentioned in the article.
The post, titled The Next 3-5 Years of Bitcoin Lending, first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Josh Plischke.