FHFA

Bitcoin mortg

2026-08-04 09:02:48

Better and Coinbase test crypto-backed mortgages as 250% BTC collateral rule draws scrutiny

Better Home & Finance and Coinbase have rolled out a mortgage structure that lets borrowers pledge Bitcoin or USDC to help fund a home purchase, setting up an early test of whether digital assets can plug into the U.S. banking and housing-finance system. The product combines a conforming first-lien mortgage that meets Fannie Mae standards with a separate private loan for the down payment, backed by crypto and secured by a second lien on the property. Better said the waitlist ahead of the summer launch represented roughly $250 million in potential loan volume, and 41% of applicants lacked enough cash for a down payment. The structure has already triggered political pushback. On April 30, seven U.S. senators wrote to Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte, naming Better and Coinbase and urging the agency to revoke any approval tied to the program. Their objections centered on the product’s 250% Bitcoin collateral requirement, the cost of carrying two loans at once, and the risk that losses could ultimately be borne by taxpayers. The debate reaches past one mortgage product: it touches banking appetite for crypto-linked loans, the legal uncertainty around tokenized assets used as collateral, and Better’s own effort to lower funding costs through stablecoin-based financing.

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Fannie Mae

2026-07-23 16:10:15

Fannie Mae Accepts Bitcoin as Down Payment Collateral: Crypto Enters US Mortgage System

Fannie Mae partners with Coinbase to accept BTC and USDC as mortgage down payment collateral. Dual-structure avoids margin calls, interest rates 0.5-1.5% higher. FHFA directive drove the policy shift.

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Bill Pulte

2026-07-23 00:50:14

Bill Pulte Takes Interim Intelligence Role While Keeping Housing Finance Posts, Drawing Fresh Bitcoin Attention

Bill Pulte is reportedly set to become interim national intelligence director while retaining his FHFA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac roles. His long-running public support for Bitcoin has added a crypto angle to the appointment.

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Fannie Mae

2026-07-09 01:48:13

US Housing Finance Agency Orders Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac to Integrate Crypto for Mortgage Reserves

FHFA Director William Pulte has directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to develop proposals allowing verifiable cryptocurrency as mortgage reserve assets without conversion to USD, marking a major legitimization step for digital assets.

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FHFA

2026-07-09 01:44:16

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Told to Explore Crypto as Mortgage Reserve Asset

The FHFA has directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to study whether verifiable crypto held on regulated U.S. exchanges can be counted in mortgage risk assessments, marking a notable policy shift.

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Fannie Mae

2026-07-09 01:42:33

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Told to Explore Crypto in Mortgage Risk Reviews

The FHFA has directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to study whether verified cryptocurrency holdings can be counted in single-family mortgage reserve assessments, marking a notable shift in how digital assets may be treated in U.S. housing finance.

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Coinbase

2026-06-05 02:00:50

Coinbase and Better Home to Launch Crypto-Backed Mortgage in Summer 2026, Accepting BTC and USDC as Collateral

Coinbase and Better Home & Finance are set to launch a crypto-collateralized mortgage program in summer 2026, allowing borrowers to use Bitcoin or USDC as collateral for down payments on Fannie Mae-backed loans. The move follows FHFA guidance to incorporate crypto assets into mortgage risk assessment, with other lenders like Newrez already following suit, though some lawmakers remain concerned about volatility risks.

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