Your Crypto Portfolio Can Now Help You Get a Mortgage, Confirms US Housing Regulator

Key Takeaways

• The FHFA has approved using crypto assets in mortgage risk assessments.
• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must draft proposals to include crypto in mortgage reserves.
• Only assets held on U.S.-regulated exchanges will qualify for consideration.

Crypto is officially entering the U.S. housing market.

In a landmark move, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has approved Decision No. 2025-360, directing mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to start treating crypto as a legitimate asset for loan assessments.

For the first time, cryptocurrency holdings could count alongside cash, stocks, and bonds when Americans apply for a mortgage, marking a major shift in how borrower eligibility is evaluated.

Crypto Can Now Count Toward Mortgages

Crypto just got a seat at the mortgage table.

On June 25, FHFA Director William J. Pulte signed off on a decision that could reshape how Americans buy homes by allowing crypto to count as collateral in mortgage applications.

The order directs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to start drafting a proposal that would formally include crypto holdings as part of a borrower’s reserve assets during single-family mortgage risk assessments.

Until now, crypto has been mostly ignored in the underwriting process. But with this decision, it could soon stand alongside cash, stocks, and retirement accounts when lenders assess your financial strength.

Key provisions include:

• Crypto can be used without converting it into U.S. dollars before closing.
• Only assets held on U.S.-regulated, centralized exchanges will qualify.
• Lenders must adjust for crypto’s volatility when evaluating reserves.
• The FHFA wants the policy implemented “as soon as reasonably practical.”

Traditionally, mortgage lenders have focused on the “three C’s”: Credit, Capacity, and Collateral.

This decision could unofficially introduce a “fourth C”—Crypto—giving digitally native borrowers new leverage, especially those who’d prefer not to sell off assets to qualify for a loan.

If finalized, the policy would be a milestone for crypto’s role in everyday finance—and a nod to its growing legitimacy in the eyes of regulators.

What It Could Mean for Borrowers

If crypto holdings, especially BTC or stablecoins, are officially recognized as qualifying assets, it could open the door for millions of Americans who’ve built wealth digitally but remain locked out of traditional lending.

Today, even if a borrower has a strong crypto portfolio, lenders often require those assets to be converted into fiat and “seasoned” in a bank account for months before they can be counted.

That policy may be due for a reset.

By treating crypto like other liquid assets, the FHFA could help bring mortgage standards in line with a changing financial reality and expand access to credit for digital-native borrowers.

A Policy U-Turn in the Making

If the FHFA ultimately greenlights crypto-backed mortgage eligibility, it would mark a dramatic reversal from years of institutional caution.

Until recently, simply interacting with crypto holders raised red flags among traditional lenders.

Now, with regulatory momentum building and digital assets gaining broader acceptance, crypto is inching closer to being treated like any other asset class.

Whether this opens the floodgates or nudges the system forward, one thing is clear: Crypto is no longer being ignored at the highest levels of U.S. finance.