Homebuyers can now borrow against Bitcoin to get a mortgage without selling or liquidation risk

Bitcoin is moving deeper into US household finance as homebuyers squeezed by high borrowing costs and limited supply look for new ways to fund a down payment without selling their digital assets. On March 26, Better Home & Finance and Coinbase launched a structure that lets eligible borrowers pledge Bitcoin or USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin to secure a separate loan for a down payment while still taking out a standard conforming mortgage on the home. The arrangement brings crypto into one of the most closely watched parts of the U.S. credit system at a time when affordability pressures are already reshaping who can buy a house and when. The timing is central to the pitch as Realtor.com’s 2026 report put the US housing supply gap at 4.03 million homes. This comes as the average 30-year mortgage rate recently climbed to 7%, while total mortgage applications fell 10.5%, and purchase applications dropped 5.4%. At the same time, first-time buyers accounted for just 21% of the market in the latest National Association of Realtors profile. 30-Year Mortgage Rate (Source: Barchart) Against that backdrop, lenders and crypto firms are betting that a growing class of would-be buyers has wealth in digital assets but lacks the cash liquidity needed to clear one of the biggest barriers to homeownership. A new route into the mortgage market The Coinbase-backed product is aimed at borrowers who want to retain exposure to crypto markets instead of liquidating holdings to raise cash for a down payment. Related Reading You can now get a Bitcoin backed mortgage without a credit score A Miami based lending firm is offering crypto backed mortgages if you have 100% of the value of the home in crypto. Apr 29, 2022 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright For many, that decision is about more than market timing. Selling crypto can also trigger a tax bill and force investors to reduce positions they view as long-term holdings. Considering this, the structure is built around two loans at closing. The first is a s...