Overview
- Coinbase and Better announced Thursday a Fannie Mae–conforming option that lets buyers pledge Bitcoin or USDC as down‑payment collateral instead of selling crypto.
- The structure uses two loans, pairing a standard Fannie Mae mortgage with a crypto‑backed down‑payment loan that has no margin calls and allows liquidation only after 60 days of missed payments.
- Rates on the crypto‑backed portion run about 0.5 to 1.5 percentage points above a typical 30‑year loan, which lets borrowers avoid a taxable sale while keeping exposure to their assets.
- The companies say the product will launch in the coming months, with Bitcoin and the USDC stablecoin the only eligible collateral at rollout.
- The step follows 2025 guidance for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to assess crypto in underwriting and builds on smaller pilots, leaving open questions on collateral valuation and state‑level rules.