The new policy would let borrowers examine their assets and make revenue predictions without having to sell them by using Bitcoin, Ether, crypto ETFs, and US dollar-backed stablecoins.
Newrez wants to include certain types of Bitcoin holdings as qualified assets when it underwrites mortgages. This might help those who hold Bitcoin acquire loans to buy a property.
The shift is anticipated to happen in February for all of the lender’s non-agency products, which include buying a home, refinancing, and investing in real estate. Borrowers can already use things like stocks and bonds as collateral for loans, but crypto holders usually have to liquidate their investments.
Crypto holdings are recognised as qualifying assets
Newrez announced that when it launches, it will accept Bitcoin (BTC$95,184), Ether (ETH$3,285), spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) backed by those currencies, and stablecoins backed by the US dollar. The company added that the crypto assets must be kept with US-regulated crypto exchanges, fintech platforms, brokerages, or banks with a national charter.
The value of Bitcoin used as collateral may change based on market volatility. However, borrowers will still have to pay closing costs and make mortgage payments in US dollars.
Leslie Gillin, Newrez’s chief commercial officer, claimed that roughly 45% of Gen Z and Millennial investors possess cryptocurrencies. She also said that the policy is meant to make it easier for younger buyers to buy homes.
Growing regulatory attention to crypto mortgage risk
Newrez’s decision follows discussions in the US regarding the inclusion of digital assets in mortgage risk assessments.
In June 2025, the US Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) urged Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to think of ways to use cryptocurrencies as assets in single-family mortgage risk evaluations without transforming them to US dollars.
Senator Cynthia Lummis from Wyoming sponsored the 21st Century Mortgage Act less than two months later. This act would make the FHFA directive law.
Lummis claimed that the law helps younger Americans afford housing. She also noted that “the American dream of homeownership is not a reality for many young people” and that the bill recognises the expanding number of people who own digital assets.
The Senate read the bill twice and then sent it to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, where it has not moved forward. A market for crypto-backed home loans already exists, although it’s still small. Borrowers can use BTC or ETH as collateral. In June, Mauricio Di Bartolomeo, co-founder of Ledn, told Cointelegraph that some people who own Bitcoin have used it to buy real estate without selling it.