U.S. regulator seeks to recognize crypto in mortgage risk assessments
In a notable step toward financial innovation, the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) instructed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to include crypto assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum in their risk assessments.
In a notable step toward financial innovation, the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to include crypto assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum in their mortgage risk assessments. The move marks a major shift for the two mortgage giants, which have played a key role in ensuring liquidity and stability in the U.S. housing market since the 2007 housing crash.
The directive was published on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday by FHFA Director William Pulte. The official letter states that both institutions “should develop a proposal for recognizing cryptocurrency as a reserve asset in the risk assessment of single-family mortgage underwriting.”
Pulte View post on Xsummarized his decision as follows: “After careful consideration and in line with President Trump’s vision to make the United States the crypto capital of the world, I have directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to prepare for incorporating crypto as an asset component in mortgage underwriting.”
The directive explicitly states that only crypto assets demonstrably held on centralized, U.S.-regulated exchanges, and that comply with all applicable laws and regulations, qualify.
The 37-year-old Pulte has long been seen as a proponent of digital assets. In his February public financial disclosures, he said he invests in Bitcoin and Solana, each with an estimated value between $500,001 and $1 million. He also owns shares in MARA Holdings, a Bitcoin mining company.
The move has industry support. Jason Yanowitz, co-founder of Blockworks, View post on X: “When I applied for a mortgage, Wells Fargo valued all my crypto at $0. I tried to explain that you can liquidate BTC as easily as stocks, but that didn’t help. This would be a big step forward.”
Other institutions are also moving. JPMorgan is reportedly weighing accepting Bitcoin ETFs as collateral for loans soon. And on platforms like Ledn, Bitcoin is gaining ground as collateral for real estate financing.
If this initiative is widely rolled out, it would not only accelerate the adoption of crypto assets in traditional financial systems but also open doors for a new generation of mortgage lending backed by digital assets.
