US Housing Lender Will Accept Bitcoin and Ethereum for Mortgage Qualification
Newrez, a number one mortgage lender and servicer, introduced plans to start recognizing cryptocurrency belongings for mortgage qualification in February 2026.
This marks a big integration of digital finance into the standard housing market.
Newrez Targets Gen Z with Crypto-Inclusive Mortgage Products
The initiative will permit borrowers to use holdings in Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD-pegged stablecoins, and spot crypto exchange-traded funds to confirm belongings. Those holdings may be used to estimate earnings for mortgage mortgage purposes.
The program is unique to Newrez’s Smart Series product suite. The line gives non-qualified mortgage loans for debtors who fall outdoors commonplace government-backed lending tips.
Newrez President Baron Silverstein said the transfer displays a essential evolution in fashionable lending because the crypto business turns into more and more built-in with conventional finance.
The lender cited inner knowledge displaying that about 45% of Gen Z and Millennial traders personal cryptocurrency. It described the group as a core demographic of first-time homebuyers.
Notably, lenders traditionally required these debtors to liquidate their digital holdings to show reserves, triggering taxable occasions and forcing them out of the market.
“We imagine that now could be the precise time to prudently combine eligible crypto belongings into fashionable mortgage lending—enabling customers to protect investments whereas accessing revolutionary financing options,” Silverstein defined.
Newrez Sidesteps DeFi, Mandates Regulated Exchange Holdings
Under the brand new coverage, debtors can qualify with out promoting their belongings. However, the lenders will apply market-adjusted valuations to account for crypto worth volatility.
“Our mission at Newrez is to do every part potential to make dwelling occur and this innovation marks yet one more step in creating new pathways to homeownership, giving customers flexibility and management,” Leslie Gillin, Newrez Chief Commercial Officer, mentioned.
Moreover, this system additionally imposes strict guardrails for these new debtors. Newrez confirmed that debtors can use crypto for underwriting ratios however should nonetheless pay down funds and closing prices in US {dollars}.
Additionally, all eligible belongings should be held by US-regulated entities, similar to compliant exchanges, retail FinTech apps, or SEC- or FINRA-regulated brokerages.
This requirement successfully excludes belongings held in self-custody wallets or decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols.
Meanwhile, the announcement follows a broader regulatory shift in Washington.
In June 2025, the Federal Housing Finance Agency issued a directive to think about cryptocurrency in mortgage danger modeling. The company requested Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to develop proposals for incorporating digital assets into single-family mortgage danger assessments.
That directive is a part of the Trump administration’s wider overhaul of US financial policy. It signaled a thawing of relations between federal housing regulators and the crypto business.
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