Starting in February, major U.S. mortgage lender Newrez will allow borrowers to use cryptocurrency holdings including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins to qualify for home loans.
Key Takeaways
- Newrez will accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, SEC-approved spot ETFs, and stablecoins for mortgage eligibility under its Smart Series loan products.
- Borrowers can use crypto holdings for income and asset verification without liquidating them, avoiding taxable events.
- All mortgage payments and closing costs must still be made in U.S. dollars despite crypto being used for qualification.
- Newrez is the first top 25 U.S. lender to formally recognize crypto in underwriting, reflecting growing digital asset adoption.
What Happened?
Newrez, a leading U.S. mortgage lender headquartered in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, announced a groundbreaking update that will allow borrowers to use certain cryptocurrency assets to qualify for mortgages. This policy change marks a first among major traditional lenders and reflects broader shifts in how financial institutions view digital assets.
JUST IN: 🇺🇸 Major US lender Newrez to recognise crypto for mortgage qualification.
— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) January 16, 2026
Bitcoin is the new collateral 🙌 pic.twitter.com/1GEyMzHuoT
New Mortgage Program Integrates Crypto for Qualification
The new program will roll out under Newrez’s Smart Series non-agency loan products and will begin in February 2026. It allows borrowers to use their crypto holdings for mortgage qualification without selling them. Accepted assets include Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), USD-pegged stablecoins, and SEC-approved spot ETFs backed by BTC or ETH.
These assets must be held on U.S.-regulated exchanges, brokerages, or banks, ensuring transparency and verification standards. Newrez will apply volatility-adjusted valuations to these holdings during the underwriting process to account for crypto’s price fluctuations. However, all mortgage payments, closing costs, and final settlements will remain in U.S. dollars.
Bridging Crypto Wealth and Homeownership
Traditionally, borrowers were required to liquidate digital assets to use them for mortgage applications, often triggering taxable events and reducing their long-term exposure. With Newrez’s updated policy, crypto holders can now use their portfolios similarly to stocks and bonds, offering more flexibility and financial efficiency.
This move aligns with changing demographics. According to Coinbase, 45 percent of Gen Z and Millennial investors own crypto assets, and many have been seeking ways to leverage this wealth in more conventional financial avenues like homeownership.
Crypto Enters the Mortgage Mainstream
While niche crypto mortgage providers like Milo and Figure have operated in this space, Newrez is the first major mortgage lender with substantial market share to adopt such a policy. This signals a turning point in the broader integration of digital assets into traditional finance.
Newrez President Baron Silverstein cited both increasing crypto adoption and more favorable regulatory developments as reasons for the company’s timing. He stated:
This shift also aligns with remarks from Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, who noted in June 2025 that government-sponsored enterprises like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were preparing to engage with cryptocurrency in single-family mortgages.
CoinLaw’s Takeaway
In my experience, this is a major moment in the merging of traditional finance and the crypto world. If you’re holding digital assets, you no longer have to choose between keeping your investments and qualifying for a mortgage. I found it particularly exciting that Newrez isn’t some fringe fintech startup but it’s a major U.S. lender with tens of billions in annual loan volume. This could finally bring crypto into the financial mainstream in a way that benefits regular people trying to buy a home. It’s smart, forward-thinking, and long overdue.
