Rate has launched a nationwide mortgage programme allowing qualified borrowers to count verified cryptocurrency holdings toward underwriting requirements without liquidating their assets.
The product, called RateFi, operates within the lender’s non-qualified mortgage framework and permits certain digital assets to be treated as qualifying reserves and, in some cases, as an income source.
“This is about recognising how wealth is actually built today and modernising access to homeownership accordingly, vs. promoting crypto for its own sake,”
Said Kate Amor, executive vice president and head of enterprise products at Rate.
For underwriting purposes, RateFi uses a proprietary valuation framework that considers market price, liquidity and asset-specific volatility, though any crypto used for a down payment or closing costs must still be converted into cash.
Eligible assets must be held with approved custodians or centralised exchanges, with borrowers required to provide proof of ownership and asset seasoning, as the lender applies standard anti-money laundering and know-your-customer checks.
The rollout comes as more than 10% of Americans report holding digital assets and policymakers increasingly examine how crypto could fit into housing finance, including a directive from William J. Pulte for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to explore treating cryptocurrency as a reserve asset.
A niche crypto-backed mortgage market already exists through firms such as Nexo and Ledn, underscoring how digital asset wealth is increasingly intersecting with traditional US real estate finance.