Coinbase partners with Better to launch crypto-backed mortgages, allowing payments for down payments in BTC and USDC this summer

According to Cointelegraph, Coinbase and Better Home & Finance announced a plan to launch a cryptocurrency-backed mortgage program in the summer of 2026, allowing eligible borrowers to use Bitcoin (BTC) or USDC as collateral to fund down payments for Fannie Mae-backed mortgages. This move comes after the U.S. FHFA instructed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to consider cryptocurrency assets in mortgage risk assessments starting June 2025, without the need to convert them into fiat currency.

Other lending institutions, such as Newrez, have already followed suit with similar initiatives. However, some U.S. senators have expressed concerns that the price volatility of cryptocurrency assets could threaten the stability of the housing market. Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis has proposed the "21st Century Mortgage Act," aiming to solidify the aforementioned policy in legislative form.