mortgage

Freddie Mac stated that the average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage in the United States decreased from 6.69% a week ago to 6.67%, ending five consecutive weeks of increases.The U.S. job market is cooling, with price increases in July slowing down, and core inflation indicators dropping to a five-year low. The market expects the probability of a 25 basis point rate hike in September to fall to 38%. Stalled negotiations in the Strait of Hormuz have raised concerns about high oil prices, and U.S. home sales in July decreased by 4.1% compared to June.

Figure Lending LLC, a cryptocurrency lending institution, offers cryptocurrency-backed loans where borrowers can use Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Solana as collateral to obtain cash up to 75% of the collateral's value while retaining ownership of the tokens. Borrowing typically does not constitute a sale and generally does not trigger a capital gains event.Figure Lending LLC states that borrowers should compare the maximum loan-to-value ratio, fixed or variable interest rates, regulatory licensing, and liquidation terms. The institution offers fixed rates with a loan term of 12 months, a maximum annual percentage rate of 12.62%, and supports same-day funding without requiring a credit score, with approval based on the collateral. Figure provides an optional liquidation protection feature available in some states, which can delay liquidation during the loan term due to price declines; however, liquidation may still occur if the loan is overdue. This feature does not apply to situations of non-payment, default, or violation of loan terms, and a decline in cryptocurrency asset prices may still trigger margin calls.

According to Crowdfund Insider, Bitcoin mining company MARA Holdings disclosed in its latest quarterly SEC filing that it has pledged 18,750 BTC as collateral for two Bitcoin-backed loans, with a total principal of $750 million.The financing provided by Coinbase Credit includes refinancing of an existing $150 million credit line and an additional $300 million; Two Prime Lending also provided a $300 million loan. Both loans have been fully drawn, with a combined financing cost of approximately 7.56%, primarily maturing in August 2028.The pledged 18,750 BTC was valued at approximately $1.2 billion at the time of the transaction. If the price of Bitcoin falls and the collateral ratio drops below the agreed level, MARA may face additional collateral requirements; otherwise, the related BTC is at risk of liquidation. The new funds will primarily be used for general corporate purposes and to support MARA's acquisition of Long Ridge Energy & Power.The transaction values the company at approximately $1.5 billion, with Long Ridge owning a natural gas power plant in Ohio, USA, with an expected installed capacity of 505 MW, as well as over 1,600 acres of industrial land. MARA plans to further develop the area into a base for Bitcoin mining, AI, and high-performance computing infrastructure.

According to BBX data, global enterprises announced core indicators regarding liquidity management of crypto assets, mining output, and treasury earnings last weekend:MARA achieved a $600 million Bitcoin collateral loan: Mining giant MARA Holdings (NASDAQ: MARA) disclosed in its quarterly report submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that on August 4, 2026, the company signed two term loan agreements collateralized by Bitcoin with Coinbase Credit, Inc. and Two Prime Lending Limited. The agreements provide approximately $600 million in new borrowings (with a total credit facility principal of $750 million, including refinancing of the existing $150 million Coinbase credit line).BitFuFu produced 112 BTC in July, with a decrease in holdings due to power costs: Nasdaq-listed Bitcoin mining machine and mining service provider BitFuFu Inc. (NASDAQ: FUFU) announced its unaudited operational metrics for July. The company's Bitcoin production in July was 112 BTC (40 BTC from cloud mining and 72 BTC from self-mining), with an average daily output of 3.6 BTC, showing a decline compared to the previous month. Additionally, its Bitcoin holdings decreased from 1,671 BTC in June to 1,314 BTC. The company explained that the reduction was mainly used to prepay for new power costs starting in August 2026, lasting 330 days.Remixpoint disclosed performance in crypto treasury earnings, earning over 12 BTC from lending: Japanese Bitcoin treasury company Remixpoint released an announcement on its crypto operational performance. As of July 31, 2026, the company's Bitcoin lending principal was approximately 1,501.27 BTC, and it accumulated about 12.44 BTC (approximately 133 million yen) in lending fees from February to July. At the same time, it staked approximately 901.45 ETH and 13,920 SOL, with related staking rewards totaling about 28.89 million yen.Chainlink repurchased nearly 140,000 LINK to replenish reserves: On-chain tracking shows that Chainlink recently repurchased 139,956.08 LINK (worth approximately $1.13 million) and transferred the tokens to its official reserve wallet. It is reported that these tokens were accumulated through multiple exchanges via CoWSwap and consolidated for sending to the reserve.

According to Onchain Lens monitoring, the Hyperliquid whale address starting with 0x8177b deposited 100,000 wstHYPE and 103,000 stHYPE into HyperLend as collateral, and borrowed a total of 2 million USDC in two transactions (500,000 and 1.5 million), and then transferred the borrowed 2 million USDC to Coinbase.

Strike, founded by Jack Mallers, has launched a new Bitcoin collateral loan product aimed at avoiding forced liquidation due to a drop in BTC prices. Strike states that as long as borrowers make timely repayments, the collateralized BTC will not be moved or liquidated, regardless of how deep the Bitcoin price falls.Mallers stated on X that this product has no margin call requirements and no price-based liquidation mechanism, allowing users to borrow USD while continuing to hold Bitcoin. He mentioned that volatility is inevitable, but liquidation is not a certainty. Strike indicated that the new loan product eliminates price-triggered actions linked to the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio, so borrowers do not have to worry about automatic liquidation due to a drop in BTC prices. As long as interest and maturity payments remain normal, the collateral will remain unchanged.

Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited announced the first issuance of HKD 12 billion public digital bonds, including three tranches: HKD 6 billion for a two-year term, HKD 2.5 billion for a five-year term, and RMB 3 billion for a three-year term. Among these, the five-year HKD bond is the longest maturity digital bond ever issued.It is reported that this issuance transaction is the largest digital bond issuance globally to date, and the Mortgage Corporation has also become the first public institution in Hong Kong to issue digital bonds. The bonds will be generated on a distributed ledger technology platform operated by the Central Clearing and Settlement System for debt instruments, which also serves as the settlement and delivery system for the digital bonds.

According to Businesswire, financial technology infrastructure company Cross River Bank announced a $250 million forward financing to Figure to support Figure's cryptocurrency collateralized loan business.Cross River will provide ongoing capital support for Figure's crypto loans, helping borrowers obtain dollar liquidity without selling their cryptocurrency assets.

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.

Coinbase posted on the X platform that the first mortgage in the U.S. backed by Fannie Mae and using Bitcoin as the underlying asset has been successfully issued.The loan was initiated and serviced by Better, with technology supported by Coinbase. Coinbase stated that the product will be promoted nationwide this summer, providing innovative mortgage options for Bitcoin holders while advancing the application of crypto assets in traditional finance.

According to The Block, Coinbase has expanded its on-chain loan products supported by cryptocurrency, adding support for Solana, allowing users to collateralize SOL to borrow up to $100,000.The loans are provided through the Morpho integration on Base, similar to collateralized loan products for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others. A company spokesperson revealed that since its launch last year, Coinbase's total issuance of cryptocurrency collateralized loans has exceeded $2.3 billion, with Bitcoin collateralized loans accounting for $2.17 billion and Ethereum approximately $110 million.

According to Bloomberg, Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited plans to raise up to HKD 12 billion (USD 1.5 billion) through its first issuance of digital bonds, which could become the largest issuance of such bonds in history. Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation is a financial services provider owned by the Hong Kong government, with total assets of approximately HKD 221.8 billion.Insiders revealed that Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation is expected to start marketing multi-currency digital bonds denominated in Hong Kong dollars and offshore renminbi as early as next month. This debt instrument, which utilizes blockchain technology in the issuance, trading, and settlement phases, not only shortens settlement times and reduces costs but also accelerates scalability.

Economist Peter Schiff posted on the X platform that mortgage structures backed by crypto assets could significantly increase home buying costs.Borrowers not only have to pay traditional mortgage interest but also bear the interest on the "second loan" secured by crypto assets. This model essentially amounts to 100% financing for the property, thereby amplifying leverage levels and potentially increasing overall default risk.

Coinbase and mortgage platform Better Home & Finance announced a partnership to launch a home loan product secured by Bitcoin or USDC, guaranteed by Fannie Mae. Borrowers do not need to sell their crypto assets; they can use them as collateral to apply for an independent loan to pay the down payment while also being approved for a standard mortgage, ultimately holding two loans with the same interest rate and repayment period, with monthly payments combined.The product complies with Fannie Mae guidelines, with interest rates significantly lower than traditional crypto-backed loans. If the price of Bitcoin drops, the collateral will not face forced liquidation due to market fluctuations, only facing liquidation risk after 60 days of overdue payments. Borrowers using USDC as collateral can offset part of the loan interest with the earnings generated from the collateral.Coinbase One members can complete transactions through Better and receive a rebate on transaction fees equivalent to 1% of the mortgage amount, capped at $10,000. The two companies stated that they plan to expand the range of eligible collateral to include tokenized stocks and fixed-income assets in the future.

Fannie Mae will accept cryptocurrency mortgages for the first time.

Venus Protocol released a statement regarding the THE market event, stating that this incident was not a flash loan attack, but rather a result of the attacker exploiting a supply cap vulnerability in the old code of the protocol. The team indicated that the attacker had been accumulating THE tokens for about 9 months, gradually establishing a dominant supply position on Venus.The announcement pointed out that the attacker bypassed the normal deposit process by directly transferring THE tokens into the protocol contract, thereby breaking through the supply cap limit of 14.5 million THE. They manipulated DEX prices by taking advantage of the low on-chain liquidity. As the external price was gradually reflected by the TWAP oracle, the attacker borrowed assets (such as CAKE, BNB, etc.) against the inflated collateral value, then bought more THE to drive up the price, and continuously transferred THE into the vTHE market to increase the collateral value. This cycle once pushed the price from about $0.27 to about $0.53, ultimately leaving bad debt in the protocol after the positions were liquidated.Venus stated that it has currently suspended the THE market, reduced its collateral factor to 0, and suspended withdrawals. Additionally, as a precautionary measure, the collateral factors for 8 markets including BCH, LTC, AAVE, POL, FIL, TWT, UNI, and lisUSD have also been reduced to 0. The team and security partners are continuing to investigate and will release a complete post-analysis report in the future.

According to Jin Ten, Fed's Schmid stated on Wednesday that high inflation remains a key issue that the Fed needs to address, but he did not specify how monetary policy should respond. Schmid said, "I think we still have work to do on inflation," while noting that the employment situation is quite good. He pointed out that the large amount of mortgage-backed securities held from the Fed's past bond-buying actions continues to suppress housing borrowing costs, and mortgage rates "could be 75 to 100 basis points lower than their original levels."

According to Jinshi reports, Fed's Schmid stated that the Federal Reserve needs several years to gradually reduce the scale of its mortgage-backed securities holdings.

Canadian venture capital firm Framework Ventures has reached an agreement to acquire approximately 10% of the publicly listed mortgage lending institution Better.com for about $45 million.This move comes as Better.com plans to enter the asset tokenization space and intends to issue token products backed by $500 million in mortgage and other loan assets. Sources reveal that the retail-oriented token may be named "Home Token." The company stated that the initial tokens will be available only to accredited investors, with plans to gradually expand to a broader user base in the future. Better.com founder and CEO Vishal Garg stated that tokenization can reduce intermediary steps, thereby lowering financing costs and providing consumers with lower interest rate mortgage products.It is reported that Better.com is collaborating with the DeFi ecosystem Sky to advance the on-chain mortgage assets. Sky uses real-world assets (RWA) to back stablecoins, with the current ecosystem capital size of approximately $18 billion. Framework Ventures is also one of the key supporters of Sky. Better.com had planned to go public in 2021 with a valuation of $7.7 billion, but the stock price plummeted over 90% on its actual listing day in 2023. The company's current market capitalization is approximately $450 million.