Fannie Mae & Coinbase Partner for Crypto-Backed Mortgages

Fannie Mae, in partnership with Coinbase and Better Home & Finance, is now accepting Bitcoin and USDC as collateral for mortgage down payments, marking a significant step towards mainstream crypto adoption in the housing market. This innovative approach utilizes a dual-loan structure: a conventional Fannie Mae-backed mortgage alongside a secondary loan collateralized by the crypto assets. Borrowers retain ownership of their crypto, with USDC holders continuing to earn rewards. While Bitcoin is discounted to 40% of market value and USDC to 80% for collateral purposes, the program aims to make homeownership more accessible to crypto holders without requiring liquidation. Interest rates on these mortgages will be 0.5 to 1.5 percentage points higher than standard rates. The move follows a directive from the U.S. housing chief to assess crypto in mortgages and reflects growing institutional interest. Simultaneously, Franklin Templeton is tokenizing five ETFs through Ondo Finance, expanding access to traditional investments on blockchain rails. Despite positive developments, the broader crypto market experienced a downturn linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, with liquidations nearing $300 million.