Coinbase and Better launch Bitcoin-backed mortgage product

Better Mortgage and Coinbase have made their Bitcoin-backed mortgage product generally available to US homebuyers. The product lets borrowers pledge Bitcoin as collateral for a down payment without selling it. The product pairs a Fannie Mae-backed home loan with a separate down payment loan secured by Bitcoin. Borrowers must pledge Bitcoin worth at least 250% of the down payment loan. Better holds the pledged Bitcoin in a custodial account on Coinbase Prime. The two loans have the same interest rate and amortization term. Borrowers repay both loans through one monthly payment. Better returns the pledged Bitcoin when the mortgage is fully repaid or refinanced, subject to the loan terms. A decline in Bitcoin's price alone does not trigger a margin call or change the mortgage terms. Better can liquidate the pledged Bitcoin if a borrower becomes 60 days delinquent on payments. Borrowers must be US residents with a verified Coinbase account. Borrowers must also meet Better's credit, income and other underwriting requirements. Coinbase One members are eligible for a 1% Better rebate, subject to a $10,000 cap. Borrowers can use the rebate toward closing costs and fees. Better and Coinbase first announced the product in March through an early-access program. In June 2025, the Federal Housing Finance Agency directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to develop proposals for considering cryptocurrency held on US-regulated centralized exchanges in single-family mortgage risk assessments. The directive did not require borrowers to convert the cryptocurrency into US dollars. The directive also required Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to consider measures to manage cryptocurrency volatility. The government-sponsored enterprises must submit proposed changes to their boards for approval before FHFA review. Mortgage lender and servicer Newrez announced in January that it would recognize certain cryptocurrency holdings in mortgage applications beginning in February. The Newrez policy covers home purchases and refinancing. The median sales price of a new US home was about $400,000 in 2026, according to US Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development data compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.