Newrez, a number one mortgage lender and servicer, introduced plans to start recognizing cryptocurrency property for mortgage qualification in February 2026.
This marks a major integration of digital finance into the standard housing market.
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Newrez Targets Gen Z with Crypto-Inclusive Mortgage Merchandise
The initiative will enable debtors to make use of holdings in Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD-pegged stablecoins, and spot crypto exchange-traded funds to confirm property. These holdings can also be used to estimate earnings for mortgage mortgage purposes.
This system is unique to Newrez’s Good Collection product suite. The road presents non-qualified mortgage loans for debtors who fall exterior commonplace government-backed lending pointers.
Newrez President Baron Silverstein mentioned the transfer displays a crucial evolution in trendy lending because the crypto trade turns into more and more built-in with conventional finance.
The lender cited inner knowledge exhibiting that about 45% of Gen Z and Millennial buyers personal cryptocurrency. It described the group as a core demographic of first-time homebuyers.
Notably, lenders traditionally required these debtors to liquidate their digital holdings to show reserves, triggering taxable occasions and forcing them out of the market.
“We believe that now is the right time to prudently integrate eligible crypto assets into modern mortgage lending—enabling consumers to preserve investments while accessing innovative financing solutions,” Silverstein defined.
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Newrez Sidesteps DeFi, Mandates Regulated Alternate Holdings
Below the brand new coverage, debtors can qualify with out promoting their property. Nonetheless, the lenders will apply market-adjusted valuations to account for crypto worth volatility.
“Our mission at Newrez is to do everything possible to make home happen and this innovation marks yet another step in creating new pathways to homeownership, giving consumers flexibility and control,” Leslie Gillin, Newrez Chief Business Officer, mentioned.
Furthermore, this system additionally imposes strict guardrails for these new debtors. Newrez confirmed that debtors can use crypto for underwriting ratios however should nonetheless pay down funds and shutting prices in US {dollars}.
Moreover, all eligible property should be held by US-regulated entities, reminiscent of compliant exchanges, retail FinTech apps, or SEC- or FINRA-regulated brokerages.
This requirement successfully excludes property held in self-custody wallets or decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols.
In the meantime, the announcement follows a broader regulatory shift in Washington.
In June 2025, the Federal Housing Finance Company issued a directive to think about cryptocurrency in mortgage danger modeling. The company requested Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to develop proposals for incorporating digital property into single-family mortgage danger assessments.
That directive is a part of the Trump administration’s wider overhaul of US monetary coverage. It signaled a thawing of relations between federal housing regulators and the crypto trade.
