Get a Crypto-Backed Mortgage Loan

What is a crypto mortgage?

A crypto mortgage is a type of mortgage in which you use your crypto holdings as collateral. As long as you repay the mortgage loan on the agreed terms, you’ll get back your crypto assets at the end of the loan term.

How does a crypto-backed mortgage work?

Crypto mortgages work similarly to traditional mortgages. You offer your crypto assets as collateral, and the lender will loan you up to 100% of its value to purchase a home, often with no down payment required.

Different lenders offer different interest rates, which can fluctuate depending on the value of your crypto collateral relative to the loan amount. Having sufficient crypto assets is the main criterion for approval, but lenders also usually look at your credit history, income statement, and the home you intend to purchase.

Steps for getting a crypto mortgage

Step 1: Determine how much you can borrow based on the value of your crypto holdings.

Step 2: Compare interest rates from different crypto mortgage lenders.

Step 3: Sign up for an account with your chosen lender and verify your identity.

Step 4: Apply for the crypto mortgage and provide the required documentation.

Step 5: If approved, deposit your collateral.

Step 6: Receive your funds.

Who would want to use a cryptocurrency mortgage?

Cryptocurrencies are valuable assets, but traditional mortgage lenders won’t accept them as collateral. That means you’d need to sell some of your holdings for a down payment, which can come with considerable tax consequences.

Alternatively, instead of selling your crypto for cash, you can use it directly as collateral for a mortgage from select lenders. This way, you avoid cashing in your crypto early and losing out on potential future gains.

Crypto mortgages are beneficial for people who have a great deal of their investments parked in cryptocurrencies and not much in other assets.There are several reasons to choose a crypto mortgage over a conventional mortgage, including:

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• No down payment required, unlike traditional mortgages that often require you to pay up to 20% of the property value upfront.
• The speed of approving crypto mortgages is faster than conventional mortgages due to less demanding identification and credit checks.
• Some crypto mortgages dont require a set monthly payment.

What crypto assets do lenders accept for a crypto mortgage?

Most crypto lenders tend to accept the most widely-used coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum and stablecoins such as USDC and USDT. The reason is that theres ample market liquidity for these coins, and they tend to be less volatile than obscure digital tokens.

What happens when crypto assets change in value during the mortgage term?

If the value of your crypto holdings increases during the loan term, it means the collateral becomes worth more than it initially was, and you will benefit from the gains after repaying the mortgage.

On the other hand, if the value of your crypto assets slumps, you’ll be required to add more assets as collateral to make up for the difference, assets that you cant access without repaying the loan. If you refuse to add more assets as collateral, the lender may seize and sell your existing asset to make up for the shortfall.

Pros and cons of cryptocurrency mortgages

Where to get a crypto mortgage

The recent growth wave in the crypto market has spawned a handful of companies offering crypto-backed mortgages. The most popular include Milo, Figure, Ledn, and USDC.homes.

Milo mortgage

Milo Credit was founded in 2019 to provide mortgages to global crypto consumers. The company provides mortgages backed by crypto assets a minimum of $200,000 and a maximum of $5,000,000.

Eligibility

You need to meet Milos eligibility terms in order to secure a loan, which include:

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• At least $200,000 of crypto assets when pledging a mix of BTC, ETH, and USDC, or at least $80,000 when posting only USDC as collateral.
• A valid government-issued passport or driver’s license for identification.

Why get a Milo crypto mortgage?

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• Youre a foreign citizen who wants to buy a U.S. property Milo doesnt require a social security number to approve mortgages.
• Milo lets you refinance mortgages with cryptocurrency.
• You can secure a mortgage relatively quickly if eligible.

How to apply for a Milo mortgage

Step 1: Visit the official Milo website and see what rate you qualify for.

Step 2: Click the Get started button and proceed to apply.

Step 3: Enter the address of the property you want to purchase to begin the application process youd need to create an account.

Step 4: Provide more details about the property you intend to purchase, including the purchase price, escrow deposit, expected rental income (if any), etc.

Step 5: Provide information for identification and verification, including your legal name, phone number, credit score, annual income, and value of crypto and non-crypto holdings. Milo will use this information to determine if youre eligible for a mortgage.

Step 6: Secure your loan offer append your signature to the loan documents.

Step 7: Validate your information.

Step 8: Deposit your collateral and receive the mortgage in cash in your specified bank account.

Figure crypto mortgage

Figure is a well-known company that provides home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) based on blockchain technology. In March, it opened a waiting list for crypto-backed mortgages, promising up to $3 million of loans per customer collateralized by Bitcoin or Ethereum. It hasnt launched this service to the public, so details are limited.

Eligibility

Figure says its crypto mortgages will be available to only U.S. residents in select states; Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and New Jersey.

Why get a Figure crypto mortgage?

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• Bitcoin and Ethereum-backed loans, making it suitable for users with most of their crypto holdings in these two assets.
• Reasonable interest rates.
• A trusted brand in the cryptocurrency sector.

Note that these features are what Figure promises and may not be what users end up getting.

How to apply for a Figure mortgage

For now, you can only provide your email address to join the waiting list.

Ledn crypto mortgage

Ledn is a well-known cryptocurrency investing platform. It offers a crypto-backed mortgage as a complementary service, but theres a catch; its only available in Ontario, Canada. Users in other regions can only get on the waitlist, and Ledn promises that itll be available to all other Canadian residents and select American residents later this year.

Eligibility

Ledns primary eligibility requirement is having at least 130% of the estimated value of the property you intend to purchase in Bitcoin to post as collateral.

Why get a Ledn crypto mortgage?

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• It closes crypto mortgages in as little as 24 hours.
• If you expect the value of your Bitcoin holdings to soar you can keep it and get a loan backed by it.
• Quick (2-year) loans.

Pros

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• The Ledn platform has lots of other crypto investing features: Ledn is a comprehensive platform with many features apart from mortgages. For instance, you can invest your crypto assets and earn interest or access loans to buy crypto assets.
• No down payment required: Most traditional mortgage lenders will require you to put up a certain percentage of the mortgage value upfront. Ledn doesnt have this requirement.
• Fast mortgage turnaround time: Ledn has an unusually speedy time lapse between applying for a mortgage and getting it as low as 24 hours as it claims.

Cons

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• Accepts only Bitcoin as collateral: Bitcoin is the only crypto asset Ledn accepts as collateral for mortgages. If you have your wealth parked in other crypto assets, youd have to convert them, which can incur significant fees.
• Available only in one Canadian province: For now, Ledn mortgages are only available for properties in Ontario, Canada.
• Short loan term: The mortgage loans Ledn offer mature in 2 years, much shorter than the 30-year horizon other platforms offer.

How to apply for a Ledn mortgage

Step 1: Fill in your details on the application form on the Ledn website.

Step 2: Wait for a Ledn employee to contact you via your email or phone number regarding eligibility and how to proceed with the loan. Ledn is still in the early stages of offering a crypto mortgage, so a lot of steps in getting it are informal and dont follow a standard procedure.

USDC.homes crypto mortgage

USDC.homes is a decentralized finance DeFi project that, as the name suggests, offers mortgages backed by the USDC stablecoin (plus ETH and BTC). For now, its only available to American residents in the state of Texas.

Eligibility

As a DeFi project, USDC.homes offers great flexibility the only requirement is your crypto assets.

Why get a USDC.homes crypto mortgage?

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• Flexibility.
• You can earn interest on your down payment via staking.
• Suitable if you earn your income primarily in cryptocurrency

How to apply for a USDC.homes mortgage

Step 1: Fill in your details in the application form on the USDC.homes website.

Step 2: Wait for a member of the USDC.homes team to contact you for a follow-up.

Crypto mortgage rates

Crypto mortgage calculator example

Heres the breakdown of a hypothetical crypto mortgage of $500,000 with no down payment secured through Milo, with a standard interest rate of 6.95% and a 30-year term.

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• Purchase price in USD – $500,000. Youd need that equivalent in crypto to secure the loan.

The formula for calculating mortgage monthly payments is M = P [ i(1 + i)^n ] / [ (1 + i)^n 1], where:

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• M = Total monthly payment
• P = The total amount of your loan ($500,000)
• I = Interest rate, as a monthly percentage (6.9510012= 0.0058)
• N = The total number of months in the timeline for paying off the mortgage (30 years x 12 months = 360 months).

It gives M = 500,000 [ 0.0058(1 + 0.0058)^360 ] / [ (1 + 0.0058)^359-1]. To solve, calculate (1+.0058)^360 first. It gives 8. Then, solve for (1+0.0058)^359-1; it gives 8-1 =7.

Hence, the calculation becomes M = 500,000 [.0058(8)]/[7]. Solve the math within the brackets, and it becomes M = 500,000[0.662]. Taking this calculation, the final answer becomes $3,314 as your monthly payment.

Note that we approximated all numbers five spaces past the decimal point, so $3,314 wont be the exact figure. Likewise, this calculation doesnt factor in taxes and insurance premiums, which can vary depending on the propertys location. Milo also adjusts the interest rate depending on certain factors.

Final thoughts on crypto mortgages

Crypto-backed mortgages are one of the latest innovations in the cryptocurrency industry that you can take advantage of. They work similarly to traditional mortgages but with crypto assets posted as collateral. Unlike traditional mortgages, theyre faster to get and often require no down payment or set monthly payment.

Crypto assets have significant potential to appreciate, and if youre making that bet, its advisable to use your assets as collateral for a cash mortgage instead of selling them and incurring tax liabilities or missing out on potential gains. This way, if the value of your collateral increases, you can reclaim it after repaying the mortgage.

Weve given you good examples of crypto mortgage providers and how you can apply through them.

Frequently asked questions

• Can I get a mortgage with crypto?

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  Yes, you can get a mortgage by putting up cryptocurrency assets as collateral.

• What is a crypto mortgage company?

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  A crypto mortgage company is one that provides mortgages to customers secured by crypto assets.

• How does Milo crypto mortgage work?

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  Milo lets you apply for a loan of between $200,000 and $5 million by posting the equivalent amount in BTC, ETH, or USD as collateral.

• Can you buy a house with Bitcoin?

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  Its rare but possible to find a seller willing to receive payments in Bitcoin. Most sellers will demand fiat as payment. However, you can use your Bitcoin to secure a loan from crypto mortgage companies.

• How much cryptocurrency do I need for a cryptocurrency mortgage loan?

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  It depends on the platform, but you generally need between 100% and 200% of the amount youre seeking as a mortgage.

• Can I refinance a loan with cryptocurrency?

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  Yes, Milo lets you refinance existing mortgage loans using cryptocurrency.

• Is a crypto mortgage faster than a traditional mortgage?

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  Yes, obtaining a crypto mortgage is usually faster and more convenient than getting a traditional mortgage. Theres identification and verification involved in crypto mortgages, but its not as stringent as with traditional mortgages.

• Where is the crypto held during the duration of the loan?

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  Different lenders use different custodians to hold customers crypto collateral deposits. For instance, Milo holds deposits securely using Coinbase and Gemini.