Crypto Meets the Mortgage Market: What Fannie & Freddie’s New Mandate Means for You

At Ei8ht Street Funding, we pride ourselves on staying ahead of the curve—especially when shifts in financial regulation could impact homebuyers and lenders. That’s why the latest directive from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) caught our attention, and we think it should catch yours too.

On June 25, 2025, FHFA Director William Pulte issued an order that marks a significant evolution in mortgage underwriting: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must now prepare a proposal to treat cryptocurrency holdings as eligible assets when evaluating mortgage risk and reserves. That’s right—buyers who hold assets like Bitcoin (BTC) or Solana (SOL) on U.S.-regulated exchanges could potentially have those holdings count toward their qualification for home loans.

What makes this move particularly innovative is that the rule doesn't require converting crypto into U.S. dollars. If you’ve accumulated crypto and keep it on a regulated centralized exchange, FHFA now wants those balances considered exactly as they are. For banks and lenders, this opens the door to reevaluate how they assess borrowers’ liquidity and overall financial strength.

Why the change now? The FHFA is betting that by broadening the definition of creditworthiness to include crypto assets, more would-be homeowners—especially those early in their financial journeys and who've embraced digital currencies—could meet the standards for mortgage backing. Think of it as recognizing that modern portfolios can look very different from the traditional mix of cash, stocks, or bonds. It’s an acknowledgment that crypto is maturing into a mainstream component of many people's net worth.

A personal note: Pulte’s own ties to crypto add nuance here—publicly available records indicate that he and his spouse held significant amounts of Bitcoin and Solana as of January 2025. Whether that lends further credibility or raises questions about conflicts of interest is bound to be debated—but what can’t be denied is that the change reflects real momentum in institutional acceptance of crypto.

So, why it matters to you:

• For aspiring homeowners with crypto, this represents a new pathway to qualify for a mortgage without needing to liquidate your digital assets.

• For lenders, it means updating risk models and internal policies to include these assets in lending criteria.

• For the broader housing market, it could mean increased liquidity and inclusivity—boosting the chances for more people to buy homes.

What’s next? Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been told to move “as soon as reasonably practical” to develop specific proposals. Once those frameworks are out, lenders will need to adapt if they want to remain competitive.

At Ei8ht Street Funding, innovation is at our core. We’ll be watching closely—ready to guide our partners and customers through the process of integrating crypto asset considerations into mortgage decisions.

Sources from this article include (abcnews.go.com)

Here’s to the future of financing—thankfully, it’s smarter, more flexible, and more inclusive than ever.

— The Ei8ht Street Funding Team