Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer, Stuart Alderoty, has welcomed a major policy move that could open the doors to homeownership for millions of crypto users. The U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHHA) has issued a new directive that allows Americans to use cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to qualify for a mortgage, without converting their crypto into dollars.
This step could bring digital assets into the heart of the $20 trillion U.S. mortgage market, signaling a big moment for crypto’s role in everyday finance.
Bitcoin Just Got Closer to the American Dream
Under Director Bill Pulte, the FHFA has instructed mortgage titans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to integrate cryptocurrency payments into mortgage eligibility assessments.
This directive positions Bitcoin as a credible form of collateral in mainstream finance, a sentiment echoed by MicroStrategy cofounder Michael Saylor, who called it a “defining moment” for institutional adoption. “Future generations will remember this as the moment Bitcoin entered the American dream,” Saylor declared in a recent X post.
Analyst Eric Coleman stated that this action might allow younger Americans, who are frequently excluded from the housing market will now secure their first mortgages through crypto assets.
New Hope for First-Time Homebuyers
Analyst Eric Coleman said the change could help younger Americans, especially those struggling to break into the housing market, use their crypto holdings to qualify for home loans.
Treating Bitcoin as a reserve asset within the U.S. housing system may finally give digital-native investors a path toward owning property, something that’s long been out of reach for many.
But Not Everyone’s Celebrating
Despite the excitement, some experts are urging caution. Crypto remains a volatile asset class, and critics warn this move could carry risks similar to the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis.
Others in the Bitcoin community have raised concerns around self-custody. To qualify for a mortgage, crypto assets may need to be held on centralized platforms like Coinbase. This raises questions about privacy, ownership, and the trade-offs between regulation and decentralization.
Ripple and the Bigger Picture
As Ripple and other blockchain companies push for more crypto-friendly regulations, the FHFA directive marks a clear step forward. It blends traditional housing finance with digital innovation in a way that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.
Is this the moment crypto truly goes mainstream? The markets, and millions of investors, will be watching closely.
