Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director William J. Pulte has ordered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to begin preparing their systems to recognize cryptocurrency as an asset in mortgage qualification — marking what could be a dramatic shift in housing finance policy.
“After significant studying, and in keeping with President Trump’s vision to make the United States the crypto capital of the world,” Pulte posted to X, “today I ordered the Great Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to prepare their businesses to count cryptocurrency as an asset for a mortgage.”
In a follow-up post, Pulte added: “I want people who own cryptocurrency to be able to buy homes like everyone else. I believe cryptocurrency is an asset. I believe Americans should be able to use their crypto if they want to. It's time the housing system caught up.”
“The housing industry needs a massive upgrade ... we need to move past the status quo.” —William J. Pulte, Director, FHFA
While there has been no formal FHFA policy announcement or update to GSE underwriting guidelines, Pulte’s statements signal a direction that, if acted upon, would require major changes to how lenders document and verify digital assets like Bitcoin or Ethereum.
The proposed shift comes amid broader calls from Pulte — who is also chairman of the board for both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — to modernize housing infrastructure. Earlier this week, he encouraged fintech professionals to enter the housing space, posting: “The Housing Industry needs a massive upgrade. I want to encourage as many tech founders, engineers, and doers to come into the Housing Industry as possible. We need to move past the status quo.”
Currently, neither Fannie Mae nor Freddie Mac allows cryptocurrency holdings to count as reserves or assets in mortgage qualification. Pulte’s public directive, though lacking formal policy documentation, suggests that could soon change.
It remains unclear whether this push will evolve into actionable guidance or stall amid regulatory and operational hurdles. But it puts cryptocurrency squarely into the national housing conversation — and positions the FHFA as a potential catalyst for the biggest update to asset qualification rules in decades.
Industry leaders are convening soon in an all-day conference sponsored by American Business Media, NMP's parent company, on the U.S. strategy for cryptocurrency as well as artificial intelligence (AI). The event, which will bring together legislators and tech leaders, takes place at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, July 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET and will feature a range of speakers, including, among others:
- Bo Hines, executive director of President Trump's Council of Advisers on Digital Assets;
- Scott Turner, Sec. of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD);
- Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence;
- Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee;
- Summer Mersinger, CEO of the Blockchain Association;
- Matthew Pines, executive director of the Bitcoin Policy Institute; and
- Pavan Agarwal, CEO of Celligence International, LLC and creator of AngelAI.
