Rate has launched RateFi, a new mortgage product designed to allow borrowers to use cryptocurrency holdings to qualify for home loans without requiring liquidation.
Available this month, RateFi enables qualified borrowers to include verified cryptocurrency as part of their income and reserve qualifications, addressing a long-standing gap in traditional lending. While borrowers must convert crypto assets used for down payments or closing costs into U.S. dollars, the program allows remaining holdings to count toward loan eligibility without forcing liquidation, which can trigger taxes or disrupt investment strategies.
Shant Banosian, president of Rate, emphasized that the program is designed for scalability and practical application.
“Crypto lending gets a lot of headlines,” said Banosian. “But this business is about closing loans consistently, compliantly, and at scale. RateFi runs within our existing platform, providing the underwriting, pricing, and operational support our loan officers rely on every day. It gives them another way to say yes to qualified borrowers without adding complexity.”
The product arrives as digital asset ownership continues to expand. More than 10% of Americans now hold cryptocurrency, with many maintaining substantial portfolios. Historically, mortgage borrowers with significant crypto holdings have faced limited options, often needing to sell assets or rely on complex pledged-asset structures to qualify for financing.
RateFi operates within existing Non-QM lending frameworks and incorporates standard compliance safeguards, including anti-money laundering and know-your-customer verification. The program is fully integrated into Rate’s digital mortgage platform, allowing loan officers to offer the product without altering operational workflows or underwriting infrastructure.
Company executives said the initiative reflects evolving borrower profiles and wealth composition.
“Digital assets are real assets, yet mortgage lending has treated them as invisible,” said Kate Amor, EVP, head of enterprise products at Rate. “RateFi changes that. We built this product to apply common-sense underwriting to a modern financial reality, allowing qualified borrowers to use their crypto without selling it, without gimmicks, and without stepping outside established lending standards. RateFi represents the first phase of a broader digital asset lending strategy the company plans to expand over time.”
Banosian added, "Digital assets represent real wealth. RateFi expands who our loan officers can help and strengthens our ability to serve today’s borrower, without adding friction to the process.”
