The US Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has signed a historic directive with its decision dated June 25, 2025. The FHFA has instructed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the cornerstones of the US housing finance system, to include cryptocurrencies in the risk assessment process for single-family housing loans.
Under the decision signed by FHFA Director William J. Pulte, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will now be able to consider crypto assets that can be stored without being converted into dollars and are held on U.S.-based, regulated crypto exchanges in their mortgage risk assessments.
With this step, FHFA aims to provide greater liquidity and flexibility in the mortgage system, expand the range of assets in reserves, and support long-term sustainable homeownership.
According to the directive:
- Crypto assets can be directly accepted as reserve assets.
- Crypto assets will only be considered if they can be stored on US-based and regulated exchanges.
- Both institutions will create their own internal risk assessment systems, taking into account volatility and market fluctuations in crypto assets.
- Any change in practice would have to undergo approval by the institutions' board of directors and be submitted to the FHFA.
This directive marks the first time in the US that cryptocurrencies may begin to be considered an official “asset” in the mortgage system. This could open up new opportunities for crypto investors, especially in mortgages. However, only crypto assets that are held on regulated exchanges and can be proven with documentation will be accepted. Although the directive does not yet mean that cryptocurrencies can be used as collateral, it does indicate that an important regulatory threshold has been crossed.
*This is not investment advice.
