Better Home & Finance and Coinbase Launch First Bitcoin-Backed Mortgage
Better Home & Finance Holding Company (BETR), and Coinbase (COIN) announced the funding of the first Fannie Mae (FNMA)-backed mortgage backed by Bitcoin in the United States. The companies also confirmed plans to make the product available to qualified borrowers nationwide by Summer 2026. n March 2026, Better and Coinbase announced plans to offer the first Fannie Mae-eligible token-backed mortgage. The product is designed to address the evolving financial profiles of modern homebuyers, based on how they store wealth and how the mortgage system has traditionally evaluated it. Initially supporting Bitcoin and USDC, the product allows borrowers to pledge digital assets as collateral, enabling them to secure a mortgage without liquidating their holdings. The companies plan to expand support to additional digital assets as the market matures.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Analyst Views on BETR
About BETR
About the author

- First Crypto-Backed Mortgage: Coinbase and BETR provided their first Fannie Mae-eligible crypto-backed mortgage to a married couple in their early 30s in Michigan, showcasing a new application of crypto assets in real estate financing.
- Positive Market Reaction: BETR shares rose 4.28% to $27.54 during morning trading on Thursday, indicating market approval of this innovative product, while COIN shares slightly declined by 0.12% to $163.02, reflecting investor caution in the crypto market.
- Innovative Loan Structure: The mortgage allows borrowers to use cryptocurrency as collateral instead of liquidating their long-term Bitcoin holdings, thus avoiding capital gains taxes and retaining future appreciation potential, addressing the needs of modern buyers.
- Expanding Market Access: Approximately 41% of BETR's pre-approved customers qualify based on income and credit but lack cash for traditional down payments; this new product aims to resolve this issue and help more qualified borrowers achieve homeownership.
- First Bitcoin-Backed Mortgage: Better Home & Finance and Coinbase have launched the first Fannie Mae-backed mortgage in the U.S. utilizing Bitcoin as collateral, with plans to make it available to qualified borrowers nationwide by Summer 2026, addressing the financial needs of modern homebuyers and enhancing housing accessibility.
- Digital Asset Collateral Innovation: This mortgage product allows borrowers to use Bitcoin and USDC as collateral, avoiding capital gains taxes from liquidating digital assets, catering to 41% of pre-approved customers who qualify on income and credit but lack traditional down payment cash.
- Rising Homebuyer Age: According to the National Association of Realtors, the median age of first-time homebuyers in the U.S. has risen to 40 years, up from 32 a decade ago, reflecting the impact of high mortgage rates and rising home prices, prompting the introduction of this product to address the trend.
- Partner Selection: Better chose Coinbase to power its mortgage offering due to its trustworthiness and compliance in the U.S., ensuring the security and market responsibility of this innovative product, marking a new opportunity for digital assets in housing finance.
- Leadership Change: BetterLife Pharma has appointed Doug Drysdale as Executive Chairman, who previously served as CEO of Cybin, successfully advancing the company from molecule inception to Phase 3 trials in just three years, showcasing his exceptional leadership in the biotech sector.
- Strategic Value Enhancement: Drysdale's addition is expected to bring global leadership experience and a rich background in executing successful transactions, significantly strengthening BetterLife's strategic insights and operational capabilities, thereby driving long-term shareholder value creation.
- Equity Incentive Plan: The company will grant Drysdale stock options for 3.5 million shares at an exercise price of $0.065, vesting monthly over 24 months with a 10-year term, aimed at attracting and retaining executive talent to foster company growth.
- Innovative Drug Development: BetterLife focuses on developing BETR-001 for treating neurological disorders, which is in preclinical and IND-enabling studies, featuring unique self-administration characteristics that are expected to eliminate regulatory hurdles and provide strong momentum for future growth.
- Loan Volume Growth: Better Home achieved approximately $1.64 billion in funded loan volume in Q1 2026, reflecting an 89% year-over-year increase, indicating enhanced competitiveness in the market, although macroeconomic pressures may impact future growth.
- Revenue and Cost Dynamics: Revenue from continuing operations grew approximately 52% year-over-year to $47.5 million, despite an adjusted EBITDA loss of approximately $19 million, highlighting the need for improved cost control alongside revenue growth to achieve profitability.
- Strategic Investment and Expansion: The company plans to cut at least $25 million in annualized costs in Q2 and expand warehouse capacity by 48% to $850 million, aiming to enhance operational efficiency and support future business growth.
- Market Outlook and Challenges: While Q2 funded loan volume is expected to remain flat, revenue is projected to grow by approximately 15%, yet management expresses caution regarding macroeconomic uncertainties, emphasizing the potential need for deeper cost cuts in response to rising interest rates.
- Earnings Announcement Schedule: Better Home & Finance Holding (BETR) is set to release its Q1 2023 earnings report on May 7 before market open, with consensus EPS estimates at -$1.61 and revenue expectations at $47.71 million, indicating significant profitability challenges ahead.
- Earnings Forecast Downgrades: Over the past three months, EPS estimates have seen no upward revisions and one downward revision, while revenue estimates have faced three downward adjustments, reflecting a waning market confidence in the company's future performance, which could impact investor sentiment.
- Market Reaction Analysis: Given the declining earnings outlook, BETR's stock price may come under pressure, and investors should closely monitor market reactions post-earnings release to assess whether the company can achieve growth in a competitive financial landscape.
- Financing Dynamics: BETR recently announced a $60 million public offering, a move that may aim to bolster liquidity for future business development, but it could also raise concerns regarding the company's financial health.
- Home Equity Card Launch: Better Home & Finance Company unveiled the Home Equity Card at Stripe Sessions 2026, designed to streamline the connection between home equity financing and spending, enabling users to efficiently tap into the $21.4 trillion in available home equity.
- Cost Reduction in Borrowing: The new card aims to eliminate the friction of traditional high-cost unsecured debt by allowing users to draw funds directly from their secured HELOC, thus enhancing flexibility and efficiency in fund utilization without waiting for disbursements.
- Cashback Incentives: Cardholders can earn 1% cashback on eligible purchases, which not only enhances the appeal of home equity spending but also provides additional economic benefits, modernizing household financial management practices.
- Strategic Integration Plan: The Home Equity Card is part of Better's broader strategy to build a fully integrated AI-native home finance platform that connects origination, funding, spending, and planning, with plans to offer it to all approved HELOC customers starting in Summer 2026.









