Rate has introduced RateFi, a new mortgage product that allows qualified borrowers to use verified cryptocurrency as part of their income and asset qualification without requiring liquidation. Assets used for down payments or closing costs, however, must be converted.
RateFi charts a new path to homeownership for crypto-forward borrowers and is fully built, priced and operational within Rate’s digital mortgage platform.
“Digital assets are real assets, yet mortgage lending has treated them as invisible. RateFi changes that,” said Kate Amor, executive vice president and head of enterprise products at Rate. “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.”
According to the company, RateFi is among the earliest institutional-grade mortgage programs offered by an independent mortgage bank and is designed to scale. The program operates within existing non-QM structures and applies standard AML and KYC verification processes, ensuring institutional-grade compliance.
“Crypto lending gets a lot of headlines,” said Shant Banosian, president of Rate. “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.”
Research from Rate indicates that digital asset holders are looking for practical ways to leverage existing wealth without triggering liquidation or unnecessary tax consequences.
“Digital assets represent real wealth,” Banosian added. “RateFi expands who our loan officers can help and strengthens our ability to serve today’s borrower, without adding friction to the process.”
Jacqui Mueller
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