FHFA directs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to explore cryptocurrency as an asset for mortgages

The U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency's director has ordered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to evaluate cryptocurrency as an asset for mortgages.

In an order posted on Wednesday on X by the agency's director William Pulte, the FHFA directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to "prepare a proposal for consideration of cryptocurrency as an asset for reserves in their respective single-family mortgage loan risk assessments."

"After significant studying, and in keeping with President Trump’s vision to make the United States the crypto capital of the world, today I ordered the Great Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to prepare their businesses to count cryptocurrency as an asset for a mortgage," Pulte said in the post .

This is the Trump administration's latest move to lend a friendlier ear toward the crypto industry since January. Trump has vowed to make the U.S. the "crypto capital" and, since taking office, has issued executive orders, including creating a strategic bitcoin reserve and appointing crypto-friendly regulators to lead key agencies like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were created by Congress and are tasked with providing liquidity and stability to the mortgage market in part by buying mortgages from lenders.

Earlier on Tuesday in a post on X, Pulte said that the FHFA would study the use of crypto holdings "as it related to qualifying for mortgages."

According to financial disclosures  posted  in February, the FHFA director disclosed holdings in bitcoin and Solana, both valued at between $500,001 and $1 million. He also held shares of bitcoin mining-focused firm MARA Holdings. 

Updated at 7:30 p.m. UTC on June 25 to include more details