A major shift is happening in traditional finance. Newrez, a prominent US mortgage lender, is set to accept cryptocurrency holdings as qualifying assets for non-agency mortgages beginning in February. The approved digital assets include Bitcoin, Ethereum, spot ETFs, and USD stablecoins—but with a key requirement: they must be held on US-regulated platforms. The move reflects growing institutional recognition of crypto's role in financial portfolios. However, there's a catch. To account for market volatility, these crypto assets will be subject to discounts when calculating their value for mortgage qualification purposes. This policy represents a pragmatic middle ground—acknowledging crypto's legitimacy while managing risk exposure. It's another sign that traditional financial institutions are gradually opening doors to digital asset holders.