How Did Milo Surpass US$100m in Crypto Mortgage Lending?

The intersection of decentralised finance and traditional real estate has reached a significant turning point.

Milo, a fintech firm specialising in digital asset lending, has announced it has originated over US$100m in crypto mortgages. This milestone signals a robust shift in how institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) view the utility of their digital holdings.

Central to this achievement is the company’s largest single transaction to date: a US$12m crypto mortgage.

By bridging the gap between volatile digital assets and the stability of the housing market, the firm is addressing a long-standing friction point for crypto-wealthy individuals who have historically struggled to secure credit from traditional high-street banks.

Stability through AI underwriting

Despite the perceived volatility of the underlying collateral, Milo reports a perfect track record of zero margin calls across its mortgage portfolio. The firm attributes this stability to its proprietary technology stack, which utilises AI-enhanced underwriting and real-time collateral monitoring.

These tools allow for a more precise assessment of risk than conventional lending frameworks, with interest rates currently averaging around 7%.

Josip Rupena, CEO and Founder of Milo notes: “Crossing US$100m in originations demonstrates the maturity and stability of our lending infrastructure.

We've moved beyond proving the concept. Now we're proving the execution. We're seeing demand across both high-net-worth individuals and institutions who recognise crypto as legitimate collateral. 

“Clients are buying homes with their Bitcoin and others are cashing out home equity to buy more Bitcoin.”

Bridging bitcoin and brick-and-mortar

The fintech's model allows for up to 100% financing on home purchases with loan amounts reaching US$25m.

By pledging Bitcoin or Ethereum as collateral, borrowers can bypass the need for a cash down payment. Crucially, this structure helps investors avoid triggering taxable events that would occur if they were forced to liquidate their holdings to fund a property acquisition.

Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream and early Bitcoin pioneer says: “Milo’s product is a game changer in Bitcoin lending and unlocks real world use cases for so many bitcoiners.

While Bitcoin continues to appreciate, buyers are able to build equity in real estate and don't have to sell their long term conviction, Bitcoin.”

To cater to varying risk tolerances, the firm provides a self-custody option, allowing borrowers to maintain possession of their Bitcoin. For those utilising traditional custody, assets are secured via partnerships with Coinbase and BitGo.

As a lender that is audited and licensed through SOC 2, the firm operates under a strict regulatory framework – a necessity for maintaining institutional trust in the fintech space.