A rising policy shift linking crypto to housing finance has drawn sharp scrutiny from several U.S. lawmakers as concerns grow about volatility risks, regulatory blind spots, and governance conflicts. U.S. Senators Jeffrey Merkley, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen, Mazie Hirono, and Bernie Sanders sent a letter on July 24, 2025, to Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director William Pulte, demanding detailed information and documentation about his June 25 directive instructing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to evaluate unconverted cryptocurrency assets in single-family mortgage underwriting.

Pulte has ordered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to begin considering verified cryptocurrency holdings on U.S.-regulated exchanges as eligible assets in mortgage applications. The lawmakers asked FHFA to disclose its full risk analysis, the timeline and process for board approvals, and the criteria for evaluating eligible cryptocurrencies. They also requested a comprehensive list of internal and external meetings held on the topic, including the identities of consulted federal regulators or nongovernmental stakeholders, and the measures in place to detect and prevent conflicts of interest. Citing prior oversight gaps, the letter warned:

Expanding underwriting criteria to include the consideration of unconverted cryptocurrency assets could pose risks to the stability of the housing market and the financial system.

The senators noted that this directive may reintroduce financial vulnerabilities seen during the 2023 banking failures, where crypto-related exposures played a contributing role.

The lawmakers voiced particular concern about structural governance weaknesses, pointing to Pulte’s dual role as both FHFA Director and Chair of the Enterprises’ Boards—a setup they argue compromises independence. They highlighted that Pulte’s spouse holds up to $2 million in crypto assets and pressed FHFA to clarify whether he has consulted ethics officials or initiated any recusals or divestitures. They demanded assurance that any policy shaping future crypto asset eligibility undergoes rigorous and unbiased oversight.

While calling for transparency, the senators acknowledged the directive’s narrow scope, which limits eligibility to assets held on U.S.-regulated centralized exchanges. They also recognized FHFA’s instruction for the Enterprises to develop independent risk mitigants. Crypto proponents counter that thoughtful inclusion of digital assets could help expand mortgage access, particularly for digitally native borrowers, and bring lending models in step with evolving asset portfolios.

免责声明：本文章仅代表作者个人观点，不代表本平台的立场和观点。本文章仅供信息分享，不构成对任何人的任何投资建议。用户与作者之间的任何争议，与本平台无关。如网页中刊载的文章或图片涉及侵权，请提供相关的权利证明和身份证明发送邮件到support@aicoin.com，本平台相关工作人员将会进行核查。