Latest news with #MauricioDiBartolomeo
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ledn co-founder says crypto regulatory tailwind from the U.S. is fueling Bitcoin lending boom
Ledn co-founder says crypto regulatory tailwind from the U.S. is fueling Bitcoin lending boom originally appeared on TheStreet. In an interview with TheStreet Roundtable, Mauricio Di Bartolomeo, co-founder of Ledn, highlighted how clear signals from US authorities have ignited what he called a 'Cambrian explosion' in Bitcoin-backed lending. He noted that major regulators have moved from resistance to support — turning prior choke points into open doors for the industry. Di Bartolomeo pointed to the US Securities and Exchange Commission's recent embrace of Bitcoin ETFs and the appointment of a crypto czar as pivotal. 'The SEC has now turned into a tailwind to the space,' he said — adding that these developments send a strong message to global investors that the United States is 'open for business.' He underscored that the largest market's political will to support digital-asset firms reduces counterparty risk for borrowers and lenders alike. Regulatory clarity fuels growth Di Bartolomeo credited influential investors for raising Bitcoin's profile. He cited figures such as Larry Fink, Paul Tudor Jones and Tim Cook, who publicly back Bitcoin and have a long term view on the asset. Di Bartolomeo also noted that MicroStrategy's high-profile corporate bond issuances have popularized the idea of borrowing cash to buy more Bitcoin — a mindset that's driving demand for truly Bitcoin-backed loans. 'if you need cash-- borrow cash against the bitcoin instead,' he explained. Clients' experiences have reinforced this message. 'Every single person that has used their loans responsibly since 2018 has done well financially. This is why our clients keep coming back,' Di Bartolomeo said. Word-of-mouth referrals, he added, have become a powerful acquisition channel — loyal customers recommending Ledn to friends and family. With interest rates on Bitcoin loans trending lower, Di Bartolomeo anticipates even broader adoption. With interest rates falling and Bitcoin's market value climbing, clients can pledge the same collateral to borrow larger amounts — unlocking more cash without ever selling. He believes this dynamic, combined with regulatory support, will sustain Ledn's growth trajectory for years to come. Ledn co-founder says crypto regulatory tailwind from the U.S. is fueling Bitcoin lending boom first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 16, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Crypto Insight
16-06-2025
- Business
- Crypto Insight
Bitcoin-backed loans open the real estate market to crypto-rich, tax-free
Bitcoin holders are using crypto-backed loans to purchase real estate without selling a single satoshi, allowing them to avoid triggering capital gains taxes. The emerging trend is gaining momentum among early crypto adopters, entrepreneurs, and high-net-worth individuals who are 'Bitcoin wealthy' but often don't meet the traditional criteria for real estate financing, Mauricio Di Bartolomeo, co-founder of Ledn, told Cointelegraph. Bitcoin-backed lending models allow borrowers to leverage their crypto without divesting. Since taking a loan doesn't typically count as a taxable event, clients can access liquidity while retaining upside exposure. 'Borrowing using your Bitcoin as collateral doesn't typically trigger capital gains taxes in most jurisdictions because borrowing against an asset is typically not a taxable event — you are not selling your Bitcoin,' Di Bartolomeo said. Bitcoin loans fund homes fast To secure a Bitcoin loan, clients lock up BTC at a typical 50% loan-to-value (LTV) ratio and receive fiat or stablecoins. The average funding time for one lender is 9.6 hours, Di Bartolomeo said. These funds are then used either as a down payment or to cover the entire cost of a property. The model also offers some flexibility. Interest and fees accrue over the loan term, with no mandatory monthly payments. Repayment can occur anytime without penalties, and loans can be renewed if the LTV remains under 60%. Borrowers also retain the right to withdraw excess collateral if Bitcoin appreciates during the loan term. Di Bartolomeo said that Ledn's Bitcoin loans have found strong adoption in Latin America, the US and parts of Europe. 'The beauty of Bitcoin as collateral is that it is borderless,' he said. A recurring concern with BTC-backed loans is volatility. 'As Bitcoin price drops and the LTV increases, clients will receive notifications to send additional collateral,' Di Bartolomeo explained. If the LTV reaches 80%, the lender sells the necessary amount of BTC to repay the loan, returning any remainder to the borrower. Since the real estate transaction has already occurred, a liquidation doesn't reverse the property purchase — it simply settles the loan. Bitcoin as collateral, no credit check needed Traditional lenders often shy away from crypto due to regulatory uncertainty and credit risk. However, Di Bartolomeo said Bitcoin loans can bypass the need for credit scores entirely. Borrowers post 2:1 collateral, and lenders can liquidate instantly if the value falls. 'We believe Bitcoin is the world's most pristine collateral. It trades 24/7, it is deeply liquid, and transactions can be sent globally in real-time,' Di Bartolomeo noted. Ledn issued over $300 million in retail loans in the first quarter of 2025 and is on pace to exceed $1 billion by year's end, the firm said. Furthermore, in 2024, clients earned eight times more from Bitcoin's appreciation than they paid in interest, with over 1,000 BTC withdrawn as excess collateral when prices climbed. Di Bartolomeo added that more and more high-net-worth individuals are turning to Bitcoin-backed loans. Rather than cashing out, they are leveraging their BTC holdings to access hard assets like real estate, maintaining exposure to what they view as their best-performing investment. 'They want to keep the exposure to their highest and best performing asset, and still get to enjoy moving into a new property without selling their Bitcoin.' In May, Seamus Rocca, CEO of the Gibraltar-based private bank Xapo Bank, said Bitcoin holders are becoming more comfortable borrowing against their crypto as market confidence grows. On March 18, Xapo Bank launched a lending product that allows users to borrow US dollars using their Bitcoin as collateral. With the product, qualified clients can access up to $1 million in loans while keeping their BTC. Source:
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bitcoin loans fund homes and bills, says Ledn co-founder
Bitcoin loans fund homes and bills, says Ledn co-founder originally appeared on TheStreet. In an interview with TheStreet Roundtable, Ledn co-founder Mauricio Di Bartolomeo laid out the everyday reasons people mortgage their Bitcoin rather than sell it. Many borrowers turn to Ledn when they have built significant wealth in Bitcoin. 'Many of our clients have accumulated a significant amount of wealth in Bitcoin,' Di Bartolomeo said, noting that people with millions in Bitcoin often want to 'buy a bigger home for their growing family.' But banks 'will say, what's that? That's not an asset.' Bitcoin lending and borrowing lets owners use their coins as collateral to get fiat loans without selling. By locking Bitcoin with a lender like Ledn, borrowers can get cash while retaining upside if prices rise. Lenders hold the collateral and charge interest — managing risk through loan-to-value limits and automatic liquidations. Borrowing against Bitcoin lets customers skirt a taxable sale, place the coins as collateral and 'buy the property or the house that you're looking to move into.' Private and publicly listed firms that keep reserves in Bitcoin 'use our products to effectively manage their cash flows,' he explained. The loans cover salaries and other fiat costs 'without having to sell the Bitcoin position that they've worked so hard to build.' Some investors borrow dollars from digital assets to 'make other investments' such as buying more crypto, he added. Industry workers paid in Bitcoin rely on monthly advances of '10, 20 grand' to cover rent, car payments and other day-to-day expenses — using Ledn as 'a bridge between their Bitcoin income and their fiat life.' Di Bartolomeo said that Ledn's Bitcoin loans start at a 50% loan-to-value ratio (LTV). 'If you come to Ledn with $10,000 worth of Bitcoin, you get $5,000 worth of dollars,' he said. Should the collateral's value fall, clients must top it up. If a loan hits 80% LTV, 'our system automatically and algorithmically liquidates as much Bitcoin as needed to close the loan and returns whatever is left over to you.' That strict model has delivered zero non-performing loans or a cent loss in Ledn's seven-year operations with billions of dollars processed. For Di Bartolomeo, the track record shows Bitcoin-backed lending 'can bring you a very attractive return' while still being 'very sound.' Borrowers get to keep their Bitcoin — and their lifestyles — intact. Bitcoin loans fund homes and bills, says Ledn co-founder first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 11, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ledn dumps Ethereum — goes back to its Bitcoin-only roots
Ledn dumps Ethereum — goes back to its Bitcoin-only roots originally appeared on TheStreet. In an interview with TheStreet Roundtable, Ledn co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer Mauricio Di Bartolomeo explained why the firm is abandoning Ethereum-based lending and concentrating exclusively on Bitcoin. He noted that '98% of Ledn's loan book was made up of Bitcoin-backed loans. Ethereum only made 2% of our loans.' Di Bartolomeo said client feedback drove the decision: 'Our clients, we listen to our clients and our clients love focus. Our clients are also very Bitcoin centric.' Bitcoin lending allows individuals to use their Bitcoin holdings as collateral to borrow cash or stablecoins, without having to sell their Bitcoin. Platforms like Ledn offer this service by holding the borrower's Bitcoin in secure custody while issuing a loan based on a percentage of its current market value. Di Bartolomeo described Ethereum as a network trying to 'fight too many fights. they want to be the internet computer, they want to have programmability, they want to be proof of stake, they want to be energy efficient, it's trying to fight too many fights as far as the things that it wants to be known for.' He warned that competing rails such as Solana and Cardano already 'start eating some of Ethereum's lunch,' making the native token's investment case 'unclear.' In his view, 'You don't have to own a part of the highway. You will just pay the toll the moment you want to get on and when you get off and that's it.' Di Bartolomeo argued that Ethereum's programmability complicates its narrative as a store of value. 'Bitcoin is supposed to be simple and easy to understand. And by adding that complexity, you start messing with that narrative about simplicity.' Without clear token value accrual — unlike Bitcoin's defined role as 'sound money' — Ethereum's native asset faces uncertainty even as its rail remains strong. By contrast, Di Bartolomeo highlighted that major investors like Paul Tudor Jones and corporations such as MicroStrategy view Bitcoin as a reserve asset. El Salvador and Bhutan have adopted Bitcoin treasury strategies. He believes Bitcoin-backed loans represent a 'multi-billion dollar' opportunity that will '10 X over the coming years.' Ledn can underwrite Bitcoin loans globally — with uniform rates and funds delivered 'within 24 hours' — offering legal agreements, customer support and tax statements that DeFi platforms cannot. Di Bartolomeo said, 'Investors seeking long-term stability should favor Bitcoin lending through regulated, centralized channels. Ledn dumps Ethereum — goes back to its Bitcoin-only roots first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 6, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
APX Lending Secures $20M Funding Amid 'Rising Demand' for Crypto-Backed Loans in Canada
Crypto-backed loan provider APX Lending has secured a $20 million accordion facility from Cypress Hills, a private credit investment firm. An accordion facility is a provision that allows a borrower to increase their borrowing without renegotiating the entire agreement. In effect, it expands like an accordion. Toronto-based APX, which offers lending with digital assets as collateral, plans to use the facility to accelerate its expansion in Canada to meet rising demands for crypto-backed loans, according to an emailed announcement shared with CoinDesk on Friday. 'This accordion facility from Cypress Hills marks a major step forward in our mission to make crypto-backed loans transparent, secure, and accessible to Canadians," founder and CEO Andrei Poliakov said in the announcement. APX received exemptive relief from the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) at the start of this month, exempting it from certain registration and prospectus requirements, which the firm said "would address investor concerns in [a] retail context." The exemption was granted "based on the particular facts and circumstances of the application with the objective of fostering innovative businesses in Canada," according to a note on the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) website. Digital asset lending has a somewhat chequered history, with various lenders collapsing amid the onset of the crypto winter in 2022. However, the now more favorable regulatory attitude to crypto in the U.S. could help transform it into a vibrant and competitive market, according to another crypto lender Ledn's co-founder Mauricio Di Bartolomeo. Di Bartolomeo predicted that Washington's friendlier approach to crypto would help rates fall, the effect of which would be evident beyond the U.S. 'Gold in a vault in Switzerland is not gold in a vault in Venezuela, but bitcoin in Colombia is bitcoin in Madrid is bitcoin anywhere in the world," he told CoinDesk in a recent interview. Andrei Poliakov will be speaking at CoinDesk's Consensus 2025 in Toronto on May 14-15. Sign in to access your portfolio
