Block Earner & Century 21 launch Bitcoin home loans

Block Earner and Century 21 Home Loans have partnered to offer Bitcoin-backed home loans in Australia. The arrangement allows borrowers to use Bitcoin as security for a property deposit alongside a standard mortgage from a traditional lender.

The agreement combines a conventional mortgage arranged through Century 21 Home Loans with a separate loan from Block Earner backed by the borrower's Bitcoin holdings. The mortgage remains with an established lender and has no direct exposure to digital assets, while the Bitcoin-backed loan is intended to cover the deposit portion of a property purchase.

The product is available to both owner-occupiers and investors, subject to lender approval. It gives Bitcoin holders a way to access property finance without selling their holdings, which could otherwise trigger tax liabilities or force sales in weaker market conditions.

The move follows Block Earner's receipt of an Australian Credit Licence, allowing it to offer Bitcoin-backed lending products under its own licence. That step matters because it brings the lending model within Australia's existing consumer credit framework, rather than leaving it outside mainstream finance channels.

How it works

The Bitcoin-backed deposit loan has an initial loan-to-value ratio cap of 50%. Block Earner monitors borrowers in real time through its app. If Bitcoin's value falls and pushes the ratio toward set limits, customers receive notifications and can either add more Bitcoin as collateral or make a cash repayment.

If the threshold for a default notice is reached, borrowers are given a 30-day cure period to restore their position. Partial collateral sales would occur only if needed and only after that period expires.

Block Earner said none of its existing borrowers became insolvent during the recent Bitcoin market correction. That is likely to be central to how the product is judged by lenders and borrowers, given long-standing concerns that crypto price swings make such loans too unstable for property finance.

Charlie Karaboga, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Block Earner, outlined the company's view of the structure.

"This partnership reflects a practical evolution in how digital assets can be incorporated into mainstream finance, supported by regulated lending practices, conservative credit settings and active monitoring to manage volatility responsibly. Recent Bitcoin price volatility reinforces the need for structures that allow holders to access liquidity without selling long-term assets at cyclical lows. With proposed CGT changes making liquidity increasingly important, this partnership helps borrowers meet lending requirements while preserving long-term asset exposure," Karaboga said.

Market demand

Block Earner said its pilot programme for Bitcoin-backed home loans attracted more than AUD $550 million in waitlist demand. The figure suggests strong interest from borrowers who have accumulated digital assets but face a common problem when seeking home finance: substantial wealth on paper, but limited cash available for a deposit.

For mortgage brokers and lenders, the model is designed to separate the property loan from the crypto exposure. Mortgages arranged through Century 21 Home Loans' broking network are generally placed with established Australian lenders under standard credit assessment processes, while the Bitcoin-backed portion sits alongside the mortgage rather than within it.

The partnership also reflects growing efforts by financial firms to turn digital assets into acceptable collateral for more traditional products. In Australia, this remains a niche area, but the scale of local crypto ownership is becoming harder for lenders and brokers to ignore.

According to figures cited by the companies, Australia's crypto market was estimated at AUD $91.43 billion in 2025, with around 3.9 million Australians holding crypto in 2024. Personal holdings were estimated at roughly AUD $20 billion to AUD $22 billion, with Bitcoin accounting for more than half of those assets.

Sam Panebianco, Senior Credit and Policy Adviser at Century 21 Home Loans, said the group saw a need to engage with that segment of the market through existing lending disciplines.

"Century 21 Home Loans participating in the next frontier of banking and Bitcoin is an exciting development. Combining decades of experience and policy knowledge, we're working directly with Australian banks to achieve a strong balance between innovation and responsible lending. With one in four Australians owning Bitcoin or crypto, this is a fast-growing space and one we want to make sure is done right. A market-leading, customer-centric approach, supported by disciplined practices, should open the door for Bitcoin holders across Australia to use their Bitcoin to buy their first home or investment property," Panebianco said.