The forthcoming four years are expected to see a substantial transformation in the bitcoin (BTC) lending landscape, driven by the Trump administration’s supportive stance towards the cryptocurrency sector.
This assertion comes from Mauricio Di Bartolomeo, a co-founder of Ledn, a company that focuses on offering loans secured by digital assets.
“Anticipate a rapid increase in bitcoin-backed loans, as interest rates are set to decline significantly, making them comparable to home equity and personal credit options,” Di Bartolomeo noted during an interview.
He emphasized that these favorable rates will not only be observed in the U.S. but will also extend globally, facilitated by the inherent characteristics of bitcoin as a digital asset. “While gold stored in Switzerland and Venezuela differs, bitcoin remains uniform—it is the same in Colombia, Madrid, or anywhere else. As an underwriter, I have consistent collateral,” Di Bartolomeo explained.
This development means that investors in emerging markets, who often lack the same access to efficient financing that those in Western countries enjoy, will soon find avenues to obtain what Di Bartolomeo referred to as top-notch financing at reasonable rates.
Significantly, major banks are now prepared to enter the crypto lending arena following the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) repeal of SAB 121, a contentious accounting guideline that created obstacles for companies handling crypto assets.
Historically, the U.S. crypto lending market has had limited entry, leading to a lack of competition, as noted by Di Bartolomeo.
“Currently, it is a seller’s market. We’ve been providing loans at rates exceeding 12.5%, without experiencing any losses over seven years. Banks will recognize this as an attractive return. One may offer a 12% rate, another 10%, and so on. Consequently, these rates will contract over time, ultimately benefiting the consumer,” he stated.
Bitcoin Lending
Di Bartolomeo, a native of Venezuela, entered the cryptocurrency world in 2014. At that time, his home country was grappling with severe hyperinflation and Nicolás Maduro’s rise to power. While many of his peers were looking to leave Venezuela, his brother was successfully mining bitcoin, leveraging the nation’s inexpensive energy resources.
The family ventured into bitcoin mining, eventually extending their network to friends, but faced challenges in financing their operations—single mining rigs can be costly. Di Bartolomeo, who studied in Ontario, found that Canadian miners were encountering similar financial hurdles, which motivated him to co-found Ledn in 2018 alongside Adam Reeds.
“Bitcoin miners had various expenses, and their revenue was primarily in bitcoin. They preferred to retain a substantial portion of their treasury in bitcoin, given its rise in value. They required tools that allowed them to maintain their bitcoin while securing the fiat currency necessary for operational costs,” he shared.
Fast forward to 2025, and Ledn now provides a suite of services to its clients, including bitcoin loans, yield accounts for bitcoin, growth accounts for stablecoins, and loans backed by ether (ETH)—essentially a comprehensive wealth management toolkit. The loans are also a tax-efficient means of accessing liquidity, catering to high-net-worth individuals, businesses, and funds. Since its inception, Ledn has facilitated $9 billion in loans.
Although headquartered in Canada, Ledn was one of the pioneering lending platforms to offer services in Spanish, which enabled it to penetrate markets in Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Spain while other platforms like BlockFi and Voyager aimed predominantly at the U.S. market. Following the collapse of these lenders in 2022, Ledn stood as one of the few remaining firms, allowing it to expand organically in the U.S.
With significant banks now stepping into the arena, Di Bartolomeo expresses optimism that the market will expand considerably, positioning Ledn favorably to capture a portion of that growth.
“As long as we continue to perform well, Ledn will have a place at the table in whatever unfolds, which excites me. The size of our portion is variable—the table is going to be vast, and there will be an abundance to share. As long as we’re included, we’ll be satisfied.”