Fortunly's Guide
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Best Bitcoin Lending Sites

Written By
G. Dautovic
Updated
December 01,2024
Some or all of the products/services listed on this page are from our affiliate partners from which we receive commissions. This, however, does not influence the evaluations in our reviews. Learn more by reading our Advertiser Disclosure.

If you're looking for a way to make extra money by having your crypto portfolio work for you, consider lending out some of your assets. Alternatively, you might need cash, but you are reluctant to liquidate your cryptocurrency positions. That’s where using your digital assets as collateral comes in.

We’ve found some of the most prominent Bitcoin lending sites that can help you get started.

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Best Bitcoin Lenders of December 2024

APY: Up to 18%
APR: From 0% to 13.9%
Minimum loan amount: $50 in stablecoins, $500 in fiat
Fees: No origination fees
WHAT WE LIKED
REVIEW
SUMMARY
  • More than $6 billion in credit processed and over 4 million users
  • $775 million insurance policy
  • Nexo Booster
Crypto.com Logo

Crypto.com

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APY: Up to 14.5%
APR: 1%-8%
Minimum loan amount: $100
Fees: None for loans
WHAT WE LIKED
REVIEW
SUMMARY
  • More affordable lending options with CRO staking
  • Flexible repayment options for the duration of the loan
  • Instant funds
Celsius Network Logo

Celsius Network

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APY: Up to 18.63%
APR: From 0.1%
Minimum loan amount: $100 for stablecoins, $1,000 for USD
Fees: None for loans
WHAT WE LIKED
REVIEW
SUMMARY
  • More than $8 billion in loans processed
  • 0% APR on 25% LTV loans
  • Mobile apps and API integrations
YouHodler Logo

YouHodler

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APY: Up to 11.28%
APR: From 0%
Minimum loan amount: $100
Fees: 1% for closing and reopening, 1.5% for extending PDL and increasing LTV
WHAT WE LIKED
REVIEW
SUMMARY
  • Collateral in multiple cryptocurrencies
  • Great application and crypto wallet
  • BTC, ETH, and a comprehensive selection of altcoins
APY: Custom
APR: Custom, and from 15% for instant loans
Minimum loan amount: N/A
Fees: 1%-4%
WHAT WE LIKED
REVIEW
SUMMARY
  • Staking platform 
  • Comprehensive options for advanced users
  • Great for investors
Quick Breakdown

Top 5 Bitcoin Lending Platforms- Our Picks for 2024:

  • Nexo - Best range of services

  • Crypto.com - Best for security

  • Celsius Network - Best for lowest fees

  • YouHodler - Best for flexible loans

  • BTCPop - Best for investors

How To Choose a Bitcoin Lender

With the evolving cryptocurrency market, it’s becoming easier to find cryptocurrency exchanges that offer a range of financial services, including lending. There are multiple options for borrowers and lenders, and here are just some of the factors you need to consider before deciding which company is the best fit for your funds.

APR and APY

Crypto loan rates and yields from interest accounts are much more competitive than those from traditional banks. 

The annual percentage rate (APR) is the yearly cost of borrowing money. For a loan with crypto collateral, it may be as low as 0% for short-term loans but is rarely more than 13%. In contrast, the average APR for a credit card is currently 20.17%.

The situation with annual percentage yield (APY) on savings accounts isn’t much better. According to the FDIC, the national average APY is 0.43% for savings accounts. With a crypto loan, the APY is generally between 5% and 15% and varies depending on the cryptocurrency.

Think about how this will affect your tax obligations as well. The IRS regards cryptocurrency as property, so if you’re earning interest on a loan denominated in crypto, you will be liable for capital gains tax. There are tax software solutions that include crypto in their calculations and can help you stay on top of your tax obligations.

Loan-to-Value Ratio

Most loans have a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio that is less than 100% of the cryptocurrency's value. That is, the value of the loan cannot exceed a certain percentage of the underlying asset. 

For example, a platform offers crypto-backed loans with LTVs of up to 50%. This means you can take out a $10,000 loan if you have $20,000 worth of crypto as collateral. 

Keep in mind that the LTVs for loans with fiat currency as collateral are generally much higher.

Wallet Security and Storage

An important consideration when choosing a lender is the security of the platform and its wallets. Make sure that the platform stores the majority of its crypto offline in what is known as "cold storage," as your assets will be kept there for the duration of the loan.

Most platforms use some of the prominent crypto and bitcoin wallets to store their offline assets, such as Ledger or Trezor.