Ledn Sees Bitcoin Lending Boom as Global Banks Eye Digital Collateral

The bitcoin lending space is poised for a major transformation — and it’s not just happening in the U.S. According to Mauricio Di Bartolomeo, co-founder of crypto lending firm Ledn, global access to affordable bitcoin-backed credit is on the horizon.

“Over the next few years, we’re going to witness a rapid expansion in bitcoin-secured lending — not just more loans, but better ones,” Di Bartolomeo told CoinDesk. “Rates will fall dramatically, and lending will become as efficient as borrowing against a home or a car.”

Much of this optimism stems from the Trump administration’s increasingly crypto-friendly regulatory stance. The recent rollback of SEC rule SAB 121 — which had discouraged banks from holding crypto — has opened the floodgates for traditional financial institutions to join the market.

“With major banks coming in, competition will drive rates down,” Di Bartolomeo said. “Right now, we’re seeing rates over 12.5%. But once the big players step in, that’ll compress — 12%, 10%, 9%, maybe lower.”

What makes bitcoin-backed loans especially promising, he says, is the asset’s consistency across borders. “Bitcoin is universal collateral. Whether it’s in Bogotá or Berlin, it’s the same asset with the same rules,” he said. “That allows us to offer financing in places where access has traditionally been limited or costly.”

This global consistency could bring high-quality credit to emerging markets for the first time, giving borrowers in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia a way to access capital without giving up their digital assets.

Ledn’s origin story began in Venezuela during a time of extreme inflation. Di Bartolomeo’s family got into mining, but they needed a way to raise fiat funds without selling off their bitcoin — a challenge that also affected miners and investors in Canada, where he studied. In 2018, he and co-founder Adam Reeds launched Ledn to bridge that gap.

Today, Ledn offers a full suite of digital asset services, including bitcoin and ETH-backed loans, yield accounts, and stablecoin products. Since its inception, the company has originated $9 billion in loans, serving a global clientele of high-net-worth individuals, institutions, and crypto-native businesses.

When many crypto lenders collapsed in 2022, Ledn stood firm thanks to conservative risk management and an early focus on Spanish-speaking markets, including Mexico, Colombia, and Spain.

Looking ahead, Di Bartolomeo believes the pie is growing — and Ledn is ready. “The table’s getting bigger, and there will be a lot to go around,” he said. “As long as we stay in the room, we’re going to thrive.”