According to a report released by the US Treasury's Office of Financial Research, cryptocurrency investments have potentially enabled lower-income Americans to purchase homes at a higher rate than the rest of the population. The study discovered a significant increase in mortgage debt in areas with high digital asset activity, but found that delinquency rates have remained low. The research concluded that low-income consumers in areas with high crypto exposure are more likely to take out mortgages, with average mortgage sizes being large relative to pre-2020 average income. The report noted that there is little evidence of higher levels of distress in mortgage, auto, or credit card debt among consumers in high-crypto exposure neighborhoods.
However, the study cautioned that these crypto households will require close observation in a financial downturn to assess potential risks to the US mortgage market.