Best bitcoin-backed loan services
Bitcoin-backed loans differ on who can borrow, how collateral is held, and minimum loan size. Strike and Ledn lend to individuals starting at $1,000–$10,000 and hold all collateral keys themselves. Unchained lends only to US business entities at a $150,000 minimum, but keeps collateral in a multisig vault where the borrower holds 1 of 3 keys and can verify it on-chain throughout the loan term. Onramp originates loans through Arch Lending and moves collateral to a separate institutional custodian for the loan duration.
| Feature | Unchained | Arch Lending | Lava | Ledn | Nexo | Onramp | SALT | Strike |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borrower retains one key to the bitcoin | ✓ | ‒ | ‒ | ‒ | ‒ | ‒ | ‒ | ‒ |
| Bitcoin verifiable on-chain during loan | ✓ | ‒ | ‒ | ‒ | ‒ | ‒ | ‒ | ‒ |
| No rehypothecation of collateral | ✓ | ✓ | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ | ✓ | ‒ | ◐ |
| Direct lender (not third-party originator) | ✓ | ✓ | ◐ | ✓ | ◐ | ‒ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Available to business entities (LLC, Corp) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ‒ | ✓ | ‒ |
| Available to individuals | ‒ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Minimum loan ≤ $50,000 | ‒ | ◐ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ◐ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Interest rate from 10% APR or below | ‒ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Available outside the US | ‒ | ◐ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ‒ | ✓ | ✓ |
✓Yes · ◐Partial / depends on configuration · ‒ No
About this guide
These comparisons are maintained by Unchained. We have tried to represent every service accurately and fairly, and where another service does something well that Unchained does not, we say so. Unchained appears as the reference point throughout because every page is built around a single question: how does this service differ from Unchained? That framing is why Unchained is more prominently featured, not because we consider it the default right answer for every reader.