Crypto Loans: How to Borrow Cryptocurrencies?
Key Takeaways:
Users can use Binance Loans to borrow up to 65% of their collateral value and use these funds anywhere.
The main appeal for CeFi lending platforms is that they provide better security and are often backed by a reputable exchange, like Binance Futures.
Bitcoin loans can be acquired nearly instantly, making your crypto assets extremely liquid and convertible, to capitalize on market opportunities.
If you own cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, or BUSD, you’ve probably heard of investment options outside of spot trading such as futures or margin trading. These options can also be risky if not traded strategically and with care, but there is another option that traders can consider that uses more traditional mechanisms to help investors make more out of their assets.
During period of stagnantion, holding BTC or any other cryptocurrency can be difficult especially when funds are needed. Traders usually don’t want to liquidate their assets for the sake of hodling, and also to avoid triggering a taxable event. So to have access to more capital, an option is to open a crypto loan.
In the world of crypto loans, traders can choose between centralized and decentralized routes. But before we get to that, let’s define what a crypto loan is.
What Are Crypto Loans?
The fundamentals of crypto loans are very similar to traditional loans. One key factor where they differ lies in how the funds are accounted for.
With traditional loans, banks or other institutions use credit scores to calculate the amount of risk they can invest into a borrower. With crypto loans, credit scores are totally unnecessary because traders can use their crypto assets as collateral for the lender to hold until the loan is paid back.
Aside from this difference, the mechanisms behind the loan are similar in a technical sense. Crypto loans generally collect interest hourly, instead of monthly. Also, the terms for loans can be shorter than traditional loans.
With crypto loans, traders can borrow from 7 to 180 days on platforms such as Binance Loans.
The reason crypto loans operate on such a shorter time scale is that cryptocurrencies are much more volatile than traditional currencies, making them riskier for the lender and borrower. Should a cryptocurrency drop drastically in value, the collateral a lender took on could become worth much less than what was borrowed. Thus, hourly rates and shorter borrowing terms are applied.
Uses for Crypto Loans
There are a few reasons why a crypto loan may be attractive to investors. Traders often don’t want to liquidate their assets, and when funds are needed, it is useful to have the option to open a loan.
Another common use for a crypto loan would be to receive interest on assets. For instance, traders can use BTC as collateral to acquire a loan in BUSD, USDT or any other stablecoin. The collateral will likely be worth more than the loan itself, but once the loan is repaid including interest, the collateral is returned. At this point, the BTC may have appreciated, leaving the borrower with a profit.
Additionally, market participants prefer crypto loans rather than traditional loans because of the speed at which funds can be acquired. BTC loans can be acquired nearly instantly, making your crypto assets extremely liquid and convertible, to capitalize on market opportunities quickly and easily.
Centralized (CeFi) options require KYC, and users must follow regulations. The main appeal for CeFi platforms is that they provide better security and are often backed by a reputable exchange, like Binance Futures. CeFi Platforms often protect crypto assets with insurance or through the use of cold storage.
On the other hand, decentralized (DeFi) options offer similar functions, but usually, interest rates don’t compare to what’s available through CeFi platforms. DeFi does not require personal identification and can be accessed at any time. However, users must bear the risk of smart contract hacks such as flash loan attacks.
Both CeFi and DeFi options are entirely transparent and resolve on a blockchain. Also, they both usually offer users the ability to create savings accounts with them.
How to Borrow Crypto on Binance Futures?
Borrowing cryptocurrencies is much simpler than borrowing from a traditional financial institution. In fact, anybody can open a crypto loan even if they have no financial history.
On Binance Futures, anyone can borrow a loan, as long as they are a registered user. Also, they are able to borrow various types of cryptos such as BTC, ETH, BNB, USDT, and BUSD. A full list of available assets for borrowing and collateral purposes can be found here.
Once the user has decided which assets they would like to borrow and how they will supply their collateral, they must then determine the length of the loan term (7-180 days). Depending on the amount of collateral, the platform will automatically determine the hourly interest rate to be applied. Interest rates are usually lower than traditional loan rates because of the collateral.
Through Binance Loans, users can borrow up to 65% of the value of their collateral and loaned funds can be used anywhere.
How to Repay Crypto Loans
Repaying the loan is simple enough. Borrowers that use Binance Futures are required to manually repay the loan via the Order Page.
It is important to know that interest is required to be repaid before the principal, such that the borrower doesn’t need to repay the entire principal in one payment. In the case that a borrower can repay early, and the entire amount of principal is paid back, the interest is then charged in accordance with the length in time (hours borrowed) of the loan. Users don’tincur an early repayment fee.
Factors to Consider When Borrowing Cryptocurrencies on Binance Futures
There are two main factors that you must consider when borrowing cryptocurrencies.
Loan-to-Value (LTV) Ratio - LVT Ratio is a calculation that tells investors the actual value of their loan as compared to the value of their collateral. This is calculated using index price, which is not the same between coins. Thus, if any two coins were used as collateral of equal value, the LTV would differ between the collateral options.
Liquidation - Liquidation occurs when a borrower does not repay their loan, even after they are given an extra amount of time from the original due date. If the principal cannot be met, the original collateral is liquidated to cover the loan. A liquidation fee is also incurred from the total borrowed amount (set at 2% on Binance Futures).
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to utilize funds beyond your own means, or need to have ‘fast cash’ but don’t want to liquidate your crypto assets, a crypto loan can work nicely for you.
With numerous options in cryptocurrencies to borrow and count as collateral, the ability to trade has grown even wider. And since you don’t need to have a credit score to apply for a crypto loan, anyone with crypto-assets can open a loan at will. Not only this, but they can choose how they wish to borrow.
DeFi options allow users to borrow quickly and without peer-to-peer interaction. Instead, the loan is completed by a code or a smart contract.
Centralized options provide users with customer service interactions, insurance for funds, and usually higher return rates for their customers. More personal information is required by these options as well.
Binance Futures offers incredibly competitive rates, LTV, and a wide selection of cryptos to work with. To get started with crypto loans, create an account on Binance, and experiment to find what works for you!
Read the following helpful articles for more information about crypto loans on Binance Futures:
(Blog) Is it Possible to Get a Crypto Loan Without Collateral?
(Support) How to use Binance Loans
(Support) What Is Binance Crypto Loans and Frequently Asked Questions?
And many more Binance FAQ topics...
Disclaimer: Crypto assets are volatile products with a high risk of losing money quickly. Prices can fluctuate significantly on any given day. Due to these price fluctuations, your holdings may significantly increase or decrease in value at any given moment, which can result in a loss of all the capital you have invested in a transaction.
Therefore, you should not trade or invest money you cannot afford to lose. It is crucial that you fully understand the risks involved before deciding to trade with us in light of your financial resources, level of experience, and risk appetite. If required, you should seek advice from an independent financial advisor. The actual returns and losses experienced by you will vary depending on many factors, including, but not limited to, market behavior, market movement, and your trade size. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of your investments may go up or down. Learn more here.