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Guide

How Businesses Can Borrow Against Digital Assets Using Stablecoins

M
Martin Manné
·February 4, 20268 min read
Truman productsPay suppliersGet paidInvoicing
66–75%
Typical loan-to-value ratio on digital asset collateral
6.4%
Average borrowing APR on Aave/Compound
Minutes
Time from collateral deposit to loan receipt
0%
Capital gains tax triggered (no sale of digital assets)
"Borrowing against digital assets lets businesses access liquidity without selling no capital gains event, no dilution of treasury, no bank approval required."

Why Borrow Against Digital Assets Instead of Selling?

Businesses holding Bitcoin, Ethereum, or large stablecoin reserves often face a dilemma: they need operational liquidity but don't want to sell assets they believe will appreciate (or incur capital gains taxes on a sale). Asset-backed loans solve this elegantly. By depositing digital assets as collateral and borrowing USDC against them, the business accesses dollar liquidity without triggering a taxable sale, without giving up potential upside on the collateral, and without going through a bank credit process. The collateral remains locked in the protocol not in a bank's hands and can be reclaimed in full once the loan is repaid.

Step-by-Step: How to Take an Asset-Backed USDC Loan

Step 1: Connect a business wallet to Aave or Compound on Ethereum. Step 2: Deposit your collateral asset (e.g., $300,000 in WBTC). Step 3: Borrow USDC up to the allowed LTV at 66% LTV, you can borrow up to $198,000 USDC against your $300K collateral. Step 4: Receive USDC to your wallet within the same transaction. Step 5: Use the USDC for your business purpose (supplier payment, working capital, investment). Step 6: Repay the loan plus accrued interest to unlock collateral. The entire process from deposit to USDC receipt completes in under 5 minutes.

When Asset-Backed Loans Make Sense for Business

This structure works best in three scenarios: (1) Treasury bridge you have digital asset reserves but need fiat for short-term operations while waiting for receivables; (2) Tax efficiency you have unrealized gains on digital assets and want liquidity without triggering a taxable event; (3) Speed you need working capital faster than a bank can provide. It makes less sense when your digital asset collateral is volatile (high liquidation risk), when loan amounts exceed DeFi protocol limits, or when you need an unsecured loan (DeFi always requires overcollateralization).

Key Takeaways

  • 1Borrow USDC against digital assets at 66–75% LTV without selling assets
  • 26.4% APR, no credit application, loan received in minutes
  • 3No capital gains tax triggered collateral not sold, just locked
  • 4Best use cases: treasury bridge, tax efficiency, speed of access

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