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General
What is Arch?
Arch is a crypto-backed lending platform that allows users to borrow against their digital assets without selling them. Our platform provides a secure, transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your crypto exposure.
What products does Arch offer?
Arch offers crypto-backed loans, allowing you to borrow stablecoins or USD against your cryptocurrency holdings. We currently support Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL) and Ripple (XRP).
In addition to standard loans, Arch offers two specialized products:
Perpetual Income: A fully-managed, long-term BTC-backed borrowing program that provides recurring annual cash payouts without selling your Bitcoin. Minimum 1 BTC deposit required.
TaxShield: A turnkey strategy that converts taxes owed into income-producing Bitcoin mining assets using bonus depreciation under IRC section 168(k), powered by Arch and Blockware hosted mining.
How does a crypto-backed loan work?
You deposit your cryptocurrency as collateral, and Arch provides you with a loan in stablecoins or USD. Your crypto stays securely stored with our custodian (Anchorage Digital), and you repay the loan over the agreed term. Once repaid, your collateral is returned.
What oracles does Arch use?
Arch uses the CoinMarketCap market price feed. CoinMarketCap prices are updated every 60 seconds, and their methodology involves querying various exchanges and running data cleaning and verification algorithms on top of this to ensure data integrity. See here for additional fail-safes in place.
- Stale prices. We monitor and ensure that all prices are up-to-date. If the most recent price is becoming stale, our team is alerted.
- Extreme reported price drops. If the LTV of a loan is calculated to be some extreme amount above the generally accepted range (0-100%), our team is alerted, and liquidations are not triggered without manual action.
What is the minimum loan amount?
Minimum loan amounts vary by collateral type and state. Please log in to the Arch dashboard and select your collateral and state to see the current minimum for your situation. The default minimum is $5,000.
Taking Out a Loan
How do I apply for a loan?
You can apply directly through the Arch web app at archlending.com. The process involves selecting your collateral type, choosing your loan amount and duration, completing KYC verification, e-signing loan documents, and depositing your collateral.
What collateral do you accept?
Arch currently accepts Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL)Solana (SOL), and XRP as collateral for loans.
Each collateral type has different LTV ratios and terms. See our Loan Terms article for details.
How long does it take to get a loan?
Once your KYC is approved and documents are signed, you have 24 hours to send your collateral with extensions available upon request. After collateral is confirmed on-chain, loan disbursement is typically processed within the same business day.
KYC verification is often instant but may take up to 24 hours if manual review is needed.
Is there a credit check?
No. Arch loans are over-collateralized and do not require a credit check.
How do I receive my loan proceeds?
You can choose to receive your loan as USDC (sent to a crypto wallet), via wire transfer, or via ACH to your bank account.
Can I take out multiple loans?
Yes, you can have multiple active loans with Arch, each secured by separate collateral.
What states does Arch support? Arch currently supports loans to individuals in 44 U.S. states and territories: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV, WY. California is not currently supported. International entities are also supported where permitted, please reach out to see if we can enable if you are overseas.
For businesses and trusts, Arch supports 44 US states and territories: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV, WY.
Loan Terms
What are the LTV ratios?
Bitcoin (BTC): 60% starting LTV, 70% margin call, 80% partial liquidation.
Ethereum (ETH): 55% starting LTV, 65% margin call, 75% partial liquidation.
Solana (SOL): 45% starting LTV, 55% margin call, 65% partial liquidation.
XRP: 45% starting LTV, 55% margin call, 65% partial liquidation.
What are the interest rates?
Interest rates start at 8.49% for Bitcoin-backed loans. Rates vary by collateral type and loan size, with lower rates available for larger loans. Log in to the Arch dashboard for the most current rates.
What is the origination fee?
The origination fee is 1.49%.
What is the loan duration?
Standard loans are available for terms of 1 to 12 months, with no early repayment fee and the option to refinance or rollover.
Can I repay early?
Yes. There are no prepayment penalties. You can retire the loan at any time.
What is the partial liquidation fee?
Typically 2% of the amount liquidated, to the extent not prohibited by state law.
How is interest paid?
Interest can be paid via USDC (Ethereum or Polygon networks), wire transfer, or ACH. You can also set up autopay via a connected bank account.
Can I rollover my loan?
Yes. At the end of your loan term, you can rollover directly from the dashboard by clicking the Rollover button.
What happens if I miss a payment?
If you miss a payment, late fees may apply. Continued non-payment could result in your LTV rising to margin call or partial liquidation thresholds. Contact support immediately if you anticipate difficulty making a payment.
Security
How is my collateral stored?
All collateral is held in segregated cold storage with Anchorage Digital, a federally qualified crypto custodian bank. Your assets are insured via Lloyd's of London, bankruptcy-remote, and never rehypothecated.
Does Arch rehypothecate my assets?
No. Arch never rehypothecates or lends out your collateral. Your assets remain yours at all times.
Loan Health
What happens if my collateral value drops?
Arch monitors your LTV in real time. If the value of your collateral drops and your LTV approaches the margin call threshold, you will be notified and given the opportunity to add more collateral or partially repay the loan.
What is a margin call?
A margin call occurs when your LTV reaches the margin call threshold (e.g., 70% for BTC). You will have a 24-hour cure window to add collateral or repay part of the loan.
What is a partial liquidation?
If your LTV reaches the partial liquidation level (e.g., 80% for BTC), Arch will sell a portion of your collateral to bring your LTV back to the starting level. A 2% fee applies.
How can I monitor my loan health? You can monitor your LTV and loan status in real time via your Arch dashboard. Arch also sends email notifications when your LTV approaches and crosses warning thresholds.