Ether.fi is expanding its product line, originally known for Ethereum staking, to better align with everyday financial use cases. The company disclosed that users can now trade tokenized stocks, precious metals, and crypto assets within its self-custody app, and use their holdings as collateral for loans without first selling their assets.
Connect to Aave and Optimism
The announcement states that this new feature is powered by Aave, a decentralized lending protocol deployed on Optimism. Users can lend assets directly within the app or borrow against their portfolio, using the borrowed funds for transfers or spending.
Mike Silagadze, founder and CEO of Ether.fi, said the initial supported collateral assets include existing crypto assets and select tokenized stocks and gold. The currently listed assets include Ethereum, Bitcoin, Hyperliquid, and ETHFI, with additional collateral assets to be added in the future.
Fiat accounts support over 30 currencies.
The company has also launched a fiat account, supporting deposits and withdrawals worldwide. Ether.fi states that this service is available to users who have completed its payment card identity verification, with deposit and withdrawal speeds varying depending on the method used.
According to the company, the new account system will support over 30 currencies and multiple payment methods, aiming to consolidate on-chain asset management, lending, and fiat payments within a single app.
U.S. users are currently not supported for certain assets.
The newly added tokenized stocks and precious metals are not available to users in the United States. This indicates that regional compliance requirements still result in clear distinctions, with current availability primarily focused on markets outside the U.S.
In addition to asset and lending features, Ether.fi announced it will launch an automatic buyback of ETHFI and offer 3% cashback on debit card purchases. The company stated that its platform already has over 500,000 members and an annualized trading volume of approximately $2 billion.
Silagadze said that combining collateralized lending with tokenized real-world assets presents an opportunity to attract users who have not previously used DeFi. Ether.fi aims to expand its offerings beyond crypto-native services to broader use cases such as payments, lending, and asset allocation.
Additional information: Ether.fi was originally more recognized in the crypto market for its Ethereum restaking and yield products; its entry into tokenized stocks and fiat accounts signals its expansion toward a comprehensive on-chain financial application.