Luxury auction house Christie’s has become the first major U.S. brokerage firm to launch a crypto-enabled real estate service tailored to high-net-worth buyers.

Christie’s International Real Estate has launched a new division dedicated to facilitating real estate transactions using cryptocurrency. The move marks a significant step forward in how luxury assets are bought and sold in the digital age.

According to a report by The New York Times, the initiative brings together legal experts, crypto analysts, and transaction specialists to manage property sales where both buyer and seller prefer digital currencies over traditional bank transactions. This makes it the first major U.S. firm to offer a crypto-enabled real estate service.

Aaron Kirman, CEO of Christie’s International Real Estate, said the move follows a series of successful multimillion-dollar deals, including a standout sale of a $65 million Beverly Hills mansion bought entirely in Bitcoin.

Crypto Use Grows Among the Ultra-Rich

While still a niche practice, the use of digital currencies in property transactions is gaining traction among high-net-worth individuals. One of the biggest draws of this method is the anonymity it provides. “For high-profile buyers, privacy is everything,” Kirman noted.

Wealthy individuals, particularly celebrities and tech entrepreneurs, often purchase homes through trusts or shell companies. But with internet sleuths increasingly able to trace ownership, crypto offers a deeper layer of obfuscation. 

“Some of our crypto-based sales were so discreet that even the seller didn’t know the buyer’s identity,” Kirman added.

$1 Billion Worth of Properties Open to Crypto

Christie’s now lists over $1 billion in properties whose sellers are willing to accept cryptocurrency. These luxury listings span from upscale Los Angeles neighborhoods to the desert hills of Joshua Tree.

One such property is a modernist home in Joshua Tree priced at $18 million. It is owned by film producer Chris Hanley, who believes that accepting crypto signals openness to the new generation of tech-savvy buyers.

Mainstream Institutions Eye Crypto Integration

Beyond private sales, there’s a growing conversation about integrating crypto into mainstream mortgage financing. Christie’s is reportedly in talks with major banks to explore incorporating digital assets into financed home purchases.

Meanwhile, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has urged government-backed mortgage firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to assess how cryptocurrencies could be counted as reserve assets in home loan risk evaluations. The move could pave the way for broader institutional acceptance of crypto in residential markets.

A Strategic Move in a Competitive Auction Market

Christie’s latest move builds on its growing presence in the blockchain economy. The firm made headlines with its record-breaking NFT auctions, and in 2022, it launched a dedicated Ethereum-based platform for sales of digital art.

Though Christie’s saw a slight decline in total sales last year, $5.7 billion, down 6%, it remains at the forefront of innovation in luxury asset trading, closely competing with Sotheby’s.

Kirman believes the future is bright for crypto in real estate. “We anticipate that in the next five years, over a third of high-end home transactions could involve cryptocurrency,” he said.

Analyst predicts ONDO could surge to $2.80 as the token forms a bullish chart pattern, signaling strong upside potential for investors.

Prominent crypto analyst Ali has identified a bullish setup for ONDO, forecasting a potential rise to $2.80. The prediction, shared on X, is supported by technical chart data showing an ascending channel. Despite the bullish prediction, ONDO currently trades at $0.998, a 6.6% decline in the past week. 

Bullish Channel Remains Intact

The chart from TradingView outlines an ascending parallel channel that has guided ONDO’s movement since mid-2024. The pattern includes a lower support trendline near $0.70, a midline around $1.40, and an upper resistance near $2.80.

According to the chart, ONDO recently moved above the lower boundary and showed signs of upward momentum. While the recent price correction has pulled the token just below the $1 mark, the overall channel remains intact. The analyst suggests a breakout past the midline at $1.40 could trigger a stronger upward move toward the $2.80 level.

Short-Term Decline, Long-Term Potential

Although ONDO’s drop in recent days may raise concerns for short-term traders, the broader technical setup still signals growth potential. Price movement within ascending channels often reflects bullish conditions as long as the lower support holds.

The recent dip could represent a minor retracement rather than a trend reversal. The price had previously climbed from support near $0.70 to a local high above $1.20. If ONDO maintains structure within the channel and regains momentum above $1.00, the upward path remains open.

Adding to the bullish sentiment, Crypto Catalysts highlighted ONDO’s recent technical setup, noting that while the token was trading at $1.03 earlier, it has since dipped below $1. Despite the pullback, the analyst pointed to a breakout above previous resistance on the chart, supported by rising trading volume.

The shared chart includes an upward arrow, indicating expectations of a continued rally with a potential move toward $2. The crypto traders urged traders not to overlook ONDO, suggesting the technical structure remains valid.

Ondo Bullish Catalysts Go Beyond Charts 

Earlier this week, ONDO/USDT began trading on the Binance U.S., marking a key step in the project’s push to bring real-world assets on-chain. Historical records reveal tokens always surge in price once listed on the exchange.

For example, since listing, FARTCOIN surged 50% with no major pullbacks, maintaining a steady climb. SPX rose 50% despite an initial 25% drop, followed by a recovery. POPCAT gained 42% after a 23% dip post-listing. This suggests ONDO could have a similar rally post-listing.

Another bullish catalyst came from 21Shares filing a preliminary prospectus with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an ETF that would track the spot price of ONDO, the native token of Ondo Finance. The proposed “21Shares Ondo Trust” aims to offer passive exposure to ONDO by holding the token directly, with pricing based on the CME CF Ondo Finance-Dollar Reference Rate.

While chart patterns signal a possible move above $2.00, several external factors could still influence ONDO’s path. Broader market trends, including Bitcoin’s performance and macroeconomic news, often affect the behavior of altcoins. Notably, the recent decline in ONDO’s price coincides with Bitcoin’s performance. Bitcoin is trading at $115,564, a 2.0% decline in the past day, increasing its loss in the past week to 3.9%.