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Everyday PurchaseBeginner

Buy Your Phone with Bitcoin Without Losing All Your Purchase Power

Use your Bitcoin as collateral to get cash for a phone, repay with price gains, and keep most of your Bitcoin, just like real estate investors leverage property without selling it.

Strategy Overview

Purchases
Use Case
Low
Risk Level
BTC
Collateral
Keep BTC
Goal
Buy What You Need Without Selling BTC

Buy What You Need Without Selling BTC

When you need to make a purchase but don't want to sell your Bitcoin, a BTC-backed loan provides an alternative. Instead of triggering a taxable event by selling, you borrow against your holdings.

If Bitcoin appreciates while you're repaying the loan, you effectively got your purchase at a discount. The key is keeping a conservative loan-to-value ratio so price volatility doesn't put your collateral at risk.

Benefits

Key Benefits of This Strategy

Preserve Purchase Power

Hold onto appreciating assets while still accessing cash when needed.

Low Financial Risk

Small loan size relative to collateral minimizes the chance of liquidation.

Tax Efficiency

Borrowing doesn’t trigger capital gains, unlike selling your Bitcoin.

Ultimate Flexibility

Use this method for phones, laptops, emergencies, or any other expense.

Risks to Consider

Understanding the risks helps you make informed decisions

RiskHigh

Price drop could increase LTV

Mitigation

Keep a conservative LTV and monitor prices to avoid liquidation.

RiskHigh

Platform risk

Mitigation

Use secure, reputable platforms with transparency and audits.

RiskLow

Hidden fees

Mitigation

Look for platforms offering 0% interest and minimal fees.

Worked Example

See the Strategy in Action

Follow along with a hypothetical scenario to understand how to make purchases without selling Bitcoin.

Scenario
Jamie|Bitcoin Holder

Case Study: Alex Buys an iPhone

Alex has 0.03 BTC (worth $3,000) and wants to buy a new $1,000 iPhone without selling his Bitcoin and missing out on future gains.

Steps

The Purchase Journey

How to buy items without selling your Bitcoin

Step 1

1. Deposit Collateral

Alex deposits his 0.03 BTC with a platform like Sovryn Zero, giving him a strong buffer on the initial Loan To Value ratio.

Step 2

2. Get Cash, Buy Phone

He borrows $1,000 in stablecoins against his BTC and uses it to purchase the new iPhone.

Step 3

3. Repay with Gains

Six months later, Bitcoin rises 25% to $125,000. Alex sells just 0.008 BTC to repay the $1,000 loan.

Step 4

4. Preserve Purchase Power

Alex still holds 0.092 BTC, which is now worth $11,500. By leveraging his Bitcoin, he kept almost all of it and got the phone.

The Power of Not Selling

Had Alex sold BTC initially, he would have given up 0.01 BTC. By borrowing, he only sold 0.008 BTC to repay the loan. He preserved 0.002 BTC, worth $250 at the new price.

New phone + Bitcoin intact = Best of both worlds

Calculate Your Purchase

Try your own numbers to see how much BTC you can save

This website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The cryptocurrency market is highly volatile. Please consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Smart Spending, Smarter Saving

A Bitcoin-backed loan lets you make everyday purchases while maintaining your Bitcoin exposure. Just remember to keep your LTV conservative and repay when the time is right.

Try the Simulator

Supporting Quotes

Get a personal loan using bitcoin as collateral. Fund that new home, dream vacation, new car or build a rainy day fund.

Supports the case study’s low-risk approach for everyday purchases like a phone.

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Reinforces the case study’s focus on retaining Bitcoin while spending.

Access USD liquidity with Ledn’s secure bitcoin-backed loans - keep your BTC, get cash in hours, no selling required.

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Borrow USDC and turn it into USD—perfect for large purchases, one-time expenses, and more.

Supports the case study’s application to small, one-time expenses like a phone.

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