Basics
Foundational guides on crowdlending, crowdfunding, P2P loans — definitions, mechanics, returns, risks and taxation.
What Is P2P Lending and How Does It Work? A Plain-English Guide for 2026
P2P lending lets investors fund loans through an online platform and receive interest when borrowers repay. Investors take credit risk outside a savings account. Some platforms connect borrower and investor directly; others place a loan company, an originator, between them.
Read articleHow to Start Peer-to-Peer Lending in 2026: Types, Platforms and First Steps
Peer to peer crowdfunding gives private investors access to loans that were once largely held by banks and specialist funds. The entry process is simple. Choosing the underlying credit risk takes more care.
Read articleWhat Is a P2P Lending Platform and How Do Peer-to-Peer Loans Work?
Through an online system, a P2P lending platform connects investable capital with borrowers. The screen may make the transaction look uniform, although the contract underneath can be a direct loan claim, an assignment or a loan-backed security.
Read articleWhat is crowdlending? How investors fund loans in Europe and which rules apply
Crowdlending means many investors funding loans through a platform. ESMA counted €4.25 billion raised in EU crowdfunding in 2024, 58% as loans.
Read articleTypes of crowdfunding: donation, reward, loan, bond, equity and royalty, sorted by what you hold
Crowdfunding types sorted by payoff, legal instrument and sector, with ESMA 2024 data, platform tickets and investor safeguards, as of 2 October 2026.
Read articleHow to invest in crowdfunding in Europe: from the register check to the first tax statement
Seven steps into European crowdfunding: register check, KYC, funding, first investment, limits, exits and tax records, with platform data of 1 October 2026.
Read articlePeer-to-peer loans: how a loan reaches lenders and what each holds
A P2P loan reaches a lender as a direct loan, an assigned claim or a Note. ESMA's 2024 ECSPR data put the average loan-based project at about €240,000.
Read articleCrowdlending returns in Europe: what each published figure counts and what an investor keeps
Mintos reported -1.2% for 2022 and 9.3% for 2024. Compare crowdlending return figures, fees, loss measures and tax in six countries, as of 1 October 2026.
Read articleCrowdlending risks in Europe: default, platform failure and the limits on each
Crowdlending can lose money: Mintos reported a -1.2% net return for 2022. Eight risks, dated European cases and what limits each one.
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