Crowdlending,
explained.
Start here. What crowdlending actually is, how to invest, what returns are realistic, where the risks sit, how it is taxed — and how to pick a platform without guessing.
- Guides
- 9
- Read time
- 110min
Written and reviewed by our editorial team. Reference only — not investment advice.
What 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 guideTypes 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 guidePeer-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 guideHow 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 guideHow to choose a crowdlending platform in 2026: eight checks on public records
Check a crowdlending platform in eight public records: register entry, legal entity, client money, auditor, statistics, loss cover, fees, tax documents.
Read guideCrowdlending 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 guideCrowdlending 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.
Read guideCrowdlending tax in Europe: residence, platform withholding, losses and reporting for private investors
How 13 European countries tax crowdlending interest in 2026, what Mintos, Debitum, PeerBerry, Go & Grow, Estateguru and Maclear withhold, and when losses count.
Read guideCrowdlending as passive income: how the cash arrives, what platforms report and what stays manual
How crowdlending cash arrives by product, what platforms reported paying in August 2026, which tasks stay manual, how exits work and tax in six countries.
Read guideRead the theory, then put it against real platforms — compare ratings, regulation and aggregated investor reviews.