8lends Official

❗️ The middle class is disappearing!

The middle class is usually defined as households earning between two-thirds and twice the national median income.

For example, in the US, that's roughly $56,000 to $170,000. In Germany, it's about €30,000 to €90,000.

And it's not just income — 59% of Americans can't even cover a $1,000 emergency without taking a loan.

In 1971, more than 60% of Americans belonged to the middle class.

📉 Today, that share has fallen to 50%!

If you want a more detailed breakdown of what's happening, watch our new video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/hRWuPO47lPE

🤯 What if 8lends shuts down?

We're sure some of you have already thought about it but never said it out loud. So let us say it for you.

If 8lends shuts down:

🔘 Your investments are protected by Maclear AG

Maclear AG is an independent Swiss company, a member of the self-regulatory organization PolyReg, and has undergone an AML audit by Grant Thornton AG. Swiss financial regulation is among the strictest in the world. As a company operating under this regulatory framework, Maclear AG can't just disappear.

As our Collateral Agent, Maclear AG legally holds the collateral rights for each borrower on behalf of investors, not on behalf of 8lends.

If 8lends shuts down, Maclear AG continues to operate as usual. Borrowers continue making their scheduled payments. In the event of a default, Maclear AG sells the collateral and returns the funds to investors. This is a legal obligation of an independent party under Swiss law.

So your legal right to repayment from a borrower can't just disappear.

🔘 Your money is on the blockchain, and 8lends doesn't hold it

The platform operator is Alpha Systems LLC, registered in St. Vincent as a VASP under the supervision of the FSA. It is a regulated entity licensed to work with virtual assets.

On top of that, every transaction is recorded on the Base blockchain, and our smart contract executes everything automatically, without any manual intervention.

That means even if the 8lends interface disappeared tomorrow, your funds would remain in the smart contracts, verifiable on Basescan.org, while Alpha Systems LLC would remain responsible for its obligations under the platform.

Your wallet's private keys belong only to you. We physically cannot access or dispose of your funds in any way other than what's defined by the smart contracts.

As H. P. Lovecraft once said:

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.

But once you understand how everything works, there's nothing to be afraid of.

8lends was designed to protect your money, and it'll keep doing so.

😉 Did you see the new feature yet?

Thanks to your boosts, we've upgraded our Telegram channel to Level 4, so everyone can now read our posts in their native language.

Telegram automatically translates everything for you.

🤩 Share your thoughts on it in your language under this post!

🤩 CRYPTO LENDING IS FINALLY LIVE!

After a successful beta test, we're finally opening Crypto Lending to everyone!

The core idea in a nutshell: you deposit USDC into a lending pool. Borrowers take out loans by locking up Bitcoin as collateral worth more than the loan itself, and you earn interest on every active loan.

How does it work?

🔘 Deposit USDC into a lending pool (minimum deposit: 1 USDC).
🔘 Borrowers lock up BTC or ETH as collateral worth more than the amount they borrow.
🔘 While the loan is active, you earn interest.
🔘 Withdraw your deposit together with the interest whenever liquidity is available.

❗️ The more USDC borrowed from a pool, the higher the demand. Higher demand generally leads to higher yields for lenders.

How do we protect lenders?

To borrow 80 USDC, a borrower must lock up approximately 100 USDC worth of Bitcoin as collateral. That extra 20% is a safety buffer in case Bitcoin dumps.

If the value of the collateral (Bitcoin) drops below a certain threshold, the collateral is automatically liquidated before it can fall below the loan amount. This returns USDC to the lending pool first and helps protect lenders.

The interest you earn is yours to keep—you can withdraw it, reinvest it into another lending pool, or invest it in real businesses on 8lends.

What are the risks?

🔘 The interest rate isn't fixed. It changes depending on borrowing demand. You always see the current rate in real time before depositing.

🔘 Bitcoin's price can dump sharply. That's why every loan is overcollateralized. If the collateral value drops too much, it's automatically liquidated before the loan becomes undercollateralized.

🔘 Withdrawals may occasionally take longer than usual. If most of a pool's liquidity has already been borrowed, you'll need to wait until borrowers repay their loans or new liquidity enters the pool.

🔘 Smart contract risk. Like any DeFi protocol, there's always a possibility of a bug in the smart contract code. The contracts are open on Base and can be audited by anyone, though. Each lending pool is isolated, so funds from different pools never mix.

❗️ Crypto and DeFi always involve risk. Returns aren't guaranteed and may change over time. This post is an explanation of how the product works, not investment advice. Always do your own research before investing.

Go and see how it works 👇

app.8lends.io/lend

How much can you earn with P2P lending in Europe in 2026?

Platforms usually offer 10–16% per annum, but the actual net return after defaults, fees, and taxes varies a lot. For a well-diversified portfolio across 3–4 MiFID II platforms, a realistic return would be around 8–12% per annum. The 14–16%+ yields offered by newer platforms are usually a risk premium that will sooner or later show up as higher defaults.

Let’s break down the math 👇

🔘 Variable 1. The gap between advertised and actual returns

European P2P/P2B platforms usually offer anywhere from 6.75% (Bondora Go & Grow) to 14–16% (high-risk, unlicensed platforms). The market average for MiFID II platforms is around 10–12%.

According to global market data, the average net return is around 6.5% per annum.

🔘 Variable 2. Defaults are the main killer of profitability

The global default rate for P2P/P2B loans is around 4.5%, although for European platforms it is significantly lower: 2–8%, depending on the loan type and platform quality. On American platforms, it has historically been higher, around 14–17%. Meanwhile, the recovery rate in the global market is 40–60%.

🔘 Variable 3. Platform fees

A 1% annual commission on a portfolio yielding 8% equals 12.5% of the total return earned each year. Over 10 years, this fee can cost tens of thousands of euros because of lost compounding.

Since May 2025, Mintos has charged 0.29% per annum for Custom Loan Portfolios. High-Yield Bond Portfolios will be charged 0.39% per annum from January 1, 2026. This isn't much, but it's a constant drag on your returns.

🔘 Variable 4. Taxes

Taxation of P2P income varies across EU countries. In Germany, it's 26.375% (Abgeltungsteuer + Solidaritätszuschlag) on investment income. In Portugal, it's 28% on interest. In Estonia, it's 22%, with the option to defer taxes through an investment account while the funds remain invested through ECSP platforms. An extreme case is Ireland, where the effective tax rate reaches 52%, and default losses are not deductible from interest income. For example, if an investor earned €1,000 in interest but lost €600 to defaults, taxes are still levied on the full €1,000. In a bad year, the effective tax rate on actual profits can exceed 100%.

With a high tax rate of 35%, a stated return of 15% turns into a net return of 5.85% after defaults and taxes. This is the worst-case tax scenario. For a European investor with a tax rate of 20–26% and the ability to offset default losses, the net return is higher.

So, the stated return is just one number. After defaults, it's usually 2–4 percentage points lower. Fees and cash drag reduce it by another 1–2 percentage points. After taxes, the final result depends on where you live: from 22% in Estonia to 52% in Ireland.

If you'd like a more detailed breakdown, read our full article on Medium:

medium.com/@8lends/how-much-can-you-earn-with-p2p-lending-in-europe-in-2026-2b393d449b81

¡Un podcast para nuestros inversores en España!

We've just published our podcast entirely in Spanish! We discussed:

🔘 Why you don't have to choose between holding and living when crypto-backed lending exists;
🔘 How Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other major cryptocurrencies can be used as collateral depending on your risk profile and market conditions;
🔘 Whether the crypto market is becoming a structured financial system or remains speculative;
🔘 Where smart money is heading now;
🔘 Sectors and narratives the market is still underestimating;
🔘 The biggest risks for investors in 2026, inflation, Bitcoin vs. gold, the sustainability of the AI boom, and the most common investor mistakes.

Since Spain won the FIFA World Cup, why not celebrate with a podcast in Spanish?

¡Disfrútalo! 🤩

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gw-YV5WSmw

How BlackRock is changing the market

On March 20, 2024, BlackRock launched the BUIDL fund—the first tokenized fund issued by the world's largest asset manager on a public blockchain.

It was the first clear signal that something is changing.

✨ Today, BUIDL manages over $2.2 billion in assets across six blockchains, making it one of the two largest tokenized U.S. Treasury products alongside Circle's USYC.

✨ The RWA market has already grown to over $31 billion, surpassing the total TVL of decentralized exchanges for the first time.

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink even compared tokenization to the early days of the internet:

Tokenization is at a stage similar to the internet in 1996, and while this technology is still in its formative stage, it has the potential to fundamentally reshape the way global markets operate.

But things aren't as good as they may seem at first glance.

BUIDL offers 3–5% APY, while the minimum investment is $5,000,000, making it available only to institutional investors.

🤩 We work a similar way by combining real-world assets, cash flow, and blockchain infrastructure. The difference is that the minimum investment starts at just 100 USDC, while the expected return ranges from 19 to 25% APR instead of 3–5% APY.

BlackRock leads the way. We make it accessible.

We answered your questions about MiCA

We've received a lot of questions about MiCA lately, so we decided to answer the most common ones in one place.

Here are the answers 👇

🔘 Question #1: Basically you (8lends) are saying that 8lends, as it is today, never needed to comply with MiCA regulations.
Why not state that weeks ago? Redeeming and selling tokens, the Limited buy of tokens also remain available?

✅ Yes. Under our current structure, 8lends isn't required to hold a MiCA authorization.

Users can continue to buy, sell, redeem, and use their tokens as usual. The only requirements are our standard KYC/AML checks and any local legal restrictions that may apply in a user's country.

If our products or services change in the future and MiCA becomes relevant to what we do, we'll adjust our structure and obtain any licenses that are required.

🔘 Question #2: Have you had your solution validated by a legal firm specializing in MiCA, and not just by your internal legal team?
If so, we would need a small piece of proof confirming this. If not, it would mean that your setup could be dismantled in a matter of seconds by ESMA or other local financial authorities, forcing you to shut down within days or weeks (a bit like Ventus Energy / BaFin, even if it is not the same issue).

✅ Yes. We've worked with external legal consultants who specialize in crypto regulation and MiCA. They reviewed our structure and our regulatory position.

Based on that review, we're confident that our current setup complies with the regulations that apply to us today. Where possible, we can also provide written confirmation that this external legal review was carried out.

We continue to monitor new regulations and update our legal framework whenever necessary.

🔘 Question #3: We understand that ECSP regulates euro crowdlending. But MiCA regulates any 'crypto-asset service' in the EU. If the loans, collateral, or returns pass through USDT, USDC, or any crypto at any point, which entity with a MiCA CASP license is the one that custodies, exchanges, or transfers those crypto-assets for EU clients?

✅ EU users may access 8lends where it is legally permitted, but that doesn't automatically mean 8lends provides MiCA-regulated crypto services in the EU.

Under our current structure, 8lends does not act as a MiCA-regulated CASP for EU users and does not provide custody, exchange, or transfer services in the EU.

Any interaction with crypto-assets takes place within our existing legal framework, including KYC/AML controls, jurisdictional restrictions, and the applicable provisions of MiCA.

As a result, no 8lends entity currently holds a MiCA CASP authorization because our current structure doesn't require one.

If our operations change in the future and a MiCA authorization becomes necessary, we'll either obtain the required authorization ourselves, work with a licensed provider, or limit the relevant functionality where needed.

🔘 Question #4: You say Alpha Systems LLC only provides software. So which legal entity then receives crypto from EU investors, converts it to fiat to pay the originator, and converts it back to pay interest? Does that entity hold a MiCA CASP license or a FINTRAC MSB license? Please provide the registration number.

✅ Alpha Systems LLC acts only as a technology and software provider. It does not receive, hold, exchange, or transfer user funds or crypto-assets.

Crypto-related payment processing and settlement are handled by CLEARCHAIN CORP, which is registered in Canada as a Money Services Business (MSB) with FINTRAC.

FINTRAC MSB Registration Number: C100001102

CLEARCHAIN CORP does not hold a MiCA CASP authorization because, under the current structure, it is not required to.

🔘 Question #5: Does the company hold any licenses or approvals under the MiCA framework in the European Union? Or does it plan to apply for such licenses/approvals in the future? Does the company have any regulatory approvals that can protect European investors?

✅ No. The company does not currently hold a MiCA CASP authorization in the European Union, and under our current model we are not required to have one.

That said, obtaining a CASP authorization is part of our long-term regulatory roadmap. The goal is not to solve a current requirement, but to support future expansion, broader services, and a stronger regulated framework for users.

The timing and jurisdiction of any application will depend on our stage of development and regulatory assessment at that time.

Until then, we continue to operate under our existing compliance framework, including KYC/AML procedures, jurisdictional restrictions, external legal review, and current regulatory registrations.

🔘 Question #6: What protection mechanisms are in place to safeguard investors’ funds in the event of insolvency of the platform or Alpha Systems LLC? Is there any separation between clients’ funds and the company’s operating capital?

✅ Yes. Alpha Systems LLC does not hold or control investor funds or crypto-assets.

Our legal and operational structure is designed to keep investor-related funds separate from the company's operating capital. Investor funds are not used to pay company expenses.

Investor-related transactions, balances, and flows are tracked separately through accounting, monitoring, and reconciliation procedures to ensure they remain distinct from company funds.

🔘 Question #7: What effective oversight does the Financial Services Authority of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines exercise over the activities of this platform? What real recourse would a European investor have to pursue in that jurisdiction in case of a dispute?

✅ The Financial Services Authority of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has authority only within its legal scope.

Crypto-related payment processing is handled through CLEARCHAIN CORP in Canada, which is registered with FINTRAC as a Money Services Business.

The Canadian MSB framework includes AML and compliance obligations such as client identification, record keeping, transaction monitoring, and reporting.

Investor protections are supported through the platform's contractual framework and the regulated payment-processing structure used for the relevant transactions.

In case of a dispute, investors can use the platform's complaint procedure and pursue contractual remedies under the applicable terms. Matters related to payment processing, AML, or suspicious transactions may also be reported to the relevant Canadian authorities.

🔘 Question #8: Beyond regulatory considerations, I’d like to understand the platform’s contingency plans for situations where there’s a liquidity crunch (for example, simultaneous defaults on multiple projects, mass withdrawals by investors, or operational issues). Are there any mechanisms in place—such as reserves, backup funding sources, or prioritized withdrawal procedures—to ensure that investors can retrieve their capital under such circumstances, beyond what’s available through the secondary market, where prices are typically 10% lower?

✅ 8lends is not a demand-deposit product and does not guarantee instant withdrawals regardless of project performance.

Investor capital is allocated to specific projects, so liquidity depends on project repayments and, where applicable, demand on the secondary market.

We maintain contingency procedures for stress situations, including enhanced project monitoring, early identification of repayment issues, borrower communication, restructuring efforts, recovery actions, transaction reconciliation, and controlled processing of investor-related transactions.

We also maintain operational continuity procedures to ensure that investor balances, records, and project positions remain accurately tracked in the event of technical or payment-processing disruptions.

If multiple defaults or broader liquidity stress occur at the same time, we would manage the situation project by project, focusing on transparent communication, orderly recovery processes, and equal treatment of investors within the same project category.

If you still have any questions after reading this, drop them in the comments under this post.

🏆 ¡Felicidades, España!

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is over, so as our giveaway! Our final winner is:

🤩 @k1ss3sx08 with a bet on Spain: https://x.com/k1ss3sx08/status/2077991591088882169

Thank you to everyone who took part in this event! We've learned a lot from it, so we'll make the rules for our future giveaways clearer.

Thanks, @FIFAWorldCup, for this amazing journey. It was awesome!

🤩 But our journey continues, and we'll be sharing some interesting news with all of you this week.

Stay tuned!

🏆 Today is the Grand Final!

The FIFA World Cup is coming to an end, and we hope you're enjoying it just as much as our team is!

🤩 To celebrate the occasion, we're extending the time to place your bet until July 19! The only rule is that your prediction must be posted before the match kicks off.

So, if you have a favorite in today's match, you can support them by taking part in our FIFA World Cup Giveaway.

Share that winning moment with your team!

✨ Who protects your investments?

Whenever a business takes out a loan through 8lends, it secures that loan with collateral (equipment, vehicles, property, etc.).

🤩 But who holds it? Who verifies it? Who sells it in case of default? There's only one answer to all these questions: the collateral agent.

At 8lends, this role is handled by Maclear AG, our parent company. It holds all collateral on behalf of investors. Maclear is a member of SRO PolyReg and is authorized to act as a financial intermediary under the AMLA. It:

🔘 verifies the collateral before a deal appears on the platform
🔘 holds legal title to the collateral on behalf of investors
🔘 acts as the collection agent if the borrower defaults
🔘 sells the collateral and returns the recovered funds to investors

Without a collateral agent, the collateral itself wouldn't be nearly as valuable.

🇨🇭 On top of that, Switzerland has one of the strictest jurisdictions in the world, and Maclear AG has more experience in this field than 8lends.

So, your investments aren't backed by promises. They're backed by real collateral held by an experienced, regulated, and audited collateral agent.

THEY PREDICTED THE SEMIFINAL WINNERS AND WON $500!

🏆 The winners are:

🥇 @Johnmighty__ with a bet on Spain: https://x.com/Johnmighty__/status/2075591035237933408
🥇 @nobisblue with a bet on Argentina: https://x.com/nobisblue/status/2076977768995151883

Congrats to the winners! We'll contact each of them later from our X account.

❗️ We're currently accepting bets on the Grand Final until July 18!

Let's enjoy the final days of this amazing World Cup together!

💲 PUT YOUR USDC TO WORK AND EARN YIELD!

Our new feature lets you generate yield on your profits. If you've earned interest from investing in real businesses on 8lends or made profits from successful trades, you can multiply those funds by lending them to other people:

🔘 Yield is variable and demand-driven — the more people borrow, the higher your yield.
🔘 Every loan is overcollateralized: borrowers lock up more BTC value than they borrow in USDC.
🔘 If the collateral value drops too low, the position is liquidated automatically (you get your money back first).
🔘 Everything runs through open smart contracts on Base, so you can verify every transaction.

⚖️ Protocol fee: 0%

We've already opened the BTC/USDC pool.

*We're still beta-testing the feature, so it's not available to everyone yet. But in a couple of days, we'll open crypto lending to all of you!

Come and see if you're one of the chosen ones 🤩

app.8lends.io/en

This will automatically translate all our posts into your language!

And we'd love your help to make it happen.

🤩 To unlock it, we need to level up our Telegram channel to Level 3. This will help us break the language barrier and make our content accessible to everyone, no matter where you're from.

The more boosts you share, the better, but even one would help us a lot!

🤩 https://t.me/boost/eightlends

🤩 Crypto lending is now in open beta!

We're finally beta-testing a crypto lending feature on our platform, so you can borrow stablecoins against your crypto without having to sell anything.

This feature is great if:

🔘 You don't want to sell your crypto but need money for a business expense. Instead of selling, you use your BTC as collateral, get a loan, and repay it later.

🔘 You need money now for medical bills, car repairs, or an unexpected expense during a bear market. Selling your crypto during a dip would be painful, so borrowing lets you access funds immediately.

🔘 You don't want to reduce your crypto position, but want to buy more during a bull market. Instead of selling, you can borrow stablecoins, buy more crypto, and repay the loan later after taking profits.

🔘 You know money is coming soon, but you need cash for a few weeks before it arrives. Borrowing against your crypto fits this situation perfectly.

🔘 You spotted a great trading opportunity. Just be careful not to borrow too much. Trading is always a risky business.

We hope the beta testing goes well, and we'll let you know once the feature is fully released.

If you've already tried it and have any feedback, send our support team a DM: @daniel_8lends @ceviz1389

THEY PREDICTED THE QUARTERFINAL WINNERS AND WON $250!

🏆 The winners are:

1. @defynrae with a bet on Argentina: https://x.com/defynrae/status/2074305488389595648
2. @kiararyz_ with a bet on Spain: https://x.com/kiararyz_/status/2074142856923734032
3. @KJushudrun with a bet on France: https://x.com/KJushudrun/status/2074210256176247008
4. @benalicia99 with a bet on England: https://x.com/benalicia99/status/2074564979718607063

How we chose the winners: One winner for each national team that advanced. Hardly anyone bet on England, so @benalicia99 won even though the post didn't get much attention.

Congrats! We'll contact the winners later from our X account.

And don't forget: we're also accepting bets on the semifinals until the end of this day!

🏆 How are you enjoying the FIFA World Cup so far? Are you happy with how your national team is doing?

✅ Waiting for 4 months might be exactly what you need.

Some investors may think: the shorter the loan term, the less I earn. But that's not true, especially today.

🤩 On 8lends, you earn 20% APR on loans with terms of 4–12 months. You know exactly where your money goes, which borrower is using it to grow their business, and when you'll receive your principal back.

At the same time, the world is changing fast. A lot can happen in just nine months. These days, things change almost every month, which is why short-term loans can be even more attractive than long-term ones.

💎 Short-term loans give you flexibility. You get your principal back sooner, and once you do, you can decide whether to reinvest it in the same business or reevaluate the market and invest in a different one.

On top of that, while your money is working for you, it's out of your reach. You won't open another trade, chase the next narrative, get scammed, or make emotional decisions.

While your money is locked up, you have time to step back, analyze the market, and make decisions with a clear head.

So, short-term loans give you both flexibility and returns.

🏆 GUESS THE WINNER OF THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 SEMIFINALS & WIN $500!

We're opening bets on the semifinals:

🔘 2 winners × 500 USDC
🔘 Predictions are accepted from July 9 to July 13

🤩 One person can place a bet on only one team. So choose your winner carefully. You can't pick two or even four teams. Pick the one winner you're confident about.

We'll announce the winners of the quarterfinal stage on July 13.

Good luck, everyone!