8lends is the only platform that brings together four things at once: P2B lending with RWA (→ Article 11) collateral, USDC settlements (→ Article 1) on the Base blockchain (→ Article 1), fixed rates of 19–25% a year, and Swiss due diligence through Maclear AG (→ Article 1) as Collateral Agent (→ Article 1). Minimum: 100 USDC. Track record: 1,800+ investors, $13M+ in loans issued, $4.3M+ repaid, zero defaults since launch on 3 March 2025.
Comparison table: 8lends vs. other platforms
Launch — 8lends: 2025 · Maclear: 2022 · Goldfinch: 2021 · Maple: 2021 · Centrifuge: 2017 · Funding Circle: 2010
Region — 8lends: global (Web3) · Maclear: Europe (fiat) · Goldfinch: emerging markets · Maple: global (Web3, institutional) · Centrifuge: global (Web3) · Funding Circle: UK, USA
Type — 8lends: P2B + RWA lending · Maclear: P2B + RWA lending · Goldfinch: uncollateralised + off-chain due diligence · Maple: institutional crypto lending (mostly overcollateralised) · Centrifuge: RWA tokenization · Funding Circle: P2B SME
Currency — 8lends: USDC · Maclear: EUR · Goldfinch: USDC · Maple: USDC, USDT · Centrifuge: DAI, USDC · Funding Circle: GBP, USD
Minimum investment — 8lends: 100 USDC · Maclear: €50 · Goldfinch: $1 (Senior Pool) · Maple: $0 (syrupUSDC) / $10K+ (institutional) · Centrifuge: varies by pool · Funding Circle: £100
Interest rate — 8lends: 19–25% · Maclear: 14–16% · Goldfinch: varies by product · Maple: 5–12% · Centrifuge: varies by issuer · Funding Circle: varies by borrower rating
Collateral — 8lends: RWA (real assets) · Maclear: RWA (real assets) · Goldfinch: off-chain due diligence, no crypto collateral · Maple: mostly BTC/ETH/SOL/XRP overcollateralised · Centrifuge: tokenized assets · Funding Circle: often no collateral
Due diligence — 8lends: Maclear AG (Switzerland) · Maclear: Maclear AG (Switzerland) · Goldfinch: auditors + Backers · Maple: Pool Delegates · Centrifuge: issuer-specific · Funding Circle: internal scoring
Regulatory framework — 8lends: VASP (FSA SVG) + PolyReg SRO (Switzerland) · Maclear: PolyReg SRO (Switzerland) · Goldfinch: DeFi protocol · Maple: DeFi protocol + KYC · Centrifuge: DeFi protocol · Funding Circle: FCA (UK)
Smart contract audits — 8lends: CertiK + Cyberscope · Maclear: — (fiat) · Goldfinch: CertiK + Trail of Bits · Maple: Spearbit/Cantina + Trail of Bits + others · Centrifuge: Code4rena + others · Funding Circle: — (fiat)
Secondary Market — 8lends: yes (10% from seller) · Maclear: yes · Goldfinch: limited · Maple: via wrappers (syrupUSDC) · Centrifuge: via DEX · Funding Circle: yes
Buyback — 8lends: on certain businesses · Maclear: on certain businesses · Goldfinch: no · Maple: no · Centrifuge: depends on issuer · Funding Circle: no
Key differences – where 8lends stands out
1. P2B + RWA lending + Web3 in a single product
Most platforms only cover one or two of these areas:
— Funding Circle, Maclear – P2B + RWA, but fiat-based and limited by geography
— Maple Finance – Web3 + USDC, but institutional lending, mostly overcollateralised (BTC/ETH/SOL/XRP) after moving away from the undercollateralised model in 2022
— Centrifuge – Web3 + USDC, but RWA tokenisation rather than lending
— Goldfinch – Web3 + USDC, but without crypto collateral (uncollateralised, relying on off-chain due diligence)
8lends is the only one that hits all four: the classic P2B model, real collateral, blockchain infrastructure, and USDC.
2. Swiss due diligence of borrowers
Most Web3 platforms rely on in-house analysts, on-chain reputation systems, or decentralised auditors. 8lends has Maclear AG as its Collateral Agent—a Swiss company, a member of PolyReg SRO supervised by FINMA. That means:
— A regulatory security with borrowers assessed to Swiss standards
— Multi-stage due diligence
— Legal registration of collateral under Swiss law
As a result, fewer than 10% of applications pass screening. More detail — Articles 7.1, 8.
3. Fixed rates and fixed terms
Most DeFi platforms have variable rates—they shift with pool utilisation curves and can change every block. On 8lends, the rate is fixed for the whole loan term (4–16 months), known to you before you invest, and it stays put.
4. Low entry threshold
8lends — 100 USDC
Maple Finance (Cash Management vault) — $10,000+ (institutional products)
Goldfinch (Senior Pool) — $1 (low entry, but KYC required)
Centrifuge — varies by issuer
Funding Circle — £100
A low minimum (100 USDC) paired with relatively high fixed rates (19–25%) makes 8lends open to retail investors, not just institutions.
5. Connection to Maclear’s existing P2B fiat infrastructure
Maclear has been serving European SME investors with EUR via SEPA since 2022. 8lends taps into the same due diligence pipeline but extends it to USDC and a global market. This gives you:
— Maclear AG’s real-world track record with borrowers (several years of operational experience by the time 8lends launched)
— KYC transfer for Maclear investors without re-verification — just fill in a special Google Form.
— Dual-currency diversification—EUR (Maclear) + USDC (8lends) in one portfolio
Where 8lends is NOT a competitor
8lends isn’t trying to replace:
— Staking and DeFi yield farming (Aave, Compound) for people who want variable returns from crypto collateral
— RWA tokenization (Ondo, BlackRock BUIDL) for those who want a token that represents a share of US Treasuries
— Venture capital for those looking to buy into startups with 10x–100x potential
— Bank deposits for those who need guaranteed deposit insurance
8lends is a specific niche: an investor who wants a fixed dollar income above what a bank deposit offers, from the real economy, backed by real collateral, and is willing to take on the borrower’s credit risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are 8lends rates higher than Goldfinch or Maple?
8lends borrowers are businesses from regions with higher base lending rates (often 7–10% for SME borrowing), plus an extra fee for speed of approval. Goldfinch and Maple work mostly with institutional borrowers, and their rates vary by product and pool but are generally lower because of different risk profiles. Higher rates reflect the different types of borrowers and the extra risk investors take on. More in Article 2.
How does 8lends’ track record compare to competitors?
Since its 2021 launch, Goldfinch has seen several publicly known defaults totalling roughly $18M in non-performing loans: Tugende ($5M), Stratos ($7M of a $20M loan), and Lend East (~$5.9M of a $10M loan). This shows the difficulty of lending without real collateral. 8lends uses a model where every loan is backed by real assets, and its track record is zero defaults since launching on 3 March 2025. Past performance is no guarantee of future results, but the structural difference (RWA vs. uncollateralised) explains the different risk profiles.
How is 8lends different from Maclear, if they’re connected?
Maclear operates in EUR via SEPA for European investors; 8lends operates in USDC via smart contracts for a global audience. The approach to borrowers and due diligence is the same—Maclear AG provides the same team. More in Article 3.
Can I invest in both 8lends and Goldfinch at the same time?
Technically, yes. These are different platforms with different risk models. Goldfinch offers uncollateralised loans aimed at emerging markets. 8lends offers RWA-backed loans with rates of 19–25%. Diversifying across both is entirely your call.
Is 8lends a competitor to Aave or Compound?
No. Aave and Compound do crypto-collateralised lending (loans backed by cryptocurrency). 8lends does RWA lending (loans backed by real business assets). Different products for different purposes. More in Article 11.
Which blockchains do these competitors use?
Goldfinch — Ethereum. Maple Finance — Ethereum + Solana. Centrifuge — multi-chain EVM (Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, Avalanche, etc.). Ondo — Ethereum and other networks. 8lends runs on Base (Coinbase’s Layer 2), giving fast transactions and low gas fees.
Which platform is the safest?
Safety depends on several layers: technology (smart contract audits), credit (quality of borrower due diligence), regulation (oversight), and operations (track record). Each platform has its own profile. 8lends combines CertiK and Cyberscope audits with Swiss due diligence and has had zero defaults since launch. More in Article 7.2.
Where can I compare rates across platforms?
Sources like DeFiLlama, RWA.xyz, independent reviews on Medium, and P2PMarketData. Rates change all the time, so compare at the moment you’re investing.
See also: What is 8lends → Article 2. What is RWA lending → Article 11. What is P2B lending → Article 12. Who is behind 8lends → Article 3. Glossary → Article 1.
Risk Disclosure: Investing on 8lends involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. The absence of platform fees does not reduce the credit risk of the borrower. Returns are not guaranteed. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. 8lends is a platform operated by Alpha Systems LLC, a registered VASP supervised by the FSA of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Maclear AG (Switzerland), a member of PolyReg SRO supervised by FINMA, acts as Collateral Agent. Regulatory framework as of May 2026.