What Fees Does an Investor Pay on 8lends
No management fee, no withdrawal fee, no performance fee — just a few cents of Base gas in ETH. So how does 8lends actually earn?
An investor pays no fees to 8lends for registration, KYC, investing, receiving interest, or withdrawing funds. The only cost is gas fees on the Base network (usually a few cents in ETH), which go to the network, not the platform. The only fee charged to an investor by the platform is 10% from the seller when selling a position on the Secondary Market; the buyer pays nothing. The platform earns from the borrower (3% of the collected pool), not from the investor.
Full table of investor costs
| Operation | 8lends fee | Other costs |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | 0 | — |
| KYC via Sumsub | 0 | — |
| Connecting a wallet | 0 | — |
| Investing in a project | 0 | Gas fee (up to $1 in ETH) |
| Receiving monthly interest (claim) | 0 | Gas fee |
| Repayment of loan principal (claim) | 0 | Gas fee |
| Withdrawing USDC to an external wallet | 0 | Gas fee |
| Buying a position on the Secondary Market | 0 | Gas fee |
| Selling a position on the Secondary Market | 10% from the seller | Gas fee |
What is a gas fee and why does the investor pay it
A gas fee is the blockchain's charge for processing a transaction. Every on-chain action (investing, claiming interest, withdrawing) is a transaction processed by the Base network.
- Gas is paid in ETH on the Base network, not in USDC
- On Base, gas is usually a few cents — Base is a Layer 2 where fees are dozens of times lower than on Ethereum Mainnet
- Gas goes to the Base network, not the 8lends platform
- Any wallet operation requires a small ETH balance (~$1–3 lasts a long time)
This is the only unavoidable cost when working on the platform, and it does not depend on 8lends.
Platform fee: 10% on Secondary Market sales
If an investor decides to exit a position before the end of the loan term, they can sell it on the Secondary Market. Here the only direct platform fee applies:
- 10% from the seller — withheld from the transaction amount
- 0% from the buyer — the buyer pays only the position price + gas
This is the charge for the ability to exit early. If the investor holds the position until the end of the term, this fee does not apply.
What 8lends does NOT have
Unlike many investment platforms, 8lends does not have:
- Management fee — no percentage is charged on the portfolio
- Performance fee — the platform does not take a share of the investor's profit
- Entry / subscription fee — there is no charge for access to the platform
- Withdrawal fee — withdrawal is free (except gas)
- Inactivity fee — there is no charge for an idle account
- Conversion spread — settlements are made directly in USDC, with no hidden conversion
How 8lends earns if it doesn't charge the investor
The platform earns income from the borrower:
- 3% of the collected pool — a one-time charge upon successful closing of the pool
- Late payment penalties — per the terms of the smart contract
This model means that the interests of the platform and the investor align: the platform earns only when a project is successfully financed. More details
Comparison with other platforms
| Fee type | 8lends | Typical P2P platform | Typical investment fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry fee | 0 | 0–1% | 0–5% |
| Management fee | 0 | 0–1% per year | 1–2% per year |
| Performance fee | 0 | 0–10% | 10–20% |
| Withdrawal fee | 0 (except gas) | 0–1% | Depends |
| Secondary market fee | 10% from the seller | 0–1% | Often unavailable |
8lends shifts the main monetization onto the borrower, leaving the investor with almost free access — except for the early-exit fee and unavoidable network gas fees.
Frequently asked questions
Are there really no hidden fees? The platform charges the investor no fees for investing, payouts, or withdrawal. All movements of funds happen through smart contracts on Base, which are publicly verifiable on basescan.org. The only direct fee is 10% when selling on the Secondary Market. Gas fees go to the network, not 8lends.
How much does a gas fee cost in practice? On the Base network, gas is usually a few cents per transaction. The exact amount depends on network load at the moment of the operation. It's recommended to keep a small ETH balance on your wallet (~$1–3 lasts for many operations).
Do I lose 10% of my entire investment when selling on the Secondary Market? No. The 10% is withheld from the sale transaction amount, not from the entire original investment. And this fee only arises if you decide to sell the position early. If you hold it until the end of the term — there is no fee at all.
Why does receiving interest require a gas fee? Claiming interest is an on-chain transaction (transferring USDC from the smart contract to the wallet). Any blockchain transaction requires gas. On Base, this is usually just a few cents. You can accumulate interest and withdraw less often to save on gas.
Does 8lends take a fee on my yield? No. The entire yield (19–25% per year) paid by the borrower goes to the investor in full. 8lends does not withhold a performance fee and does not take a share of the profit. The platform's income is separate, from the borrower.
Do I need to pay for registration or a subscription? No. Registration, KYC, access to the platform, and viewing projects are free. No subscriptions or entry fees.
See also:
- How 8lends Makes Money
- How the Secondary Market Works on 8lends
- When and How You Receive Your Returns on 8lends
- Glossary: Key 8lends Terms
Risk disclosure: investments on 8lends carry risk, including the possible loss of principal. The absence of platform fees does not reduce the borrower's credit risk. Returns are not guaranteed. Past results do not guarantee future results. 8lends is a platform operated by Alpha Systems LLC, registered as a VASP under the supervision of the FSA of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Maclear AG (Switzerland), a member of PolyReg SRO under the supervision of FINMA, acts as Collateral Agent. Regulatory framework as of May 2026.