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
- 78min
Written and reviewed by our editorial team. Reference only — not investment advice.
What is crowdlending
Crowdlending lets retail investors fund loans to consumers, businesses or property developers and earn interest. Here is how it actually works, what it returns and where it differs from a bank deposit.
Read guideTypes of crowdfunding
Donation, reward, lending, equity and real-estate — the four (sometimes five) families of crowdfunding explained, with what each one returns to you and where the real risk lives.
Read guidePeer-to-peer loans: the complete investor guide
Peer-to-peer lending lets you act as the bank: you fund a loan and earn the interest. Here is how the model works in 2026, where it has matured, and how it relates to crowdlending and crowdfunding more broadly.
Read guideHow to invest in crowdfunding
A practical eight-step process from picking a platform to building a diversified loan book — what to do before you commit any capital, and what to ignore.
Read guideHow to choose a crowdlending platform in 2026
A 12-point checklist: licence, collateral, originator quality and reviews — what to verify before you commit any capital.
Read guideCrowdlending returns and yield
Headline rates are not net returns. Here is how crowdlending yields are really constructed, what bites them between coupon and your bank account, and what a realistic European portfolio earns in 2026.
Read guideCrowdlending risks
The honest inventory: borrower default is small, originator and platform failure are large, liquidity disappears in stress, and currency, tax and fraud are real even on regulated venues.
Read guideCrowdlending taxation in Europe
Crowdlending interest is taxable income everywhere in the EU. Here is how the major jurisdictions treat it, what residents and non-residents pay, and the practical forms to get right.
Read guidePassive income with crowdlending
Crowdlending can produce a steady stream of monthly interest without active management — provided you build the engine properly the first time. Here is what passive really means in this asset class.
Read guideRead the theory, then put it against real platforms — compare ratings, regulation and aggregated investor reviews.