Cryptocurrency is turning out to be one of man’s most revolutionary developments. There are hundreds of them available today, chief of which is Bitcoin. More and more people are purchasing Bitcoin today.
However, purchasing Bitcoin alone is not enough to earn significant interest. Your Bitcoin just sits there. Many people know this and start trading to earn profits from their bags of Bitcoin. People also delve into other means of making profits, like lending Bitcoin for interest. This field is one that is fast gaining traction in the world of cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin lending involves one party lending BTC to another party at an agreed interest rate. The party that lends is called the lender, creditor, or investor. The party that borrows is the borrower. While that sounds simple enough, you still need to know how to go about it.
Finding someone to lend your Bitcoin to isn’t exactly a walk in the park. You may have to look for days or even weeks before getting connected to someone to do business with. And even after you find someone to lend to, you still have to construct a safe and secure deal. This is where crypto lending sites come into play.
Crypto lending sites handle all the technicalities and intricacies of crypto loans. This greatly reduces the risk of getting scammed and offering an easy way to earn. There are several crypto lending sites today, making it challenging for users to choose a suitable one to use. This article will address this, outlining 12 of the best Bitcoin lending sites you can use in 2021.
We have created this list using several different factors and our experience from years of lending and borrowing Bitcoin. You will learn about these companies and their pros and cons, which will guide you in making the right decision for yourself.
If you are too lazy to read a lot of text and you want to immediately see the rating, especially for you. I created this list by carefully analyzing these platforms and also based on my experience with them. (up to $250 crypto bonus)
Best crypto loan platforms for lending and borrowing:
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Crypto and Bitcoin loans are just like regular bank loans. They usually involve at least two parties. One party is borrowing while the other is lending. The borrower takes the loan with the agreement to pay back at an agreed-upon rate. There may or may not be collateral. The currency in a crypto loan is cryptocurrency. If the cryptocurrency being loaned is BTC, the loan is called a bitcoin loan.
Borrowers in a crypto loan receive a credit line, which may be in fiat or stable coin. Borrowers have to pay back with interest at the time agreed with the lender. The lenders in a Bitcoin loan deposit an amount of Bitcoin they are willing to loan out. When the loan matures, the lender collects back their Bitcoin with the agreed interest.
There are two types of interest in BTC loans – simple and compound interest. The key difference between the two is compound interest is added periodically to the deposit. The frequency of adding this interest varies from platform to platform. It may be daily, weekly, monthly, or even quarterly. Compound interest will see lenders earn better returns on their initial deposits.
Lending platforms with compound interest usually have an APY value. APY stands for Annual Percentage Yield. This figure is the rate of return a lender will earn in a year if the interest is compounded.
You can calculate APY using this formula.
We don’t want to bore you with APY calculations but know that platforms with high APY values will offer more return to lenders.
Cryptocurrencies, including BTC, are usually very volatile. This volatility is usually more prominent when the BTC has to be converted to fiat currency. Let’s consider it practically.
Imagine someone borrows BTC at an exchange rate of 1BTC to $30,000 and the exchange rate is 1BTC to $40,000 at the time of loan repayment. A borrower that converted BTC to fiat currency when borrowing will have to pay more to settle their debt. Although this volatility also means borrowers may gain if the exchange rate drops.
One cannot tell what the exchange rate will be for sure at the time of repayment and may lose a lot of funds. The same principle applies to lenders that convert BTC to fiat currency before lending.
Another risk is the safety of assets and collateral on the platforms. The top platforms are usually very secure, but users may fall into scammers’ hands when using substandard platforms. This risk is even more amplified when both parties are in different regions of the world.
Finding someone to loan to or borrow from isn’t easy. This is why many lenders and borrowers use lending sites. These sites serve as intermediaries to connect lenders and borrowers. Note that the borrowers can be institutions, miners, or other individuals. Lending sites choose the interest rate of the Bitcoin loan. They also structure the deal and choose the duration of the loan.
There are usually different interest rates for borrowers and lenders. The interest rate for the borrowers is usually kept low enough to encourage people to borrow. Lenders also lend at a fixed rate which may be set by the lending platforms. In peer-to-peer platforms, lenders are free to dictate the terms of the loan.
There are many lending sites today. Different companies have different policies and modes of operation. Borrowers and lenders typically find companies they can trust with their Bitcoin assets. Users also look out for companies that will profit them the most.
The first step to lending Bitcoin is finding a lending site to use, which you can get from this article. After finding a suitable one, you need to open an account with the lending site. Opening an account with the lending platforms is usually free and generally take less than 10 minutes.
You then choose your cryptocurrency, Bitcoin in this case, and deposit the amount you are willing to loan. Most lending platforms will seek to verify the identity of the lender. They usually ask for a driver’s license, passport, National ID, or other government-issued documents.
Most lending sites require some form of identification. But there are still a few companies that do not need you to identify yourself before taking a loan. Aside from being rare, lending and borrowing are usually harder in companies like this. Their rates are also hugely inflated.
After verification of identity, the lending site will show you the terms of the agreement. The typical loan duration is one year, although some lending sites may allow longer or shorter durations. If you are comfortable with the terms put forward, you can confirm the loan.
Everything, from opening an account to lending BTC takes around thirty minutes. Some other cryptocurrencies may take more time to finalize, though.
I recommend watching a video from CoinTelegraph about it
Traditional banking is different from peer-to-peer lending. In the former, borrowers request loans from a bank. In peer-to-peer lending, on the other hand, borrowers request loans on online lending platforms.
Investors fund both traditional and banking and peer-to-peer lending. However, investors in traditional banking deposit money in a bank to earn interest. The investors don’t necessarily deposit money to lend to other parties. It’s more of a bank safeguarding their funds.
In peer-to-peer lending, investors lend money directly to other borrowers to earn interest. Therefore, lending in banks is an agreement between the bank and the borrower. But lending in P2P platforms is an agreement between the borrower and the lender. The P2P platform only serves as a medium or intermediary to connect the borrowers and lenders.
Traditional banking is different from peer-to-peer lending. In the former, borrowers request loans from a bank. In peer-to-peer lending, on the other hand, borrowers request loans on online lending platforms.
Investors fund both traditional and banking and peer-to-peer lending. However, investors in traditional banking deposit money in a bank to earn interest. The investors don’t necessarily deposit money to lend to other parties. It’s more of a bank safeguarding their funds.
In peer-to-peer lending, investors lend money directly to other borrowers to earn interest. Therefore, lending in banks is an agreement between the bank and the borrower. But lending in P2P platforms is an agreement between the borrower and the lender. The P2P platform only serves as a medium or intermediary to connect the borrowers and lenders.
Lending Bitcoins and earning interest from a Bitcoin lending platform is easy but finding the right one to use may be quite challenging. This makes sense, considering the massive number of platforms available today. However, all platforms are not the same. To fully maximize profits and secure your funds, you need to know the best platforms to use.
Choosing one to work with is important. There are many factors to consider. Some of them are the interest rate, loan duration, deposit limit, collateral, user fees, reputation, ease of use, customer service, and user reviews. Considering all of these factors can be a bother for non-professionals and casuals. This is why we have created a list of the best platforms you can use in 2021.
Updated 02/23/21 before we start you can check rates comparison:
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BlockFi has the best interest rate and is the best lending platform in 2021. They were founded by Flori Marquez and Zac Prince in 2017. BlockFi is one of the fastest-growing Bitcoin lending platforms, having already raised more than $50 million from various firms. Aside from Bitcoin, BlockFi also deals with other cryptocurrencies.
Features
Pros
Cons
Verdict
BlockFi is the best lending site today, for both borrowers and lenders. Their deposit account with compound interest is unmatched in the industry. BlockFi has great interest rates and is highly secure. They have no deposit limit, which is a very welcome feature. However, their varying interest rate and withdrawal fees need to improve.
YouHodler is a swiss-based company and is a member of the Crypto Valley Association. Founded in 2017, they are one of the best Bitcoin lending sites today. The speed at which YouHodler processes its transactions and account creation is a testament to how much they value customer satisfaction.
Features
Pros
Cons
Verdict
YouHodler is perfect for short-term loans, offering loans for as little as 30 days. They have good lending interest rates across multiple cryptocurrencies. This platform is safe to use with a low minimum deposit. Their customer support is great. They offer quick transactions and other excellent features, like demo funds.
Their major downside is their unavailability in the US, and taking long-term loans on this platform may be a bit disadvantageous.
CoinRabbit is a crypto lending service whose most important task is to keep your funds safe. This is one of the best cryptocurrency loan platforms at the moment. I think the main advantage is the absence of KYC & registration. The whole process is anonymous and as safe as possible. Platform security is monitored by a number of descriptive mechanisms - the platform's own development. They offer really good crypto loan terms compared to the competition. And this is a good way out not to sell your coins. Only 10% APR, which can be reduced. It is also important to note that their partners are such large companies as ChangeNOW, Guarda Wallet, NANO, DigiByte. This sets CoinRabbit apart from its competitors. These are some of the best conditions on the crypto loan market at the moment.
Features
Pros
Cons
Verdict
CoinRabbit is a great alternative to selling your savings. Lack of verification, very fast loan process, low APR, and other benefits. These are some of the best deals on the market at the moment. When you need money, but you do not want to sell your cryptocurrency savings, it is enough to send it to CoinRabbit for storage and get a quick loan at a favorable interest rate.
CoinLoan is a European peer-to-peer lending company founded in 2017. This solution is one of the first P2P companies for cryptocurrency loans. CoinLoan is one of the safest in the industry today. They provide maximum security of the lender’s cryptocurrency assets and the borrower’s collateral.
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Features
Pros
Cons
Verdict
CoinLoan is one of the best P2P lending platforms. Lenders and borrowers are free to agree on the terms and rate of the loan. One major drawback, though, is the platform’s low liquidity, which doesn’t favor borrowers. This platform generally is better for lenders.
Crypto.com is a crypto lending platform that also allows users to trade cryptocurrency. This platform takes multiple cryptocurrencies and is available in several countries globally. Some of these countries are the United States, Canada, UK, and Singapore. Users can get instant loans on Crypto.Com with great weekly interests.
Features
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Crypto.Com is a good BTC lending site, with high interest rates. But it can do much more than just lending, as users can buy, sell, and trade on the platform. This feature is always an advantage. The site is also secure. But one major downside about the interest rate is you have to stake more to be entitled to higher rates. You also cannot use the app on your desktops. These drawbacks make them unsuitable for people looking to deposit limited amounts of crypto. It also affects people highly dependent on their computers. If you do not fall into any of these two categories, Crypto.Com is a really good option.
This lending site is one of the safest in the industry. Lendabit was founded in 2019. Aside from high security, the structures of their loans are also very simple. They offer peer-to-peer loans and are perfect for borrowers and lenders. Lendabit is a partner with BitGo, a very reputable and trusted cryptocurrency company.
Features
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Lendabit is one of the most secure lending sites today. They specialize in USDT loans, although this can be easily exchanged for fiat. There are several loan types available for users, with loan durations of up to three years. While this site is certainly among the top, their young age means they have low liquidity. There also aren’t a lot of online reviews on them. Users in search of very reputable Bitcoin sites may have to look at other options.
Celsius Network was created in 2018 by Alex Mashinsky, who also invented Voice over IP (VoIP). Its rise has been astronomical ever since its creation, having over 50,000 members. Forbes projects Celsius Network as one with very high potential and its stock rose by 600% in just seven months in 2020.
Features
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Celsius Network is perfect for users seeking quick loans. There are no fees at all on Celsius Network. This platform also accepts a wide variety of cryptocurrencies, making it perfect for large traders and institutions. However, it is unavailable on the desktop.
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SALT, an acronym for Secured Automated Lending Technology, was developed by Shaw Owen in 2016. This platform is quite different from other platforms in that users rely on SALT tokens for transactions. SALT is a next-gen lending platform. This platform associates with the tagline, ‘hold your assets, spend your cash.’ You don’t require collateral to use SALT Lending.
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Features
Pros
Cons
Verdict
SALT Lending is a next-gen platform that uses SALT tokens for its transactions. This platform has good security measures and fair interest rates. Borrowers can also combine cryptocurrency for their collateral stake. However, SALT Lending has a $5000 loan limit, making it unsuitable for low-budget borrowers. The repayment rates for some loans on this platform are also very high, discouraging borrowers.
BTCpop is one of the first peer-to-peer Bitcoin lending platforms. Founded in 2014 in the UK, BTCpop is available in more than sixty countries today. This platform is one of the best Bitcoin lending sites for borrowers and lenders, with a wide range of loan options. BTCpop grants a reasonable amount of control to users, allowing them to set loan terms and amounts.
Features
Pros
Cons
Verdict
BTCpop allows users to set the terms of the loans and other aspects of the deal. This platform also gives loans based on online reputation. This can be good and bad. It is good because it limits fraudulent transactions. But this also means users have to build up their reputation score before getting good loans. If you want to take or give an instant loan, BTCpop is not a great choice.
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Hodlnaut is a bitcoin lending platform developed by Simon Lee and Juntao Zhu. This platform targets Hodlers. The developers of Hodlnaut were seeking to create a way for Hodlers to earn safely and easily on their cryptocurrency assets. They are partners with BitGo, which confers top security on assets.
Features
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Hodlnaut is a great way for Hodlers to earn on their bags of cryptocurrency. This platform supports only five cryptocurrencies, although they are very popular ones. Hodlnaut and BitGo are partners, meaning there is high security of assets. The limited number of cryptocurrencies makes it less than ideal for big traders and institutions.
Nexo was created in 2017, making it one of the most experienced crypto lending sites today. This platform is powered by a FinTech group and allows Hodlers to get fiat loans while retaining their cryptocurrency assets. BitGo is a partner of Nexo, which means highly secure funds.
Features
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Nexo is one of the most experienced lending sites, with more than 4 years of experience with FinTech. Nexo’s connection with BitGo and insurance with Lloyd’s also mean funds and assets are very secure. Although there is a loan limit, it is very affordable. One issue with Nexo is its ARV. While you can get rates of 8%, this is only if you use Nexo tokens. If not, the rate rises to 24.9%, which is not very favorable for borrowers. Nexo also allows very few crypto and fiat currencies.
Nebeus is a UK-based lending platform founded in 2014. This platform does everything a regular bank can, including lending, but with cryptocurrency. Nebeus is available to over 100 nations around the world. They aim at reducing the divide between cryptocurrency and regular financial assets.
Features
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Nebeus aims at reducing the gap between digital assets and cash. As such, they aren’t going to be very suitable for users that want very little dealings with cash. Opening an account on this platform is very straightforward, usually taking less than 10 minutes. There also is no deposit limit. On a general note, Nebeus is good for general crypto services. You should note, though, that there may be additional fees with some lenders due to the platform’s P2P nature.
Bitcoin lending involves lending another party an amount of Bitcoin at an agreed rate. Many lenders use lending sites because of the ease and security involved. The lending platforms serve as an intermediary between the two parties and usually set interest rates.
The platforms also offer different rates for borrowers and lenders. These rates are designed so that lenders can make a reasonable profit and borrowers are also encouraged to take loans. After opening an account, you can easily finalize the terms of the loan.
Providing collateral for Bitcoin loans depends on the lending platform you use. Some platforms require collateral, while others don’t. Those who require collateral often require borrowers to deposit some crypto amount. The collateral is usually in the currency they are loaning.
Bitcoin loans that don’t require collateral work on a trust basis. This seems risky, but companies usually have measures in place to ensure the security and repayment of the loans. These measures may vary from company to company. All of these measures will be in the terms and conditions of the company.
Most platforms require some sort of verification of identity before proceeding with the loan. They do this for security and to ensure repayment of the loans. However, some platforms do not require verification. These platforms are not very common, and getting loans here are not straightforward.
These types of platforms are for people that don’t want to reveal their identity at all. It is noteworthy, though, that lending platforms that require identification also protect the privacy of their users.
Good lending platforms have stringent measures and tools in place to protect and secure Bitcoin loans. So, there are rarely problems on the safety front. On the other hand, using substandard lending platforms can lead to loss of funds due to theft, scams, and hacking. Security issues like this affect the lenders and the borrowers, who may also lose their collateral.
This is why it is important to make sufficient research before choosing a platform to use.
You can lend and borrow Bitcoin on Bitcoin lending platforms. Several peer-to-peer platforms also allow you to lend other cryptocurrencies. If you wish, you can also lend directly to individuals without using lending sites. This, however, is not advisable due to the risk and technicalities surrounding deals like that.
Bitcoin loans have fixed dates and interests that both the lender and the borrower agree upon before the loan can be finalized. If the borrower defaults for some reason, the lending sites decide on how to deal with it. Different companies deal with defaulting differently.
There is usually a penalty for defaulting. In cases of late payment, the lending sites may penalize the borrower by reducing their trust score, limiting the amount of loan they can take, or preventing them from taking loans altogether for a short period. Companies may also decide to increase the interest rate after the deadline for repayment passes.
In more serious cases, like total defaulting on loan repayment, the borrower may forfeit their collateral to the lending sites. The lending platforms may also ban defaulting borrowers from their sites. In any case, though, good lending platforms have reserves to repay their lenders when the loan is due.
Crypto and Bitcoin loans are a fast and easy way people can earn on crypto. Lenders can find a platform that suits them and lend on the site. Some of the platforms are P2P, which allows lenders and borrowers to set the term of the deals. Other platforms have their loan deals entirely controlled by the platform.
The future of cryptocurrency is bright, with many cryptos exponentially appreciating. Users that want to start earning in them rather than just leaving their assets to sit in their wallet should try out crypto lending, a risk-free way to earn interest on funds.
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