The best crypto lending platforms empower you with the tools to earn interest on your cryptocurrency. But which platforms are worth your time and money?
2020 was a difficult year for us all, in one way or another. The COVID-19 crisis had a severe effect on various markets – including cryptocurrency.
March of 2020 saw the crypto and legacy markets plummet like never before. Fortunately, things appeared a little brighter by August 2020, as Bitcoin reached an impressive $12,000. That was a substantial improvement on its $3,600 figure at the peak of the pandemic panic.
Bitcoin made a powerful comeback towards the end of the year, and, as of February 2021, it has doubled to more than $40,000.
Bitcoin’s continued recovery value was remarkable, but economies across the globe are still facing difficulties despite government initiatives conceived to cultivate greater stability.
With this in mind, it’s fair to say that the COVID-19 crisis is far from over – and is still creating volatility across markets.
One point we can agree on, though, is that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies (of which there are many) stand out as important financial assets during such trying times. Their astounding growth and previously-unseen highs have demonstrated that Bitcoin in particular is effectively solidifying its position within the financial world.
And it’s not surprising. As a non-inflationary digital currency with no corporate governance, Bitcoin and other cryptos are incredibly attractive to people looking for decentralized currencies.
With rumours surrounding legacy markets reaching negative interest rates, now is the time for those investing in Bitcoin to preserve their assets and boost productivity.
How? By lending assets and accruing interest at the same time.
What is Crypto Lending?
Crypto lending is a form of trade in which you lend your crypto and earn valuable interest on it. Such trades are facilitated by cryptocurrency lending platforms accepting deposits in varied cryptos (e.g. Bitcoin, Ether) with interest in return.
Lending interest rates of Bitcoin differ, but tend to be highly competitive – some even offer up to 12% APY (Annual Percentage yield). They will often loan assets with collateral, typically with cryptocurrencies, which are (appropriately) known as crypto-backed loans.
Want to try crypto lending to increase your crypto assets? To help you make an informed choice, we’ll explore five of the top crypto lending platforms below.
Celsius Network
The Celsius Network team aims to replace the traditional financial system with a new model that focuses on the community’s best interests. It utilizes blockchain technology, and offers a variety of financial services typically inaccessible via traditional financial institutions.
For example, cryptocurrency investors can start earning interest by depositing digital assets into their own Celsius Wallet, or borrow fiat currency by using their crypto as collateral at lower rates of interest.
When you use Celsius Network, you can earn annual interest rates (in CEL Tokens) up to 6.2%, for your first BTC or 100 ETH, as well as up to 12% for stablecoins.
BlockFi
BlockFi was launched in 2017. Its goal is to become the most trustworthy provider of financial services within the crypto market.
The brand is committed to blending the best rates in the market with highly competitive benefits (of institutional quality). BlockFi’s interest account enables you to earn as much as 8.6% annual interest on BTC, LTC, ETH, USDC, USDC, PAX, and GUSD.
You can also use fiat currency to purchase stablecoins, and make deposits into your interest account to start building interest.
A top BlockFi feature is the Interest Payment Flex: you can choose the currency of your interest payments, and diversify your portfolio without purchasing additional cryptocurrency assets.
Hodlnaut
Hodlnaut was started out of Singapore in early 2019, as the brainchild of two entrepreneurs. Hodlnaut may be an emerging name in the cryptocurrency lending platform market, but its team aims to make it the industry leader.
This platform brings financial services to individual crypto investors, enabling you to earn impressive interest by lending your cryptos to margin traders – they would find accessing cryptocurrency loans difficult otherwise.
The BTC interest rate is 6% (effectively 6.2% yearly), and 6.5% (effectively 6.7% yearly). Rates for DAI, USDT, and USDC are 8% (effectively 8.3% yearly).
You’ll find no minimum deposits or lock-in periods, and you can make withdrawals at any time.
YouHodler
YouHodler was created in Switzerland. It focuses on crypto-backed lending with a fiat loans option.
With YouHodler, you can access EUR, USD, GBP, CHF, and stablecoin loans. And it allows for collaterals in BTC, XRP, ETH, and other top cryptos.
But if you don’t have the cryptocurrency that you want to deposit and make interest on, you have the option to convert from another crypto or fiat currency.
YouHodler offers stablecoin interest rates of up to 12% per year (4.8 for BTC annually). It supports four fiat currencies, 15 cryptos, and seven stablecoins.
Nexo
Nexo is one of the biggest cryptocurrency lending institutions in the world, so it’s a reputable brand with a huge user base. Amazingly, Nexo has processed in excess of $3bn in transactions for more than 800,000 clients across hundreds of nations.
The company’s goal is to gradually disrupt the traditional financial system. By using Nexo, you can earn interest on your crypto or fiat assets deposited into your interest account.
For cryptocurrencies, interest rates are held at 5% and as high as 10% for stablecoins. It’s paid out on a daily basis.
Nexo has launched the Nexo Card as an expansion of its services. If you qualify for a Nexo Card, you’ll receive instant access to the Crypto Credit Line. You can spend this without selling your crypto, for a more convenient user experience.
Conclusion
These five crypto lending platforms provide a solid user experience, quality features, and can help you earn interest on your cryptos in a simple way.
But it’s vital that you take the time to dig a little deeper into each, to determine which suits you best.
