Crowdfunding: the collaborative economy for channelling institutional and household savings

Abstract

The financial disintermediation mechanism known as “loan-based-crowdfunding” has recently come under regulation in several countries. This competitive investment and finance vehicle is already well established in the US and British markets. By compiling empirical data from a reference crowdfunding platform, this article compares loan-based crowdfunding with traditional investment vehicles such as investment funds, equities or pension funds. The conclusion of the study is that saving through crowdfunding allows the optimization of a portfolio comprising both institutional and retail investors.