My friend Dara Albright sums up the importance of Google's investment in Lending Club (prior post):
Although momentous for the consumer credit sector, many have been wondering how P2P's triumphs relate to securities-based crowdfunding. The fact is, because P2P lending is the precursor to securities-based crowdfunding, its achievements are not only dramatically impacting the emerging crowdfunding industry, they are helping shape it. Securities-based crowdfunding or "Peer-to-Business (P2B)" is simply the next iteration of P2P. However, instead of peers providing personal loans to its peers, securities-based crowdfunding will allow peers to invest in the businesses of its fellow peers in exchange for equity or debt. By demonstrating that people are more efficient at financing each other through the use of social media than with conventional banking intermediaries, P2P has effectively validated the "crowdfinance" model for the entire industry, even compelling the financial establishment to enter the fray.
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