GROWTH PROSPECTS FOR PEER-TO-PEER (P2P) LENDING PLATFORMS

With almost unlimited access to the Internet, the financial market is constantly developing with new products and services. One service gaining particular popularity in recent years is peer-to-peer lending, also referred to as social lending. This article aims to present the concept of peer-to-peer lending as an alternative form of financing and to discuss the prospects for further development of lending platforms enabling this type of financing. In the first section of the article, the author explains the essence and features of peer-to-peer lending and introduces definitions of social lending. The next section of the article is devoted to the analysis of selected peer-to-peer lending platforms. In the last section of the article, the Author presents the advantages and disadvantages of this form of financing and identifies the main opportunities and threats to its further development. The paper uses the method of literature analysis and criticism as well as the method of document research and inference. The analyses carried out indicate that peer-to-peer lending is an attractive alternative to traditional financing in terms of, among other things, price and availability. However, it is not without its drawbacks, which include limited security, limited investment size, or tax settlement issues.