Overview
Divine Research lends small, short-term crypto loans to underserved international borrowers in USDC, typically under $1,000. Borrowers are verified using World ID (Sam Altman’s iris-scanning platform) to prevent multiple accounts, and loans carry interest of about 20% to 30%; the company can reclaim World tokens if repayments fail. The model targets unbanked or underbanked people and competes with others using AI-based risk checks and uncollateralized products, supported by investors like Paradigm and Nascent. The goal is to expand financial inclusion by providing accessible crypto credit while aiming to keep the business profitable through high-yield microloans.
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Simplify's take
What believers are saying
- Divine reported 1.49 million loans to 922,307 borrowers by October 2026.
- Paradigm and Nascent backed the $6.6 million raise, reducing near-term funding risk.
- October 2026 website says default rates approached zero as borrower histories mature.
What critics are saying
- World ID dependency makes Divine vulnerable if World changes fees, access, or policy.
- Uncollateralized defaults remain real bad debt; first-loan losses still around 40%.
- Credit stays trapped inside Divine’s network, limiting scale and inviting copycat rivals.
What makes Divine Research unique
- World App iris verification blocks duplicate borrowing identities after defaults.
- Progressive trust raises limits from tiny starter loans to $1,000 inside Credit.
- Stablecoin lending inside a global crypto wallet bypasses banks for excluded borrowers.
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