Divine Research Under-collateralized credit system

Divine (divine.inc), also referred to as Divine Research, operates an unsecured lending system built on stablecoins under the product name Credit. The company frames its market around the roughly 1.4 billion people it says lack access to credit because traditional lenders require credit history, collateral, and costly underwriting — barriers cited for examples such as a cash-earning vendor in Lagos or a nurse in Colombia with informal repayment history.

Credit uses progressive trust-building: loans start small and can grow to a maximum of $1,000, with the company stating that default rates approach zero as borrowers build trust. Loans are denominated in USDC and are short-term. According to an August 2025 news report, borrower identity is verified using World ID iris-scanning technology, which the company uses to prevent defaulted borrowers from opening additional accounts; that report cites interest rates between 20% and 30% and an initial default rate of roughly 40% for first-time borrowers, with high rates intended to offset losses. Borrowers reportedly also receive World tokens.

Borrowers access Credit through a World MiniApp and can request and receive funds within seconds. Liquidity providers supply capital through credit.cash, with funds allocated programmatically and interest rates set algorithmically in real time.

Business model

Divine intermediates between liquidity providers, who supply capital through credit.cash, and retail borrowers who receive small unsecured stablecoin loans. Capital is allocated programmatically and interest rates are set algorithmically in real time. Reported loan interest rates run between 20% and 30%, which the founder describes as covering default losses while still leaving positive returns for liquidity providers.

Interest charged on short-term unsecured USDC loans, reported at 20%-30%, with returns passed to liquidity providers after defaults and the company's rates are accounted for.

Traction

The company states that Credit has issued hundreds of thousands of loans to over half a million unique borrowers since December 2024; a news report dated August 5, 2025 cited approximately 30,000 unbacked short-term loans issued since the December launch. Reported borrower uses include groceries, medicine, and transportation, with the product colloquially called "la salvación del mes" in Argentina.

Latest developments

An August 5, 2025 report described Divine Research's rollout of unbacked crypto loans using World ID verification, approximately 30,000 loans issued since launch, and open participation for liquidity providers. The company's site indicates active hiring for open positions.