As we continue looking around the universe for Bitcoin and altcoin uses in the real world, we stumbled upon a site called Bitbond.

(So if you think “Hey, I’ve got a great idea…” they’ve already checked that particular box.)

Peer-to-peer lending has been around for a little while, and two titans of this space are names you’ve likely heard of: Prosper and LendingClub.

Bitbond uses the same principle to let you use your Bitcoin as…principal. (That’s if you have Bitcoin to lend.) If you want to borrow, then there’s that, too – which the site says is ideally suited for folks like eBay power sellers.

If it sounds legit, well, it IS legit. Bitbond has been around since 2013 – see the complete write-up on Crunchbase – and they recently secured Series A funding north of 1000 BTC. (See what we did there?)

Is this better than the Shark Lady’s loan site?

This question is for the small business owners out there – and you know the site I’m talking about. The one that that lady from that show recommends. The only one she would use if she were looking for money.

Well, it quite possibly might be a process improvement. The Bitbond site walks you through what to expect once you’ve been funded. You have to work with an exchange, so you’re going to want to be sure it’s one that people have used for deposits and withdrawals and done so without fail.

And you’re subject to the credit check of Bitbond; given the fact this is a global and “bank-free” site, it’s still a question mark as to how that works.

Rates start at 7.7% and you can have your money in as little as five days.

Bitcoin and altcoin traders…

This also looks like a decent spot to put your coins to work, and – this could be big if you don’t have the stomach for wild mood swings – avoid the dips of your Bitcoin. (I mean, really, we’re talking about something that’s still rather volatile, right?)

The site tells us you can earn “13% interest.” That might sound too good to be true – or it might also sound paltry when compared to the day-trading gains you COULD make from trading the 100% gain du jour altcoin.

That’s up to you.

Other companies will follow…

Let’s think macro for a second. You’ve got the desire to move away from the traditional banking system, and you’ve got banks hustling to employ their own blockchain and cryptocurrency strategies. Plus you’ve got people thinking “OMG, the GOVERNMENT!!!!” or people worried about taxes or people worried about the trillions of dollars in derivatives that could implode any second now.

It makes sense, then, that borrrowing and lending will move this direction – outside the traditional brick-and-mortar, and traditional Central Bank mentality.

And if you look at this site – which is cool as heck – you’ll see that Bitcoin is just a small sliver of the overall pie.

Bottom line: more of this, please. Innovation in all stripes, thanks to blockchain technology.