🌟 Most people who read about investing still don’t invest. They’re not even close to starting

The problem is, knowing a lot doesn’t push you towards your goals, especially financial ones. Money is one of those topics people rarely talk about openly. Still a taboo, in many ways.

This very mindset affects one’s starting point. People think that they are not smart enough, not earning enough, not disciplined enough. But you don’t need to be the smartest in the room to get started 🌟

In fact, the process builds up as you go. Once you start, decisions follow. You gain experience, knowledge, and more control over your finances.

🌟 James Clear breaks this down to the basics in Atomic Habits — exactly what we covered in today's LinkedIn post.

🌟 Read the full piece and follow Maclear on Linkedln. We cover topics that matter for investors and those just getting started.

🌟 What’ve been introduced so far, and why it’s worth giving 8lends a try

For those considering crypto investing and wanting to diversify the smart way

🌟 Watch the intro video first

A short step-by-step walkthrough — registration, wallet setup, and your first investment on 8lends. The fastest way to see how simple it actually is.

✔️ Watch on YouTube

🌟 Step-by-step beginner's guide

A full walkthrough — from zero crypto experience to your first investment. Written specifically for Maclear investors. It covers Binance setup, buying USDC, MetaMask installation, and getting started on 8lends.

✔️ How to invest on 8lends: beginner's guide

🌟 MetaMask + Base Network: a dedicated guide

The most common technical blocker was switching to Base network. We have a separate guide that walks you through this step with screenshots — adding Base, importing USDC, connecting to 8lends.

✔️ How to set up MetaMask for 8lends

🌟 Skip the full KYC — use our fast-track form

Already verified on Maclear? We’ve created a dedicated Google Form so you don’t have to go through the full process again. Takes just a few minutes.

✔️ Complete the form here

🌟 Free Web3 course

A clear intro to how crypto works and how to invest with confidence. Complete it and get a bonus on your first investment. Now updated.

✔️ Free course by Maclear & 8lends

🌟 A few more things

8lends was never meant to replace Maclear. It runs on separate infrastructure, managed by a separate team.

Your Maclear portfolio stays exactly as it is. 8lends is for those who want to go further.

If you get stuck at any step, DM @daniel_8lends.

🌟 Maclear in numbers | April wrapped up

April was quite an eventful month for Maclear — we’re approaching €100M in total funded, rolling out the Advanced Crypto Course, and updating the FAQ on the platform.

We’re glad you were with us this month.

Some key numbers:

🌟 €8,653,538 deployed into projects across 7 countries

🌟 2,836 active investors on the platform

🌟 €5,694,277 in total deposits

The full breakdown is now live in our April investor report. READ HERE 🌟

🌟 A friendly reminder: our Major Milestone Giveaway is closing soon. We’re already at €99,3M+. Don’t miss your chance to win!

🌟 The only thing between you and a costly mistake is one extra check

American musician Garrett Dutton lost 6 BTC (~$420,000) to a drainer. He downloaded a fake Ledger app from the AppStore assuming it was the real one, entered his seed phrase, and the funds were gone.

Today’s scammers are getting better. Cloned websites, fake apps, familiar tone, and usernames one character off from the real thing. The goal is always the same: get you to act before you think.

So here are the basics worth repeating:

🌟 Always verify

• Who's writing — cross-check the username against the official list below

• Never follow links or download files from unverified sources

• Never share passwords, seed phrases, verification codes, or personal data

• If a message pushes urgency — that's the tactic. Stop and check.

🌟 Two official websites only

• maclear.ch
• 8lends.io

🌟 Our support team — 5 people

Maclear:
• @john_maclear
• @thomas_maclear
• @wenzel_maclear

8lends:
• @daniel_8lends
• @ceviz1389

Anyone else claiming to represent Maclear or 8lends is not connected to us, no matter how professional they sound.

🌟 Our support team never messages you first on Telegram

If someone reaches out claiming to be Maclear or 8lends support, don't respond.

Check twice and stay safe.

🌟 WE DID IT — €100,000,000 total funded!

Maclear has officially crossed the €100M milestone.

🌟 Today we have two reasons to celebrate:

🌟 The growth of our platform and the first €100 million raised to support SMEs across Europe and beyond.

🌟 The results of our Giveaway, where we gave out 100 prizes to 100 investors.

Winners were selected randomly.

🌟 GIVEAWAY WINNERS

🥇 1st place — €500
MC34435

🥈 2nd place — €300
MC3686

🥉 3rd place — €200
MC34384

If you're one of the top 3 winners, please contact our support team to claim your prize.

3% APR Bonus Voucher (4th–10th place)

MC18189 · MC4170 · MC22402 · MC37868 · MC881 · MC3433 · MC2710

2% APR Bonus Voucher (11th–50th place)

MC399 · MC19540 · MC20671 · MC5000 · MC38286 · MC23439 · MC4411 · MC35923 · MC5421 · MC35443 · MC15975 · MC8930 · MC552 · MC35510 · MC37571 · MC41253 · MC38280 · MC40595 · MC21025 · MC35165 · MC3836 · MC33640 · MC40910 · MC35885 · MC26013 · MC39887 · MC40901 · MC5621 · MC3044 · MC5902 · MC39416 · MC38327 · MC37353 · MC14761 · MC8315 · MC36757 · MC40862 · MC35685 · MC25972 · MC39854

1.5% APR Bonus Voucher (51st–100th place)

MC12716 · MC4499 · MC41616 · MC5684 · MC6197 · MC21204 · MC32762 · MC37363 · MC13382 · MC13410 · MC4251 · MC41324 · MC4964 · MC8383 · MC5052 · MC16150 · MC15477 · MC1042 · MC1954 · MC39422 · MC13056 · MC36363 · MC4068 · MC21514 · MC1152 · MC3651 · MC36045 · MC35787 · MC40585 · MC22511 · MC828 · MC35218 · MC41490 · MC4896 · MC37486 · MC3282 · MC2684 · MC5149 · MC40386 · MC6502 · MC24872 · MC34576 · MC39203 · MC4296 · MC36753 · MC23219 · MC35201 · MC16961 · MC38307 · MC36829

🌟 See your MC number above? Congratulations — your voucher details (places 4–100) will be sent to your registered email within the day. Keep an eye on your inbox, it will arrive as a separate message.

Thank you for being part of this milestone. Here's to the next €100M — and beyond!

— The Maclear Team

🌟 8lends: why it matters for your portfolio

For those already familiar with the basics, the fuller picture

🌟 The yield is higher — here’s why

8lends operates globally, with no banks involved at any point. No wire delays, no conversion fees, no intermediaries taking a cut. That operational efficiency flows directly into investor returns, which is where the 18–25% APR comes from.

Same due diligence by Maclear AG, same collateral-backed loans, and a broader reach.

🌟 Every transaction is on-chain

Your investment, every interest payment, the return of your principal — all publicly visible on Base network. Verifiable by anyone, at any time.

🌟 Buyback Guarantee — on select projects

On certain loans, if a payment is delayed beyond 60 days, a partner repurchases your loan and returns 100% of your principal. All interest earned before the delay stays with you.

🌟 Look for the Buyback label when browsing projects.

🌟 Crypto taxes: how to handle them

Although we can't give you tax advice, 8lends’ve partnered with Blockpit — a tax calculator trusted by 350,000+ users across Europe. It connects to your wallet and generates a ready-to-file report for 100+ countries, including Spain, France, Austria, Germany, Portugal.

✔️ “How do I pay taxes?”

🌟 Two platforms, separate infrastructure

Maclear and 8lends are managed by separate teams and run on separate infrastructure. Maclear AG oversees the due diligence on both, but a problem on one platform does not automatically affect the other. They’re designed to complement each other.

🌟 How investors are combining them

A common approach: keep the core portfolio in Maclear and allocate a portion to 8lends for higher yield and geographic diversification. Start small (100 USDC minimum) and scale as you get comfortable.

Any questions left? Reach out to @daniel_8lends.

🌟 Maclear bonuses to boost your returns

Historically, spring is the peak of investment activity: annual bonuses land, tax refunds arrive, and investors put their money to work before the summer slowdown.

On Maclear, you have everything you need to double down and grow all season long:

🌟 €15 welcome bonus to kick things off

Invest €50 or more within your first 7 days after registration, and €15 lands in your account automatically. Your very first investment already pays you back.

🌟 3% cashback referral bonus for 90 days

Join through a friend's referral link, or invite one yourself — both of you get 3% cashback on every investment made during the first 90 days.

💡 The more you invest in that 90-day window, the more you collect on top of your returns.

🌟 Up to €300 investment reward per project

To active this bonus, put from €500 to €5,000 in a single project and earn €30 back for every €500 invested.

💡 It’s up to €300 per project (€5,000 per project => €5,000 : €500 = 10 x €30 = €300), on top of your fixed annual return.

🌟 1.5%–3% loyalty bonus that grows with your portfolio

The longer you invest, the better your terms get: from +1.5% on Beta (total portfolio €5,000+) up to +3% on Alpha+ (€75,000+). Added automatically to every investment going forward.

🌟 Bonus points converted into real money

Every week, 2.5% of your bonus balance converts into 8LNDS tokens automatically. Hit "Claim", sell the tokens, withdraw to your wallet. Your bonus balance becomes liquid.

0% fees on deposits and withdrawals

Learn more on Maclear

🌟 The Provision Fund on Maclear: all you need to know

When we started to build Maclear, we wanted to create a P2P lending platform with real guarantees for investors. You can call it a safe space where investors don't just grow their returns, but where they count on stability 🌟

As a financial intermediary between investors and borrowers, we can't promise a completely risk-free investment experience. But we can choose how we respond to it: through fixed returns, collateral-backed loans, and most importantly, the Provision Fund.

🌟 With the fund's balance now standing at €2,000,000, we want to go deeper into what it actually means: what it's there for, how it's replenished, and exactly what happens when a borrower is late on a payment.

🌟 We've been stress-testing this system since day one, and the results speak for themselves. We have further plans to strengthen and expand it. And as the platform grows, we're confident we can deliver on that.

🌟 Read the full article on our blog

🌟 The EU needs €750–800 billion of investment per year just to catch up with the US and China. How come?

That’s a real number coming from Mario Draghi's 2024 competitiveness report.

On average, Europeans save 15–20% of their income. Americans save around 4%.

Yet over the past 15 years, American household wealth has grown roughly three times faster than European.

ECB president Christine Lagarde named the reason: a third of European financial assets sit in cash and bank deposits — €11.5 trillion going almost nowhere. In the US, that figure is around 10%.

🌟 The actual gap is about what the money does next.

A euro left in a deposit in 2015 has barely kept pace with inflation. A euro put into a broad US equity index over the same period is now worth roughly two euros.

So why does this keep happening? Is it culture, or a system failure?

Sweden offers a clue. After introducing a simple, tax-friendly investment account in 2012, it became one of the highest-performing retail investment markets in Europe.

Most of Europe still hasn't built that infrastructure. The savings habit is strong, while investing habit is not.

That's exactly the gap Maclear operates in. We offer fixed, scheduled returns through P2P lending — a clear alternative to deposits for investors who want their money to work.

🌟 Full article at the link

Worth a read if you've ever wondered why doing everything "right" with money sometimes feels like falling behind.