Uncollateralized Lending · Review
ActiveKasu Review 2026: Private Credit Yield for DeFi Lenders
Kasu is a private credit protocol that lets lenders earn 9% to 20% a year from loans to vetted businesses, paid in stablecoins. The yields are attractive, but this is off-chain business lending with real credit risk and no guaranteed withdrawals.
By the DappsAtlas editorial team · Updated
DappsAtlas score
6.5/10
Good
Our verdict on Kasu
6.5/10Kasu suits crypto holders who want stablecoin yield from real-world business lending and accept credit risk and limited liquidity. Its strengths are clear per-strategy security terms, plain risk disclosure and a quoted rate with no lender fees. The main caveat is that the 9% to 20% yields come from off-chain private loans, where defaults are possible, withdrawals are not guaranteed, and the 0% loss record is self-reported over a short period.
Score breakdown
How Kasu scores
- Security
- 5.5/10
- Ease of use
- 7.5/10
- Fees
- 7.5/10
- Features
- 6.5/10
Scores run from 0 to 10 and are based only on facts we could verify. Where information was missing we mark the score n/a rather than guess.
What is Kasu?
Kasu is a real-world asset protocol that brings private business lending to DeFi users. DefiLlama classes it as uncollateralized lending, and it runs on Base, XDC and Plume Mainnet. Its homepage says lenders can earn 9% to 20% a year from loans to vetted, creditworthy businesses.
The homepage reports $17.53M lent since inception, $12.79M in active lending and $1.35M of interest earned. It also states 0% lender losses and four active lending markets, with a founding lending partner track record of 9+ years. These are self-reported figures. DefiLlama shows only about $2,950 in TVL and has listed it since December 2025, so on-chain data covers a short period.
Current strategies include taxation funding, whole ledger funding and professional fee funding from Apxium, and payment finance from InvoiceMate. Kasu has no token listed, and DefiLlama shows two audits.
How Kasu works
Kasu connects crypto lenders with private business loans. Credit Originators, such as Apxium and InvoiceMate, assess borrowers and structure loans like invoice finance, accounts receivable funding and tax-payable funding. Institutional credit funds do due diligence before a strategy goes live, and institutional senior lenders sit alongside lenders in a hybrid capital stack.
Lenders deposit stablecoins into a chosen strategy. Interest accrues and is capitalised at each weekly cycle close, so from week two interest earns interest. Lenders can take interest monthly or let it compound. Borrower repayments fund the interest, and security such as guarantees and receivable assignments sits with the Credit Originator.
If a loan goes wrong, the site says each strategy lists its own protections and that the risks are explained on the site. Capital is at risk, and withdrawals are by request, not guaranteed on demand.
7 features
Key features
01
Curated lending strategies
Lenders pick from vetted strategies such as taxation funding, whole ledger funding, professional fee funding and payment finance. Each shows its rate, terms and security.
02
Weekly compounding
Interest is capitalised at each weekly cycle close, and the quoted rate already includes this. Lenders can instead take interest as monthly payouts.
03
Security and recourse layers
Strategies list protections such as guarantees and indemnities, assignment over receivables, right of offset and post-dated cheques. Exceptions apply.
04
Institutional senior lenders
Due diligence by institutional credit funds comes before a strategy is offered, with covenant monitoring by senior lenders. The site says $40M of institutional senior debt is committed alongside lenders.
05
Bank and wallet funding
Users can fund via a Kasu-created wallet or their own, or by bank transfer on US, SEPA, Mexican and Brazilian rails, arriving as stablecoins.
06
Kasu Card (planned)
A planned card to spend interest payouts while the lent capital stays working. It is on a waitlist and not yet launched.
07
Fee-free quoted rate
The site states the quoted rate is the effective rate with no lender fees deducted, as platform fees are paid by the Credit Originator.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Clear, stated rate ranges per strategy with the quoted rate already including weekly compounding
- Each strategy lists its own security and recourse, such as guarantees and receivable assignments
- Institutional credit funds and $40M of committed senior debt sit alongside lenders, according to the site
- Stablecoin deposits via wallet or bank rails across the US, SEPA, Mexico and Brazil
- The site states risks plainly and says no fees are deducted from lenders
- Two audits are listed on DefiLlama
Watch out for
- Capital is at risk on every strategy, and the site states Kasu is not a bank and has no government deposit guarantee
- Withdrawals are by request and never guaranteed at any particular time
- Exposure is concentrated in a few Credit Originators, with several strategies run by one named originator, Apxium
- The 0% lender-loss figure and the track record are self-reported on the homepage and rely on a short on-chain history
- Advertised rates of 9% to 20% are ranges, not guarantees, and the underlying loans are off-chain private credit that users cannot verify directly
- DefiLlama lists only about $2,950 in on-chain TVL, far below the lending volume claimed on the homepage, so on-chain visibility is limited
Kasu fees
Kasu says the rate shown is the effective rate, with weekly compounding included and no fees deducted from lenders, because platform fees are paid by the Credit Originator. Interest starts earning after seven days.
The project does not publish details on network gas, bank transfer or stablecoin conversion costs, or any withdrawal charges. Users should check these in the app and the documentation before depositing.
Is Kasu safe?
Kasu carries both smart-contract and credit risk. DefiLlama lists two audits, but the project does not name the auditors or their findings. The larger risk is borrower default, since loans are off-chain business debt backed by guarantees and receivable assignments, with exceptions noted by the site.
The site says Kasu is not a bank, offers no government deposit guarantee, and does not give financial advice. It says withdrawals are by request and not guaranteed at any time. The project does not describe any regulatory license for Kasu, and no incidents are mentioned. The 0% lender losses claim is self-reported over a short history. Only lend what you can afford to lock up and lose, and confirm this is permitted in your country.
6 steps
How to get started with Kasu
- 1
Read the plain-English private credit guide and each strategy's risk and credit structuring page.
- 2
Check that you are in an eligible country and that using the service is legal where you live.
- 3
Launch the app and create a wallet through Kasu or connect an existing one.
- 4
Add funds by wallet transfer or via bank transfer on a supported rail, which arrive as stablecoins.
- 5
Choose a lending strategy that matches your risk tolerance, term and expected rate.
- 6
Decide between monthly interest payouts and weekly compounding, then monitor the position and request withdrawals when needed.
Who Kasu is for
Kasu is for experienced DeFi users and investors who want stablecoin yield from private credit and understand that capital is at risk and withdrawals are by request. It is not suited to anyone who needs instant access to funds or a guaranteed return.
Kasu FAQs
What is Kasu?
Kasu is a real-world asset protocol that connects DeFi liquidity to private business loans such as invoice finance and tax-payable funding. Lenders choose a strategy and earn interest from the borrowers. Loans are originated by third-party Credit Originators.
How much can you earn on Kasu?
The homepage advertises 9% to 20% a year across current strategies, with the quoted rate already including weekly compounding. It states these are ranges, not guarantees. Individual strategies list their own rates, for example 9% for payment finance and 13% to 20% for taxation funding.
Is Kasu safe?
No. Capital is at risk on every strategy. The site says Kasu is not a bank, and your money is not covered by any government deposit guarantee. It reports 0% lender losses so far, but past performance does not indicate future results.
Can I withdraw my money at any time?
Withdrawals are made by request and are never guaranteed at any particular time, according to the homepage. Lenders should treat their capital as illiquid and assume exits may take time.
Which blockchains and payment methods does Kasu support?
Kasu runs on Base, XDC and Plume Mainnet according to DefiLlama. The homepage says bank transfers settle through US, SEPA, Mexican and Brazilian rails and arrive as stablecoins, and you can create a wallet through Kasu or bring your own.
Does Kasu charge fees?
The homepage says no fees are deducted from the quoted rate, because platform fees are paid by the Credit Originator. Network or bank transfer costs are not detailed publicly.
What is the Kasu Card?
The Kasu Card is listed as coming soon, with a waitlist. It is designed to spend interest payouts only, not the lending balance. Features may change before launch and availability varies by country.
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How we checked
Sources
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