Olga Okhrimenko - Technology on Crowdfunding Platforms

The report highlights technological aspects within the European crowdfunding market, focusing on platform development methods, payment services, and feature development across different crowdfunding models and regions. While investment platforms often develop software in-house, non-investment platforms typically outsource development. Southern Europe has the highest rate of outsourced platform development. External payment service providers are widely used across models and regions, with lending platforms having the highest rate of proprietary payment system use. Feature development varies by model, with equity platforms frequently utilizing early access and referral systems, while lending platforms prioritize referral systems and secondary markets. Non-investment platforms show limited investment in added features. Blockchain applications are not widely utilized but are considered for future implementation, particularly in tokenization of assets and secondary trading. Overall, technological strategies differ based on crowdfunding model and regional preferences.