• Credit union systems range from a few members to organisations with hundreds of thousands of members. They focus on benefits for their members, which influences the risk that credit unions are willing to take. 
• Crowdfunding platforms enable people to get loans from large groups of small investors, circumventing the bank as a middle man.
• Micro lending. These platforms offer microloans to businesses and personal people who previously could not access the money they needed.

There are more than 30.000 different banks worldwide, and they hold unbelievable amounts of assets. The top 10 banks alone account for roughly 25 trillion US-Dollars.

Banks are, in essence, in the risk management business. People keep their money in banks and receive a small amount of inter...