Research on Internet Finance: its Business Models and Development Trend

Internet finance is a new type of financial business model in which traditional financial institutions and internet companies conduct financing, payment, investment, and information intermediary services by the internet and information & communication technology. The main business models of internet finance include internet payment, online lending, equity crowdfunding, internet fund sales, internet insurance, internet trust, and internet consumer finance. This paper elaborates on the lending services by internet technologies, with the internet-based lending services conducted on the part of emerging financial institutions or finance-related institutions as a research focus.