Pencil Finance completes US$1M student loan cycle

• Pencil Finance completed a fully on-chain US$1 million student lending cycle in Southeast Asia.
• The financing supported about 6,600 students across 118 schools and universities, with 1,050 receiving direct funding.
• The cycle was funded by Animoca Brands, Open Campus and NewCampus through senior and junior tranches.

Pencil Finance completed a fully on-chain US$1 million student lending cycle supporting borrowers across Southeast Asia.

The cycle reached about 6,600 students across 118 schools and universities, while around 1,050 students received direct funding.

“Education lenders in emerging markets are creditworthy but invisible,” said Pencil Finance co-founder Frank Li.

The lending bundle was funded in July 2025 by Animoca Brands, Open Campus and NewCampus, with capital split between senior and junior tranches.

The senior tranche offered fixed returns, while the junior tranche carried variable returns and first-loss risk.

Pencil Finance said the loans targeted students underserved by traditional lenders, with 50% of borrowers being women and 93% coming from lower-income households.

The completed cycle recorded lending and repayments on blockchain infrastructure, giving funders an auditable record of the loan activity.