Smartika (www.smartika.it) is the first Italian Social Lending Service in terms of volumes and active Lenders and Borrowers. Smartika Spa is regulated and supervised through the Bank of Italy as a European Payment Institution. Following the rules of the Social Lending concept, through Smartika Borrowers requesting loans and Lenders offering to lend their money meet each other and interact directly, without the usual need for traditional credit and investment intermediaries. This elicits the best outcomes for both sides: lower interest rates for Borrowers, and higher ones for Lenders. Social Lending (also called Peer to Peer Lending) creates in this way a community of people and a community-based market, undoubtedly more efficient because rates are determined exclusively by supply and demand: a challenge to the classic vertical orientation of the personal finance sector. With Social Lending and Smartika people have an alternative: a horizontal model where Lenders and Borrowers communicate strictly with each other, achieving better results for the entire Community.