Questions we'd ask if we were you
Can I lose money?
Yes. While the lending market has strong protections (over-secured loans, automated liquidation, 25 security audits), no financial product is risk-free. Potential risks include vulnerabilities in the lending infrastructure, temporary instability of the digital dollars, and general market conditions. Never add money you can't afford to lose.
Why are the rates higher than my bank?
Banks earn significant returns lending your money out but pass very little back to you (the FDIC national average is under 0.4%). Nammu's lending market eliminates the middleman, so more of the rewards flow back to you.
How is this different from a high-yield savings account?
A traditional HYSA is offered by an FDIC-insured bank. Nammu is not a bank and your funds are not FDIC insured. Nammu's lending market typically offers higher reward rates because there's no bank intermediary taking a cut. The trade-off: higher potential rewards, but without government-backed insurance.
Why not just put my money in an S&P 500 index fund?
An S&P 500 fund is a great long-term investment, but it's a different tool. Index funds are volatile: the S&P dropped 19% in 2022 and has had multiple drawdowns over 30%. Your money is locked into market swings and you typically can't touch it without tax consequences or penalties. Nammu's yield comes from a lending market, not equity prices, so your balance doesn't swing with the stock market. You can withdraw anytime, there are no lockups, and you start earning from day one. Think of it less as an alternative to investing and more as a better place for money you want to keep liquid (an emergency fund, a savings goal, money between investments) while still earning meaningfully more than a bank.
Is Nammu a bank? Are my funds FDIC insured?
No. Nammu is a technology platform, not a bank. Your funds are not FDIC insured or government-guaranteed. Reward rates are variable, not guaranteed. Like any financial product, there is risk involved, including potential loss of principal. We believe transparency about risk is more protective than false assurances of safety.
How quickly can I withdraw?
Withdrawals are processed on our end within minutes. How quickly the funds appear in your bank account depends on your bank, typically 1-2 business days. No penalties, no lockups.
What's the minimum to get started?
$10.
What happens if a borrower can't repay?
Borrowers must put up more than they borrow as security. If the value drops below a safe threshold, it's automatically sold to repay the loan. This process is handled by automated rules that execute instantly. No human delay or judgment calls.
How does Nammu make money?
Nammu takes a small percentage of the rewards generated by the lending market. Our fee is transparent and visible in your account at all times.
Do I have to donate to conservation?
No. You can set your donation split to 0% and keep all your rewards. The conservation feature is entirely optional.
Is the conservation impact actually real or just marketing?
Every donation is routed through Endaoment, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and recorded on a public ledger. You get a verifiable receipt you can look up anytime. Our conservation partners (Rainforest Trust, Rainforest Foundation US, Rainforest Partnership) have a combined track record of over 100 million acres protected, score 100/100 on Charity Navigator, and publish audited financials. We don't touch the donation funds. They go directly from the protocol to the nonprofit to the partner.
How much of my donation actually reaches the rainforest?
Endaoment charges a maximum processing fee of 1.5%. After that, our partners are among the highest-rated conservation organizations in the world.
Rainforest Trust and
Rainforest Foundation US both score 100/100 on Charity Navigator, meaning the vast majority of funds go directly to programs.
Rainforest Partnership scores 87/100. As a baseline, we estimate over 95 cents of every dollar you donate reaches conservation work on the ground. Exact allocations vary by partner and project, and each publishes detailed financial reports you can verify at the links above.
Who picks the conservation partners?
We do, and we're selective. We only work with organizations that have a proven track record, independent financial audits, and measurable impact per dollar. Our current partners have collectively protected over 100 million acres of rainforest across 62+ countries and have been operating for decades. We chose them because they get the most done with every dollar, not because they have the biggest marketing budget.
