At 2 a.m., I was staring blankly at that long string of numbers at the hospital payment counter—my mother had a sudden appendicitis and needed surgery, but the balance in my card was short by eight thousand. I rummaged through lending apps on my phone; either the limit was insufficient, or the review would take three days. Frustrated, I tapped randomly on the screen until I opened the forgotten Huma wallet in the corner.
A week ago, while helping my cousin with blockchain development, he casually transferred some Huma coins to me, saying this is 'hard currency in decentralized lending protocols' that can serve as 'digital collateral' when in urgent need of money. At that time, I thought it was just a novelty for young people, not expecting it would become a lifesaver at this moment. Following the tutorial, I pledged the coins, and the system automatically assessed the loan limit. After filling in the bank card details and confirming, within five minutes, a text message popped up with the deposit reminder—eight thousand yuan, with no deduction.
Later I learned how clever the mechanism behind Huma coins is. Unlike traditional lending that requires cumbersome qualification reviews, it relies on smart contracts to automatically execute 'over-collateralization': the value of the digital assets you pledge is always higher than the loan amount, ensuring safety for the lender while allowing the borrower to avoid being at anyone's mercy. When my cousin showed me the backend data, he pointed at that smooth funding pool curve and said, 'This is called “permissionless lending”; as long as you have digital assets, you can borrow money even at 3 a.m. in a hospital.'
What surprised me even more was its flexibility. After my mother was discharged, I used the reimbursed medical expenses to repay the loan ahead of time, and not only did I incur no penalty, but I also received a 'credit score reward' from the Huma ecosystem for fulfilling my obligations on time. My cousin said this score could unlock lower loan interest rates in the future, just like a good credit record in reality, except this system operates on the blockchain, transparent enough that no one can commit fraud.
Now I always keep some Huma coins in my wallet, not to speculate on prices, but to treat it as 'emergency savings' in the digital world. Last month, a neighbor's child was short on tuition fees, so I taught her how to use Huma for pledging loans, completing the whole process without filling out a single form, and it was done in half an hour. She held the deposit message and exclaimed, 'This is much easier than asking relatives for help.'
Perhaps the progress of financial technology should be as subtle and unobtrusive as this. You don't need to understand any blockchain terminology; it simply helps you solve problems in the simplest way when you need it. Just like at this moment, looking at the credit score in my Huma wallet, I suddenly realize that trust in the digital world can also be so solid and reliable.