Why I wanted this to exist
Lending money to someone close is a kind thing that can quietly turn awkward. Nobody wants to ask for the terms in writing, because it sounds like you don't trust them. So the details live in a chat or in memory, and they drift.
I wanted lending to feel like a favour, not a contract: terms we both agreed to, someone we trust as a witness, and a clear record of every repayment. Interest-free, because the point is helping someone, not profiting from them. I couldn't find anything like that, so I built treeti.
The problem for everyone else
People lend to family and friends all the time and settle the terms in a chat. Months later nobody agrees on the amount, the date or what was promised. Lending apps don't help: they move money, charge interest or score people. Nothing simply keeps an honest record that both sides agreed to.
Key decisions
| Decision | Why | What it cost | | --- | --- | --- | | Record money, never move it | Holding money turns a trust tool into a bank | No payments built in. A repayment only counts once the other person confirms it. | | Witnesses agree online, and aren't guarantors | Asking people to be there in person meant most loans would never be witnessed | Explicit wording, and no religious or legal claims | | Cut the extra codes | Testers had to enter a fresh code for every approval. It felt like a bank, not a favour. | Signed-in people confirm with one tap; extra checks only for risky moments | | Declare it interest-free, warn instead of block | Launch feedback asked for protection against interest-based loans | Both sides sign a no-interest line; words like "fee" show a warning |
What happened
I shipped quickly and let real people shape it. Within ten days, testers had changed the product: eight heavy flows were simplified, agreements gained ten currencies, "My debts" arrived for private records with reminders, and witness names and interest-free safeguards were built before anything else.
What shipped vs what was designed
Shipped: agreements, approvals, witnesses, repayments, private debts, reminders, PDFs, and an app you can install on your phone. Next: the whole app in Arabic, and AI drafting where people check every suggestion before it's recorded.