The evolving networks of debtor-creditor relationships with addition and deletion of nodes: a case of P2P lending

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the structural evolution of debtor-creditor networks in P2P lending, revealing they are scale-free and influenced by interest rates and loan terms, with implications for understanding complex financial systems.

Contribution

It models debtor-creditor networks as evolving scale-free networks and identifies key factors affecting their power-law exponents, expanding complex network applications.

Findings

Networks are scale-free with a calculable power-law exponent.

Interest rate negatively impacts the power-law exponent.

Loan term positively impacts the power-law exponent.

Abstract

P2P lending activities have grown rapidly and have caused the huge and complex networks of debtor-creditor relationships. The aim of this study was to study the underlying structural characteristics of networks formed by debtor-creditor relationships. According attributes of P2P lending, this paper model the networks of debtor-creditor relationships as an evolving networks with addition and deletion of nodes. It was found that networks of debtor-creditor relationships are scale-free networks. Moreover, the exponent of power-law was calculated by an empirical study. In addition, this paper study what factors impact on the exponent of power-law besides the number of nodes. It was found that the both interest rate and term have significantly influence on the exponent of power-law. Interest rate is negatively correlated with the exponent of power-law and term is positively correlated with the exponent of power-law. Our results enriches the application of complex networks