Proof of Usefulness Report

Hudson Valley Credit Union

Analysis completed on 2/9/2026

+510
Proof of Usefulness Score
Industry Mainstay

Hudson Valley Credit Union is a large, established financial institution with over $6B in assets and 300,000+ members, demonstrating high real-world utility and traction. However, the project submission itself is of poor quality, featuring inaccurate data (e.g., '$17M marketcap', 'most people have used my product') and lacking technical details. While the entity's scale justifies a high baseline, the lack of digital innovation evidence and the low-effort submission significantly dampen the potential score.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility+225.0
Audience Reach Impact+112.0
Technical Innovation+7.5
Evidence Of Traction+170.0
Market Timing Relevance+50.0
Functional Completeness+2.5
Subtotal+567
Usefulness Multiplierx0.9
Final Score+510

Project Details

Project URL
Description
In October 1963, a group of IBM employees had a vision—to create a financial cooperative for IBM employees and their families, where the needs of the individual would be placed before profit. Our product line in the beginning was modest, consisting of basic savings and consumer loans. By the end of our first year, the credit union had 14 member accounts and $172 in assets. Our name has changed over the years, our assets, products, and services have grown. Our membership has evolved to reflect the changing needs of our surrounding community but our mission and vision remain the same. Today, Hudson Valley Credit Union is a full service not-for-profit financial cooperative, 300,000+ members strong. We extend membership to our neighbors who live, work, worship, volunteer or attend school in Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Sullivan, Ulster, or Westchester Counties. HVCU is federally insured by the NCUA. Equal Housing Opportunity. View our social media policy: https://www.hvcu.org/social-media-policy/

Algorithm Insights

Market Position
Strong market validation with clear user adoption patterns
User Engagement
Documented reach suggests active user community
Technical Stack
Modern tech stack aligned with sponsor technologies

Recommendations to Increase Usefulness Score

Document User Growth

Provide specific metrics on user acquisition and retention rates

Showcase Revenue Model

Detail sustainable monetization strategy and current revenue streams

Expand Evidence Base

Include testimonials, case studies, and third-party validation

Technical Roadmap

Share development milestones and feature completion timeline