Nexo and Crypto.com are 2 popular crypto platforms that offer loan services. Nexo is based in Zug, Switzerland. The platform was launched in 2018 and has over 5 million users. Crypto.com was founded in 2016 and headquartered in Singapore. Since their launch they have accumulated over 50 million users. Both platforms support a large number of digital coins and offer a variety of services. Our Crypto.com and Nexo review compares the two platforms allowing you to decide which is the best for your crypto loan needs.
What is Nexo?
Nexo is a crypto lending and banking services platform that supports over 60 cryptocurrencies. They are available in most countries and offer a variety of services. Aside from crypto backed loans, services include cryptocurrency interest earning accounts, crypto trading and a credit card. In addition, Nexo has its own native cryptocurrency, the NEXO token.
What is Crypto.com?
Crypto.com is a full-service crypto banking platform. Services offered include crypto backed loans, cryptocurrency interest earning accounts and a cryptocurrency exchange where users can buy, sell and trade over 250 digital coins. Users can buy and sell NFTs and Crypto.com offers their own credit card. They also have their own token known as Cronos (CRO).
Features
Nexo Features
- NEXO Token: The native cryptocurrency of Nexo is the NEXO Token. Nexo’s loyalty program is based on ownership of NEXO; the more NEXO you own the higher your level in the loyalty program. This provides users with better loan rates and higher returns on interest earning accounts among other things. The loyalty program’s 4 tiers based on how much NEXO a user owns are as follows:
- Base: No NEXO Tokens
- Silver: User’s portfolio balance consists of at least 1% NEXO
- Gold: User’s portfolio balance consists of at least 5% NEXO
- Platinum: User’s portfolio balance consists of at least 10% NEXO
- Crypto Backed Loans: At Nexo borrowers can get a loan in over 40 different fiat currencies including USD, GBP and Euros. Loans can also be taken out in USD Coin (USDC) and Tether (USDT). Nexo now accepts over 50 different cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as collateral. The loan LTV depends on the cryptocurrency being used as collateral. Interest rates on loans start at 13.9% but depending on the LTV of the loan and the borrower’s loyalty tier level can go as low as 1.9% or even 0% in some instances. The minimum cryptocurrency loan amount is $50 and the maximum is $2 million.
- Interest Earning Accounts: Investors who want to generate an income on their idle digital assets can earn crypto by depositing 35 different digital coin into interest earning accounts at Nexo. Nexo interest rates vary depending on the particular cryptocurrency deposited and the loyalty tier level of the investor. If users opt for a fixed 1-month term they can earn an additional 1% in interest and depending on their loyalty tier level can earn an additional 0.25% to 2% by opting to receive interest payments in NEXO. The minimum deposit to start earning interest varies depending on the cryptocurrency but can be as low as $1
- Credit Card: The Nexo credit card provides users with rewards of 0.5% in BTC or 2% in NEXO with every purchase. Interest rates for the card start as low as 0% and never exceed 13.9% APR. There are no fees for the Nexo card and no minimum monthly repayments. Card holder’s crypto deposits serve as collateral and purchases are deducted automatically from the user’s available credit line.
- Cryptocurrency Exchange: Nexo users can purchase over 50 different cryptocurrencies with fiat currencies. In addition, they can trade 60+ cryptocurrencies consisting of well over 300 market pairs. Clients can receive up to 0.5% in crypto rewards instantly with every trade depending on their loyalty tier level. Once a trade order is placed the price is fixed so investors will not experience any price fluctuation between the time an order is placed and when it is executed.
Crypto.com Features:
- Cronos: The native token of Crypto.com is Cronos (CRO). By staking Cronos investors can earn interest and obtain better rates on loans. In addition, staking CRO can increase the amount of interest earned on deposited cryptocurrencies, lower trading fees and provide Crypto.com credit card holders additional rewards when they use the card.
- Crypto Backed Loans: Crypto.com allows users to borrow up to 50% of the value of their crypto collateral. Loans are available at 50% LTV, 33% LTV and 25% LTV. Loans can be taken out in the stablecoins USD Coin (USDC), Tether (USDT), TrueUSD (TUSD) or Paxos Standard Token (PAX). There are 24 different cryptocurrencies that Crypto.com accepts as collateral for loans which is less than those accepted at Nexo. However, it is more than the number of cryptocurrencies accepted as collateral for an Oasis loan. The minimum loan amount is $100 and borrowers have 12 months to pay, although they may choose to pay early. Interest rates vary depending on the LTV of the loan and the amount of CRO staked.
- Interest Earning Account: At Crypto.com users can earn crypto in the form of interest on 37 different cryptocurrencies which is good although considerably less than the 120+ cryptocurrencies you can earn from at MyCointainer. The system used for calculating interest at Crypto.com is somewhat complicated and is based on the digital coin deposited, whether the investor opts of a flexible, 1-month or 3-month term for the deposit and how much CRO the user has staked. Staking a larger amount of CRO increases the amount of interest that is paid.
- Cryptocurrency Exchange: Over 250 cryptocurrencies can be traded on the Crypto.com exchange. Trading fees vary depending on trade volume and can be lowered by staking CRO. User can get started trading for as little as $1 which is similar to the Vauld crypto exchange.
- Credit Card: The Crypto.com credit card has 5 tier levels based on the amount of CRO the card holder has staked. Depending on the tier level, card holders can receive CRO rewards from 0% to 5% as well as additional perks.
- NFTs: Crypto.com has a marketplace for buying and selling NFTs
The following table provides a brief summary of the major features of Nexo and Crypto.com.
Feature | Nexo | Crypto.com |
| | |
Native Token | NEXO | Cronos (CRO) |
Crypto Backed Loans | Loans available in over 40 fiat currencies plus USDC and USDT. Over 50 cryptocurrencies accepted as collateral | Loans available in USDC, USDT, TUSD or PAX. 24 cryptocurrencies accepted as collateral |
Interest Earning Account | Earn interest on 35 different cryptocurrencies | Earn interest on 37 different cryptocurrencies |
Cryptocurrency Exchange | Trade around 60 different cryptocurrencies | Trade over 250 different cryptocurrencies |
Credit Card | Yes | Yes |
NFT Marketplace | No | Yes |
Nexo versus Crypto.com Rate Comparison
Both Nexo and Crypto.com offer better rates on loans if borrowers own their native tokens. First, we will look at the different loan interest rates at Nexo.
Tier Level | NEXO Token Requirement | Interest on Credit Balance |
| | |
Base | No NEXO Tokens Needed | 13.9% |
Silver | Minimum of 1% of the user’s portfolio balance in NEXO | 12.9% |
Gold | Minimum of 5% of the user’s portfolio balance in NEXO | 8.9% for LTV over 20% 1.9% for LTV of 20% or lower |
Platinum | Minimum of 10% of the user’s portfolio balance in NEXO | 6.9% for LTV over 20% 0% for LTV of 20% or lower |
Now we will look at the loan interest rates for Crypto.com.
Cronos Tokens Staked | Loan Interest Rate |
| |
None | 12% |
$40000 CRO staked | 8% |
$100000 CRO staked | 6% |
Crypto.com has the better base rate but borrowers have to stake a considerably larger amount than at Nexo to get the best rates
Next, we will look at how their base rates compare on interest earning accounts without holding the platforms native token.
Cryptocurrency | Nexo Base Fixed 1month | Nexo Base Flexible | Crypto.com Base Fixed 1 month | Crypto.com Flexible |
| | | | |
Bitcoin | 4% | 3% | 1.2% | 0.20% |
Polkadot | 11% | 10% | 6.4% | 1.15% |
Avalanche | 8% | 7% | 2% | 0.25% |
Tether | 8% | 8% | 3% | 0.40% |
Solano | 5% | 4% | 2% | 0.25% |
Cardano | 5% | 4% | 1% | 0.10% |
Polygon | 12% | 10% | 3% | 0.35% |
USD Coin | 8% | 8% | 3% | 0.40% |
Fantom | 6% | 5% | 2.5% | 0.35% |
Ethereum | 5% | 4% | 1.5% | 0.20% |
It is harder to compare when you consider the number of native tokens held on each platform. We will look at the maximum rate it is possible to earn on the above tokens on both Nexo and Crypto.com.
Cryptocurrency | Nexo with at least 10% of the investor’s portfolio in NEXO 1 month fixed | Crypto.com $40000 in CRO staked 1 month fixed |
| | |
Bitcoin | 5% | 4% |
Polkadot | 13% | 12% |
Avalanche | 10% | 6% |
Tether | 10% | 6% |
Solano | 6% | 5% |
Cardano | 6% | 4% |
Polygon | 14% | 7% |
USD Coin | 10% | 6% |
Fantom | 8% | 5.5% |
Ethereum | 6% | 4% |
Investors can earn an additional 2% at Nexo if they choose to take their interest in NEXO and at Crypto.com can earn an additional 1% to 2.5% depending on the token if they opt for 3 months fixed.
Currencies
Nexo currently supports 61 cryptocurrencies on their platform.
Bitcoin | Ethereum | NEXO Token | Tether |
USD Coin | DAI | Pax Dollar | TrueUSD |
Binance USD | PAX Gold | Axie Infinity | Polygon |
Avalanche | Kusama | Cosmos | NEAR Protocol |
THORChain | Fantom | Optimism | XRP |
BNB | GMX | Polkadot | Solana |
Cardano | Litecoin | Bitcoin Cash | Stellar |
Tron | EOS | Chainlink | Dogecoin |
Decentraland | The Sandbox | SushiSwap | dYdX |
Aave | Curve DAO | Lido DAO | Maker |
Chiliz | 1inch Network | Ethereum Name Service | Frax Share |
STEPN | Compound | Convex Finance | Synthetix |
The Graph | FTX Token | ApeCoin | Gala |
Uniswap | Huobi Token | Aptos | Sweat Economy |
Terra | TerraClassicUSD | USDx | EURx |
GBPx | | | |
They can all be traded on the exchange, 56 of them can be used as collateral and 35 may be deposited into interest earning accounts. Nexo also accepts over 40 different fiat currencies including EUR, GBP and USD.
Crypto.com supports over 250 different cryptocurrencies including the following:
Cronos | Bitcoin | Ethereum | Tether | USD Coin |
Pax Dollar | TrueAUD | TrueUSD | TrueCAD | TrueGBP |
Avalanche | BAT | Binance Coin | Bitcoin Cash | Cardano |
Chainlink | COSMOS | Decentraland | Elrond | Enjin Coin |
Harmony | Litecoin | NEAR Protocol | PAX Gold | Polkadot |
Solana | Stellar | Tectonic | Uniswap | VeChain |
Zilliqa | Dai | Celer Network | Fantom | Polygon |
Algorand | VVS Finance | DOGE | CHZ | Ripple |
All may be traded on Crypto.com’s exchange, 24 are accepted as collateral and 37 may be deposited into interest earning accounts. In addition, they accept over 20 different fiat currencies including GBP, USD and EUR.
Security
Nexo uses third-party custodial services like Fireblocks, BitGo and others to store their digital assets in a combination of hot and cold storage. Their custodial assets are insured for $775 million. To help protect user’s information and assets they employ two-factor authentication, biometric identification and whitelisting.
Crypto.com uses Ledger for digital asset storage and 100% of user’s cryptocurrencies are held in cold storage, and they have secured cold storage insurance. Only Crypto.com funds are in hot wallets. To protect transactions, they use Multi-Factor Authentication which includes password, biometric, phone, email and authenticator verification. As an additional security measure, it is mandatory to whitelist external addresses through email verification.
Fees
Nexo charges a fee for cryptocurrencies purchased with a credit card. For residents of EU countries, the fee is 1.49% and residents of non-EU countries are charged 3.49%. There are also some cryptocurrency withdrawal fees that vary depending on the digital coin being withdrawn. There are no loan origination fees, exchange fees or deposit fees.
Crypto.com charges a fee for trades based on the user’s trade volume over a 30-day period. Maker fees run from 0.075% to 0.060% but there are no maker fees if trading volume exceeds $10 million. Taker fees range from 0.075% to 0.050%. Investors can reduce fees by staking CRO. There are also fees for cryptocurrency withdrawals completed on-chain which vary depending on the cryptocurrency.
Ease of Use
Getting started on both Nexo and Crypto.com is relatively easy. Both platforms are easy to use and navigate. In order to use Crypto.com services, their app must be downloaded. The Nexo and Crypto.com platforms are both fairly intuitive and new users shouldn’t have much difficulty.
Mobile App
Nexo and Crypto.com both offer mobile apps for Android and iOS devices which can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Android Google Play Store. On both platforms the mobile app is easy to use and allows you to make full use of each platform’s respective services.
Access
Nexo is available in most countries with the exception of Cuba, The Central African Republic, Iran, Estonia, Syria, North Korea, Bulgaria, and the U.S. states of New York and Vermont.
Crypto.com is available in 90 countries including Australia, Canada, the United States and most member countries of the EU.
Wallets
Nexo provides custodial wallets for users which allows you to manage all of your assets on Nexo without those assets being stored in the same place. User’s information is displayed in an easy-to-understand manner making it easy to manage all crypto assets on the platform.
Crypto.com has both a centralized and decentralized wallet. The Crypto.com app wallet is a centralized custodial wallet while the Crypto.com wallet is decentralized.
Nexo Pros & Cons
Nexo Pros:
- Low-interest loans with fast approval
- No credit checks for loans
- High rates for interest earning crypto accounts
Nexo Cons:
- Must own NEXO to get the best rates on interest earning accounts and loans
Crypto.com Pros & Cons
Crypto.com Pros:
- Easy loan approval with no credit check
- 100% of user’s crypto kept in cold storage
- Competitive interest rates
- Large selection of cryptocurrencies on the exchange
Crypto.com Cons:
- Users must stake CRO to get the best rates
Conclusion
Nexo and Crypto.com both have some nice features. Interest rates on loans are competitive on both platforms. Crypto.com has the slightly better rates before native tokens are taken into consideration, but Nexo has the advantage when a user’s portfolio contains at least 5% NEXO.
Nexo offers better rates on interest earning accounts but the Crypto.com exchange allows you to trade many more cryptocurrencies. Overall they are both good platforms and the best choice for you will depend on your particular needs.