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Spend Without Selling Your Crypto
Spend Without Selling Your Crypto
The Nexo Card is structurally different from every other crypto card in this comparison: it is a credit card, not a debit card. When you spend with the Nexo Card, you are not liquidating crypto — you are borrowing against it. Your crypto holdings remain in your Nexo portfolio as collateral, while Nexo extends a credit line in fiat currency that you spend with the card.
This matters enormously for tax purposes and for long-term holders who believe their crypto will appreciate. A traditional crypto debit card triggers a taxable disposal event every time you spend: you are selling crypto to pay for a purchase. With the Nexo Card, you are borrowing against crypto — not selling it — which in most jurisdictions is not a taxable event. You retain your crypto position, benefit from any future appreciation, and repay the credit line from fiat income or future crypto sales at a time of your choosing.
The Nexo Card is available to users in 30+ countries primarily across Europe and the UK. The card is issued by Mastercard and accepted at any Mastercard merchant globally. Rewards are earned in either BTC or NEXO (Nexo's native token) depending on your portfolio composition and tier.
Nexo's platform has over $1 billion in assets under management and has processed over $100 billion in transactions since its 2018 launch. The company holds an EMI licence through its European entity and has been audited by Deloitte and Armanino for its Proof of Reserves.
When you use the Nexo Card, Nexo checks your available credit limit, which is based on the value of your crypto collateral at current prices. Your crypto holdings (BTC, ETH, stablecoins, NEXO, and others) are used as collateral, and Nexo extends a credit line of 20–90% of their value depending on the asset and your tier.
Spending is instant — the card charges in local currency, and the spending reduces your available credit line. You repay the credit line on your own schedule, with no minimum monthly payments. Interest accrues on the outstanding balance at rates that vary by tier (0% at the Platinum tier for NEXO token holders, up to around 13.9% annually at the base tier).
Cashback rewards are calculated on all purchases and credited in either BTC or NEXO. The choice between BTC and NEXO rewards depends on your NEXO portfolio percentage: if you hold more than 10% of your portfolio in NEXO tokens, you earn at the Gold tier. The cashback is credited daily to your Nexo account.
The key risk with the Nexo Card is margin call risk. If your crypto collateral falls in value, your loan-to-value ratio increases. Nexo issues margin call warnings and, if the LTV reaches the liquidation threshold, will automatically sell a portion of your collateral to repay the loan. This risk is manageable with conservative LTV usage but must be understood before committing to the product.
| Tier | Stake Required | Cashback | Perks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | <1% of portfolio in NEXO | 0.5% in NEXO | Standard credit line |
| Silver | 1–5% in NEXO | 1% in BTC/NEXO | Enhanced credit line, priority support |
| Gold | 5–10% in NEXO | 2% in BTC/NEXO | 0% interest on credit (up to limit), dedicated support |
| Platinum | 10%+ in NEXO | 2% in BTC/NEXO | 0% interest on credit, highest credit limits, dedicated concierge |
| Annual Fee | Free |
| Interest Rate (Base/Silver) | Up to 13.9% APY on outstanding balance |
| Interest Rate (Gold/Platinum) | 0% on credit line (within tier limits) |
| ATM Withdrawal | 1 free per month; $2 + 2% thereafter |
| FX Transaction Fee | 0% — Mastercard interbank rate |
| Card Delivery | Free |
Nexo holds an e-money institution licence through its European entity and is compliant with EU AML/CFT regulations. The platform has processed over $100 billion in transactions without a security incident affecting customer funds. Nexo publishes monthly Proof of Reserves reports audited by leading accounting firms, showing that customer assets are fully backed. The Nexo Card transactions are processed through Mastercard's standard fraud detection infrastructure with real-time transaction monitoring and the ability to freeze the card instantly from the mobile app.
The Nexo Card is the most sophisticated crypto card product available: it solves the core problem of crypto card spending — triggering taxable disposals — by lending against collateral instead of spending it. For European crypto holders who want to access their crypto wealth for daily spending without selling, while potentially benefiting from future crypto appreciation, the Nexo Card is an elegant solution.
The 0% interest at Gold/Platinum tiers makes it an exceptionally cost-effective credit facility for NEXO token holders. The main caveats are geographic restriction (EU/UK only), margin call risk if you use a high LTV, and the requirement to hold NEXO tokens for the best rates. For US users, the Nexo Card is simply unavailable — the Coinbase Card or Crypto.com Card are the closest alternatives.
| Network | Mastercard |
| Best Cashback | Up to 2% in BTC or NEXO |
| Annual Fee | Free |
| Stake Required | Based on NEXO portfolio % |
| Available In | EU, UK (30+ countries) |
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