Paid Partnership: How Nexo Wants You To Build Wealth Using Crypto

Neil Steinhart described Nexo’s Crypto Integration Index as a measure of how deeply people incorporate crypto into long-term wealth planning. It considers allocation size, investment horizon, retirement use, perceived risk and whether crypto replaces other assets. The average score across the US, UK and Argentina was 4.83, and fewer than 5% of respondents were fully integrated. Among investors scoring 7 or higher, security, fees and taxes appeared to matter much as they do for conventional investments.

Steinhart cited overall crypto ownership as 65% at one point and 67% at another. The survey also classified 34% of respondents as “pre-entry” and 18% as “watchers.” Volatility was a major deterrent for people who had not invested or had put only small amounts into crypto, while existing holders more often focused on costs and tax implications. The figures point to a gap between interest or ownership and treating crypto as a durable part of a financial plan.

Argentina combined the highest crypto ownership with the lowest integration score. Steinhart linked that pattern to short-term use of crypto as a way to escape volatility in the local fiat currency, rather than as part of a long-term portfolio. The US had the lowest ownership but the highest integration and most asset substitution, while the UK fell between the two. The country comparison suggests that high ownership does not necessarily mean crypto has become central to long-term wealth strategies.

Surveyed younger people showed stronger conviction in digital assets, although Steinhart said they often had less liquidity; conviction declined among respondents aged 55 and older. Ownership reached 94% among surveyed 18-to-25-year-olds, but integration peaked later, among people aged 35–44. In that group, 28% of holders treated crypto as a retirement asset. The report defined affluent investors as having at least $100,000 in investable assets in the US and UK, and at least $40,000 in Argentina.

Risk perception accounted for about 13–14% of variation in integration depth, according to Steinhart, and regulation could make crypto feel less risky to investors. Nexo’s US reentry followed greater regulatory clarity and involved Bakkt for custody and infrastructure. Steinhart also emphasized that clarity remained incomplete: the Clarity Act had stalled, though he hoped it would eventually pass. The survey findings and the company’s reentry both underscored how much long-term adoption may depend on investors’ ability to assess risks within a more predictable framework.

Borrowing against crypto was presented as a way to access funds without selling holdings, but it carries conditions that can matter sharply in volatile markets. The loans described were overcollateralized, and borrowers could be required to bring a loan back within its terms; possible outcomes included additional time to respond or partial liquidation of collateral. The approach therefore offers liquidity while leaving borrowers exposed to collateral requirements and price swings.

Steinhart cited a CNBC estimate that $35 trillion to $106 trillion in wealth will pass from baby boomers to younger generations, and said younger people’s conviction in digital assets could support crypto adoption. At a registered investment adviser conference, he said advisers generally did not recommend crypto through their firms, even though they reported that clients were investing in it and expressed interest in Nexo’s solutions.