Nexo Secures FinTech Breakthrough Award for Zero-Interest Crypto Lending Product

Nexo has picked up another major industry recognition after its Zero-Interest Credit product was named “Consumer Lending Product of the Year” at the 10th annual FinTech Breakthrough Awards, showing the growing appetite for more structured and transparent forms of crypto-backed borrowing.

The award highlights a product that Nexo says is designed to change the way digital asset lending works. Zero-Interest Credit, or ZiC, lets clients borrow against Bitcoin and Ethereum at 0% APR with no fees, while also removing the risk of mid-term liquidation through a fixed-duration structure with predefined repayment terms. In a market where volatility has often made crypto lending feel unpredictable, that approach is being positioned as a more disciplined alternative.

The recognition arrives at a time when crypto-collateralized lending is continuing to mature. The wider market is still a significant part of digital asset finance, valued at nearly $70 billion, and lenders across the sector have been putting more emphasis on collateral discipline and risk management. That shift has helped create room for maturity-based lending models like Nexo’s Zero-Interest Credit, which focuses on giving borrowers clearer outcomes rather than relying on sudden liquidation events when markets move sharply.

Under the ZiC model, clients can borrow using Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) as collateral while avoiding interest charges and fees. The product also does away with margin calls and mid-term liquidations, which are two of the harsher realities of crypto lending. Rather than putting borrowers at the mercy of sudden market swings, it comes with a fixed term and clear price limits, so they know what to expect when the loan reaches maturity.

Crypto Lending Innovation

Nexo says the product has already generated more than $140 million in total loan volume since launch. The company also reports a 76% borrower renewal rate, with users completing an average of 4.28 renewals each. Those numbers suggest that the product is finding repeat demand among clients who are comfortable using their digital assets as collateral but want a more stable and predictable borrowing structure.

Steve Johansson, Managing Director at FinTech Breakthrough, said the recognition reflects Nexo’s role in reshaping crypto-backed lending. He described Zero-Interest Credit as an innovation that creates a “paradigm shift” in crypto credit, pointing to the product’s predefined and transparent parameters as a way to reduce dependence on reactive liquidation triggers. According to Johansson, this gives Nexo a more structured and resilient approach to digital asset lending.

Nexo’s Chief Product Officer, Elitsa Taskova, said the award reflects how much crypto credit has evolved in recent years. Borrowers, she said, are now looking for clearly defined outcomes and stronger collateral discipline. Taskova added that Zero-Interest Credit is designed around that expectation, replacing reflexive liquidation mechanics with agreed maturity parameters intended to provide predictability across market cycles. She also noted that the award marks Nexo’s fourth consecutive win at the FinTech Breakthrough Awards, which the company views as validation of its product direction.

Founded in 2018, Nexo is a digital assets wealth platform focused on helping clients grow, manage, and preserve their crypto holdings. The company says its broader mission is to lead the next generation of wealth creation by offering tailored financial solutions backed by customer support available around the clock.

Nexo says it now serves clients across more than 199 jurisdictions and has processed over $403 billion in transactions, with more than $8 billion in assets under management. Its platform includes flexible and fixed-term savings, crypto-backed loans, trading tools, liquidity solutions and what it describes as the first crypto debit/credit card. The company also points to its infrastructure, global licensing, and security framework as part of its long-term business model.

The FinTech Breakthrough Awards, meanwhile, are part of the Tech Breakthrough recognition program, which aims to highlight innovation across financial technology and services. The awards cover a wide range of categories, including payments, personal finance, cryptocurrency, wealth management, banking, lending, InsurTech and RegTech. The organization says the awards are intended to provide public recognition for standout achievements, while also making clear that the program does not endorse any specific vendor, product or service.

For Nexo, the latest award adds another layer of visibility to a product built around a simple pitch: crypto-backed borrowing does not need to be defined by stress, surprise liquidations, or unclear outcomes. With Zero-Interest Credit, the company is betting that borrowers increasingly want something more predictable. The award suggests the industry may be paying attention.