xChange.bg vs Nexo: availability in Bulgaria, custody, fees and accounts

Reuters describes Nexo as a crypto lender co-founded by a former Bulgarian lawmaker (source 9), so people in Bulgaria often ask how it compares with a local account like xChange.bg. On 16 September 2026 the most important fact is about access: Nexo's terms for the European Economic Area do not accept residents of Bulgaria. The rest of this page explains what that means and how the two services differ for people who live elsewhere in the EEA.

Can Bulgarian residents use Nexo?

Not under its current EEA terms. Nexo's Terms of Service for the EEA, last updated on 16 June 2026, say that to onboard you must be a resident of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland, Vatican City, New Zealand or the EEA, excluding Bulgaria. A separate clause lists Bulgaria among excluded residencies, together with several other countries (source 1, clauses IV.1.3 and IV.1.4). We found no separate set of Nexo terms for Bulgaria.

If you live in Bulgaria and want to hold stablecoins with a bank route in and out, Nexo is therefore not an option today. xChange.bg accepts individuals and companies resident in the EU and EEA, including Bulgaria.

Who each service is for

Nexo is a custodial crypto platform. For eligible EEA clients it offers buying and exchanging crypto-assets, a custodial account and the Nexo Card. Pricing is shown in the app before each order rather than in a public table (source 2).

xChange.bg is built around fiat accounts: EUR and USD account details in your own name, conversion of incoming money into USDC, and payouts to any bank. It does not offer lending, yield or a broad token list.

Licence and regulation

No Nexo entity appeared in ESMA's interim MiCA register of crypto-asset service providers on 16 September 2026 (source 5). Nexo's MiCA FAQ says its EEA services run through two regulated partners: Tangany for custody and DLT Finance as trading counterparty (source 3). Its site footer names DLT Securities GmbH and Tangany GmbH, both supervised by BaFin (source 4).

The ESMA register shows Tangany GmbH authorised on 8 August 2025 for custody and transfer services, passported to 30 EEA states including Bulgaria, and DLT Securities GmbH authorised on 18 December 2025 for exchange and order services, with only Germany in its cross-border field (source 5). The EEA terms are governed by the law of the Cayman Islands and are an agreement with entities of the Nexo group, without naming one contracting company (source 1, Section XVIII).

xChange.bg is a technology provider. EUR and USD accounts and conversions are provided by regulated partner Bridge, a Stripe company.

Custody

Nexo is custodial: your assets sit in your Nexo account, with Tangany as the EEA custody partner (source 3). xChange.bg uses a self-custody wallet where you hold the keys and xChange.bg cannot freeze the balance. Custody means convenience and account recovery through the provider; self-custody means control and personal responsibility for keys and addresses.

Money in and money out

Nexo accepts bank transfers in USD, EUR or GBP over SWIFT, SEPA, Faster Payments or Fedwire into a dedicated Nexo bank account, and card purchases (sources 1 and 2). The fee for each is shown on the platform before you confirm. Withdrawals go to your personal bank account, again with the fee shown before you confirm; Platinum-tier clients get one free withdrawal a month (source 2).

xChange.bg gives you an EUR IBAN and USD account details in your name. Others can pay you directly, and each payment lands as USDC at 1.5% (minimum EUR 1). Payouts to your own or a recipient's bank cost 1.25% (minimum EUR 2).

Because Nexo does not publish its deposit, exchange or bank withdrawal fees as numbers, we cannot give a fair EUR cost example.

Stablecoins

Nexo's fee schedule lists withdrawal fees for USDC on Polygon, Base, Arbitrum and Solana, for USDT on several networks and for DAI on Polygon (source 2). Whether EEA clients can buy USDT under MiCA is not published in that schedule. xChange.bg is built around USDC; our guide to USDC and USDT explains why the difference matters in the EU.

Where Nexo is stronger

• A card today. The Nexo Mastercard is live, provided by DiPocket UAB, with no monthly or annual fee and an FX fee of 0.2% in the EEA, UK and Switzerland, 0.7% at weekends (sources 2 and 6). The xChange.bg Visa card is coming soon.
• 24/7 client care. Nexo says its team is online around the clock (source 4).
• Ratings. Trustpilot showed 4.4 from about 18,700 reviews on 16 September 2026 (source 7).
• Broader product. More crypto-assets, and account tiers with benefits such as a free monthly withdrawal for Platinum clients (source 2).

Where xChange.bg is different

• Available in Bulgaria. Residents of Bulgaria can sign up.
• Accounts in your name. An IBAN and USD details that clients and platforms can pay directly.
• Self-custody. Your stablecoins are in a wallet you control.
• Published fees. 1.5% in, 1.25% out, free between clients, network cost on-chain.
• Local support. Bulgarian and English, with an office at 66 Vitosha Blvd in Sofia. Nexo's website has no Bulgarian version.

Track record in brief

Three public matters are relevant to Nexo's history in the US and Bulgaria. In January 2023 Nexo Capital Inc. agreed to pay USD 45 million in total to the US SEC and state regulators over its Earn Interest Product, without admitting or denying the findings (source 8). Also in January 2023, Bulgarian prosecutors opened an investigation into Nexo AG; Reuters reported that they dropped the case in December 2023, saying there was no evidence of criminal activity, and that Nexo had denied wrongdoing (source 9). In January 2024 Nexo AG filed an arbitration claim against Bulgaria at ICSID, which is pending (source 10). Our Nexo review sets these out in more detail.

How to move from Nexo to xChange.bg

If you hold a Nexo account from before a move to Bulgaria or from another EEA country:

1. Open an xChange.bg account online and verify your identity.
2. Copy your xChange.bg wallet address and note its network.
3. Withdraw a small amount of USDC from Nexo on a network both sides support, such as Solana, Base, Arbitrum or Polygon.
4. When it arrives, withdraw the rest. Alternatively, withdraw EUR from Nexo to your bank and send it to your xChange.bg IBAN.

Converting other crypto-assets into USDC or EUR can create taxable income; see our crypto tax guide.