Why are anions more reactive when crown ethers dissolve their salts in nonpolar solvents?

When crown ethers dissolve inorganic salts in nonpolar solvents, they specifically encapsulate the cation within their cyclic structure, leaving the anion effectively "bare" or unsolvated in the solution.1

In typical polar solvents, anions are solvated and shielded by solvent molecules, which stabilizes them but reduces their chemical activity. In contrast, when a crown ether drags an anion into a nonpolar solvent, the anion lacks this protective solvation shell. Because these "bare" anions are not shielded, they become significantly more reactive, acting as much more powerful bases or nucleophiles than they would be in a polar environment.1