Crypto.com
Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency exchange and financial services company founded in June 2016.[11] It operates a centralized exchange, the Crypto.com App, prepaid Visa cards, the Crypto.com Pay payments suite, and non-custodial products such as the Crypto.com DeFi Wallet and DeFi Swap. The ecosystem is underpinned by the Crypto.org Chain, a public blockchain used for payments and other applications, and the CRO token, which provides utility across trading, payments, and financial services.[11]
Overview
Crypto.com's consumer products include the Crypto.com App (previously known as the Wallet & Card App), the Crypto.com Visa Card program, the Crypto.org Chain, and products such as Crypto Credit.[11] The company was founded in June 2016 with Kris Marszalek as CEO and rebranded to Crypto.com on July 6, 2018. On October 22, Crypto.com began shipping its MCO Visa Card in Singapore and subsequently on November 16 announced its plan to roll out the MCO Visa Card program in the United States in partnership with Metropolitan Commercial Bank.[3]
Across its ecosystem, the centralized Crypto.com Exchange and Crypto.com App provide access to trading and account features, while the Visa cards enable spending funded from fiat or crypto balances. Crypto.com Pay offers merchant checkout, gift cards, mobile airtime purchases, and peer-to-peer payments in cryptocurrency, complemented by the non-custodial DeFi Wallet and DeFi Swap interface for on-chain activity. The Crypto.org Chain and the CRO token link these services by supporting payments, incentives, and other utilities across the platform.[11]
In May 2021, Crypto.com became the first cryptocurrency exchange to announce the use of CipherTrace's Traveler solution, the first commercial solution to enable compliance with global anti-money laundering (AML) travel rule laws.[1]
In May 2021, Crypto.com became the first global cryptocurrency platform to receive a Class 3 Virtual Financial Assets (VFA) License from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). A Class 3 VFA License authorizes Crypto.com to provide services to experienced and non-experienced investors including execution of orders on behalf of other persons, custodian or nominee services, and dealing on own account.[13]
Regulation and Security
Crypto.com holds a range of regulatory approvals in different jurisdictions. As one example, in May 2021 it obtained a Class 3 Virtual Financial Assets (VFA) Service Provider Licence from the Malta Financial Services Authority, allowing it to execute orders for clients, provide custodian or nominee services, and deal on own account under Malta’s VFA framework.[13]
In January 2022, Crypto.com disclosed a security incident in which attackers were able to bypass two-factor authentication (2FA) protections on 483 user accounts and make unauthorized withdrawals. The company reported that approximately $34 million worth of cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin and Ether, was stolen in the attack.[14][15] Crypto.com stated that it fully reimbursed affected customers, revoked existing 2FA tokens, introduced mandatory 24‑hour delays for new withdrawal address whitelisting, and announced plans to move toward multi-factor authentication for account security.[14]
The company presents itself as operating a highly regulated and security-focused platform, and reported surpassing 100 million global users by May 2024.[11][12]
Crypto.com Exchange
Crypto.com Exchange debuted with spot trading functionality and has expanded to offer a suite of trading-related services for both retail and corporate users. It supports trading pairs for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin, USDC, and others, as well as the CRO token, the native currency of Crypto.org Chain.[4]
Margin Trading
Margin trading on the Crypto.com Exchange allows users to borrow cryptocurrencies on the exchange to trade on the spot market. Eligible users can use the margin loan as leverage to open a position that is larger than the balance of their account.[5]
Derivatives Trading
The first derivatives product offered on Crypto.com consists of perpetual contracts. Perpetuals enable traders to buy or sell exposure to the value of an asset, whereby the underlying asset itself is never traded, allowing them to manage risk. Perpetuals do not expire or have a settlement date, and users can hold their positions for as long as needed.[1]
Crypto.com Lending
Crypto.com Lending allows users to borrow against their cryptocurrencies without selling them. Users can deposit supported assets as collateral and take out crypto loans to meet liquidity needs, support margin trading on the Crypto.com Exchange, or hedge positions on other platforms.[16][17] Institutional users who require more flexible loan terms can apply for the Lending Pro program on Crypto.com Lending, which offers higher borrowing limits and the possibility of customized terms for approved clients.[16]
Syndicate
The Syndicate is a discounted token offering platform on Crypto.com Exchange, powered by the CRO token. The Syndicate is intended to help projects raise awareness and support user education. A listing project can provide an allocation of its own token for distribution to Crypto.com Exchange users at a discount of up to 50%. All proceeds from the sale are passed back to the projects, and CRO holders receive priority token allocation for these events.
Crypto.com App
With the Crypto.com App, users can buy crypto with their fiat wallets and/or with a credit or debit card. The Crypto.com App supports several fiat currencies and over 50 cryptocurrencies. Users can send crypto to other Crypto.com App users instantly without fees, or withdraw crypto to external wallet addresses with fixed network-based fees. The app includes a coin tracking tab where users can monitor more than 200 coins, with metrics such as prices, volume, market capitalization, percentage change, and other data that are updated frequently. It also presents charts in dual currencies (for example USD and BTC) and across different time frames (8 hours, 1 day, 1 week, 3 months, 6 months).
The Crypto.com App enables users to apply for and manage their Visa Card and to spend cryptocurrency via card where supported by merchants.
Crypto Earn
Crypto Earn is offered within the Crypto.com App as an interest-like rewards product for users who wish to earn yield on their holdings while retaining ownership. It provides variable rewards on a range of major cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, with both flexible and fixed-term deposit options. Supported assets and reward rates change over time, and current terms, eligible tokens, and any CRO staking benefits are detailed in the app and on Crypto.com’s official product pages.[18]
There are typically multiple holding term options for users to choose from at the time of deposit, such as flexible arrangements and fixed terms of defined duration. Once a deposit is confirmed, rewards begin to accrue according to the applicable rate and term.[18]
Crypto Credit
Crypto Credit is offered within the Crypto.com App and allows users to deposit selected cryptocurrencies as collateral in order to borrow a crypto loan. Users can typically borrow at around a 50% loan-to-value ratio against supported collateral, with loan proceeds paid out in supported stablecoins such as Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC).[19] Supported collateral and loan currencies, interest rates, and other terms are updated over time, and current details are provided in the app and in Crypto.com’s product announcements.[20]
After depositing the required collateral, the user receives the loan in their Crypto.com App wallet, and CRO staking can influence borrowing rates where applicable.[19]
Wallet
Crypto.com DeFi Wallet is designed for all levels of crypto users. The wallet supports most major cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), CRO, Litecoin, Stellar, Curve DAO Token, and TrueFi (TRU). Users can have more than one wallet and change their wallet networks from Mainnet to Ethereum Testnets in the Crypto.com DeFi Wallet App.[3]
Crypto.com DeFi Swap
DeFi Swap is a decentralized exchange and yield farming interface integrated with the Crypto.com DeFi Wallet, offering token swaps and liquidity provision with incentives powered in part by CRO. Liquidity Providers (LPs) are incentivized for contributing to liquidity pools through mechanisms such as swap-fee sharing, CRO-based yield for LPs who also stake CRO, and additional yield for LPs of selected pools.[5]
Crypto.com DeFi Swap is integrated with the DeFi Wallet, allowing users to exchange tokens directly in the DeFi Wallet app.[2]
Crypto.org Chain
Crypto.org Chain is the next-generation public blockchain that enables transactions worldwide between people and businesses. It is also the technology that powers Crypto.com Pay. Crypto.org Chain Mainnet launched in March 2021, with Crypto.org Coin (CRO) as its native currency. Users can stake CRO in Crypto.com Defi Wallet to join delegated proof-of-stake and earn yield.[2]
The team chose Tendermint - a byzantine fault-tolerant (BFT) consensus protocol - as the consensus engine for Crypto.org Chain.[2]
CRO Token
The Crypto.com Coin (CRO) token is the native token of the Crypto.org Chain. CRO also powers the overall Crypto.com ecosystem, with utility across payment, trading, and financial services. In February 2021, Crypto.com announced updates to the CRO token distribution, with the goal of 100% decentralization in preparation for the Crypto.org Chain Mainnet launch. Crypto.com has pledged to burn 70 billion CROs (reducing the total supply of the token to 30 billion CROs), with the remaining 5.9 billion CROs to be used as Mainnet block rewards for Chain validators and allocation to Particle B for ecosystem development.[2]
Crypto.com Pay
Crypto.com Pay is a mobile and web-based payment service that allows users to pay and receive cryptocurrency for commerce, gifting, airtime top-ups, and peer-to-peer transfers. Its offerings include Pay Checkout, Pay Gift Cards, Pay Airtime Top-Up, and Pay Your Friends.[3]
Pay Checkout
Pay Checkout enables customers to pay in cryptocurrency and allows merchants to accept cryptocurrency as an additional payment option. Customers select Crypto.com Pay or a supported decentralized wallet at checkout, scan a QR code or authorize the payment, and the merchant receives funds in their chosen fiat currency or cryptocurrency in their Crypto.com business account.
Pay Gift Cards
With Pay Gift Cards, Crypto.com App users can purchase gift cards from a range of global brands using cryptocurrency and may receive CRO rewards with each eligible purchase. Crypto.com offers gift cards from brands across categories such as airlines, hotels, games, fashion, food and beverage, general retail, telecommunications, fuel, entertainment, taxi services, and grocery. Example brands include iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Starbucks, and Nike, among others.[2]
Pay Airtime Top-Up
Pay Airtime Top-Up enables Crypto.com App users to pay for mobile airtime top-ups via Crypto.com Pay in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin, and CRO. The service supports mobile numbers offered by over 340 prepaid mobile network operators, including T-Mobile, Vodafone, Airtel, Orange, and Verizon Wireless, in more than 100 countries.[2]
Pay Your Friends
Pay Your Friends allows users to send cryptocurrency to friends and contacts and to earn CRO rewards on eligible transactions. Transfers can be made in any supported cryptocurrency without additional transfer fees within the Crypto.com App.[1]
Crypto.com VISA Cards
The Crypto.com Visa Card allows cardholders to earn CRO token rewards on transactions without annual card fees. The cards also offer a variety of perks, with higher card tiers generally providing increased CRO rewards on spending, subscription rebates for selected streaming services, airport lounge access, and other benefits.[21] The top Obsidian card tier includes additional benefits such as access to airport lounges and Crypto.com Private, which offers services for high-tier cardholders and traders.[21]
Crypto.com's Visa cards are prepaid cards that users can top up using bank account transfers, other credit or debit cards, or cryptocurrency. To apply for a Crypto.com Visa Card, users are required to stake a specified amount of CRO tokens for 180 days. Based on how much CRO they stake, users qualify for different tiers of Visa cards that offer different levels of rewards and perks. The Visa Card can be managed via the Crypto.com App, where users can complete card applications, view card details, track spending records, and receive eligible card rewards.[21]
Crypto.com NFT
Crypto.com NFT is a platform for issuing and trading NFT collections featuring content from artists, musicians, athletes, and sports organizations. Creators who have launched collections on the platform include Axel Mansoor, Bag Raiders, BossLogic, Boy George, KCamp, Klarens Malluta with Lionel Richie, Kloud (DJ), Mr. Brainwash, and Snoop Dogg, among others. The platform allows users to buy NFTs using their credit or debit card and also supports payment with over 20 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Dogecoin.[2]
Kinetica
In addition to having a chance to win one of the limited-edition race NFTs, every successful submission will receive a commemorative NFT, with a unique NFT for onsite submissions and a unique NFT for offsite submissions. Submissions close Monday, May 8th, at 11:59 pm EDT. Commemorative NFTs and the limited edition NFTs minted during the race will be awarded within a week following the race.
Crypto.com signs NFT MoU with Fantagio
According to a press release, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in NFTs was signed by general entertainment firm Fantagio and Crypto.com. Through this alliance, the two businesses will work together to promote different NFT entertainment initiatives. As their first joint venture, the firms will launch a music NFT in honor of Meta Miu, a metaverse idol. Fantagio and Web3 entertainment platform Fellaz collaborated on the creation of "Meta Miu," a female solo K-pop singer who performs in the metaverse. Members who have subscribed to the Fellaz platform through NFTs will have access to special material, and "Meta Miu" will be governed based on a participant-centered fanbase community. On August 11, Crypto.com released five music NFTs of Miu's debut track, "Uptown Boy," on its NFT marketplace. Only one version of the NFT will include the whole song; the other four varieties will each contain various portions of the song. The Fellaz "light stick," which is a subscription to the Fellaz platform, may be obtained by holders of the complete song version NFT or those who have accumulated all of the individual sections of the entire song NFT. This grants access to the site's unique material.
Crypto.com NFT offers material from sports teams, players, and entertainers including Snoop Dogg, Boy George, Aston Martin, and the UFC. Through the Crypto.com NFT platform, collectors and enthusiasts may buy and sell NFTs, and Crypto.com Pay can be used to pay with credit cards, debit cards, and cryptocurrencies.
Crypto.com Capital
Crypto.com Capital, the venture arm of Crypto.com, is dedicated to investing in crypto startups at Seed and Series A stages. Crypto.com Capital will lead seed rounds with cheque sizes between $100,000 and $3 million and Series A rounds from $3 million to $10 million. Crypto.com Capital is led by Bobby Bao, co-founder of Crypto.com, who said:
“The motto and operating principle of Crypto.com Capital is “Founders First”. As company builders ourselves, we understand how hard it is to bring game-changing ideas to life. Founders can count on us to move fast and provide both capital and access to a global user base, helping them succeed. If you’re building in this space, contact us today: capital@crypto.com.”
Partnerships
Formula One
In March 2021, Crypto.com announced a multi-year partnership with Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team to provide branded experiences and marketing opportunities to traders and F1 fans. The partnership places Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team among the early Formula One teams with a dedicated cryptocurrency platform sponsor. Crypto.com is described as the first cryptocurrency platform to sponsor an F1 team.[2]
Visa Principal Membership
In March 2021, Crypto.com announced a global partnership with Visa that included principal membership in Visa's network in Australia. The partnership supports Crypto.com’s efforts to expand the reach of the Crypto.com Visa Card and explore fiat lending with crypto collateral via the card. Having been granted Visa principal membership, Crypto.com began direct issuance of the Crypto.com Visa Card in Australia and introduced virtual cards in Europe, enabling users to start spending before receiving a physical card.[4]
Lega Serie A
In May 2021, Crypto.com partnered with the Lega Serie A on the occasion of the 2021 Coppa Italia Final, which saw Atalanta B.C. face Juventus F.C. on May 19 at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia. To commemorate the event, a special NFT collection was made available, including the official trophy, match highlights, and related digital items.[4]
Emirates
Emirates signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Crypto.com for the future integration of Crypto.com Pay as a payment option for customers. The integration is expected to take effect in 2026.[22]
Trump Media Partnership and CRO Treasury
On August 26, 2025, Crypto.com and Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), the parent company of the Truth Social platform, announced a major partnership to create a joint venture focused on Crypto.com's native token, Cronos (CRO).[6][7][8] The deal, which included plans for a publicly traded CRO accumulation company and related exchange-traded fund (ETF) and prediction-market products, was framed as part of Trump Media's broader crypto expansion in 2025.[9][10]
On August 7, 2026, Trump Media, Crypto.com and Yorkville Acquisition Corp. mutually agreed to terminate the planned Trump Media Group CRO Strategy Inc. venture, scrapping the unexecuted $6.42 billion CRO treasury structure, the proposed publicly traded CRO accumulation company, and associated ETF-servicing and Truth Social prediction-market agreements.[9][10] Trump Media retained the CRO and Bitcoin it had already acquired, while the relationship with Crypto.com continued in a reduced, mainly marketing-focused form.[9][10] Following the termination announcement, CRO fell by around 5–8% on the news, and Trump Media indicated it was refocusing on Truth Social, data licensing and its proposed all-stock merger with fusion-energy firm TAE Technologies.[9][10]
Formation of Trump Media Group CRO Strategy Inc.
The collaboration originally involved the establishment of a new entity named Trump Media Group CRO Strategy Inc. This company was designed to function as a digital asset treasury, with its primary objective being the acquisition and holding of CRO tokens.[8]
The new firm was planned to go public by merging with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), Yorkville Acquisition Corp. Following the merger, the company was expected to trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "MCGA," a reference to Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.[6][7] These listing and treasury plans were not executed and were formally terminated in August 2026 when Trump Media, Crypto.com and Yorkville mutually ended the proposed CRO Strategy Inc. venture.[9][10]
Financial Details and Market Impact
The joint venture as announced in 2025 aimed to build a treasury valued at approximately $6.42 billion. The proposed funding structure included an existing $1 billion in CRO tokens, $420 million in cash and warrants, and a $5 billion credit line provided by an affiliate of Yorkville.[7][8] These financing layers, together with the plan to create a large, publicly traded CRO accumulation vehicle, remained at the proposal stage and were abandoned in August 2026 when the parties mutually agreed to terminate the CRO Strategy Inc. structure and its related arrangements.[9][10]
As part of the original 2025 agreement, the two parent companies agreed to exchange investments: Trump Media would purchase $105 million worth of CRO, while Crypto.com would acquire $50 million in TMTG's stock (DJT).[6] Trump Media's direct CRO and Bitcoin purchases were completed and later confirmed as being retained when the broader treasury structure was canceled.[9][10]
The August 2025 announcement had a positive effect on the market at the time; the price of CRO surged by as much as 25%, and DJT shares also saw an increase.[7] In contrast, CRO declined by around 5–8% following the August 2026 news that the treasury company, ETF-servicing tie-up and prediction-market plans had been scrapped.[9][10]
Platform Integration and Staking
The partnership as outlined in 2025 extended beyond the proposed treasury company, with plans to integrate Crypto.com's wallet infrastructure into the Truth Social platform.[6]
CRO was to be adopted as a utility token for the social media site's rewards system, allowing users to convert platform "gems" into CRO tokens and use CRO for subscriptions and other services.[6] To generate additional revenue, Trump Media Group CRO Strategy Inc. planned to custody and stake its CRO holdings with Crypto.com, and to operate a validator node on the Cronos blockchain to participate in network security and earn staking rewards, which would then be reinvested to grow its CRO holdings.[6][8]
In August 2026, Trump Media scaled back these ambitions, canceling the planned treasury company, dropping the Truth Social prediction-market initiative and ending the ETF-servicing arrangement, while maintaining a slimmer, primarily marketing-focused relationship with Crypto.com.[9][10]
Prediction Markets and Legal Challenges
In 2026, Crypto.com expanded into prediction markets through its U.S. derivatives affiliate.[23] The affiliate offered event contracts, including sports‑event contracts, on a designated contract market regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).[23]
Nevada gambling regulators ordered the platform to stop offering its sports‑event contracts to Nevada residents, concluding that the products constituted unlicensed sports wagering under state law.[23] The exchange challenged the order in court, arguing that the Commodity Exchange Act gives the CFTC exclusive jurisdiction over swaps traded on CFTC‑regulated designated contract markets and that state gambling laws are preempted for such contracts.[23] The dispute centers on whether federally regulated sports‑event prediction contracts offered on that platform qualify as “swaps” under U.S. law.
Litigation arising from these and related products contributed to a federal circuit split over the classification and regulation of sports‑event prediction contracts on CFTC‑regulated markets.[23] The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held that certain sports‑event contracts fit within the Commodity Exchange Act’s statutory definition of a swap and are therefore subject to exclusive federal oversight, preempting conflicting state gambling regulation, while the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reached a different conclusion and allowed states such as Nevada greater leeway to treat comparable products as gambling subject to state control.[23]
In 2026, Robinhood announced a minority equity stake in Crypto.com alongside an agreement to list Crypto.com‑linked prediction‑market contracts on its own platform, describing the move as part of a broader effort to bring regulated prediction‑market products into mainstream brokerage offerings.[24]
Crypto.com’s U.S. derivatives affiliate has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Ninth Circuit decision upholding Nevada’s authority to regulate such sports‑event contracts, asking the Court to clarify whether the Commodity Exchange Act preempts state regulation of sports‑event contracts listed on federally regulated derivatives markets.[23]
Team
Co-Founders
- Kris Marszalek - Co-Founder and CEO[11]
- Bobby Bao - Co-Founder & Head of Corporate Development[11]
- Rafael Melo - Co-Founder and CFO[11]
- Gary Or - Co-Founder and Founder of Particle B[11]
Other Senior Management
- Eric Anziani - President and COO[11]
- Jason Lau - Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)[11]
- Matthew Chan - Chief Technology Officer (CTO)[11]
- Antonio Alvarez - Chief Compliance Officer (CCO)[11]
Advisory Board
- Antoine Blondeau (Alpha Intelligence Capital) - Chairman of the Advisory Board
- Chris Corrado (London Stock Exchange Group) - Trading Technology
- Dimitri Tsamados (Eric Salmon & Partners) - Talent
- Rob Bier (Trellis Asia) - Organisation Design & Scaling