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Crypto.com is a centralized exchange, founded in 2016 by Rafael Melo, Gary Or, Bobby Bao and Kris Marszalek (who continues to helm the company as CEO). The platform began its life as Monaco: a crypto bank card firm, founded on the belief that Bitcoin and other assets would soon be used for everyday payments.
After acquiring their trademark dot-com domain in 2018 for an estimated $10 million, the company rebranded to Crypto.com and began expanding its suite of products to include trading, staking and DeFi tools. The firm also rolled out its flagship cards and app across Europe and North America in a major expansion.
This came alongside a major marketing push which saw Crypto.com sponsor the UFC and FIFA World Cup, among other major events. In late 2021 they closed their biggest deal to date: a $700 million rebranding of the former Staples Center in downtown LA to the Crypto.com Arena.
The result is that Crypto.com is now one of the most recognizable brands in the industry. It boasts over 150 million users and a full suite of CeFi and DeFi tools for both crypto beginners and more advanced traders.
What services does Crypto.com offer?
The Crypto.com platform is split into two main parts: a mobile app and desktop exchange. The basic version of the Crypto.com App features simple swaps, plus bank transfer and card purchases across around 400 cryptoassets and tokenized stocks, with extensive fiat support across USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD and other currencies.
The mobile app is also the home of the popular Crypto.com Visa Signature credit card and Crypto.com Prepaid Visa card. These cards can be topped up via crypto or fiat, and offer CRO rewards on daily spending. The more attractive rates and perks may require the holder to either stake CRO tokens for access, or pay a monthly subscription fee via the Crypto.com Level Up program.
Within the app, users can also access a non-custodial DeFi wallet, staking features, a merchant payment platform, prediction markets (US only) and Earn features offering yield on tokens with both fixed and flexible lockup terms.
On desktop, the Crypto.com Exchange offers spot, margin, derivatives and OTC trading, with advanced order types and a lineup of trading bots for simple automation. However, this arm of the platform is not available in the US or Canada due to current licensing restrictions.
What’s required for a Crypto.com account?
Compliance is a major focus for Crypto.com, which holds full licensing for its operations in the US, UK, Australia, the EU and other major markets. In keeping with its licensing requirements, a KYC (Know Your Customer) registration process is required to access the platform.
Customers are required to submit an ID document (passport, ID card or driving license) for verification. Onboarding is straightforward and verification is typically complete within just a few minutes.
Users should be aware that access to certain Crypto.com features can vary by region. Notably, the full desktop exchange is not available in the US or Canada, while the platform is entirely unavailable in New York due to local licensing requirements.
What fees does Crypto.com charge?
The Crypto.com Exchange operates on a standard maker-taker model. The base trading fees are 0.25%/0.5% maker/taker on spot trades, and 0.02%/0.04% maker/taker on futures trades.
Crypto.com operates a VIP tier system for active users called Level Up, which gives discounts on fees. Holding CRO tokens gives additional discounts of up to -100% on maker fees -15% on taker fees.
Alternatively, trading fees can be reduced to zero across the board by participating in the Level Up program (depending on the specific tier). This subscription based system requires a monthly fee to access, with three distinct tiers starting at $4.99 per month. Aside from fee discounts, membership also unlocks up to 5% passive yield on fiat holdings, among other bonuses.
On the basic version of the app, a variable spread fee is charged on swaps, which can shift depending on market conditions. For purchases made with bank cards or Apple/Google Pay, processing fees typically range from 1.5% to 2.99%. Deposits made via bank transfer or cryptocurrency are generally free, while onchain withdrawal fees average around a couple of dollars.
What is CRO?
CRO (Cronos) is the native utility token of the Crypto.com platform, as well as the gas token for the multi-layer Cronos ecosystem, comprising Cronos EVM, Cronos POS Chain and Cronos zkEVM.
Cronos EVM is a DeFi-centric, EVM-compatible L1 chain with smart contract execution, enabling the development of dApps and proliferation of DeFi transactions. Cronos POS Chain acts as the settlement layer, or “Layer Zero”, guaranteeing the security of the Cronos ecosystem. Cronos zkEVM is a high-performance L2 that utilizes zero-knowledge rollup technology to bundle thousands of transactions and settle them more efficiently.
Within Crypto.com’s retail ecosystem, CRO tokens can be locked to gain access to various benefits. These include higher bank card and Level Up tiers, airport lounge access and other perks. Holders can also stake their CRO with a Cronos POS Chain validator via the Crypto.com On Chain DeFi features.
Crypto.com’s regulatory and security record
Crypto.com has a generally strong compliance record. The platform holds 100 licensing approvals across the global jurisdictions where it operates, including US, UK and European Economic Area. One sticking point in its US regulatory efforts is the absence of an operating license for New York, due to the state’s especially stringent regulations.
The firm’s focus on compliance hasn’t placed it beyond the scrutiny of regulators, however. In 2024, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued the firm with a Wells notice: a notification that enforcement action was likely forthcoming. Crypto.com launched a lawsuit in response, and the investigation was eventually dropped with no charges in March 2025.
Crypto.com has suffered from a few notable security incidents within its lifetime. Most notable was a January 2022 hack which saw attackers bypass 2FA safeguards to access user accounts. Before the vulnerability was fixed, the hackers had drained roughly $33.8 million in BTC and ETH: a noteworthy amount, but modest within the grand scheme of CEX security exploits. All user funds lost during the incident were reimbursed by the company.
Beyond this incident, Crypto.com was also the subject of several data breaches, such as a 2023 incident which exposed the information of a small number of individuals. The company was later criticized for not informing all of the affected users at the time of the exploit.
Important Information: This is informational content sponsored by Crypto.com and should not be considered as investment advice. Services, features, staking rewards, fee reductions and other benefits referenced may be subject to eligibility requirements, token holdings, and may change at the discretion of Crypto.com.
The Level Up benefits mentioned are subject to your tier in the Level Up program. Rewards and availability are subject to terms and conditions and jurisdiction. Certain rewards and benefits are available only in eligible markets and may vary by region. Zero trading fees up to the transaction limit specified per Level Up tier in the table. Other transaction fees and spread may still apply. For more information, please visit: https://crypto.com/us/levelup
Credit card offers are subject to credit approval. Crypto.com Visa Signature® Credit Card Accounts are issued by Comenity Capital Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Service Association and used under license. CRO Rewards are paid in CRO Token to your Wallet App. The Credit Card Level Up rewards program is provided by Crypto.com. For full Rewards Terms and Conditions, please see https://crypto.com/document/us_credit_card.
