CRO is the native utility token of the Crypto.com ecosystem — one of the world’s largest centralized cryptocurrency exchange and financial services platforms — and the gas and staking token of Cronos Chain, an EVM-compatible blockchain built on the Cosmos SDK. CRO provides tiered benefits on the Crypto.com Exchange and App (fee discounts, cashback on the Crypto.com Visa card, higher staking yields), and powers the Cronos DeFi ecosystem including its DEXs, lending protocols, and NFT marketplace.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Ticker | CRO |
| Price | $0.07 |
| Market Cap | $2.96B |
| 24h Change | +1.4% |
| Circulating Supply | 42.36B CRO |
| Max Supply | 100.00B CRO |
| All-Time High | $0.89 |
| Contract (Ethereum) | 0xa0b7...450b |
How It Works
- Crypto.com App & Exchange benefits — CRO holders receive tiered benefits based on their staked CRO balance: higher cashback rates on the Crypto.com Visa card (up to 8%), trading fee discounts, higher yields on Crypto.com Earn (lending/staking products), and access to exclusive features.
- Cronos Chain (EVM) — Cronos is an EVM-compatible blockchain where Solidity smart contracts can be deployed. It uses Proof-of-Authority consensus internally with a limited validator set, making it faster but more centralized than open PoS chains.
- Crypto.org Chain — A separate Cosmos SDK chain (formerly the “Crypto.com Chain”) using Tendermint BFT. CRO is the native token of both Crypto.org Chain and Cronos Chain.
- IBC connectivity — Cronos is IBC-enabled, connecting to the Cosmos ecosystem.
- Visa card tiers — Crypto.com’s signature product: a metal Visa card offering cashback in CRO. Tiers range from “Midnight Blue” (no stake required, 1% cashback) to “Obsidian” (stake 5,000,000 CRO, 8% cashback + lounge access).
Tokenomics
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Ticker | CRO |
| Max Supply | 30,000,000,000 (30 billion — after a 2021 burn of ~59.6 billion CRO) |
| Consensus | PoA (Cronos Chain) / Tendermint BFT (Crypto.org) |
| Launch | November 15, 2018 |
| Major burn event | November 2021: 70 billion CRO burned — the largest single token burn at that time |
Use Cases
- Visa card cashback — CRO-denominated cashback on the Crypto.com Visa card.
- Exchange fee discount — Discounts on Crypto.com Exchange trading fees.
- Cronos gas — Pay fees on Cronos Chain DeFi/NFT transactions.
- Staking — Stake CRO on Crypto.org Chain for validation rewards.
- DeFi — VVS Finance DEX, Tectonic lending protocol, Minted NFT marketplace on Cronos.
History
- 2018-11-15 — Crypto.com (formerly Monaco) launches the CRO token. The company had previously launched the Monaco MCO Visa card.
- 2020 — Crypto.com converts MCO holders to CRO, deprecating the MCO token. All card benefits consolidated to CRO.
- 2020 — Crypto.com signs a 20-year naming rights deal for the Staples Center in Los Angeles — renamed to Crypto.com Arena (announced October 2021). Deal value ~$700 million.
- 2021 — CRO burn of 59.6 billion tokens (November 2021) — reducing total supply from ~100B to ~30B. Announced during the “Crypto.com Burn Party” event. CRO reaches all-time high of ~$0.966.
- 2021 — Cronos mainnet launches (November 2021). EVM-compatible chain enables DeFi on the Crypto.com ecosystem.
- 2022-01 — Crypto.com security breach: ~$34 million in user funds drained from approximately 400 accounts via an authentication bypass. Crypto.com fully reimburses affected users.
- 2022 — FTX collapses (November 2022). Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek publishes proof-of-reserves and audits to reassure users. Crypto.com cuts headcount by ~20%.
- 2023–2024 — Crypto.com continues global expansion, regulatory licensing in multiple regions. CRO remains a top 50 asset by market cap.
Common Misconceptions
“CRO is only a Visa card discount token.”
CRO powers an entire EVM-compatible blockchain (Cronos Chain) with a DeFi ecosystem. It is also used for staking on the Crypto.org Chain validator set.
“The 2021 burn destroyed 70 billion CRO out of thin air.”
The burned 59.6 billion CRO were tokens allocated to the Crypto.com company (not released to the public). The burn reduced future dilution from company-held tokens, not circulating supply.
Social Media Sentiment
CRO has strong brand recognition due to Crypto.com’s aggressive marketing (Crypto.com Arena naming rights, Matt Damon “Fortune Favors the Brave” TV ads, major sports sponsorships). The Visa card program has real mainstream appeal. Critics note Cronos Chain’s low decentralization (PoA validator set). Post-FTX collapse, Crypto.com’s transparency efforts were relatively well-received. CRO price has not recovered to its 2021 ATH.
Last updated: 2026-04