Crypto.com
Founded 2016 by Kris Marszalek & Bobby Bao
From the Crypto.com Arena to your pocket — a household name in crypto with a Visa card millions love.
Quick Overview
What is Crypto.com?
Crypto.com is the most recognizable brand name in cryptocurrency, thanks largely to their $700 million naming rights deal that turned the Staples Center in Los Angeles into the Crypto.com Arena. Founded in 2016 by Kris Marszalek, it has grown to over 100 million users.
What started as a Visa card startup has evolved into a full crypto ecosystem spanning a consumer app, professional exchange, metal Visa cards, DeFi wallet, their own blockchain (Cronos), NFT marketplace, and more. It's one of the few platforms where you can buy crypto, earn interest, spend it with a card, and interact with DeFi — all under one brand.
The crown jewel is the Crypto.com Visa Card — a metal card offering up to 5% cashback in CRO on all purchases, plus free Spotify and Netflix subscriptions at higher tiers. It's widely considered the best crypto debit card on the market.
The mobile app is beautifully designed and very intuitive — perfect for beginners. For advanced traders, the separate Crypto.com Exchange offers order books and lower fees, though it's not available in the US.
Crypto.com runs on its native CRO token and Cronos blockchain. Staking CRO unlocks better card tiers, lower fees, and higher earn rates — making it central to the platform's value proposition.
Important to know: Crypto.com suffered a $34 million hack in January 2022, which they fully covered with no user losses. In mid-2022, they significantly reduced Visa card benefits during the bear market, frustrating many users. The company is ISO 27001 certified and maintains a $750 million insurance policy through Lloyd's of London — among the strongest insurance coverage in the industry.
Crypto.com Bonuses & Promotions
Current offers available to new and existing users.
Sign-Up Bonus
New users get $25 USD when signing up and staking CRO for a Visa Card.
Requires CRO stake for any card tier.
Visa Card Cashback
Earn 1–5% cashback in CRO on all card purchases worldwide.
Higher tiers require more CRO staking. Free Spotify/Netflix at higher tiers.
Referral Program
Earn $25 for each friend who signs up and stakes CRO for a card.
Both referrer and referee receive the bonus.
CRO Staking Rewards
Earn up to 6% APY staking CRO in the DeFi wallet.
Rates depend on validator and lock-up period.
Products & Features
Everything Crypto.com offers — from simple buying to advanced trading.
Crypto.com App
The main consumer app — buy, sell, and manage 350+ crypto easily.
Crypto.com Exchange
Advanced trading platform with order books and lower fees.
Visa Card
Metal Visa cards with up to 5% cashback on all purchases + Spotify/Netflix rebates.
Earn
Stake and earn interest on 40+ crypto with flexible or fixed terms.
DeFi Wallet
Non-custodial wallet for DeFi, staking, and NFTs.
Cronos Chain
Their own EVM-compatible blockchain for DeFi and dApps.
Crypto.com Pay
Pay merchants with crypto and earn CRO rewards.
NFT Marketplace
Buy, sell, and create NFTs from popular brands and artists.
Crypto.com Lending
Borrow against your crypto holdings without selling.
Crypto.com Fees
Exchange Maker
0.075%
With CRO stake (0.15% without)
Exchange Taker
0.075%
With CRO stake (0.15% without)
App Spread
~0.4–0.8%
Built into price on buy/sell
Card Top-Up
Free
Free to load card with crypto
ACH/SEPA Deposit
Free
Bank transfers at zero cost
Card Cashback
Up to 5%
Earn CRO back on all purchases
Security & Safety
Crypto.com has invested heavily in security and compliance. They became the first exchange to achieve ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and SOC 2 Type II compliance. They received the highest security rating (AAA) from the independent benchmarking firm CER. In November 2022, they published a full Proof of Reserves.
Payment Methods
Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Incredible Visa card: up to 5% cashback + free Netflix/Spotify
- + 100M+ users — massive brand recognition (Crypto.com Arena)
- + Very polished mobile app (4.6 stars)
- + ISO certified — highest security standards
- + $750M insurance policy
- + Full ecosystem: app, exchange, card, DeFi wallet, chain
- + CRO token provides real utility and rewards
- + Available in 90+ countries including the US
- + Excellent onboarding for beginners
Cons
- − App trading fees higher than exchange (spreads)
- − Best rewards require significant CRO staking
- − Reduced card benefits since 2022 restructuring
- − Exchange not available in the US (app only)
- − Earn rates have decreased over time
- − Confusing having separate App and Exchange
- − CRO token price volatility affects card rewards value
Crypto.com Timeline
Founded as Monaco by Kris Marszalek. Raised $26.7M in an ICO for MCO token.
Rebranded to Crypto.com after acquiring the premium domain for a reported $10M+.
Launched the Crypto.com Visa Card in Singapore. Launched CRO token.
Expanded Visa Card globally. Reached 5M+ users. Launched DeFi wallet and exchange.
Massive marketing push: $700M naming rights for Staples Center → Crypto.com Arena. Matt Damon "Fortune Favors the Brave" ad. 50M+ users.
Suffered $34M hack (fully covered). Reduced card benefits amid market downturn. Laid off staff.
Regrouped and refocused. Launched Cronos zkEVM. Maintained 100M+ registered users.
Expanded US presence. Obtained new licenses in Europe and Asia. Rebuilt trust.
Reached 100M+ users. Crypto.com Arena remains a powerful brand ambassador.
Our Verdict
Crypto.com is the best platform for crypto beginners who want a comprehensive ecosystem that goes beyond just trading. The Visa Card is the single best crypto card available — up to 5% cashback plus free Netflix and Spotify is incredible. The mobile app is beautifully designed and very beginner-friendly. The tradeoff is that you need to stake CRO for the best benefits, and the app fees are higher than pure exchanges. For traders who want the lowest fees, look at Binance. But for people who want to live in a crypto ecosystem — spending, earning, staking, and trading — Crypto.com delivers.