Crypto.com review
Crypto.com launched in 2016 as Monaco in Hong Kong, founded by Kris Marszalek, Bobby Bao, Gary Or and Rafael Melo, and rebranded to Crypto.com in 2018. It combines a consumer app (buy/sell, card, DeFi wallet), a separate Exchange platform for active trading, and staking/Earn products, now based in Singapore. It has built one of the more extensive licence portfolios among large exchanges, including a Malta MiCA authorization passported across the EU, UK FCA registration, Dubai VARA registration, US money-transmitter licences plus a 2025 CFTC approval for cleared derivatives, and a February 2026 OCC conditional approval for a national trust bank charter. It is heavily associated with sports marketing, including Formula 1 sponsorships and the naming rights to the Los Angeles arena formerly known as Staples Center.
Crypto.com key facts
- Website: crypto.com
- Category: Centralized cryptocurrency exchange (CEX)
- Founded: 2016 (as Monaco), rebranded 2018
- Headquarters: Singapore
- Regulatory footprint: MiCA (Malta), UK FCA, Dubai VARA, Singapore MAS (in-principle), Australian AFSL, US state money-transmitter licences, 2025 CFTC derivatives approval
- Products: Consumer app, Exchange platform, CRO Visa card, DeFi wallet, NFT marketplace, staking/Earn, CFTC-approved derivatives
- Trading fees: Exchange spot: 0.25% maker / 0.50% taker at entry tier without CRO staking; falls with CRO staking and higher volume
- Supported assets: 350+ cryptocurrencies
- Notable events: Jan 2022 breach (~$15M in Ether stolen); 2022 layoffs of roughly 30-40% of staff; Oct 2024 lawsuit against the SEC after a Wells notice
- CEO: Kris Marszalek
- FYI Score: 86.4/100 (ranked #11 of the 48 crypto exchanges we track)
Trading fees
- Exchange spot fees start at 0.25% maker / 0.50% taker for under $10,000 in 30-day volume without CRO staking — well above several peers' entry-level rate
- Staking CRO reduces fees; maker can approach 0% and taker can fall toward roughly 0.16% at higher monthly volumes
- At the top tier (over $10M 30-day volume plus 50,000 CRO staked), fees can reach 0% maker / around 0.04% taker
- The simple consumer app's Instant Buy typically carries a materially higher effective cost than the Exchange order book
Supported assets
- 350+ cryptocurrencies listed on the Exchange, per independent tracking data
- Pairs quoted against USD, USDT, BTC, EUR and the native CRO token
- Separate, smaller pair set available to US institutional and OTC clients
Products
- Consumer app for buying, selling and holding crypto, plus the CRO Visa card with tiered cashback
- Crypto.com Exchange, a separate order-book platform for active and institutional trading
- CFTC-approved cleared, margined derivatives via a US subsidiary since September 2025
- DeFi non-custodial wallet, NFT marketplace, and staking/Earn yield products
Security & regulation
- MiCA Crypto-Asset Service Provider authorization from Malta's MFSA (Jan 2025), passported across the EU/EEA from Feb 2025
- UK FCA registration since 2022; Dubai VARA registration; Singapore MAS Major Payment Institution licence (in-principle); Australian Financial Services Licence
- US money-transmitter licences across multiple states plus FinCEN MSB registration; CFTC approval (Sept 2025) for cleared margined derivatives; OCC conditional approval (Feb 2026) for a national trust bank charter
- Disclosed a January 2022 security breach in which roughly $15M in Ether was stolen from user accounts before being contained
- Filed suit against the SEC in October 2024 after receiving a Wells notice, disputing the regulator's enforcement approach
Fiat & payments
- Bank transfers and card purchases across supported regions
- CRO Visa card program with cashback tied to staking tier
- Broad multi-currency fiat on-ramps reflecting its consumer-app-first positioning
Markets
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Who Crypto.com is for
Crypto.com suits users who want a single consumer-friendly app for buying crypto, a debit card with rewards, and an upgrade path to a separate lower-fee Exchange platform. Cost-sensitive active traders should use the Exchange rather than Instant Buy, and should weigh CRO staking requirements against actual trading volume before assuming the lowest advertised fee tier applies.
Pros
- One of the broader multi-jurisdiction regulatory portfolios among major exchanges: Malta MiCA, UK FCA, Dubai VARA, Singapore MAS (in-principle), Australian AFSL and US state money-transmitter licences
- 2025 CFTC approval for cleared derivatives and a February 2026 OCC conditional trust-bank charter signal deepening US regulatory integration
- Wide product range spanning consumer app, active-trading exchange, card, DeFi wallet and derivatives in one ecosystem
- High brand visibility from sustained sports sponsorships (Formula 1, the Crypto.com Arena naming rights) supports consumer trust and reach
Cons
- Exchange spot fees start meaningfully higher than several peers (0.25%/0.50% at entry tier) unless the user stakes CRO or trades at volume
- The consumer app's Instant Buy pricing is commonly reported as significantly more expensive than using the Exchange order book directly
- Suffered a January 2022 breach in which roughly $15M in Ether was stolen from user accounts
- Filed an offensive lawsuit against the SEC in October 2024 after a Wells notice, indicating unresolved friction with at least one US regulator despite its broader licence portfolio
Crypto.com FAQ
Is Crypto.com regulated?
Yes, more broadly than many peers. It holds a Malta-issued MiCA Crypto-Asset Service Provider authorization passported across the EU, UK FCA registration, a Dubai VARA registration, an in-principle Singapore MAS licence, an Australian Financial Services Licence, and US state money-transmitter licences. A US subsidiary received CFTC approval in September 2025 to offer cleared margined derivatives, and the OCC granted conditional approval for a national trust bank charter in February 2026.
What are Crypto.com's trading fees?
On the Exchange platform, entry-tier spot fees without CRO staking are 0.25% maker and 0.50% taker for under $10,000 in 30-day volume. Staking CRO and increasing trading volume lowers fees substantially, reaching as low as 0% maker and roughly 0.04% taker at the highest published tier. The simple consumer app's Instant Buy feature carries a separate, generally higher effective cost.
Is Crypto.com safe?
Crypto.com holds a wide set of licences and registrations across major jurisdictions and has continued to add US regulatory approvals through 2025-2026. It also disclosed a January 2022 breach in which roughly $15M in Ether was stolen from user accounts before being contained, and it sued the SEC in October 2024 after receiving a Wells notice, so its safety record includes both regulatory expansion and at least one significant security incident.
How many cryptocurrencies does Crypto.com support?
Independent exchange-tracking sources put the Crypto.com Exchange at roughly 350+ listed cryptocurrencies, with exact counts varying by source and changing as new assets are listed.
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