Crypto.com

Crypto.com
Company type	Private
Industry	Cryptocurrency
Founded	June 30, 2016; 9 years ago
Founders	Bobby Bao Gary Or Kris Marszalek Rafael Melo
Headquarters	1 Raffles Quay, #25-01 Singapore 048583<ref>[1]</ref>
Products	Cryptocurrency exchange, cryptocurrencies
Number of employees	4,000 (2022)
Website	www.crypto.com

Crypto.com is a Singapore-based cryptocurrency platform founded in 2016. It provides trading, payment cards, DeFi services, and institutional infrastructure, serving over 245 million users worldwide across retail and enterprise markets. Crypto.com announced that it surpassed 100 million global users, marking a significant milestone for the company founded in 2016. The firm describes itself as an industry leader in regulatory compliance, security, and privacy within the cryptocurrency sector.

As per the Owler, Crypto.com has 3,500 employees. In January 2023, Crypto.com announced that it would reduce its global workforce by approximately 20%, affecting about 800 employees. Chief executive Kris Marszalek cited economic headwinds and the collapse of FTX as contributing factors.

Crypto.com has pursued an extensive global sports and entertainment sponsorship strategy to expand brand recognition and mainstream cryptocurrency adoption. The company has partnered with major organizations including Formula 1, UFC, UEFA, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Kings.

In 2021, the naming rights to the former Staples Center in Los Angeles were acquired, renaming it the Crypto.com Arena under a long-term agreement. These partnerships form part of the company’s strategy to position its exchange and consumer products within global mainstream markets. The deal was worth $700 million and the duration of the deal was 20 years.

History

The establishment of Crypto.com took place in Hong Kong during June 2016. The Crypto.com Exchange began its operations in 2019 which marked three years after the company had been established. The company has relocated its main office to Singapore. The company established its foundation in 2016 when Kris Marszalek, Gary Or, Rafael Melo, and Bobby Bao started the business under the name "Monaco." The project underwent its rebranding process in 2018 to become Crypto.com. The company conducts its business activities through Foris DAX Asia which operates as a subsidiary of Foris DAX Markets, Inc.

Marszalek built his career as an entrepreneur. He established Crypto.com after he developed Yiyi, which provided location-based services, and Beecrazy, which operated as an e-commerce business, and he co-founded Starline Polska, which specialized in designing and manufacturing consumer electronics.

Crypto.com obtained an Australian Financial Service License in December 2020 when it purchased The Card Group Pty Ltd which allowed the company to provide debit card services under Australian regulatory requirements.

Crypto.com announced its acquisition agreement for the North American Derivatives Exchange and the Small Exchange from IG Group on 1 December 2021 to create more regulated derivatives and futures trading options for U.S. customers.

In February 2021 Crypto.com announced its user base reached 10 million and predicted it would reach 100 million users by 2023. The company established a $100 million sponsorship deal with Formula 1 in June 2021 together with a 10-year contract worth $175 million with UFC. The company currently holds around 100 million worldwide users which represents an important achievement.

In January 2022, Crypto.com experienced a security breach which resulted in the theft of US$15 million worth of Ether cryptocurrency. The company suspended withdrawals because it detected suspicious activities on customer accounts. The company announced full service restoration after confirming that all customer funds remained secure.

Crypto.com announced on 18 August 2022 that it would reduce its staff by 260 workers which accounted for 5 percent of its total employees and the company later terminated several hundred additional employees during the cryptocurrency market decline that followed. The company Crypto.com had cut its employee count by more than 2000 workers which represented about 30 to 40 percent of its total staff by the date of 10 October 2022 as part of its response to declining cryptocurrency market conditions.

In November 2022, the exchange Crypto.com experienced a decline in the value of its native token, Cronos (CRO), losing approximately US$1 billion. The drop was partially attributed to market concerns following the collapse of FTX and revelations regarding the use of its native token, FTT, to support affiliated companies’ balance sheets. In November 2022, Kris Marszalek Crypto.com, assured users that the exchange was operating normally.

Crypto.com declared in June 2023 that it would terminate all business operations with United States institutional customers from June 21, 2023 because of insufficient demand while its retail services continued to operate normally. The company denied rumors about a possible name change for the Crypto.com Arena while speculation about the name change circulated.

The partnership between Crypto.com and Deutsche Bank started in December 2024 to deliver corporate banking services throughout Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong. The partnership aims to improve financial infrastructure while supporting the company's international business growth.

On 4 December 2024, Crypto.com obtained a main network license from Mastercard which allowed them to start a cryptocurrency card program in Bahrain and their future expansion throughout the GCC region. Crypto.com became the main sponsor of the Crypto.com Showdown golf tournament in December 2024 which featured PGA Tour golfers, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, competing against LIV Golf players Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in the first professional golf tournament to offer cryptocurrency prizes.

Crypto.com launched its latest platform in January 2025 which allows U.S. institutional investors to trade more than 300 cryptocurrencies and 480 trading pairs while using advanced tools that include trading bots and automated systems and high-frequency trading capabilities.

Crypto.com established itself as the first cryptocurrency exchange which obtained its initial Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license in February 2025, which brought improved regulatory compliance standards and better market transparency and increased market confidence throughout the European Union. The company launched stock and exchange-traded fund (ETF) trading on its platform during the same month.

In May 2025, Crypto.com opened a new office in Washington D.C. to expand its American operations and build connections with government officials who make decisions about cryptocurrency regulations.

Crypto.com Canada obtained restricted dealer registration through its registration on 8 May 2025 which enables the company to provide cryptocurrency services throughout all Canadian provinces and territories while it works toward complete investment dealer registration and membership with the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO).

Crypto.com UAE established a memorandum of understanding with the Dubai government in May 2025 which allowed customers to use major cryptocurrencies for making government service fee payments after the digital currencies underwent secure conversion into Emirati dirhams. The company purchased A.N. Allnew Investments Ltd during the same month which allowed them to obtain a Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) CIF license. This license permitted the platform to provide securities and derivatives and CFDs and additional financial products throughout Europe according to MiFID regulations.

MyPrize Markets, which enables viewers to make predictions on sports and cryptocurrency and political events through social gaming, was launched on 4 November 2025 through a partnership between MyPrize and Crypto.com, Derivatives North America, which serves more than one million users worldwide.

On 18 December 2025, Crypto.com partnered with DBS Bank to enableSingapore Dollar (SGD) and U.S. Dollar (USD) deposits and withdrawals, expanding local fiat infrastructure and offering client money accounts for Singapore users.

¹ CheckThat, “Crypto.com AI Visibility”, Achieved, Retrieved February 2026

² Crypto, “Crypto.com Surpasses 100 Million Global Users”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2024

³ Owler, “Crypto”, Achieved, Retrieved Jun 2017

⁴ Fintech Futures, “Crypto.com to cut 20% of workforce citing “unforeseeable industry events””, Achieved, Retrieved January 2023

⁵ Crypto, “Company Profile: Reaching the next billion users with the world’s best partners”, Achieved

⁶ WJS, “Staples Center in L.A. to Be Renamed Crypto.com Arena”, Achieved, Retrieved November 2021

⁷ Coin Market Cap, “Company Profile: About Crypto.com Exchange”, Achieved

⁸ Nasdaq, “Crypto.com Secures Australian Financial Service License”, Achieved, Retrieved December 2020

⁹ Crypto, “Crypto.com Agrees to Acquire Nadex and the Small Exchange from IG Group”, Achieved, Retrieved December 2021

¹⁰ Block Works, “Crypto.com CMO on How Company Went from App to Global Brand”, Achieved, Retrieved December 2021

¹¹ Crypto, “Crypto.com Surpasses 100 Million Global Users”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2024

¹² Fortune, “Crypto.com says ‘all funds are safe’ after alleged hack, but analysis shows $15 million of Ether is gone”, Achieved, Retrieved January 2022

¹³ Theverge, “Crypto.com laid off 260 employees then quietly let go of hundreds more”, Achieved, Retrieved August 2022

¹⁴ Adage, “Inside Crypto.com's marketing meltdown”, Achieved, Retrieved October 2022

¹⁵ Bitstamp, “FTX Collapse”, Achieved, Retrieved July 2023

¹⁶ CBNC, “Crypto.com CEO downplays FTX contagion fears, says he’ll prove naysayers wrong as withdrawals rise”, Achieved, Retrieved November 2022

¹⁷ Crypto, “Crypto.com Has Filed Suit Against the SEC to Protect the Future of Crypto in the U.S.”, Achieved, Retrieved October 2024

¹⁸ Fintech News, “Crypto.com Taps Deutsche Bank for Corporate Banking Services in Key APAC Markets”, Achieved, Retrieved December 2024

¹⁹ Master Card, “Crypto.com and Mastercard collaborate to scale the digital payments industry in GCC region”, Achieved, Retrieved December 2024

²⁰ SI, “Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy Win Showdown Over Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau”, Achieved, Retrieved December 2024

²¹ Dig Watch, “Crypto.com launches new platform for US institutional investors”, Achieved, Retrieved January 2025

²² Block Head, “Crypto.com Becomes First Exchange to Secure In-Principal MiCA License”, Achieved, Retrieved January 2025

²³ Crypto, “Stock and ETF Trading Is Now Available”, Achieved, Retrieved January 2025

²⁴ Binance, “Crypto.com Establishes New Office in Washington, D.C., to Expand Business”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2025

²⁵ NCFA Canada, “Crypto.com Canada Gains Canadian Regulatory Approval”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2025

²⁶ CNBC, “Dubai government to accept crypto payments through Crypto.com partnership”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2025

²⁷ Fx News Group, “Crypto.com buys CySEC CIF license to expand “traditional” instrument trading across Europe”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2025

Relationship with Donald Trump

Crypto.com had donated $11 million to political causes that supported the former U.S. President Donald Trump by the year 2025. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ended its investigation of the company during the same year.[1]

The Trump Media Group and Crypto.com and Yorkville Acquisition Corp established a digital asset treasury company with a valuation of $6.42 billion in August 2025 through their partnership. The company Trump Media Group acquired CRO tokens and developed a public trading CRO treasury as its main business strategy. The agreement required Trump Media to buy CRO tokens worth $105 million while Crypto.com obtained $50 million in common stock from Trump Media.

Trump Media acquired 684.4 million CRO tokens, approximately 2% of the total circulating supply, through a purchase agreement with Crypto.com which both companies executed in September 2025.

Trump Media established a partnership with Crypto.com in October 2025 to launch "Truth Predict" on their platform Truth Social, which became the first social media network to provide prediction markets that users could access to forecast political and economic and financial and sports outcomes.

²⁸ PR News Wire, “MyPrize Becomes the First Social Gaming Business to Offer Prediction Markets in Strategic Partnership with Crypto”, Achieved, Retrieved November 2025

²⁹ Fintech News, “Crypto.com Adds DBS as Banking Partner for SGD and USD Transfers”, Achieved, Retrieved December 2025

³⁰ PBS, “How a Trump business deal with a crypto firm exposes potential conflicts of interest”, Achieved, Retrieved December 2025

³¹ Fintech Magazine, “Trump Media Forms Digital Asset Venture with Crypto.com”, Achieved, Retrieved August 2025

³² The Globe And Mail, “Trump Media, Crypto.com announce treasury-style company under MCGA symbol”, Achieved, Retrieved August 2025

Sponsorships

Crypto.com launched its globalmarketing campaign in October 2021 which featured Matt Damon as its first crypto ambassador while the campaign promoted the platform to more than 20 countries and generated funds for Water.org.

On March 5, 2021, Crypto.com established a partnership with Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team and Italy's Lega Serie A to sponsor the 2021 Coppa Italia Final while providing its cryptocurrency services for fan interactions.

In June2021, Crypto.com established a five-year global sponsorship agreement which amounted to $100 million with Formula 1. The agreement provided Crypto.com brand visibility through trackside advertisements while establishing an NFT partnership which included their presence in the Sprint qualifying format.

Crypto.com secured naming rights to the former Staples Center in Los Angeles during 2021, which they renamed Crypto.com Arena through a 20-year naming contract worth $700 million to support their goal of achieving global mainstream use of their exchange and consumer products.

At the same time, Crypto.com established a partnership with CONMEBOL Libertadores which designated the company as its official NFT license and main tournament partner until the year 2026. The partnership included branding displays through VAR systems and stadiums and broadcast content while the company developed NFTs on its platform.

The LeBron James Family Foundation and Crypto.com established a partnership in January 2022 to deliver educational materials and technological resources under the Promise program to students and their families.[2]

Crypto.com became an Official Sponsor of theFIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in 2022 through its role as the tournament's exclusive cryptocurrency trading platform sponsor which provided the company with worldwide brand visibility throughout stadiums and other locations.

Crypto.com signed a major sponsorship agreement with the AFL Women's league in January 2022, which resulted in Australia gaining its first cryptocurrency sports partnership that operates with an 18 million dollar contract over five years to display its brand during games and score reviews.

On April 27, 2024, American rapper Eminem became a brand ambassador for Crypto.com through his appearance in a promotional advertisement which aired during an NBA Playoffs game. The company used Matt Damon and Ronda Rousey as previous brand endorsers before hiring Eminem as their new ambassador.

On August 14, 2024, UEFA announced Crypto.com as its first cryptocurrency partner for the 2024–27 cycle. The contract covers UEFA Champions League, Super Cup, Youth League, and Futsal Champions League, which enables broadcast and in-stadium and fan engagement branding possibilities.

³³ Crypto, “Trump Media, Crypto.com Close Purchase Agreement”, Achieved, Retrieved September 2025

³⁴ AA, “Truth Social to become 1st social media platform offering prediction markets with Crypto.com partnership”, Achieved, Retrieved October 2025

³⁵ Markets Business Insider, “Crypto.com is launching an ad blitz spearheaded by Matt Damon as the platform tries to bring digital assets to customers in more than 20 countries”, Achieved, Retrieved October 2021

³⁶ Sports Insider, “Crypto.com In Deal With Serie A To Sponsor Coppa Italia Final”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2021

³⁷ CNBC, “Formula 1 strikes $100 million cryptocurrency sponsorship”, Achieved, Retrieved June 2021

³⁸ ESPN, “Staples Center to become Crypto.com Arena in reported $700 million naming rights deal”, Achieved, Retrieved November 2021

³⁹ EMW Global, “Company Profile: Crypto.com and Libertadores announce new partnership”, Achieved

⁴⁰ Cleve Scene, “LeBron James Family Foundation Announces Partnership with … Crypto.com”, Achieved, Retrieved January 2022

⁴¹ Inside Fifa, “Crypto.com unveiled as FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Official Sponsor”, Achieved, Retrieved March 2022

⁴² Sports Business Journal, “AFL signs historic deal with Crypto.com”, Achieved, Retrieved January 2022

Regulations

North America

Crypto.com has established its presence as a Money Services Business (MSB) in North America through its registration with FINTRAC in Canada and FinCEN in the United States to meet anti-money laundering requirements. The platform operates as a payment and virtual asset service provider through its possession of Money Transmitter Licenses which it holds in multiple U.S. states.

Crypto.com confirmed its acquisition of North American Derivatives Exchange(Nadex) and Small Exchange from IG Group for $216 million in December 2021. The acquisition aims to expand Crypto.com’s U.S. presence, enabling it to offer retail-focused derivatives and futures products to American customers, pending regulatory approval.

Crypto.com submitted its National Trust Bank Charter application to the OCC in October 2025 to obtain permission for expanding its regulated custody services and staking services and digital asset products which it offers to institutional and corporate clients.

Fanatics introduced Fanatics Markets to the public in December 2025, which operates as a fan-driven prediction market across 24 U.S. states through its partnership with Crypto.com. This platform allows users to bet on sports events, financial markets, political developments, and cultural happenings while using CFTC-regulated security.

Australia

Crypto.com obtained an Australian Financial Services Licence in December 2020 by acquiring The Card Group Pty Ltd which The Foreign Investment Review Board of Australia approved. The Australian Financial Services Licence enables Crypto.com to expand its operations within Australia while complying with the country’s financial regulations. The licence also allows the company to introduce new services which includes launching its debit card in the Australian market.

Crypto.com has acquired various regulatory privileges in Australia which include an Australian Financial Services Licence and an Australian Credit Licence that the Australian Securities and Investments Commission granted. The company is also registered with AUSTRAC for Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) compliance, allowing it to offer services such as issuing stored value cards, providing financial products, and operating as a digital currency exchange.

Asia

Crypto.com obtained Major Payment Institution License approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) which allows the company to provide digital payment token services throughout Singapore.

In August 2022 Crypto.com purchased two South Korean companies which included payment service provider PnLink Co., Ltd and virtual asset service provider OK-BIT Co., Ltd. The company acquired registration licenses to conduct business according to South Korea's Electronic Financial Transaction Act and to operate as a virtual asset service provider after completing the acquisitions.

Hong Kong securities regulator recognized Crypto.com as "deemed to be licensed" in June 2024 which indicated that the exchange was approaching complete regulatory approval.

Europe

In August 2022, Crypto.com received approval from the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority which enabled the company to register as a crypto asset service provider. The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission granted Crypto.com regulatory approval in July 2022 which allowed the company to conduct business operations throughout Cyprus.

In October 2022, Crypto.com announced that it would establish its European regional headquarters in Paris, France, expanding its operations and presence within the European cryptocurrency market.

Crypto.com holds an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license which grants the company passporting rights to operate in multiple European Economic Area (EEA) countries including France, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. The company maintains Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) registrations in various European countries while adhering to Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD) regulations.

⁴³ Forklog, “Eminem Becomes Ambassador for Crypto.com”, Achieved, Retrieved April 2024

⁴⁴ UEFA, “UEFA and Crypto.com announce UEFA Champions League sponsorship”, Achieved, Retrieved August 2024

⁴⁵ CFTC, “Derivative Clearing Organizations (DCO) : 38”, Achieved, Retrieved February 2004

⁴⁶ Coin Desk, “Crypto.com to Acquire Nadex, Small Exchange From IG Group for $216M”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2023

⁴⁷ Crypto, “Crypto.com Files National Trust Bank Charter Application”, Achieved, Retrieved October 2025

⁴⁸ Crypto, “Fanatics Launches Fanatics Markets, the First Fan-Led Prediction Market at the Intersection of Sports, Finance, and Culture Through a Strategic Partnership with Crypto.com”, Achieved, Retrieved December 2025

⁴⁹ Finance Magnates, “Crypto.com Receives an Australian Financial Service License”, Achieved, Retrieved December 2020

⁵⁰ Finance Yahoo, “Crypto.com Secures Australian Financial Service License”, Achieved, Retrieved December 2020

⁵¹ Business Times, “MAS issues 3 crypto licence in-principle approvals, including to Crypto.com”, Achieved, Retrieved June 2022

⁵² Coin Switch, “Crypto.com acquires startups in South Korea”, Achieved, Retrieved August 2022

⁵³ Bloomberg, “Hong Kong Says 11 Crypto Exchanges Are Closer to Getting Permits”, Achieved, Retrieved June 2024

⁵⁴ Finance Magnates, “Crypto.com Obtains Regulatory Approval from CySEC”, Achieved, Retrieved July 2022

⁵⁵ Reuters, ”Crypto.com chooses Paris for European headquarters”, Achieved, Retrieved October 2022

⁵⁶ Crypto, “Company Profile: Choose your location and language”, Achieved