Crypto.com Review 2024: A Robust All-in-One Crypto Solution

If you’ve been around the crypto space for more than a day, chances are you’ve heard of Crypto.com, which is what brings you to this Crypto.com review today.

After all, they have the word “crypto,” right in the name, a brilliant marketing move no doubt. The domain crypto.com was actually registered all the way back in 1993 by Matt Blaze (cool name!), who was a well-known cryptographer, and possible fortune teller as he knew that crypto was going to be big someday, purchasing the domain before anyone really even knew what the heck crypto was.

So, how did the domain name Crypto.com go from being owned by a guy with a superhero name to becoming owned by one of the most well-established, well-respected crypto behemoths in the world?

That is exactly what we are going to dive into today, the full breakdown of the robust Crypto.com platform, its history, features, and more.

Note: Just to make sure you are at the right place, this review is for the Crypto.com platform which includes the Crypto.com card, Earn, Supercharger, NFT marketplace, DeFi wallet, Crypto.com Pay and more. If you are looking for information on the Crypto.com Exchange, you can find that in our Crypto.com Exchange Review.

Disclaimer: I use the Crypto.com card, the Crypto.com platform and hold CRO token as part of my cryptocurrency investment strategy.

Crypto.com Review: TL;DR

As this is a long review and there is A LOT to unpack here as the platform has a tonne of features, I thought I would provide our readers with a quick summary for those who are pressed for time.

Summary: It is a fantastic platform, providing nearly everything a crypto user could want in one convenient, secure, super easy-to-use app. The team is investing a lot into research and development as well, meaning the platform is just going to keep getting better.

Here’s what I particularly liked about it:

• Quickly and easily buy, sell, and swap over 200 digital assets. You can earn an attractive APY on over 50 tokens, and participate in the Supercharger for further passive rewards.
• The Crypto.com Visa card provides competitive cashback and a plethora of perks.
• Get up to 10% cash back on gift cards for popular brands. This includes supermarkets, coffee shops, fast food delivery and more.
• Fiat on/off ramps, crypto card, and earn section are perfect for anyone looking to ditch their bank, and access to the DeFi wallet takes things a step further for those who want to truly control their financial health.
• An independent team of security analysts at Certified ranks Crypto.com as the #1 most secure exchange in the world and Crypto.com is heavily licensed and regulated in multiple jurisdictions for added confidence in the platform.

Crypto.com at a Glance:

What is Crypto.com?

Crypto.com is a robust “all-in-one” home for a multitude of cryptocurrencies and features. 2021 was a huge year for crypto as exchanges such as OKX, KuCoin, Binance, and Crypto.com seriously upped their game, offering everything under the sun that a crypto trader or hodler could want.

There was a time when crypto users would need to spread themselves out over various platforms, you would do your trading on one platform, access earning products on another, use a crypto card on another, invest in a launchpad someplace else, and so on… It was a bit of a pain, to be honest.

In the early days, it was common to have accounts at 5 or 6 different exchanges and platforms as they all specialized in different areas, but now, fortunately, the big exchanges in the space have grown to offer multiple solutions under one roof, simplifying the life of crypto users.

Crypto.com was headquartered in Singapore, then opened offices globally, establishing a presence in Dubai, Malta, London and Dublin, then moving its headquarters to France after attaining regulation by the Autorite des Marches Financiers in mid 2022. They have over 4,000 employees and boast of having the world’s fastest-growing crypto app with over 50 million users buying and selling over 250 cryptocurrencies at true cost.

They were the first to launch a metal crypto cashback card which went on to become the world’s most popular crypto card. the platform has a convenient earn section to earn passive income on your hodl stash, an NFT marketplace, a non-custodial wallet with access to DApps, the easiest launchpad type feature that I’ve ever used, and more which we will cover later in detail.

Crypto.com is fully regulated and supported in most countries around the world, including many US States. Crypto.com became the first global cryptocurrency platform to receive a Class 3 Virtual Financial Assets (VFA) License from Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). They also hold a Financial Institution License, secured an Australian Financial Service License (AFSL), are registered in South Korea, Italy, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. For US residents, USD fiat balances are held at Metropolitan Commercial Bank, an FDIC member and insured depository institution, insuring balances up to USD $250,000.

If you are in the market for a first, or an additional cryptocurrency platform to the one you already use, Crypto.com is definitely one to consider.

History of Crypto.com

The company was founded by Bobby Bao, Gary Or, Kris Marszalek, and Rafael Melo in 2016, under the original name Monaco. In the first half of 2017, Monaco launched their own token MCO, which was done through an ICO where the team managed to raise approximately $26 million dollars.

In 2018, the company rebranded to Crypto.com after they purchased the domain name for $12 million dollars, then shortly after started shipping the Crypto.com Visa Card which paid users cashback in MCO token. At around the same time, the company announced the launch of the Crypto.com Chain with the native CRO token.

There was quite a bit of confusion at the introduction of a second platform token. The MCO token was eventually phased out as the CRO token became the primary driver of the Crypto.com platform, replacing the cashback rewards and other MCO token functions. This whole process caused quite a lot of drama for many upset users in the Crypto.com community, but it was a necessary strategic step if Crypto.com was to create its own blockchain and build out a Crypto.com ecosystem.

A Quote from Co-Founder and CEO Kris Marszalek had this to say about the rebrand:

“Crypto.com gives us a powerful new identity in line with our original vision to put cryptocurrency in every wallet. As the name we are taking on is also representative of the entire space, it comes with a huge responsibility to carry the torch. We will strive to deliver impact worthy of the name and build infrastructure that enables growth of the ecosystem, delivering on the promise of a decentralized future."

It was a highly controversial move that outraged a lot of MCO holders. In the interest of keeping this article reasonable length, I won’t go into all the details on the drama, the events leading up to and following the switch, the why, and the how, if you want to learn more you can check out this article from Crypto Vantage on the MCO to CRO swap.

The Crypto.com platform had proven to be so successful that in 2019, they launched their own cryptocurrency exchange to entice more users to the platform. Crypto swaps, buying, and selling can take place on the platform, the exchange platform is geared more towards active crypto traders. The Crypto.com platform and Crypto.com Exchange are separate platforms and apps, which I will touch on a bit more later.

Later that year, the company went on a feature launching tangent, releasing Crypto.com Pay, Crypto Earn, Crypto Credit, and offered the massively popular crypto card to the American market.

In 2020, the company launched its own non-custodial DeFi wallet and DeFi swap services, while also phasing out the MCO token completely.

Fast forward to 2021 and 2022, Crypto.com made some massive strides in marketing and building out its ecosystem. They are dedicated to becoming a household name for crypto and have spared no expense. Here are a few of their largest marketing plays and Sponsorships:

• Official title partner of the Formula One Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix
• Premiere sponsor of the Italian Football League
• UFC Crypto.com fight kit sponsorship and UFC partnership
• Partnership with Football team Paris Saint-Germain
• Partnership with NBA team the Philadelphia 76ers
• Sponsorship deal with NHL hockey team the Montreal Canadians
• Five-Year partnership deal with the Australia Football League
• LeBron James Family Foundation multi-year partnership
• Acquired the naming rights to Los Angeles’s Staple Centre, renaming it the Crypto.com arena
• Sponsoring the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Then, of course, there was the “Fortune Favours the Brave” advert and campaign which stars Matt Damon, directed by Oscar-winner Wally Pfister that highlights the company’s own ethos, while inspiring those who want to change the course of history. Matt Damon had this to say about the campaign:

“Much like what we’re doing with Water.org, Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency platform that shares my commitment to empowering people around the globe with the tools needed to take control of their futures. They have built a crypto platform that is accessible and puts people first.”

Here is a look at the Crypto.com Arena, pretty spiffy looking I must say:

Crypto.com is on a mission to accelerate the world’s transition to cryptocurrency, blockchain, and Web 3, by democratizing blockchain technology and designing beautiful, simple, and useful financial services.

Crypto.com Features

The Crypto.Com platform can be used for buying, selling, and swapping crypto, as well as has a convenient fiat on and offramp, making the swap from bank to crypto, and back to bank seamless.

The Crypto.com platform is not suitable for day traders as there is little charting functionality and no support for technical indicators. Users will need to use the Crypto.com Exchange platform for those features, which can synchronize easily with the Crypto.com platform making it a nice one-two combo.

The platform does allow users to set up things like recurring buys and price targets though, so you don’t need to use the additional exchange to snipe good price entries or to set up recurring buys to take advantage of dollar-cost averaging. There are also price alerts that can be set up, so the app has you covered for basic crypto buying and selling.

If you are interested in learning more about how to trade and technical analysis, we happen to have an article all about how to perform technical analysis.

Crypto.com Card

The introduction of the metal cashback crypto cards from Crypto.com was a key pillar that launched Crypto.com into the spotlight and mass adoption.

Upon launch, the Crypto.com card was the only metal crypto card available on the market and offered the highest cash-back rewards in the industry, making it instantly the most popular crypto card.

Since then, other crypto companies have started releasing highly competitive cards as well, resulting in the Crypto.com card no longer being the only great crypto card on the market.

If you are in the market for a crypto card, be sure to check out our article on the best crypto cards. Spoiler alert: the Crypto.com card is on the list.

I’m going to be honest here, the Crypto.com card *was* head and shoulders above the competition until May 2022 when Crypto.com announced they were going to be lowering cashback rewards on the cards, capping monthly reward limits, and cutting staking rewards for the CRO stake needed to access higher card tiers. 😭

This left most Crypto.com users seriously p*ssed off, myself included, I was gutted! 🤬

Guy was also affected by this as he is also a Crypto.com card holder and made a video to go over what had changed which covers the event in good detail.

Twitter became an absolute flurry of customer fury, seeing thousands of angry tweets, with some customers going as far as posting videos of themselves lighting their cards on fire, throwing them in the garbage, and breaking them in half. As much as it sucked, it was quite amusing.

Crypto.com customers criticized the company for spending too much on sponsorship deals, resulting in loyal customers being walked on with rewards being cut. Crypto.com did cite that the reasons for reducing rewards were over business model and CRO supply sustainability concerns.

After massive amounts of customer backlash, Crypto.com realized they went too far and revised the card rewards, though they still are not nearly as good as they were.

In hindsight, while it was disappointing to see the rewards slashed, the company did explain it was necessary for sustainability. After watching the collapse of Celsius, Voyager, FTX and others, perhaps this was a good call after all. I'd rather make 1% less on my cash back by losing everything when the company goes bust. I guess I'll cut them some slack here.

The cards are still great, and many crypto fans continue to use theirs daily. Cards are available on a tiered basis, with cashback, staking APY, and other rewards depending on how much CRO token users want to stake; The more you stake, the better the perks. The staked CRO needs to be locked up for 6 months when customers first opt into the program or if they choose to upgrade. After 6 months, customers can unstake the tokens if they no longer wish to have those tier benefits.

The lowest entry card is free but provides 0 perks for anyone who just wants a cool metal crypto card. The free card used to provide 1% cashback which was pretty good for a no-strings-attached metal crypto card. The highest tier gets you 5% cashback in CRO (down from 8%) and to access this card you need to lock and stake an eye-watering 400k USD.

Instead of me covering all the perks and benefits, here is a convenient image from their site that sums it all up:

To summarize the card, people are furious as they invested a serious amount of money into CRO to receive the amazing perks, only to feel like they were rug pulled as the company backtracked on their offerings which has resulted in the card not being nearly as good as it was, and no longer the best card on the market.

Is it still a good card? For sure! Getting a Spotify and Netflix rebate alone is pretty sweet, and the card is amazing for travelling as users can enjoy fee-free ATM withdrawals, free currency exchange transactions, and free interbank exchange rates.

Crypto.com Earn

Earning passive APY on crypto has become a staple for many of us in the crypto scene. If I can’t stake, lend, farm, or somehow earn something back on my hodl stash, I generally won't bother with the platform. May as well get the best bang for your buck!

Crypto.com has a convenient earn section in both the platform and the DeFi wallet, I will cover more about the wallet later. On the platform, users can earn an attractive APY of up to 11% on crypto and up to 10% on stablecoins.

Users can deposit cryptocurrencies and earn interest in over 50 different coins and tokens with more being added all the time. There are three holding terms users can choose from:

• Flexible- No lockup, lowest interest rate.
• 1-month fixed term- offers anywhere between 1%-8% depending on the token.
• 3-month fixed term- offers the highest rates of up to 11% but funds are locked for 3 months.

Here is a look at the rates table showing the returns that customers can expect:

Crypto.com Pay

Crypto.com Pay is a payment solution powered by Crypto.org. It is a mobile payment service that lets users pay, or get paid in crypto for free, anywhere, anytime.

The feature is run on the Crypto.org Chain, Crypto.com’s native blockchain, and provides the following benefits:

• Low Fees- Merchants pay minimal fees for payment settlements in crypto or fiat.
• Low volatility & low risk- Merchants can accept crypto and get paid in their preferred crypto or fiat currency.
• Ease of use- Users can view, set up, and manage payments in minutes.

Here is a look at some of the benefits from the customer and merchant perspective:

At the moment, there are 4 main features of Crypto.com Pay:

1. Pay Checkout- An easy and intuitive way for merchants and customers to facilitate purchases via crypto during checkout.
2. Pay Gift Cards- Crypto.com users can shop for popular brands and get CRO cashback on each purchase. Crypto.com offers gift cards for companies across a plethora of industries like retail and food delivery.
3. Pay Airtime Top-Up Enables users to pay for mobile airtime through the app with crypto.
4. Pay Your Friends- Crypto.com users can send crypto to their friends for free, and even earn cashback if they pay their friends in CRO.

Crypto.com Supercharger

Supercharger is a fantastic feature on the platform. It is a simple, flexible, and secure rewards feature that allows users to stake tokens with no lock-in restrictions, and earn popular crypto rewards on the Crypto.com Exchange and Crypto.com App.

Supercharger works similarly to a launchpad, though Supercharger rewards can also be paid out in old-school coins like Bitcoin. Supercharger is where users can stake tokens and passively earn reward tokens from projects, ranging from new listings on the platform, start-up projects, Bitcoin, Doge, Polkadot, you name it.

By navigating to the Supercharger section, users will see a “charging period” for the current event, along with what token is being offered for the event reward. During that time, users can stake and withdraw their tokens in a rewards pool as often as they wish. Then the acceptance period will follow, where users must accept their reward based on the rewards score they accumulated during the Charging Period.

Here is a look at a couple of different screenshots showing parts of the process for different events:

After the acceptance period, users will receive daily rewards during the reward period for whatever the token reward was, as is highlighted during the charging period.

I really like this feature as it can be done automatically and passively. Users can stake their tokens and select for them to be automatically rolled into the next Supercharger event, allowing the user to sit back and relax while earning multiple different tokens that are simply deposited into their account on a daily basis.

It is like playing an airdrop lottery, and once the reward tokens are deposited into a user’s account, they can swap them for other tokens, stake ‘em, hodl ‘em, or do whatever they want with them. This can be quite lucrative if the event is for some new token that is yet to see wide adoption.

Crypto.com Mobile App

The Crypto.com platform is only available on IOS and Android mobile devices. The company states that for “security reasons” they do not have a web platform, which has some logic to it as computers are more prone to malware and viruses than mobile devices.

The Crypto.com Exchange can be accessed via the mobile application or web browser so traders can perform their technical analysis setups and perform their trading from a larger screen, which makes sense as active day trading from a tiny screen would be a pain.

The mobile app is a breeze to use, and it is designed brilliantly. I often find that feature-packed apps that try and do too many things can be difficult to navigate as it can be cluttered and easy to get lost in, but the Crypto.com team did a great job designing the UI/UX with the user in mind, they managed to pack a lot in while still managing to keep the screen free of clutter.

There isn’t much in the way of “needing improvement,” that I can say about the app, it really is a powerful crypto powerhouse tool that provides users with just about everything they need to “unbank” themselves all in one place. The only gripe I have with it is that sometimes it can be slow to start up, taking longer than it should to prompt for a pin/fingerprint and actually start up. A minor inconvenience.

Reviews of the app seem to echo my overall positive sentiment with an average rating of 3.8 stars out of 5, I would personally have rated it a bit higher to be honest, but that is just my opinion:

Many of the negative reviews are people also mentioning that the app is running slow and being slow to load as I mentioned as well. The lower-than-deserved rating comes from some unsubstantiated complaints such as there being no way to “sell all” (there is), complaints about there being no live customer service (there is), a complaint about not being able to swap tokens (you definitely can), and then some legitimate complaints about the app crashing and failing to open on some devices, which I never experienced.

Crypto.com NFTs

Crypto.com NFTs is an NFT platform that aims to deliver unique content from popular artists, musicians, athletes, and sports. Any user can become an NFT creator by minting their own NFTs on the platform and list their collectables for sale in the NFT marketplace.

The NFT marketplace is very user-friendly and allows users to purchase NFTs using a card or Crypto.com Pay. Here is a look at some of the top collectibles:

NFTs are supported on the Ethereum and Crypto.org chain.

During the 2022/2023 FIFA world Cup, Crypto.com collaborated with Coca-Cola to launch NFTs celebrating the event. It was quite monumental to see Coca-Cola choose Crypto.com for this partnership project.

Chief Marketing Officer Steven Kalifowiz had this to say about the partnership:

"This year's FIFA World Cup will be the first to leverage Web3 technology. It's a privilege to partner with Coca-Cola and GMUNK to memorialize these historical matches that will forever be captured on the blockchain. Together we are creating a completely new form of memorabilia." 

Crypto.com hosted 10,000 NFTs created by Coca-Cola and digital artist GMUNK on its blockchain, showcasing heat maps showing the in-game movements of the players during matches.

Crypto Swap and Farm

Crypto.com has created a new DeFi protocol aptly named DeFi Swap. This protocol can currently be interacted with via the Crypto.com wallet browser extension, any wallet supported by WalletConnect, and will soon be integrated with the Crypto.com DeFi wallet.

For anyone familiar with Uniswap, Crypto.com’s DeFi Swap will feel very similar. Crypto.com has designed it to be what they state is “the best place to swap and farm DeFi coins at the best available rate.”

Liquidity Providers (LPs) are incentivized for contributing to liquidity pools with Triple Yield through:

• Swap-fee Sharing for LPs
• CRO DeFi Yield for LPs and CRO stakers
• Bonus LP Yield for LPs of selected pools.

The five main functions of the protocol are:

• Swap: You can swap between any two supported tokens upon paying a 0.3% swap fee.
• Pool: Each liquidity pool consists of reserves of two ERC-20 tokens, and issues an ERC-20 pool token as proof of proportional ownership of the underlying reserves.
• Boost: LPs can increase, claim and view their CRO DeFi Yield and Bonus LP Yield.
• APY: You can estimate your CRO DeFi Yield.
• Analytics: You can view the overall and per token/pair data of the CRO DeFi Swap protocol, including liquidity, trading volume, etc.

The Crypto.com Exchange

While buying, selling, swapping, fiat deposits and withdrawals are available within the Crypto.com platform, they also have a separate stand-alone exchange platform that can be accessed via a separate mobile app or web platform.

The specifics of the exchange are outside the scope of this article, you can find info pertaining to the Crypto.com Exchange in our detailed Crypto.com Exchange review where we cover it in more detail, but in short, the exchange has the following features:

• Spot Trading
• Margin Trading
• Deposits & Withdrawals
• Stake & Earn
• CRO Fixed Staking
• Soft Staking
• Lending
• The Syndicate
• Supercharger
• Referral Programme
• In-App Account Sign Up
• Account Creation (As a new user or a Crypto.com App user)
• ID Verification
• Account Management
• Trusted Device Management
• Withdrawal Whitelist
• Biometric ID
• 2FA
• Anti-phishing Code

Crypto.com Fees

Crypto.com does not charge any fees for crypto deposits or withdrawals within the Crypto.com ecosystem. Withdrawals to external addresses have fees that vary greatly depending on the token and network. Crypto.com fees can be found on the Crypto Withdrawals page which can be found within the app, which looks something like this:

In order to deposit fiat onto the platform, your best bet is bank transfer as debit/credit card purchases can set you back up to 4%. Bank transfers are free to and from the platform except for USDC, which is awesome, with the following methods being supported depending on your location:

• SEPA
• FPS
• ACH
• NPP
• E-Transfer
• Fast Network
• SWIFT for USDC ($25 dollar fee)

For fiat deposits, users can deposit as little as $1 over the SEPA and FPS network for European and UK-based customers, while Americans using ACH have a $20 dollar minimum, and a $1,000 dollar minimum for standard wire transfers. The website states that deposits can take a few days, but in my experience using SEPA, deposits happen in seconds. Here are the stated deposit times:

• Euro via SEPA: 2-5 working days (Happens instantly from my experience)
• GBP via FPS: 1-4 working days
• USD via ACH: 3-5 working days
• USD via Wire Transfer: 1-2 working days
• AUD via NPP/BPAY: 1-5 working days
• CAD via E-Transfer: 1 hour
• SGD via FAST Network: Instant

For crypto purchases, I did mention there can be “up to” a 4% charge, a little clarity here would be nice in my opinion. If you are making a big purchase, the difference between 1% and 4% can be quite significant. I also came across this in their fees section which makes me go hmmm….

So, it sounds like you are basically playing lucky dip when making a purchase and have no idea what fees you will be paying, and Crypto.com “may” charge an additional admin fee if they are feeling frisky.

I gotta dock them points here as I like clarity in my fee structure, and that isn’t too much to ask. After all, Swissborg and OKX both provide very clear and transparent fee structures, meaning you know exactly what to expect.

Crypto.com Cryptocurrencies Supported

Ah, the all-important question of asset support. There is no point in signing up for a platform if they do not support your favourite assets. Crypto.com has an impressive list of over 250+ crypto assets, supporting the majors, and many difficult-to-find tokens. It is also a great place to pick up some Ripple XRP as many major exchanges have delisted it due to the SEC lawsuit.

Surprisingly, Crypto.com also supports platform tokens and networks for competitors, supporting Binance’s BNB token and many BEP2 tokens, as well as tokens on the BSC chain (BEP20) which is great to see. I find it a bit petty when exchanges don’t list tokens for competitors, as all that is going to do is drive users to the competing platform if they are bullish on that platform's token.

Crypto.com Wallet

For those who like to take full responsibility for their crypto, Crypto.com has created a non-custodial Crypto.com DeFi Wallet so users can seamlessly swap between the platform and the wallet that they hold the private keys for.

The Crypto.com Wallet offers the following features:

• Decentralized- Perfect for users who want full control over their crypto assets, private keys, and avoid the third-party and regulatory risks associated with keeping funds on a centralized platform.
• Easy management- Supports tokens and NFTs, users can import existing wallets as well. DeFi DApps can be accessed conveniently from within the wallet, and the wallet supports WalletConnect.
• Secure- The wallet is protected by private keys and encryption of the user’s device, along with passcode, biometrics and 2FA.
• Flexible- The user can customize transaction setups, confirmation, and network speeds, making the app ideal for intermediate and advanced users as well as those new to crypto.

The Crypto.com Wallet is a clean-looking, intuitive, secure, and easy-to-use crypto wallet suitable for all levels of crypto user, though users who need more robust, technical and advanced features may opt for wallets like Electrum or Samourai.

If you are in the market for a new crypto wallet, we break down the different types in our article on the Top 8 Mobile Wallets.

The Crypto.com Wallet supports over 100 coins, and tokens can be purchased directly within the wallet for ultimate convenience. NFT support is big these days as well and the Crypto.com Wallet does not disappoint here. Users can view their NFTs, along with the NFT description, attributes, drop, and creator information.

Within the wallet, users also have access to the Cronos Bridge, DApps built on the Ethereum, Cronos, and Binance Smart Chain through an in-app DApp browser, and WalletConnect. There is also a browser-based wallet extension for use on desktop, similar to Metamask.

Here is a quick visual showing the advantages and disadvantages of the Crypto.com App vs Wallet.

Users can also access DeFi Swap in the wallet, allowing them to exchange tokens directly in the wallet while accessing coins that can be farmed at the best available rate, leveraging audited farming protocols. DeFi Earn allows users to generate yield on over 35 different tokens which is done by accessing the different DApps that are integrated within the wallet, such as Compound Finance, Aave, Yearn and more.

The Crypto.com Wallet is a pretty underrated crypto wallet in my opinion, and next time we update our article on the Top 8 mobile wallets, it will definitely be making the cut and added there. The fact that the wallet supports NFTs, swapping tokens, seamless earning and farming by conveniently integrated DApps, purchasing crypto, and can access protocols hosted on Ethereum, BSC, Cronos, and Cosmos makes this one of the most multi-functional wallets available.

Crypto.com Security

Crypto.com places a strong emphasis on the security of company and user funds, as every cryptocurrency platform should.

The team drives a Zero Trust and Defence in Depth security strategy across all their systems and platforms. Data privacy assessments are built directly into the processes that protect user information.

The security team screen all deposits for compliance and have a team that manually monitors all transactions on the platform. According to the team’s security page:

• 100% of users’ cryptocurrency is held offline in cold storage. Crypto.com has partnered with Ledger’s institutional-grade custodial storage solution and utilizes hardware security modules (HSM) and multi-signature technology. In the event of a security breach, the company also has 750m of cold storage insurance.
• All the funds in hot wallets are corporate funds. Leveraging HSM and multi-sig technology, these funds are protected by utilizing industry best practices for online crypto storage.
• Customer fiat currency is held in a regulated custodial bank account. USD balances for US residents are held at Metropolitan Commercial Bank, an FDIC-insured member. USD-held funds are insured for 250k and protected from use by Crypto.com or its creditors.

As far as security features, Crypto.com follows a Secure Software Development Lifecycle, meaning the software undergoes peer reviews and undergoes a combination of static and dynamic source code analysis.

Transactions are protected by Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) which includes passwords, biometrics, email, phone, and authenticator validation, and whitelisting of withdrawal addresses is mandatory.

For the sticklers who are interested in what certifications and standards are met by Crypto.com, here you go:

• ISO 22301:2019
• ISO/IEC 27701:2019
• ISO/IEC 27001:2013
• PCIDSS v3.2.1 level 1 compliant
• Independently assessed at Tier 4m the highest level for both NIST Cybersecurity and Privacy frameworks
• Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 compliance
• Engages globally recognized security consulting and audit firms such as Kudelski Security for stress tests and audits

So, users of the platform can sleep soundly at night knowing that Crypto.com is one of the most secure platforms available. However, in full transparency, the platform did experience a pretty significant hack in early 2022 resulting in lost customer funds.

The breach was caused by an issue with failed 2FA authentication integration with the platform. This black eye to their reputation led to Crypto.com adding additional 2FA and multi-factor authentication safeguards to the platform, and beefing up their security protocols.

Following the breach, Crypto.com has taken extensive measures to increase its security and is ranked as the most secure exchange in the world by Certified.

Opening an Account at Crypto.com

A Crypto.com account can be opened and verified in about ten minutes if everything goes alright with the ID verification step. Accounts are free and very easy to set up, here is the 6-step process on what it looks like to open an account:

1. Navigate to the Crypto.com website to get the direct app download link.

Pro Tip: Never search for crypto apps directly in an app store due to multiple fake app download links from scammers that are nearly indistinguishable from the real app. Always hit the download link from the company website.

1. The app will take you to a registration page. Enter your first and last name, date of birth, nationality, and your email.
2. Create a strong password… Seriously, the days of “Password123” or your name as a password are long over and too easy to crack. Password managers can make life much easier.
3. Check the boxes agreeing to the terms and conditions. You should probably actually read the T&C’s, but I’m not gonna tell you what to do, I’m not your dad, do what you want.
4. Click verify and slide the puzzle to make sure you are not a bot. If you are a bot and manage to figure out the puzzle slider conundrum, well done, you are one step closer to world domination.
5. Click “create my account” then you are done the first part.

Now the unverified account isn’t going to let you do much, so you are going to need to go through the KYC verification. To verify your account, you will need the following:

• A valid form of identification such as a driver’s license, passport, or government-issued ID.
• An email and a phone number.

If you have got that ready, this is the next 6-step process to verify your account:

1. Verify your email- Crypto.com will send you a verification email, so it is a good idea to use your actual email address here. Check the verification email and enter the one-time password contained in the email in the space provided on the app screen and click on verify.
2. Verify your phone number- A text will be sent to your mobile number with a code. Enter the verification code in the app screen that will pop up after the email code in step 1.
3. Now you will be redirected to a personal info page. Enter your details and click continue.
4. Under the ID verification tab, choose the issuing country of the ID and the ID type. If this page doesn’t come up automatically you can find it by navigating to the settings section and look for the verification tab.
5. Now the app will prompt you to take a selfie. For best results try and look as much like your ID photo as possible, even if it isn’t as pretty as your Instagram photo. This process is done automatically when possible, the ID scanning technology is just trying to verify that the person taking the selfie matches the person in the ID photo.
6. That’s it, hit confirm on the photo and you will receive a message back saying you are good to go, or a member of the team may need to manually review. You will see an email and a message in the app letting you know when the verification has been approved.

Crypto.com Support

While Crypto.com was not my first exchange, they were my platform of choice when I decided to get serious and unbank myself, living solely off of crypto. This means that I reached out to their support team A LOT as I was flailing ungracefully, plunging deeper into the world of crypto.

At first, Crypto.com support wasn’t great, which seems to be a common theme with crypto companies. But after the 2021 bull run, they really ramped up their support services and now I can’t really find fault with their support at all.

My preferred method of contacting Crypto.com support is through in-app chat functionality, any platform that doesn’t support live chat needs to get with the times IMO, email support can be too slow. When using Crypto.com live chat feature, a member of the support team typically gets back to me within 30 minutes to 3 hours.

I recently had a bit of a “unique” case with them that involved collaboration with multiple team members over the span of 4 or 5 days, and they were so professional, friendly, and stayed on the chat with me the entire time, even having to go out of their way a bit to provide me with fantastic service, so a huge shout out to their support team from this crypto guy.

Other than live chat, they can also be emailed at [email protected] for questions or queries but live chat seems to be their primary support method. The team is also active and responsive on Twitter, and they have a well built out help centre that should be able to address most questions or issues.

The Crypto.org Blockchain and Cronos 

There is often some confusion around the Crypto.com ecosystem as they have two chains, Cronos and Crypto.org. You will see this if you go to withdraw CRO on the network, there will be three choices in how you want to withdraw your CRO:

ERC20 is for the Ethereum network. I am assuming you know what Ethereum is, so no need to cover that here, but what about Cronos and CRO?

Crypto.com created the Crypto.org chain, and in their words is a “Next Generation Public Blockchain.” It is a public, open-source and permissionless blockchain that is fully decentralized with high speed and low fees.

The mainnet is live, and the chain pledged to be carbon-negative by 2023. It is being designed to be a public good protocol that will aid in driving mass adoption, and supporting use cases like payments, DeFi, and NFTs.

Cronos is an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible chain running in parallel to the Crypto.org Chain. The settlement currency of the Cronos network is the CRO token, the backbone of the Cronos and Crypto.com ecosystem. The value propositions for the Cronos chain are:

1. EVM compatibility- Cronos is built on Ethermint, which supports porting of apps and smart contracts from Ethereum and other EVM compatible networks.
2. Scalable- Cronos can process higher transactions per minute than many competing networks for lower cost, and eco-friendlier.
3. Interoperability- The Inter Blockchain Communications (IBC) protocol enables interoperability and bridging to the Crypto.org Chain, as well as other IBC-enabled chains like Cosmos.
4. Proof of Authority (PoA)- Utilizing the PoA consensus mechanism, Cronos is more streamlined and scalable than many other networks using alternative consensus mechanisms.
5. Open Source- Cronos welcomes collaboration and involvement from the community which is why they released Cronos as open-source software.

Both Crypto.org and Cronos are blockchains that have been built on the Cosmos SDK, which allows them a higher level of interoperability. Cronos is ETH compatible while Crypto.org is a standalone network. 

The reason for the two chains is similar to what Binance did with their Binance Chain (BEP2) and their Binance Smart Chain (BEP20).

The primary use for Crypto.org is to allow for fast transactions and very low fees, promoting mass adoption and serving a similar purpose to what the Binance Smart Chain does for the Binance ecosystem.

The primary function of Cronos is to allow decentralized applications to be built on the platform using smart contracts. Cronos adopts the CRC20 token standard, similar to how BSC is BEP20 and Ethereum is ERC20.

Here is a look at the quickly growing Cronos ecosystem:

Crypto.com Review: Conclusion

One thing I really like about Crypto.com is that it is a fully built out, robust ecosystem where crypto traders can do just about everything under the sun without needing to leave the Crypto.com framework.

It was very convenient for me when I was earning a salary in cryptocurrency as my employer could send BTC to my Crypto.com account, and from there I could convert it into fiat, or other crypto, stash it away in an Earn account for savings, and of course, spend my salary while earning cashback with the Crypto.com card. It was incredibly convenient and was my first experience truly being able to “unbank” myself.

While the Crypto.com exchange and platform are massively popular, I feel that the wallet and the Cronos and Crypto.org chains are very underutilized and underappreciated in their utility and use cases and unrecognized for their capabilities and innovation. This is something that I feel could see massive adoption and a surge in popularity come the next bull run, and sustainably grow as the industry grows as a whole.

We have seen the titan that the Binance and BSC ecosystems have become, and I feel that Cronos could be seeing similar levels of growth, use, and adoption over time as it looks like Crypto.com are looking to learn from what Binance has created, and as any good competitor does, aim to make it better.

Overall, Crypto.com is a great platform, users likely won’t be disappointed as it is a very comprehensive, fully encompassing ecosystem where the needs of nearly every crypto user can be met. It caters to users of all experience levels. Beginners benefit from its intuitive app interface, easy navigation, and educational resources, making crypto buying, selling, and learning accessible. The platform's security features and customer support instill confidence in novice users. 

Intermediate users can explore advanced trading options, staking, and earning interest on crypto holdings through Crypto.com Earn. They can also utilize the Crypto.com Visa Card for everyday purchases while earning cashback in crypto. 

Experienced traders and crypto enthusiasts can delve into DeFi protocols, NFT marketplace, and the Cronos blockchain for decentralized applications and smart contracts. The extensive coin support, competitive fees, and robust ecosystem make Crypto.com a versatile platform for both entry-level and advanced users, offering tools and features that align with their crypto journey's complexity and objectives.

Crypto.com are one of the major players in the space and is definitely one worth using and watching as they are taking the appropriate steps to build a truly massive ecosystem that aims to propel the entire industry forward while remaining suitable for the little person who just wants a bit of crypto in their lives.