Cronos

What is Cronos?

Cronos (CRO) is the token behind Crypto.com's ecosystem. It pays fees and secures the Cronos POS and Cronos EVM blockchains, and Crypto.com customers stake it for card rewards and app benefits. Crypto.com serves US customers, but the token's supply and governance remain heavily shaped by the company.

What it’s used for

Crypto.com customers lock up CRO to reach rewards levels that boost card cashback and app benefits. Users of Cronos EVM apps pay gas in CRO, and validators and delegators stake it on the Cronos POS chain. CRO holders who stake can vote on chain governance proposals.

Role of the CRO token:

Evidence of real use

• Validators approved a March 2025 proposal to reissue 70 billion CRO that had been burned in 2021, restoring the 100 billion supply cap with the new tokens placed in a vesting reserve. Source
• Crypto.com says the SEC closed its investigation into the company in March 2025 with no enforcement action. Source
• Crypto.com received conditional approval from the OCC for a national trust bank charter in February 2026. Source

How Cronos works

CRO lives on two main networks. Cronos POS, launched in 2021, is a Cosmos-based proof-of-stake chain where validators stake CRO and holders can delegate to them for rewards. Cronos EVM is an Ethereum-compatible chain where apps run and gas is paid in CRO. Both are governed through onchain votes weighted by staked CRO, which in practice gives large holders, including Crypto.com-linked validators, the strongest voice.

For most people, CRO shows up inside the Crypto.com app. Locking up CRO moves you into higher rewards levels for the Crypto.com Visa card and in-app benefits. In 2021, 70 billion CRO were burned in what was described as a permanent move, but in March 2025 a governance vote reissued those tokens into a reserve with multi-year vesting, showing that supply rules can change when the company backs a proposal.

Key moments

1. 2018The CRO token is introduced by the company that later becomes Crypto.com.
2. 202170 billion CRO are burned, and the Cronos POS (formerly Crypto.org Chain) and Cronos EVM networks launch.
3. 2025A governance vote reissues the 70 billion burned CRO into a vesting reserve; the SEC closes its Crypto.com investigation with no action.
4. 2026Crypto.com gets conditional OCC trust bank approval in February; in August, Trump Media and Crypto.com terminate a planned CRO treasury company.

Supply

CRO's maximum supply is back at 100 billion after the 2025 reissue of 70 billion previously burned tokens, which sit in a strategic reserve under multi-year vesting. New CRO also flows to stakers and a community pool on Cronos POS, and the community pool has been partially burned through governance votes. Because the company could change supply policy once, holders should expect that it could again.

Risks to understand

• Governance concentration: Crypto.com-linked validators have enough voting power to pass supply changes, as the 2025 reissue showed.
• Supply overhang: the 70 billion reissued CRO vest over several years, and their release can add selling pressure.
• Perks can change: card and app rewards tied to CRO are company policies that have been cut before and can be changed again.
• Custodial risk: CRO held in the Crypto.com app is controlled by the company, not by you.

Last reviewed October 4, 2026 by The Crypto Guide editorial team. Utility Lens ratings are editorial judgments, not investment advice. Market data from CoinGecko. Spot an error? Request a correction.