Few crypto exchanges have been as busy in the last few months as Crypto.com.
The company recently received a license from MiCA to operate in the E.U., and also in December voluntarily withdrew the lawsuit it filed against the SEC after receiving a Wells notice from the agency last summer (the withdrawal happened just a day after Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek met with then President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago). Not long after that meeting, the exchange announced it would re-enter the U.S. institutional exchange business after abandoning it in mid-2023 due to “limited demand.”
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Crypto.com also said in January it would allow its U.S. customers to trade stocks and ETFs in addition to crypto, and acquired several brokerage firms to further build out its offerings. And Crypto.com continued to be very active on the sports naming rights front, announcing deals with Formula 1 and the UEFA Champions League to further build on its monumental $700 million deal to rename the Los Angeles Lakers’ stadium back in 2021.
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Here, Crypto.com president Eric Anziani, who will be a speaker at Consensus Hong Kong, discusses his company’s latest plans, and the importance of Asia to Crypto.com’s future.
This interview has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
What are Crypto.com’s plans for the EU now that it’s received a MiCA license?
We were extremely proud to have been the first major global crypto asset service provider to receive a MiCA license, which means we can provide our market-leading range of crypto services across the EU under a streamlined and robust framework bringing a significantly improved degree of transparency to the sector.
We have always been supportive of MiCA and believe it will build trust and establish a more uniformed sentiment towards the regulation of our industry across the EU, while also safeguarding consumers and helping advance innovation. The EU is a growing and vital hub for crypto investment, and we look forward to offering more of our products and services to our millions of EU users.
What can you say about Crypto.com’s withdrawal of its lawsuit against the SEC?
We withdrew our action against the SEC given our intent to work with the incoming administration on a regulatory framework for the industry.
What are your major near- and long-term goals for Crypto.com?
We’ve got an exciting and busy year ahead as we push forward with our vision to offer users the most comprehensive platform for a broad range of financial investment services. Key to our success is our focus on product development. We released our 2025 Roadmaplate last year detailing our goals and product strategy for the year ahead, most of which revolve around broadening our product and service portfolio by integrating offerings that were once confined to traditional financial services, like stocks, banking and card programs, into Crypto.com.
We also recently announced the acquisition of several brokerages such as Watchdog Capital and Orion Principals, which will allow us to expand these services even further. And we also recently launched stock and ETF trading in the U.S. We see a significant opportunity to not just continue to serve and lead the crypto market, but to be a driving force in effectively bridging traditional and digital finance.
What is Crypto.com’s latest strategy with respect to sports naming rights deals?
Our signature sports partnerships have played a pivotal role in making Crypto.com one of the most well-known and trusted brands globally. We have many long-standing sports partnerships with brands that we are honored to work with, and in the past few months we have announced the renewal of our F1 partnership until 2030, as well as becoming the first and exclusive global cryptocurrency platform partner of the UEFA Champions League.
What role do you see Asia playing in the global crypto economy?
Asia has always been a major market for us. We’re proudly headquartered in Singapore and licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore — a global leader in effective crypto regulation. The number of “digitally native” people in the Asia Pacific region, particularly among younger generations, is growing all the time, meaning there is an ever-growing pool of users who are supporting this growth in digital consumption and that’s only going to continue expanding and contributing to the crypto industry’s development.
There’s also a huge talent pool of young tech-savvy entrepreneurs, which is why we chose to set up our global innovation lab in Singapore, making it our designated R&D hub. The lab team is experimenting with frontier technologies and identifying novel applications for blockchain, Web3 and AI.
What are the biggest challenges to Web3’s development in Asia?
The Asia region has a complex financial demographic that includes a significant underbanked or unbanked population, alongside a digitally-savvy population with high mobile internet connectivity and smartphone penetration. So for us it’s also about how we reach those who have been historically underserved and offer them the financial tools and opportunities they need.
A lot of this expansion will come down to regulatory environments — for example places like Singapore have implemented clear, robust and innovation-friendly regulations, enabling the establishment of secure and trusted platforms. But other regional jurisdictionsare still lagging behind on clear regulatory frameworks for exchanges and digital assets.
You’re deeply involved in the blockchain and start-up world in Singapore through various organizations. What are your main priorities there for 2025?
Singapore is our global headquarters, and we are very proud to be part of Singapore’s flourishing digital asset and fintech community. We work with both regulators and industry players with the aim of building an innovative and responsible Web3 ecosystem, by balancing the needs of industry for regulatory clarity and fit-for-purpose policies, as well as market integrity and consumer protection.
Going into 2025, we continue to play a leading role in supporting local players and industry associations to constructively engage with the authorities on topics such as consumer protection, scams, staking and responsible advertising through workshops, focus groups and industry papers.
Talent development is also an important focus for us. For example, we were an industry partner for GFTN (Global Financial Technology Network, formerly Elevandi, and organizer of the Singapore Fintech Festival) for their inaugural Blockchain Guardians Program in 2024. This intensive ten-week program for pre-university students aimed to develop the next generation of fintech leaders with the dual skill sets of digital asset savviness and a robust compliance mindset.
What are you most excited to discuss on stage at Consensus Hong Kong?
We go into 2025 with a really positive mindset. The industry has turned a corner in the last year, coming through the bear market and proving its resilience once again. I am looking forward to discussing all the incredible innovations and products that are going to be introduced into the digital assets space this year, what that means for cryptocurrency adoption and how we continue mainstreaming crypto and bridging financial technologies.
Is there anything else you think is important to mention?
More jurisdictions globally are focused on designing effective regulation which will further responsible innovation and enhance consumer and institutional trust in our industry. This will be vital for boosting adoption and further encouraging traditional financial institutions to engage with blockchain and digital asset technologies — an exciting trend we’re going to see a lot more of in 2025.
