crypto

1 of 2

noun

cryp·​to ˈkrip-(ˌ)tō 

plural cryptos

1

: a person who adheres or belongs secretly to a party, sect, or other group

And jaws dropped, he said, when he explained the theory that Christopher Columbus was a "crypto" or hidden Jew.

—Kim Vo

2

: cryptography sense 2

3

: cryptocurrency

A specialty finance firm … is the first to offer brokers the option to get their commissions paid up front, in crypto, underscoring how digital coins are becoming a more mainstream part of financial transactions.

—Jennifer Schonberger

—often used before another noun

crypto assets

the crypto market

crypto-

2 of 2

combining form

variants or before a vowel crypt-

1

: hidden : covered

cryptogenic

2

: hidden by dissembling : unavowed

crypto-fascist

3

: cryptographic

cryptanalysis

Examples of crypto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

One of the top goals of the industry is to limit the regulation power of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the Senate's top crypto foe. —Mike Deehan, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024

Decentraland Music Festival is a product of Decentraland, an immersive digital world built using blockchain technology and owned and operated by its users through crypto technology, which differentiates it from corporate metaverses like Fortnite. —Katie Bain, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2024

Irrespective of the legality and targeting of specific race classes for lending (or giving) money, or the challenges of setting up a crypto venture with $20k that does not include basic gambling (trading), this announcement can move votes. —Joel Shulman, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

Garlinghouse will discuss that lawsuit, along with Ripple’s role in informing U.S. crypto regulation more broadly. —Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2024

Each account was funded by deposits from the same U.S. crypto exchange called Kraken, according to Arkham, a firm that analyzes blockchain and crypto activity. —James Powel, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024

The slow but steady march of crypto products into mainstream financial systems — El Salvador adopted Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021 — has piqued broader interest in the subject. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 19 Oct. 2024

Cuban has faced a class-action lawsuit over a partnership between the Dallas Mavericks and the now-defunct crypto lender Voyager Digital. —Stephanie Murray, The Arizona Republic, 17 Oct. 2024

They’re largely used today for trading and as collateral in decentralized finance, or DeFi, and crypto investors watch their activity closely for evidence of demand, liquidity and activity in the market. —Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

(sense 1) independent use of crypto-; (senses 2 & 3) by shortening

Combining form

combining form from Greek kryptós "hidden, secret" — more at crypt

First Known Use

Noun

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

crypto

noun

cryp·​to ˈkrip-(ˌ)tō 

: cryptosporidium sense 2

also : cryptosporidiosis