Crypto.com Wallet 2024: What It Is & How to Use It
Our Take On Crypto.com Wallet
THE BOTTOM LINE:
This wallet is good for people who want to have full control of their private keys and funds. The Crypto.com wallet is pretty easy to set up and use, but it has noteworthy disadvantages like permanent loss of funds if you lose your private keys or recovery phrase.
Pros
- You have full control over your crypto and private keys
- Anonymous, reducing the risk of a data breach
- Enables you to participate in pioneering DeFi markets
Cons
- Solely responsible for private keys and asset security
- Must pay gas fees for certain blockchains
- More complex to use than CeFi wallets
The Crypto.com wallet is a non-custodial digital wallet that lets you store, swap, and earn interest on tokens or transact with decentralized apps (dApps). It’s different from the custodial Crypto.com app wallet in that you get full access and control over your private keys.
You can access the Crypto.com wallet through a browser extension or mobile app and create wallets anonymously. It lets you store 700+ tokens, swap 300+ tokens, earn rewards on 25+ tokens, and also store and transact NFTs on the Ethereum and Polygon blockchains. Overall, the platform supports 28 blockchains, including other popular ones like Bitcoin and Solana.
Crypto.com Wallet Overview
| Supported Assets | Device Compatibility | Security Features | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin, Ether, Bitcoin Cash, EOS, Solana, Crypto.com coin, and many other tokens. NFTs hosted on the Ethereum and Polygon blockchains are also supported. | Mobile app (iOS and Android) Web browsers (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Brave). | Biometrics (fingerprint or facial recognition), Two-factor authentication Secure Enclave encryption on Apple devices. | 0.3% service fee for swaps, varying gas fees for different blockchains. |
What Is The Crypto.com Wallet?
The Crypto.com wallet gives users access to a comprehensive suite of DeFi services. You can store tokens you own, stake them to earn rewards, swap between different token pairs, transfer tokens from one wallet address to another, and transact with decentralized apps.
The wallet is non-custodial, meaning you have full control of your private keys and are responsible for securing your deposits. If the worst happens, like Crypto.com goes bankrupt, your funds are still safe. On the other hand, a custodial wallet means you’re reliant on a third-party to safeguard your funds.
This wallet lets you connect to a variety of dApps, including games, decentralized exchanges, NFT marketplaces, and lending platforms. It’s made for users who want privacy and trust themselves enough to hold and transact their assets securely.
How Does Crypto.com Wallet Work?
As mentioned, the Crypto.com wallet is non-custodial, giving you total control comparable to being your own bank. It’s not a fiat-on/off-ramp, meaning you can’t use it to exchange fiat currencies for cryptocurrencies. It only accepts supported digital tokens from other wallet addresses.
However, you can connect the wallet to your Crypto.com app wallet (which supports fiat exchange) and send funds from there. Note that doing this removes anonymity because Crypto.com requires identification for creating custodial wallets.
Security
Wallet users share the majority of responsibilities in securing their wallets, Crypto.com offers many features to help them do that, including;
Passwords/Recovery Phrases
When you create a wallet, you can assign a unique passcode to protect it from unauthorized access. No one can access your account if they don’t have the passcode. Passcodes don’t provide absolute security, but it’s the first step in securing your wallet.
The platform also assigns a unique recovery phrase of 12, 18, or 24 words that you can use to recover your passcode if you ever forget it.
Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication implies requiring two modes of authentication to access your wallet. The first is the password and the second is a unique, one-time, six-digit code that refreshes every 30 seconds.
The Crypto.com wallet is integrated with authenticator apps such as Authy or Google Authenticator to generate one-time codes. When accessing the wallet or confirming transactions, users must input the code that Google Authenticator or Authy generates in order to complete trading actions. When enabled, users must input the code that Google Authenticator or Authy generates in order to log into their accounts and complete trading actions.
Biometrics
You can control access to your wallet using biometric identification, including fingerprint and facial recognition. iPhone owners can use Apple’s Face ID tool to ensure that the wallet app will only open if the smartphone scans their face and considers it a match. High-end Android phones also have a similar feature.
Mid-range Android phones or older iPhones may not have facial recognition capabilities but will likely have a fingerprint scanner, like TouchID.
To protect yourself further, never share your wallet’s private keys with anyone. Also, test with small amounts first when sending tokens to new addresses to ensure they’re legit. Always choose wallet apps accredited after rigorous security audits from third parties, and, fortunately, Crypto.com has ISO/IEC 27001 certification.
Earn
You can earn rewards from your Crypto.com wallet’s digital tokens in several ways. Staking is one way to do that, and it entails locking your tokens on a blockchain for a stipulated time. The tokens you lock will help validate transactions on that blockchain, and, in return, you earn more tokens.
The Tokens You Can Stake Include (But Not Limited To):
- Ethereum
- USDC
- CRO
- Algorand
- Cardano
- Polkadot
- Avalanche
- Pax Dollar
For example, you can stake Crypto.com’s native token, CRO, on the company’s Crypto.org blockchain. You can lock your assets for one month, three months, or with no commitment period, but users that commit to a prolonged period get better returns.
Likewise, the amount of the tokens you stake correlates with the returns you can earn. The rewards for staked tokens accrue daily and you get paid weekly.
Another way to earn returns is by lending tokens via decentralized exchanges.. You can lend your assets through a DeFi protocol and earn interest similar to a traditional bank account. Different tokens have different interest rates, and the highest rates usually come from the ones with greater demand, such as Bitcoin and Ether.
The Crypto.com wallet has direct integration with many lending protocols, including Aave and Compound, that offer varying interest rates for different tokens, so you have plenty of options. DeFi lending protocols enable peer-to-peer lending between participants and remove the need for third-party involvement.
NFTs
NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are cryptographic records existing on a blockchain that no one can replicate. The record could be anything digital, like music, videos, drawings, virtual game items, and more.
You can store NFTs minted on the Ethereum or Polygon blockchain in your Crypto.com wallet. You just have to receive them at your wallet address like you’ll do with any cryptocurrency. Then, head to the NFTs page in Crypto.com’s wallet’s Wallet tab to view your collection.
You can buy NFTs on several marketplaces supported by the Crypto.com wallet using a single account; OpenSea, Ebisu’s Bay, or the Crypto.com NFT marketplace. OpenSea is the best-known NFT marketplace with the largest collection, so you’re more likely to find quality NFTs on it.
You can explore different collections like art, domain names, music, photos, trading cards, and sports highlights.
Any NFT you purchase will be transferred to your DeFi wallet address, and you can see it in your NFTs tab. OpenSea charges a 2.5% service fee for every NFT purchase, but no additional gas fee applies if you’re paying through your Crypto.com wallet.
Every NFT in your Crypto.com wallet will be assigned a rarity ranking calculated from Crypto.com’s own scoring algorithm and data from Rarity Sniper, a top-ranked NFT scoring platform. The rarity ranking refers to how uncommon an NFT is relative to other NFTs in the same collection and helps determine its value.
Swapping
Swapping, as the name suggests, entails exchanging one digital token for another. With your Crypto.com wallet, you can swap 300+ tokens across multiple blockchains using different protocols, including from one blockchain to another.
However, some countries can’t swap tokens on specific protocols due to regulations. Cross-chain bridge protocols let you swap tokens from one blockchain network to another. A common swapping pair is BTC from the Bitcoin blockchain for ETH on the Ethereum blockchain.
To swap a token on your wallet, head to the “Swap” tab and acknowledge that you aren’t a citizen or resident of a geo-restricted region.
Then, select the blockchain network and tokens you’re swapping from and to, and view the estimated exchange price. Depending on what you choose, the wallet will assign a specific protocol to handle the swap.
You should take note of slippage, which is the difference between the expected value of a swap and the value at which it executes. Digital tokens are volatile, so you’ll not always receive the exact estimate shown in the Swap tab.
To avoid losses, the Crypto.com wallet lets you set your preferred slippage tolerance (1%–49.9%) such that the swap will reverse if the expected value of the tokens you’re meant to receive falls below that threshold.
You’ll pay a varying gas fee for each swap transaction. There’s also a 0.3% service fee if you use the 1inch V4 swap protocol but none for other integrated swapping protocols.
ETH Gas Meter
If you’re transacting on the Ethereum blockchain, you must pay a gas fee to the blockchain network to compensate miners for the computing power required to verify transactions. Gas fees fluctuate based on network congestion, making them hard to estimate.
But the Crypto.com Wallet includes a tool called the ETH Gas Meter that gives a quick overview of the current Ethereum Network traffic — Slow, Average, or Fast — plus the estimated network fees. However, a similar feature on the 1inch protocol shows more accurate estimated fees based on the Ethereum network load.
Crypto.com Wallet dApp Integration
One of the Crypto.com wallet’s features is its integration with a variety of dApps. By connecting your wallet to a dApp, you can send tokens to it or receive tokens from the dApp swiftly.
There are many types of dApps, including blockchain games, exchanges, NFT marketplaces, lending apps, and more. Popular ones include;
- OpenSea: A marketplace for buying or selling NFTs.
- Axie Infinity: A treasure-hunting game that offers token rewards.
- Uniswap: A decentralized crypto exchange.
- Serious Dice: A dice game that supports betting.
Crypto.com Wallet Vs. Crypto.com App Wallet
The Crypto.com Wallet is different from the Crypto.com app wallet. As the brand name suggests, the DeFi wallet is decentralized, meaning there’s no central authority in charge.
It belongs entirely to the user, equivalent to acting as their own bank. On the other hand, the Crypto.com app wallet is overseen by an incorporated, regulated entity — Crypto.com and is therefore a custodial wallet.
You’re solely responsible for securing the funds in your Crypto.com wallet. If someone hacks their way into your wallet and can transfer your tokens to another address, it’s permanently gone.
On the other hand, Crypto.com, the company, is responsible for securing app wallets, and there’ll be some recourse in cases of theft.
With a non-custodial wallet, you own your private keys, but with an app wallet, Crypto.com holds the keys on your behalf. You should only use the DeFi wallet if you’re sure you’re tech-savvy and knowledgeable enough to bear the bulk of responsibility in securing your tokens.
If you’re seeking more financial privacy, the Crypto.com wallet is a better choice since there is no KYC process before you can send or receive tokens (it’s not necessarily 100% anonymous).
On the other hand, you must provide valid identification to create a centralized Crypto.com app wallet, meaning transactions are tied to your real-world identity.
Crypto.com Wallet Pros
The Crypto.com wallet offers practical features to help users manage their cryptocurrencies and interact with decentralized apps in novel ways. Its notable features include;
Anonymous Wallets
You can create multiple wallets and transact with them anonymously thanks to this platform. There are limitless situations where you don’t want transactions tied to your real identity, like when donating to preferred causes or purchasing digital services while avoiding being targeted for advertisements.
Besides, you don’t always need a justification. Privacy is considered a right by many, and a critical one in a world where essential services are migrating online and increasing the risks of identity breaches.
Browser Plugin
You can access the Crypto.com wallet as a plugin on Chromium-based browsers like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Brave. From your web browser, you can create wallets and transact with protocols, dApps, or other wallet addresses.
The mobile apps for iOS and Android devices also help with accessibility, akin to carrying a near-impenetrable wallet with you everywhere.
Biometrics/2FA
You’re ultimately responsible for securing your wallet, but Crypto.com helps users by supporting biometric and two-factor authentication. You can mount a virtual gate to the wallet mobile app with your fingerprint or facial features. This way, even if anyone gets access to your phone, they can’t tamper with your wallet.
Likewise, requiring another one-time code before granting access goes a long way in protecting wallets and the funds in them. Hence, even if someone gets hold of your normal passcode, they still can’t break into your wallet.
Crypto.com Wallet Cons
As with all products, the Crypto.com wallet has its drawbacks. The principal one is that there’s no place to turn to if you lose your password and recovery phrase or fall victim to hacks. Other notable disadvantages include;
Higher Transaction Fees
You’ll incur higher transaction fees with a wallet compared to the Crypto.com app wallet. It’s because every transaction with a decentralized exchange happens on the blockchain, so you must pay gas fees to compensate miners for the computing power needed to verify transactions.
Gas fees can be steep if there’s high network demand, like during a market meltdown, so always check before transacting over the ethereum network. For instance, at some point in 2021, the average gas fee was $51.45, a rate at which it’s counter-intuitive to complete small transactions.
On the contrary, centralized (aka custodial) wallets can partake in off-chain transactions (validated by a third party) and avoid hefty gas fees. Plus, most centralized wallets only charge varying maker/taker fees and don’t subject users to volatile gas fees.
Complexity And Limited Support
Managing a Crypto.com wallet requires more sophistication than managing a Crypto.com app wallet or any other centralized wallet.
You have to store private keys and recovery phrases by yourself and ensure you do so in a way only you can access them.
The technical support for the Crypto.com wallet is limited given that you have full control. You can’t contact the company for help if you’re having problems with a transaction, so you must figure it out yourself.
Having a decentralized wallet is akin to being your own bank, so you should be ready to bear similar and often strenuous responsibilities like one.
How To Set Up Your Crypto.com Wallet
Setting up a Crypto.com wallet isn’t very complex. The main steps to take include;
Step 1: Download The App
You have to download the mobile app from the Google Play Store if you’re using an Android device or from Apple’s App Store if you’re using an iPhone. Similarly, you can download the browser extension from the Google Chrome Web Store.
Because they’re all Chromium-based browsers, extensions from the Chrome Web Store can work on both Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and the Brave browser.
After downloading the app or browser plugin, click the “Create a new wallet” button to do exactly as the button says or “Import an existing wallet” if you want to recover an existing one.
Step 2: Set Passcode And Get Seed Phrase
To create a new wallet, you must first select a unique six-digit passcode and confirm by typing it again. Afterward, you can enable a biometric lock (fingerprint or facial recognition) and two-factor authentication using an authenticator app like Authy or Google Authenticator.
To recover your password in case you forget it, the app generates a random phrase of 12, 18, or 24 words for you, and you can swipe to reveal each word. It also gives a test to type four random words from the phrase to ensure you backed up or memorized it.
Step 3: Finish Set-up
After memorizing and backing up your recovery phrase, you can choose a new name for your wallet and select an unique avatar. Then you have set up your first wallet and you can repeat this step for as many more wallets as you like.
Crypto.com Wallet Recovery Process
If you lose the passcode to your wallet and can’t log in on your device because of it, that’s why you have the unique recovery phrase. This phrase is the master private key that lets you access your crypto assets inside the wallet, so never share it with others.
To get your wallet back, click on “Import an existing wallet” from the main menu. Afterward, paste or scan the QR code of the recovery phrase from the wallet you want to recover or, alternatively, enter it yourself in the correct order.
Don’t mix up any words or put one in the position of another. Once you’re sure of the correct spellings and the words are in the right other, hit the “Restore” button, and you should immediately access your wallet. A pop-up message will appear to confirm that the recovery was successful.
You can use this same method to recover wallets created with other decentralized wallet apps like Ledger, MetaMask, or MyEtherWallet on the Crypto.com wallet app.
Final Thoughts On Crypto.com Wallet
The Crypto.com Wallet is pretty easy to set up, and after that, it lets you manage your tokens seamlessly. You can store hundreds of crypto assets and swap them for another at the click of a button.
If you wish, you can earn interest by staking or lending your assets. It’s akin to running on your personal bank.
The drawbacks are the tough responsibilities that come with being in full control of your wallet. You’re ultimately responsible for its security, meaning you’ll permanently lose your funds if you can’t remember the passcode and recovery phrase.
Likewise, there’s no recourse if you fall victim to theft. In spite of that, the app has decent security features to help users protect their decentralized wallets.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can connect your decentralized wallet to a Crypto.com app wallet and exchange funds between them. However, note that doing this means linking your wallet to your real-world identity, so avoid this if you want complete privacy.
The wallet supports 700+ and growing cryptocurrencies. You can see the full list here.
The Crypto.com wallet is as safe as you make it, as long as you protect your private keys. However, the app enables facial recognition log-in, two-factor authentication, and is backed by the security of Crypto.com itself.