crypto

1 of 2

noun

cryp·​to ˈkrip-(ˌ)tō 

plural cryptos

1

: 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

2

: cryptography sense 2

3

: 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

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

While still small relative to the recent stock market gains – with Nvidia itself worth more than $4 trillion – the crypto boom has created substantial wealth for millennials and the younger investors who were early investors in crypto. —Robert Frank, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025

First, reserves can be verified in real time, removing the opacity that has plagued both traditional banking and earlier crypto experiments. —Luke Xie, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025

The argument that crypto has no fundamental value is based on the view that other assets—stocks, bonds, cash, property, or derivatives thereof—usually entitle holders to an underlying right, such as dividends, interest, land, or other legal rights. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025

Never pay using gift cards, wire transfers or crypto at their request. —Lori Smith, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

Combining form

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

First Known Use

Noun

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Medical Definition

crypto

noun

cryp·​to ˈkrip-(ˌ)tō 

: cryptosporidium sense 2

also : cryptosporidiosis