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

Hedging trades, investments, and market positions is a tried-and-true tool in the institutional toolbox, and unlike previous crypto bull markets the current one is dominated by those very same institutions. —Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 18 Oct. 2025

Risk-on momentum trades like crypto, once untouchable, are also losing steam. —Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025

Venture capitalist David Sacks, who is now Trump’s AI and crypto czar, said after the news about Conway that Benioff could join the Republicans. —Ari Levy, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2025

By embedding clear exposure rules across futures, stocks, and crypto, the company frames discipline as the foundation of long-term resilience. —Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 15 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