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

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

Enabling merchants to accept crypto doesn't really help if no one wants to pay with it. —Ryan Lawler, Axios, 10 Oct. 2024

But the stock is still falling The FBI claims the strategy worked, spurring market-manipulation and fraud charges against several crypto companies, including Gotbit, CLS Global, MyTrade, and ZM Quant, as well as 18 individuals. —Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 10 Oct. 2024

During that time, the entire crypto industry had been established, and the U.K. was more recently positioning itself as a crypto haven. —Matvii Diadkov, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024

Trump's odds of winning in Ohio are significantly higher at 92%, USA TODAY reports, based on bets placed on crypto trading platform Polymarket. —Alex Perry, The Enquirer, 10 Oct. 2024

The tokens hold the promise of stability in face of high volatility in the crypto market, but have instead brought chaos in the past. —Zinnia Lee, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024

Once that buyer begins to cash out, the crypto is likely to see its value collapse. —Chris Morris, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2024

While some may see it as an upside that crypto is largely unregulated, that can bring some downsides as well. —Becca Stanek, theweek, 25 Sep. 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