Kris Marszalek #12

CEO of Crypto.com

Kris Marszalek & CEO of Crypto.com & background` Kris Marszalek & CEO of Crypto.com & poster`
Kris Marszalek & CEO of Crypto.com
Category Exchange
person-quote
If you are a founder starting on your journey to help build Web3, remember this: You don’t need VC money.

Biography:

Kris Marszalek is a Polish entrepreneur and the CEO of Singapore-based crypto and payments platform Crypto.com.

Cryptocurrency enthusiasts might remember the crypto payment company Monaco. Founded in 2016, it was one of the first blockchain-based debit cards offering users control over their finances and data. Monaco rebranded to Crypto.com in 2018 to promote and accelerate the world’s transition to cryptocurrency.

Before venturing into crypto, Marszalek founded Hong-Kong-based mobile application Yiyi and e-commerce business Beecrazy. He maintained his role as chief operating officer at Beecrazy when it was acquired by iBuy Group, which later rebranded to Ensogo.

Crypto.com started gaining mainstream attention in 2020 after global promotional campaigns and after Marszalek managed to acquire licenses for its crypto-backed debit cards to operate in several different countries, including key markets like Canada and Australia.

In addition, Crypto.com’s offering expanded into the world of decentralized finance by launching a decentralized exchange, DeFi Swap. At the end of 2020, Crypto.com had achieved 5 million users globally.

Marszalek’s 2021:

2021 was a good year for the cryptocurrency space, with Crypto.com experiencing growth, encouraged by the launch of DeFi Swap and continued promotional campaigns.

By the end of 2021, Crypto.com had registered 10 million users and 3000 employees and was operating in 90 countries. At this pace, it should not come as a surprise if Marszalek’s next goal is 150 million users onboarded to the platform within the next five years.

The company went through massive advertising campaigns in 2021, especially at major sports events, where it often appeared as the primary sponsor.

Crypto.com secured a multimillion-dollar deal with the Los Angeles Staples Center to rebrand to Crypto.com Arena. The events center is home to basketball teams Lakers, Clippers, and Sparks, as well as the Kings ice hockey team. In the United States, the arena is the second-largest, after the New York City Madison Square Garden. 

The crypto exchange paid $700 million to Staples Center owner AEG for the rights to keep the Crypto.com name on the arena for the next 20 years. The switch occurred on Christmas Day, and all the physical signs and logos will gradually be changed in the first half of 2022. The deal represents one of the most significant investments in sports by a crypto company. 

Marszalek also signed a $100 million partnership with Formula 1, marked by a deal allowing Crypto.com to expose its brand during the competition in exchange for supporting the organization in developing NFTs.

Marszalek’s 2022:

In 2022, Marszalek will likely continue his successful activity with Crypto.com as the company keeps securing multimillion-dollar deals across the globe.

The organization recently announced that it had secured an agreement to acquire two exchanges in the first half of the year. The two exchanges are the North American Derivatives Exchange, or Nadex, and a futures solution called Small Exchange for retail customers.

Nadex is part of the financial services company IG Group and has a market capitalization of $4.3 billion. 

With Small Exchange, Marszalek continues his dream of offering the retail market a platform that sets free the financial restrictions carried by traditional finance and empowering with a tool that provides everyone the opportunity to be self-sovereign and independent with their own money.