The Crypto.com Onchain wallet is the self-custody wallet that began life as the Crypto.com DeFi Wallet. It was renamed in November 2024, and since September 17, 2026 it lives inside an app called Ult, built by Cronos Labs, as a mode you can switch to. It is not the regular Crypto.com App, which holds your coins for you. Our verdict: a capable multi-chain wallet for people already in the Crypto.com and Cronos ecosystem. But the product is changing fast, and its home app now pushes leveraged trading, so cautious users should weigh the alternatives.
Key takeaways
- Timeline: Crypto.com DeFi Wallet → Crypto.com Onchain (announced November 20, 2024) → Onchain Wallet mode inside Ult (September 17, 2026).
- Onchain Wallet mode is non-custodial: you hold a recovery phrase, and no Crypto.com account or ID check is needed to store, send or receive.
- Crypto.com’s help centre listed 36 supported blockchains, including Cronos, Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana and Base, as of its November 2024 update.
- Swaps can carry protocol, bridge and service fees on top of network fees; the app shows the estimate before you confirm.
- The widely reported January 2022 Crypto.com hack hit the custodial exchange, not this wallet. We found no documented exploit of the wallet software itself.
What is the Crypto.com Onchain wallet?
Searching for “crypto.com wallet” mostly brings up the main Crypto.com App, a custodial exchange account covered in our Crypto.com review. This review is about the separate wallet product, which has had three names:
- Crypto.com DeFi Wallet: the original name, still widely used in searches and older guides.
- Crypto.com Onchain: the rebrand announced on November 20, 2024, with a redesigned home screen (Discover, Trade, Market, Earn), an “Explore Cronos” dApp section and Quests. Crypto.com said at the time that Onchain “is a separate product from the Crypto.com App and Crypto.com Exchange.”
- Ult: on September 17, 2026, Cronos Labs relaunched the same mobile app (the App Store seller is Cronos Technologies Limited) as a trading app for crypto, tokenized stocks, commodities, perpetual futures and sports predictions. Existing users keep their wallet: per the official FAQ, you can switch back to Onchain Wallet in Settings with “same keys, same balances, same history.”
Crypto.com says Onchain Wallet mode will stay available while Ult adds support for the networks Onchain users rely on most, and that users will get advance notice, plus a chance to withdraw, before any full transition. Cronos Labs and Crypto.com describe themselves as separate legal entities, though both are tied to the Cronos blockchain.
| Feature | Crypto.com App | Onchain Wallet mode | Ult mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custody | Custodial (Crypto.com holds keys) | Non-custodial | Self-custodial smart wallet |
| Recovery | Account login and support | Recovery phrase you write down | Google, Apple or passkey sign-in (no seed phrase) |
| Identity check | KYC required | Not required to store, send or receive | No Crypto.com account required; some features vary by jurisdiction |
| Main use | Buying with fiat, card, custodial earn | Holding, swapping, staking, dApps across many chains | Multi-asset and leveraged trading, predictions |
Key features
Supported chains
Crypto.com’s help article on supported networks lists 36 blockchains and “over 700 tokens.” The list includes Cronos EVM and the Cronos POS chain, Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana, BNB Smart Chain, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, zkSync Era, Avalanche C-Chain, XRPL, Cosmos, Osmosis, Polkadot, NEAR, Aptos, Dogecoin and Litecoin. The 2024 launch announcement used a different, broader count (“4,000+ tokens across 30+ blockchains”). Support can change, so check the in-app network list before sending anything. Cronos support is the main differentiator; our Cronos explainer covers that chain.
If you want to move assets into Cronos apps, our guide to bridging funds to Cronos explains the routes from the Crypto.com exchange and Ethereum.
Swaps, bridging and dApps
The Trade hub handles sending, receiving, swapping and bridging. For native swaps, the wallet compares liquidity protocols and picks the one quoting the best rate for the pair. Before you confirm, it shows the chosen protocol, the price, the minimum you will receive and the estimated network fee. The wallet also connects to dApps, and the 2024 announcement described a Chrome extension and a desktop app alongside the iOS and Android apps.
Staking and Earn
The Earn section lists staking pools. A January 2026 guide from staking provider Kiln shows ETH staking from Earn into a Crypto.com pool staking contract. App release notes mention a SOL validator option (version 2.43.0) and access to Tectonic lending pools on Cronos EVM for USDC, USDT and CRO (2.45.0). Rates, lock-ups and unbonding periods vary by asset and protocol and are not fixed, so read each pool’s details screen before staking.
Hardware wallet support
Version 2.46.0 added support for connecting a Ledger device for sending and swapping, so your keys can stay on hardware while you use the app’s interface.
Crypto.com DeFi wallet fees
Holding crypto in the wallet costs nothing. Costs come from transactions, and Crypto.com’s help centre describes several layers:
- Network (gas) fees: paid to the blockchain, not to Crypto.com. You need the chain’s native coin to pay them. Sending USDT on Ethereum requires ETH, for example. On the extension, the estimate shown is usually set higher than the actual fee to improve the chance of confirmation.
- Protocol fees: charged by the underlying DEX or liquidity source.
- Bridge service fees: charged by Crypto.com for providing bridging liquidity.
- Service fees: charged by Onchain for the trading service.
Crypto.com does not publish a single fixed percentage for these, and the mix depends on the route. To compare, enter the same swap in the wallet and in a DEX aggregator, then check the “minimum received” figure, not the headline price. Ult’s perpetuals and prediction products carry their own pricing and high risk of total loss; read Ult’s terms before using them.
Security and trust
In Onchain Wallet mode you are the custodian, and your keys are backed by a recovery phrase. Crypto.com’s own help centre is blunt: lose the phrase and you lose access, and support cannot restore it. The app adds a passcode and biometric confirmation for transactions. Ult’s smart wallet replaces the phrase with Google, Apple or passkey sign-in. That is easier to live with, but your wallet’s security then rests on those accounts, so lock them down with strong authentication.
On incidents, be precise. In January 2022 attackers made unauthorised withdrawals from 483 Crypto.com exchange accounts: 4,836.26 ETH, 443.93 BTC and about $66,200 in other assets, per the company’s report, which says affected users were reimbursed. That was a custodial-platform breach, in which some withdrawals were approved without the user’s 2FA input. It did not involve self-custody wallets. We found no widely reported exploit of the DeFi Wallet or Onchain software itself. The everyday risks are generic to self-custody: phishing sites, fake apps, malicious dApp approvals and “support” impostors asking for your phrase. Several App Store reviews describe losses to scams, which is a reminder to download only from the official listing.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Genuine self-custody with a standard recovery phrase in Onchain Wallet mode
- Broad chain list with first-class Cronos support
- Built-in swaps, bridging and staking, with fee estimates shown before you confirm
- Easy funding from an existing Crypto.com account
- Ledger connection for keeping keys on hardware
Cons
- Constant rebranding; the app now opens toward leveraged trading and predictions, which many savers won’t want
- Onchain Wallet mode’s long-term future depends on Ult’s roadmap
- Layered swap fees that are hard to compare at a glance
- Ult features, including tokenized stocks and perps, vary by country and are restricted in some jurisdictions
- Smaller independent developer and security community than MetaMask’s
How to get started
- Install the official app. On the App Store it now appears as “Ult” from Cronos Technologies Limited; check the developer name to avoid fakes.
- Check which wallet type you are creating. Ult’s smart wallet uses Google, Apple or passkey sign-in. Onchain Wallet mode, reached through Settings, uses a recovery phrase. If the setup screens are unclear, check the app’s help section before funding.
- If you have a recovery phrase, write it down offline, store it securely, and test a restore before funding.
- Set a passcode and biometric lock.
- Fund the wallet from your Crypto.com account or an external wallet. Send a small test amount first and confirm the network matches.
- Before staking or connecting to dApps, read the pool or permission details and start small.
Who it’s best for, and alternatives
The Crypto.com Onchain wallet suits existing Crypto.com users who want a self-custody wallet they can fund easily from the main app, and anyone active on Cronos. If you just want a quiet place to hold coins, a wallet whose product direction is less tied to trading may fit better. Our guide to choosing a non-custodial wallet explains the trade-offs, and the crypto wallets and security hub lists our other wallet reviews.
If you want features like social recovery or gas sponsorship, our guide to account abstraction smart wallets explains how they differ from a standard self-custody app.
- MetaMask: the default for Ethereum and EVM DeFi, with a huge dApp ecosystem; see our MetaMask review.
- Trust Wallet: a broad multi-chain mobile wallet with no exchange account attached; see our Trust Wallet review.
- Phantom: strongest for Solana users, also supporting Ethereum and other networks.
- Exodus: polished desktop and mobile apps aimed at beginners, with built-in swaps.
FAQ
Is the Crypto.com DeFi Wallet the same as Crypto.com Onchain?
Yes. Crypto.com renamed the DeFi Wallet to Crypto.com Onchain in November 2024, and in September 2026 the app was relaunched as Ult, with Onchain Wallet available as a mode in Settings. Your keys, balances and history carried over each time. If you have an old DeFi Wallet recovery phrase, it still restores that same wallet.
Is the crypto.com onchain wallet safe?
It is a non-custodial wallet with no widely reported exploit of its own software. The 2022 Crypto.com hack affected exchange accounts, not this wallet. Safety mostly depends on you: protect the recovery phrase, download only the official app, verify dApp permissions, and consider connecting a Ledger for larger balances. No wallet is risk-free.
Can Crypto.com freeze or recover my Onchain wallet?
In Onchain Wallet mode, Crypto.com does not hold your keys, so it cannot freeze your native coins or recover a lost recovery phrase for you. Token issuers can still freeze certain stablecoins at the contract level. With Ult’s smart wallet, recovery runs through your Google, Apple or passkey sign-in, so securing those accounts is essential.
How do I move crypto from the Crypto.com App to the Onchain wallet?
Crypto.com supports funding the wallet from an existing Crypto.com account, and you can also use a normal on-chain withdrawal. Withdraw to your wallet’s receive address on a network the wallet supports, send a small test first, and check any withdrawal fee the App shows before confirming. Once the coins arrive, they are in your custody.
Crypto is volatile and risky; this is education, not financial advice. Do your own research.
