Crypto.com has announced a strategic partnership with Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) and Yorkville America to roll out a suite of exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The initiative, revealed on March 24, will introduce TMTG-branded ETFs combining digital and traditional assets.
ETF move
These products will feature a crypto-heavy ETF basket, including Bitcoin, Crypto.com’s native Cronos (CRO) token, and other digital currencies.
Crypto.com will provide backend technology and custodial services through its US Trust Company as part of the deal. It will also handle the crypto asset supply for the ETFs, which will be sold via its affiliated broker-dealer, Foris Capital US LLC.
Crypto.com’s CEO, Kris Marszalek, expressed optimism about the move, highlighting users’ potential to gain broader crypto exposure through trusted branding. He confirmed that once the products are approved, they will be available on the Crypto.com app for users in eligible regions.
Truth Social, a TMTG subsidiary, is expected to file the necessary ETF paperwork with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) soon.
These products would mark another crypto-related adventure of US President Donald Trump if approved. Over the past years, Trump-affiliated entities have released several NFT collections and recently unveiled a DeFi project called World Liberty Financial (WLFI).
Community backlash
On-chain investigator ZachXBT has raised questions about why TMTG would choose Crypto.com as a partner for its ETF moves over better-established and more transparent exchanges like Coinbase, Kraken, or Gemini—especially in light of the recent CRO supply controversy.
Over the past week, Crypto.com has been heavily criticized for reissuing 70 billion CRO tokens that initially burned in 2021.
On March 25, ZachXBT criticized the move, calling it a betrayal of decentralization and transparency. He claimed the reissued amount accounted for 70% of CRO’s total supply—sparking concerns over centralization and long-term value dilution.
According to him:
“CRO is no different from a scam. Your team just reissued 70B CRO a week ago that was previously burned ‘forever’ in 2021 (70% total supply) and went against the community wishes as you control majority of the supply.”
However, Marszalek defended the decision during a March 25 AMA, claiming the reissue reflects changing political tides and increased institutional support for crypto.
He described the original burn as a strategic choice during a more challenging regulatory era and framed the new issuance as necessary for long-term growth.
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