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| Place of birth | Poland |
| Category | Founder |
| Alma mater | Adam Mickiewicz University |
| Known for | Founding crypto payments platform, card-issuer and exchange Crypto.com |
Biography:
Kris Marszalek founded cryptocurrency payments company Monaco in 2016 as a way to give everyday users better control over their finances and data. The company rebranded to Crypto.com in 2018 to better reflect its core mission to accelerate the global adoption of cryptocurrency, and it now offers crypto debit cards, centralized and decentralized exchange services, and more.
A self-described lifelong company builder, Marszalek founded several startups before venturing into the crypto space, including major e-commerce platform Beecrazy, which he sold to iBuy Group Limited in 2013. Prior to launching Crypto.com, Marszalek served as CEO of Ensogo, an online discount retailer in Southeast Asia.
Marszalek’s 2020:
A relatively new player in the crypto space, Crypto.com exploded in popularity in 2020. Marszalek started the year off with Crypto.com announcing a series of integrations, including with Travala.com, Ecwid and Ledger. According to Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier, Marszalek’s spot in this year’s Top 100 is well deserved:
“Kris has been one of these global ambitious entrepreneurs able to think big and bring products and services at scale to the crypto communities. Kris and Crypto.com move fast and deliver quality products.”
In May, Crypto.com expanded access to its flagship crypto-backed debit cards to include the European Union, later acquiring licenses to operate in Canada, Australia and Malta, as well. Marszalek has stated that he hopes to bring the debit card to the rest of the world.
Crypto.com joined the world of decentralized finance in the fall by launching a decentralized exchange, DeFi Swap. Propelled by the success of its debit cards, a rise in digital payment use, and user interest in staking its native Crypto.com Coin, the platform reached 5 million users in October — up fivefold from its just 1 million users in September 2019.
Marszalek’s 2021:
Marszalek has said that he intends to secure more regulatory licenses in 2021 and that his next goal is 15 million users. Within the next five years, he hopes to have 150 million users on the platform. In addition, Crypto.com’s recent foray into the ever-expanding DeFi space positions it well for 2021.
Cointelegraph expects the company to continue its expansion and growth and be a major driver of the mainstream adoption of crypto, providing an easy on-ramp for users to not only purchase cryptocurrencies but spend them in places that only accept fiat currencies. By bringing in additional users into its ecosystem through its debit card offerings, it is very possible that Crypto.com will establish itself as a ready competitor to major crypto exchanges.