The crypto world is up in arms after Crypto.com made the highly controversial decision to reissue 70 billion Cronos (CRO) tokens—a move that many see as a blatant betrayal of decentralization. The vote that authorized this decision has been met with widespread skepticism, with accusations of manipulation flooding the discussion. As frustration mounts, the community is demanding transparency and answers.

CEO Kris Marszalek Tries to Calm the Storm

In an attempt to diffuse the backlash, Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek took to X (formerly Twitter) on March 19 to assure users that the company remains financially stable and regulatory compliant. However, he carefully avoided addressing the core issue—the sudden reissuance of the previously burned tokens—fueling even more outrage.

Back in 2021, Crypto.com made a grand announcement about burning 70 billion CRO tokens, calling it a major step toward decentralization. Fast forward to 2025, and that promise has been completely undone. These tokens have now resurfaced under the guise of the Cronos Strategic Reserve, raising serious concerns about the company’s long-term commitment to decentralization.

A Rigged Vote? Accusations of Manipulation Surface

On March 3, the official vote on the reissuance of CRO tokens opened up—but the community immediately smelled something fishy. Many users actively opposed the decision, urging others to vote against it. Yet, despite widespread disapproval, the vote miraculously passed, igniting accusations of fraudulent governance.

A frustrated GitHub user vented:

“It’s pure manipulation—massively voting ‘yes’ at the last minute. Crypto.com is as centralized as a blockchain can get. There’s no real governance when they control 70% of the voting power.”

According to sources from Unchained, the podcast hosted by Laura Shin, Crypto.com allegedly controls between 70% and 80% of all voting power, making the legitimacy of this vote highly questionable. If true, this suggests that the company rubber-stamped its own decision, regardless of what the community actually wanted.

Crypto Community Demands Transparency

As anger spreads across the crypto space, Crypto.com has announced a live AMA (Ask-Me-Anything) session on March 25 to directly address concerns about the massive CRO reissuance.

Marszalek posted on X, stating:

“Looking forward to catching up with our community on Tuesday,” along with the rather ironic hashtag #MakeCROGreatAgain.

The big question remains: Can Crypto.com win back its community’s trust, or is the damage irreversible? With decentralization at the heart of the crypto ethos, this move might just go down as one of the biggest self-inflicted wounds in the industry.

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Margharet Tess

Editor, Developer at Cryptheory Labs

I have been active in the cryptocurrency world for over 6 years, during which I have written countless articles about this sector. What fascinates me most about cryptocurrencies is their technological aspect and the problems they aim to solve. In the past three years, I have ventured into app development and am currently working on a larger project called P2E Buzzer. Stay tuned for the surprise. 🙂 My previous experiences: Business2Community.com, TradingPlatforms.com

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