Cronos (CRO): how it works, supply and reviews
In short
- Type
- Two chains: Cronos EVM (Ethereum-compatible, Cosmos SDK) and Cronos POS (Cosmos proof of stake)
- Maximum supply
- Hard cap of 100 billion CRO enforced by Cronos POS Chain
- Risks and caveats
- Cronos EVM consensus is permissioned (proof of authority), not open validator proof of stake.
- Checked
- 31 October 2026
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Key facts
- Ticker
- CRO
- Official site
- cronos.com
Key facts checked on 31 October 2026 against official sources.
What is Cronos
Cronos is an EVM-compatible blockchain built on the Cosmos SDK, with transaction fees paid in CRO. CRO also powers the separate Cronos POS Chain, a Cosmos proof-of-stake chain.
Network and consensus
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Two chains: Cronos EVM (Ethereum-compatible, Cosmos SDK) and Cronos POS (Cosmos proof of stake) |
| Consensus | Cronos EVM: Tendermint BFT in a permissioned proof-of-authority variant |
| Technology | Built on Ethermint, the Cosmos SDK and Tendermint Core |
| Finality | Final settlement in about 500 ms |
| Chain ID | Cronos EVM mainnet chain ID 25; native token CRO |
| Launched | Cronos EVM mainnet launched on 8 November 2021 |
Supply and issuance
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Maximum supply | Hard cap of 100 billion CRO enforced by Cronos POS Chain |
| Issuance | New CRO minted each block for stakers; emission starts at 1% a year and decays 6.8% each month |
| Staking rewards | Base staking targets about 3% APY, topped up from a Tier Rewards Pool when fees fall short |
| Burns | Fee revenue flows back to CRO through staking rewards, buybacks and burns |
| Token migration | ERC-20 CRO on Ethereum is migrated to mainnet CRO by burning it to the 0x…dEaD address |
What CRO is used for
- Paying transaction fees on Cronos EVM
- Staking on Cronos POS Chain to secure the network
- Voting on Cronos POS on-chain governance proposals
Who develops and governs Cronos
- Developer
- Cronos Labs builds Cronos Network, Cronos Launch and the Ult trading app
- Company
- Cronos Labs was formerly the Particle B accelerator and fund (renamed April 2022)
- Partner
- Cronos describes Crypto.com as a strategic partner
- Governance
- Cronos POS: on-chain proposals voted by bonded CRO holders
- Open source
- The Cronos protocol is open source on GitHub
History
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 8 November 2021 | Cronos EVM mainnet launches. |
| 18 February 2022 | The CRO token, formerly Crypto.org Coin, is renamed Cronos. |
| April 2022 | The Particle B accelerator and fund starts operating as Cronos Labs. |
Security and audits
- Cronos uses Tendermint, which Cronos describes as a robustly tested consensus engine in development since 2014.
- Tier-locked CRO stays subject to standard validator slashing rules.
Risks and caveats
- Cronos EVM consensus is permissioned (proof of authority), not open validator proof of stake.
- Staking rewards are currently partly funded from a strategic reserve while protocol revenue grows.
- Unbonding staked CRO on Cronos POS takes 28 days.
- The separate Cronos zkEVM network is being sunset; users are asked to bridge assets out.
Official links
- Website: cronos.com
- Docs (Cronos EVM): docs.cronos.com
- Docs (Cronos POS): docs.cronos-pos.org
- Source code: github.com/crypto-org-chain/cronos
- Block explorer: explorer.cronos.com
- Blog: blog.cronos.com
Questions and answers
What is Cronos?
Cronos is an EVM-compatible blockchain built on the Cosmos SDK, launched on 8 November 2021. Fees are paid in CRO.
What is the maximum supply of CRO?
Cronos POS Chain enforces a hard cap of 100 billion CRO; new CRO is minted for stakers at a decaying rate.
Is CRO the same as Crypto.org Coin?
Yes. Crypto.org Coin (CRO) was renamed Cronos (CRO) in February 2022.
How does Cronos reach consensus?
Cronos EVM uses Tendermint BFT in a permissioned proof-of-authority setup; Cronos POS Chain is a Cosmos proof-of-stake chain.
Who is behind Cronos?
Cronos Labs builds Cronos Network; Cronos describes Crypto.com as a strategic partner.
Sources
- Cronos EVM Docs — Introduction
- Cronos EVM Docs — Network specifications
- Cronos — Home
- Cronos — About CRO
- Cronos — Network
- Cronos POS Docs — Tokenomics and inflation
- Cronos POS Docs — Governance process
- Cronos POS Docs — Token migration
- Cronos blog — CRO is now Cronos
- Cronos blog — Introducing Cronos Labs
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