Citadel Securities has invested $400 million in Crypto.com, valuing the digital asset platform at $20 billion in its first institutional funding round.
Summary
- Citadel Securities invests $400 million in Crypto.com, valuing the crypto exchange at $20 billion globally.
- The deal marks Crypto.com’s first institutional funding round in its decade-long operating history to date.
- Crypto.com plans to use funding to expand tokenized securities, derivatives, and other financial asset classes.
The deal brings together a leading U.S. market maker and one of the world’s best-known crypto exchanges. Crypto.com announced the investment on July 16.
The company said it plans to use the capital to expand across more asset classes. In particular, Crypto.com named tokenized securities and derivatives among its priorities as it builds services that connect traditional markets with digital asset infrastructure.
Citadel Securities makes $400 million Crypto.com investment
The strategic investment gives Crypto.com a $20 billion valuation. It also marks the first time the company has raised institutional funding since its founding in 2016. However, the companies did not disclose the size of the stake Citadel Securities received or other terms of the transaction.
Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek said the company expects digital assets to play a larger role in financial markets. He said “crypto increasingly becomes the rails for finance.”
According to the company, its existing regulatory and technology systems will support its planned expansion into additional financial products.
Funding targets tokenized securities and derivatives
Crypto.com said the funding will accelerate its move into tokenized securities, derivatives, and other asset classes. The exchange aims to build a broader financial platform that operates around the clock while offering products linked to both traditional and digital markets.
Meanwhile, institutional investment in tokenization has continued to grow. As crypto.news previously reported, Digital Asset Holdings raised $355 million in June in a round backed by Citadel Securities and other institutions. The company behind Canton Network focuses on blockchain infrastructure for tokenized assets and regulated finance.
Citadel expands its links to digital asset infrastructure
Citadel Securities already has links to several digital asset projects. The company describes itself as the No. 1 U.S. retail market maker and says it handles about 35% of U.S.-listed retail trading volume. Its direct investment in Crypto.com adds another connection to the growing market for digital asset infrastructure.
Moreover, affiliates of Citadel Securities participated in Ripple’s $500 million strategic funding round in November 2025. That transaction valued Ripple at $40 billion as the company expanded its businesses across custody, stablecoins, and prime brokerage.
Crypto.com prepares for broader financial market expansion
Citadel Securities President Jim Esposito said the combination of traditional markets and digital asset infrastructure could improve market efficiency. He added that Crypto.com had built a platform capable of supporting greater institutional participation in digital assets.
At the same time, Crypto.com has widened its focus beyond cryptocurrency trading. The company has identified prediction markets and tokenized real-world assets as areas for further development. The new capital gives it more funding to pursue that strategy as exchanges and financial companies compete to offer more products around the clock.
The deal also comes as tokenized assets attract greater attention from Wall Street. As crypto.news reported, firms including BlackRock, JPMorgan, Nasdaq, and Citadel Securities have been building infrastructure for tokenized finance. Against that backdrop, Crypto.com’s first institutional funding round supports its effort to expand beyond its core crypto exchange business.
