Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek says its publicity to FTX was restricted to $10 million

Over the previous week, Crypto.com’s CRO token has dropped virtually 45% on considerations the Singapore-based trade would be the subsequent to face a liquidity disaster. The trade’s every day quantity has collapsed from final yr’s highs of round $4 billion to about $284 million this previous October, in keeping with information from Nomics, and withdrawals are on their manner again up as customers and buyers take away their funds from the platform.

Within the interview, Marszalek reiterated that the trade has a powerful steadiness sheet and mentioned its publicity to FTX was restricted to $10 million.

“We recovered $990 million from FTX,” Marszalek mentioned, stating that fund flows between exchanges are a mandatory a part of the enterprise.

An audit of Crypto.com is underway, however it is going to take a while. Audit corporations “don’t work at crypto velocity,” he mentioned, emphasizing that Crypto.com and the business each want full transparency to maneuver ahead.

Withdrawals are working as anticipated, he reiterated. The one stoppage has been associated to GALA, SRM, and Ray.

“SRM is carefully tied to FTX,” he mentioned.

Marszalek mentioned that CRO, Crypto.com’s token, has by no means been used as mortgage collateral, in contrast to the relationship between FTX and Alameda and FTX’s token, FTT.

“We’re by no means going to lift funds,” he added, stating that the enterprise is money circulation optimistic.

Certainly one of Crypto.com’s extra controversial strikes has been stadium sponsorship, with eye-watering value tags. There are questions on how efficient the entire thing is as a gross sales funnel. Marszalek says it’s a worthwhile funding, reminding those who the contracts are paid yearly.

“We pay a small quantity yearly, which quantities to round 10% of our income. This isn’t loopy in comparison with different firms,” he mentioned. “Progress to 70 million customers will not be doable with out some funding into model consciousness.”

A part of the market’s distrust of Crypto.com may stem from the trade’s latest $400 million mishap, the place it by chance despatched ether to an account at an trade known as Gate.io. That was the second time the corporate had mistakenly transferred an quantity within the tens of millions. In August, it was revealed the trade had despatched $10.5 million to a lady in Melbourne, and took seven months to note.

Marszalek defined that each one addresses for transfers of those scales are whitelisted and permitted. The vacation spot handle was Crypto.com’s company account at Gate.io, and the funds had been returned after Gate.io raised the company account’s every day switch restrict.

“The funds had been at no danger of being misplaced,” Marszalek mentioned. “The system wouldn’t enable us to ship cash someplace it could’t be recovered.”

Whereas some on crypto Twitter have speculated that this was a part of a scheme to bolster Gate.io’s holdings earlier than its proof of reserves had been printed, Marszalek mentioned this was not the case.

As for Crypto.com’s critics Marszalek says he’s trying ahead to proving them mistaken with actions and phrases.

“Their allegations don’t have any substance,” he mentioned.

Join the Fortune Options e mail checklist so that you don’t miss our greatest options, unique interviews, and investigations.