Cronos Soars 18% After Trump Media ETF Proposal Includes Token Among Holdings

Cronos (CRO), the native token of the Crypto.com blockchain, surged nearly 18% to $0.095 on Wednesday after news broke that it could be featured in a proposed exchange-traded fund (ETF) backed by Trump Media & Technology Group.

The ETF, still pending approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, aims to track a basket of five cryptocurrencies: bitcoin (BTC) at $111,108.14, ether (ETH) at $2,773.11, solana (SOL) at $156.62, XRP at $2.4359, and cronos (CRO), which was last priced at $0.09419. While CRO would represent just 5% of the ETF’s weighting—its smallest component—the inclusion is significant for a token that’s rarely part of major institutional investment products.

On the heels of the announcement, CRO surged from around $0.08 on Tuesday morning, far outpacing the broader crypto market. By comparison, the CoinDesk 20 Index, which tracks top digital assets, climbed only 2.8% during the same period.

Despite this strong gain, CRO remains far below its all-time high of $0.69 reached in November 2021 during the last bull run. The token enjoyed a brief resurgence in December 2024, touching $0.21 amid a rally fueled by Donald Trump’s election to a second term, though those gains quickly faded.

The latest ETF development has reignited interest in CRO, which serves as the backbone of Crypto.com’s ecosystem, powering its exchange and payments applications. However, while traders appear hopeful about the potential for greater institutional exposure, the fund still awaits regulatory approval from the SEC—and CRO has a long way to go to reclaim its former highs.