crypto

¹ American  

[krip-toh] / ˈkrɪp toʊ /

noun

plural

cryptos

1. a person who secretly supports or adheres to a group, party, or belief.

2. cryptocurrency.

3. cryptography.

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adjective

1. secret or hidden; not publicly admitted.

   a crypto Nazi.

crypto- ² American  

1. a combining form meaning “hidden,” “secret,” used in the formation of compound words.

   cryptograph.

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crypto- British  

combining form

1. secret, hidden, or concealed

   cryptography

   crypto-fascist

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Usage

What does crypto- mean? Crypto- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “hidden, secret.” It is used in many scientific, medical, and other technical terms.Crypto- comes from the Greek kryptós, meaning “hidden.” The word crypt also derives from this root. Dig up the connection at our entry for the word.In anatomy, crypto- specifically refers to a crypt in its specialized sense of a “slender pit or recess” or a “small glandular cavity.”What are variants of crypto-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, crypto- becomes crypt-, as in cryptitis.

Etymology

Origin of crypto¹

First recorded in 1945–50; probably independent use of crypto-; -o

Origin of crypto-²

Combining form representing Greek kryptós hidden. See crypt

Example Sentences

The hype, so to speak, is rooted in the booming popularity of Hyperliquid, a decentralized crypto exchange where investors can use Hyperliquid tokens, a kind of cryptocurrency like bitcoin or Ethereum’s ether, to trade synthetic perpetual futures tied not just to cryptocurrencies, but also to real-world assets like gold and oil.

From MarketWatch

While the broader crypto space has been mired in a painful bear market in 2026, the price of Hype tokens has risen by about 60%, according to MarketWatch calculations using data from CoinMarketCap.

From MarketWatch

By comparison, bitcoin is down 20% since the start of the year, and ether — the second-largest crypto by market value, after bitcoin — is down 28%, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

From MarketWatch

Crypto prices have been climbing in March, however, with bitcoin up roughly 8% since the start of the month.

From MarketWatch

This is the kind of art that would find a suitable home in a crypto king’s Miami mansion, and whose pretense of depth can’t conceal its wallowing in the shallows.

From The Wall Street Journal