Cronos, a Crypto.com backed EVM-compatible programmable blockchain, releases its updated roadmap for 2025-2026. The document stresses the protocol's focus on RWA tokenization, AI integration and global distribution. The plan sets out three growth engines to drive adoption, liquidity and long-term market leadership.
Cronos publishes new 2025-2026 roadmap, bets big on institutional services
According to the announcement by Cronos blockchain team, its 2025-2026 updated roadmap is out. The protocol will focus on three workloads — "engines" — designed to boost massive adoption and liquidity depth, and cement the market dominance of Cronos and CRO.
The first engine, infrastructure, will see Cronos launch a purpose-built tokenization platform for equities, funds, commodities, insurance, forex and real estate. It aims to enable instant T+0 transfers, provide yield on tokenized stocks and integrate with DeFi protocols.
Notably, tokenized assets will be made natively accessible to AI agents through the Cronos AI Agent SDK and its proof-of-identity standard.
The second engine, distribution, leverages Cronos’ integration with Crypto.com to provide seamless access to more than 150 million retail users to DeFi services, such as lending and staking.
Merchant adoption is expected to scale across 10 million eligible businesses, with Cronos products embedded within Crypto.com’s fiat rails and Project Cortex, its LLM-powered financial interface.
Cronos brings Web3 wallets to Crypto.com cards: New developments
The third engine, demand, will be anchored around CRO, the native token of Cronos. This includes support for CRO-powered ETFs in the U.S. and EU and partnerships with digital asset treasury companies to reinforce liquidity and CRO’s institutional utility.
Mirko Zhao, Head of Cronos Labs, outlines the role of infrastructure for the next phase of Cronos's progress and its new roadmap:
Blockchain must evolve from niche trading rails into true financial infrastructure. This roadmap is about tying tokenization, AI, and DeFi into one interoperable system that institutions and retail users alike can rely on. With our distribution through Crypto.com and a foundation of regulatory credibility, we believe Cronos is uniquely positioned to make that leap.
Cronos has already begun executing its roadmap, with recent upgrades delivering 10x faster block times (0.5s) and 10x cheaper gas fees, resulting in a 400% increase in daily transactions. By 2026, the chain targets $20 billion in CRO via public markets, $10 billion in tokenized assets deployed and 20 million users across CeFi and DeFi.
The roadmap also highlights Cronos's seamless bridge to everyday finance. In partnership with Crypto.com and leading DEXes like VVS Finance and H2 Finance, Cronos recently rolled out a feature linking Web3 wallets directly to the Crypto.com debit card.
Dan Burgin
Vladislav Sopov
U.Today Editorial Team