Crypto.com's native CRO token is in the spotlight for the second consecutive day, this time due to the actions of CEO Kris Marszalek.
After the Trump media deal on Tuesday, Marszalek outlined three possible scenarios for CRO's performance in 2026.
Does the future of CRO depend on cash flows from Trump Media and the roadmap of Cronos?
The discussion comes less than 24 hours after the news that the long-awaited $6.42 billion acquisition of CRO by Trump Media will actually begin with a much smaller purchase of $200 million. Future buying power depends on guarantees and lines of credit.
In this context, Marszalek asks the community to assess how CRO can be traded depending on how much of Trump Media's SPAC money will flow into the token.
The scenarios vary widely, from $200 million in existing cash to $420 million if warrants are exercised, and a maximum of $5.42 billion if credit lines are fully utilized and combined with other financing.
Wondering what’s the community’s view on $CRO performance in 2026, under the following scenarios:
1. $200m existing SPAC cash deployed to buy $CRO after transaction completes.
2. $420m SPAC cash (including warrants proceeds) deployed to buy $CRO.
3. $5.42b cash+warrants+fully…
--- Kris | Crypto.com (@kris) August 27, 2025
The market's response was immediate. Some traders, like Francis Wong, argue that even the intermediate scenario could double the price of CRO compared to current levels.
He stated that the third scenario could potentially trigger a "surprise" rally driven by institutional confidence, retail speculation, and demand for Cronos ETF.
"This is about our current market value. At least double the price, excluding retail FOMO and ETF demand," Wong wrote.
Still, uncertainties remain. The third scenario, involving $5.42 billion in capital deployment, would fundamentally alter the liquidity and market structure of CRO.
At the same time, it is also the least certain, given its dependence on external financing. Skeptics warn that market hype may be ahead of the realities of phased purchases. Others also cite possible regulatory scrutiny related to Trump Media's strategy.
Cronos's roadmap and agreement with Trump Media drive new momentum for CRO.
The optimism coincides with the publication of Cronos's 2025–2026 roadmap, which has been dubbed the "Golden Age of On-Chain Dominance."
The roadmap emphasizes large-scale user acquisition through Crypto.com's more than 150 million customers. It also highlights infrastructure upgrades that reduce gas costs by nearly ten times and allow for 0.5-second block times.
Meanwhile, Cronos's strategy focuses on three growth engines:
Compatible tokenization tools accessible to AI systems,
Deep integration with conventional payment rails via Crypto.com, and
Unlocking institutional-level liquidity through ETFs, ETPs, and CRO vault products.
However, the dual narrative of the phased acquisition of CRO by Trump Media and the long-term roadmap of Cronos has injected new energy into a token that many critics previously considered stagnant.
Cronos Price Performance (CRO). Source: BeInCrypto
At the time of this report, CRO was trading at $0.2194, up nearly 40% in the last 24 hours.
Market observers are recalibrating their expectations by reformulating Trump Media's $6.42 billion valuation into a staggered strategy starting at $200 million.
Did you see how much $CRO Trump owns??
COINCIDENCE?? pic.twitter.com/n4iADlH1aG
--- 21 Million.212 (@Blockchainwork5) August 26, 2025
The immediate impact may be less dramatic than initially assumed. However, the structured scalability of purchases may provide more sustainable support for CRO. Nevertheless, this depends on the funding paths being accessed progressively.
As 2026 approaches, will CRO follow a cautious path of incremental adoption, the stronger momentum of expanded guarantees, or the explosive acceleration of a multi-billion dollar liquidity shock?
The response may dictate the price trajectory of the token and Cronos's claim to institutional relevance.
Elsewhere, there is still significant FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) surrounding the Cronos ecosystem, fueled by on-chain detective ZachXBT.
This follows Crypto.com's move earlier this year to reverse the burn of 70 billion CRO tokens, which was initially promoted as a permanent burn, increasing the token supply by 70%.
"The crypto exchange Crypto.com had a massive incident that they covered up in the past and never made public. (I'm simply not authorized to disclose details right now.) ZachXBT on Trump Media's $1 billion acquisition of CRO for the Treasury: PVP, you distributed CRO tokens that you reissued from nothing earlier this year by forcing a governance proposal that increased the total supply of CRO by 2.33x," InfinityHedge reported, citing ZachXBT.
The article 3 scenarios for CRO in 2026 after the Trump Media deal was first seen on BeInCrypto Brazil.