Documentation

Cronos background & design goals

Understand why Cronos exists, how it relates to Ethereum and other networks, and which problems it focuses on solving.

Background Design goals Ecosystem

Why Cronos

Cronos was created to bring scalable, low-latency smart contracts to the wider Crypto.com and EVM ecosystem. If you're new to Cronos, it may be helpful to glance at the Getting started overview first.

Instead of forcing users to choose between speed, cost and security, Cronos aims to offer:

  • Fast confirmations suitable for interactive dApps.
  • Predictable gas fees, even under load.
  • Full compatibility with Solidity tooling.
KEY IDEA Cronos is built as an EVM-first chain with opinionated choices around tooling and user experience.

Position in the ecosystem

Cronos fits into a multi-chain environment designed around different execution models. Ethereum remains the primary settlement layer, while Cronos focuses on practical, consumer-facing applications backed by fast EVM execution.

  • Mainnet Ethereum — security and settlement.
  • Other EVM chains — alternative scaling and fee models.
  • Cronos — a streamlined UX integrated with the Cronos Wallet and Crypto.com ecosystem.

Design goals

The network is structured around several guiding principles that also influence wallet behaviour and developer tooling (see Developer resources for practical workflows).

EVM-first
Contracts and tools work without modification.
Predictable UX
Consistent gas estimates and low-latency confirmations.
Transparency
Clear on-chain behaviour that users and validators can verify.

Key use cases

While Cronos is general-purpose, several categories strongly influence its roadmap:

  • DeFi — DEXs, lending, structured products.
  • NFTs & gaming — where fee stability matters.
  • Payments — fast, low-fee transfers.

To continue exploring the technical side, move on to the Architecture page.