Crypto.com Integrates DeFi Lending Protocol Morpho to Offer Stablecoin Yield on Cronos

Crypto.com is integrating with Morpho, the second-largest decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocol (with a Total Value Locked of approximately $7.7 billion), to bring yield-earning stablecoin markets to the Cronos blockchain.

Key Highlights of the Partnership:

• Yield Generation: Crypto.com users will be able to deposit wrapped Ether (CDCETH) and wrapped Bitcoin (CDCBTC) into Morpho vaults. They can then borrow stablecoins against this collateral to earn yield through the DeFi lending market.
• Seamless Access: Morpho's features, which are built on top of platforms like Aave and Compound, will be directly integrated into the Crypto.com platform to provide a "trusted user experience in the front, with DeFi infrastructure in the back," according to a Morpho co-founder.
• US Access Confirmed: The protocol will be accessible to US users. A Morpho co-founder clarified that while the US Genius Act prohibits stablecoin issuers from paying interest directly, lending a stablecoin and earning yield is a separate, permissible activity.

This move by Crypto.com follows a similar strategy by Coinbase, which recently integrated Morpho into its app to allow users to lend USDC and potentially earn yields of up to 10.8%, significantly higher than its standard 4.5% APY rewards.

The growing trend of major exchanges integrating DeFi lending directly into their apps is a core part of Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong's vision to turn the platform into a "super app" that can eventually replace traditional banks. This push into yield-generating products has prompted US financial institutions like the Bank Policy Institute (BPI) to urge Congress to close what they call "stablecoin loopholes," claiming the competition could drain trillions in deposits from the traditional banking system. Coinbase has publicly refuted these claims, arguing that stablecoin growth has not caused deposit outflows.

October 2025, Cryptoniteuae