All senses trace back to clippings of words derived from the prefix crypto-, developed at various times in the 20th and 21st centuries. During the 2010s and 2020s, the "cryptocurrency" sense has become the dominant sense. The "cryptography" sense predates that one; thus, a computer or math geek in earlier decades would be referring to cryptography when using this word. The "secret supporter or follower" sense is clipped from such terms as cryptofascist and cryptocommunist. The several informal senses in medicine referring to several microbe genera or the diseases they cause have existed since circa the mid-20th century.
All senses trace back to clippings of words derived from the prefix crypto-, developed at various times in the 20th and 21st centuries. During the 2010s and 2020s, the "cryptocurrency" sense has become the dominant sense. The "cryptography" sense predates that one; thus, a computer or math geek in earlier decades would be referring to cryptography when using this word. The "secret supporter or follower" sense is clipped from such terms as cryptofascist and cryptocommunist. The several informal senses in medicine referring to several microbe genera or the diseases they cause have existed since circa the mid-20th century.
Meanings
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, informal, uncountable) Clipping of cryptocurrency
Nigeria—the world's second-largest Bitcoin market after the United States—has banned the trading of cryptocurrencies. It's triggered anger among Nigerians who see cryptos as a safe haven in a battered economy. 2021 February 12, Fred Muvunyi, “Nigeria's cryptocurrency crackdown causes confusion”, in Deutsche Welle News, Deutsche Welle, archived from the original on 13 Feb 2021, World:
But to state and federal regulators and some members of Congress, the entry of crypto into banking is cause for alarm. 2021 September 5, Eric Lipton, Ephrat Livni, “Crypto’s Rapid Move Into Banking Elicits Alarm in Washington”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 10 Sep 2021:
So investors buy stablecoins not to make a profit but instead as a place to store money within the cryptocurrency infrastructure and to use when buying and selling other crypto assets. 2021 October 27, Jeanne Sahadi, “How stablecoin is different than other cryptocurrencies … and how it’s not”, in CNN Business:
Some Turks have turned to crypto as a way to protect their savings from skyrocketing inflation and the weakening of its currency, the lira. 2021 April 26, Ryan Browne, “A second bitcoin exchange collapses in Turkey amid crackdown on cryptocurrencies”, in CNBC, retrieved 26 Apr 2021:
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal, uncountable) Clipping of cryptography
BTW, Turing's test ideas had a lot of influence (so my crypto friends tell me) on various notions in Cryptography and Complexity such as interactive proofs and zero-knowledge protocols. 1989 June 12, Oded Maler, “Congratulations! You passed the Turing test.”, in comp.ai (Usenet):
The CIA is also very into crypto (which makes sense, as they are the home of spy versus spy), […] 2004, Chey Cobb, Cryptography For Dummies, page 20:
(countable, uncountable) A secret supporter or follower.
Martin of course is far too dishonest to be outright a crypto or fellow-traveller, but his main influence is pro-Russian and is certainly intended to be so, and I feel reasonably sure he would quislingise in the case of a Russian occupation, if he had not managed to get away on the last plane. 2016, George Orwell, Peter Davison, George Orwell: A Life in Letters:
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, informal, uncountable) Clipping of cryptococcus
With immune system damage come the infections associated with AIDS: PCP, MAC, toxoplasmosis, crypto, meningitis, thrush, lymphomas, CM, fungal infections, and many others. 1996 September 14, Michael Immel, “The Changing Story of a Virus”, in Gay Community News, page 7: