Crypto isn't short for anything. It derives from the Greek kryptós (meaning hidden), and acts like an adjective in words like cryptography, cryptology, and cryptanalysis.
People absolutely use crypto as a shortened form of cryptography and cryptocurrency.
It is not an adjective it is a prefix, which is part of a word.
Words can mean more then one thing so it can be a shortened form of a word and a word all on its own, but I've never seen crypto used as a complete word.
I don't see why where it is derived from is relevant.
> in comparison to crypto.
I'm somewhat saddened to see Snowden adopt the highly questionable practice of shortening the term "cryptocurrency" to "crypto".