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Cryptocurrency is gaining widespread popularity, and the designs of their logos and identities can significantly influence our trust and investment decisions.
A logo forms the initial impression of a company, particularly when it comes to investing our hard-earned money, as it is often the first element people notice.
That's why in this article I analyze the top cryptocurrencies and their logos to give you my insights on what's good vs. bad about their design.
The crypto space is similar to banks, in the sense that both rely heavily on consumer trust and secure transactions to build their reputation and ensure user confidence.
Below are the top crypto logos with my breakdown of their visual aesthetics to guide you in your logo design process.
Bitcoin is the first and most popular cryptocurrency.
The design of the Bitcoin logo has notable strengths, such as the reference to a dollar sign, linking it to familiar financial symbols.
The bold and unique sans serif font stands out, and the orange color makes the logo more noticeable.
However, the logo has its drawbacks, appearing somewhat generic.
Additionally, the mismatch between the serif "B" in the logo and the sans serif wordmark, along with the disproportional sizing between them, detracts from its overall coherence.
Ethereum is one of the two most well-known cryptocurrencies for many people and is significantly different from Bitcoin.
The combination of triangular shapes and pastel colors creates a memorable visual representation of a diamond—triangles symbolize balance and stability.
However, using lowercase letters and a light font impacts the visibility of the wordmark.
Tether is the third biggest cryptocurrency by market capitalization in the world.
The Tether logo features a solid white, uppercase "T" with a white orbit around its vertical line.
The color "calm sea green" conveys a sense of modernity and balance combined with white, evokes a sense of trustworthiness and professionalism.
but on the other hand, the initial letter of the wordmark does not resemble the uppercase "T" from the logo.
Binance offers low fees, which means, traders get to keep more of their investments and earnings compared to other competitors.
Binance utilizes negative space in their logo design featuring two overlapping squares paired together with vibrant golden-yellow color.
Squares represent stability; golden yellow represents wealth.
It works great with uppercase letters and bold font.
Solana is among the fastest Ethereum competitors in the market.
Their logo contains three parallel rectangles stacked on each other to form a prominent letter "S", to indicate the first letter of their brand name.
The colors create an attractive gradient effect that blends from blue to purple.
Moreover, the customized angular font not only improves the readability of the wordmark but also adds modern characteristics.
Litecoin is a cryptocurrency that emerged as one of the earliest alternatives to Bitcoin, offering faster transaction confirmation times and a different hashing algorithm.
Litecoin uses a distinctive first letter of its name - similar to Bitcoin.
However, the “Ł” letter exists in some alphabets like Polish e.g. (my origins) and the pronunciation is very different from “L” and may cause some confusion.
On top of that, the symbol uses bold uppercase letter while the wordmark is not.
USD Coin is a type of stablecoin, which is a form of cryptocurrency that is pegged to the value of a stable asset, typically a fiat currency like the US Dollar (USD).
The "USD" encapsulated within a circle reflects the essence of the United States Dollar and a coin.
The combination of blue and white colors expresses the quality of trust in cryptocurrencies.
However, the inconsistency of letter capitalization between "USD" and "Coin" affects the harmony of the logo.
Cardano was founded by Charles Hoskinson, one of the co-founders of Ethereum.
The most interesting thing about Cardano logo, is the hidden representation of a Vitruvian Man which is drawn using the famous golden ratio.
The hidden symbol expresses balance, proportion, and harmony
Nevertheless, it appears generic as both logo and wordmark use the same color.
Avalanche is a blockchain platform for decentralized applications and custom blockchains, focusing on high performance, scalability, and flexibility.
The logo features a minimalist design representing a white mountain within a red circle, symbolizing both passion and purity.
The classic style serif font and spacing on each letter contribute clarity and readability of the wordmark.
Polkadot was founded by Dr. Gavin Wood, one of the co-founders of Ethereum.
The Polkadot logo consists of six distinct-colored dots arranged in a circular formation—signifies connectivity and interoperability.
The distinctive pink color provides a vibrant and fun attitude which makes the logo standout among other brands.
It is perfectly balanced and harmonious because of the circular pattern of the dots; complemented by simple and bold typography.
Tron is a decentralized blockchain-based operating system created by Tron Foundation last 2017.
The TRON logo cultivates modern aesthetic design with a striking red color that helps captivate attention.
The red interconnected lines express connectivity, technology, and decentralization, which are important ideas for Tron.
However, it uses stylized uppercase letters and a regular font style that lessens the visibility of the wordmark.
Dogecoin is a cryptocurrency inspired by a meme of a dog named Shiba Inu.
He is known for his raised eyebrows and playful expression.
The serif and bold letter “D” feature the initial letter of the wordmark "Dogecoin" on the logo.
We can easily distinguish that placing the letter "D" atop the dog's image is not a good solution.
Overall, it lacks clarity, balance, and harmony.
I hope you learned something from my breakdown of the aesthetics of top cryptocurrency branding.
An effective logo is more than the sum of its parts.
The colors and shapes you choose for your logo send an immediate message to the people who see it.
You may choose to use a fancy font, but your first consideration should always be readability.
Therefore, every decision you make when you design a logo can have an impact on the way your brand is perceived.
I'm a branding expert who's passionate about cryptocurrency industry.
If you ever need help with your crypto logo—Check out my services page and shoot me an email.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I'm a branding expert and graphic designer based in NY. I specialize in the development of brands: brand strategy, identity & web design. Need help with your project?—Get in touch
