Did you know the #Bitcoin logo we use today wasn’t the original? Its evolution reflects the community’s earliest debates about identity, symbolism and usability.
In February 2010, #Bitcointalk user #NewLibertyStandard proposed two things:
• adopting the Thai baht symbol (฿) for Bitcoin
• using BTC as the three-letter currency code
BTC caught on immediately. The symbol sparked debate. Some disliked borrowing from an existing currency; others argued that using a symbol already present in global keyboards and systems would accelerate adoption.
#HalFinney joined the discussion, noting the dollar sign originally had two vertical bars, a subtle nod that helped push the Bitcoin community toward a similar aesthetic.
Later that month, #Satoshi released a new logo: still a gold coin, but now featuring a B with two partial vertical strokes, distinguishing it from the baht (whose bar passes fully through). It was an improvement, though not universally loved.
That changed on November 1st, 2010, when forum user bitboy introduced a new design:
• flat, modern, and bright orange
• the tilted ₿ we all recognise today
The community embraced it instantly. Within months, the gold coin motif disappeared entirely. Bitcoin finally had a symbol that felt contemporary, global and native to the internet.
A final milestone came years later when researcher Ken Shirriff succeeded in adding the Bitcoin symbol to Unicode. Before this, people resorted to pasting images or using the baht symbol as a workaround. His Unicode proposal was accepted, making ₿ an officially recognised character. He later donated the bitcoin he received in thanks to fund clean-water projects in Africa.
From BC → ฿ → ₿, Bitcoin’s visual identity emerged the same way its technology did: openly, collaboratively and through community consensus.
Read the full story:
https://www.historyofbitcoin.io/timeline/a-symbolic-day
Artwork: A Symbolic Day by Marinel Sheu, featured in the History of Bitcoin Collector’s Book and interactive timeline.
#BitcoinArt #Art #DigitalArt
