At a glance
- Design
- A white, stylized B with two vertical strokes inside an orange circle
- Designer of the familiar orange version
- Bitcoin forum contributor bitboy, building on Satoshi Nakamoto’s earlier symbol
- Introduced
- November 1, 2010
- First shared
- The Bitcoin forum, now known as Bitcointalk
- Common orange specification
- HEX #F7931A · RGB 247, 147, 26
- Rotation
- Approximately 14° clockwise
- Original release
- bitboy marked the artwork as public domain
- PANTONE CODE
- Campaign Underway. Please help us secure a Bitcoin Pantone Color. Learn more
How it evolved
- :
Satoshi Nakamoto’s original software used a gold coin icon containing “BC.”
- :
Satoshi introduced a revised gold icon with the B and two vertical strokes.
- :
bitboy shared the flat orange-and-white design, alongside buttons and merchant graphics.
- :
The Bitcoin text character ₿ entered Unicode 10.0.
Why the design works
Design analysis
- Simple composition: A single symbol and circular background create a clear focal point.
- Distinctive color: Orange provides a consistent visual cue across applications.
- Currency association: The vertical strokes connect the mark to familiar monetary symbols.
- Sense of movement: The tilted B adds energy to the stable circular shape.
- Versatility: The flat artwork adapts readily to screens, signage, merchandise, and print.
Using the logo
Use an existing SVG for scalable artwork and a high-resolution PNG when a raster image is required. Preserve the supplied proportions and allow enough surrounding space for the mark to remain clear.
Color specifications vary between community asset kits. Bitcoin Design documents #F7931A, while BitPay’s kit specifies #F2A900. Choose one asset source and apply it consistently.
The typed character ₿ is a currency sign, not an exact substitute for the logo artwork; its appearance depends on the font.
The Unicode symbol
Image: Bitcoin Design
The Unicode symbol for bitcoin (₿) was introduced in Unicode 10.0.0 on June 20, 2017. This important step established bitcoin as a currency symbol alongside the US Dollar ($), Euro (€), and others. As of mid-2021, few fonts support the symbol.
Source: Bitcoin Design
Sources and further reading
- Bitcoin Design — Visual history and logo downloads
- Satoshi Nakamoto — Original logo discussion
- bitboy — Orange logo announcement
- Unicode — Version 10.0
- BitPay — Bitcoin brand assets
Further design interpretation: Phil Wilson’s geometry and symbolism breakdown presents his account of the design’s construction and intent. Its claims about hidden meanings should be attributed to him rather than presented as established history.
Downloads
Logo files based on BitPay’s bitcoin-brand repository, recolored to Bitcoin orange #F7931A. SVG, PDF and EPS are vector; PNG is raster.
All files on this page use #F7931A.
License
These files are adapted (recolored) from BitPay’s original bitcoin-brand kit. BitPay’s repository is released under CC0 1.0 Universal. In its words: “To the extent possible under law, BitPay, Inc. has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to bitcoin-brand.”
Bitcoin Design logo downloads
For the #F7931A artwork, see Bitcoin Design’s visual language guide.