Binance, the cryptocurrency exchange founded by Changpeng Zhao (CZ) in July 2017, uses a gold-yellow diamond-shaped emblem built from two overlapping diagonal squares. The mark is widely recognized across the crypto industry, appearing on the exchange’s platform, mobile apps, and the BNB token associated with the brand.
Design and History
The origin of the Binance logo was documented directly by CZ in a 2018 Medium post, later republished on Binance’s official Square platform. According to CZ, the design process began about sixteen months before that post, when the team tried many variations. The goal was to represent the bids and asks on the exchange with two squares, while also echoing the “binary” word in the company name, since Binance is a portmanteau of “Binary Finance.”[1]
An early version placed two squares directly on top of each other, which CZ said looked too much like a digital “8.” Although that number is considered lucky in Chinese culture, the result did not feel right. Binance’s designer, identified only as Tang, then made several variations. CZ noticed two diagonal squares placed on top of each other with a slight overlap, a configuration he found appealing because the overlap between buying and selling logically leads to trading.[2]
The design continued to evolve. CZ described adding a larger square as a backdrop, which represented the platform itself, the place where trading happens. The logo still looked weak at that stage, so prominent designers thickened the lines. This change produced three smaller blocks in the middle that formed a chain, which CZ interpreted as a blockchain, with the middle block representing trades such as those on a decentralized exchange.[3]
The final mark is balanced on its point, symmetrical both horizontally and vertically. CZ noted that the team considered placing the square on one of its sides, but that looked odd and disrupted the symmetry, which mattered to them as an exchange.[3]
In December 2018, CZ had the Binance logo tattooed on his arm in Singapore alongside CoinMarketCap’s Luke Wagman and a friend named Gareth. In the Medium post commemorating the event, CZ framed the tattoo as a demonstration of loyalty, writing that Binance was “here to stay” and serious about building a lasting brand.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The two overlapping squares represent bids and asks on the exchange, and their overlap signifies the point where trades occur. The name “Binance” itself combines “binary” and “finance,” a concept echoed in the paired geometric structure of the mark.[1]
The thicker lines in the final version created three smaller blocks in the center that form a chain, which CZ described as a blockchain. The middle block, he suggested, could represent trades such as those on a decentralized exchange.[3]
Some observers have noted that the internal structure of the diamond resembles a diagram of connected blockchain nodes. This resemblance was not part of the original design brief, which aimed for a simple geometric sign, but it became part of the brand’s mythology as users began describing the logo as a “blockchain diamond.”[5]
Typography and Design
When the full wordmark appears, it typically sits below the diamond symbol. The geometric construction of the mark relies on a consistent 45-degree rotation system, with the diamond being a square rotated on its point. Internal elements are arranged along the same diagonal axes, and this rotation motif extends into supporting graphics and patterns across Binance’s brand materials.[5]
Regarding color, the Binance brand palette has been recorded from publicly available brand guidelines as including Shark (#1E2329), a dark near-black, and Bright Sun (#FCD535), a vivid yellow-gold.[6] [7]
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