Nano is a digital currency project that launched in 2018 after a rebrand from RaiBlocks. Its visual identity centers on a logo built from connected nodes that form the letter “N,” a design directly tied to the network’s underlying block-lattice architecture.
Design and History
In January 2018, the cryptocurrency project RaiBlocks officially rebranded to Nano. The core team said it wanted a name that represented the simplicity and speed of the project, and “Nano does just that.” The rebrand included a new logo and a new website at nano.org.[1]
The new logo uses several nodes, playing on the block-lattice design of the network, that connect to form an “N.”[1] The block-lattice is the network’s underlying architecture, where each account maintains its own blockchain, and the node-based “N” mark was described as a pictorial representation of that structure.[2]
The decision to rebrand was not taken lightly. The team discussed the name’s pronunciation issues (“Is it, ray or rye?,” “Ditch the Blocks!,” “Just call it Rai!”) and community feedback suggested improvements were needed to resonate with a mainstream audience. The team acknowledged that some community members found “Nano” generic, but considered that a positive, since the goal was to appeal to mainstream audiences.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The logo’s node-based design is not purely decorative. The nodes reference the block-lattice structure of the Nano network, where each account operates its own blockchain rather than competing for space on a single chain. The connected nodes forming an “N” visually communicate this distributed architecture.[2]
In 2023, the project introduced a separate currency symbol (Ӿ, ticker XNO) distinct from the organization’s logo. The Nano Foundation noted that “a currency symbol is not a logo” and that the new symbol exists in the public domain, with no entity or business holding legal rights to it.[4]
Typography and Design
The Nano brand uses a blue color palette. Brand asset aggregators list the primary blue as hex code #209CE9.[5] Official logo assets are distributed in several versions, including badge and square-rounded badge formats in both blue and white.[6]
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