Obyte (GBYTE) is a cryptocurrency platform that launched on December 25, 2016 under the name Byteball, before rebranding to Obyte in January 2019. The project uses a directed acyclic graph (DAG) structure rather than a traditional blockchain for its distributed ledger, with transactions linked directly to each other without blocks. [1] [2]
Design and History
The Obyte visual identity was introduced as part of a formal rebrand from Byteball, announced on January 16, 2019. The rebrand announcement described the change as a move toward real-world adoption and stated that the new name would be pronounced /oʊˈbaɪt/. The announcement also noted that a temporary visual identity and logo would be used initially, with plans to hire an external agency to develop a full visual identity to accompany the new name. [3]
The Obyte Wiki records January 17, 2019 as the date Byteball was rebranded to Obyte. [4] The rebrand was confirmed by third-party sources, which noted that Byteball was getting a new name, new logo and new identity. [5]
The current Obyte mark features a circular emblem. A community-developed app logo inspired by the Obyte logo was described as featuring a big circle, which also resembles a steering wheel, indicating that the circular form is a central element of the Obyte identity. [6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The circular motif in the Obyte identity aligns with the project’s technical architecture. Obyte refers to transactions as “storage units” or “units,” and in its DAG explorer, every circle (ball) in the graph represents a transaction. [7] The circular emblem can therefore be understood as a visual reference to the network’s transaction structure, though the project has not published an official statement confirming this interpretation.
Brandfetch lists Obyte’s brand colors as including the hex codes #456C91 and #1560BD, along with a light background color of #F0F4F9, indicating a blue-based palette rather than the gray and white scheme suggested in some unverified sources. [8]
Typography and Design
No official documentation has been published detailing the specific typeface used in the Obyte wordmark. The rebrand announcement indicated that a temporary visual identity and logo would be used initially, with an external agency to be hired for the full visual identity development, but no designer or agency has been publicly credited for the final mark. [3]
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