Stellar is the blockchain network and open-source payment protocol developed by the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF), a San Francisco-based nonprofit. Its native digital asset, Stellar Lumens (XLM), uses the same visual identity. The Stellar logo has undergone two significant redesigns: a 2019 refresh that replaced the project’s long-running cartoon rocket ship, and a 2023 rebrand that moved away from celestial imagery entirely.
Design and History
In March 2019, the Stellar Development Foundation announced a new logo designed by the Swedish design firm Kurppa Hosk. The foundation established three guiding principles for the redesign: the logo had to be versatile across media, friendly and inclusive, and functional as a currency symbol that could stand in for the coin and eventually work inline in sentences like $ or €. The new mark replaced the cartoon rocket ship that had defined the brand, though it retained a space-exploration theme. The resulting design resembled the letter “S” and the planet Saturn, with a “planetary” circle motif intended to work as a currency symbol. The official stellar.org redesign launched in May 2019.[1][2][3]
In September 2023, Stellar unveiled a new brand identity built around the tagline “Where Blockchain Meets the Real World.” The foundation stated that the space concepts of constellations, lines, dots, swirls, and the iconic purples and blues “no longer captured Stellar.” The 2023 rebrand replaced the celestial-themed branding with a more grounded, utility-focused identity.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2019 logo was designed to work as a currency symbol, similar to the dollar or euro signs. The foundation stated that the logo would represent Stellar Lumens on its own and, in the future, would need to work inline in sentences as $ and € do. The design firm Kurppa Hosk developed the mark with this requirement in mind, producing a symbol that resembles the letter “S” and the planet Saturn.[2][3]
The 2023 rebrand marked a deliberate departure from the space theme. The foundation explained that the celestial concepts and the “iconic purples and blues” no longer represented the organization’s focus on real-world utility. The new identity centers on the tagline “Where Blockchain Meets the Real World.”[4]
Typography and Design
The 2023 brand system includes a Stellar Monogram that is incorporated into both the Stellar and Stellar Development Foundation logos. The official SDF Brand Guide provides detailed instructions for logo usage, including spacing rules where the clearance metric X is equal to half the height of the Stellar monogram.[5]
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