A year ago few people knew the difference between bitcoin and Coinbase. Now some of the best talent is leaving fortune 500 companies to go work in cryptocurrency and Web3. People are calling it a ‘once in a generation' opportunity. What happened?

Crypto and Web3 are beginning to shift from purely a future-promising technology to having a tangible role in day-to-day lives. The keyword here is beginning. This technology is extremely early and the company that can make its benefits accessible while normalizing its new behaviors will have an opportunity to transform the future.

Meet Coinbase.

Coinbase is creating the safest, most accessible way for everyday people to get involved in the crypto economy — and investing is only the beginning. Coinbase has a vision of becoming a new kind of global bank, one that allows everyone, including the unbanked populations of the world, to participate in the global economy and not only invest, but store, send, and use money across borders without the restrictions that governments and traditional banking institutions impose. That means no getting turned away for having no credit. No international fees. No currency exchanges. All you need is a cell phone and an internet connection. Coinbase calls this mission increasing global economic freedom. Put simply, when money can move freely, people can too.

The only problem is, crypto is a threat to existing institutions. Coinbase knows this and is one of the only crypto companies working closely with governments to make the transition from fiat (traditional) money to crypto go as smoothly as possible. They also have an institutional side that enables traditional economic institutions to invest in cryptocurrency. That presents an interesting brand problem:

How do you create an identity capable of ushering in a new age of economic freedom while providing the trust, security, and accessibility of today’s banking world?

To answer this question, we worked closely with the design team at Coinbase to build a new visual identity that included: a custom typeface, logos, color palette, layouts, motion, and comprehensive set of brand guidelines.

Our design approach struck a balance between the trusted elements of the financial world and the need for greater humanity & accessibility. The typography is inspired by the monospaced typefaces historically used in financial documents and wayfinding symbols while the layout system allows for all the flexibility and dynamism of a global market that stays open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Coinbase is creating the safest, most accessible way for everyday people to get involved in the crypto economy.

How do you create an identity capable of ushering in a new age of economic freedom while providing the trust, security, and accessibility of today’s banking world?

To answer this question, we worked closely with the design team at Coinbase to build a new visual identity that included: a custom typeface, logos, color palette, layouts, motion, and comprehensive set of brand guidelines.

Our design approach struck a balance between the trusted elements of the financial world and the need for greater humanity & accessibility. The typography is inspired by the monospaced typefaces historically used in financial documents and wayfinding symbols while the layout system allows for all the flexibility and dynamism of a global market that stays open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Credits:

Coinbase Team — Kevyn Arnott, Dominic Flask, Wes Janisen, Marion Link, Isaac Park, Daryl Rogers, Elliott Tran, Frank Yoo
Partners — Never Sit Still, Where Giants Roam, Bobby Tannam, Jürgen Branz, Menura Studio

Credits:

Coinbase Team — Kevyn Arnott, Dominic Flask, Wes Janisen, Marion Link, Isaac Park, Daryl Rogers, Elliott Tran, Frank Yoo
Partners — Never Sit Still, Where Giants Roam, Bobby Tannam, Jürgen Branz, Menura Studio