16 years ago Satoshi Nakamoto unveiled an early visual identity for Bitcoin: a gold coin with letters suggesting its name.

Forum discussion and the ticker

On BitcoinTalk, users suggested adding a 'T', and that proposal produced the ticker BTC, even though the original icon lacked that character. The change in ticker conventions occurred during community debate rather than formal standardization, reflecting grassroots development of nomenclature.

Design evolution

Over time the initial 'C' was dropped and the 'B' acquired two vertical strokes, moving the emblem toward a more distinctive glyph for the project. An anonymous forum contributor later proposed the orange circular sign that became widely recognized as Bitcoin's emblem.

Adoption and role

The orange mark and the BTC ticker are now commonly used across exchanges, wallets, and media as a shorthand for the cryptocurrency and its units. The symbol's development illustrates collaborative visual refinement by participants rather than attribution to a single designer.

Context for the anniversary

The anniversary highlights how early forum exchanges shaped core identifiers for decentralized projects and how informal contributions can become enduring elements of a project's public image. Community retrospectives often revisit the discussion threads that produced these changes.