Crypto platform Nexo and more than 35 prominent organizations in the cryptocurrency space have joined forces to push for an official Bitcoin (BTC) emoji.
According to the announcement made on April 2, the initiative — “Bitcoin Deserves an Emoji” — aims to secure 50,000 endorsements worldwide.
Within a week of the launch, over 10,000 individuals signed the petition, which was addressed to the Unicode Consortium, the governing body responsible for standardizing emojis across platforms.
Among the organizations backing the campaign are Brink, Bitget, Chainalysis, Kraken, Polygon, Brave and BTC Inc.
According to Kosta Kantchev, co-founder and executive chairman of Nexo, Bitcoin’s market dominance and widespread adoption necessitate its representation through a “unified symbol on all keyboards.” Kantchev added:
“With 1.26 billion total Bitcoin addresses and 190,000+ professionals and tech pioneers pushing the global community forward, the Bitcoin Emoji is long overdue.”
The push for a Bitcoin emoji is not only a symbolic gesture but also a reflection of the crypto community’s unity and determination to advance the adoption of Bitcoin worldwide.
Drawing inspiration from past emoji campaigns, such as Taco Bell’s quest for a taco emoji and Tinder’s advocacy for an interracial couple icon, the initiative behind Bitcoin Deserves an Emoji aims to create momentum enough to spark action from Unicode.
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Cointelegraph spoke to Eleonor Genova, the head of communications at Nexo, who called the campaign “the heartbeat of a global movement, resonating with the dreams of a vast community.”
“Emojis, today’s digital lingua franca, play a critical role in how we communicate emotions, intentions, and concepts. For Bitcoin… an emoji would not only symbolize its legitimacy but also serve as an essential tool for education and mainstream acceptance.”
She highlighted that the initiative is not just a call for representation of the crypto community but a step toward Bitcoin’s impact on the world while democratizing its presence and fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation among the global audience.
“While traditional currencies were quick to find their emoji counterparts, the cryptocurrency realm, with Bitcoin leading the charge, remains conspicuously absent from this digital form of expression.”
As Bitcoin becomes more prominent in mainstream discourse — especially after the United States Securities and Exchange Commission approved the country’s first spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in January — its influence stretches beyond cryptocurrency.
“Now imagine Bitcoin not just living in wallets and exchanges, Crypto Twitter and crypto media,” Genova said, “but living across billions of screens worldwide as its very own emoji symbol.”
She called the moment the “collective responsibility” of the industry to champion this cause and extend it to every Bitcoin user.
“We’ve moved beyond the jargon of past bull runs and the fear of the past crypto winter; it’s time to recognize Bitcoin for what it truly is — a culture, not just a mere fleeting trend.”
The push for an official emoji comes after Bitcoin recently hit an all-time high, and the community prepares for the cryptocurrency’s fourth halving event, which is expected to occur later this month.
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