The Solana logo is quickly becoming one of the most recognizable cryptocurrency logos in the blockchain world. Like Bitcoin’s (BTC) orange B, Dogecoin’s coveted dog, and Cardano’s iconic circular pattern, the SOL coin logo has become a rallying point for Solana believers.
But there’s more to Solana’s branding than meets the eye. In fact, if Anatoly Yakovenko and his fellow co-founders had had their way, the Solana ecosystem would have had a completely different name.
What inspired the sleek and simple logo, and why couldn’t Solana’s founders keep the name they originally chose?
Why is Solana called Solana?
Anatoly Yakovenko wrote the original white paper for the Solana network. To solve the scalability problems plaguing legacy blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH), Yakovenko theorized a new consensus mechanism called proof-of-history.
To turn his dream into reality, Yakovenko teamed up with Qualcomm colleagues who shared his vision. Together with Stephen Akridge and Greg Fitzgerald, the three developers split their time between actively coding innovative protocols and leisurely enjoying somewhat athletic activities.
When Solana was founded, one of the founding team’s favorite activities was surfing the thundering waves of Southern California’s dreamy coastline. Just north of San Diego, Yakovenko and his colleagues found inspiration in the churning Pacific waters of Solana Beach.
Solana Beach and its salty cauldron were the perfect backdrop for the early development stages of the Solana blockchain. After the team’s original network name fell through, it seemed right to pay homage to that location and name the protocol Solana.
What is a lampport?
Lamports are the smallest portion of a single SOL token. Just as BTC can be split into individual SATS, or Satoshi, SOL can also be split into individual RAMPS.
One Lamport is valued at exactly 0.000000001 SOL and is named after Leslie Lamport, a famous American computer scientist and mathematician who was Solana’s greatest technological influence.
What was Solana’s original name and why was it changed?
Although it seems strange to imagine that the network is now called anything other than Solana, the founders originally had a different name in mind for their technological masterpiece.
From the beginning, Yakovenko and the founding team envisioned weaving all the world’s blockchain transactions into one smooth, seamless network using a novel proof-of-history consensus mechanism. For this purpose, the protocol was originally named Loom, after a device widely used to weave complex tapestries.
But Solana’s co-founders were not the only team in the cryptocurrency industry with this vision. Around the same time that they were prototyping the Solana blockchain and PoH consensus mechanism, an Ethereum-based project using the name Loom was launched.
To avoid confusion and diverge from the project, the founders decided to name the network after Solana Beach, a small town where they used to surf and relax while designing the cryptocurrency’s most performing blockchain.
What is the Solana logo?
The sleek and simple Solana logo represents what the network offers users: a fast, beginner-friendly platform for interacting with blockchain technologies such as DeFi and NFTs.
The logo resembles a stylized ‘S’ made up of three separate lines containing a color gradient between futuristic green and purple hues. According to Solana, the angular and uniform graphic design, font, and logomark were inspired by the tech aesthetic of the 1980s.
It aims to convey a sense of speed by stacking three parallelograms, celebrating the concept of building a meaningful platform. Both Solana Laboratories and Solana Foundation use this logo.
The Solana SOL logo, letter logo, and other branding materials are available in multiple formats, including SVG and PNG, along with usage instructions on the Solana Branding site.
Will Solana’s logo or name change?
Although the protocol’s name has changed in the past, Solana has now established itself as one of the largest cryptocurrency projects in the space. It’s unlikely that Solana’s name will change anytime soon.
On the other hand, it is known that cryptocurrency logo changes occur frequently. Larger projects such as Shiba Inu (SHIB) and PolkaDot (DOT) have also rebranded their images.
That said, there are no official plans to update or rebrand the Solana logo.
On the flip side
- The color scheme of the Solana logo was chosen to look stylish and futuristic, but some people may find the fluorescent color gradient unattractive.
Why This Matters
The Solana logo is the face of the blockchain and the living, thriving ecosystem within the network. This is a unified banner for projects built on the chain and is often used to foster a sense of community among users and supporters.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may not claim any rights to the Solana logo. Full instructions can be found on Solana’s official site.
The Solana symbol is three parallelograms stacked on top of each other, filled with a color gradient from green to purple.
Originally planned to be called Loom, the protocol changed its name to avoid confusion with Ethereum-based projects launched around the same time.