Update July 26, 1:20 PM UTC: This article has been updated to include a quote from Nexo’s Eleonor Genova.
Elon Musk’s X is causing waves in the cryptocurrency community once again by removing the cryptocurrency emoji that has been in use for more than four years.
The cryptocurrency community on X is wondering why several cryptocurrency emojis, including Bitcoin (BTC), have been removed from the social media platform.
According to multiple reports, X deleted the Bitcoin hashtag emoji and several other cryptocurrency emojis on July 25.
Community requests Bitcoin emojis with Unicode
The cryptocurrency community was quick to react to the news of the cryptocurrency emoji removal, with many industry advocates expressing sadness over the disappearance of the emoji.
“Freedom and freedom of expression are fundamental reasons why many of us have embraced Bitcoin. Although seemingly small, the Bitcoin emoji represents a great idea that, like the peace sign, played a vital role in ending wars,” Eleonor Genova, Nexo’s head of communications, told Cointelegraph.
According to Genova, there is an “urgent need for an independent and universal digital symbol,” and the responsibility now falls on Unicode. She said it is unacceptable for a community that has “changed the world economy in just 15 years after years of research” to have multiple emojis while none of them are related to money and the dollar.
“Bitcoin is not just an asset, it’s a revolution that deserves to be recognized,” Genova said.
X’s removal of cryptocurrency emoji isn’t limited to Bitcoin.
As the cryptocurrency emoji purge continues, some industry insiders have speculated that removing the Bitcoin emoji from X could have a negative impact on its price. However, the purge wasn’t limited to BTC.
Other coins, including Kronos (CRO) and BNB (BNB), have also had their hashtags removed from X since their creation in 2020.
As previously reported, X co-founder Jack Dorsey officially unveiled the Bitcoin emoji in February 2020. At the time, Bitcoin was trading at around $10,000, according to data from CoinGecko.
Emoji removal occurred at the Bitcoin 2024 conference.
The timing of the move has puzzled some observers, as it comes just as the Bitcoin 2024 conference begins in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 25.
Related: Elon Musk slams EU for ‘illegal’ free press deal
The conference is expected to feature several high-profile speakers, including Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who calls himself a pro-crypto candidate and is scheduled to speak at the conference on July 27.
Before removing cryptocurrency emojis from X, Musk added a dedicated emoji for the Trump-themed memecoin MAGA (TRUMP) on July 18. The MAGA emoji has also been removed from X.
The emoji features the former president raising his fist in the air after surviving an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in mid-July. Musk shared a photo shortly after the shooting and declared that he “fully” supports Trump as a presidential candidate.
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