The Art of Naming Cryptocurrency Projects: How Creative Can They Be to Be Remembered?

Author: Deep Tide TechFlow

"Anonymous pawn, or a name that resonates worldwide?"

This line from the classic game "Cyberpunk 2077" inspires every heart trying to make a name in the cyber world, and it equally applies to the attention-scarce crypto market.

In the world of martial arts, a name is paramount.

For a crypto project to succeed, it must first have an impressive name.

In the English-dominated crypto world, various obscure and hard-to-understand project names emerge, mostly aiming for a sense of grandeur and high status.

To be remembered, project naming can be quite competitive.

If naming is an art, then among the hundreds of thousands of crypto projects, naming strategies can actually be divided into different schools.

Astrophysics School

To be grand, science is essential.

Some crypto projects prefer to embrace science in their naming, ideally something that ordinary people find difficult to grasp but still feels impressive.

Thus, grand terms from disciplines like astronomy, physics, and chemistry become the hot favorites for naming.

Hotspot: Cosmos Ecosystem

Cosmos: Derived from the Greek word "κόσμος" (kosmos), meaning "order" or "world," it refers to the entire orderly and harmonious universe in ancient Greek philosophy. It is suitable for conveying concepts of wholeness and infinity, making it an appropriate name for a project dedicated to establishing a broad, interconnected blockchain network or ecosystem.

Atom: Originating from the Greek word "ἄτομος" (atomos), meaning "indivisible," it was initially used to describe the most basic, indivisible particles of matter. This name emphasizes its foundational nature, indicating that it is an indispensable part of blockchain technology.

Osmosis: The Greek word "ὠσμός" (osmos) refers to the natural movement of solutes or water through a semipermeable membrane in biology. It is suitable for emphasizing the liquidity and interaction of data or assets within the blockchain network.

Additionally, there is Galaxy (renamed Galxe), which belongs to the same astronomical concept but with a clearer intention, meaning "galaxy," emphasizing its vast scale capable of accommodating numerous project launches for marketing.

Ragnarok School

If the scientific naming is materialistic, another category of projects adopts an idealistic approach—borrowing names and symbols from ancient mythology to convey the project's mystery and profound significance.

When searching for the etymology of such projects, you'll find that their names primarily originate from two categories: Greek mythology and Norse mythology.

As the crypto market has developed, the famous deities from these two mythologies have made their appearances one after another.

Hotspot: L1/L2, DeFi

Thorchain/swap: The highly recognized Thor, from Norse mythology, symbolizes strength and security; thanks to the portrayal of Thor in the Avengers, the author often feels an illusion of seeing lightning while interacting.

Zeus Network: Zeus, the father of the gods in Greek mythology, perhaps attempts to showcase the project's leadership and authority in its field.

Poseidon: The sea god in Greek mythology, governing the oceans, is quite fitting for expressing the intention of asset flow in DeFi.

Odyssey: Arbitrum previously held an ecological incentive event called Odyssey, derived from the Greek epic "Odyssey," describing the adventurous journey of the hero Odysseus.

Metis: The previously skyrocketing L2, derived from the Greek goddess of wisdom, who was Zeus's first wife.

Hermes: The god of commerce and travel in Greek mythology, aptly named for a DEX, making trading seem very appropriate.

Affix School

Unlike the single-word names of the previous two categories, some projects combine concepts through "affixes" and "reduplication," creating a rare yet impressive feeling.

Perhaps looking obscure makes it easier to be remembered.

From the author's observation, the more impressive the infrastructure project, the more likely it follows this trend.

Hotspot: Overvalued Infrastructure Projects

"Tia" word formation school:

Celestia: Derived from the Latin root "celeste" (heavenly, sky), with the suffix "-ia" added. Indeed, data availability is up in the sky, available for your calling.

Initia: Directly from the Latin "initium," meaning "beginning" or "origin." It may refer to taking care of everything from the start; see our other analysis "Interpreting Initia: Move-in Ready, Conveniently Customizable Full-Chain Modular Rollup Network."

"Layer" word formation school:

AltLayer: Literally translated as alternative layer, it subtly implies "why does your next application chain need to be built by itself?"

EigenLayer: A well-known major project, but "Eigen" actually means "own" or "specific" in German, i.e., "a specific layer."

SmartLayer: Comparatively easier to understand, suggesting that the project adds intelligence or automation features on the existing technology layer.

Delicious School

Don't get us wrong; we are not talking about egg yolk pie.

Unlike the grand infrastructure project names, crypto applications tend to be more down-to-earth, with the most common names being easily accessible foods around us, such as fruits and bread.

Hotspot: DeFi

For instance, with Cake and Bake, cakes and bread are all available, while other foods from around the world are also competing, with Sushi, Cherry, Burger, Gelato, Taco, and more emerging one after another.

Retail investors can lose their wallets but cannot go hungry.

Parasitic School

Another category of projects adopts a strategy of riding on the coattails of popularity:

Rather than coming up with a new name, it is better to expand based on a name that already has traffic, achieving perfect parasitism.

If you don't understand this strategy, recall the new king TAO from the last AI bull market; when TAO skyrocketed, many ecological projects immediately emerged, and their names confirmed the aforementioned parasitic strategy.

Taopad, Taobank, Taodex, Taoevm… with the prefix TAO, prices soared.

There is also another form of parasitism, stemming from the powerful mental control of certain words.

For example, the word Meme inherently carries strong attraction and recognition, leading countless projects to rush to name their tickers MEME.

Positioning key intentions makes it easier to gain traffic and funding.

A more recent hot example comes from the debate between PolyHedra and zkSync, both wanting to use the token name $ZK. The former accused the latter of bullying by using the ZK symbol, while they themselves faced ridicule from the community.

Stepping outside the debate, we can see how precious the letters ZK are; a good name can always represent a unique image in a simple way, and whoever can first parasitize this name can occupy the users' minds.

Sometimes, a name is the meaning itself.

To Avoid Clichés, Must One Not Be Forgotten?

The competition among various schools reveals the attention anxiety of crypto projects.

The cruelest thing in the crypto market is being forgotten; being ignored means having value without a market, directly declaring the project's soft death.

Therefore, coming up with a good name that aligns with various intentions is the first step to resisting amnesia.

But will being unconventional truly prevent forgetfulness?

Unlike the tendency to align with grand imagery, naming in Meme projects appears very casual—Cat with a Mouth, Dog with a Hat, Your Bald Head, My Friend… various approachable and humorous images emerge one after another, with the myth of getting rich with a golden dog still resonating.

Although a Meme project with a cliché name is easily forgotten, the projects that emerge are more likely to be spread.

However, the focus of victory or defeat has never been on the name.

Bitcoin has the most mundane name but holds the most eternal kingship; challengers with increasingly impressive names come and go, gradually forgotten amid the historical fluctuations of bull and bear markets.

The battles in the crypto arena will continue to unfold; who is Li Kui, and who is Li Gui, will be revealed in the duel.