Core Identifiers
Base began as an internal experiment, mirrored from Coinbase, and has grown into an open canvas for anyone building onchain. These guidelines capture that shift. They are less a rulebook than a starter kit: here you'll find the non-negotiables that keep us recognizable and the flex zones that invite the community to remix. Use them to stay coherent, but never contained. If a choice makes Base clearer, more human, or more useful: do it, then share what you learned so the system keeps evolving.
The Square
This square is the canvas that expanded to represent our visual world. It is both icon and interface: a canvas for art, a frame within product, a beacon for our community. Simple geometry keeps recognition instant, while rounded corners give it a human pulse. Use the Square to say “Base lives here” without a word.
The Square
Shape
Exact radii keep the shape feeling friendly, never soft. Radius five percent with sixty percent smoothing is mandatory in every execution. Export as vector so the curve does not rasterize. Consistency here protects recognizability at every size.
The Square
Origin
The Square is born from the Coinbase Wallet logo, a pragmatic evolution that signals our shared DNA while staking out new territory. By isolating the interior pixel and letting it breathe, we found the purest symbol of being onchain: one block, endlessly composable.
The Square
Unicode
For text based environments we reserve 🟦. Use it in copy sparingly as a wink, not a crutch. Never replace the drawn icon with a system glyph in product UI.
The Square
Favicon
Use the blue in-product icon for consistent visibility in both light and dark modes.
The Square
App Icons
When the Square becomes an app icon or social avatar, place the blue Square on a white ground: no gradients, borders, or drop shadows. In a square canvas the icon occupies sixty percent of the height; in a circular mask, reduce to fifty percent. This ratio preserves breathing room so the soft radius reads even at sixteen pixels. Avoid color inversion unless required by dark-mode OS tints. Treat the Square like a stamp: bold, centered, instantly recognizable.
The Square
Color
The Square lives in only three shades: Base Blue, white, or black. Blue signals ownership, white signals canvas, black supports high-contrast environments such as OLED UIs and print.Never apply secondary palette fills, gradients, or transparency to the Square—bring color in through background or supporting graphics instead.When the icon sits on photography, add a four-pixel white key-line to guard clarity. All values reference the master palette in section 02 to ensure absolute consistency across screens and substrates.
The Square
Misuse
In order to maintain brand consistency and integrity, please adhere to all usage guidelines outlined in this document, and avoid any distortions of any kind.Do not use any colors other than black, white, and blue
Do not distort
Do not create your own square
Do not add special effects
The Square
In-use
Basemark
The Basemark is the Square in motion: four squares that point outward to imply growth. It is perfect for merch, design-layouts, and situations where the full logotype feels like it is not enough. When space is tight or speed is key, reach for the Basemark.
Basemark
Construction
The Basemark always lives on a one by one grid. Strokes sit forty percent in from each edge, with ten percent corner clearance. Maintain five percent corner radius and sixty percent smoothing for coherence with the Square.
Basemark
Color
Like the Square, the Basemark speaks in only three colors: Base Blue for ownership, pure white for breathing room, and deep black for high-contrast contexts. Never fill its open strokes with secondary palette hues or gradients; instead, introduce color through surrounding backgrounds or imagery. When placed over photography, add a four-pixel white or black key-line to protect legibility. Keep opacity at 100 percent, skip shadows and bevels, and always pull hex and Pantone values from the master palette to ensure one-to-one consistency across every medium.
Basemark
Misuse
In order to maintain brand consistency and integrity, please adhere to all usage guidelines outlined in this document, and avoid any distortions of any kind.Do not alter, rearrange or break apart the squares
Do not rotate the mark
Do not distort
Do not add special effects
Basemark
In-use
Logotype
Our logotype spells base in lowercase to feel approachable, modern, and code native. It is engineered to sit flush with the Square or stand on its own.
Logotype
Lockup
Our logotype spells base in lowercase to feel approachable, modern, and code native. It is engineered to sit flush with the Square or stand on its own.
Logotype
Lockup Correction
The square is scaled to fit the optical x-height of the logotype, taking into account the letters slight top and bottom overshoot. The space between the square and the logotype equals to 3 times the width of the b's stem.
Logotype
Usage
In most cases, the logo should be used in its locked up state. Occasionally, it could benefit from decoupling the elements to create dynamic layouts by Creative Office, where the square defines the space and the logotype acts as a sign-off.
As sign-off:Aligned to edge or middle.Always as a lockup.
In dynamic layouts:The logo and square can be decoupled; maintaining the same scale, but shifting horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.Never move the square to the right of the logotype.Aligned to edge or middle (or to grid subdivisions).Decoupling requires Creative Office approval.Logotype
Safe Space
The logo should maintain a clear space equal to that of the square on all sides, except in sub-brand or partnership scenarios. (see §5 and §10)
Logotype
Color
In most cases, the locked up logotype should remain in it's original color palette when used over white. In monochrome scenarios, the square and type can get the same color - usually white or black.
Logotype
Misuse
In order to maintain brand consistency and integrity, please adhere to all usage guidelines outlined in this document, and avoid any distortions of any kind.Do not adjust the spacing
Do not alter the sizes of each element
Do not type out your own wordmark
Do not alter the colors
Logotype
In Use
Usage
We have three core identifiers: The logotype, the abstracted Basemark and The Square. In a given scenario we can use either one, two, or all three - depending on the situation. We use the logotype when we need clear brand recognition, and the Basemark when we can be more playful and subversive.
Logotype / Lockup
Basemark
The Square
Usage
Layouts
We can apply our three brand elements in different ways, depending on context. Each one of them can be a hero, or serve as a sign-off device. They can stand on their own, or work in concert. A few key considerations when using the brand elements in layout:
- Maintain clear and consistent MARGINS across layouts.
- Utilize GRIDS for aligning and distributing elements.
- Use different PROPORTIONS when scaling brand elements; size them consistently, or use
CONTRAST in size, having one XL elements next to a small one.
