“Rise to Fame or Remain Unknown?”

This line from the opening dialogue of the classic game Cyberpunk 2077 stirs every heart striving to make a name in the cyber world, fitting equally well in the attention-scarce crypto market.

In the realm of crypto, reputation reigns supreme.

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

In the English-dominated crypto world, various obscure and incomprehensible English project names abound, mostly aiming for high-end appeal.

To be remembered, project naming can get quite extravagant.

If naming were an art, then the naming strategies of hundreds or thousands of crypto projects could be divided into different genres.

Related to Astrophysics

To aim for high-end appeal, science is essential.

Some crypto projects prefer to exalt science, preferably the kind that is elusive to ordinary people yet impressively scientific.

Thus, terms from disciplines like astronomy, physics, and chemistry have become the go-to choices for naming.

Prominent example: Cosmos ecology

• 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’s fitting for conveying the concepts of wholeness and infinity, making it an appropriate name for a project dedicated to building a vast, 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. Using this name emphasizes its fundamental nature, indicating it as an essential 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 a blockchain network.

In addition, there is Galaxy (which has been renamed Galxe), which has the same astronomical concept but has a clearer intention, meaning “Galaxy”, emphasizing its huge scale that can accommodate many project launch tasks for marketing.

Mythological Naming

If scientific naming is materialistic, another class of project names is more idealistic, borrowing names and symbols from ancient mythology to convey mystery and profound significance.

Researching the etymology of these projects reveals that their names mainly come from two sources: Greek mythology and Norse mythology.

As the crypto market has evolved, famous deities from these two mythologies have made repeated appearances.

Prominent example: L1/L2, Defi

• Thorchain/Swap: Highly renowned Thor, the Norse god of thunder, symbolizes strength and security. Thanks to the portrayal of Thor in the Avengers, one might even imagine seeing lightning on the screen while interacting with it.
• Zeus Network: Zeus, the father of gods in Greek mythology, perhaps aims to demonstrate the project’s leadership and authority in its field.
• Poseidon: The Greek god of the sea, who rules over the oceans, is used in DeFi to convey the idea of asset liquidity. It’s quite fitting.
• Odyssey: Arbitrum once held an ecosystem incentive event called Odyssey, derived from the Greek epic “The Odyssey,” which describes the adventurous journey of the hero Odysseus.
• Metis: A previously skyrocketing L2, Metis is named after the Greek goddess of wisdom and the first wife of Zeus.
• Hermes: The Greek god of commerce and travel, Hermes is a fitting name for a DEX, emphasizing the trading aspect.

Suffix-based Naming

Unlike the single-word names of the previous two categories, some projects combine concepts by using “affixes” and “reduplication,” creating a sense of obscurity yet impressiveness. Perhaps the more obscure it seems, the harder it is to forget. The more powerful the infrastructure project, the more it tends to follow this trend.

Prominent example: High-valuation Infrastructure Projects

“tia” suffix:

• Celestia：From the Latin root “celeste” (celestial, sky), with the added suffix “-ia”. Yes, data availability is in the sky, at your disposal.
• India: Directly from the Latin “initium,” meaning “beginning” or “origin.” It may mean that everything has been taken care of for you from the beginning. For details, please see our other analysis “Interpretation of Initia: A full-chain modular Rollup network that is easy to customize and move in with your bags”

“Layer” suffix:

• AltLayer: Directly translates to “alternative layer,” implying “why bother creating your own application chain when you have this alternative.”
• EigenLayer: A well-known major project. “Eigen” is German for “own” or “unique,” implying “a unique layer.”
• SmartLayer: Easier to understand, suggesting the project adds intelligence or automation on top of existing technology layers.

Related to delicious food name

Don’t get us wrong, we’re not talking about custard pies. Unlike the grandiose names of infrastructure projects, names for crypto applications are more down-to-earth, often using common and easily recognizable foods like fruits and bread.

Prominent example: DeFi

Examples include Cake and Bake, offering both cakes and bread, while other global foods are also in the mix. Sushi, Cherry, Burger, Gelato, and Taco are some of the many examples.

Investors may lose their wallets, but they won’t go hungry.

Related to popular names

Another category of projects takes naming to the extreme by riding on the coattails of popular names, expanding based on names with inherent traffic to achieve perfect parasitism. If you don’t understand this strategy, recall the new king of the last AI bull market, TAO. When TAO soared, many ecosystem projects emerged, and their names reflected this parasitic strategy:

Taopad, Taobank, Taodex, Taoevm: Prefixing with TAO to ride the wave of popularity.

Another form of parasitism leverages the powerful mental associations of certain words. For example, the word “Meme” has such strong appeal and recognizability that countless projects rush to name their ticker MEME. Capturing critical concepts can more easily attract traffic and funds.

A recent, more popular example involves the controversy between PolyHedra and zkSync, both vying for the $ZK token name. The former accused the latter of bullying by using the ZK symbol, while being mocked by the community. Stepping back from the argument, it’s clear how valuable the letters ZK are. A good name can uniquely simply represent a project, and whoever first attaches to that name can capture users’ minds. Sometimes, the name is the meaning itself.

A name must break the mold to be memorable?

The various naming strategies showcase the attention anxiety among crypto projects. In the harsh world of crypto, being forgotten is the cruellest fate—no interest means no market, effectively spelling a project’s death. Thus, crafting a fitting and unique name is the first step to combat forgetfulness. But does breaking the mold ensure one won’t be forgotten?

Unlike the lofty, sophisticated names, Meme projects often adopt very casual names—Grumpy Cat, Doge, your bald friend, my buddy. These relatable and humorous names continually pop up, with new success stories emerging almost daily. While a Meme project’s casual name might seem easily forgotten, those that succeed tend to spread quickly.

However, the core of success has never been just about the name. Bitcoin, with its simple name, holds the eternal throne, while challengers with flashy names come and go, eventually fading into obscurity through the cycles of bull and bear markets.

The crypto gladiatorial combat will continue. Who is the real deal and who is the pretender will be revealed in the arena.

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1. This article originally titled “The Art of Naming Crypto Projects: How Far Can They Go to Be Memorable?” is reproduced from [TechFlow]. All copyrights belong to the original author [TechFlow]. If you have any objection to the reprint, please contact the Gate Learn team, the team will handle it as soon as possible.

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