Rebranding pSTAKE Finance
Duration
2 months
Services
Design
Role
Product Designer, Brand & UX
Team
Product Lead, Design Lead
pSTAKE Finance , originally focused on the Cosmos ecosystem, pivoted toward Bitcoin-native liquid staking . The brand needed a complete redesign to reflect this transition and clearly differentiate from its sister platform, Persistence One.
THE CHALLENGE
pSTAKE's existing brand was closely tied to the Cosmos ecosystem, both visually and contextually. As the platform shifted its focus toward Bitcoin staking, this connection began to create confusion and diluted the new direction of the product.
The brand also shared visual similarities with Persistence One, making it difficult for users to distinguish between the two platforms.
Beyond the identity itself, the existing product experience had usability issues. Poor hierarchy, inconsistent UI components and unclear messaging around staking flows created friction for users.
The rebrand therefore needed to do more than introduce a new logo. It needed to establish a clear, modern and Bitcoin-native identity that could build trust, differentiate the product and improve usability across touchpoints.
The Identified Issues:
Brand Perception
Existing brand was strongly associated with Cosmos.
Identity & Differentiation
Visual similarities with Persistence One.
Product Usability
Poor hierarchy and inconsistent components.
Messaging
Unclear communication around staking flows.
DESIGN APPROACH
We started by aligning with key stakeholders and the marketing team to understand what needed to evolve and what needed to stay.
Using the existing brand guidelines as a foundation, I mapped visual pain points and gaps in how the brand was being perceived.
From there, the process moved through rapid exploration and collaborative feedback loops.
Brand Audit
The existing identity relied heavily on a dark, high-contrast aesthetic, with shadowed cards, glowing text and deep reds.
While this communicated technical depth and intensity, it also introduced cognitive load through abstract visuals, inconsistent Bitcoin symbolism and limited visual warmth.
The overall language often prioritised complexity over clarity, making the experience less approachable for newer users.
Research & Competitive Analysis
I studied leading Bitcoin staking platforms including Babylon, Stroom and Threshold to understand how they approached identity, product communication and staking flows.
A common pattern emerged. Many platforms relied heavily on dark themes, abstract icons and technical language, creating barriers for newer users.
Bitcoin symbolism was also used inconsistently, which created an opportunity for pSTAKE to communicate its Bitcoin focus in a clearer and more approachable way.
Stakeholder Feedback
The exploration was shaped by direct feedback from stakeholders.
DESIGN EXPLORATION
The exploration focused on finding a visual language that could communicate pSTAKE's Bitcoin-first positioning while retaining enough continuity with the existing brand.
Logo Exploration
I explored multiple logo directions, testing variations in form, weight and recognisability.
The goal was to move away from the previous Cosmos-associated identity while retaining elements that could provide continuity.
After multiple iterations, the final direction retained the bar as a recurring element of the identity, representing consistency and continuity.
Colour Exploration
The existing identity relied heavily on deep reds associated with its Cosmos roots.
I explored lighter and fresher palettes before moving toward a bold orange that could establish a stronger connection with Bitcoin.
The final primary orange was: #DC5900
The palette also introduced supporting black, grey and white tones to create a cleaner and more flexible visual system.
Typography
Poppins was retained from the existing identity.
Rather than changing every part of the brand at once, keeping the typeface provided a sense of familiarity while the logo, colour system and broader visual language evolved.
Visual Direction
The new direction moved away from heavy, abstract compositions toward a cleaner and more focused visual language.
The goal was to create an identity that felt modern and confident while remaining distinctly pSTAKE.
FINAL DESIGN
After multiple rounds of exploration and collaboration with stakeholders, the new identity repositioned pSTAKE as a bold, Bitcoin-first liquid staking platform.
The final system balanced evolution with familiarity by retaining recognisable elements from the original brand while introducing a clearer visual direction.
Updated Brand Identity
Colour & Typography
Visual Design
IMPACT & LEARNINGS
The rebrand direction aligned quickly with stakeholders and the new visual identity was received positively by the community.
The work helped clarify pSTAKE's Bitcoin-first shift while creating stronger visual distinction from Persistence One.
Learnings
The project reinforced the importance of evolving an established brand without losing the familiarity and trust it has already built.
It also challenged me to adapt branding strategy quickly while communicating the value of the new direction to both users and internal teams.
I learned that a successful rebrand needs to extend beyond the logo and colour palette. The identity needs to work consistently across product UI, messaging and the broader experience.
What I'd Do Differently
I would spend more time refining how the new brand system was applied within the product UI and extend the identity further through animations and microinteractions.
More user testing before launch would also have helped validate the direction with users earlier in the process.
