What Blockchain Gets Right About Branding (and What You Should Steal)
When people talk about blockchain, they usually get caught in the weeds: complicated tech terms like proof-of-work, gas fees, consensus algorithms, and “TPS” (transactions per second). It sounds like something built by robots for robots. But here’s the secret no one tells you:
The real power behind any blockchain—just like any brand—isn’t the code or the product. It’s the people.
Welcome to Layer Zero.
What Is Layer Zero, Really?
It’s not another layer of software. It’s the human layer—the community of believers, builders, investors, and users who keep a blockchain alive. If you think of a blockchain like a living thing, the people are the heartbeat. No community? No network. No trust. No value.
Paul Brody from EY put it perfectly: “Layer Zero is the community.” It’s everyone from developers writing code to meme-makers hyping it online. And they’re the ones who decide what each blockchain really stands for.
Now, take that exact logic and apply it to your business. Because the lesson here isn’t really about crypto—it’s about brand.
Bitcoin: The Digital Gold Crowd
Bitcoin isn’t trying to be everything to everyone. It wants to be digital gold—a scarce, secure, and decentralized store of value. It’s not about building apps or launching new features. It’s about preserving value outside the reach of banks or governments.
The people who support Bitcoin believe deeply in financial independence and the dangers of inflation. They’re not just customers—they’re evangelists. They spread the message like a mission. They fight on Twitter. They make memes. They create momentum.
Bitcoin’s community doesn’t just use the product. They are the product.
For brands, this is gold—literally. When your community believes in your core story so strongly that they’re willing to repeat it on your behalf, you’re no longer a company. You’re a movement.
Ethereum: The Digital Building Platform
Ethereum is more flexible, more complex—and more experimental. Instead of locking down a single identity, it invites users to co-create it. Think of Ethereum like a sandbox: developers build on it, shape it, evolve it. It’s less about purity, more about progress.
The Ethereum community thrives on collaboration, iteration, and an ever-evolving roadmap. That makes it messy. But it also makes it magnetic to creators, builders, and innovators.
For businesses, this is a blueprint. Not every brand needs to be rigid. If you’re a platform, ecosystem, or collaborative product, your strength might be in empowerment. Your community wants to help define your future—so let them.
Brand Takeaways from Layer Zero
Let’s get practical. If you’re running a growth-focused company, here’s what you can learn from the blockchain world:
- Narrative is Infrastructure
Your brand story is not just your “why”—it’s your operating system. Bitcoin’s narrative is so strong, it’s become bulletproof. What’s the one thing your company stands for that your audience would defend without you in the room? - Communities Scale Trust
People trust people more than brands. If your audience is repeating your message, reinforcing your value, and helping you grow—it’s not marketing anymore. It’s momentum. - Your Audience Is Your Product
Design with them, not just for them. Let them leave fingerprints. When people feel ownership, they fight to see you win. - Not Every Brand Can Be Everything
Bitcoin doesn’t try to be a platform. Ethereum doesn’t try to be a store of value (at least not as its primary identity). The clearer your mission, the easier it is to attract the right people.
Layer Zero Is the Growth Lever You’re Ignoring
This isn’t just about blockchain. This is about how modern brands win. The best product doesn’t always dominate. The best alignment between people, purpose, and platform does.
If you want growth, ask yourself:
- Who are our people?
- What do they believe in?
- Are we giving them something to fight for—or just something to buy?
Because when you build the right community, they won’t just support you. They’ll scale you.
Want to build a brand with Layer Zero baked into your DNA? That’s exactly what we do at Specto Design. Let’s talk.
by Marla Carlton
