- Crypto emojis on X hashtags have ceased, with the Bitcoin logo no longer appearing
- Elon Musk has announced the end of ‘special’ hashtags due to potential misuse for advertising
- Speculation has arisen that crypto hashtags might return as a paid feature in the future
Crypto emojis on X hashtags appear to be a thing of the past, at least for free, after it was noticed that the Bitcoin hashtag has ceased to be accompanied by the logo. The development came around a week after Twitter owner Elon Musk said that he would end the so-called ‘special’ hashtags because anyone could use them for advertising purposes and it wasn’t clear that this was the case. Some have speculated that Musk will reintroduce them as a paid feature, but for the foreseeable future no crypto hashtags will be accompanied by their logos.
Dorsey Introduced Crypto Emojis in 2020
Crypto special emojis first began in February 2020 when Jack Dorsey, then CEO of Twitter, introduced the Bitcoin emoji when its hashtag was used, marking the first time that Twitter had given a cryptocurrency such prominent visual representation. This move was welcomed by the crypto community and sparked discussions about the potential for similar recognition of other cryptocurrencies.
Following Bitcoin’s lead, other cryptocurrencies began to gain their own emojis on Twitter. Ethereum (ETH) soon had its own emoji, which opened the floodgates: the crypto community, known for its passionate and vocal nature, campaigned for emojis for their favorite coins. Twitter listened, and over time, the platform introduced emojis for several other prominent cryptocurrencies, such as Binance Coin (BNB), Dogecoin (DOGE), Ripple (XRP), Litecoin (LTC), and Cardano (ADA).
MAGA Promotion an Emoji Too Far
Special events and promotions often saw the introduction of temporary emojis. Crypto exchanges and companies partnered with Twitter to roll out custom emojis during significant events, leveraging these visual tools to engage with their audience.
It seems, however, that a Donald Trump-related emoji has tipped the boat over:
This has nothing to do with platform neutrality
The icon is tied to a paid ads campaign. Any advertiser can do a custom hashtag campaign with a custom image. For example, you are more than welcome to pay for a #BIDEN campaign and add a photo of him falling down the stairs.
— Ashley St. Clair (@stclairashley) July 19, 2024
Musk replied to agree and said that he “asked that we end special hashtags anyway, as it isn’t obvious that they’re advertising.” His wishes seem to have been carried out, although there is speculation that Musk will start selling the feature to advertisers.
