Jack Paul 
Major visual identity overhaul at Token2049
1inch, the decentralized finance ecosystem, revealed its complete rebranding during the Token2049 conference in Singapore. The project also moved to a new web address at 1inch.com. This isn’t just a cosmetic change – it represents how the platform has evolved from a simple DEX aggregator into something much broader.
I think what’s interesting here is the timing. The rebrand comes at a moment when DeFi is trying to figure out its relationship with traditional finance. The project’s leadership seems to be positioning 1inch as a bridge between these two worlds.
Focus on institutional adoption
The rebrand emphasizes simplicity and maturity in both design and messaging. The interfaces have been streamlined, making them more accessible for regular users while also meeting the expectations of institutional partners. This dual approach is tricky to pull off, but 1inch appears to be trying to serve both audiences simultaneously.
Their SaaS model has been expanding significantly. Major players like Binance, Coinbase, Ledger, MetaMask, and Trust Wallet now integrate 1inch’s technology for their swap functionalities. That’s quite a list of partnerships, and it shows how deeply embedded their infrastructure has become across the industry.
Security and compliance upgrades
Perhaps the most substantial change is the commitment to security certifications. 1inch is pursuing ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications, which are globally recognized standards for information security. This move signals a serious effort to meet the requirements of larger financial institutions.
Sergej Kunz, one of the co-founders, mentioned that DeFi will soon become indistinguishable from traditional finance, but emphasized this doesn’t mean centralization. Instead, he sees traditional financial systems and users migrating on-chain. That’s an important distinction – the goal seems to be bringing traditional finance into the DeFi space rather than the other way around.
Cross-chain unification efforts
The fragmentation in DeFi has been a persistent challenge. Different chains and protocols often don’t work well together, creating a disjointed experience for users. 1inch’s cross-chain solutions aim to address this by building what they call “connective tissue” between various DeFi components.
Anton Bukov, the other co-founder, highlighted that DeFi has proven its ability to create more transparent and efficient financial systems. Now, he says, it’s time to responsibly extend this foundation to a wider audience. The emphasis on responsibility is notable – it suggests a more measured approach to growth.
The name 1inch remains unchanged, still drawing inspiration from Bruce Lee’s famous one-inch punch concept. The philosophy of precision and efficiency that shaped the project’s early days continues to inform its development, even as its scope expands significantly.
What strikes me about this rebrand is how it balances maintaining core principles while adapting to new challenges. The focus on self-custody remains central, but there’s recognition that freedom becomes more powerful when paired with better connectivity and interoperability.
This feels like a natural evolution for a project that started with a simple goal – finding the best swap rates – and has grown into infrastructure supporting much of the DeFi ecosystem. The rebrand seems to acknowledge both where they’ve been and where they’re trying to go.