In 2025, the global crypto industry has entered a period of deep structural transformation. As industry tailwinds fade, regulatory frameworks take shape, user demands continue to evolve, and technological boundaries expand, the market is shifting from an era of growth driven by new entrants to one defined by competition for existing users. In this transition, the role of exchanges is being fundamentally redefined.

Against this backdrop, five years is enough for a platform to grow from an early-stage startup into a mature global player. Founded in 2020, Coinstore has expanded its presence to more than 175 countries and regions, serving over 10 million users worldwide. From its origins as a trading-focused platform to its evolution into a broader ecosystem connector, Coinstore’s growth mirrors the structural changes unfolding across the industry.

For Coinstore, 2025 marks a defining milestone. The platform has officially unveiled a comprehensive brand upgrade,introducing a new logo, a refreshed pink-led visual identity, an updated VI system, a new slogan, the launch of Coinstore Academy, and plans for IEO 2.0. These initiatives go beyond a visual refresh, signaling a strategic shift from being a trading gateway to becoming an ecosystem connector.

Coinstore’s fifth anniversary celebration has been made possible with the strong support of its core ecosystem partners. Strategic partners including OMDBlockchain, Swag Gold, WEALTH, and Anichess have provided critical support for the anniversary initiatives. Coinstore also extends its sincere thanks to EDENA, Dignity Gold, Dragoin, Dimitra, Onemilliondollars, PANCHAIN, SME, BALL, and other partners for their active participation and support in marking this important milestone.

At this pivotal moment, we sat down with Coinstore Founder Johnson Zhao for an in-depth conversation. In the discussion, he shared insights on the platform’s brand transformation, long-term strategic direction, and the emerging order taking shape as the crypto industry moves through its current restructuring cycle.

1. Many consider 2025 a year of structural reset for crypto. Why did Coinstore choose this moment to launch a full brand upgrade? What strategic reasoning guided the decision?

Johnson: The industry has expanded rapidly over the past few years, but beginning in 2024 the core logic started to change. Regulation is accelerating, institutional participation is growing quickly, user needs are becoming more segmented, and exchanges are shifting from asset access points to ecosystem gateways.

For us, it means Coinstore needs a clearer strategic voice, a more mature identity, and stronger global recognition.

This upgrade is not just a visual refresh. It is a necessary step in our evolution. We have grown from a startup into a global platform operating across more than 175 countries with over 10 million users. Our business has expanded beyond trading into Launchpad offerings, educational initiatives, and ecosystem partnerships. At this stage, we need branded architecture that can support the next three to five years of growth.

As the market enters stock-based competition, users place more importance on brand value, long-term commitment, and product experience. With this upgrade, we want Coinstore to appear more warm, relatable, and emotionally meaningful to users worldwide.

This marks a key milestone in our evolution from a trading platform to an ecosystem connector.

2. CoinRay, Coinstore’s mascot, is another major highlight. What inspired its creation and what role will it play in the brand story?

Johnson: CoinRay is not just a cute character. It fills an emotional gap in our brand narrative.

Crypto remains a highly technology-driven sector, and interactions between users and platforms often feel distant and purely rational. We want CoinRay to change that.

CoinRay represents curiosity and exploration. It is designed to be youthful, open, and approachable. Its mission is to accompany users as they grow. Whether a newcomer or an experienced trader, users should feel a sense of stability and friendliness through CoinRay rather than the cold, technical aura often associated with this industry.

CoinRay will be integrated into events, merchandise, educational products, and eventually product experiences.

3. Coinstore also rebuilt its derivatives system this year. As many exchanges undergo technical upgrades, what makes Coinstore’s approach different? How will this enhance user experience and competitiveness?

Johnson: For any exchange, real competitiveness becomes most apparent during volatile market conditions. That is why we did not focus on maximizing technical parameters, but on understanding how global derivatives demand will evolve over the coming years.

Our differentiation lies in building our infrastructure based on real usage scenarios. Because we have a large user base in emerging markets, lightweight systems, low latency, and overall stability carry unique importance. This shaped our decision to adopt a more flexible and globally distributed architecture rather than relying on performance stacking alone.

This upgrade improves matching efficiency, reduces latency, and strengthens system resilience during extreme market conditions. More importantly, it lays the groundwork for high-frequency trading, AI-assisted strategies, and future derivatives innovation.

4. As the industry enters a stock-competition era, Coinstore has increased its offline presence significantly in 2025. How do these efforts support global expansion and localized strategy?

Johnson: We are clearly in a stock-competition phase. Acquiring users now relies far more on relationships, trust, and long-term value than on advertising alone. Offline engagement has become essential, particularly in emerging markets.

In 2025, our branded events and partner summits in Dubai, Bali, Southeast Asia, Korea, Singapore, and other regions allow us to meet users face-to-face and better understand local needs.

Offline activity is a central pillar of our global strategy.It allows Coinstore to move from visibility, to understanding, and ultimately to trust.

5. From an ecosystem and industry development perspective, how do you view the current market landscape and its future direction?

Johnson: Beginning in 2025, the industry’s underlying logic has shifted. Growth will rely less on speculation and more on real value. Users increasingly care not only about potential profit but whether they are actively participating in Web3.

Meanwhile, the entry of traditional financial institutions is reshaping market structure and pushing the sector toward maturity.

I believe the coming years will mark the start of the application era. Payments, identity, on-chain finance, and blockchain gaming will become more central, and products with practical utility will gradually overtake purely speculative narratives.

Exchanges must evolve accordingly. They will move from functional trading hubs to ecosystem gateways and from tools to core Web3 infrastructure. This trend is irreversible.

6. Coinstore’s fifth-anniversary theme is Connection and Interaction. What is the deeper meaning behind it?

Johnson: The theme reflects the essence of our brand upgrade.

Connection speaks to the relationships between users and projects, across regions, across chains, and across ecosystems.

Interaction reflects our belief that users should not be passive observers. They should be active contributors in the Web3 world.

Every stage of Coinstore’s journey has been shaped by genuine connection and interaction. Over the next five years, we aim to drive ecosystem co-creation through these principles.

7. Looking ahead, what will Coinstore focus on strategically in the next five years? What industry trends do you believe matter most?

Johnson: We will concentrate on three core areas: strengthening our global brand presence, expanding the ecosystem, and advancing our technical capabilities.

We want Coinstore to be a platform that users can trust long-term, a place where founders, project teams, and developers can grow, and where users feel secure through all market cycles.

As for the broader industry, I believe Web3 is transitioning from the speculation era to the value era. Platforms that endure the next cycle will be those that stay close to users and deliver real, lasting value.

For Coinstore, that is both a challenge and a significant opportunity.