Binance CRYPTO Fragrance: A Man’s Plan for What Women Want

The exchange is facing backlash for its tone-deaf approach to addressing gender imbalance in the crypto industry.

Four advertising executives sitting around a large bottle of Binance Crypto parfume in a cigarette smoke filled room.
Created by Gabor Kovacs from DailyCoin
  • The new Binance fragrance has sparked controversy among the crypto community.
  • The exchangeโ€™s initiative is targeted at promoting gender inclusivity.
  • Binanceโ€™s efforts have been criticized as stereotypical and disrespectful to women in crypto.

The crypto industry has long grappled with the question of gender diversity, characterized by the domination of men and the underrepresentation of women. From crypto ownership to leadership, women make up a significantly lower percentage than their male counterparts, representing only 37% and 13%, respectively. This has spurred a global conversation across the industry regarding the need for extensive measures and initiatives to bridge the long-standing gap and foster a gender-balanced ecosystem.

Joining in the efforts is the worldโ€™s largest crypto exchange, Binance, albeit with a questionable approach.

Binance Fragrance Campaign for Women 

On Wednesday, March 6, Binance unveiled โ€œCRYPTO,โ€ a women-centric fragrance line allegedly aimed at fostering gender inclusivity within the industry, ahead of International Womenโ€™s Day on March 8.

Sponsored

Tagged โ€œbold, distinctive, and deliberately disruptive,โ€ the new Binance fragrance aims to address the underrepresentation of women in crypto and encourage more female engagement with the asset class and broader ecosystem.

The move has failed to spur the excitement Binance expected, prompting the question of the effectiveness of its approach.

A Poor Sexist Trope That Lacks Substance

Despite the exchange’s claims that the new women’s fragrance was โ€œorchestrated by Binanceโ€™s female marketing leaders,โ€ the initiative feels like one conceived and pushed by men, primarily due to its stereotypical approach: surely women will like a perfume, right?

Reducing women to a hyper-feminized group attracted to scents and beauty undermines the entire reason thereโ€™s a need for meaningful efforts to promote gender diversity in the industry. Rather than a high-profile publicity stunt that offers no real tangible action, why not introduce impactful educational workshops, summits, and training programs to foster knowledge of the industry among womenโ€”all of which could easily be orchestrated by the largest exchange in the world?

Binance CMO Rachel Conlan emphasized that the message behind the fragrance was purposeful, stating: โ€œWeโ€™re here to tell women everywhere: Don’t be a bystander. Break those glass ceilings, challenge existing narratives, and become part of this digital transformation thatโ€™s set to redefine global finance.”

Conlanโ€™s message is well-intentioned and makes all the right points. Women should not be bystanders to the success of an industry that has largely been a boys club. However, words become vague platitudes when not backed up by real, meaningful action.

If Binance intends to spark important dialogues across the industry, why is the โ€œinitiativeโ€ confined to a single mall-based pop-up stand in Bahrain with just 100 samples? If the โ€œtongue-in-cheekโ€ approach purported by Binanceโ€™s marketing department were truly the motive, even this does not feel like it was given serious consideration. At which point are women offered the chance to break glass ceilings?

The disappointing neglect of substantial efforts to address the underrepresentation by the exchange, particularly given its size and reputation, drew criticism from women across the industry, who condemned its approach as more alienating than empowering.

A common response was disgust at what a โ€œcryptoโ€ fragrance would smell like.


โ€œI thought this was a jokeโ€ X user Rondelle commented, before bemusedly asking, โ€œhow did this idea get through?โ€

Seasoned crypto reporter Jacquelyn jokingly emphasized that a โ€œcryptoโ€ fragrance will repel women rather than attract them, doubling on the prevailing sentiment of the exchangeโ€™s failure.

Addressing gender imbalance in the industry requires stronger and intentional efforts rather than vague actions that fail to effect real change.

On the Flipside

  • According to a January 2024 report, the rate of crypto ownership by women has recently surged from 18% to 29%.
  • The gender disparity in crypto extends beyond ownership and leadership, also impacting the success rate of female-led start-ups in funding allocations.
  • Binance has faced scrutiny throughout the year due to regulatory troubles.

Why This Matters

Despite its intentions to promote female engagement in the crypto industry, the Binance fragrance launch falls short of addressing the severity of the present gender gap. The disparity in the representation of men and women is extensive, and demands more robust and comprehensive measures to bridge the gap effectively.

Read on to discover more about the women making their mark in the industry despite the prevailing male domination:

Celebrating Women in Crypto: 6 Iconic Leaders from 2023 

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This article is for information purposes only and should not be considered trading or investment advice. Nothing herein shall be construed as financial, legal, or tax advice. Trading forex, cryptocurrencies, and CFDs pose a considerable risk of loss.

Author
Grace Abidemi

Grace is a crypto reporter for DailyCoin, covering a diverse range of market updates. Grace has minor holdings in Bitcoin & Solana, and moderate holdings in Rune & XRP.

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