Recently, publicly traded companies in the US that have announced plans to invest in or use blockchain, i.e. blockchain stocks, have seen dramatic surges in their stock prices. Below is a list of blockchain stocks to buy in 2018 to capitalize on the blockchain euphoria.
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List of Blockchain Stocks to Buy 2018
1. NASDAQ: MARA Marathon Patent Group
Although MARA is not 100% a blockchain exclusive company, they are an intellectual property licensing company that is engaged in acquiring patents and patent rights.
MARA recently announced plans to purchase Global Ventures, a digital asset company that mines cryptocurrencies. News of the acquisition caused MARA to go from about $1.50 a share to well over $6.00 in just a few days in November of 2017.
2. OTCMKTS: MGTI MGT Capital
MGT is primary a cybersecurity company, but the company also has deep roots in the blockchain and cryptocurrency realm.
MGT owns and operates a 5.0 PetaHash bitcoin mining machine that yields about 100 bitcoins a month which equates to roughly $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 a month in revenue from the mining operations.
3. NYSE: IBM International Business Machines
Many investors recognize IBM, International Business Machines, as the computer company that has been around since the 80s. What may come as a surprise, however, is the company’s venture into blockchain technology.
From IBM’s website, the IBM Blockchain Platform is designed to accelerate global growth in the blockchain network across a wide array of industries and uses.
4. NYSE: AXP American Express
American Express, the famous charge and credit card company, announced plans to introduce instant blockchain based payments via the super popular cryptocurrency ripple.
The financial company’s blockchain investment is expected to make credit card and person-to-person payments significantly easier.
5. NASDAQ: CSCO Cisco Systems
Cisco is another famous, and somewhat stodgy, computer company that has recently made prudent investments in the blockchain world.
Head of blockchain development Anoop Nannra stated how “with blockchain, this technology gives rise to entirely new markets.” As blockchain technology advances, CSCO will hopefully remain on the list of companies who are implementing blockchain technology into their existing business models.
6. NASDAQ: SRAX Social Reality
SRAX is a digital advertising and technology company that has just invested heavily in blockchain.
In December of last year, the company announced plans to create BIGtoken, the digital token using blockchain technology that will allow consumers to own, verify, and sell data online.
7. NASDAQ: SSC Seven Stars Cloud Group
Seven Stars is a Chinese cloud computing company that specializes in business to business solutions (B2B).
However, SSC has acquired a majority ownership stake in a Delaware company that specializes in blockchain technology. Blockchain will be used to power SSC’s NextGen X Platform.
8. NASDAQ: NETE Net Element International
NETE is a small company based in Florida that specializes in mobile payments and value-added transactional services.
In addition to easy payments, the company also offers business analytics solutions. They recently created a new business unit that focuses on identifying and investing in unique blockchain projects and companies that are poised to disrupt the electronic payment industry.
9. NASDAQ: LFIN Longfin Corp
Lot’s of investors heard about Longfin Corporation’s epic stock surge when they announced plans acquire Ziddu.com, which is a blockchain solutions provider.
LFIN went from around $5.00 per share to more than $70.00 when news of the acquisition broke; on one trading day alone, LFIN soared more than 200%. “Blockchain is emerging as a technological revolution that is set to disrupt the financial services infrastructure,” said Venkat Meenavalli, Chairman of LFIN.
10. NASDAQ: AMD Advanced Micro Devices
Although AMD is not a blockchain specific company, AMD manufactures computer chips that power blockchain and cryptocurrency mining devices.
It’s certainly worth keeping an eye on, especially given the demand for mining hardware.
12. NASDAQ: RIOT Riot Blockchain
Riot Blockchain changed it’s name from Bioptix and literally did a total 180 with their business plan. A pharmaceutical company existing since 1998, RIOT essentially rebranded themselves as a blockchain company overnight.
RIOT is now focused on gaining exposure to the blockchain field via investments in blockchain-related companies.
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What is Blockchain, Anyway?
Think of blockchain technology as a global and secure version of Google Docs. This sounds overly simple, but blockchain is literally an online book, powered by a network of computers and servers around the world.
We created this infographic to give a high-level explanation of what blockchain is, and how it works.
Why is Blockchain Such a Big Deal?
For the exchange of currency, blockchain is a huge deal. Currently, if one wants to send money to an individual or institution in the United States, there are only a few options.
Services like Venmo, PayPal, and Chase QuickPay all serve their purpose for transferring money, but none of them are instantaneous. Transferring funds internally with any of these services may be instantaneous, but it takes a minimum of two business days to transfer to a bank account.
Interestingly enough, even the US government is trying to get in on the blockchain action. There is now a Federal Blockchain Community, as the US government has begun to recognize the many implications for blockchain in the finance and technology sectors.
Is it a Smart Idea to Buy Blockchain Stocks?
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have had quite the selloff recently.
Partially due to concerns over governments around the world outright banning bitcoin trading, coupled with hacks of various bitcoin exchanges, bitcoin has tumbled.
However, it is important to differentiate between bitcoin and blockchain. Although bitcoin is the most widely recognized cryptocurrency, it is not the only cryptocurrency that uses blockchain. Additionally, bitcoin merely uses blockchain. It is NOT blockchain.
Blockchain is a technology. Many compare the invention of blockchain to the invention of the Internet. Buying blockchain stocks, that is, companies that are implementing blockchain into their business models, is still an interesting investment idea.
Simply put, bitcoin may not have a place in the future, but it certainly looks like blockchain is here to stay.
