It’s a loaded question that I’m sure many of you have pondered. We hear the word blockchain thrown around more and more these days, but what does it actually mean? Well, I won’t bore you with the technical aspect of it. Think of blockchain technology as a shared and digital ledger that is composed of different nodes across a network of computers. It’s an immutable, decentralized database of transactions that can never be changed or deleted.
Is Blockchain Technology the Future?
Some believe the blockchain will be the great mover behind the next evolution of digital services.
Everything in the future, whether the Metaverse or Web 3.0, will be powered and tracked through the blockchain.
The blockchain revolution will bring with it transparency as well as the ability to decentralize major systems. If you haven’t already, it’s time you familiarize yourself with everything the blockchain can do.
Is Blockchain Another Word for Cryptocurrency?
You’ve probably heard the word blockchain used in conversations about cryptocurrencies.
The two words aren’t interchangeable, but they are very much related.
All cryptocurrencies are powered by blockchain technology.
Cryptocurrencies are considered digital assets, as they live exclusively within their native blockchain. Of course, as technology has progressed, there have been exceptions. But for the most part, Bitcoin stays on the Bitcoin blockchain, and Ethereum stays on the Ethereum blockchain.
Each crypto token is seen as the native token for that blockchain. That’s why the token often has a different name from the blockchain itself. The tokens are the currency, and the blockchains are the systems that use these tokens. This is where the true intrinsic value of cryptocurrencies lies.
Since they are tied to the blockchain, every transaction is forever imprinted on the ledger. We always know exactly how many of each token is in circulation, and we can see exactly when each wallet makes a buy or sell order.
Many people who don’t fully understand cryptocurrencies believe they are volatile and untrustworthy. While the markets can sometimes be volatile, blockchain technology provides full transparency in every transaction.
Many cryptos are also deflationary in burning their token supply to battle rising inflation, which lowers the token’s price. It’s all basic economics, but these decentralized finance systems are getting a lot of things right. The blockchain isn’t perfect. But it is safe and more trustworthy than any human-tracked ledger. That’s the best part: you can’t trick or fudge a blockchain.
How Do I Invest in Blockchains?
The most obvious way would be to invest in the cryptocurrencies themselves.
There’s no better way to support a blockchain and its community than by buying and holding tokens.
But for many people, cryptos are too volatile to invest significant money. It’s not just that the markets are turbulent, but most of us don’t have the time to read about the tens of thousands of cryptos on the market.
There are new ways to invest in cryptos that don’t necessarily require you to put money into a crypto exchange. Several notable ETFs feature cryptos as the primary asset. One notable investment firm is Grayscale, often the GBTC or Grayscale Bitcoin Trust.
This trades like any other security but tracks the price of Bitcoin. Other ETFs follow crypto mining companies and even ones that track crypto futures.
Of course, the way that most people will want to invest in the blockchain is through stocks. A long list of publicly traded companies deal directly with the blockchain these days.
As you’ll see, it’s not just through cryptos that companies get exposure to the blockchain. Look at some of the top blockchain stocks to add to your watchlist!
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| DESCRIPTION | Trading companies list that includes free trading brokers, day trading brokers, futures trading, and investing brokers | Trading tools list that includes stock scanners, charting software, journaling, apps, and simulators | Stock market books list that includes the most popular day trading, swing trading, and options trading books |
| BREAKDOWN | Broker name • Review • Pros & Cons • Most popular brokers • FAQs Brokers > | Company name • Review • Pros & Cons • Most popular tools • FAQs Tools > | Name of the Book • Author • Trading topic • Overview • FAQs Books > |
Best Blockchain Technology Stocks
Since we’re really into trading, it’d make sense that we’d want to know what blockchain technology stocks we can trade. These are really good stocks you can put into an investment portfolio and diversify it.
1. Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN)
Let’s start with a no-brainer. Coinbase is the largest US-based cryptocurrency exchange and the second largest worldwide after Binance. This is a relatively new stock to the market.
So, if you’d like more of the stock’s performance history, you might want to skip over Coinbase. The stock started trading on the NASDAQ exchange in April of 2021. And unfortunately for early investors, the stock is down more than 45% since its IPO.
Coinbase was founded in 2012 by Brian Anderson, a former engineer at Airbnb. He received major funding early from Y Combinator and other tech venture capitalists like Andreessen Horowitz.
Today, Coinbase operates in over 100 countries worldwide and is getting ready to launch its own NFT Marketplace. Be warned that for now, Coinbase’s prices tend to move higher or lower about the crypto markets. This cyclical action could eventually lead to buying in bearish cycles and selling bullish ones.
2. Block (NYSE: SQ)
It helps that the company is run by noted Bitcoin bull Jack Dorsey. Block recently changed its name from Square, as many believe its long-term future will reside on the blockchain.
The company already offers Bitcoin trading through its popular Cash App. Bitcoin trading was added to the ecosystem before stock investing was, so you can imagine how strongly Dorsey feels about it.
Earlier this year, Dorsey announced that the company was investing in new Bitcoin mining technology. It attempts to create a network of Bitcoin miners where people can mine from their houses.
Dorsey believes that a more distributed mining network will add to the overall resiliency of the Bitcoin network. It wouldn’t be surprising if Dorsey wanted the Cash App to be a decentralized finance system in the future. Keep an eye on Block as it attempts to change the financial industry forever.
3. NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA)
A chip company? NVIDIA is probably more known for its gaming and graphics processors. But one of its bestsellers over the past few years has been its GPU processors used for crypto mining.
The demand for them was so high that gamers complained they couldn’t find any. So NVIDIA did what any great company would do: they made a mining-specific GPU.
NVIDIA is also a major player in the Metaverse discussion. It creates an Omniverse with enterprise services and other tools to help get businesses into the Metaverse.
What powers the Metaverse? Blockchain technology. NVIDIA isn’t always the first company you think of when you hear blockchain. But its hardware is powering many crypto miners around the clock in all corners of the world.
4. PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL)
With PayPal, we see our second financial services app, along with Block, on this list. PayPal has gone a little further than Block with its crypto trading. While the Cash App only allows Bitcoin trading, PayPal offers users Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin.
These are often considered four original cryptos, despite Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin having significantly smaller market caps.
Once users have invested in crypto inside PayPal’s ecosystem, they can then use this as a direct payment. PayPal has over 29 million merchants that will accept payments via crypto through its app.
Now, this doesn’t mean that all 29 million merchants accept cryptos. Rather, PayPal will convert the cryptos to fiat currencies for the merchants. It’s a bit of a process, but it does show PayPal’s commitment to cryptocurrencies.
5. Silvergate Capital (NYSE: SI)
This company usually isn’t at the top of many investor watchlists. On the surface, Silvergate Capital is like any other small bank. But a few years ago, Silvergate strongly committed to digital assets, specifically cryptocurrencies. Today, it’s one of the leading centralized banks taking cryptocurrency investments from its users.
Normally, banks are considered value stocks that steadily increase over time. Silvergate’s stock has gained 786% over the past five years and traded at all-time high prices of over $220 per share.
Silvergate doesn’t own any cryptocurrencies. However, investors have seen the value in a bank going against the grain of the traditional systems. Silvergate offers trading and investing infrastructure for its users and is revolutionizing how banks think of digital assets.
Final Thoughts: Blockchain Technology
Without a doubt. It’s hard to argue if any system is as secure and transparent as blockchain technology. So much so that companies are utilizing it in day-to-day operations, but it’s not just cryptocurrencies where blockchain is making its mark.
Some creative ways companies use it include art verification and organizing supply and logistics chains. We haven’t even really discussed NFTs or Non-Fungible Tokens. These are revolutionizing the collectibles markets and changing the game for events like event tickets and gaming.
As we move into the Metaverse and the next evolution of the internet, blockchain will power us towards a decentralized future.
