Plenty of users have a misconception that blockchain is only applicable for minting and transacting in cryptocurrencies. However, blockchain has more use cases that that. This Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) has the potential to transform the way industries such as healthcare and logistics conduct business. Since the technology is booming, now is the perfect time to invest in blockchain. In a report published by the World Economic Forum, it was speculated that within the next 10 years, blockchain platforms will account for roughly 10% of the global GDP – one can only imagine the Return on Investment!
Most Celebrated Blockchain Stocks
Let’s have a look at some of the hottest blockchain stocks in the market. Please be advised that the following list does not depict any ranking, whatsoever.
1. IBM
Undoubtedly, IBM has often led the industry when it comes to the innovation of new technologies. And blockchain is no exception. For quite some time, they have been trying to advance their R&D for decentralized systems. In the same pursuit, they rolled out several permissioned blockchain protocols a couple of years ago. They are also partnering with multinational corporations to form a giant consortium. To date, around 1,500 blockchain experts are endorsing their blockchain solutions. We understand that investors are more interested in hearing about the product front. In this aspect, IBM offers a fully managed and permissioned blockchain solution through its cloud. In fact, in 2018, IBM partnered with several organizations in the niches of finance and food safety. One of the popular alliances was formed with Walmart to introduce a comprehensive supply chain management solution. Therefore, if you are planning to invest in blockchain, you might want to give IBM the top priority. Given their achievements and reputation in the industry.
2. Alibaba Group
Before becoming a well-known name in the blockchain sector, Alibaba enjoyed a decent reputation in the e-commerce niche. Today, it is the largest technology firm in China. Just to clue you in, Alibaba has filed roughly 100 blockchain-related patents and has already developed an array of use cases around the technology. Since it happens to be an e-commerce giant, pretty much all niches get merged in order to serve comprehensive feasibility, including logistics, payment processing, provenance, etc. It is one of the primary reasons why Alibaba is so keen to incorporate blockchain as its primary data structure. It is also worth mentioning that they have partnered with the Chinese government. The collaboration involves a healthcare solution based on blockchain technology. A Hong Kong-based remittance platform using blockchain is in the works. Alibaba’s swift progress on the blockchain front has garnered the attention of the Chinese government. The e-commerce giant is backed by the Chinese government, therefore making them an enticing investment option as a blockchain stock.
3. HIVE Blockchain Technologies
HIVE are quite well-recognized in the mining business and ETH happens to be HIVE’s prime reliance. It is worth noticing that they have successfully secured more than $100 million in investments. Moreover, they have recently announced to inaugurate an array of mining farms. Even though the mining industry has not proven to be lucrative in the last couple of months, most of their customers seem happy and the pace at which they have surged their influence is commendable and worth considering for anyone willing to invest in blockchain stocks.
4. Fujitsu
For investors willing to diversify their portfolio, Fujitsu is a hot choice for many reasons. The firm happens to be among the top 10 tech ventures in the industry. Furthermore, they are also the largest service provider in Japan. In late 2018, the Japanese Bankers Association unanimously selected Fujitsu to develop a blockchain-based transfer settlement solution. Apart from getting this major contract, they have also started a Blockchain Innovation Center in Belgium. This Innovation Center aims to stir the niche and develop plenty of use cases based on the Proof-of-Business model. The purpose is to offer feasibility where different companies can develop their separate use cases on top of this technology. Based on the scale of their progress and the fact that Fujitsu is the largest IT firm in Japan, it is quite evident that 2019 is the prime time for buying this ‘one of the best’ blockchain stocks.
5. Mastercard
Mastercard is a well-known name in the payment processing business. Regardless of the fact that blockchain makes their business model obsolete, Mastercard is pursuing it eagerly and has submitted multiple patents as well. The primary purpose for their proactive approach is that the company is willing to boost their efficiency and incorporate a great deal of security in their operations. Moreover, they are spending thousands of dollars on research to come up with robust mitigation solutions. To date, Mastercard has already rolled out an API for developers for the creation of blockchain apps. Having said that, Mastercard is on par to be a part of this great disruption. Through the successful adoption of blockchain technology, they shall enjoy a clear-cut edge over its competitors.
6. ING Group
This Dutch bank is known for its management’s aggressive approach towards implementing blockchain-based use cases all across the network. They have roughly 50 projects in the pipeline and almost 10 of them happen to be in the production phase. ING Group has focused on international transactions as well. The use of blockchain technology has offered several perks with respect to data privacy, debt transactions, and collateral lending. A UN research shows that with the help of such implementations, we can boost the exports to more than $250 billion in the APAC region. What a blissful opportunity for blockchain stock hunters for maximizing their Return on Investment.
7. Microsoft
Well, Microsoft doesn’t need any introduction. They are offering staunch competition to IBM in the blockchain space. And based on past experience, whoever wins this race is certainly going to experience a surge in its blockchain stock value. The tech giant has been after decentralized solutions and cloud computing (please remember both of these techs are related, but different in concept) for quite some time now and recently, they offered Azure to NASDAQ and plenty of other respective niche leaders. Since blockchain stock investors are keen to know about inclinations as well, please note that Microsoft is researching, developing and contributing to permissioned blockchains and is focusing on private applications.
8. Bank of America
In 2017, most people were not ready to believe that the reach of blockchain would ever go past a handful of cryptocurrencies and yet, here we are. The Bank of America is one of IBM’s main competitors when it comes to pouring in funds for blockchain research. They entered this particular business at the beginning of 2014 and have started developing multiple solutions since then. But it is worth noticing that not all of them are expected to boost revenue. Their primary aim is to bring more security and efficiency in the business. However, experts seem quite satisfied that in the near future, BofA’s stocks may shoot and provide decent returns to blockchain investors.
9. Walmart
Being one of the largest retail stores in America, Walmart enjoys a great reputation in the industry. When blockchain started becoming mainstream, Walmart was among the pioneers to implement relevant use cases in its operations. In the early days, they were very keen to enhance the delivery process and in that pursuit, the retail store applied for an array of patents. It is also worth noting that when the salmonella outbreak was at its climax, Walmart partnered with IBM to develop a food security solution and they were featured on many popular news outlets. If you are planning to invest in blockchain-related companies, you do not want to miss exploring Walmart as their products are being used by some of the biggest retailers in France. Therefore, the possibility to surge your investment seems a likely option if you happen to invest in their blockchain stock.
10. Daimler
More commonly recognized as Mercedes-Benz, Daimler has pioneered the digital revolution in the automotive industry. They are quite well recognized in the niche for using AI, ML, and blockchain for streamlining their processes and making the cars more efficient and autonomous. The most notable factor is that Daimler has considerable investments in other trending technologies as well. Given all these facts, their blockchain stock value might skyrocket in the foreseeable future. Just to clue you in, please note that apart from conducting a reasonably funded research, Daimler possesses its very own crypto token as well, known as MobiCoin.
Final Thoughts On Top Blockchain Stocks
It is quite evident that all of the blockchain stocks mentioned above belong to the firms, securing top 5 positions in their respective niches. Therefore, the Return on Investment is likely to be significant in the future and 2019 happens to be the best time to make an informed investment choice. Lastly, it is worth emphasizing (again) that the list mentioned above does not show any particular order with respect to trend or endorsement.
