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You may know blockchain as the technology behind Bitcoin and many other cryptocurrencies. However, many investors don’t have a thorough understanding of what blockchain is or the best ways to invest in this exciting tech trend.
Here’s a brief overview of what blockchain technology is, followed by some of our favorite blockchain stocks—and one important principle blockchain investors should keep in mind.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of ledger technology (also known as distributed ledger technology) that keeps records in a decentralized manner. Instead of storing information (say, payment transactions) only on a bank’s internal servers, blockchain technology allows the creation of an unchangeable public ledger that’s accessible to all users. Blockchain ledgers are a very secure means of storing data since they cannot be modified retroactively, and they can be used anonymously to protect the users’ privacy.
It’s worth noting before we go any further that blockchain and cryptocurrency are two different concepts. Blockchain is the underlying technology that powers cryptocurrencies, but it has many other potential applications that have nothing to do with Bitcoin or other digital currencies.
1. NVIDIA
NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) is the leading manufacturer of graphics processing units (GPUs), which are essential components in such important technological arenas as artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and gaming. In addition, GPUs are key hardware components of cryptocurrency mining. In a nutshell, “miners” use specialized GPUs to process transactions on the blockchain and are rewarded with newly minted digital coins. At present, mining hardware isn’t a major revenue source for NVIDIA, but if cryptocurrency prices shoot higher, it could create renewed interest in mining, and NVIDIA would be a big beneficiary.
2. CME Group
CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) is the world’s largest futures and options exchange, offering derivative securities for stocks, indexes, foreign exchange, and more. It also is the only exchange that creates a market for bitcoin futures contracts. If bitcoin interest soars, CME Group stands to see revenue rise, as the company gets a small fee for every transaction made on its exchanges. If cryptocurrency prices and volatility rise significantly in the years to come, it could certainly translate into a nice additional revenue stream for CME Group.
3. Square
Payment technology company Square (NYSE:SQ) has two main components to its business — its payment-processing ecosystem for small businesses and its Cash App person-to-person payment platform. It also has operations in business lending, a stock trading platform, and several other adjacent businesses, and recently introduced Square Online Store, which helps merchants build out e-commerce and omnichannel capabilities.
Square is a blockchain stock in two main ways. Most obviously, Cash App allows users to buy and sell bitcoin quickly and easily, and with over $500 million in bitcoin sales on its platform in 2019, this is a significant part of the company’s business. Also, Square has its own team of bitcoin developers, known as Square Crypto, that has several exciting projects of its own.
4. Mastercard
Payment processing giant Mastercard (NYSE:MA) has grown tremendously for several years as the trend toward a cashless economy has led to increasing volumes of debit and credit card transactions. Blockchain technology has the potential to transform the cashless payment space, particularly when it comes to cross-border money transfers, which have historically been slow and costly. And in late 2019, Mastercard announced a partnership with blockchain technology company R3 to develop a new cross-border payment system, which could ultimately give the company a major competitive advantage in the industry by eliminating the major pain points of sending money internationally.
5. DocuSign
DocuSign (NASDAQ:DOCU) is the undisputed market leader in e-signature technology, and it’s not hard to see why this industry has exploded in recent years. Electronic signatures save time and money for companies and individuals — an estimated $36 reduction in the cost of doing business per transaction, according to the company. DocuSign actively uses blockchain technology in its business, allowing customers to record their agreements on the Ethereum blockchain, and CEO Dan Springer has talked about how important blockchain will be for the future of DocuSign’s business.