January was a rough month for the Bitcoin crowd.
After rising like a rocket all year, cryptocurrency prices started falling in December.
In early 2018, the decline turned into a free-fall, as Bitcoin and other major crypto-currencies lost a ton of value in just a few weeks.
Some are ready to call it quits on the cryptocurrency and blockchain craze.
But savvy investors know better.
Even with the bubble bursting, the technology and innovation behind crypto and blockchain has the potential to disrupt whole industries.
The transition has already begun: blockchain tech is being applied to real estate, shipping, banking and healthcare.
Those in the know should keep their eyes peeled for the strongest performers.
Here are five companies that will prosper, even if some of those millennial millionaires have to throw in the towel:
#1 NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA)
One of the biggest market success stories of the last two years has been NVIDIA.
The tech manufacturer grew its revenue by 46 percent year-on-year from October 2016; earnings per share were boosted 111 percent.
Though the price dipped in January amidst the crypto bust, it remains twice as high as it was in early 2017.
Part of that success stemmed from the immense demand for crypto-currency mining rigs. Specialized tech was flying off the shelves, as NVIDIA tried to keep miners supplied with GPUs.
If the crypto bubble bursts, that could be bad news for NVIDIA. But the company continues to sell gaming components, keeping its earnings high.
And NVIDIA is a trailblazer in blockchain technology. Along with its chief competitor AMD, NVIDIA supplies the GMUs that allow for the digital ledger that keeps crypto-currencies trading. Even if cryptos go bust, demand for blockchain tech will keep the company in the black.
Last year was a banner year for NVIDIA, and 2018 should be no different.
#2 Hashchain Technologies Inc. (TSX:KASH.V; OTC:HSSHF)
Hashchain Technologies Inc. is a crypto-currency miner with some big ambitions. In the crazy world of cryptocurrencies, where prices shoot up and down with no warning, Hashchain gives its investors exposure to a broad range of crypto assets.
Think of it as an ETF for the crypt world.
Hashchain has 870 mining rigs in operation. When it’s finished upgrading its facility in Montana, it will be able to mine 20 MWs of coins.
Coin mining was a major winner last year. The top twenty-five cryptocurrencies paid out big for investors: the currency Verge, for instance, saw a return of more than 250,000 percent.
Compare that to gold mining, which brought back a measly 11 percent for investors in 2017.
But Hashchain is far more than just a crypto miner.
It also owns a “masternode” for the crypto-currency Dash. The node brings a return of 8 percent to Hashchain, which profits directly from Dash investment.
Dash is a smaller currency than Bitcoin or Ethereum, but its growing fast. Even with the falling value in crypto, the number of transactions continues to rise. Dash is being produced at a rate 8x faster than Bitcoin.
Hashchain, according to its CEO, is looking to go further than just its mining and masternodes though, it is aiming to give investors access to a lucrative market “that they can’t take advantage of themselves.”
As well as this, Hashchain is committed to bringing regulation to the crypto space, where it’s badly needed.
Uncertainty, lack of oversight and a lot of shady buyers has created some concern among coin miners.
There are worries that various crypto prices are unrealistic. The SEC announced in January that it’s cracking down on the bitcoin market and will be watching new ICOs (initial coin offerings) very closely.
Hashchain is working on new regulatory software to make the crypto space safe for investors.
Think of them as the Intuit for crypto-currencies. Right now, the makers of TurboTax earn about $4 billion per year.
With the crypto-currency market worth about $600 billion, that gives a company like Hashchain the opportunity to grow by leaps and bounds.
Investors looking to profit from the crypto market without exposing themselves to too much risk should take a good look at Hashchain, it has all the gains from mining and masternodes while also keeping an eye on the horizon for the next big thing in the space.
#3 Kodak (NYSE: KODK)
The venerable film and camera company Eastman Kodak was in the news late in 2017: the company announced it was launching its own corporate crypto-currency, KodakCoin, with some help from Global Blockchain Technologies.
KodakCoin has already raised $8 million, though its ICO has been delayed a few weeks to allow the SEC to ensure all the buyers are fully accredited.
