On The Starting Blocks

On The Starting Blocks

- Susan Hely

One of the technology buzzwords being championed by around 20 companies listed on the ASX is “blockchain”. This is the game-changing technology that was designed in 2009 to support the virtual currency Bitcoin. And it is popping up in all sorts of places.

More entrepreneurs are hailing the potential of blockchain to overhaul their technology, claiming it will save the company money to give clients a better experience and provide more security for data and personal details. Blockchain, it seems, can fix a wide range of issues.

Until recently the only way for investors to gain access to blockchain technology was through cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings (ICOs). But the volatility of cryptocurrencies is too extreme for many investors, not to mention the lack of prudential regulation.

Listed companies using blockchain give investors another way to invest in the technology that allows information to be stored and exchanged by a network of computers without any central authority, making it harder for data to be altered or hacked.

But because blockchain is an evolving technology, some companies are still in the testing phase and not actually using it in their business. They are more speculative operations with little cash flow and no profit. Take a close look at the financials if you are thinking of investing.