After a breakout year in 2017, the blockchain sector suffered a series of blows in 2018, from crashing cryptocurrency prices to increased regulatory scrutiny of crypto ventures and deepening skepticism about whether the technology was actually useful. Now, the industry has entered a crucial phase where blockchain developers need to overcome the limitations of the technology and find use cases that will win widespread adoption by businesses and organizations.
In this Xconomy Special Report, our veteran technology journalists Bernadette Tansey, David Holley, and I bring you deep insights from key industry leaders and observers about what the future holds for blockchain companies and their customers. In this report, you’ll learn:
- Which types of blockchain applications are gaining traction, and why.
- What blockchain executives and investors believe are the opportunities and challenges for this emerging sector. Our interviewees include IBM executive Ramesh Gopinath, Microsoft executive Rohit Amberker, venture capitalists Tim Draper and Gavin Gillas, and Gartner analyst Avivah Litan.
- How cloud services companies such as Microsoft, with its Azure business, and hardware startup Filament are smoothing out the barriers for enterprises that want to give blockchain applications a try.
- Practical tips for executives who are considering whether to adopt blockchain products.
Here’s a taste of what the experts told us:
Litan: “The market was characterized by too much hype, too high of expectations, and not enough understanding of the state of the technology and what it can do.”
Gopinath, speaking about businesses adopting blockchain products: “It’s happening. It’s real. It could be faster.”
Gillas: “Valuations [of blockchain startups] are down, and the need for help is high.”
For more, click here for a free download of the Special Report.
Jeff Engel is Deputy Editor, Tech at Xconomy. Email: jengel@xconomy.com Follow @JeffEngelXcon
