Blockchain technology wasn’t on anyone’s radar up until a few years ago. And it has since taken the world by storm, mainly because cryptocurrencies tend to capture all the major headlines.
But blockchains - also called distributed ledgers - have been quietly revolutionizing many other aspects of our daily lives, particularly when it comes to the way in which data is managed, protected and shared online.
To put it simply, a blockchain is a distributed database with a collection of records of data and information, stored in blocks, that are linked together via cryptography. Each block contains a cryptographic hash function from the previous block, a timestamp, and the data related to transactions.
The first decentralized blockchain was conceptualized by Satoshi Nakamoto and introduced in 2008 as the distributed ledger behind bitcoin transactions.
Blockchains can be public entities, such as Bitcoin, or private networks, such as those developed by governments for central bank digital currency projects, known as CBDC's (central bank digital currencies). But the use cases of blockchain have extended to many industries, playing an increasingly important role in all types of sectors, from finance to entertainment to urban management and supply chain solutions.
Now that we know what the technology is and what potential it might hold, it’s worth getting to know the best blockchain companies in the world and what they can offer when it comes to using this cutting-edge advancement.
Top Blockchain Companies in 2022
Blockchain is now a major industry that has birthed several billion-dollar projects. Let’s take a look at the top companies making waves in the industry.
1. Binance
Founded in 2017 by Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur Changpeng Zhao, Binance is currently the world's biggest digital currency exchange platform. The firm handled $490 billion alone of spot trading volumes in March of 2022, according to CryptoCompare data. Binance supports a wide range of cryptocurrency pairs while offering a high degree of liquidity and security. It's estimated that Binance currently handles at least half of the assets of the entire cryptocurrency market and its ecosystem encompasses wallet, blockchain, cryptocurrency and education services. In addition, Binance is behind the Binance Coin token (BNB) that powers the exchange's entire ecosystem. The cryptocurrency can be used as the basis for transactions on the network and many other instances beyond it.
2. Coinbase
Coinbase is another leading cryptocurrency exchange that provides financial infrastructures for the blockchain ecosystem, including transaction services and technology designed for the crypto economy on a global scale. The company was founded Brian Armstron, a former Airbnb engineer, in June 2012, together with co-founder Fred Ehrsam, a former Goldman Sachs trader.
Users are able to invest, spend, save, earn and use cryptocurrencies through the platform, while institutions can rely on Coinbase for a wider range of blockchain solutions, from securely accepting crypto assets as payment to building crypto-based applications. The exchange also offers blockchain development services, allowing developers to build their own crypto products.
This blockchain company has 98 million verified users and caters to 13,000 institutions, and 230,000 ecosystem partners in over 100 countries. On top of this, Coinbase was the first blockchain project ever to get listed on a stock exchange, the NASDAQ, making it all the more important that you keep an eye out for the company in 2022.
3. ConsenSys
ConsenSys is a provider of blockchain solutions for Ethereum. The company was founded by Joseph Lubin, who is also the co-creator of Ethereum and the Ethereum Foundation. The company is known for deploying Ethereum enterprise network solutions for high profile-clients, including governments, corporations and NGOs. ConsenSys helps these organizations secure their IT infrastructures and explore blockchain-based models. In addition, ConsenSys manages to stay ahead of the competition by offering not only blockchain development capabilities, but also a broad range of digital solutions, including:
PegaSys: An enterprise grade Ethereum blockchain platform with a focus on advanced privacy functionality. The PegaSys Ethereum suite includes Hyperledger Besu, PegaSys Plus and PegaSys Orchestrate.
Codefi: A blockchain application suite for commerce and finance, helping clients digitize financial instruments, manage digital assets, unlock digital asset liquidity and optimize business processes.
Infura: A blockchain development tool that allows developers to connect to the Ethereum blockchain using an API without having to run a full node and underpins a significant number of dapps on the network.
Diligence: A smart contract audit service with blockchain security analysis tools combined with hands-on review by veteran smart contract auditors.
ConsenSys all-around enterprise blockchain solutions are the ideal fit for most corporations looking to leverage the capabilities of emerging technology and the Ethereum blockchain in a safe and trusted environment. For all these reasons, and the assurances it can provide, ConsenSys is one of the top blockchain companies that should be on your radar in 2022.
4. Gemini
Gemini is one of the world’s leading crypto exchanges and was founded in 2014 by the renowned Winklevoss twins. As an exchange, this is a trusted platform and offers a wide range of cryptocurrency trading pairs. However, Gemini has also become a sought-after platform for its custodian service targeted at private investors. The company is a fiduciary and qualified custodian under New York Banking Law and is licensed by the State of New York to custody digital assets. It’s worth nothing that Gemini also has $200 million in custody insurance coverage. For being a trustworthy exchange and being the first company to offer licensed custodial services, Gemini gets a stop on our list of the top blockchain companies in 2022.
5. Chainalysis
Chainalysis is a software company that provides blockchain data analysis to private and government organizations. As cryptocurrencies are increasingly adopted by companies, digital tokens are also drawing more scrutiny over some of its more obscure uses. As such, organizations should look to identify potentially thorny issues and voice legal headaches. One of Chainanalysis main products is compliance and investigative software related to blockchain technology, assisting companies in the implementation of decentralized technologies in the safest way. A central part of its solutions is detecting and preventing illegal activities in the blockchain sector. As one of the top blockchain platforms in the world, Chainalysis is trusted by some 650 organizations worldwide, including major banks, crypto exchanges and payment processors.
6. Blockstream
Blockstream is a leading provider of blockchain technologies, founded and led by famed cryptographer Adam Back, a famous cryptographer. The company's focus is on opening up global access to cryptocurrency and promoting its adoption by creating the decentralized financial systems of the future based on cutting-edge cryptography and security engineering.
Some of its advanced blockchain technology products and tools include:
Blockstream Liquid Network: A Bitcoin layer-2 enabling the issuance of security tokens and other digital assets. It enables the execution of trustless swaps using non-custodial order books and protects financial privacy through confidential transactions.
Blockstream Green: The world’s first multi-currency wallet that provides an unrivaled blend of security and ease-of-use.
Blockstream Explorer: A blockchain explorer that provides real-time data on the Liquid Network and other blockchains.
Blockstream Mining: Enables enterprise-class Bitcoin mining services to institutions and investors around the world.
Chainlink Labs the leading provider of secure and reliable open-source blockchain oracle solutions, enhancing smart contracts by connecting them to a wide range of off-chain data sources and computations, such as asset prices, web APIs, IoT devices, payment systems, and more. The company is focused on the development and integration of Chainlink as the standard decentralized oracle framework used by smart contracts across any blockchain. Moreover, Chainlink is aims to become the leading name in building, accessing, and selling oracle services needed to power hybrid smart contracts on any blockchain.
8. Solana
Solana is a blockchain technology project that was founded in 2017 by Anatoly Yakovenko and Greg Fitzgerald. The Solana protocol and SOL token were released to the public in 2020. The platform has become renowned for its speed and efficiency, enabling the processing of thousands of transactions per second at an average cost per transaction of $0.00025. This is made possible because Solana uses a unique algorithm to validate transactions called Proof of History (PoH), which does not require the solving of complex mathematical problems for the network to work. As an open-source blockchain, developers can make use of great capabilities of this blockchain, like:
- Minting, selling, and trading non-fungible tokens (NFTs)
- Developing decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms and decentralized apps (dApps)
- Developing blockchain games, including Web3 games
Solana has seen a strong growth over the last few years, overtaking major rivals. Solana's biggest competitor is currently Ethereum and the company has been dubbed an "Ethereum killer."
9. BitFury
Bitfury Group is one of the world’s leading full-service blockchain technology companies and it has a suite of solutions, from hardware to software, aimed at developing products and services that power the Web 3.0 ecosystem and make digital assets safe, sustainable, and useful. The company was founded in 2011 as one of the earliest platforms for Bitcoin miners. BitFury is also one of the largest private infrastructure providers in the blockchain ecosystem. Some of its most prized products include:
Crystal Blockchain: An advanced analytics platform, which helps law enforcement and private sector clients make crypto assets safer and more compliant
LiquidStack: An immersion cooling business, which dramatically reduces data center energy usage and makes Bitcoin mining and high performance computing more environmentally sustainable
Axelera AI: Unlocks the potential of artificial intelligence with the world’s most advanced AI technologies
10. BIT Mining
BIT Mining is a Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency mining company that features as one of the largest blockchain companies in the world. In case you’re wondering, mining in a crypto context refers to a joint group of cryptocurrency miners who combine their computational resources over a network to successfully mine for cryptocurrency. As a key element in the blockchain industry, mining companies have become hugely valuable and BIT Mining is one of the top blockchain companies in 2022 thanks to its widespread business operations, covering cryptocurrency mining, pool, machine manufacturing, and data center operations. The company utilizes cryptocurrency mining machines and hydroelectric cryptocurrency mines, the sole purpose of which is to mine bitcoin. Moreover, BIT Mining also owns the mining pool business operated under BTC.com, including the domain name and wallet.
