These companies keep the eco-system of blockchain alive.
When you write about blockchain and cryptocurrency you tend to get a lot of emails offering CEO interviews, background on emerging ICOs and everything in between.
I thought it would be interesting to go through some of the companies who have reached out to me and take a look at exactly what they do and who they serve. I was amazed to see that a full-service industry now exists to propel that startup (the one you haven’t heard of yet) to glory, and so I dived a bit deeper to figure out just what help a successful ICO might need.
Indeed, the industry isn’t made up of blockchain companies alone; there are vital supporting services that make up the ecosystem. Despite having a science-fiction/futuristic ring to it— the blockchain industry is no lone wolf. In the world of financial technology, it really is evolve or die.
So here are my top 3 from each section of the blockchain and crypto industry of who I believe are pushing the boundaries, from accounting services to tokenomics.
Accounting Services
Preparing and examining financial records is no easy task and in a relatively new industry, some of these expenses and purchases may be foreign to accountants who have not worked with blockchain and cryptocurrency companies before. Here are a few of the best crypto-accounting companies out there who have managed to get their heads around it.
Gold
Commerce CPA specializes in helping Bitcoin and cryptocurrency users around tax season. The commerce CPA staff are familiar with a number of cryptocurrencies ranging from big names like Bitcoin and Ethereum to smaller altcoins like Zcash, and their team can help consumers with auditing, accounting, and consulting as well.
Silver
The team at Azran financial are considered thought leaders when it comes to cryptocurrency accounting solutions and taxation. From ICO’s to STO’s to cryptocurrency airdrops, the team at Azran has a deep understanding of blockchain technologies and its relationship with regulation.
Bronze
Crypto CPAs is an accounting firm that specializes in blockchain and cryptocurrency. The firm services individuals with cryptocurrency investments, and ICO projects in need of tax and accounting services.
Conferences
Community building is an essential part of reaching out to the mainstream audience and ensuring that a blockchain project maintains enough following to keep going for many years to come; because of this, companies organize blockchain events on a regular basis, especially since cryptocurrency enthusiasts are known to spend large sums of money for these events.
Gold
The United Nations (UN) has been looking to blockchain technology to solve social issues. For those who are looking for ideas on what to tokenize, high-level forums such as those by the UN would provide very valuable insights. After all, the best products in the world are those that deliver a real need.
Silver
Silicon Valley wouldn’t be caught dead behind everybody else, particularly with a technology so big, that even those who don’t understand it keep talking about it. On November 28-29, the ambitiously named event, “The World’s Largest Blockchain Conference and Exhibition,” will bring big names in the industry together.
Bronze
Dubai has always been on a quest to position itself as one of the most forward-thinking cities in the world. The Dubai International Blockchain Summit on August 9 hosted over 5,000 delegates, including several start-up founders, at Atlantis the Palm Hotel.
Developments
In an industry as new as blockchain and cryptocurrency, it can be challenging to come across individuals with the expertise to develop blockchain-based software and hardware. Fortunately, there are a number of companies in the industry willing to assist you with this task.
Gold
Tecsynt helps companies create blockchain-based mobile phone applications. The team at Tecsynt are well-versed in blockchain and cryptocurrency and can help clients when it comes to developing programs and making decisions. A few of Tecsynt’s clients include Freemo, Hawkist, and DermDash.
Silver
Toptal connects their clients to a pool of talent that can create the blockchain based software and hardware that they are looking for. After hearing about project goals, Toptal leverages their vast network of blockchain engineers and connects customers to developers that are the perfect fit for their project.
Bronze
Peerbits offers a range of blockchain development services; from private blockchain development to wallet development solutions, Peerbits’ team of experienced blockchain specialists can tackle any problem their clients are facing and create solutions.Investment Funds The amount of money coming into the blockchain industry has been quite overwhelming.
Some even predict that the bitcoin market cap alone will shoot up to the trillion-dollar mark at some point in the near future and financial professionals have taken notice of the opportunity.
Unsurprisingly, traditional investors have been seeping into blockchain investing, and investment funds are an easy transition that saves investors from a lot of headaches.
Gold
Protocol Ventures was started in 2017 by serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist Rick Marini. Protocol Ventures is an investment fund that invests in cryptocurrency hedge funds. The company identifies the top ten hedge funds based on historical and expected performance, quality of fund managers, and quality of investment strategies, and backs these companies in hopes of healthy returns.
Silver
Pantera Capital is a blockchain-focused investment fund founded in 2013, making it the first US Bitcoin investment firm in history. They have a portfolio of industry heavyweights, including Bitcoin.org, ShapeShift, Augur, Abra, Civic, Omisego, and Ripple.
Bronze
Based in London, Eterna Capital was formed by a group of ex BlackRock analysts with a solid understanding of traditional markets and blockchain tech. The fund is special as it focuses on projects and teams that value social impact and incorporate it into their business models.
Marketing Agencies
Despite what some may believe, the success or failure of a company isn’t always about being the best, or “getting there first.” Many times, success is bolstered by other less quantifiable factors, like user experience and community relations.
An explosive marketing strategy can help start-ups make their entry into the market, even when it’s already crowded with industry giants; this cannot be truer in the blockchain industry.
Keeping an organization in and ahead of the game is a constant investment that should never be undervalued, pre and post-ICO.
Gold
Making the top of the list is Verma Media, which, within only about a year propelled over 80 projects into over $220 million in funding. With Verma’s track record, it quickly became a household name for blockchain founders. The “decentralized marketing agency” offers full-service marketing, landing big clients like Consensus, Patron, Muirfield, and Substratum, among many others.
Silver
Wachsman PR, founded in 2015, prides itself with its media relations services, strategic advisory, event production, and “crisis communications”—something all-too-familiar with all the hacks and controversies the blockchain industry experiences on a regular basis.
Some of Wachsman’s most well-known clients are Dash, Coindesk, Steemit, and the controversial Bitfinex—which in itself would have been rigorously testing Wachsman’s damage control skills.
Bronze
Another blockchain-focused PR firm worth watching is Melrose, a California-based agency strategically located in Silicon Beach, where over 500 tech startup companies reside.
The firm has worked with several startups focusing on fields like AI, healthcare, advertising, and online gaming. Among their clients are SingularityNET, DAO.
Casino, and Blockdaemon.Smart Contracts
Smart contracts are the blood of decentralized applications. Any flaws within this code could spell trouble for a company and its founders—legal, financial, and reputational. But at the same time, experienced blockchain developers are hard to come by.
Fortunately, some have taken it upon themselves to put some order into the developer shortage by offering these services through firms. And because these jobs are highly complex and utterly crucial (multi-million-dollar hack level crucial), it’s best to leave this job to the experts.
Gold
Hosho.io nabs the number one spot on this list due to their reliable security services and track record in smart contract auditing. The blockchain security firm, comprised of experienced white hat hackers, is a partner to the Ethereum Enterprise Alliance.
Silver
US-based firm Zeppelin Solutions boasts of having networks worth over $4.5 billion built using their systems. Apart from security audits for decentralized applications (DApps), the company also builds open-source infrastructure to make it easier for new developers to create complex blockchain applications.
Bronze
Blockchain outsourcing company Prolitus is an ISO 9001 & ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified firm and is a partner to Google and Amazon Web Services. They currently operate in Ireland, USA, and India.
Tokenomics Strategy
Not only did blockchain technology forge the birth of parallel industries, but it has also given rise to the creation of entirely new fields of study—tokenomics being one of them. The field governs the purpose, mechanics, and economic design of a token ecosystem, as well as the incentive structure within it. This is a crucial pre-launch aspect in an entirely new “science,” therefore tokenomics specialists are highly sought after, yet not easily found.
Gold
Yeoman’s Capital is an investment firm created by early Bitcoin adopters. “We only invest if we can also make a meaningful impact as advisors,” their website says. And to show everyone they mean business, the firm clearly states, “No Free Lambos,” on their website. “We work hard & deploy our own money.”
Silver
Boasting a team of several blockchain analysts, advisers, and technologists, International Blockchain Consulting (IBC) specifically positions their firm as one whose niche is in a tokenomics advisory.
Bronze
BlockchainSaw is a blockchain development firm that also offers smart contract auditing—something the industry is in dire need of. Unlike investment firms and consultancies that provide advisory services, BlockchainSaw does the dirty work for token creators.
I have worked for broadcasters such as the BBC, BFBS and the Press Association before becoming a full-time freelance journalist in 2016.
Previously I had written on the FinTech sector for both national and niche publications, but it was the Brexit referendum that sparked my ...
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These companies keep the eco-system of blockchain alive.