reports

Michael del Castillo , 

FORBES STAFF I cover enterprise adoption of blockchain and cryptocurrency.  


There’s more than one way to gain exposure to blockchain innovation. Beyond buying over-the-counter products or investing directly in blockchain startups some of the largest public companies in the world are already dabbling in the tech.


In fact, a closer look at this year’s Forbes Global 2000 list of the largest public companies in the world reveals that not only are all ten of the largest public companies in the world exploring blockchain, but at least 50 of the biggest names on the list have all made their own mark on technology first inspired by bitcoin.



(Stuart Ramson/AP Images for American Express)

50) American Express Company [Ticker symbol: AXP]Location: United StatesSales: $37.65 billionBlockchain Play: Ranked number 119 on the Global 2000, this credit giant is testing a way to use blockchain to give vendors more power over membership rewards.



(Photo by Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)

49) Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. [550190]Location: SpainSales: $29.24 billionBlockchain Play: The bank ranked number 116 on the Global 2000, has announced it closed a €75 million corporate loan using both ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric.



(AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

48) Mizuho Financial Group [8411]Location: JapanSales: $29.73 billionBlockchain Play: An early leader in a wide range of blockchain projects, the 114th largest company on the Global 2000 took a hit this year when its head of blockchain left, according to a CoinDesk report .


Photographer: Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg

47) BHP Billiton Limited [614469]Location: AustraliaSales: $41.23 billionBlockchain Play: Often called the world’s largest mining company, the 108th largest firm on this year’s Global 2000 list is exploring how blockchain can improve its supply chain.


(AP Photo/Noah Berger)

46) Oracle Corporation [ORCL]Location: United StatesSales: $39.47 billionBlockchain Play: Since joining Hyperledger Fabric in 2017, the 107th largest company on this year’s Global 2000 list has been preparing to launch its own enterprise blockchain platform.


AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

45) Tencent Holdings Ltd [BMMV2K]Location: ChinaSales: $35.27 billionBlockchain Play: Earlier this year, the company ranked 105 on the Global 2000, announced work with the Shenzhen State Taxation Bureau to explore blockchain and taxes.



Photo credit should read ANTONY DICKSON/AFP/Getty Images

44) AIA Group [B4TX8S]Location: Hong KongSales: $31.92 billionBlockchain Play: Ranked 93 on the Global 2000, the insurance giant last year revealed a bancainsurance platform using Hyperledger Fabric, and now runs its own blockchain accelerator.


AP Photo/Ng Han Guan

43) Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. [BABA]Location: ChinaSales: $37.87 billionBlockchain Play: Ranked number 81 on the Global 2000, this ecommerce giant has piloted a food supply chain and plans to invest part of a $14 billion Series A in the tech.


Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg

42) MetLife, Inc. [MET]Location: United StatesSales: $64.08 billionBlockchain Play: The insurance giant ranked number 78 on the Global 2000 has partnered with IBM and insurance tech company Majesco, to build a blockchain platform for insurance.


Photo by Alexander Koerner/Getty Images

41) Facebook, Inc. [FB]Location: United StatesSales: $44.59 billionBlockchain Play: The CEO of the 77th largest company on the Forbes Global 2000 list, Mark Zuckerberg, has explained his company plans to explore blockchain in a number of use cases.


Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg

40) Prudential Financial [PRU]Location: United StatesSales: $61.13 billionBlockchain Play: Largely working behind the scenes, the financial giant ranked number 73 on the Global 2000 and is a backer of influential Digital Currency Group.


Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg

39) Walt Disney Company [DIS]Location: United StatesSales: $56.83 billionBlockchain Play: After the entertainment giant shelved an internal blockchain solution, Dragonchain, employees spun-off their own startup to commercialize the platform.


Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg

38) IBM [IBM]Location: United StatesSales: $80.06 billionBlockchain Play: The computer giant ranked number 67 on the Global 2000 has open-sourced the widely used Hyperledger Fabric and is a driving force behind multiple blockchain initiatives.


Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg

37) Ford Motor Company [F]Location: United StatesSales: $159.59 billionBlockchain Play: The auto giant that ranked number 67 on the Global 2000 co-launched a blockchain research group for the auto industry, and was granted a patent for controlling traffic flow.


Photographer: Suzanne Plunkett/Bloomberg News

36) Prudential [70995]Location: United KingdomSales: $111.48 billionBlockchain Play: The company ranked number 66 on the Global 2000 has partnered with Singapore telecom firm StarHub to launch a blockchain-based trade platform for small businesses.


Photographer: Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg

35) Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. [407683]Location: ItalySales: $42.52 billion Blockchain Play: Ranked number 61 on the Global 2000, this Italian bank has been a leader in using public blockchains, including bitcoin to timestamp records and ethereum for derivatives.


AP Photo/Richard Drew, File

34) Goldman Sachs Group Inc. [GS]Location: United StatesSales: $43.69 billionBlockchain Play: Ranked number 60 of the Global 2000, the bank has plans to open its own bitcoin trading desk.


Photo by Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images33) ING Group [BZ5739]Location: NetherlandsSales: $56.58 billionBlockchain Play: Ranked number 56 on the Global 2000, ING Group has open-sourced software solutions designed to help protect a user’s identity.


Photographer: Bartek Sadowski/Bloomberg

32) Amazon.com Inc. [AMZN]Location: United StatesSales: $193.19 billionBlockchain Play: This ecommerce giant ranked number 53 on the Global 2000, offers cloud integrations for a number of blockchains and recently partnered with ethereum startup ConsenSys.


Photo by Alexander Pohl/NurPhoto via Getty Images

31) Siemens AG [572797]Location: GermanySales: $94.47 billionBlockchain Play: This industrial giant ranked number 51 on the Global 2000 and has invested in LO3, a blockchain energy startup working to help neighbors buy and sell solar power directly from each other.


Photo by Logan Bowles/PGA Tour

30) Morgan Stanley [MS]Location: United StatesSales: $45.59 billionBlockchain Play: In spite of clearing bitcoin futures contracts for its customers, the number 50 company on the Global 2000 also issued a report on the negative impacts of bitcoin mining on the environment.


Photo by Alexander Koerner/Getty Images

29) Intel Corporation [INTC]Location: United StatesSales: $64.03 billionBlockchain Play: Since contributing blockchain platform Sawtooth to the Hyperledger consortium, the computer giant ranked number 49 on the Global 2000, has focused on how hardware can help blockchain.


Photographer: Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg

28) Nestle [712387]Location: SwitzerlandSales: 91.23 billionBlockchain Play: The Swiss food-giant ranked number 48 on this year’s Global 2000 and is now part of a consortium working with IBM to remove unnecessary middlemen from the way they ship goods.


Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg

27) Sberbank Russia [476798]Location: RussiaSales: $46.33 billionBlockchain Play: The 47th largest public company according to the Global 2000, launched a blockchain lab in 2017 and is working with Russia’s securities depository to explore blockchain corporate bonds.


Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg

26) Pfizer [PFE]Location: United StatesSales: $52.67 billionBlockchain Play: Ranked number 44 on the Global 2000, this pharmaceutical giant is in the early stages of a project with Chronicled, a blockchain startup for supply chains.


Photographer: Cole Burston/Bloomberg

25) Royal Bank of Canada [RY]Location: CanadaSales: $40.49Blockchain Play: In addition to exploring a number of blockchain solutions, the bank ranked number 42 on the Forbes Global 2000, earlier this year registered a patent for automating credit scores.


Photographer: Vincent Mundy/Bloomberg

24) Anheuser-Busch InBev [ABI-BE]Location: BelgiumSales: $56.36 billionBlockchain Play: Number 42 on the Global 2000, the maker of Budweiser has announced work on a blockchain platform aimed at simplifying freight logistics.


Photographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg

23) Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group [8306]Location: JapanSales: $51.76 billionBlockchain Play: Ranked number 37 on the Global 2000, MUFJ joined the Ripple payments network in 2017, and plans to co-launch its own blockchain solution next year.


Photographer: Charles Mostoller/Bloomberg

22) Comcast Corporation [CMCSA]Location: United StatesSales: $86.85 billionBlockchain Play: The telecommunications giant that ranked number 34 of the Global 2000, backs Boldstart Ventures, which invests in enterprise blockchain startups.


Photographer: Christophe Morin/Bloomberg

21) AXA GroupLocation: FranceSales: $149.9 billionBlockchain Play: Ranked number 33 on the Global 2000, this insurance giant launched its 'Fizzy' smart contract platform using ethereum to automatically execute flight insurance payments.


Photographer: Angel Navarrete/Bloomberg

20) Banco Santander [570594]Location: SpainSales: $56.07 billionBlockchain Play: The 31st largest public company on this year’s Global 2000 list has invested in Ripple and Digital Asset Holdings, and launched a payments app using Ripple technology.


Photo by Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images

19) Daimler AG [552902]Location: GermanySales: $193.22 billionBlockchain Play: Since last year issuing at €100 million corporate bond using ethereum, the maker of Mercedez-Benz, ranked number 29 on the Global 2000 list, has begun testing its own cryptocurrency.


AP Photo/Richard Drew

18) Walmart [WMT]Location: United StatesSales: $500.34 billionBlockchain Play: Since an early prototype to use Hyperledger Fabric on the pork supply chain, the global grocer that ranked 24 on the Global 2000, has expanded its blockchain work to other supply chains.


AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

17) Alphabet Inc. [GOOGL]Location: United StatesSales: $117.88 billionBlockchain Play: In addition to a number of blockchain investments, the search giant that ranked number 23 on this year’s Global 2000 list is reportedly working on its own blockchain projects.


Photographer: Martin Leissl/Bloomberg

16) Allianz SE [523148]Location: GermanySales: $122.55 billionBlockchain Play: In addition to building a prototype for “self-insurance," the insurance giant that ranked number 22 on the Global 2000 is reportedly exploring a token for moving value.


Photo by Mikhail TereshchenkoTASS via Getty Images

15) Microsoft Corporation [MSFT]Location: United StatesSales: $103.31 billionBlockchain Play: Ranked number 20 on the Global 2000, the software giant was among the first to monetize blockchain services, and now works with a number of blockchains via it’s Azure platform.


Photographer: Christophe Morin/Bloomberg

14) BNP Paribas SA [730968]Location: FranceSales: $117.77 billionBlockchain Play: Ranked number 19 on the Global 2000, this French bank is working with “Big Four” accounting firm, EY, to use blockchain for its internal treasury operations.


AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File

13) Samsung Electronics Co. [677172]Location: South KoreaSales: $224.64 billionBlockchain Play: Ranked number 14 on the Global 2000, this electronics giant last year announced its Nexledger platform for tracking global supply chains.


Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

12) Toyota Motor Corp. [7203]Location: JapanSales: $265.17 billionBlockchain Play: A founding member of the Blockchain Mobility Consortium, this manufacturing giant is exploring how blockchain payments could enable self-driving cars.


Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg

11) Royal Dutch Shell Plc. [B03MM4]Location: NetherlandsSales: $321.77 billionBlockchain Play: An investor in blockchain development firm, Applied Blockchain, this oil giant is also working with BP to create an energy commodities platform.


AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko

10) Ping An Insurance Company [B01FLR]Location: ChinaSales: $141.62 billionBlockchain Play: In addition to being a member of distributed ledger group, R3, this insurance giant works with other insurance firms to explore blockchain.


AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

9) Bank of China Ltd. [B15456]Location: ChinaSales: $118.15 billionBlockchain Play: The Chinese bank has partnered with tech giant Tencent to test financial applications of blockchain technology, according to a CoinDesk report, and has filed a number of related patents.


Photo by Emmanuele Contini/NurPhoto via Getty Images

8) Apple Inc. [AAPL]Location: United StatesSales: $247.53 billionBlockchain Play: The computer giant has filed a patent for using blockchain technology to timestamp data.
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg

7) Wells Fargo & Company [WFC]Location: United StatesSales: $102.06 billionBlockchain Play: As part of being an early member of distributed ledger consortium R3, this bank is helping build a simpler way to track securitized home mortgages.


Photo credit should read HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images

6) Bank of America [BAC]Location: United StatesSales: $102.98 billionBlockchain Play: One of the most prolific patenters of blockchain technology, this banking giant is working to automate the process of creating letters of credit using the ethereum blockchain.


Photo by S3studio/Getty Images

5) Agricultural Bank of China [B60LZR]Location: ChinaSales: $129.34 billionBlockchain Play: The state-owned bank is working on a decentralized network to offer unsecured agricultural loans to e-commerce merchants.


Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

4) Berkshire Hathaway Inc. [BRK.B]Location: United StatesSales: $235.16 billionBlockchain Play: Berkshire subsidiary BNSF railroad and fine jewelry subsidiary Richline Group are exploring blockchain to streamline their supply chains.


Photo by Erik McGregor/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

3) JPMorgan Chase & Co. [JPM]Location: United StatesSales: $118.18 billionBlockchain Play: Since contributing blockchain platform Quorum to the open-source community a number of developers have expressed interest, including information giant IHS Markit.


Photo by S3studio/Getty Images

2) China Construction Bank Corporation [B0LMTQ]Location: ChinaSales: 143.2 billionBlockchain Play: CCB is using the IBM Blockchain platform to streamline the way banks and insurance companies jointly sell some of their financial products.


Photo by Unkel/ullstein bild via Getty Images

1) Industrial and Commercial Bank of China [B1G1QD]Location: ChinaSales: $165 billionBlockchain Play: A patent filed by ICBC describes a way to use blockchain technology to verify digital certificates instead of a trusted central authority.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeldelcastillo/2018/07/03/big-blockchain-the-50-largest-public-comp...

Cryptocurrencies: looking beyond the hype - 
BIS Annual Economic Report  |  17 June 2018



Abstract

Hyun Song Shin (Economic Adviser and Head of Research) speaks about Chapter V of the Annual Economic Report 2018.

Cryptocurrencies' decentralised model of generating trust limits their potential to replace conventional money, the chapter argues.

Cryptocurrencies promise to replace trusted institutions with distributed ledger technology. Yet, looking beyond the hype, it is hard to identify a specific economic problem which they currently solve.

Transactions are slow and costly, prone to congestion, and cannot scale with demand. The decentralised consensus behind the technology is also fragile and consumes vast amounts of energy.

Still, distributed ledger technology could have promise in other applications. Policy responses need to prevent abuses while allowing further experimentation. Download the full free 24 page pdf report here: https://www.bis.org/publ/arpdf/ar2018e5.pdf