Cryptocurrencies continue to rise in popularity since their inception a decade ago. Their rise has been tremendous until they have started to affect the economic activities of certain countries. It should not come as a surprise to find people discussing or chatting about crypto-related topics or news whenever you make a visit to any new region, and 2019 has been no exception.
With that in mind, the following is a list of the top 10 cryptocurrency companies to watch out for in the coming year:
1. Bitfury Group (Amsterdam)
Founders: Valery Vavilov and Valery Newsboy
Funding: €155M
Bitfury touts itself as a blockchain and full-service tech company. Launched in 2011, the company has grown to become a market leader in infrastructure and security development for the BTC blockchain. Additionally, is also involved in the design and production of innovative hardware solutions aimed at keeping blockchain platforms and cryptocurrencies secure.
2. Breadwallet (Zurich)
Founders: Adam Traidman and Aaron Voisine
Funding: €5.8M
Breadwallet deals with the provision of cryptocurrency wallets that can be used to store, transmit, and receive digital money. Their wallets can be used at any time and from any location. According to the information provided on its official website, customers are assured of complete privacy when using the wallets. It does not require any sign-up, login, or the submission of personal information. Since its launch, it has amassed a subscriber base of more than 2.5 million users spread out in more than 170 countries. To date, it has so far managed to protect more than $6.5 billion in crypto form. In the coming year, it aims to become the biggest and most trustworthy crypto wallet producer on the market.
3. Ledger (Paris)
Founders: Thomas France, Eric Larcheveque, Nicolas Bacca, and Joel Pobeda
Funding: €72.7M
Founded 5 years ago, Ledger is among the cryptocurrency companies that deal with the development of infrastructure and security solutions for blockchain applications and cryptocurrencies. Its client base comprises of both individual and corporate customers. At the start of 2019, the company introduced a new crypto hardware wallet referred to as Nano X. Besides, the platform has a mobile application known as Ledger Live, which clients can use to manage their tokens in a seamless manner.
4. Elliptic (London)
Founders: Tom Robinson, James Smith, and Adam Joyce
Funding: €6.4M
Elliptic is a platform that mainly deals with the identification of illegal activities being undertaken on the Bitcoin blockchain. Once such activities are identified, the company proceeds to provide law enforcement agencies and financial institutions with actionable intelligence that can be used to reduce the risks associated with transacting using Bitcoin. The main purpose of this platform is to make crypto-related transactions more accountable and transparent.
5. Blockchain (England)
Founders: Peter Smith, Nicolas Cary, and Ben Reeves
Funding: € 63.6M
Blockchain is a web-based platform that aims to help companies and individuals to gain access to an efficient, simplified, and safe way to obtain and use cryptocurrencies. The platform has received backing from renowned global cryptocurrency investors, such as Google Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
6. Bitwala (Berlin)
Founders: Jorg von Minkwitz, Jan Goslicki, and Benjamin Jones
Funding: €6.4M
Bitwala was introduced with a single mission: to create a disruption of the traditional banking sector. This disruption would lead to the eventual creation of a single account that would eventually lead to a seamless transition of the fiat and cryptocurrency worlds. Unlike the other cryptocurrency companies on this list, Bitwala provides its customers with a formal bank account, which is then connected to their cryptocurrency wallets. With this account, a customer is able to store Bitcoins, trade cryptocurrencies, and conduct everyday banking with ease.
7. SETL (London)
Founders: Peter Randall
Funding: €36.4M
SETL was developed as an initiative that would lead to the deployment of a settlement, multi-currency institutional payment, and multi-asset infrastructure platform that was solely based on blockchain technology. Additionally, it makes it possible for crypto market participants to move assets and cash directly between each other. This assists in facilitating the immediate and final settlement of all market transactions.
8. Bitstamp (London)
Founders: Nejc Kodric and Damijan Merlak
Funding: €11.3M
Bitstamp operates as an online marketplace where crypto enthusiasts from around the globe can easily purchase and offload their Bitcoin holdings. While the company has its base and headquarters in London, it does have additional offices in cities such as California, Berkeley, and Luxembourg.
9. Luno Money (London)
Founders: Carel van Wyk, Timothy Stranex, Pieter Heyns, and Marcus Swanepoel
Funding: €12.7M
Founded only six years ago, the company just started to gain a footing in the world of cryptocurrencies. Luno is one of the few cryptocurrency companies that provide products and services aimed at making it safer, easier, and convenient for crypto enthusiasts to purchase, store, and gain meaningful insight on popular cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum and Bitcoin. The company has announced that in 2020, it will release its vision on how it intends to upgrade the world to start using a financial system that is better and more reliable.
10. Gem (Venice)
Founders: Micah Winkelspecht
Funding: €19.1M
Gem was introduced to make cryptocurrency accessible to people of all backgrounds from all corners of the globe. It also has a mission to make it easier for crypto holders and enthusiasts alike to invest in various cryptocurrencies. This application provides cryptocurrency holders with a single entry point that they can use to track their digital assets as well as their true worth. In addition, it also provides its customers with a curated discovery of decentralized applications and new tokens. Moreover, this is not forgetting to ensure that all its users are forever connected to the broader cryptocurrency community using a secure universal wallet. The wallet is set for launch at the start of 2020.
Final Thoughts
A large chunk of the crypto companies listed above has unveiled big plans for 2020. Some will be introducing new products, while others are seeking to bolster the way they do business. However, what is becoming increasingly clear is that more and more startups are looking for creative ways to transform the crypto space by solving problems already in place.
