When the internet started, many called it a laughing stock and said that it would never amount to anything. And while it’s true that 90+% of startups failed, the few that survived went on to become world players - Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc. Such companies have as much power as international governments.
So while many Web3 companies may not survive, there are definitely ‘Blue Chip’ companies that could easily be generating value for the next 50 years. Such companies can change the way we live and interact - think AirBnB, airline aggregators like Skyscanner, and remote work platforms such as UpWork, to mention just a few.
Established Web3 Platforms
Many Web3 firms are already making a gigantic impact. Binance and Coinbase are regulated exchanges that act as a bridge between Web2 and Web3. They employ thousands of people across the globe and have millions of users, with a variety of products including staking, liquid staking, loans, and custodial services. They are not going bust any time soon.
Consensys and Chainlink are also well-established players with strong industry connections. Messari is a well-known blockchain analysis tool used by institutions interested in Web3. Such firms increase the legitimacy of the sector due to their size, enterprise-ready capabilities, and compliance facilities.
Aside from established companies, below are a few Web3 candidates who could be around for a long time, with huge industry connections, strong use cases, and the ability to transform how we behave as a species.
Most of the long-term projects center around real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, as this has the most power to democratize wealth and promote financial freedom. They could compete with the likes of Coinbase, Binance, and others if they build up momentum.
EstateX Real Estate Platform
EstateX is a RWA platform focused on real estate and financial literacy. It has a two-pronged approach to onboarding the next one billion users to Web3 - real estate democratization and a financial literacy platform. Current educational facilities do not provide any form of financial literacy that is suited to the modern, and rapidly changing, DeFi markets.
EstateX is building an educational ecosystem from the ground up for people to learn, with exclusive content from industry leaders and gamified rewards for incentivization. Simultaneously, they will provide a full commercial suite for real estate tokenization, as well as the ability to make everyday purchases from an existing real estate portfolio.
This project tackles two real-life issues faced by people - real estate cost and access, along with financial literacy. The two go hand in hand and students can practice within the EstateX university alongside real-life investment and payments through the wider ecosystem.
For Web3 adoption, people need incentives, as well as answers to their problems. Companies that provide this will be around for the long term. EstateX has secured a grant with Microsoft (with a 0.25% success rate) and has onboarded Brock Pierce as an advisor.
BlockApps RWA Platform
BlockApps is an RWA tokenization platform that currently has three marketplaces catering to three sectors - collectibles, metals, and carbon reduction. BlockApps has worked with United Airlines, Shell, AWS, Microsoft Azure, Deloitte, Google Cloud Platform, Bayer, BHP Billiton, Ticketmaster, and John Hancock.
The platform has recently released carbon-neutral silver (CNS) on Ethereum for $27 per troy ounce, as opposed to $26 per regular troy ounce. Emissions are reduced for CNS through tokenized carbon credits that are sent to renewable energy projects. Tokenized silver allows for smaller investments at a time of global inflation - metals being a classical hedge against inflation.
Tokenization enables retail investors to access products that were traditionally inaccessible, and BlockApps has very powerful industry connections as well as a great reputation in the Web3 industry. It was a founding member of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance in 2015 and launched a BaaS platform in conjunction with Microsoft.
What Web3 Companies Are The Real Blue Chips?
Just like in the original days of the internet, only a small percentage will go the distance. Those with strong industry connections and who offer genuine utility to people will be the ones to not just survive but thrive, in the modern era.
This will most likely include RWA companies, as well as financial platforms like Coinbase and Binance that offer access to DeFi, through the regulatory certainty of TradFi.
Though it’s not a straightforward process, choosing the right companies can result in the creation of next-generation wealth, in a new era of financial literacy.