Get the Latest Investment Ideas Delivered Straight to Your Inbox. Subscribe

TICKERS: RIOT

NASDAQ-Listed Blockchain Company on the Move

Share on Stocktwits

Source:

A company that has shifted its focus to blockchain technology has garnered the interest of investors.

Riot Blockchain Inc. (BIOP:NASDAQ) has transformed itself, changing its name from Bioptix Inc., and moving the company's focus to blockchain technology and away from medical diagnostics. The company is now trading on NASDAQ under the symbol BIOP and has reserved the ticker symbol RIOT. The company announced on Oct. 3 that it will pay a special dividend of about $1 per common share to all shareholders of record as of Oct. 13.

In an Oct. 4 announcement, Riot Blockchain stated that moving forward, its focus will be "as a strategic investor and operator in the blockchain ecosystem with a particular focus on the Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains."

"Riot Blockchain will pay a special dividend of about $1 per common share to all shareholders of record as of Oct. 13."

The first investment the company has made is in Coinsquare Ltd., a Canadian exchange for trading digital currencies. "This investment into a blockchain-focused company is indicative of similar opportunities Riot Blockchain plans to pursue, including possible acquisitions of businesses serving the blockchain ecosystem," the company announced.

A blockchain is a decentralized system that is used as a ledger for cryptocurrency transactions, the company explained. "Blockchain protocols offer a secure way to store and relay information without the need for middlemen. It uses a decentralized and encrypted ledger that offers a secure, efficient, verifiable, and permanent way of storing records and other information. Blockchain protocols are the backbone of numerous digital cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin."

The technology is not just limited to cryptocurrencies. The company noted that blockchain protocols have a "wide range of potential applications including use in processing transactions, managing medical records, recording votes and proof of ownership across a far-reaching spectrum of applications."

Michael Beeghley, Riot Blockchain's CEO, stated, "With new applications being developed for blockchain every day, this is a rapidly growing and evolving market. . .Currently, we are the only NASDAQ listed company focused exclusively on blockchain technologies."

Bloomberg reported on Oct. 4 that "usually when a company rebrands itself by diving into the digital currency space, the stock waits until after the announcement to take off. In the case of Bioptix Inc., a maker of diagnostic machinery for the biotech industry, it didn't bother waiting." The stock nearly doubled "in the days leading up to the company's announcement Wednesday that it's renaming itself Riot Blockchain Inc. to reflect a new focus on buying cryptocurrency and blockchain businesses. After the Castle Rock, Colorado-based firm formally unveiled the change in direction, the shares extended their rally, gaining as much as 17 percent to $9.50, the highest intraday level since January 2015."

Riot Blockchain's shares are currently trading at around $10.18.

Want to read more Streetwise Reports articles like this? Sign up for our free e-newsletter, and you'll learn when new articles have been published. To see a list of recent articles and interviews with industry analysts and commentators, visit our Streetwise Interviews page.

Disclosure:
1) Patrice Fusillo compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee. She owns, or members of her immediate household or family own, securities of the following companies mentioned in this article: None. She is, or members of her immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None.
2) The following companies mentioned in this article are sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Streetwise Reports does not accept stock in exchange for its services. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers.
4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.
5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article, until one week after the publication of the interview or article. As of the date of this interview, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Riot Blockchain Inc., a company mentioned in this article.





Want to read more about Special Situations, Technology and Cryptocurrency / Blockchain investment ideas?
Get Our Streetwise Reports Newsletter Free and be the first to know!

A valid email address is required to subscribe