The blockchain sector, encompassing everything from business-level implementation of distributed ledger technology (“DLT”) to cryptocurrency trading and mining, has passed the stage of fighting for legitimacy. Now fully established and globally recognized, its expansion and development tour is underway.

The industry’s participation pool has drastically shifted since its earlier days when essentially only CypherPunks and political idealists believed in the disruptive space. Now, market participants include Microsoft and IBM, Main Street investors, hedge funds and R&D firms to name a few. With the industry on the rise in so many respects, an abundance of implications are emerging.

Even though Bitcoin introduced the world to blockchain technology nearly a decade ago, its mainstream appeal and subsequent implantation are still relatively recent developments. While Bitcoin was launched largely to disrupt the traditional banking and financial systems of the world, a much broader range of separate industries and applications are now being touched by DLT.

In fact, leading blockchain technology and cryptocurrency news platform CoinDesk recently published its State of Blockchain – Q4 2017 report which exhibits some insightful findings about the burgeoning industry. From the standpoint of public interest, global Google searches on major blockchain topics have skyrocketed over the past half-decade.

Perhaps unsurprisingly so, as public blockchain-based digital assets put to shame the gains of other traditional investments via their 2017 performances. 

Perhaps the biggest, most notable advancements in the blockchain industry, however, are stemming from the enterprise end. Microsoft Azure, the software giant’s blockchain initiative, is making waves in the sector. According to the company’s website, “Microsoft is bringing blockchain to the enterprise, working with customers, partners, and the blockchain community to continually advance its enterprise readiness. Our mission is to help companies thrive in this new era of secure multiparty collaboration by delivering platforms and services that any company—including ledger startups, retailers, health providers, and global banks—can use to improved shared business processes.”