Blockstream develops products and networks that make financial markets more efficient by decreasing reliance on trust.
Blockstream was founded to develop new ways to accelerate innovation in crypto currencies, open assets and smart contracts. Blockstream’s team believes in the potential of bitcoin and blockchain technology to have a significant, positive social impact.
Blockstream’s core area of innovation is sidechains, a technology focused on improving on the blockchain, the most powerful public utility for distributed trust systems. Sidechains are blockchains that are interoperable with each other and with Bitcoin, avoiding liquidity shortages, market fluctuations, fragmentation, security breaches and outright fraud associated with alternative crypto-currencies.
The company recently raised $55 million in Series A funding to further enhance their sidechain technology, expand their operations globally, and support new industry partnerships, bringing the total investments in the company to $76 million.
Blockstream finally launched an office in Tokyo, Japan, amid a push for global expansion.
Blockstream introduces institutional-grade Bitcoin investment vehicles through its new asset management arm, offering income and alpha-focused funds for accredited investors, with a third fund planned.
Komainu co-CEO Paul Frost-Smith reiterates the firm’s commitment to becoming a go-to provider of digital asset services for Bitcoin.