Blockchain Ecosystem Explained In One Chart

Blockchain technology is developing at a rapid pace. Trying to keep up, understand and explain the inner workings of the ecosystem can be difficult. To address the evolution of this nascent technology, PitchBook has updated a blockchain market map consisting of “135 blockchain startups that have received the greatest amount of funding from angel investors and VC funds, per the PitchBook platform.”

There’s been an increase of blockchain technologies and use cases in enterprise solutions, compliance, identity systems and tokenization of assets. Below are brief descriptions of leading market segments, sub-categories and a few startups that are impacting blockchain and crypto according to PitchBook:

Transactions & Payment Services

This category contains startups whose primary use cases involve buying, selling or storing cryptocurrencies.

• Wallets
  Abra/Blockchain
• Merchant Transactions
  BitPay/Coinify
• Smart Contracts
  Ethereum/Tezos
• International Payments & Remittances
  Ripple/BitPesa
• Cryptocurrencies
  Chia/Basis

Exchanges & Trading

Crypto-exchanges are platforms for exchanging cryptocurrencies into other cryptocurrencies, fiat currencies or vice versa.

• Prediction Markets
  Augur
• Clearing & Settlement
  LedgerX/Paxos
• Marketplaces
  DomRaider/Rare Bits
• P2P Lending
  Bitbond
• Crowdfunding Platforms & Tokenization
  CoinList/Harbor
• Crypto-Exchange
  Circle/Coinbase/ShapeShift
• Crypto-Investment
  Polychain Capital/Pantera Capital

Identity, Authentication & Security

An inherent characteristic of a blockchain is the immutability of transaction records. Startups here use digital ledger software to verify the authenticity of data, as well as assets or documents, and use blockchain identifiers to represent and/or authenticate tangible assets.

• Data & Document Autentification
  Everledger/Trusted Key
• Security
  Post-Quantum/SafeChain
• Digital Identity
  ShoCard/SolidX

Enterprise blockchain solutions

Startups in this category provide enterprise-level blockchain solutions to entities operating in sectors such as financial services, healthcare, insurance, compliance, supply chain, and advertising.

• Financial Services
  Axoni/Chain
• Supply Chain
  Filament/Paystand
• Healthcare & Insurance
  Gem
• Compliance
  Chainalysis/Factom/Cambridge Blockchain

Social, networks & games

In this category, startups leverage decentralized networks to enable social and networking platforms used for recruiting, classifieds, dating and loyalty programs, among other use cases.

• Games
  CryptoKitties
• Social & Networks
  Sweatcoin/Matchpool/Synereo

Ecosystem

This category includes startups furthering blockchain technology via underlying infrastructure improvements and software development tools.

• Mining
  BitFury/Bitmain
• Hardware & Data Storage
  Ledger
• Infrastructure & Application Development
  BigchainDB/Blockstack/Blockstream

For more information, view the blockchain market map with detailed descriptions of the market segments, sub-categories of those uses and the entire list of startups on PitchBook.