The only safe way to bet on the blockbuster is to invest in a company that is not completely dependent on the success of the technology. IBM perfectly meets this requirement.

Almost ten years have passed since bitcoin and the underlying technology of the distributed registry, or block system, appeared, but the real boom of the cryptocurrency started only in 2017.

Blocking allows you to register transactions without the involvement of centralized regulators. Theoretically, with the help of a blockbuster, it is possible to do much more effectively any process involving an interaction of various parties and intermediaries. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are trying to become such a solution in the market of mutual settlements, but this is just one of many possible applications of the technology.

Of course, as is often the case with new promising ideas, we are sometimes inclined to overestimate the possibilities of the detachment. In essence, this technology is a new type of database - it would seem, because of what is there to raise the noise? But everything turned out exactly as it happened, and now it is worth investigating the situation.

How to bet on a blocker
In essence, for an investor who wants to bet on a block, there are two main options. You can invest in the purchase of cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin or ether. The cost of bitcoin in 2017 rose from about $ 1,000 to more than $ 13,000. The airing rate for the same time increased from $ 10 to more than $ 700. So this strategy certainly works - in any case, it worked last year.

The problem is that while you are not investing in the block system, you are betting on its specific application. To ensure that your investments have paid for themselves in the long term, two conditions must be met. First, the technology of blocking should justify expectations and gain a foothold in various markets; secondly, a specific cryptocurrency should become a really useful tool - because now its assessment remains almost exclusively speculative.

At the same time, it may well be that the blockage will receive universal recognition and will be widely used in various industries, and the crypto-currencies will not stand the test of time and will lose all value.

There is another obvious way to bet on the block: invest in companies that use this technology.

And here you need to be extremely attentive. Recently, a number of companies have discovered an excellent way to attract investors by announcing the introduction of a blockade - or simply successfully changing the name. These so-called "bitcoin-shares", such as Riot Blockchain and Xunlei Limited, have grown significantly on the wave of speculation, but their fundamental financial performance is frankly weak.

Investing in companies that use blocking is a more reliable option than buying cryptocurrency, but it is very important to choose the right company. It may well be that the "revolution of the blockbuster" will not happen. In the end, almost 10 years have passed since the advent of technology, but still, its advantages remain largely speculative in most applications. If you invest in a company that relies solely on blocking, you risk losing all or almost everything.

That is why the safest way to invest in a block of business may be investing in International Business Machines, a technology company with a long history. If the blocking company justifies the expectations placed on it, IBM's investors will benefit. If this does not happen, other IBM initiatives, such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence - can be profitable, not to mention more traditional directions. Of course, you will not get such fabulous profits, but the risk will be much lower.

What IBM does in the field of blockade
IBM is working on specific applications of blocking technology with more than 400 customers. The company cooperates with seven large European banks that have ordered from IBM a financial operations platform, the shipping giant Maersk, which hopes to use blockage to improve the efficiency of transport and logistics operations, and global food companies, including Kroger and Unilever, who are trying to apply new technology to optimize global supply chain.

While most of these projects are in the early stages of development, and in the near future, blocking is unlikely to be a significant source of income for IBM - in any case, not directly. In an interview with Bloomberg, IBM Blockchain vice president Jerry Cuomo pointed to some of the indirect benefits:

"Our sales team likes blockage because the customer who buys a block of flats rarely leaves us with only a blockade. Usually, they get something else in their basket. "

A broad customer base of IBM, which includes 97% of the world's largest banks, 83% of the world's largest telecommunications service providers and 80% of global retail networks, gives the company a key advantage. IBM can use these relationships for several decades to sell new technologies, such as blockchain.

Even if the block is just a line in the history of technology, IBM has other opportunities for growth. The annual sales forecast of the cloud division of the company is $ 15.8 billion, and in the third quarter, it was increased by 25% year-on-year. IBM's strategic initiatives over the past 12 months have brought the company 45% of total revenue, increasing at double-digit rates.

In addition, IBM shares are among the cheapest of all companies related to the blockbuster. The company expects an adjusted profit of at least $ 13.80 for the year 2017, which will ensure its price/earnings ratio is slightly above 11. For comparison, the same figure for the S & P 500 is almost 26. And let's not forget about the dividend yield of IBM - 3.9% - and a 22-year history of a continuous increase in dividends.

The investment in the bubble, which many believe the current market for cryptocurrency, is extremely dangerous. The only safe way to bet on the blockbuster is to invest in a company that is not completely dependent on the success of the technology. IBM ideally meets this condition: if the blocking company meets expectations, investors will benefit, but they will not lose much if the circumstances turn differently. Buying shares in IBM will not give you such a thrill as constant tracking of the bitcoin course, but long-term investment should not bring any thrills.