The MiningNewsWire Podcast

The market for digital currencies is volatile by nature, and while some commentators declare an imminent bursting of the cryptocurrency bubble, many analysts forecast another bull run in 2018. Despite wild swings in digital currency, the underlying blockchain technology demonstrates more stability. With this in mind, investors are increasingly turning their interest to blockchain-focused enterprises, such Global Payout, Inc. (GOHE), a company applying blockchain to logistics in the fintech sector. Processor developer Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) has seen its earnings soar as it provides technology to support the blockchain, while NVIDIA Corp. (NVDA) received a boost from the sale of graphics processing units (GPUs) for cryptocurrencies and gamers. A shift of focus from digital commerce to using and investing in cryptocurrencies has seen Overstock.com, Inc. (OSTK) quadruple in value. Even tech giant International Business Machine Corp. (IBM) is exploring blockchain as a tool for payment systems and supply chains.

As the legalization of medical marijuana spreads, the appetite for investment in the cannabis biotech sector keeps growing. This is the largest sector of the legal cannabis market, already a multi-billion-dollar market. Researchers continue to uncover new ways that cannabinoids, chemical compounds found in cannabis, can be used as medicine. Earth Science Tech (ETST) offers full-spectrum, high-grade hemp cannabidiol (CBD) oil, and is researching cutting-edge CBD products through its subsidiary Cannabis Therapeutics, Inc. (CTI). The creator of the first cannabis-based prescription medicine, GW Pharma (GWPH) is working on new drugs to tackle epilepsy, while Medical Marijuana, Inc. (MJNA) provides a range of CBD oils with medical and nutritional benefits to customers across North and South America. CV Science, Inc. (CVSI) utilizes separate drug development and consumer product divisions to create and market a diverse range of CBD products to a variety of markets, and Cannabis Science, Inc. (CBIS) is developing formulation-based drugs based on cannabinoid science.

SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING) is pleased to announce it has been approved and is now trading on the OTCQB Venture Market, which requires a higher level of transparency and helps provide increased investor confidence through continued verification of information. Uplisting from the OTC Pink Open Market tier supports with the company’s goals of increasing acquisition deal flow and having access to institutional investors both directly and through the open market.

ORHub, Inc. (OTC:ORHB) announced that $3.2 million dollars has been successfully raised to further the Company’s reach into the marketplace with its revolutionary healthcare IT Vertical Specific Software, which is poised to transform the business of surgery by delivering real-time, case-based surgical data analytics. This latest funding comes on the heels of the recent warrant program that, at the close of 2017, yielded the Company $3.8 million in working capital.

With the rapid growth of the legal American cannabis market, other cannabidiol (CBD)-based products are often overlooked. In particular, hemp has the opportunity to reach medical and nutritional customers that cannabis can’t, and ChineseInvestors.com (CIIX) is tapping into that market. With the potential to provide similar benefits without the same restrictions, hemp products can be sold in markets such as China, where cannabis remains illegal. It’s a part of the market that CBD industry leaders such as Freedom Leaf, Inc. (FRLF) are also catering to, with marketing and media products for hemp companies. Medical Marijuana, Inc. (MJNA), America’s first publicly traded cannabis company, is carrying its CBD business beyond the United States and across the Americas, while CV Sciences, Inc. (CVSI) combines scientific research with a consumer products division to bring innovative CBD products to the market. At the farming end of the supply chain, Terra Tech Corp. (TRTC) provides advanced agricultural solutions and new, better strains of cannabis for a growing market.

Until recently, cryptocurrencies were relatively mysterious to the general public of consumers, merchants and retailers who were unaware of the advantages that blockchain technologies could have in easing and securing private transactions. But free markets abhor vacuums, and several public companies are advancing programs to educate and bring the broader public into cryptocurrency transactions. SinglePoint, Inc. (SING) is aggressively making strategic acquisitions in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space, while an increasing number of recognizable industry behemoths like Overstock.com, Inc. (OSTK), Microsoft, Inc. (MSFT) and Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) are delving into cryptocurrencies and blockchain. Others like Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) have expressed optimism in its potential for consumer transactions, though stopping short of accepting bitcoin as payment.

One of the primary goals of the current U.S. Administration is to revamp the country’s failing infrastructure, especially internal waterways vital for transporting a vast range of goods, including grain, steel, coal and petroleum products. Blockchain technology can play a crucial role in this process, and the federal government already investigating the potential implementation of the technology to streamline construction. Recently approved as a government contractor for the State of Utah, Petroteq Energy, Inc. (OTCQX: PQEFF) (TSX.V: PQE) (FRANKFURT: MW4A) has integrated blockchain into its operations, poised to take advantage of blockchain’s impact on the oil and gas market, as well as infrastructure. Other enterprises focused on developing solutions in the blockchain space include 360 Blockchain, Inc. (OTC: BKLLF) (CODE: CNX), BTL Group Ltd. (OTC: BTLLF) (TSX.V: BTL), Hive Blockchain Technologies Ltd. (TSX.V: HIVE) and Marathon Patent Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MARA).

Hydrogels have been in limited commercial use for more than two decades. However, advancements in drug delivery, and thus hydrogel technology, are driving rapid growth in the global market, which is now projected to surge to over $22 billion by 2022 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3 percent, according to BCC Research. In what may prove to be a groundbreaking approach in this field of exponential opportunity, PreveCeutical Medical Inc. (CSE: PREV) (OTCQB: PRVCF) (FSE: 18H) is engineering a unique sol-gel nose-to-brain drug delivery platform to provide clinical relief of multiple physical maladies. Other recognized companies that have embraced new methods of drug delivery and hydrogel delivery systems include Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (VRX: NYSE), UroGen Pharma Ltd. (NASDAQ: URGN) and GW Pharmaceuticals PLC (GWPH: NASDAQ).

Blockchain has heralded innovation, stretching across both the financial and technological worlds, which has paved the way for new methods of online transaction. The underlying blockchain technology is one such method that not only protects the anonymity of users during transactions, but also allows for the securing of transaction contents. With the digital age bringing many questions revolving around online transactions, the following companies are integrating the power of blockchain to offer cutting-edge service and support: Epazz, Inc. (OTC: EPAZ), MGT Capital Investments Inc. (OTC: MGTI), Bitcoin Services (OTC: BTSC), Glance Technologies, Inc. (OTC: GLNNF) (GET: CNX) and Global Blockchain Technologies Corp. (OTC: BLKCF) (BLOC: CC).

With the expected legalization of recreational cannabis use in Canada just months away, the Canadian cannabis industry is experiencing a frenzied flow of capital that is only likely to accelerate. While this capital rush won’t affect every company in the space, the overriding sentiment supports global aspirations and trickle-down opportunity for innovators like Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (OTCQX: LXRP) (CSE: LXX). This unprecedented cash flow is already fueling the construction of the largest grow facilities the world has ever seen, as well as increasingly hectic merger and acquisition strategies undertaken by companies like MedReleaf (OTC: MEDFF) (TSX: LEAF), Aurora Cannabis, Inc. (OTC: ACBFF) (TSE: ACB), Cronos Group, Inc. (OTC: PRMCF) (CVE: MJN) and Organigram Holdings, Inc. (OTC: OGRMF) (TSXV: OGI).

Blockchain will be one of the defining technologies over the next 10 years. As the depth of its uses become more apparent, an increasing number of companies are claiming intellectual property rights for applications of the technology in numerous industries. Petroteq Energy Inc.’s (TSX.V: PQE) (OTCQX: PQEFF) blockchain-powered supply chain management platform will be utilized for its patented oil extraction process, while Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) looks to leverage blockchain to provide faster, securer financial services. Consulting giant Accenture (NYSE: ACN) is also in on the act, as is Mastercard, Inc. (NYSE: MA), which aims to improve payment procedures through recently patented technology. International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) is looking across the blockchain possibilities, applying it to both payment systems and supply chains, with a focus on petroleum and chemicals.

Artificial intelligence (“AI”) is an increasingly important part of the financial technology sector, specifically in analyzing stocks and providing insights into the markets that human analysts alone can’t make. As such, AI-driven funds hold an increasingly large portion of the market, moving this technology into the mainstream. The result is a large opportunity for investors using this technology or investing in the companies producing it. Significant steps are being taken by companies such as AnalytixInsight (TSX.V: ALY) (OTCQB: ATIXF), whose flagship CapitalCube cloud-based analytics empowers investors to evaluate the potential of companies and portfolios. Other companies are also taking note of AI’s increasing value. TD Bank (NYSE: TD) has snapped up a young but highly valued AI company as part of a broader AI strategy, while Helios and Matheson Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HMNY) has seen its share price rise as it expands its AI-driven big data strategy. Even Thomson Reuters (NYSE: TRI), owner of the original human-driven reporting and analysis company Reuters, has taken an interest in AI analysis, as has Euronext NV (NASDAQ: EUXTF), a European stock exchange.

Pain is a wide-ranging complex medical condition that can be both physically debilitating and mentally destabilizing. Whether acute or chronic, caused by disease, trauma or neural damage, current pain therapeutics primarily rely on a variety of opioid-based pharmacological therapies that have ignited a severe public health crisis. The rampant dependency and abuse of opioid-based drugs has triggered a global quest for effective opioid free medications. Societal demands and sheer market size have bio-pharmaceutical companies searching for solutions to address the critical need for new ways to successfully treat pain. Establishing a new paradigm in pain management solutions, PreveCeutical Medical, Inc. (CSE: PREV) (OTCQB: PRVCF) (FSE: 18H) has undertaken a novel approach in the development of non-addictive analgesics by engineering peptides into efficient pain blockers, eliminating highly addictive opioids. Other companies in the hunt for pain management solutions include AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACRX), Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR), Flexion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLXN) and Cara Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CARA).

Blockchain and cannabis stocks enjoyed an impressive market run in 2017 and industry analysts expect the trend to continue in 2018. As these industries continue to grow, innovators are finding ways to integrate this growth and address areas of need in different verticals. Case in point, India Globalization Capital, Inc. (NYSE American: IGC), the developer of a patent-pending cannabis-based combination therapy for Alzheimer’s disease, recognizes the need for accurate labeling of cannabidiol products online. In response, the company is developing blockchain technology-based solutions for the cannabis industry. With this endeavor, the company is participating in the rampant growth and application of blockchain benefits, alongside Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE: KODK), BTL Group Ltd (OTC: BTLLF), Riot Blockchain, Inc. (NASDAQ: RIOT) and China Information Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNIT).

Less than a decade ago, blockchain sounded like the fodder of science fiction; today, the technology is demonstrating its ability to revolutionize the finance industry. By stepping outside the existing payment structures, blockchain provides a new and secure way to execute financial transactions. The use of the technology is rapidly expanding, and because of the innovative nature of the technology, its wide-ranging possibilities are being explored and developed by a range of companies with unique objectives. Some, such as SinglePoint, Inc. (SING), are looking at how to integrate these technologies to provide a better service for select markets. While alarming articles predict the bursting of the “blockchain bubble,” established companies such as Bank of America Corp. (BAC) and Mastercard, Inc. (MA) have moved to adopt blockchain technology, signalling its acceptance by mainstream banking. Meanwhile, companies such as Bitcoin Services, Inc. (BTSC) and Discover Financial Services (DFS) continue looking for new ways to exploit the technology’s potential.

The widespread adoption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies is all but inevitable. The technologies demonstrate numerous consumer and commercial advantages, particularly in logistics, international trade, and even food-safety and product anti-counterfeiting drives. As global and online commerce expands, so does the need for streamlined verification of product quality, delivery and payments, a few of the many capabilities offered by blockchain technology. An emerging leader in this space is ChineseInvestors.com (CIIX), which, among other cryptocurrency-related endeavors, recently opened a bitcoin ATM at its U.S. headquarters in California. Other companies operating in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space include MGT Capital Investments, Inc. (MGTI), Bitcoin Investment Trust (GBTC), LongFin Corp. (LFIN) and Overstock.com, Inc. (OSTK).

The parabolic rise in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has spawned a frenetic mania seldom seen in the markets. While debate of bitcoin’s legitimacy as a long-standing form of currency continues, general consensus asserts that the underlying blockchain technology has applications that extend far beyond its connections to cryptocurrency. As such, innovative companies around the globe are beginning to employ blockchain technology to streamline business and secure transactions. Telemedicine pioneer Medical Innovation Holdings, Inc. (MIHI) is establishing a new paradigm in secure and efficient handling of patient medical and financial data. The company’s new MIHI Blockchain Platform is designed to vastly improve the safe and effective movement of patient data and result in much lower transaction costs. A first-mover in coupling blockchain and telemedicine, MIHI joins other companies in the broad business quest to streamline and secure transactions with blockchain. Financial services leader MetLife, Inc. (MET) has announced it will join banking consortium R3CEV, a distributed ledger platform designed specifically for financial services. Others embracing blockchain NXT- ID, Inc. (NXTD), Marathon Patent Group, Inc. (MARA) and Riot Blockchain, Inc. (RIOT).

The rapidly growing cannabis industry has spawned a range of diverse companies focusing on innovative technologies for cannabis cultivation, as well as the development of cannabis-based medical therapies for an array of diseases and ailments. The market has given rise to biotech companies with exciting advances in product formulation and delivery. At the cutting-edge of innovation, PreveCeutical Medical Inc. (OTCQB: PRVCF) (CSE: PREV) (FSE: 18H) has developed an innovative cannabidiol (CBD)-based nose-to-brain delivery system for the relief of a number of medical conditions. Another company, Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (OTC: LXRP) (LXRP Profile) has developed its own proprietary system for CBD-based therapy delivery. And with a market cap of over $3.6 billion, GW Pharmaceuticals plc (NASDAQ: GWPH) is an established giant in the cannabis biotech space developing plant-derived cannabinoid therapeutics. Canadian cultivator Canopy Growth Corp. (TSE: WEED) is an example of yet another company that could benefit from its therapeutic advances as the anticipated commercial availablity of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis products is met by greater demand.

Investors looking to diversify their portfolios and gain access to the multi-billion-dollar global blockchain industry should have some exciting options as 2018 progresses, particularly when it comes to the $13 billion global supply chain management (SCM) market. The immutable, distributed ledger technology known as blockchain can deliver numerous SCM efficiencies that could revolutionize logistics for a variety of sectors, including oil and gas. Petroteq Energy, Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTCQX: PQEFF) has already envisioned this future of networked intelligent devices, and has initiated the development of the oil and gas industry’s first dedicated blockchain-based based SCM platform, PetroBloq (http://nnw.fm/b0thV). Investors can also look to diversification into this burgeoning new space via first-movers like oil and gas giant BP (NYSE: BP), and tech companies like IBM (NYSE: IBM), Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) and Eastman Kodak (NYSE: KODK).

Within the international trade and finance sector, logistic companies need to better streamline their payments and documentation flow. A methodology to solve this issue in the FINTECH marketplace is blockchain technology applied to Supply Chain Finance. This allows encrypted data on all facets of international transactions, from payments to bills-of-lading to delivery data, and for the accumulating record to be privately shared among banks, shippers and traders. With the formation of its new SecurCapital Corp. subsidiary, Global Payout, Inc. (GOHE) is addressing the supply-chain finance needs of mid-tier logistics companies while joining a growing number of other innovators utilizing the benefits of blockchain. Among them are Hive Blockchain Technologies Ltd. (HIVE.V), Cboe Global Markets (CBOE), Long Blockchain Corp. (LBCC) and BTL Group (BTLLF).