Nitin is Director for IBM’s WW Digital Assets Lab and Founder of IBM’s Blockchain Labs. He's passionate about sharing his thoughts on blockchain technology at the organizational level, IBM blockchain solutions including its industry-specific applications. He has authored two books on the matter and has deemed building blockchain for enterprises as his life’s mission. In this episode of DOTB Kiana and Nitin cover:

• IBM's vision for the blockchain technology
• How new technology has changed IBM's business culture
• How to apply fundamentals to the permissionless world of cryptocurrency
• IBM Blockchain Solutions for Enterprises

Why Choose Blockchain Technology as a Career

Nitin has always been passionate about blockchain. He actually began his career in designing mobile payment techniques during the early beginnings of the technology. His team met with payment networks and tech companies and wanted to revolutionize the industry. He currently brings the understanding of technological concepts like design approach, its technical elements. He then maps them together with business blueprints to make blockchain meaningful to enterprise owners.

How IBM Gained Interest in Enterprise Blockchain Solutions

During the early days of cryptocurrency, and Bitcoin, in particular, Nitin noticed that blockchain kept repeatedly popping up in industry conversations. He saw the extreme potential of the technology and decided to invest in extensive research. After six to eight months of studying blockchain with his team, they raised this and discussed with IBM senior leadership. The IBM senior executives looked at blockchain as a transformational technology. After four years of research and experimentation, it did happen because of making the right moves and the right investments.

Are IBM Blockchain Solution Investments On The Right Track?

IBM has been investing in three main areas: time, resources, and people.

The great thing about IBM, as a company, as Nitin says, is the way they view people as really important resources. IBM created a team that they have given the freedom to explore, experiment, and leverage in the broader IBM ecosystem. Nitin was given access to the vast resource of talents in IBM. The company allowed them to focus not only on the technical elements but taking technology to the market with a significant amount of enterprise energy. 

Nitin defines investment as the ability of an enterprise to be dedicated and patient in terms of devising these vehicles to take this research to technological transformation. 

IBM’s Current Position in Blockchain Technology Scene

Many retail investors have been wondering if IBM is still in the forefront position in technology, unlike the way it was years before. She asked Nitin’s opinion on this. Nitin says he does not believe that IBM is no longer cool or that it is behind on the technological race. People may see IBM working on the backend and staying off consumer products may mean they have stopped innovation, but it is really not the case. IBM is still prominent in the tech world, just like Amazon, Microsoft, or Google. IBM is the power behind allowing companies to succeed in computing and processing for their businesses. They are currently working with healthcare institutions, artificial intelligence, and of course, blockchain technology as life-changing solutions that will surely touch the lives of people all over the world.

IBM Blockchain Solutions Impact on its Stock Price - Taking a Closer Look at The Charts 

After bottoming out in December 2018, IBM's stock price has gained momentum on a new bullish trend. On the weekly chart it has even broken above the weekly Ichimoku cloud with all Ichimoku Kinko Hyo moving averages moving up. Even the weekly Chiko span is just about to break above the cloud.

IBM Blockchain Solutions Impact on Stock Prices - Weekly Chart Technical Analysis

With this quarter's earnings behind us, we could expect a pullback in IBM's stock prices though. This could create a buying opportunity for those who believe IBM blockchain solutions could benefit the company's stock in the long run.

The Future Direction of IBM in Cryptocurrency

Many market participants have been wondering whether IBM has visions of creating their own cryptocurrency or coin for the blockchain community. Nitin answered this immediately with a definite “No.” IBM works a lot with financial institutions and entities, and they are going to stick with this. He believes that what they do best is offering technology services, platform services, consulting, and the like. The company is committed to transforming industries, and therefore, transforming themselves. IBM will remain with their strengths on high-quality services, security systems, and giving consumers and enterprises a trusted platform that is needed in blockchain technology. He strongly believes this approach will not change in the years to come.