by Nick Rokke, Casey Research:

In 1977, Digital Equipment CEO Ken Olsen said, “There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home.”

You probably haven’t heard of Olsen or his company…

But you probably have heard of late Apple founder Steve Jobs. Here’s what he said in 1985 about computers:

We are aware that we are doing something significant. We’re here at the beginning of it, and we’re able to shape how it goes. Everyone here has the sense that right now is one of those moments when we are influencing the future.

If you saw Apple’s potential like Jobs did—and bought when the company went public and held until today—you’d have made 30,500% in gains.

That would turn a $10,000 investment into over $3 million. That money is life-changing.

Today, there’s a new technology in its infancy. And it has the potential to change the world—and make fortunes—like Apple did in the 1980s.

Right now, the blockchain is one of the most misunderstood technologies in the world.

Its potential is groundbreaking. But there are still plenty of skeptics out there.

I must admit, I was once a skeptic, too.

So today, I want to tell you what finally converted me into a blockchain believer.

Now, I’m not an expert in blockchain technologies like my colleagues Palm Beach Confidential editor Teeka Tiwari and his chief analyst Greg Wilson.

They’ve been following this space for nearly two years. No one in the industry knows more about the blockchain than they do.

If you want an in-depth explanation of blockchain technology, check out Teeka’s most recent essay here.

But when Teeka and Greg first started talking to me about the blockchain, my eyes glazed over.

They were throwing around terms like “decentralized ledger” and “use cases.” I didn’t buy into it. I didn’t see how this was going to make me money. I said I’d just stick to stocks.

But the more they told me, the more I started to think about it…

Imagine if you were in the 1970s and people started throwing around terms like “electronic mail” and “instant digital messaging.” Your eyes would probably glaze over, too.

But if I could show you how “email” and “instant messaging” could make you a fortune, you’d start listening.

That’s what happened with me.

A New Business Model

The blockchain will be the world’s next revolutionary technology. I’m convinced of that now.

It is creating completely new business models that will change the investing landscape.

Here’s an example…

Today, tech behemoth Google is the second-largest U.S. company by market cap. Its main revenue source is advertising.

For example, if you post a video on Google’s YouTube service, Google will play commercials before your video.

It’s a very lucrative deal for Google.

Millions of people post videos for free… yet Google rakes in nearly all the ad revenue these videos generate.

The people who upload videos receive little of that ad money.

But one blockchain company is changing that. It will allow people who post videos to keep more of those advertising dollars.

Cutting Out the Middleman

Recently, Teeka and Greg told me about a blockchain social networking platform. It operates something like this…

The development team started a social media site like YouTube.

The developers may get an initial allotment of “digital” coins. The coins are like equity in a startup firm.

The company would also pay content producers with these coins. At the start, the coins would be worth little. But their value will increase over time.

Assuming the site gains traction, more visitors will come. That will draw the attention of advertisers.

To buy ad space, advertisers will need to buy the coins the content producers have earned. That’s how the people making content get paid.

As more people come and advertisers spend more money, those coins go up in value.

The coins act like shares of the company. And the advertising revenue flows directly to the coin holders (the producers, developers, and investors).

As the company starts making more money, it will issue new coins. These new coins will go to developers who host the videos and provide bandwidth to stream content.

The company won’t need a large infrastructure like current media companies.

That’s because with the blockchain, you don’t need a lot of startup capital. There’s no human resources or accounting departments.

All revenues flow to the bottom line and to coin holders (aka “stockholders”). You’ll keep more of the profits instead of giving them to middlemen.

This is the business model of the future.

I know this sounds a bit complicated. All new technology is. But just like people learned how to use the internet, they will eventually learn how to use the blockchain.

I predict the next large social media platform will be built on blockchain technology.

But you won’t find these companies on the New York Stock Exchange because they don’t issue traditional shares.

You’ll only be able to invest in a blockchain company via its coins.

Read More @ CaseyResearch.com