3 Blockchain Stocks to Profit in a Decentralized World

Key Points

• NVIDIA stock offers exposure to blockchain infrastructure, powering decentralized computing with its industry-leading GPUs.
• Coinbase is the top U.S. crypto exchange and a key access point for investors looking to profit from the growth of decentralized finance (DeFi).
• Riot Platforms gives investors high-beta exposure to Bitcoin through one of the largest and most efficient mining operations in North America.

In his 2019 book, Life After Google, George Gilder argues that the centralized internet is on the brink of collapse. It’s a bold claim, but one that a futurist like Gilder addresses by pointing out the flaws of centralized systems. These include:

• Security vulnerabilities

• Lack of true data ownership

• Inefficiencies in centralized AI and data processing

At the heart of the problem is infrastructure. As demand for computing power grows, especially for machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), so does the burden on today’s massive, centralized data centers.

In Gilder’s view, the future will require a new infrastructure from the decentralized blockchain. This offers several benefits, including:

• Distributed trust

• Cryptographic security

• User ownership

It was a contrarian argument then, and it still feels that way today. That’s because, if his prediction is true, many of the top technology stocks like Alphabet Inc. NASDAQ: GOOGL. Meta Platforms, Inc. NASDAQ: META and Apple Inc. NASDAQ: AAPL are at risk as their “walled garden” systems prove to be inefficient and, as recent events show, potentially monopolistic.

However, if Gilder’s right, blockchain is more than just a crypto buzzword. For forward-thinking investors, that means an investment frontier that is still in the early stages. The emergence of this new economy could be showing up in the recent price action with Bitcoin. Here are three blockchain stocks that could lead the way.

NVIDIA Is Infrastructure Agnostic

Every tech revolution needs a backbone, and in blockchain, that starts with computing power. That puts NVIDIA Corporation NASDAQ: NVDA in a unique position.

Today, NVIDIA’s revenue is dominated by demand for AI chips and data centers. But its GPUs also play a critical role in cryptocurrency mining and decentralized AI workloads.

Blockchain only accounts for a minuscule portion of NVIDIA’s revenue today. Still, it’s likely to be a critical pick-and-shovel stock for investors no matter which vision of the future unfolds. Current speculation in quantum computing is a good reference for investors.

This is another sector in which NVIDIA will compete, even though it’s not a significant part of the company’s revenue today.

In that sense, NVDA stock provides investors with a sensible hedge between the current technology landscape and the one that may be coming in the future. You can bet that NVIDIA will play a central role in that future.

Coinbase Provides a Gateway to the Decentralized Economy

Coinbase Global Inc. NASDAQ: COIN is the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange and a well-known platform for accessing the blockchain economy. This presents investors with both benefits and risks in COIN stock.

The primary risk (and irony) of Coinbase as it relates to blockchain is that it’s a centralized exchange. That means it’s subject to significant regulatory scrutiny. A broader risk in 2025 is that most of its revenue is highly correlated to volatile cryptocurrency trading.

That said, Coinbase would play a key role in a blockchain-based financial future as the infrastructure layer of decentralized finance (DeFi). That opportunity was on display as COIN stock rose sharply after the U.S. Congress passed the GENIUS bill, which established the first federal regulatory framework around stablecoin issuance.

RIOT Platforms Offers Indirect Exposure to Bitcoin

In Gilder’s book, Bitcoin won’t be the only star in the decentralized blockchain economy, but it will still play a key role. However, many investors aren’t comfortable owning Bitcoin. That’s where Riot Platforms Inc. NASDAQ: RIOT comes into play.

Riot Platforms is a leveraged play on Bitcoin. The company’s mission is to support the security, integrity, and scalability by operating one of the world’s largest Bitcoin mining fleets.

This high-beta stock presents investors with a high-risk, high-reward opportunity. It also has a high correlation with the performance of Bitcoin. Still, with Bitcoin gaining broader acceptance and infrastructure legislation progressing, Riot Platforms could benefit from both price appreciation and policy clarity.

For now, that may be enough. The Riot Platforms analyst forecast on MarketBeat have a consensus price target of $17.35 on RIOT stock. That's an upside of over 74%.