Blockchain technology has evolved from a niche concept tied to cryptocurrencies into a transformative force across industries. While Bitcoin and Ethereum remain household names in the space, a new wave of innovative startups emerged in 2018, leveraging blockchain to redefine finance, media, data security, and digital commerce. These companies are not just building on the blockchain — they're reimagining entire business models around it.
As enterprise adoption accelerates, global blockchain market value is projected to surpass $60 billion by 2024. Giants like IBM, SAP, BP, Samsung, and Maersk are already investing heavily in distributed ledger technologies. But alongside these corporate players, agile startups are pushing boundaries with disruptive solutions.
This article explores the top 10 blockchain startups of 2018 that showcased exceptional potential, technological innovation, and real-world applicability — setting the stage for the next phase of decentralized transformation.
1. PATRON: Revolutionizing Influencer Marketing
PATRON stands out as a pioneering Japanese blockchain venture focused on transforming influencer marketing. By building a decentralized platform, PATRON eliminates inefficiencies in brand collaborations and social media content distribution.
The company successfully raised $40 million through its token sale and expanded operations into the U.S. market. Spearheaded by industry leader Atsushi Hisatsumi, PATRON benefits from strategic partnerships and an advisory board composed of blockchain experts and marketing veterans.
By tokenizing influence and engagement, PATRON enables transparent performance tracking and fair compensation — addressing long-standing issues of fraud and opacity in digital advertising.
👉 Discover how decentralized platforms are reshaping digital marketing today.
2. TraDove: Powering B2B Commerce with Blockchain
TraDove is creating a fast, secure, and trustworthy B2B payment network powered by blockchain. Recognized as one of the top ICOs of 2018, TraDove launched the world’s first B2B token — BBC (Business Blockchain Coin) — targeting a $76 billion enterprise market for crypto-based sales and marketing.
Its B2B social network connects global buyers and sellers with greater transparency and faster discovery. What sets TraDove apart is its founding team: entrepreneurs from MIT, LinkedIn, Facebook, Amazon, and Alibaba — combining deep tech expertise with real-world business acumen.
With blockchain enabling smart contracts and instant settlements, TraDove reduces transaction friction and builds trust in cross-border trade.
3. Celsius Network: Redefining Financial Inclusion
Celsius Network brings banking services onto the blockchain, offering users a decentralized lending platform where they can earn up to 5% interest on crypto deposits and borrow funds at competitive rates using digital assets as collateral.
The platform aims to onboard 100 million people into the crypto economy, positioning itself as a potential "killer app" for mainstream adoption. Unlike traditional banks, Celsius shares 80% of its revenue with users — a radical shift toward user-centric finance.
As financial institutions face increasing pressure to innovate, Celsius exemplifies how blockchain can democratize access to credit and savings tools globally.
4. Menlo One: Building Scalable DApps
Menlo One provides a development framework for creating decentralized applications (DApps) that perform at web-speed. A major hurdle for DApp adoption has been slow performance and poor user experience — Menlo One addresses this with its proprietary proof-of-reputation algorithm and high-speed distributed database architecture.
Led by Matthew Nolan, a TED researcher and seasoned blockchain developer involved in post-DAO hack Ethereum governance reforms, Menlo One combines technical rigor with practical scalability.
Their infrastructure supports seamless transitions between on-chain and off-chain operations, making it easier for developers to build user-friendly decentralized apps without sacrificing security or decentralization.
5. Gameflip: Transforming In-Game Economies
Backed by Silicon Valley venture capital, Gameflip operates an online marketplace with over 3 million users, enabling players to trade digital goods across games. After a successful token sale, the FLP utility token now powers transactions within the Gameflip ecosystem.
Upcoming integrations with the Gameflip SDK will allow publishers to embed blockchain-based item trading directly into games — unlocking true ownership of in-game assets.
This move aligns with growing demand for player-owned economies, where digital items retain value beyond individual game sessions — a key step toward the metaverse economy.
👉 Explore how blockchain is changing gaming economies forever.
6. Buddy: Empowering Developers
Buddy positions itself as a developer-first app store, aiming to become the backbone for top programmers building blockchain and off-chain applications. The platform automates repetitive tasks, freeing developers to focus on innovation rather than maintenance.
With integrations across major cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and GitHub, Buddy has built a strong ecosystem of partners and users.
By reducing development friction, Buddy accelerates the creation of next-generation decentralized tools — fostering broader adoption of blockchain technology across software development.
7. ADBIT: Reinventing Media Buying
ADBIT powers the CIINCH Media Marketplace — the world’s first blockchain platform for planning and purchasing traditional media (print, TV, radio, outdoor). ADBIT tokens streamline transactions and automate legacy processes bogged down by manual workflows.
Traditional media has lagged in digital transformation. CIINCH and ADBIT aim to unify fragmented systems using blockchain’s transparency and smart contract automation — bringing efficiency to a $600 billion global industry.
This project highlights how blockchain can modernize even non-digital sectors through secure, auditable transactions.
8. DACC: Securing Digital Content Ownership
DACC is the first content-centric blockchain featuring identity and access management (IAM) at the infrastructure level. It gives creators full control over who accesses their digital content and under what conditions.
Backed by a team from MIT and Harvard, DACC partners include TRON, Consensus Capital, D Fund, and FBG Capital. The platform ensures creators retain ownership rights while enabling monetization through permissioned sharing.
In an era of rampant content piracy and data misuse, DACC offers a secure foundation for digital media ecosystems.
9. Goldilock: Air-Gapped Data Security
Goldilock tackles one of the biggest challenges in cybersecurity — securing sensitive digital assets. Its patented remote-activated air-gap solution physically disconnects stored data from the internet until needed.
Using IP-triggered commands, Goldilock enables ultra-secure storage for cryptocurrency keys and critical digital assets — ideal for institutions requiring military-grade protection.
This innovation bridges physical security principles with digital needs, offering a robust defense against remote attacks.
10. FCoin: Transparent Crypto Exchange Model
Founded by Jian Zhang, former CTO of Huobi, FCoin introduced a fully transparent and decentralized cryptocurrency exchange based in China. What made FCoin unique was its profit-sharing model, distributing up to 80% of revenues to community members.
Launched in May 2018, FCoin quickly gained attention with daily trading volumes exceeding $17 billion. Its mining mechanism rewarded active traders, creating strong user incentives and rapid growth.
Though regulatory challenges later impacted operations, FCoin demonstrated how transparency and community alignment could disrupt traditional exchange models.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Are these blockchain startups still active today?
A: While some companies like FCoin faced regulatory or operational challenges post-2018, many others evolved into established players or contributed foundational technologies to the ecosystem.
Q: What makes a blockchain startup “disruptive”?
A: Disruptive startups solve real-world inefficiencies using decentralization, transparency, token incentives, or improved security — often outperforming legacy systems in speed, cost, or trust.
Q: How do blockchain startups raise funding?
A: Many use Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) or token sales to raise capital, allowing global participation. However, regulatory scrutiny has increased since 2018, leading to more compliant fundraising methods.
Q: Can blockchain replace traditional banking?
A: While full replacement is unlikely soon, blockchain enables faster, cheaper, and more inclusive financial services — as seen with platforms like Celsius Network offering decentralized lending.
Q: Why are big corporations investing in blockchain?
A: Companies like IBM and Maersk use blockchain for supply chain traceability, fraud reduction, and process automation — improving efficiency and trust across complex networks.
Q: Is now a good time to invest in blockchain startups?
A: With growing institutional interest and maturing regulations, the ecosystem offers opportunities — but thorough research is essential due to volatility and project risk.
The rise of these 10 startups underscores blockchain’s vast potential beyond cryptocurrency speculation. From secure data storage to decentralized finance and digital ownership, they represent the cutting edge of innovation in 2018 — many laying groundwork still relevant today.
👉 Stay ahead of the curve — explore the future of decentralized technology now.
While only time reveals which ventures endure, one thing is clear: blockchain continues to empower visionary entrepreneurs reshaping industries — one block at a time.