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Will the Dow’s Mega-Companies Use Blockchain to Change the World?

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By Sashkin @ Shutterstock.com

You may still not have recovered consciousness after the 19% drop from October 3 through Christmas Eve. So, I wouldn’t blame you for not noticing the Dow’s rapid 16% rise over the past nine weeks. One question I receive quite often is, “what are your thoughts on technology?” My quick response—I love technology. But when it comes to investing, the company better pay a dividend. I want to be—and I want you to be—paid for investing in stocks.

One area in tech I’ve been writing to you about is blockchain. It’s the backbone behind cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. And as I’ve told you in the past, I wouldn’t invest in either one, but I love the premise behind blockchain—a distributed ledger—where you don’t have to trust just one entity or source for its accuracy. Imagine if TV networks were guided by blockchain and you could quickly strip away opinion and were left with just facts. Maybe that’s wishful thinking.

But when it comes to food, for example, the more information the better, right? Want to know if your chicken lived free and how it died? Now you can, writes Robyn Metcalfe in The Wall Street Journal:

We’re more eager than ever to understand our food’s journey from field to fork, and the market is responding. I recently held my smartphone up to a QR code on a box of blackberries to see the smiling faces of the family who produced them. And while poultry-video analysis may sound absurd, tracking and tracing is critical when it comes to food safety and handling. Our growing appetite for this information comes from a lack of trust in the global supply chain, fueled by revelations about contamination, fraud, animal welfare and safety-inspection lapses. But the industry is investing heavily in technology—from internet-connected sensors to geolocation data and blockchain—that will help producers, shippers, regulators and consumers know where our food is at every step (From the Future of Everything in the WSJ)

When it comes to investing in technology, especially blockchain, the opportunities are endless as we crave ever more information. But my favorite way to invest in this technology is via the deep pockets of boring old companies that know a thing or two about supply chain management. Don’t think for a second that you’re not investing in technology if you own industrials—tech is what separates them from the pack.

Read more on the blockchain here:

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E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

E.J. Smith is Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. His focus at all times is on preparing clients and readers for “Times Like These.” E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zildjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart (RIP) of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com