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Blockstream builds the underlying technology and infrastructure that keeps the Bitcoin network running.
Blockstream is a Bitcoin infrastructure company. It builds the tools and systems that other companies and individuals use to interact with Bitcoin, and it also runs its own mining operations. Most people never touch Blockstream's products directly, but the company sits underneath a surprising amount of the Bitcoin economy.
Its business has a few main pieces. On the infrastructure side, it offers Bitcoin sidechains and wallets, and it runs mining services for both individuals and institutions — meaning it helps people earn new bitcoin by contributing computing power to the network. It also offers custody services, which is a fancy way of saying it stores bitcoin safely for clients, the way a bank vault holds gold. Institutions that want exposure to Bitcoin but don't want to manage the technical complexity themselves are the natural customers for these services. The company is closely tied to some of Bitcoin's most important technical work. Blockstream employs a number of the developers who maintain Bitcoin Core, the software most of the network runs on, and it has long funded research through its own engineering teams. That gives it outsized influence over the direction of Bitcoin, though it is not "in charge" of Bitcoin — nobody is. A famous example is satellite broadcasting: Blockstream beams the Bitcoin blockchain down from satellites, so people in places without reliable internet can still verify transactions.
Blockstream is a private company, so its financials aren't public and it doesn't trade on any exchange. It makes money by selling infrastructure, custody, and mining services to customers who want to build on or hold Bitcoin without reinventing the wheel. Its position as a custodian of core Bitcoin development is both its strength and its vulnerability — it gives the company credibility and deep expertise, but it also means its fortunes are tied tightly to Bitcoin itself. When Bitcoin booms, demand for mining and custody rises; when it busts, so does that demand.
Saved answer · last researched 15 Nov 2026