Blockstream: A Versatile Player in the Bitcoin Industry Chain

In the Bitcoin ecosystem, Blockstream plays a crucial role. The company is involved in multiple areas such as Bitcoin development, institutional services, and mining, and has launched the highly anticipated Bitcoin sidechain "Liquid."

In August 2021, Blockstream completed a $210 million Series B funding round and acquired the Israeli ASIC chip design team Spondoolies. This move marks the company's gradual expansion from its software core business to the upstream segment of the Bitcoin industry chain.

Blockstream's product matrix is quite rich. Initially, it mainly focused on providing Liquid sidechain solutions for institutions, and later entered the consumer product space by acquiring a Bitcoin wallet. The company also maintains several free Bitcoin ecosystem products, including the Bitcoin full node satellite network, multi-signature wallets, and Lightning Network clients.

In early 2020, Blockstream announced the launch of Bitcoin mining services in collaboration with several well-known companies. The company also introduced the "Blockstream Energy" service, aimed at improving the economic efficiency of renewable energy projects globally, especially in remote areas.

Blockstream's core product is the Bitcoin sidechain "Liquid". As a second-layer network for Bitcoin, Liquid allows for the issuance of security tokens and other digital assets, aiming to provide financial products and services through the Bitcoin network, and is used for the settlement of financial assets.

The company was founded in 2014 by a group of seasoned experts in the Bitcoin field. During the Bitcoin scaling debate, Blockstream stood on the opposing side, advocating for solving congestion issues through a second-layer network rather than directly increasing the block size.

However, Blockstream also faces some controversies. Because the company has gathered many Bitcoin core developers and provides them with compensation, some community members have raised questions about the independence of Bitcoin core development.

In addition, executives from Blockstream often clash with the Ethereum community. They insist that a truly decentralized financial system can only be built through Bitcoin, the Lightning Network, and Liquid.

Overall, Blockstream plays an important role in the Bitcoin industry chain as a versatile player in areas such as technological innovation, product development, and ecosystem construction, while also being the center of attention and controversy due to its influence in the community.