Top 10 Programmable Blockchains for SMBs

It's wise to learn the top 10 programmable blockchains for SMBs (small and midsize businesses) to ensure that your company gets the most out of its efforts. SMBs share many technical requirements with large enterprises such as leveraging shared databases, improving security, efficiency, and the need to support private transactions.

Unlike their enterprise-level counterparts, SMBs don't have endless funding to throw at their blockchain integrations. Many concerns are unique to SMBs, including limited budgets, teams, and time frames. As such, SMB-focused blockchain solutions must be easy to implement, interoperable with legacy systems, and upgradeable.

The Right Blockchain for Your Business Needs

Determining the right blockchain for your business takes a little research and time. You must consider what you want to accomplish and what types of assets can make these operations possible. The best solutions will offer you everything you need, plus be low-cost and easy to implement. Luckily, you don't have to waste all month figuring out the most reliable options. Here are the top 10 programmable blockchains for SMBs ( in no particular order).

1. Ethereum

Ethereum is one of the best options for SMBs to research. This recently upgraded PoS (proof-of-stake) blockchain remains one the largest and most robust ecosystems in the market. As such, there are a lot of advantages gained from leveraging the tech for your business.

For one, Ethereum is flexible. It can support a wide selection of business operations. Developers have the option to build directly on the Ethereum mainnet or create private subnetworks. Also, the use of standards ensures that your creations still have access to the greater Ethereum ecosystem, including wallets, exchanges, and more.

Source – Ethereum

The Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA) supports the community in multiple ways. This group offers logistics to creators and helps to bring the community together. This technical and financial support improves the creation and deployment time of business dapps.

Notably, Ethereum is a vibrant project that continues to expand its features and capabilities to stay competitive. The protocol makes it easy to tokenize real-world assets and the use of standardization ensures that your digital assets remain compliant when needed. These factors make Ethereum a popular option when creating a new supply chain, governance system, payment settlement, or other business operations.

2. Stellar

Stellar is a high-performance programmable blockchain that seeks to lower the cost of sending funds internationally. This open-source and public network supports high programmability and scalability. For example, the network enables developers to program in popular languages such as C++.

Stellar has seen consistent growth in its dapp department which has helped it to remain competitive. The network supports programming in Python and other popular languages. Additionally, its open-source structure supports the creation of both public and private networks.

Businesses seeking to tokenize assets will find that Stellar is a smart option to consider. The network has high sustainability, a low carbon footprint, and can handle high transaction throughput. The system reduces scalability and congestion issues using the Federated Byzantine Agreement (FBA) algorithm, which leverages quorum slices to validate the network's state.

Additionally, Stellar reduces development time through the use of a variety of presets and tools. For example,  the system includes shortcuts for key operations such as creating accounts, signing transactions, and tracking balances. This simple approach has helped Stellar gain more SMBs over the last 3 years.

3. Consensys Quorum

Consensys Quorum entered the market in 2020. It was created by JP Morgan Chase in 2020 via an Ethereum fork. In 2020, the network was acquired by Consensus. Notably, Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, founded Consensus in 2104. Today, it operates as an SMB and enterprise-focused blockchain that offers easy onboarding, high performance, and a proven track record of success.

Businesses can save on development thanks to the Consensys Quorum product suite. Here, you can find everything needed to create business applications leveraging blockchain technology. There are tutorials, start guides, and shortcuts to ensure your project is successful.

One of the main goals of the Consensus Quorum platform is to create standards for the integration of blockchain assets into the financial sector. As a permissioned network, only approved nodes can access sensitive data. Consequently, developers can leverage helpful documentation, templated examples, builder tools, support in Truffle and Cakeshop, and integration with commonly used development stacks.

4. Algorand

Algorand is a layer 1 blockchain that has been in operation since 2017. It was created by an award-winning professor named Silvio Micali as a way for the average person to create blockchain assets with ease. Notably, Alagorand was kept in-house and streamlined until its public release in 2019.

Alogroand provides high programmability and can support the creation of smart contracts, sub-networks, tokenized assets, NFTs, and much more. Additionally, Algorand supports smart money options such as programming conditions to instruments of value.

Algorand was built to be developer-centric. Users can create without using any code, thanks to its helpful interface. The system leverages a multilayer stack that supports plug-and-pay coding as well as protocols built from scratch using Java, JavaScript (node.js and browser), Go, and Python SDK.

Businesses enjoy near-instant finality, very low fees, and high performance when building on Algorand. The network is considered one of the most sustainable as it is one of only a handful of blockchains that are currently carbon-negative. All of these factors, plus their strategic partnerships with firms such as Union Square ventures, make Algorand worth learning more about.

5. EOSIO

Block.one, the blockchain infrastructure provider, introduced EOSIO in 2017. This open-source blockchain continues to draw new businesses to its ecosystem due to its high performance, preset tools, and transparency. EOSIO leverages a variety of tools to empower developers to create transparent and deterministic digital infrastructures.

EOSIO offers high security with full end-to-end encryption and enterprise security systems. Additionally, the network introduces accountability and auditing tools that make it ideal for businesses that want to leverage smart contracts to improve operational efficiency.

EOSIO is a smart option for businesses that must meet strict regulatory requirements as well. The network enables developers to build compliance directly into their tokens. This approach ensures that the assets meet all regulatory criteria and remain compliant for their entire life cycle.

Businesses that seek to stay on the cutting edge of SMB tech will find that EOSIO supports their actions. For example, the network recently announced support for Biometric Hardware Secured Keys. Features like these make EOSIO stand out against the competition.

6. Corda

Those in the financial industry will find R3 Corda to provide a host of features dedicated to their industry. This private blockchain focuses on security and scalability. Developers can use Kotlin to create impactful dapps to improve their customer interaction and business systems.

R3 Corda is a wise option for those operating in markets that have regulatory requirements. Developers can integrate these compliance stipulations into their assets directly. Additionally, each transaction can be assigned as public or private.

Source – R3 Corda

R3 Corda seeks to eliminate scalability concerns. The network supports near-instant finality and can integrate with other blockchains as well as legacy business systems. These features are in addition to the network's cloud-native technologies that support configurable app deployments.

R3 Corda leverages a variety of preset plugins to help improve development times. The network helps to automate timely business processes and streamline the tasks that are vital to success. Today, R3 Corda provides multi-party solutions to SMBs and can integrate with a variety of other public and private blockchains.

7. Openchain

Openchain entered the market in 2016 to improve supply chain management. The network supports full smart contract programmability and can handle complex processes with minimal network fees compared to competitors.

Notably, Openchain's Arbitrary business logic provides developers with more flexibility when creating customized dapps. They can leverage a host of DLT tools to tokenize, track, and monitor the state of goods. Additionally, Openchain supports integration with legacy systems and many of tomorrow's most hyped technologies.

Openchain developers can create blockchain applications that leverage IoT (Internet of Things) and AI (artificial intelligence) systems. As such, they can create extremely accurate asset-tracking systems that reduce inefficiencies and improve response time.

This network is a smart solution when firms need to process massive amounts of data, such as in the logistics sector. Since the network was designed to be streamlined from day one, it doesn’t need a lot of hardware or resources to provide a secure and auditable client-server architecture.

8. Hyperledger Fabric

Hyperledger Fabric is a strong competitor in the SMB blockchain sector. The network entered service in December 2016 and was created by the Linux Foundation. This technology was combined with the highly modular Fabric protocol created by IBM to make one of the most popular private blockchain options available today.

Hyperledger Fabric offers a nice selection of features for businesses, such as the ability to segregate information as needed. The permissioned structure of this network develops excellent control over privacy. For example, only approved nodes handle certain tasks. This structure speeds up transaction approval times because it reduces the amount of nodes required to finalize transactions.

Additionally. The network has a modular architecture that supports a host of plug-and-play code sets. Also, developers can create using their favorite programming language as the network offers software development kits (SDKs) for Python,  Rust, Java, Go, JavaScript, and C++.

One of the biggest draws to Hyper Ledger Fabric is its customer support. The platform offers 24/7 live support to developers and businesses using its services. As such, you always have access to expert advice when creating DLT applications in addition to the vibrant development community associated with the project.

9. Tezos

Tezos is an open-source layer 1 blockchain that entered the market to support regulated assets on the blockchain. The network is a PoS blockchain that eliminates the need for miners. This structure makes the protocol energy-efficient and more democratic.

Developers can create on Tezos leveraging the Michelson stack-based low-level programming language. The network supports high-level verification services, which has helped it break into exclusive industries such as aerospace.

Tezos offers full programmability and support for smart assets. The network has a strong community, and the Tezos Foundation provides financial and logistical support to projects that have the potential to improve the ecosystem. For example, the foundation can help you find team members, promote your project, educate new users, and secure funding.

One of the biggest draws to Texas is its capability to upgrade without the need to conduct a hard fork. The network's modular architecture makes it a wise option for those concerned about their projects becoming outdated in the future. Additionally, the blockchain is community-governed, so you enjoy high transparency.

10. Elements

Elements is a unique project in the SMB blockchain space. The network has been in operation since 2015 as an open-source business-focused option. Notably, elements leverage Bitcoin's codebase to ensure the highest level of security and reduce onboarding for developers.

Elements has some cool features, such as the ability to operate as a layer 1 or layer 2 chain. When configured as a layer 2 chain, the network can act as a bridge between assets and blockchains. Assets can be verifiably transferred in a streamlined manner using this approach.

Element has an extensive toolset that enables businesses and developers to create, issue, and manage multiple types of privately transferable assets from a single network. The privacy features are a major draw for elements as confidential transactions are required in many scenarios.

Elements also support multi-signature asset creation and various security models to meet your business needs. Additionally, the community is supportive and can help you iron out any problems in your coding or find others to collaborate with on projects.

Top 10 Programmable Blockchains for SMBs

Blockchain technology brings so much to SMBs. Consequently, it's only a matter of time before more businesses turn to this technology to remain competitive. The networks listed have earned a reputation as the most reliable, secure, and flexible options available today. As such, you can confidently build your latest business application using one of the top 10 programmable blockchains for SMBs.

You can learn more about exciting blockchain projects here.