Blockchain is no longer a speculative playground for early-adopting developers and tech wizards. It’s a mature technology ready for the executive suite. 

Even the most risk-averse industries—like oil and gas, financial services, and the public sector—are using blockchain. And we’re not talking about a pilot program here and a toe in the water there. Businesses are launching fully-formed blockchain initiatives that generate meaningful ROI.

The question is no longer “is blockchain ready?” Instead, it’s “how do we get started?”

We’re helping executives navigate the blockchain inflection point with our latest guide: How Blockchain Transforms Business. 

As a preview, here are three ways to get started with blockchain at the enterprise level.

Three Paths to Blockchain for Enterprise

There’s no one-size-fits-all best way to launch a blockchain initiative. Which path you choose will depend on your needs, resources, and timeline. Here’s a quick guide to the three major options.

#1: Build In-House

The first path is the most straightforward: Hire or train developers, then build and maintain your operation within the organization. This option provides the most flexibility. If you’re building it, you can customize every aspect to fit your business’ roadmap and use cases. 

However, this path is likely the most expensive, in both time and resources. Expect a high up-front investment and a long timeline to completion, plus ongoing maintenance and security.

Use if: You’re building a new core platform or want total infrastructure control.

Best for: Fortune 500 companies with a deep bench of talent and multi-year roadmaps.

#2: Partner with Blockchain Specialists

Many successful blockchain projects today are built in collaboration with development partners. You bring your desired outcomes; they bring the know-how to make your goals a reality. Your team doesn’t have to make decisions about gas fees, tokenomics, or platforms.

Good partners bring platform experience, regulatory knowledge, and the tooling they need to help launch your initiative. They can launch quickly while tailoring their approach to your specific business needs.

On the downside, you do give up control over the technical specifications of your project. And, of course, a bad partner can be worse than no partner at all. It’s important to fully vet your options and go with a trusted recommendation.

Use if: You’re exploring a pilot program or aiming to deploy quickly without scaling up internal resources.

Best for: Mid to large-size companies more interested in outcomes than processes.

#3: Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS)

No modern business has to build a CRM, content management solution, or secure cloud environment. Instead, they rely on software-as-a-service: Pre-configured solutions that just work. Now, blockchain-curious companies have a similar option.

With BaaS providers, such as AvaCloud, you can have preconfigured environments to launch tokens, deploy smart contracts, and manage digital assets, all without writing a line of code.

This solution is the least flexible, as you might expect; you’ll be limited to the configurations and environments your BaaS offers. But if you’re looking to launch a small project quickly, it’s an unbeatable option.

Use if: You have a proof-of-concept or low-risk experiment you want to launch fast.

Best for: Teams looking to test blockchain without building infrastructure.

Explore, Experiment, Repeat

It can seem daunting to explore a new technology, especially if you’re short on in-house expertise. But don’t think of blockchain as a one-time moon shot. You don’t need to reinvent your company all in one go. Instead, look for parts of your operation bogged down by manual processes, data silos, or lack of trust, and explore where blockchain can make a difference.

Need more inspiration? How Blockchain Transforms Business has real-world examples to start your strategy session. Get your copy today. https://www.avax.network/executive-guide