Riot Platforms stock scores a Strong Buy consensus rating based on eight unanimous Buys. The average price target of $20.19 implies about 38% upside potential. Shares have skyrocketed over 332% since the start of this year. Emerging crypto developments such as decentralized finance (DeFi) and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) are “likely to be the highest growth areas of crypto,” believes Bryan Gross, network steward at crypto platform ICHI. DeFi aims to when did bitcoin begin recreate traditional financial products without middlemen, while DAOs could be considered a new internet community. Deposits into DeFi services surpassed $200 billion in 2021, and demand is expected to grow in 2022. Other crypto-related stocks such as MicroStrategy and digital payments company Block Inc. have also posted strong gains in the new year.