Bitcoin Miner Riot Drops Blockchain From Name After Rough Year

Riot Blockchain Inc. has changed its name to Riot Platforms as the Bitcoin miner seeks to navigate the battered crypto landscape by diversifying operations.

The Castle Rock, Colorado-based company had adopted the moniker during the bull-market rally in late 2017. Before that, the miner was known as Bioptix Inc., a maker of diagnostic machinery for the biotech industry. Bioptix was previously named Venaxis Inc.

After rising to become one of the largest US miners, Riot’s shares tumbled 85% last year as the price of the largest cryptocurrency stumbled and the digital-asset world was plagued by scandal and bankruptcies.

When the ...