Circle buys nearly 1,000 blockchain patents from IBM
CoinDesk 2026-07-27 12:47:04
Context: Circle, a stablecoin issuer, has acquired nearly 1,000 blockchain-anchored patents from IBM, making it the largest holder of such patents in the United States. The portfolio covers various areas, including blockchain technology, banking, insurance, and cloud security. This acquisition will support Circle's products, such as USDC and its Arc blockchain.
Key Facts
- Circle acquired nearly 1,000 issued blockchain-anchored patents from IBM, covering over 680 patent families across blockchain technology, banking, financial services, insurance, enterprise infrastructure, supply-chain verification, and cloud security.
- The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and it is unclear whether IBM retained licensing rights or plans to license or enforce the portfolio.
- Circle plans to use these patents to support its products, including USDC, Circle Payments Network, its Arc blockchain, and financial tools designed for AI agents.
- IBM was already among the largest U.S. blockchain patent holders before the sale, with 790 patents credited by patent analytics firm PatSnap in December 2025.
- Circle received its first patent, covering parallel blockchain data processing, in December 2023, and had earlier joined the LOT Network to protect its products from patent-assertion firms.