Circle Amasses Record-Breaking Blockchain Patent Portfolio

Circle Internet Group has significantly expanded its blockchain patent holdings by acquiring over 680 patent families and nearly 1,000 issued patents from IBM's blockchain patent portfolio.

This acquisition makes Circle the largest holder of blockchain patents in the United States, covering a wide range of technologies including blockchain technology, banking, financial services, insurance, enterprise infrastructure, supply chain verification, and secure cloud operations.

The deal is expected to support Circle's long-term vision of building the internet financial system, with its expanded intellectual property portfolio supporting USDC, Circle Payments Network, Arc, and other onchain products and agentic financial tools.