Circle Buys Almost 1,000 Patents From IBM

The blockchain technology industry has grown to nearly $50 billion in value, no longer just used for illicit activities. One major reason is the rise of regional giants like Coinbase and Circle, which now compete with top tech companies in resources, capital, and infrastructure.

Circle chose to invest in blockchain patents rather than Bitcoin. This made it the US's largest patent holder, as reported by an unnamed source.

The company acquired more than 1,000 IBM patents, including families of over 680 patents and nearly a thousand registered patents. These patents cover solutions for banking and financial services, insurance, corporate blockchain systems, and supply chain authenticity.

Circle's acquisition makes it both a shield against competitors and a strategic tool for developing new products or licensing agreements. The company claims that the acquired technologies could strengthen its USDC stablecoin, Circle Payments Network, Arc enterprise blockchain platform, and AI-based financial services.