Circle has announced the acquisition of fundamental assets from the IBM blockchain patent portfolio. Â
The portfolio comprises over 680 patent families and nearly 1,000 issued patents worldwide, spanning foundational blockchain technology, banking, financial services, insurance, enterprise infrastructure, supply chain verification, and secure cloud operations. Â
Sarah Wilson, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Circle, said: “Intellectual property is critical to advancing our mission and expanding adoption of onchain infrastructure.Â
“IBM has been a pioneer in technological innovation, and this acquisition expands Circle’s ability to advance the infrastructure that powers global, internet-native finance.”Â
With this acquisition, Circle becomes the leader in blockchain patent holdings in the United States. Â
The expanded IP position directly supports Circle’s foundation for building the internet financial system, including USDC, Circle Payments Network, Arc, and a growing suite of onchain products and agentic financial tools. Â
Circle and IBM also plan to explore additional commercial opportunities.Â
