Circle Internet Group has acquired IBM’s core blockchain patent portfolio. This move establishes Circle as the leading holder of blockchain patents in the United States.
The transaction includes nearly 1,000 issued patents worldwide across more than 680 patent families. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The acquired intellectual property covers foundational blockchain technology, banking, financial services, secure cloud operations, and supply chain verification.
Circle will use these patents to support its USDC stablecoin and Arc enterprise blockchain. The two companies also plan to explore future commercial opportunities together.