Circle Acquires IBM Blockchain Patents, Securing Largest US Patent Portfolio

Circle buys 680+ patent families from IBM, becoming the US holder of the most blockchain patents to bolster infrastructure for USDC and enterprise tools.

Woofun AI reports that Circle Internet Group has acquired core assets from IBM’s blockchain patent portfolio. The deal includes over 680 patent families and nearly 1,000 granted patents covering foundational technologies, financial services, supply chain verification, and secure cloud operations. This acquisition positions Circle as the entity with the largest number of blockchain patents in the United States. The expanded intellectual property rights will support infrastructure development for on-chain products including USDC, Circle Payments Network, Arc, and agent-based financial tools. Circle and IBM also intend to explore further business collaboration opportunities.