Circle becomes the largest US blockchain patent holder following the acquisition of nearly 1,000 patents from IBM.
Circle Internet Group (CRCL) announced the acquisition of IBM’s blockchain patent portfolio, adding over 680 patent families and nearly 1,000 issued patents globally. The deal positions Circle as the largest holder of blockchain patents among US companies, supporting its USDC stablecoin and other financial infrastructure products.
The patents cover blockchain technology, banking, enterprise infrastructure, supply chain verification, and secure cloud operations. Circle did not disclose financial terms of the deal. The acquisition follows its January purchase of Hashnote, which manages the $1.52 billion USYC tokenized money market fund.
CRCL shares traded at $65.57, up 3.21% on the day after the announcement.