Circle Acquires Nearly 1,000 Blockchain Patents from IBM

FinanceCircle has purchased almost 1,000 blockchain-related patents from IBM, positioning itself as the largest holder of such patents in the United States.

The acquired portfolio encompasses areas such as blockchain technology, banking, insurance, and cloud security, but the financial specifics of the transaction remain undisclosed.

By Francisco Rodrigues | Edited by Stephen Alpher Jul 27, 2026, 12:47 p.m. 1 min read

• Circle's acquisition makes it the top holder of blockchain patents in the U.S.
• The portfolio includes over 680 patent families across various sectors.
• Circle intends to leverage these patents to enhance USDC, its Arc blockchain, and AI-focused financial tools.

Circle (CRCL), known for its stablecoin, has announced the acquisition of nearly 1,000 blockchain-anchored patents from IBM, a move that establishes it as the leading patent holder in this category in the U.S.

This extensive portfolio consists of more than 680 patent families that cover a range of topics, including blockchain technology, banking, financial services, insurance, enterprise infrastructure, supply-chain verification, and cloud security, as detailed in a press release.

The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Before this sale, IBM was already recognized as one of the largest holders of blockchain patents in the U.S., with a report from December 2025 by patent analytics firm PatSnap attributing 790 patents to the company, alongside Advanced New Technologies and Bank of America.

Circle plans to utilize the newly acquired patents to bolster its USDC, Circle Payments Network, and Arc blockchain, as well as to develop financial tools aimed at AI agents. Additionally, Circle and IBM are exploring potential commercial collaborations, as noted in the announcement.

“Intellectual property is critical to advancing our mission and expanding adoption of onchain infrastructure,” stated Sarah Wilson, Circle’s general counsel and corporate secretary.

In December 2023, Circle received its first patent related to parallel blockchain data processing. The company also joined the LOT Network to safeguard its products against patent assertion companies.

Details regarding how many of the acquired patents were issued in the U.S., whether IBM retains any licensing rights, or if it plans to license or enforce the portfolio have not been disclosed by Circle.

As of the time of this report, CoinDesk has reached out to Circle for further comments but has not received a response. Meanwhile, CRCL shares experienced a 2.5% increase in premarket trading.