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Circle buys nearly 1,000 IBM blockchain patents to expand USDC use
Circle said the portfolio spans more than 680 patent families covering areas including banking, insurance, cloud security, and supply chain verification.
Circle has acquired nearly 1,000 blockchain-anchored patents from IBM, positioning the USDC issuer as the largest holder of such patents in the United States, CoinDesk reports. The deal did not disclose financial terms.
The acquired portfolio covers more than 680 patent families spanning blockchain technology, banking, financial services, insurance, enterprise infrastructure, supply-chain verification, and cloud security, according to Circle’s press release. CoinDesk adds that IBM had already been one of the largest U.S. blockchain patent holders prior to the sale.
Circle said it plans to use the patents to support USDC, its Arc blockchain, and financial tools for AI agents, while also exploring future commercial opportunities with IBM. Sarah Wilson, Circle’s general counsel and corporate secretary, said intellectual property is critical to expanding adoption of onchain infrastructure.
Circle did not disclose how many of the acquired patents were issued in the U.S., whether IBM retains licensing rights, or whether Circle plans to license or enforce the portfolio, and CoinDesk reports it did not receive a response from Circle at the time of writing. CoinDesk also notes Circle shares were up 2.5% in premarket trading.