Circle’s IBM Patent Deal Brings Nearly 1,000 Blockchain Patents

Circle has acquired nearly 1,000 blockchain patents from IBM in a single deal, making the USDC issuer the largest holder of such patents in America. This expanded portfolio is intended to strengthen the infrastructure supporting the Circle Payments Network, Arc, agentic financial tools, and USDC. Despite this transaction, IBM continues to provide backing for a significant rival of USDC, while Circle focuses on leveraging these assets to improve its overall blockchain ecosystem and financial services.