CoinDesk reports Circle acquired nearly 1,000 blockchain-anchored patents from IBM. Terms undisclosed. Notes IBM was already among largest U.S. blockchain patent holders; December 2025 PatSnap analysis credited IBM with 790 patents alongside Advanced New Technologies and Bank of America. Circle did not disclose how many acquired patents were issued in the U.S., whether IBM retained licensing rights, or enforcement/licensing plans. Mentions Circle prior LOT Network membership and parallel data-processing patents from December 2023.