Circle Internet Group (NYSE: CRCL) announced July 27, 2026 acquisition of fundamental assets from the IBM blockchain patent portfolio.
Portfolio: over 680 patent families and nearly 1,000 issued patents worldwide spanning blockchain technology, banking, financial services, insurance, enterprise infrastructure, supply chain verification, and secure cloud operations.
Circle claim: becomes the leader in blockchain patent holdings in the United States. Supports USDC, Circle Payments Network, Arc, and agentic financial tools. Circle and IBM plan to explore additional commercial opportunities.
Quote: Sarah Wilson, General Counsel — IP critical to advancing onchain infrastructure. Deal financial terms not disclosed in the press release.