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Digital financial platform Circle<\/a> acquired IBM<\/a>\u2019s blockchain patent portfolio, according to a Monday (July 27) press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWith this acquisition, Circle becomes the leader in blockchain patent holdings in the United States,\u201d the release said. \u201cThe expanded IP position directly supports Circle\u2019s foundation for building the internet financial system, including USDC<\/a>, Circle Payments Network<\/a>, Arc<\/a>, and a growing suite of on-chain products and agentic financial tools.\u201d<\/p>\n The IBM portfolio consists of more than 680 patent families and close to 1,000 issued patents, covering banking, financial services, insurance, enterprise infrastructure, supply chain verification, secure cloud operations, and foundational blockchain technology, according to the release. Circle also plans to explore other commercial opportunities with IBM.<\/p>\n \u201cIntellectual property is critical to advancing our mission and expanding adoption of on-chain infrastructure,\u201d Sarah Wilson<\/a>, general counsel and corporate secretary at Circle, said in the release. \u201cIBM has been a pioneer in technological innovation, and this acquisition expands Circle\u2019s ability to advance the infrastructure that powers global, internet-native finance.\u201d<\/p>\n In other Circle news, the company announced this month that it got permission from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency<\/a> to create a national trust bank<\/a>.<\/p>\n Circle National Trust will offer fiduciary digital asset custody services for Circle and its affiliates, and it could also offer its digital asset custody service to institutional customers directly.<\/p>\n \u201cOCC approval to establish Circle National Trust marks a defining step in bringing blockchain technology and digital assets into the core of the U.S. financial system,\u201d Circle Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO Jeremy Allaire<\/a> said at the time in a press release. \u201cFederal oversight of our trust bank sets a new standard for transparency, governance and scale for Circle\u2019s infrastructure and unlocks a new phase of adoption, where leading financial institutions can build on public blockchains with clarity and confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n