Stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) has acquired nearly 1,000 issued blockchain-anchored patents from IBM, a deal the firm said makes it the largest holder of blockchain patents in the United States.

The portfolio spans more than 680 patent families covering blockchain technology, banking, financial services, insurance, enterprise infrastructure, supply-chain verification and cloud security, according to a press release.

The deal’s financial terms weren’t disclosed.

IBM was already among the largest U.S. blockchain patent holders before the sale. A December 2025 analysis by patent analytics firm PatSnap credited it with 790 patents, alongside Advanced New Technologies and Bank of America.

Circle said the portfolio would support USDC,…