Popular crypto stock jumps after acquiring nearly 1,000 patents

Circle Internet Group (NYSE: CRCL) said connected July 27 it had acquired IBM's blockchain patent portfolio, adding much than 680 patent families and astir 1,000 issued patents worldwide to its intelligence property.

The company, which issues the USDC stablecoin, said the acquisition makes it the largest holder of blockchain patents among US companies. 

Circle said the portfolio volition enactment products including USDC, Circle Payments Network and its Arc blockchain infrastructure.

These patents span blockchain technology, banking, endeavor infrastructure, proviso concatenation verification and unafraid unreality operations. Circle, however, did not disclose the fiscal presumption of the deal.

"IBM has been a pioneer successful technological innovation, and this acquisition expands Circle's quality to beforehand the infrastructure that powers global, internet-native finance" Circle wide counsel Sarah Wilson said.

Circle shares roseate aft the announcement. CRCL traded astatine $65.57 at the clip of writing, up 3.21% connected the day. 

Circle expands beyond stablecoins

The IBM patent acquisition follows Circle's January 21, 2025 acquisition of Hashnote, the issuer of the USYC tokenized wealth marketplace fund.

At the time, USYC held astir $1.52 cardinal successful assets and was described arsenic the world's largest tokenized Treasury and wealth marketplace fund. 

The 2 acquisitions item Circle's propulsion to go a broader integer fiscal infrastructure supplier alternatively than solely a stablecoin issuer. 

Its level present spans stablecoins, tokenized funds, payments and its Arc layer-1 blockchain.

Circle's banal besides remains good supra its archetypal nationalist offering price. The institution priced 34 cardinal shares astatine $31 connected June 4, 2025, earlier opening trading connected the New York Stock Exchange connected June 5.

Shares opened astatine $69 and finished their archetypal trading league astatine $83.23, much than doubling the IPO terms during Circle's blockbuster marketplace debut. 

CRCL was trading astir 110% supra its IPO price astatine publication.

This communicative was primitively published by TheStreet connected Jul 27, 2026, wherever it archetypal appeared successful the Trading News & Analysis section. Add TheStreet arsenic a Preferred Source by clicking here.