Fun

Report: Blockchain Patents ‘Skyrocket’ in 2020, Alibaba Owns the Most Crypto Patents

News Feed - 2020-09-20 11:09:35

Report: Blockchain Patents "Skyrocket" in 2020, Alibaba Owns the Most Crypto Patents


A study from the team at Kisspatent shows that Alibaba Group is the largest blockchain patent holder in 2020 capturing 10x the number of patents held by IBM. The report notes that blockchain patents “are skyrocketing” this year and so far in 2020, there’s been more distributed ledger technology and cryptocurrency patents published than all of 2019.


It seems distributed ledger technology and cryptocurrency solution patents are becoming a thing again in 2020. A few years ago various reports said that Bank of America (BoA) and the firm Nchain were gobbling up all the patents applied to digital assets and blockchain technology.


Times have changed in 2020, and both companies have slid down the ranks as far as top blockchain holders are concerned this year.




Kisspatent’s latest study shows that Alibaba Group was the top company this year with successful blockchain patent filing and IBM jumped significantly. Alibaba Group is the top blockchain patent holder while the Chinese multinational technology company is followed by the financial institution BoA.


While Alibaba and IBM were the top two blockchain patent filing contenders in 2020, Alibaba outpaced IBM by 10x the number of patents. Moreover, this year has already seen “3 times more blockchain patents published than in 2018.”




Behind IBM, is Mastercard, Nchain, and Walmart respectively in terms of blockchain patents held. The Kisspatent research noted that the list of top blockchain patent holders was not really represented by distributed ledger-specific firms.


“Blockchain-only companies are not filing for patents, Fortune500 companies are,” Kisspatent researcher Dr. D’vorah Graeser notes. Interestingly, the firm Nchain, the infamous company that the self-proclaimed Bitcoin inventor Craig Wright works for, is a “the only pure blockchain company.”


Kisspatent highlights that Nchain’s claims are based on numbers said in a press release, but “[the number] could include many that haven’t published yet, plus they may be counting international applications filed in multiple countries as separate patent application filings,” Graeser says.


Graeser’s list seems incomplete as it does not include firms like Reechain, Webank, and Tencent. Chinadaily.com shows that these three Chinese firms are top blockchain patent holders.


According to the regional publication’s estimates, IBM has 240 blockchain patents, Rechain 279, Webank 282, and Nchain has 402 patents total. Chinadaily.com’s list shows Tencent has a significant number of distributed ledger patents with 724 to-date. Alibaba Group is still king with a whopping 1,505 blockchain patent filings.


What do you think about the top blockchain patent holders in 2020? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.Analyst: 1,500 Bitcoins Lost Every Day, Less Than 14 Million Coins Will Ever CirculateNEWS | 19 hours agoNFT Digital Art That Changes With Bitcoin Price Volatility Sold for Record $101,000NEWS | 23 hours agoTags in this storyAlibaba, Alibaba Group, Bank of America, Bitcoin, Blockchain, Blockchain Patents, BTC, Cryptocurrency, Distributed Ledger Technology, IBM, Kisspatent, MasterCard, nChain, Patent Filings, Patent Office, Patents, Rechain, tencent, Walmart, Webank


Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons, KisspatentUse Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash to play online casino games here.Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.Read disclaimerShow comments

News Feed

Kamala Harris memecoin surges 250% amid calls for Biden to bow out
Jesse Coghlan6 hours agoKamala Harris memecoin surges 250% amid calls for Biden to bow outA Joe Biden-themed memecoin tanked nearly 75% since his debate against Donald Trump on June 27, while his potential replacement’
William Suberg11 hours agoBitcoin loses $29K as traders flag key BTC price levels to watch nextBitcoin traders are particularly interested in the short-term holder cost basis as a potential BTC price support level.4793 T
$931 Million Bitcoin On The Move: Mt. Gox Sparks Market Jitters
Reason to trust Strict editorial policy that focuses on accuracy, relevance, and impartiality Created by industry experts and meticulously reviewed The highest standards in reporting and pu
EQIFI Launches Suite of Decentralized Financial Products Powered by a Global, Licensed Bank
EQIFI Launches Suite of Decentralized Financial Products Powered by a Global, Licensed Bank press release PRESS RELEASE. British Virgin Islands —6th August,
Bitcoin ASIC Miner Manufacturing Domination: Bitmain and Microbt Battle for Top Positions
Bitcoin ASIC Miner Manufacturing Domination: Bitmain and Microbt Battle for Top PositionsOn June 16, 2020, Bitmex researchers published a report that noted bitcoin mining rig manufa
Bitcoin Difficulty Increases for Third Time in Six Weeks, Miners Remain Undeterred With High Hashrate
Bitcoin Difficulty Increases for Third Time in Six Weeks, Miners Remain Undeterred With High Hashrate On March 23, 2023, bitcoin experienced another difficulty increase, following
Crypto-Friendly Special Economic Zone in Honduras Adopts Bitcoin as Legal Tender
Crypto-Friendly Special Economic Zone in Honduras Adopts Bitcoin as Legal Tender A crypto-friendly special economic zone in Honduras has adopted bitcoin as legal tender, allowing t
Brayden Lindrea7 hours agoBitcoin miners Marathon, Riot, CleanSpark increase BTC output in SeptemberMarathon Digital, in particular, produced 1,242 BTC in September, which accounted for a record 4.3% share of Bitcoin min
DeFi Technologies launches Core chain validator, stakes 1,498 Bitcoin
Derek Andersen5 hours agoDeFi Technologies launches Core chain validator, stakes 1,498 BitcoinIn May, the partners launched the first yield-bearing BTC ETP in Scandinavia.965 Total views2 Total sharesListen to article 0:
Stellar (XLM) Price Could Surge To $0.38 — Analyst Explains How
Reason to trust Strict editorial policy that focuses on accuracy, relevance, and impartiality Created by industry experts and meticulously reviewed The highest standards in reporting and pu
Viral video raises claims Wikipedia censored data about US elections and COVID-19
Helen Partz10 hours agoViral video raises claims Wikipedia censored data about US elections and COVID-19Former CEO Katherine Maher said in a now-viral video that Wikipedia sought to fight disinformation about U.S. electi
Ciaran Lyons7 hours agoMining 1 BTC in Lebanon is 783x cheaper than Italy: CoinGecko reportAccording to the report, Europe is home to nine of the 10 least profitable countries for Bitcoin mining, based on household elect