Circle acquires nearly a thousand blockchain patents from IBM, raising industry concerns about becoming a patent weapon

According to a report by Fortune, stablecoin issuer Circle announced the acquisition of nearly 1,000 blockchain-related patents from IBM. Circle officially characterized this acquisition as an important measure to "advance the global internet-native financial infrastructure." Following the announcement, the company's stock price rose by about 2%.

However, analysts are cautious about this acquisition—IBM's own blockchain business has essentially declared failure, and its patent portfolio reflects more of a patent application technique rather than true technological innovation.

There are concerns that Circle may use this batch of patents to initiate lawsuits against competitors, collect patent licensing fees, or pressure startups, and it is also possible that they could transfer them to patent troll companies for extortion-style protection.