Tech giant IBM faces the risk of losing the title of the largest holder of blockchain patents to Alibaba, the Chinese corporation. Such a conclusion was made by the consulting firm KISSPatent.
Since the start of the year, Alibaba has published ten times as many patents as its nearest competitor IBM. Analysts say that if the pace persists, the Chinese corporation will become the largest patent holder by the end of the year.
Source: KISSPatent.
Overall, analysts note a growing interest in blockchain technology patents. The figure for the first half of 2020 surpassed the previous year’s full-year total and was three times higher than the prior year’s total. A large share of patents has been registered by Fortune 500 companies.
In 2019, the number of blockchain patents granted reached 1,799.
Experts say that in 2020 a new record could be set — 1,257 patents were filed in seven months. The United States and China lead in patent filings.
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