Fundz

Circle acquires IBM's blockchain patents

PRIVATEJul 27, 2026

Acquiring Company

Circle

Acquired Company

IBM

BostonOtherFinancial ServicesSoftwareFinanceFintech

Description

Circle has acquired IBM's blockchain patent portfolio to strengthen its payments network. This acquisition positions Circle as a leader in blockchain patent holdings in the U.S., supporting its mission to advance the internet financial system. The IBM portfolio includes over 680 patent families covering foundational blockchain technology and related fields. Circle plans to leverage this intellectual property to enhance its financial infrastructure.

Company Information

Company

Circle

Location

99 High Street Suite 1801

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

About

Circle is a global financial technology firm that enables businesses of all sizes to harness the power of digital currencies and public blockchains for payments, commerce and financial applications worldwide. Circle is the issuer of USD Coin (USDC), one of the fastest growing dollar digital currencies powering always-on internet-native commerce and payments. Today, Circle's transactional services, business accounts, and platform APIs are giving rise to a new generation of financial services and commerce applications that hold the promise of raising global economic prosperity for all through the frictionless exchange of financial value. Additionally, Circle operates SeedInvest, a leading startup fundraising platform in the U.S. Learn more at https://circle.com. A full description of the terms of the proposed transactions (collectively, the "Transactions") between Circle Internet Financial Limited ("Circle") and Concord Acquisition Corp ("Concord"), will be provided in an amendment to the registration statement on Form S-4 to be filed with the SEC by Circle Internet Finance plc (the "Company") that will include a proxy statement for the stockholders of Concord that will also constitute a prospectus of the Company. Concord, Circle and the Company urge investors, stockholders and other interested persons to read, when available, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus as well as other documents filed with the SEC because these documents will contain important information about Concord, Circle and the Transactions. After the registration statement is declared effective, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus to be included in the registration statement will be mailed to stockholders of Concord as of a record date to be established for voting on the Transactions. Stockholders will also be able to obtain a copy of the proxy statement/prospectus, without charge, by directing a request to: Concord Acquisition Corp, 477 Madison Avenue, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10022. The preliminary and definitive proxy statement/prospectus to be included in the registration statement, once available, can also be obtained, without charge, at the SEC's website (www.sec.gov).

Fundz sees it the moment Circle makes an acquisition, hires an exec or expands, usually minutes after it happens, and tells you who to reach.

Related People

Dante
Senior decision-maker at this company
••••••••@••••••••

See Dante's verified email →

Create an account to reveal verified emails
Predictive Intelligence
Strategic

ML-powered predictions for Circle's next move

Learn about Strategic plan

Frequently asked

Who acquired IBM?

IBM was acquired by Circle, based in Boston. The deal was reported on July 27, 2026. Circle is a global financial technology firm that enables businesses of all sizes to harness the power of digital currencies and public blockchains for payments, commerce and financial applications worldwide. Circle is privately held and operates in Other.

When did Circle acquire IBM?

Circle's acquisition of IBM was reported on July 27, 2026. Circle has acquired IBM's blockchain patent portfolio to strengthen its payments network. This acquisition positions Circle as a leader in blockchain patent holdings in the U.S., supporting its mission to advance the internet financial system. Fundz records the date the transaction was first publicly reported, sourced from filings and company announcements.

What does IBM do?

To learn more about IBM Global Business Services, please visit: https://www.ibm.com/services. It is privately held.

This company was part of an acquisition. Fundz tracks who bought whom, and who to call on both sides.

145 of these a day, filtered to the companies you pick, with the decision-maker attached.

5 screens from a live account. No signup.

Fundz is a real-time business intelligence platform powered by agentic AI that proactively delivers personalized daily signals, including funding rounds, executive changes, M&A activity, 13F institutional filings, SEC 8-K events, investor activity, and website modifications, based on each user's watchlist and ICP. A trusted data source at firms such as BlackRock, Oracle, Kleiner Perkins, LinkedIn, HubSpot, and Cloudflare, Fundz democratizes the institutional-grade intelligence that previously required a PitchBook or Bloomberg terminal. Features include FundzWatch™ for automated website change detection, Daily Briefing for AI-powered daily briefings, and unified cross-signal alerts across 281,000+ organizations. Developers and data teams can access these signals programmatically via the Fundz Funding Data API, with transparent published pricing.