A new data report shows there were about 55,000 blockchain-relate patents applications filed by 7,800 companies from 47 countries and regions during the period between the beginning of 2015 to June 2021, and China has seen the largest share of these applications, as the country has been boosting the development of blockchain technology over the past few years.
Fast facts
- China so far has filed 32,837 patent applications related to blockchain technology, accounting for 59.8% of the total, followed by the United States with 10,373 applications and South Korea with 2,602, according to a data report published by 01Finance, a Beijing-based fintech think tank, and Suzhou-headquartered analytics firm PatSnap.
- Specifically in China, Alibaba fintech affiliate Ant Group, Ping An Group and Tencent have filed some 7,000, 4,200 and 2,800 such patent applications, respectively, according to the report. Most of the applications in China are related to finance, health and medical services, as well as energy.
- A recent report by intellectual property research media IPR Daily showed that Ant Group has obtained 631 blockchain-related patents during the period between the beginning of this year and Aug. 31. Ant Group appeared to have acquired the most blockchain patents during the period, followed by Tencent with 307 patents, and blockchain company 33.cn with 86, according to the report.
- China has seen a rise in blockchain-related patent applications over the past few years. In 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the development of blockchain technology, calling for more research, investment and regulation. More than 35,000 companies answered Xi’s call, expanding their business into blockchain by registering company names and major business using the term “blockchain.” Companies not only wanted to obtain blockchain bragging rights, but also to file more patents related to the technology.
