China takes 57 of 100 spots in global top 100 blockchain patent ranking

China’s blockchain crazy is in full swing and a recent report from IPRdaily sheds more light on the trend. Chinese firms took 57 spots in a newly compiled “Top-100 Blockchain Enterprise Patent Rankings” list, according to the global intellectual property information media outlet. Chinese and American companies feature prominently on the list. Thirty-six companies around the world have over 20 public patent applications related to blockchain.

Chinese tech companies took half of the top 10. Alibaba, together with its affiliate company Ant Financial, tops the ranking with 90 related public patent applications. People’s Bank of China, China’s central bank, holds the fifth spot with 44 patents, followed by Tencent (40 patents), Fuzamei (39 patents) and VeChain (38 patents).

Virtually every major Chinese tech company has placed bets in the emerging technology. But holding patents is more of a strategic layout than an all-out push for some tech giants as compared with those who are focused squarely on the sector. Baidu, Huawei, Qihoo 360, Xiaomi all touch slightly on the trend with less than 20 patents.

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