Circle Internet Corp. (CRCL) stock surged 5% in Monday's pre-market trading after the company announced the acquisition of fundamental assets from IBM's blockchain patent portfolio.

The acquired portfolio includes more than 680 patent families and nearly 1,000 issued patents globally, covering foundational blockchain technology, banking, financial services, and insurance. Circle stated this deal establishes it as the largest holder of blockchain patents in the United States, directly supporting its onchain financial infrastructure including USDC, Circle Payments Network, and Arc.

Investors reacted positively to the strengthened intellectual property position, which is expected to deepen Circle's foundation for building the next generation of internet-native financial systems. Circle and IBM also plan to explore additional commercial opportunities tied to the portfolio.