Blockchain and NFTs Market & IP Landscape

A blockchain is a type of distributed ledger technology that consists of a list of records or transactions (called blocks) that are securely linked together using cryptography. Each block contains a hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction data.

Blockchains are secure because no block can be removed or changed without affecting the entire chain of records. Blockchain records are protected from tampering, revision or deletion. Because of its transparency, auditability, immutability and interoperability, blockchain implementations will change our financial & digital landscapes.

Blockchain technology is being deployed in nearly every country in the world for services such as smart contracts, anti-counterfeiting, digital signatures, inventory management and cryptocurrencies. Blockchain offers business advantages to multiple industries, including securely and automatically identifying, verifying, storing and sharing every transaction, payment, agreement and task.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are cryptographic assets consisting of digital data stored in a blockchain and cannot be replicated. Unlike cryptocurrencies, they cannot be traded or exchanged at equivalency. This differs from fungible tokens like cryptocurrencies, which are identical to each other and, therefore, can serve as a medium for commercial transactions. NFTs can represent real-world items like artwork and real estate and can also function to represent identities, property rights, and more.

Rapid adoption of blockchain and NFT technologies is evident – there is a more than 34% increase in new patenting & publishing organizations in the past 3 years

Blockchain has the potential to: improve the challenges of IoT; transform banking and financial services; disrupt energy management; and power collaborations among industrial manufacturers
NFTs have game-changing potential in the art, entertainment and media spheres by bringing the possibility of collectibles ownership to the masses. The value of unique items can then be determined by the public instead of being determined by a relatively small group of experts
Leaders covered in these dashboards that are increasing innovations in blockchain and NFTs include Tencent, Ping An, Alibaba, Qualcomm, Apple, Intel and IBM

In just the past year the number of partnerships, deals and investments in blockchain and NFTs has nearly doubled, with more to watch

Leading organizations driving dealflow are a mixture of FinTech companies, cryptocurrency issuers, artificial intelligence & machine learning providers: Ping An of China, Tencent, IBM, Alibaba, Ant Group, Apple, Intel, Qualcomm, China Unicom and Bank of China
Noticeable partnerships among portfolio leaders include: IBM partnered with Intel, Amazon, University of Michigan; Alibaba partnered with Shanghai University and National University of Singapore; Ping An of China partnered with Ant Group
Several funding announcements have been captured related to blockchain-focused companies receiving more than $50 Million funding (via private equity, IPO and debt issuance) including Coinbase, PayPal, Algorand, CitiGroup and Ideanomics

Patent filings are skyrocketing since 2020 (67%+) from Chinese organizations after Xi Jinping’s endorsement of blockchain technology – more noise or more opportunity?

China leads in blockchain-related patent applications, followed by the USA, South Korea. Nevertheless, China’s leadership in patent quantity is overshadowed by the low-quality patents which account for ~80% of Chinese patents or applications
Diversified patent strategies were observed among the Chinese companies, which depend on the company's financial situation and government policy
Patent publications from Ping An of China increased by 73% in 2021 from 2020. In contrast, patent publications from Alibaba dropped 93% in 2021 from 2020, even though Alibaba is one of the biggest blockchain patent holders in the market

Objectives of Intellar Blockchain & NFT IP Landscape Dashboards

Intellar Blockchain, Distributed Ledger & NFT Landscape Dashboards are designed to visualize who is doing what, when and where – and for how much?
Key concepts: blockchain, distributed ledger, decentralized ledger, peer-to-peer ledger, non-fungible tokens; cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Libra, Ethereum, and Litecoin; blockchain technology or bitcoin wallet providers

Data Coverage for Intellar Blockchain & NFT IP Landscape Dashboards

More than 77,000 de-duplicated global simple patent families published in (machine translated) English since 2015
Technical literature, scientific, medical and engineering journal abstracts, full text (when available) & images published in English since 2017
News articles, press releases, business research, market forecasts, announcements and magazine content published in English since 2020