Bank of America has also filed loads of cryptocurrency patents:
https://news.bitcoin.com/bank-america-filed-cryptocurrency-patents-company/It may come as a surprise then to learn that in the last decade, the company that has more cryptocurrency patents than any other is in many bitcoiners’ eyes the antithesis of everything decentralized currency stands for – Bank of America.
Since Bitcoin’s genesis block was mined nine years ago, over 2,000 related patents have been filed, Bitcoin Patent Report reveals. In the cryptocurrency’s early years, the number of patents was low, averaging under 50 a year, but by 2015 that figure began to pick up and by 2016 was growing exponentially. Some of the companies whose names feature in the top ten are to be expected, such as Bitflyer and IBM, whose interest in blockchain is well documented. The computing giant has filed a total of 34 cryptocurrency related patents, but is outplaced by South Korean brokerage Coinplug, which is third on the list with 39.
Some entrants on the list are unexpected, either because they have publicly expressed little interest in cryptocurrency, or are not commonly associated with cutting edge technology. It makes sense that Mastercard would have an interest in digital payment systems, for example, but it is surprising to see them ranked ninth for cryptocurrency related patents, with 21 filings. The greatest surprise of all is reserved for top spot, which is claimed by Bank of America, with no less than 45 patents. Last year, a total of 1,250 cryptocurrency patents were filed, demonstrating the extent to which corporations have finally caught on to bitcoin’s huge potential.
Bitcoin Patent Report also reveals that 50% of all crypto-related patents come from China (910) followed by the U.S. (676), U.K. (112), and South Korea (98).
It's worth noting though that not all patents filed are granted. The patents office checks whether stuff if in the public domain already and rejects it if a company is filing stuff that is in common usage. (and because of the backlog at the patents office and their rigorous checking it can sometimes take years before they assess a filing and decide whether to grant or reject it). That's why it's really important for developers to keep their github listings up to date.