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RBC has applied for four patents in Canada and the U.S that lay out a sweeping vision for how it might integrate cryptocurrencies into its operations.

The U.S. patent applications, which were filed in April and became public in October, discuss how the bank can take advantage of the growing popularity of cryptocurrencies.

I can’t think of one of the big banks anywhere in the world that has a patent that directly relates to a crypto exchange Marc Kaufman, partner, Rimon Law

“To individual users, managing cryptographic keys and transacting with different cryptographic assets can be a challenge. In some situations, cryptographic asset transactions may take time to be confirmed, and/or may not be compatible or supported by merchant systems or point-of-sale devices,” reads a patent.

RBC did not directly answer The Logic’s questions, including whether it plans to launch a cryptocurrency trading platform and if so, when it would launch.

“As part of the innovation and discovery process, RBC, like many other organizations, files patent applications to ensure proprietary ideas and concepts are protected,” said spokesperson Jean Francois Thibault.

Canada has a number of small cryptocurrency exchanges, but many have run into regulatory issues. Last week, Vancouver-based Einstein Exchange, which owes customers over $16 million, filed for bankruptcy. Vancouver-based QuadrigaCX, which owes nearly $215 million, went bankrupt earlier this year after its CEO died in 2018 and no one could obtain the information on the private key he used to access funds on the exchange.