JD.com has reportedly filed applications for more than 200 blockchain patents. The Securities Daily News broke the news about the e-commerce giant on May 20.

Alibaba and Other Major E-Commerce Companies

The report also showed that other major Chinese e-commerce companies have also filed numerous blockchain patents. Alibaba, JD.com’s main competitor, has 262 blockchain patent applications. Meanwhile, internet giants Baidu and Tencent have 50 and 80 patents respectively.

All patent applications have been filed at the Intellectual Property Center of China Information and Communication pipeline.

JD.com is Leading the Pack

Based on the data provided by China’s Intellectual Property Center, JD.com is leading the pack in terms of “global blockchain patent strength.” It’s close by Alibaba while Tencent and Baidu are at seventh and fifteenth places.

Securities Daily also emphasized that China is number one worldwide when it comes to blockchain applications. The country has applied for 4,435 patents from 2013 to 2018. That’s 48% of the blockchain-centered patent applications made around the world. The United States comes in a close second, with 1,833 patents filed.

China’s Intellectual Property Center on Blockchain Patents

China’s Intellectual Property Center has underlined how infringements on the intellectual property used to be a problem for the country’s blockchain patents. It recommended that governments do a stellar job in supervising the industry and improving patent quality. It also advised enterprises to “raise awareness of intellectual property protection and risk prevention.”

Last year, JD.com rolled-out its BaaS (blockchain-as-a-service) platform. Dubbed the JD Blockchain Open Platform, it lets companies streamline blockchain development and manage smart contracts. The company has also assisted in the creation of centers for furthering research on the technology, like the Smart City Research Institute.

