BlackRock was granted a patent for blockchain-based fund shares as collateral

{
  "signal_id": "bd839944-1edc-578b-ba61-ead2884ecdc2",
  "signal_type": "patents-company",
  "signal_subtype": "patentGrant",
  "detected_at": "2026-09-17T21:47:47+00:00",
  "company": {
    "name": "BlackRock",
    "domain": "blackrock.com"
  },
  "data": {
    "cpc": [
      {
        "code": "G06Q 20/3672",
        "label": "Data processing systems for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes"
      },
      {
        "code": "G06Q 20/3678",
        "label": "Data processing systems for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes"
      },
      {
        "code": "G06Q 40/06",
        "label": "Data processing systems for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes"
      },
      {
        "code": "G06Q 2220/00",
        "label": "Data processing systems for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes"
      }
    ],
    "tags": [
      "Intellectual Property",
      "Research & Development",
      "Blockchain",
      "Financial Transactions"
    ],
    "detail": "In July 2026 BlackRock patented a system for transferring digitized money market fund shares and pledging them as collateral in financial transactions.",
    "summary": "BlackRock was granted a patent for blockchain-based fund shares as collateral",
    "event_at": "2026-07-21",
    "inventors": [
      {
        "name": "Robert Mitchnick",
        "status": "resolved",
        "is_primary": true,
        "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-robbie-mitchnick"
      },
      {
        "name": "Jonathan Steel",
        "status": "resolved",
        "is_primary": false,
        "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-steel-21292bb"
      }
    ],
    "tech_area": "business methods / CRM / fintech",
    "event_kind": "grant_date",
    "grant_date": "2026-07-21",
    "source_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US12688497",
    "cpc_primary": {
      "code": "G06Q 20/3672",
      "label": "Data processing systems for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes"
    },
    "patent_title": "System and method for using data in digitized blocks in a blockchain as collateral",
    "patent_number": "US12688497",
    "uspto_assignee": "BlackRock Finance, Inc.",
    "patent_abstract": "Shares in a fund, such as a money market fund (“MMF”), may be created in a digitized format using distributed ledger technology (“DLT”). The digitized shares correspond to physical shares of the MMF that may be obtained at an exchange. The digitized shares may be stored in a distributed ledger, such as a blockchain. The DLT provides for instantaneous transfer of the digitized shares using digital signatures. The digitized shares may be used as collateral, such that a first entity maintains ownership of physical shares in the MMF while transferring control of the digitized shares in the distributed ledger to a second entity.",
    "precision_class": "structural",
    "invention_explanation": "A way to represent fund shares on a blockchain so owners can transfer them instantly with digital signatures and use them to secure borrowing.",
    "technologies_mentioned": [
      "blockchain",
      "distributed ledger technology",
      "digital signatures",
      "collateral management"
    ]
  }
}

curl https://signals.autobound.ai/v1/signals/bd839944-1edc-578b-ba61-ead2884ecdc2 \
  -H "X-API-KEY: $AUTOBOUND_API_KEY"

curl -X POST https://signals.autobound.ai/v1/companies/enrich \
  -H "X-API-KEY: $AUTOBOUND_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"domain":"blackrock.com","limit":20}'