Recently, IBM filed another patent that details a blockchain-powered web browser interface. On August 6, 2019, IBM’s patent for an interface of a web browser powered by distributed ledger technology was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
According to patent, the newly developed blockchain-backed browser will gather some pre-decided information from the users’ browsing session. The user-agreed information – which will be collected in order to give a better browsing experience – will vary on the type of browsing experience chosen. For instance, when a user navigates the web through a work computer, it will require different data compared to a user browsing through a personal computer. This information could be anything, i.e. browsing history, location of the computer, bookmarking addresses, security patches, plugin installations, task performance, etc. The information will later be transferred to a network of peer-to-peer nodes for better collection and storage.
As the company states in the patent filing, a blockchain-based browser “affords a system for storing browsing information such that privacy is preserved and places privacy in the ‘hands of a user’ rather than a third party.” The browsing data is stored on an immutable decentralized database, and therefore the browser can be a lifesaver to get data back in case of an attack on the user’s computer.
IBM has also incorporated a “validation token” in its blockchain browser. The validation token will be used to verify the user’s browsing session activities. IBM isn’t the only company launching the blockchain-powered web browser. Opera, one of the most popular web browsers, has also launched their blockchain-powered Opera Touch for Windows, iOS, and Android. Opera Touch also incorporates a blockchain wallet that supports ERC-20 tokens. Thence, IBM will enter an already competitive blockchain browser arena.
IBM Leads the Way in Blockchain Patents
IBM has always been leading tech company filing patent after patent on distributed ledger technology or blockchain. According to a report by iPR Daily, a media channel focusing on intellectual property, IBM dwarfs other notable tech companies in the United States when it comes to blockchain innovation. IBM has left Microsoft, Google, Intel, MasterCard, etc. behind in the race for blockchain and related technologies patents. IBM then had 89 active blockchain patents followed by MasterCard with 80 filings in 2018. Bank of America has made it to the third place, with 53 blockchain patent applications in the US.
According to data gathered on July 15th by Yuval Halevi, co-founder of crypto and blockchain PR company GuerillaBuzz,the number of IBM’s blockchain patents has grown significantly throughout the year. He tweeted:
