PURCHASE, N.Y.—Mastercard has been awarded several new blockchain patents, continuing its trend of embracing distributing ledger research even as it expresses open hostility to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
One particular patent is raising eyebrows, noted CNN.
“The patent, awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, outlines a system that facilitates anonymous transactions over a blockchain network. Mastercard first applied for the patent in Dec. 2016. According to Mastercard, the transparent nature of ordinary blockchain transactions is a hindrance to this technology's adoption for everyday payments,” CNN stated.