Share this article
Comcast's Blockchain Patent Filing Highlights Data Use Case
Telecom giant Comcast filed for a patent outlining a blockchain-based database meant to store customer viewing habits and identifying data.
By Nikhilesh De
Updated Sep 13, 2021, 7:08 a.m. Published Nov 10, 2017, 2:40 a.m.
Make us preferred on Google
A new patent filing from telecommunications provider Comcast suggests the firm is looking at how to store operational data on a blockchain.
In a new patent application released by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Nov. 9, the telecom outlined two types databases which would hold its customers' information. One of these databases, according to the filing, would be based on the distributed blockchain concept.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
The blockchain database would hold private and identifying information for customers, and would only be accessible by certain entities. In a bid to boost transparency, the proposed system would maintain a log of every time someone accessed it.
The other database – which would still be on a distributed platform but not explicitly a blockchain – could contain location information for the user data on the other database, acting as a roadmap for entities trying to access the customer data.
As the application explains:
"The block identifies all relevant information relating to the particular data access including, for example, the particular data that was accessed, the entity that accessed the data, and the date and time of the access. After a block is generated, it is encrypted and added to the chain of existing blocks."
In the application, Comcast notes that customers use multiple systems and services to watch programming, ranging from websites like Hulu on computers to traditional televisions. It aims to collate customers' viewing habits across different platforms, creating a repository for this information.
The application is a first for Comcast, but past developments show that the company is no stranger to blockchain.
, Comcast partnered with Disney, NBCUniversal, Cox Communications, Mediaset Italia, Channel 4 and TF1 on creating a new blockchain-based advertising platform.
Comcast sign image via Joshua Rainey/Shutterstock
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
How a 'perpetual’ stock trick could solve Michael Saylor’s $8 billion debt problem
The bitcoin treasury firm is using perpetual preferreds to retire convertibles, offering a potential framework for managing long-dated leverage.
What to know:
- Strive upsized its SATA follow on offering beyond $150 million, pricing the perpetual preferred at $90.
- The structure offers a blueprint for replacing fixed maturity convertibles with perpetual equity capital that removes refinancing risk.
- Strategy has a $3 billion convertible tranche due in June 2028 with a $672.40 conversion price, which could be addressed using a similar preferred equity approach.
Top Stories
