(Yicai Global) Dec. 4 -- China had over 1,200 blockchain patents by the end of last year, ranking first worldwide, according to an official from China's patent authority. 

Alibaba Group Holding applied for the largest number of patents related to the decentralized ledger technology, said Wang Lin, an official from the Tianjin bureau of the China National Intellectual Property Administration. The People's Bank of China and Chengdu's University of Electronic Science and Technology of China are also among the world's top 10 applicants, Wang added.

Editor: Emmi Laine