Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 19/083,401

SCALABLE, SECURE, EFFICIENT, AND ADAPTABLE DISTRIBUTED DIGITAL LEDGER TRANSACTION NETWORK

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Mar 18, 2025
Examiner
VY, HUNG T
Art Unit
2163
Tech Center
2100 — Computer Architecture & Software
Assignee
Circle Internet Financial LLC
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
86%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 9m
To Grant
89%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 86% — above average
86%
Career Allow Rate
781 granted / 905 resolved
+31.3% vs TC avg
Minimal +3% lift
Without
With
+2.9%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 9m
Avg Prosecution
30 currently pending
Career history
935
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
18.1%
-21.9% vs TC avg
§103
31.1%
-8.9% vs TC avg
§102
29.2%
-10.8% vs TC avg
§112
6.7%
-33.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 905 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action: A person shall be entitled to a patent unless – (a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Claim(s) 1-3, 5-12, and 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by James et al. (U.S. Pat. 10,540,654B1) With respect to claims 1,10 and 16, James et al. discloses a computer-implemented method comprising: identifying a request for a transaction to transfer a digital asset via a distributed digital ledger transaction network from a first user account to a second user account on a state data structure (i.e., “GUI for an interface with the digital asset exchange in which a user can deposit/redeem Gemini Dollar tokens into an public address associated with the digital asset exchange, in exchange for an corresponding amount of fiat in the user's account at the digital asset exchange. In embodiments, after the registered user of the exchange deposits the stable value token into the exchange's public address, the exchange will transfer from the bank account or other account associated with the stable value token, a corresponding amount of fiat, to the bank account associated with the fiat holdings of the user. In embodiments, the deposited token will then be burnt from circulation. In embodiments, the deposited token may instead of being burnt be redistributed to another customer, but in such case, an appropriate amount of fiat will need to be redeposited into the bank account or other stable investment vehicle associated with the stable value token.”(col. 55, lines 30-47) and “ the first transaction request includes: (1) a request to obtain the first amount of stable value digital asset tokens from the designated public address of the first user; and (2) a request to destroy the first amount of stable value digital asset tokens. In alternative embodiments, the first transaction request may include: (1) a request to obtain the first amount of stable value digital asset tokens from the designated public address of the first user; and (2) a request to provide the first amount of stable value digital asset tokens to a specific destination address’(col. 58, lines 9-18) and Examiner asserts “designated public address of the first user” or “an public address associated with the digital asset” are state of data structure as claimed invention), the digital asset comprising a resource that is a linear data type (i.e., “ a digital asset network may employ a proof of stake system. In a proof of stake system, asset ownership may be tied to transaction verification and/or asset creation. Asset ownership can include an amount of assets owned and/or a duration of ownership. The duration of ownership may be measured linearly as time passes while a user owns an asset. In an exemplary embodiment, a user holding 4% of all digital assets in a proof of stake system can generate 4% of all blocks for the transaction ledger.”(col. 67, lines 1-10)); determining, based on the linear data type, that the digital asset is subject to one or more linear typing rules that regulate transactions involving the digital asset on the distributed digital ledger transaction network (i.e., “ a digital asset network may employ a proof of stake system. In a proof of stake system, asset ownership may be tied to transaction verification and/or asset creation. Asset ownership can include an amount of assets owned and/or a duration of ownership. The duration of ownership may be measured linearly as time passes while a user owns an asset. In an exemplary embodiment, a user holding 4% of all digital assets in a proof of stake system can generate 4% of all blocks for the transaction ledger.”(col. 67, lines 1-10) and “Proof of stake velocity may rely upon asset ownership where the function for measuring duration of ownership is not linear”(col. 67, lines 23-26)); ; and executing the transaction by modifying the state data structure of the distributed digital ledger transaction network to reflect a transfer of the digital asset from the first user account to the second user account based on whether the request for the transaction satisfies the one or more linear typing rules associated with the linear data type of the digital asset (i.e., “At step 1706D, the digital asset computer system updates the fiat account ledger to reflect that the updated amount of available fiat of the first user is the third amount of fiat. At a step 1706E, the digital asset exchange computer system generates a first transaction request for the blockchain from a first digital asset exchange public key address on the blockchain to a first contract address associated with a stable value token issuer”(col. 57, lines 62-67 and col. 58, lines 1-5) or “ In step 1706F, the digital asset exchange computer system may update a stable value digital asset token issuer fiat ledger. The update may decrease the balance of fiat by the second amount of fiat’(col. 58, lines 20-25)). With respect to claim 2, and 11, James et al. discloses wherein determining that the digital asset is subject to the one or more linear typing rules comprises determining that the digital asset is subject to a first linear typing rule that requires digital assets having the linear data type to be used exactly once per transaction that invokes the digital assets (i.e., “ a digital asset network may employ a proof of stake system. In a proof of stake system, asset ownership may be tied to transaction verification and/or asset creation. Asset ownership can include an amount of assets owned and/or a duration of ownership. The duration of ownership may be measured linearly as time passes while a user owns an asset. In an exemplary embodiment, a user holding 4% of all digital assets in a proof of stake system can generate 4% of all blocks for the transaction ledger.”(col. 67, lines 1-10). With respect to claim 3, 12, and 20 , James et al. discloses the computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein determining that the digital asset is subject to the one or more linear typing rules comprises determining that the digital asset is subject to a second linear typing rule that prohibits duplicating the digital assets having the linear data type (i.e., “In a proof of stake system, asset ownership may be tied to transaction verification and/or asset creation. Asset ownership can include an amount of assets owned and/or a duration of ownership. The duration of ownership may be measured linearly as time passes while a user owns an asset. ”(col. 67, lines 1-7) and Examiner asserts that assets owned and duration of ownership can prevent duplicating the digital assets). With respect to claim 5, and 14, James et al. discloses the computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein executing the transaction by modifying the state data structure based on whether the request for the transaction satisfies the one or more linear typing rules comprises: determining that the request for the transaction violates at least one of the first linear typing rule or the second linear typing rule (i.e., “In a proof of stake system, asset ownership may be tied to transaction verification and/or asset creation. Asset ownership can include an amount of assets owned and/or a duration of ownership. The duration of ownership may be measured linearly as time passes while a user owns an asset. ”(col. 67, lines 1-7) and Examiner asserts that assets owned and duration of ownership can prevent duplicating the digital assets). ; and rejecting the request for the transaction based on determining that the request for the transaction violates at least one of the first linear typing rule or the second linear typing rule (i.e., “In a proof of stake system, asset ownership may be tied to transaction verification and/or asset creation. Asset ownership can include an amount of assets owned and/or a duration of ownership. The duration of ownership may be measured linearly as time passes while a user owns an asset. ”(col. 67, lines 1-7) and Examiner asserts that assets owned and duration of ownership can prevent duplicating the digital assets). . With respect to claim 6, and 15, James et al. discloses the computer-implemented method of claim 2 or 11, further comprising: identifying an additional request for an additional transaction to transfer an additional digital asset having the linear data type via the distributed digital ledger transaction network from the first user account, wherein the additional request for the additional transaction fails to identify a recipient user account (i.e.,” (A) generating and sending, by the digital asset exchange computer system via the blockchain, a first transaction request: (i) to the fifth contract address; and (ii) including a first message comprising a first request to generate the fourth amount of digital asset tokens; wherein the first transaction request is digitally signed by the first designated private key, wherein the fifth smart contract executes, via the plurality of geographically distributed computer systems in the peer-to-peer network with reference to the blockchain, the first transaction request to: validate the authority of the first designated private key to call the second smart contract to execute the plurality of requests; and (iii) send a first call to the fourth contract address to generate the fourth amount of digital asset tokens”(col. 12, lines 57-67)); and rejecting the additional request for the additional transaction as a violation of the first linear typing rule for failing to identify the recipient user account (i.e., The proof of stake protocol is another optional protocol that may be implemented by blockchains. In this type of protocol, the validator's stake is represented by the amount of digital assets held. Validators accept, reject or otherwise validate a block to be added to the blockchain based on the amount of digital assets held by the Validator on the blockchain “’(col. 41, lines 5-10)). With respect to claims 7, and 17, James et al. discloses wherein identifying the request for the transaction to transfer the digital asset via the distributed digital ledger transaction network from the first user account to the second user account on the state data structure comprises identifying the request for the transaction to transfer a digital currency from the first user account to the second user account on the state data structure (i.e., “At step 1706D, the digital asset computer system updates the fiat account ledger to reflect that the updated amount of available fiat of the first user is the third amount of fiat. At a step 1706E, the digital asset exchange computer system generates a first transaction request for the blockchain from a first digital asset exchange public key address on the blockchain to a first contract address associated with a stable value token issuer”(col. 57, lines 62-67 and col. 58, lines 1-5) or “ In step 1706F, the digital asset exchange computer system may update a stable value digital asset token issuer fiat ledger. The update may decrease the balance of fiat by the second amount of fiat’(col. 58, lines 20-25)). With respect to claim 8, and 18, James et al. discloses wherein determining that the digital asset is subject to the one or more linear typing rules comprises determining that the digital asset is subject to the one or more linear typing rules that are part of a programming language that is utilized to prevent use of non-complying transactions in modifying the state data structure of the distributed digital ledger transaction network (i.e., “In a proof of stake system, asset ownership may be tied to transaction verification and/or asset creation. Asset ownership can include an amount of assets owned and/or a duration of ownership. The duration of ownership may be measured linearly as time passes while a user owns an asset. ”(col. 67, lines 1-7) and Examiner asserts that assets owned and duration of ownership can prevent duplicating the digital assets). . With respect to claim 9, and 19, James et al. discloses the computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein determining that the digital asset is subject to the one or more linear typing rules (i.e., “ a digital asset network may employ a proof of stake system. In a proof of stake system, asset ownership may be tied to transaction verification and/or asset creation. Asset ownership can include an amount of assets owned and/or a duration of ownership. The duration of ownership may be measured linearly as time passes while a user owns an asset. In an exemplary embodiment, a user holding 4% of all digital assets in a proof of stake system can generate 4% of all blocks for the transaction ledger.”(col. 67, lines 1-10))that are part of the programming language comprises determining that the digital asset is divisible and mergeable pursuant to the programming language and the one or more linear typing rules (i.e.,. “A fraud analysis system can monitor transactions to detect fraudulent and/or unauthorized transactions. The exchange can also include a SVCoin system, which may comprise a purchase system, redemption system, and a dividend payment system”(col. 117, lines 20-25) or “a total amount of SVCoins to be purchased may be designated in the request of the Security Token issue with directions to equally or proportionally divide the total sum between the Security Token holders.’(col. 130, lines 63-66) or “collated sets of cards may be produced for a plurality of digital asset accounts. Each set may contain only one card per private key such that the private key segments for a single private key are divided among different sets of cards.”(col. 148, line 37-42) and “ An account with digital assets stored as multiple digital outputs can select any combination of those outputs for use as digital inputs in a spending transaction. In embodiments, a digital wallet may programmatically select outputs to use as inputs for a given transaction to minimize transaction change, such as by combining outputs that produce an amount closest to the required transaction amount and at least equal to the transaction amount.’(col. 64, lines 49-55)). Allowable Subject Matter Claim 4 and 13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims, since the prior art of record and considered pertinent to the applicant’s disclosure does not teach or suggest the claimed wherein executing the transaction by modifying the state data structure based on whether the request for the transaction satisfies the one or more linear typing rules comprises: determining that the request for the transaction satisfies the first linear typing rule and the second linear typing rule; and executing the transaction by modifying the state data structure to reflect the transfer of the digital asset from the first user account to the second user account based on determining that the request for the transaction satisfies the first linear typing rule and the second linear typing rule. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUNG T VY whose telephone number is (571)272-1954. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tony Mahmoudi can be reached at (571)272-4078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /HUNG T VY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2163 February 19, 2026 /TONY MAHMOUDI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2163
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Mar 18, 2025
Application Filed
Feb 19, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12566949
TERNARY NEURAL NETWORK ACCELERATOR DEVICE AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 03, 2026
Patent 12561345
GENERATING AN ARTIFICIAL DATA SET
2y 5m to grant Granted Feb 24, 2026
Patent 12524422
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING HIERARCHICAL, SEMI-STRUCTURED, SCHEMA-LESS, POLYMORPHIC DATA
2y 5m to grant Granted Jan 13, 2026
Patent 12517772
EVENT PROCESSING SYSTEMS AND METHODS
2y 5m to grant Granted Jan 06, 2026
Patent 12511259
SCALABLE, SECURE, EFFICIENT, AND ADAPTABLE DISTRIBUTED DIGITAL LEDGER TRANSACTION NETWORK
2y 5m to grant Granted Dec 30, 2025
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

AI Strategy Recommendation

Get an AI-powered prosecution strategy using examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.
Powered by AI — typically takes 5-10 seconds

Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
86%
Grant Probability
89%
With Interview (+2.9%)
2y 9m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 905 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

Sign in with your work email

Enter your email to receive a magic link. No password needed.

Personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not accepted.

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month