China takes global lead in fintech patent filings: media

China led the world in both the volume and quality of applications for financial technology (fintech) patents over the last decade, the Nikkei reported Tuesday.

The findings were based on a survey of fintech-related patent applications in 118 countries and regions between 2016 and 2025, jointly conducted by the Nikkei and Tokyo-based research firm Patent Result.

Global fintech patent filings totaled roughly 120,000 in the 10 years through 2025, nearly triple the volume of the prior decade, the survey found.

Applications from Chinese companies in the period accounted for more than 38 percent of the global total, the largest share by far, with filings up tenfold from the previous decade.

The United States ranked second with a 17 percent share, followed by South Korea at 9 percent and Japan at 8 percent.

Chinese companies also dominated at the corporate level, taking eight of the top 10 spots by number of fintech patent applications. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China topped the global ranking, followed by Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Tencent, among others, in the top 10.

The survey found that China's advantage extended beyond sheer volume: the country also took the lead in patent quality, as measured by value and competitiveness scores, with the United States and Japan placing second and third. ■