There have been three times as many NFT trademark applications filed so far this year in the U.S. than in all of 2021. In a striking counterpoint to the heightened crypto skepticism during the current bear market, financial services giants Visa, PayPal, and Western Union were among the notable firms that filed new trademark applications involving crypto and Web3 related products and services in the past week. According to Visa's filings, the firm is contemplating a "cryptocurrency wallet," describing it as "software for users to view, access, store, monitor, manage, trade, send, receive, transmit, and exchange digital currency, virtual currency, cryptocurrency, digital and blockchain assets, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs)." Visa may also set up shop in the metaverse, as it is mulling "providing virtual environments in which users can interact for recreational, leisure or entertainment purposes accessible in the virtual world." PayPal's trademark application mentions "crypto" 18 times, beginning with "downloadable software for sending, receiving, accepting, buying, selling, storing, transmitting, trading and exchanging digital currency, virtual currency, cryptocurrency, stablecoins, digital and blockchain assets, digitized assets, digital tokens, crypto tokens and utility tokens." PayPal already allows its users to buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and Litecoin (LTC), and send it to wallets elsewhere, but it is clearly still building out its own crypto wallet. Western Union's filing appears to cover every aspect digital payments, including "the management and maintenance of digital currency and electronic wallets." Like the others, WU plans "downloadable software for generating cryptographic keys for receiving and spending cryptocurrency." Despite the protracted crypto winter, crypto trademark filings have been flowing steadily for some time, as noted by trademark attorney Mike Kondoudis on Twitter, including by Viking Cruises, and cosmetics retailer Ulta last week. In October alone, Web3 and NFT filings have emerged from brands as diverse as musical instrument maker Fender, food giants Del Monte and Kraft (regarding its iconic Wienermobile), burger chain Inn-N-Out, snack maker Takis, wine and spirits company Moët Hennessy, auto racing firm Formula One, online betting platform DraftKings, and singer Lizzo. By Ryan Ozawa via: https://decrypt.co/113144/visa-paypal-western-union-among-fall-flurry-of-crypto-trademark-filings
