Got bandwidth? Theta Labs is trying to revolutionize video delivery and streaming by offering a content delivery network powered by blockchain and user devices rather than a centralized server. The media streaming industry has blown up during the pandemic (with Warner Bros and now Disney pushing for streaming as a primary delivery mechanism for major blockbusters). Theta recently made the news for partnering with Lionsgate for their platform, bringing a major Hollywood studio into their service. Additionally, the shifts to online schooling and work-from-home have further increased demand for household bandwidth. Theta Labs is trying to position itself to meet these new demands and other companies have noticed. Google, Samsung, and recently Sony Europe have shown interest in addressing these issues by joining as enterprise validators for the Theta Network.
Theta Labs has only recently begun to build its patent portfolio, with five patents filed since 2019. Are they too late? The Blockchain Platform technology subcategory is fairly sparse, suggesting there is still a lot of work to be done. Even Cisco and Intel have fewer than 10 patents in this Edge Computing platform sector.
As of right now, Theta seems to be growing its position in blockchain edge computing with few competitors. Theta Labs does have a few close competitors in decentralized content delivery: Livepeer, Lbry, and Aioz. Livepeer and Lbry currently have zero published patent documents. Aioz has zero US documents but has multiple earlier-filed international applications that could give the Singapore-based company an advantage if it decides to pursue US patents, even despite Theta’s corporate partnerships. Nevertheless, opportunities for disruption exist. Explore the Edge Computing Patent Forecast® to stay up to date with what happens next.
