New Patent Office Director’s First Official Act: Issue Crypto and Medical Diagnostics Patents

The newly-confirmed U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Director, John A. Squires, presided over his first signing ceremony to highlight the issuance of two patents: “one in the field of distributed ledger/crypto technologies, and another in the field of medical diagnostics.”[1]

The ceremony introduced Director Squires in a public setting and featured the issuance of patents in technological areas whose patent-eligibility under 35 U.S.C. §101 has been contested in the courts and at the USPTO. Director Squires underscored the broad scope of innovation he intends to support and the importance of ensuring that patent examination practices keep pace with technological progress. 

I. Crypto and Diagnostic Patents Highlighted

Director Squires was sworn in as USPTO Director on September 22, 2025,[2] and held a patent ceremony the following day.[3] He is the 60th Director of the USPTO and has decades of experience in intellectual property law and innovation policy, including practicing law in the private sector and serving as in-house counsel for global corporations such as Goldman Sachs.[4] 

Director Squires commented that he sought to issue two patents in areas that he characterized as “too often dismissed as ‘mere business methods’ or ‘ineligible diagnostic practices.’”[5] He stated that the USPTO is “open for business, especially for the technologies of tomorrow.”[6] 

Director Squires described one of the patents, U.S. Patent No. 12,419,202, as related to distributed ledger technology/crypto.[7] The patent states it addresses methods for improving the reliability and scalability of blockchain-based systems, with potential applications across finance, supply chain management, and digital identity.[8] Director Squires’ decision to single out this patent for issuance may signal certain policy views the USPTO intends to implement around business method patents and crypto/blockchain technologies in particular.[9]

Director Squires described the second patent, U.S. Patent No. 12,419,201, as related to diagnostic and therapeutic methods for colon cancer.[10] The patent states it relates to techniques for detecting biomarkers associated with colorectal disease and for tailoring treatment strategies based on those diagnostic results.[11] Director Squires’ decision to single out this patent for issuance may likewise signal policy views about patentability in the life sciences space. 

Director Squires noted that “the onrush of technology knows no bounds,” citing crypto, diagnostics, and other emerging fields as “applied and patent-eligible technologies driving the frontiers of knowledge.”[12] He also described the examining corps as the “stewards of quality” and emphasized the importance of keeping the USPTO’s doors “wide enough to accept whatever the on-rush new technology provides.”[13]

II. Implications

Director Squires’ first patent signing ceremony highlighted both the symbolism and the substance of his early tenure. The USPTO may be poised to be actively engaged with fast-moving technologies, while maintaining confidence in the strength of the patent system.

[1] U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, Patent Signing Ceremony (Sept. 24, 2025), https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/patent-signing-ceremony.

[2] U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, USPTO Welcomes New Director John A. Squires (September 22, 2025), https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/uspto-welcomes-new-director-john-squires. 

[3] U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, Director John A. Squires Issues First Patents of Tenure (Sept. 24, 2025), https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/uspto-director-john-squires-issues-first-patents-tenure.

[4] U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, John A. Squires, https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/john-squires.

[5] U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, Patent Signing Ceremony (Sept. 24, 2025), https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/patent-signing-ceremony.

[6] Id.

[7] U.S. Patent No. 12,419,202.

[8] Id.

[9] U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, Patent Signing Ceremony (Sept. 24, 2025), https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/patent-signing-ceremony.

[10] U.S. Patent No. 12,419,201.

[11] Id.

[12] U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, USPTO Director John A. Squires Issues First Patents of Tenure (Sept. 24, 2025), https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/uspto-director-john-squires-issues-first-patents-tenure.

[13] U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, Ceremonial Swearing-in Remarks of John A. Squires (Sept. 23, 2025), https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/ceremonial-swearing-remarks-john-squires.