According to a series of recent patent applications filed by Ford and Toyota, the two automotive companies continue to lead the way in the development of blockchain-based automotive technologies. Together, Ford and Toyota filed at least 43 blockchain-related patents in the second quarter of 2024. Overall, the industry filed fewer patents in the second quarter than in the previous quarter. However, both Ford and Toyota bucked the trend, according to GlobalData Patent Analytics and Just Auto. Ford's patent applications increased from three in Quarter 1 to 14 in the second quarter, while Toyota's increased from 25 in Quarter 1 to 29 in the second quarter. Patents filed by Ford, Toyota, and other auto industry companies over the past few months address myriad concerns within the industry. Ford, for example, recently filed a patent that ostensibly provides immutable security for vehicle ownership. According to the filing, Ford's system would "manage ownership data for vehicles through smart contracts that automatically execute in response to real-time event data... including changes in vehicle ownership."