Although the cryptocurrency bear market is still in full swing, the fundamentals paint a different picture. While probably the biggest news came from Russia before Christmas, when the head of the Congressional Finance Committee said the country plans to legalize international trade in bitcoin and cryptocurrency in January, there’s a lot going on on American soil, too.

US investment giant Fidelity Investments, which manages a total of $4.5 trillion in assets, recently archived several cryptography-related patent applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). As the apps indicate, Fidelity plans to serve its customers in a cryptographically powered metaverse.

Fidelity filed three patent applications on December 21 related to Web3’s products and services, including an NFT marketplace and a…