Quantum Blockchain Technologies, the AIM-listed research and development company developing Bitcoin mining efficiency technology through artificial intelligence, quantum computing and custom chip design, said the US Patent and Trademark Office has issued US Patent No. 12.76m for "Message Scheduling for Cryptographic Hashing", covering its ASIC Ultra Boost technology.
The grant converts a pending application into an enforceable right in the United States, one of the largest markets for Bitcoin mining hardware, and follows a Notice of Allowance the company disclosed in July.
The USPTO awarded a Patent Term Adjustment of 109 days, extending protection to mid-January 2043 subject to maintenance fee payments.
ASIC Ultra Boost works by cutting redundant computations in the SHA-256 message schedule used in Bitcoin mining, reducing the silicon and energy needed by the hashing engine.
Post-synthesis analysis using the SkyWater 130nm process found the technology cut silicon area by 2.42% and registers by 2.82% at the message scheduler level, with the complete SHA-256 pipeline showing reductions of 0.81% in silicon area and 1.16% in registers.
QBT has retained Mr P McCoy Smith of Lex Pan Law in Portland, Oregon, to help pursue licensing and other commercial arrangements with ASIC manufacturers.
"The grant of this US patent turns ASIC Ultra Boost into an enforceable intellectual property asset," said Francesco Gardin, chief executive and executive chairman of QBT, adding that the company is "now focused on converting this asset into value for shareholders through engagement with the industry."
The grant adds a second active commercialisation track alongside the company's Method C AI Oracle programme, which has been running live lab tests with an unnamed ASIC manufacturer's Mining Development Kit, and comes weeks after QBT raised £350,000 through a share placing to fund continued development work and bring the ASIC Ultra Boost patent to market readiness.
A European counterpart application remains under examination at the European Patent Office, with QBT saying it will update the market if that patent is granted.