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Disseminated via PRN on 7 October 2026
Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc
("QBT" or "the Company")
Quantum Blockchain Technologies plc (AIM: QBT), the AIM-listed research & development and investing company focused principally on a research and development programme within blockchain technology, announces that the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") has issued US Patent No. 12,756,574, titled "Message Scheduling for Cryptographic Hashing" (US Application No. 18/696,073), covering the Company's ASIC Ultra Boost™ technology.
Highlights
· US Patent No. 12,756,574 granted on 6 October 2026
· Protection granted for 20 years to January 2043
· Post-synthesis hardware analysis confirms a 2.42% reduction in silicon area and a 2.82% reduction in registers in the SHA-256 message scheduler
· QBT now holds an enforceable US right in a core market for Bitcoin mining hardware, and is actively pursuing licensing and other monetisation opportunities
The Patent
The patent was issued electronically by the USPTO on 6 October and constitutes the official grant of patent rights under 35 U.S.C. § 153. The USPTO has awarded a Patent Term Adjustment of 109 days, which extends the term of protection beyond the standard 20 years from filing to mid-January 2043, subject to payment of maintenance fees.
The grant secures the Company's rights in the United States, one of the largest markets for Bitcoin mining hardware. The European counterpart application (EP 4 342 127) remains under examination at the European Patent Office, and a further announcement will be made should it be granted.
The Technology
ASIC Ultra Boost™ improves the algorithmic efficiency of Bitcoin mining by eliminating redundant computations in the SHA-256 message schedule that are specific to Bitcoin mining. As fewer operations are required, the hashing engine uses less silicon and less energy.
Hardware validation
The Company has validated the technology through post-synthesis analysis of a reference Bitcoin mining architecture, using the SkyWater 130nm (Sky130) process and industry-standard open-source synthesis and timing tools. Implementing ASIC Ultra Boost™ in the message scheduler produced the following results:
|
Design level |
Silicon area |
Registers |
|
SHA-256 message scheduler |
-2.42% |
-2.82% |
|
Complete SHA-256 pipeline (scheduler + compressor) |
-0.81% |
-1.16% |
The saving is realised in every instance of the message scheduler, removing 668 registers per instance in the reference design. The benefit at chip level therefore depends on how many message schedulers a given ASIC architecture instantiates.
Commercialisation
With the patent now granted, the Company is actively pursuing the monetisation of ASIC Ultra Boost™ and its wider patent portfolio through licensing and other commercial arrangements with ASIC manufacturers. The Company has therefore retained the services of Mr. P McCoy Smith, of Lex Pan Law LLC, in Portland, Oregan, to assist with this aspect of the project.
Francesco Gardin, CEO and Executive Chairman of QBT, commented, "The grant of this US patent turns ASIC Ultra Boost into an enforceable intellectual property asset. Our hardware analysis confirms that the technology delivers measurable savings in the silicon area within the SHA-256 message scheduler, at the heart of every Bitcoin mining ASIC. We are now focused on converting this asset into value for shareholders through engagement with the industry.
I would like to thank Rahul Naik, the inventor of ASIC Ultra Boost. His original research into the SHA-256 message schedule is the foundation of this patent, and his insight and commitment over several years have given QBT a valuable and distinctive asset. This grant is a well-deserved recognition of his work."
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the UK version of Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014, which forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
For further information please contact:
Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc +39 335 296573
Francesco Gardin, CEO and Executive Chairman
SP Angel Corporate Finance (Nominated Adviser & Broker) +44 (0) 20 3470 0470
Caroline Rowe / Devik Mehta
Leander (Financial PR) +44 (0) 7795 168 157
Christian Taylor-Wilkinson
About Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc
QBT (AIM: QBT) is a London Stock Exchange AIM listed Research & Development and investing company focused on an intensive R&D programme to disrupt the Blockchain Technologies sector which includes, cryptocurrency mining and other advanced blockchain applications. The primary goal of the R&D programme is to develop Bitcoin mining tools and techniques, via its technology-driven approach, which the Company believes will significantly outperform existing market practices.
