Quantum Blockchain's ASIC UltraBoost patent nears grant; licensing talks with chip makers begin

Quantum Blockchain Technologies PLC (AIM:QBT, FRA:BYA1) CEO Francesco Gardin joined Proactive's Stephen Gunnion to discuss the company's ASIC UltraBoost technology, its expected US patent grant and the commercial opportunity ahead. Gardin said the patent process should conclude within four to six weeks of fees being paid, though the company remains cautious until the grant is officially issued. The technology targets the hardware implementation of Bitcoin's SHA-256 algorithm, an area where meaningful advances have been rare, and is estimated to reduce logic gates by 5%-8% while cutting energy consumption by 2%-5%. "According to our estimate, the saving is between 5 and 8% in terms of logic gates. In terms of energy, it's between 2 and 5%," Gardin said, adding that across large-scale mining operations the cumulative impact could be substantial. The company is already working with an ASIC manufacturer and is seeking specialist semiconductor expertise to structure licensing and ro...