Bitcoin mining companies Marathon Digital and Core Scientific have been sued for encryption patents.

According to Cointelegraph, Malikie Innovations recently sued Bitcoin mining companies Marathon Digital and Core Scientific, accusing them of infringing on its patent rights by using elliptic curve encryption technology. The company acquired 32,000 "non-core" patents from BlackBerry in 2023. The lawsuit alleges that the defendant mining companies used patented technology held by Malikie in their Bitcoin mining operations. Legal expert Aaron Brogan stated that such lawsuits typically do not target individual Bitcoin users, but could have significant financial implications for the defendant mining companies, who could face up to six years of retroactive licensing fees if they lose the case.