Cisco's new patent could be used for Bitcoin mining

According to Coindesk, network technology giant Cisco announced on Tuesday that it had obtained a patent that can be used for Bitcoin mining. According to information from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Cisco submitted a patent application in September 2015 for a "crowdsourced cloud computing" system. The patent outlines that computer owners provide unused processing power for certain processes, including energy-intensive mining processes.

Cisco also submitted a special application in December 2017, which shows that Cisco is studying blockchain technology. The company describes how blockchain can enable people to spontaneously form teams and share files and other information while recording membership. The document, submitted in December 2017, proposes to share keys between group participants to establish a peer-to-peer network.