Judge Dismisses Bancor-Affiliated Patent Case Against Uniswap

Ruling finds patents claim abstract ideas not eligible for protection under US law

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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A New York federal judge dismissed a patent infringement lawsuit brought by Bancor-affiliated entities against Uniswap, ruling that the asserted patents claim abstract ideas and are not eligible for protection under US patent law. The court found the patents were directed to the abstract idea of calculating cryptocurrency exchange rates, a fundamental economic practice, and did not include an inventive concept to transform the abstract idea into a patent-eligible application.

Why it matters

This ruling is a procedural win for Uniswap, one of the leading decentralized exchanges in the cryptocurrency space. The dismissal without prejudice leaves open the possibility that the plaintiffs could attempt to refile with revised claims, but the judge's finding that the patents claim abstract ideas is a significant setback for the Bancor-affiliated entities. The case highlights ongoing legal battles over the patentability of blockchain and decentralized finance (DeFi) technologies.

The details

In a memorandum opinion and order, Judge John G. Koeltl of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York granted Uniswap's motion to dismiss the complaint filed by Bprotocol Foundation and LocalCoin Ltd. The judge ruled that the patents asserted by the plaintiffs are directed to the abstract idea of calculating cryptocurrency exchange rates, a fundamental economic practice, and therefore fail to meet the two-step test for patent eligibility established by the US Supreme Court. The court rejected arguments that implementing the pricing formula on blockchain infrastructure made the claims patentable, stating that limiting an abstract idea to a particular technological environment does not make it patent-eligible.

  • The ruling was issued on February 10, 2026.
  • The plaintiffs have 21 days to file an amended complaint. If no amended complaint is filed, the dismissal will convert to one with prejudice.

The players

Uniswap

A leading decentralized exchange in the cryptocurrency space.

Bprotocol Foundation

A Bancor-affiliated entity that filed the patent infringement lawsuit against Uniswap.

LocalCoin Ltd.

A Bancor-affiliated entity that filed the patent infringement lawsuit against Uniswap.

Judge John G. Koeltl

The US District Court judge for the Southern District of New York who dismissed the patent infringement lawsuit against Uniswap.

Hayden Adams

The founder of Uniswap.

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What they’re saying

“A lawyer just told me we won.”

— Hayden Adams (X)

What’s next

The plaintiffs have 21 days to file an amended complaint. If no amended complaint is filed, the dismissal will convert to one with prejudice.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing legal battles over the patentability of blockchain and decentralized finance (DeFi) technologies. The judge's ruling that the patents asserted by the Bancor-affiliated entities claim abstract ideas and are not eligible for protection under US patent law is a significant setback for the plaintiffs and a procedural win for Uniswap, one of the leading decentralized exchanges in the cryptocurrency space.