Bitcoin mining power pioneer Crusoe Energy sues rival, alleges patent theft

Crusoe Energy, a Denver company that pioneered the use of leftover natural gas to power cryptocurrency mining, has sued a natural gas company in federal court, accusing it of ripping off Crusoe’s patents and poaching two of its Colorado customers.

The lawsuit, filed Monday, claims a vice president at Texas-based Alkane Midstream watched Crusoe co-founder Cully Cavness give presentations on Crusoe’s innovations in 2019 and 2020 and soon after Alkane began copying Crusoe’s gas-powered crypto technology.

“At least as early as Nov. 14, 2019, Alkane was actively monitoring Crusoe and its business, including any of Crusoe’s issued, pending,…