Dominic Williams, founder of DFINITY, the company behind Internet Computer, has accused the NEAR protocol of using someone else’s technology. In a long post on X, he claimed that one of the key components of NEAR Intents is built on DFINITY’s patented work.
The dispute centers on threshold signatures, a technology that lets multiple computers sign transactions together. According to Williams, DFINITY’s method does this three times faster than the alternatives without compromising security.
Williams says the technology is licensed exclusively to Internet Computer. He shared GitHub records as evidence and claimed that NEAR has used it for about two and a half years and is now trying to switch to a different algorithm.
The DFINITY founder said the matter could have legal consequences. At the same time, the team is ready to share the technology if offered a partnership on fair terms.
Amid a broader market decline, ICP fell about 7% on the day. The token’s market cap once exceeded $50 billion, but it now stands at around $1.52 billion.
