Utilizing a Funtoo stage3 for elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) requires an emerge -uvDN @world to  eliminate the bindist USE flag and compile the openssl ec library necessary for common cryptographic tasks such as using wpa-psk security on wireless networks.

See https://www.funtoo.org/Install/Introducing_Portage

The legal issues are unclear and many other distros appear to be not concerned with them, choosing to distribute binaries of the openssl ec library.

Eliminating the bindist flag on stage3s would be particularly useful for systems such as the Raspberry Pi, permitting the inclusion of net-misc/networkmanager to allow the connection to wireless networks 'out of the box.' 

See:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECC_patents

https://wiki.openssl.org/index.php/Elliptic_Curve_Cryptography

https://mta.openssl.org/pipermail/openssl-users/2016-September/004328.html