Asia’s First Trading Day of 2026: AI Chips Steal the Show While Bitcoin Flatlines
Asian fairness markets roared into 2026 on Thursday, with semiconductor and AI shares main the cost, whereas bitcoin struggled to achieve momentum amid broader risk-on sentiment.
Shanghai Biren Technology, the first Chinese GPU startup to record in Hong Kong, greater than doubled on its buying and selling debut. Shares opened at HK$35.70, nicely above the IPO worth of HK$19.60, and surged as a lot as 119% to HK$42.88.
Biren’s Hong Kong Debut Sparks AI Chip Frenzy
The providing drew extraordinary demand, with retail buyers oversubscribing by 2,347 occasions and institutional orders reaching 26 occasions the accessible shares. The firm raised HK$5.58 billion ($717 million), valuing it at roughly $11 billion.
Analysts be aware that Chinese AI startups are reaching public markets sooner than their US counterparts, benefiting from supportive home insurance policies and clearer paths to enterprise income. The pattern displays diverging AI growth tracks between the two superpowers: speedy commercialization in China versus extra managed, research-focused approaches in the US.
Founded in 2019, Biren develops general-purpose GPUs and clever computing methods. The firm gained consideration in 2022 with its BR100 chip, positioned as a home different to Nvidia’s superior processors. Despite being added to Washington’s Entity List in October 2023, investor urge for food remained strong.
Baidu’s Kunlunxin Files for Hong Kong IPO
Adding to the AI chip momentum, Baidu confirmed on Friday that its semiconductor unit Kunlunxin has submitted an inventory software to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The transfer indicators continued acceleration in China’s push to construct homegrown alternate options amid US export restrictions.
The Hong Kong IPO pipeline stays full of AI and chipmakers. Zhipu AI and Iluvatar CoreX are scheduled to debut on January 8, whereas seven firms filed itemizing purposes on New Year’s Day alone.
Korean Chipmakers Hit Record Highs, KOSPI Breaks All-Time High
South Korea’s inventory market echoed the semiconductor optimism. The KOSPI index surged 1.6% to 4,281, breaking its all-time high inside minutes of the opening bell.
Samsung Electronics jumped 3.5% to a 52-week high of 124,100 gained after its CEO touted sturdy buyer reception for HBM4 chips. SK Hynix climbed to a report 668,000 gained intraday.
Analysts raised their outlook considerably. Daol Investment & Securities lifted worth targets to 160,000 gained for Samsung and 950,000 gained for SK Hynix. Daishin Securities projected SK Hynix may obtain 100 trillion gained in working revenue this yr, a historic milestone for the reminiscence big.
December semiconductor exports rose 22.2% yr over yr to $173.4 billion, marking one other report as AI server investments and HBM demand continued to drive progress.
Taiwan Chips Rally as TSMC Cements 2nm Dominance
Taiwan’s semiconductor giants joined the regional rally. TSMC rose 1.44% to $303.89 in common buying and selling and prolonged beneficial properties to $309.42 in after-hours, up 1.82%. MediaTek superior 2.8% to NT$1,470.
The beneficial properties got here amid stories that TSMC’s aggressive 2nm investment strategy is paying off. According to Taiwanese media, TSMC’s 2nm income may surpass each 3nm and 5nm by Q3 2026, an unprecedented ramp-up pace for a brand new course of node.
TSMC plans to function 10 2nm fabs throughout Taiwan and the US, with manufacturing capability increasing from 35,000 wafers presently to 100,000 wafers by the finish of 2027. Orders for subsequent yr are already offered out.
The foundry big can be accelerating its 1.4nm roadmap, focusing on trial manufacturing by late 2027 and mass manufacturing in 2028, forward of earlier schedules. The funding in Taiwan alone is estimated at NT$1.5 trillion ($69 billion).
Industry observers be aware that TSMC’s capability enlargement is widening its lead over Samsung and Intel, although some clients are reportedly exploring Samsung as a substitute amid TSMC’s provide constraints.
Bitcoin Lags Behind the Rally
In stark distinction to the fairness exuberance, bitcoin posted a modest 0.3% achieve to $88,895, failing to capitalize on the risk-on setting.
The cryptocurrency has been range-bound between $87,000 and $90,000 over the previous week, with merchants showing hesitant to push costs increased regardless of favorable macro circumstances. Ether confirmed comparable lethargy, edging up 0.4% to round $2,997.
The divergence highlights a rising disconnect between conventional markets’ AI-driven rally and crypto’s battle to search out contemporary catalysts. While institutional curiosity in digital belongings stays, the consideration—and capital—seems firmly centered on semiconductor performs as 2026 begins.
The publish Asia’s First Trading Day of 2026: AI Chips Steal the Show While Bitcoin Flatlines appeared first on BeInCrypto.
