The popular AI framework Virtuals Protocol will host an in-person meet-up in Hong Kong on Friday, January 17.

According to BIT (bit.com) market data, US pre-market trading for semiconductor, storage, and optical communication stocks showed mixed results. Most semiconductor stocks fell: Intel (INTC) dropped 1.23%, Marvell Technology declined 1.00%, Qualcomm (QCOM) fell 0.44%, and AMD slipped 0.37%; Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) gained 0.38% and NVIDIA (NVDA) rose 0.29%. The storage sector was mixed: SK Hynix (SKHY) advanced 4.40% and SanDisk (SNDK) climbed 0.80%; Micron Technology (MU) edged down 0.08%, Seagate Technology (STX) fell 0.19%, and Western Digital (WDC) dropped 0.44%. Most optical communication stocks rose: Nokia (NOK) jumped 2.13%, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) increased 1.22%, and Ciena (CIEN) gained 0.73%; Marvell Technology (MRVL) slipped 1.00% and Corning (GLW) declined 0.88%.

South Korea’s Meritz Securities analyst Kim Sun-woo noted that SK Hynix unveiled a shareholder return plan after market close on August 19, announcing it will repurchase and cancel 40 trillion won of its own shares within three months. The announcement came earlier than the company’s prior plan to release such news within the third quarter, and Kim Sun-woo believes the market may view the timing as a positive surprise. SK Hynix said the large-scale repurchase and cancellation decision stems from its view that its current share price does not fully reflect its business competitiveness and cash-generating ability. Additionally, the company plans to announce new base and special dividend policies at its third-quarter earnings briefing at the end of October. Meanwhile, SK Hynix has raised its shareholder return threshold from the previous “within 50% of free cash flow (FCF)” to “more than 50% of FCF”, and aims to introduce a capital reduction dividend policy next year. Meritz Securities forecasts SK Hynix’s 2027 FCF will reach 250 trillion to 300 trillion won, translating to a potential shareholder return scale of 125 trillion to 150 trillion won (roughly $89.9 billion to $107.9 billion). The plan exceeded expectations in three areas: announcement timing, management’s recognition of undervaluation, and outlook for subsequent policies, and is expected to drive the company to complete share repurchases intensively over the next three months to lift its share price.

According to monitoring by TradingBeats (formerly Hyperinsight), address 0x1008 opened a long position in xyz:SKHX at 18:14 today. The address’ average entry price for the position is $1,162.53, with a position value of roughly $4.98 million and a leverage ratio of 5x. The position currently holds a small floating profit of around $2,446, with its liquidation price set at $978.20. Looking at historical trading preferences, the address was actively trading commodity CL contracts in April this year, with a total trading volume of $14.34 million, but exited the market with a small loss of $369,200. This new SKHX position marks its first large-scale involvement in the asset after four months of inactivity, potentially signaling it is starting to position for a new trading direction.

Shipping data is revealing shifts in the actual traffic pattern of the Strait of Hormuz. Kpler data shows that over the past two weeks, more than 80% of vessels transiting the strait have chosen the Omani side of the channel — a route authorized by the United Nations but previously opposed by Iran. Analysts note that while both the U.S. and Iran claim control over the Strait of Hormuz, neither has full control over this globally critical energy chokepoint. Hormoz Farahshahi, head of crude oil analysis at Kpler, said it is increasingly clear that Iran has at least partially lost control over the strait. A month ago, Kpler barely recorded any vessels using the Omani route; that figure has now risen to over 80%. Meanwhile, the number of vessels opting for Iran-preferred routes has dropped sharply, undermining Iran’s ability to collect transit fees through the strait. The U.S. relies on maritime military deployments to continuously monitor shipping security. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said current oil volumes transported through or diverted around the Strait of Hormuz stand at around 15 million barrels per day, close to the pre-conflict level of roughly 20 million barrels per day. However, Iran still retains some deterrent capability. Analysts point out that while Iran has never truly achieved full control over the strait if that was its goal, creating risks and disrupting shipping via military operations remains a key strategic tool for it. Currently, Iran and Oman are discussing restoring freedom of navigation arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar said that if a relevant agreement is reached, it could create conditions for bringing the U.S. and Iran back to the negotiating table. But Trump recently stated that no negotiations or talks are currently underway between the U.S. and Iran.

Citrini analyst Jukan cited South Korean media reports that Samsung Electronics plans to adjust the design of its under-construction P5 wafer fab in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, upgrading the originally planned two-story facility to a three-story structure. The adjustment covers Pyeongtaek’s P5 No.1 and No.2 plants, which will together form the world’s largest single-site semiconductor manufacturing base. The project broke ground in 2022 and is scheduled for completion in 2030, with around 50,000 workers deployed during peak construction periods. Previously, Samsung’s P4 and older fabs at its Pyeongtaek campus adopted a "dual wafer fab" layout, with each building housing four cleanrooms. If the three-story design for P5 is approved, it will use a "triple wafer fab" structure, accommodating up to six cleanrooms. Under this plan, the number of cleanrooms at P5 will increase by roughly 50%, and overall production capacity is expected to rise by at least 50%. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix may also adopt similar three-story wafer fab designs for new facilities at sites like the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster. Industry observers note that Samsung’s expansion of its advanced manufacturing base reflects accelerating capacity expansion for memory and advanced process nodes amid growing global demand for AI chips.

The largest $CXMT bear is still holding his position and has now paid over $4M in funding fees.