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

According to tech media Benchlife, NVIDIA (NVDA.O) has issued price hike notifications to its add-in board partners, with the increase covering GDDR6 and GDDR7 memory kits. It is understood that when NVIDIA sells products to these partners, it packages GPU chips and VRAM (video memory) chips into kits for supply, while the partners are responsible for installing the chips onto their self-designed PCBs (printed circuit boards) to produce custom graphics cards. As prices of GDDR6 and GDDR7 memory kits are set to rise again, AIB (Add-in Board, graphics card board) manufacturers are expected to have no choice but to raise graphics card prices accordingly. (Jinshi)

According to official announcements, OKX has collaborated with Elliptic, SlowMist, and OttoSec to release the "H1 2026 Web3 Security and Risk Control Report". The report notes that the focus of Web3 attacks is gradually shifting from smart contract code to more complex scenarios including signature processes, user devices, operational infrastructure, and AI Agents. Data shows that in H1 2026, OKX’s risk control system blocked over 5.7 million high-risk transactions, of which approximately 2.41 million were hack- and theft-related, around 1.48 million were phishing-related, and roughly 990,000 were scam-related. OKX’s Web3 on-chain intelligence label library now holds over 1.1 billion labels, covering more than 420 chains, and has integrated capabilities such as address screening, transaction monitoring, and sanctioned address control into infrastructure including DEX and Exchange OS. Additionally, for user protection, OKX has blocked over 7 million accesses to risky websites, completed more than 200,000 device risk checks, identified over 60,000 high-risk apps, and blocked or alerted on over 4 million high-risk signature operations. The report also introduces "pre-emptive risk control" designs in scenarios such as Exchange OS, Outcomes, RWA, and Agentic Wallet.

According to South Korea’s Electronic News, delivery lead times for major semiconductor manufacturing equipment have recently stretched to twice their original duration. Applied Materials, ASML, Lam Research, Tokyo Electron, and KLA collectively account for roughly 70% of the global semiconductor equipment market, and lead times for their core equipment have generally lengthened to 1.5–2 times the original. Some equipment that normally takes six months to deliver now requires a wait of around one year. Similar delays have hit South Korea’s domestic equipment manufacturers too. One South Korean firm supplying front-end and back-end equipment to TSMC and Micron has extended lead times for some products from three to four months to six to eight months; another back-end equipment supplier to Micron has seen lead times rise to 1.5 times the original, with some units waiting over a year. Equipment delivery delays could impact fabs’ planned launch timelines. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have started closely monitoring equipment delivery progress and are considering placing purchase orders earlier than scheduled to reduce the risk of equipment not arriving on time. This current stretch in lead times is distinct from the supply chain disruptions of 2021–2022; it is primarily driven by surging chip demand fueled by AI infrastructure investment, as countries and companies expand fabs simultaneously, triggering a sharp spike in equipment orders. As global fab investment continues, supply shortages related to equipment and fab construction are likely to persist.

According to people familiar with the matter, SoftBank Group is considering acquiring Gravis Robotics AG, as the Japanese tech conglomerate targets the artificial intelligence field that underpins robotics technology. SoftBank plans to make a large-scale investment in the European startup and integrate it into its newly established entity Roze. The transaction could be completed in phases, with SoftBank gradually acquiring existing shares and injecting new capital. The deal could ultimately value Zurich-based Gravis at more than $500 million, sources added, noting that no final decisions on the deal’s size or structure have been made yet. (Jinshi)

UBS raised AMD’s price target from $700 to $730, maintaining its "Buy" rating. The Swiss bank projects AMD’s earnings per share (EPS) will reach roughly $19 in 2027, rise to $27.57 in 2028 (near $30), well above Wall Street’s 2028 consensus forecast of around $19. UBS notes that rapid growth in AMD’s server CPU business and gross margins roughly 10 percentage points above the company average will serve as a "margin safety net," enabling it to launch its MI500 series at more competitive prices in 2027 and further expand its data center GPU market share. Following TSMC’s capital expenditure increase, UBS is more optimistic about AMD’s supply improvements, projecting server CPU revenue of roughly $35 billion in 2027 and up to $60 billion in 2028. Its forecast of $44 billion in data center GPU revenue for 2027 may still be conservative; after AMD’s stock rose roughly 75% over the past three months, it remains UBS’s top pick.

According to a report by Seoul Economic Daily, AMD CEO Lisa Su stated that negotiations between the company and Samsung Electronics for a formal contract on large-scale HBM4 supply are "nearing completion". In March this year, the two sides signed a memorandum of cooperation, which includes Samsung prioritizing HBM4 supply to AMD’s new-generation AI accelerators and advancing wafer foundry collaboration. Su said at the "AMD Advancing AI 2026" event that the AI server rack system Helios has entered full mass production and is expected to start shipping from the end of the third quarter. With Helios’ launch, AMD is discussing specific contracts with Samsung for further expanding HBM4 supply. Han Jin-man, head of Samsung Electronics’ wafer foundry business, and Cho Sang-yeon, head of the Americas semiconductor business, attended the event, and after their speeches, held follow-up meetings with AMD executives including CTO Joseph Macri. The two Samsung executives noted an important meeting will be held soon, but did not give specific responses on subsequent HBM4 contract matters. When asked about future HBM supply and the possibility of AMD chips being manufactured by Samsung, Macri only said the two sides maintain a "cooperative relationship".