In January 2026, AI providers face scrutiny over whether projected $500bn in infrastructure and hardware spending can be justified by reliable performance and profits. After broad rollout of AI tools in 2024 and 2025, investors now question the limits of scaling, the business models of firms like OpenAI and Anthropic, and the rise of cheaper Chinese open models that have reached 17% of downloads.

Japan is expected to rank fifth by nominal GDP in 2026, trailing India, as weak productivity, a soft yen, and geopolitical strains weigh on growth. Recent data show a July–September contraction, while a separate forecast sees 0.9% expansion this year. A summer growth plan from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi targets 17 priority sectors alongside a large fiscal push.

SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic are preparing to list in 2026, with offerings that could surpass the proceeds from roughly 200 US IPOs in 2025. Private valuations place SpaceX near $800B, OpenAI around $500B with potential to exceed $750B, and Anthropic above $300B, pointing to some of the largest stock debuts on record.

On December 31, 2025, China's Ministry of Commerce urged the Netherlands to reverse its takeover of Nexperia, accusing Dutch authorities of undermining global semiconductor supply chains. At the same time, Chinese DRAM maker ChangXin Memory Technologies outlined a 29.5 billion yuan ($4.22 billion) share sale in Shanghai to expand production and R&D. The company currently holds about 4% of global DRAM sales and aims to ramp up advanced memory output and move toward profitability by 2026.

On Tuesday, six Chinese companies began trading in Hong Kong after raising about HK$6.99 billion, or $900 million, through IPOs, with most opening above their offer prices. Hong Kong's equity market raised around $75 billion in 2025, the strongest since 2021. Three additional offerings totaling over HK$9 billion are slated to debut on January 8, 2026.

Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brett Knoblauch said in a recent year-end review that Bitcoin, trading around $87,660.94, is likely entering a "crypto winter" and could fall toward $75,000 in 2026. He argued that large institutions now dominate the market, supporting growth in areas such as tokenized real-world assets, which have reached $18.5 billion and may rise further. The firm also highlighted regulatory changes and the surge of decentralized exchanges and sports prediction markets as key shifts in the digital asset landscape.

From January 6 to 9, 2026, major companies including Nvidia, Samsung and Lenovo will present AI‑centric consumer devices at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Exhibits will range from smart glasses and wearables to humanoid robots and next‑generation TVs, as the industry attempts to overcome doubts about consumer appetite for AI hardware. The event will also feature robotics‑focused halls and potential new form‑factor smartphones, highlighting how tech firms aim to bring AI into everyday life.

Between December 26 and December 28, large Ethereum holders accumulated about $350 million in ETH while the Money Flow Index stayed subdued, highlighting weak participation from smaller traders. Price action is trapped below $3,000, with chart signals pointing to possible moves toward $4,400 on a break above $3,390 or down to $2,620 if key support fails, even as network activity, RWA tokenization and institutional strategies keep long‑term targets in the $7,000–$9,000 range.

Michael Burry, known for forecasting the 2008 housing market crash, has taken about $10 million in put option positions against Nvidia and Palantir. His trades, disclosed on November 3, could be worth over $1 billion if Nvidia falls roughly 37% to $110 and Palantir drops to $50 by 2027 from around $200, reflecting his view that AI stocks are in a bubble similar to the dot‑com era.