Moore Threads unveiled new AI hardware in Beijing, with CEO Zhang Jianzhong introducing the Huagang architecture and Huashan chips aimed at reducing reliance on Nvidia. Zhang said Huagang raises computing density by 50% and improves energy efficiency ten times, and the company expects mass production in 2026 alongside updates to its MUSA platform and server lines.

Nanto city in Toyama prefecture plans to develop Japan's third and largest data center hub with 3.1 gigawatts of power capacity, forming a new complex comparable in scale to OpenAI's Stargate project. The first phase is set to support about 400 megawatts, with the full site expected to be operational by the end of 2028, as Japan's data center market is projected to nearly double to over $32 billion by that year.

On December 19, 2025, the Trump administration began reviewing license applications to ship Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to China under a 25% fee. According to Reuters, the Commerce Department sought input from State, Energy and Defense, which have 30 days to assess. Trump also signed NDAA provisions expanding authority to restrict U.S. investment in Chinese firms working on AI, quantum and semiconductors.

On 19 December 2025, Fetch.ai outlined a new payment system scheduled for rollout in 2026 that will allow autonomous AI agents to complete purchases and deposits for users. The functionality, hosted on the ASI:ONE platform, connects to Visa infrastructure and uses single‑use credentials to authorize card payments and on-chain transactions in USDC or FET. The design includes identity controls so agents act on behalf of identifiable users, aiming to remove constant human approval from routine commerce while addressing security and regulatory concerns.

The Walt Disney Company agreed to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and signed a three-year licensing arrangement that makes it Sora's first major content partner. The deal enables AI‑generated short videos and images featuring more than 200 characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars, while Disney adopts OpenAI's APIs and rolls out ChatGPT for internal use.

Coursera said on Wednesday it will acquire Udemy in an all-stock transaction valuing the combined group at $2.5 billion. Udemy shareholders will receive 0.8 Coursera shares per share, with Reuters estimating Udemy’s implied value at about $930 million and $6.35 per share. Coursera rose about 4% and Udemy jumped nearly 22%; the deal is targeted for the second half of next year, pending approvals.

On December 17, 2025, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin used X to question claims that the United States must avoid any AI slowdown to keep ahead of China in the race toward Artificial Superintelligence. He responded to Senator Bernie Sanders' call for a moratorium on large AI data centers by outlining pros and cons and suggesting a "pause button" for supercomputers instead. Citing recent data, Buterin argued that assertions about China's determination and capacity to lead the ASI race are overstated, pointing to higher US AI investment and China's ongoing hardware constraints.

Coinbase projects AI-driven productivity could spur a new crypto upswing in 2026. Total market capitalization peaked near $4.2 trillion in 2025 before easing toward $3.0 trillion, framed as a transition rather than cycle end. Institutional treasuries, tokenization, stablecoins, and regulated DeFi are cited as structural adoption signals.