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 December 18, 2025, the xStocks platform launched tokenized U.S. equity trading on the TON Blockchain directly inside the Telegram Wallet, enabling around 100 million users to buy and sell shares around the clock. Users can access tokenized stocks such as Tesla, the S&P 500 ETF, and Nvidia through a self-custodial wallet, while xStocks has already reached over $180 million in on-chain assets and nearly 50,000 wallet holders since its June listing. The project is also preparing deployments on additional blockchains as part of a broader infrastructure push for global capital markets.

On December 17, 2025, SpaceX began a regulatory quiet period as it weighs a 2026 IPO, instructing employees to avoid discussions about growth and valuation. The company is targeting more than $30 billion, implying around a $1.5 trillion valuation, with funds outlined for Starship launches and space-based AI data centers.

On December 17, 2025, the article highlights a cooling white-collar labor market as the Labor Department put unemployment at 4.6% following Tuesday's report, with tech and finance shedding roles in October and November. A November New York Fed survey shows degree holders now assign a 15% layoff risk versus 11% three years ago, and only 47% expect to find new work within three months, down from 60%.

Microsoft, valued at $3.59 trillion, is projected to reach about $5 trillion in market capitalization by 2026 as it expands artificial intelligence across Azure, Office, Windows and other products. The company has invested roughly $13 billion in OpenAI and holds a 27% stake, yet most of its AI revenue already comes from Azure AI services rather than reselling OpenAI models. Microsoft is also spending heavily on AI infrastructure, including a planned $80 billion outlay through fiscal 2025 and a $5 billion commitment to Anthropic.

Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company, is set to log another sizable unrealized gain after a recent SpaceX share sale valued the private rocket firm at roughly $800 billion. SpaceX reportedly sold insider shares at $421 each, a steep rise from prior deals that had already helped Alphabet record an $8 billion gain earlier in 2024. At the same time, TD Cowen has lifted its price target for Alphabet to $350, citing stronger expectations for AI-driven growth in Google Search and the expanding Gemini user base.

Major crypto executives gathered in Abu Dhabi last week to pitch wealthy Middle Eastern investors as the sector hunts fresh capital, with attention on a United Arab Emirates sovereign wealth fund valued around $330 billion. The UAE’s interest was also evident in November when a Mubadala unit said its bitcoin position was about $518 million, while Binance secured full regulatory approval to operate from the capital.

In 2025, WPP's shares have fallen 60% amid concerns that AI will automate core agency work, while Publicis and Omnicom also declined. Analysts say large brands will still need agencies to manage complex, multi‑platform campaigns, and lower AI production costs could spur bigger ad budgets and competition for standout experiences.