The markets are planning to start the new year off with a mix of geopolitics and speculative financial, as well as a high level of protectionism.
Nvidia races to meet the surging Chinese demand of its H200 AI chip amid changing export policies, while Trump Media focuses on crypto and a controversial share token.
India strengthens its trade protections in order to protect steel inputs. Bitcoin is also nearing a crucial breakout level. This sets the stage for swift moves on equities and commodities as well as digital assets.
Nvidia is scrambling to get more H200s after China’s orders explode
Chinese tech giants have placed over 2,000,000 orders for Nvidia AI H200 chips by 2026. This is dwarfing Nvidia’s 700,000.00 unit stock, which includes H200 superchips.
Hopper, a powerhouse with 141GB of HBM3e and six times the performance of the H20 block, will be priced at just $27,000 per unit. First shipments are expected before mid-February, the Lunar New Year.
Nvidia tapped TSMC for a ramp-up of 4nm manufacturing starting in Q2 2026. This was done to navigate Trump’s export approval amid Beijing’s import review.
Alibaba and other major internet companies see this as a potential game changer in the fight against grey market ripoffs. This could boost Nvidia’s China revenues despite Blackwell’s global priorities.
Trump Media focuses on crypto with token drop
Trump Media, through Crypto.com’s Cronos Blockchain, announced an airdrop of digital tokens to DJT investors, with one token for each share. The stock rose 4.7% at New Year’s Eve.
The tokens are not transferable and do not represent an ownership stake.
After $TRUMP meme coin’s collapse of 93%, and World Liberty Financial $WLFI’s 69% drop from its highs.
Devin Nunes, the CEO of Nunes Crypto Inc., argued that it would “improve regulatory clarity” in Trump’s crypto-friendly administration.
Details will be released in 2026. Skeptics see it as a speculative investment designed to boost the investor’s sentiment, while the company is bleeding cash.
India protects steelmakers with metcoke duties
India has imposed anti-dumping duty of between $60.87 and $130.66 per ton on imports of low-ash coke from Australia, China Colombia, Indonesia Japan and Russia, with a six-month provisional period. The aim is to reduce the price by 15%-25%.
The highest tariff is on China at $130.66 per tonne. This shows New Delhi’s protective stance as input costs for steelmakers are increasing.
This move comes after quantitative import limits already limit purchases to just 1.4 million tonne per half year, but demand is higher than 3 million tonne.
Steel manufacturers complain that restrictions increase costs and pressure on margins; coke accounts for 35-40% or the steel production expense.
Steelmakers and traders are concerned about inflationary consequences as the supply is tightened.
Bitcoin eyes $95K breakout
Bitcoin is a textbook triangle, symmetrical and coiled around $87,000. Converging trendlines are compressing volatility in the final weeks of 2018.
The pattern is between the support levels of $86,700 to $87,500 and the resistance level of $90,200. Traders are waiting for a definitive breakout in volume.
If Bitcoin breaks above the trendline, it could lead to a calculated move aiming at $95,000. This would potentially create momentum towards $100,000 by 2026.
Grayscale and Fidelity have a very different view of the future. Grayscale believes that an “institutional age” will drive higher returns.
The outlook is clouded by mixed momentum signals: RSI indicates short-term pullbacks but Aroon Up reached 100%, and MACD crossed over zero to signal strong buying.
ETF withdrawals totaling $782 Million underscore the caution of institutions despite retail accumulation.
This article Evening digest: Nvidia China, Trump crypto, Bitcoin breakthrough watch appeared first at The ICD
This site is for entertainment only. Click here to read more
