# Supply Chain Related Articles

HTX News Center provides the latest articles and in-depth analysis on "Supply Chain", covering market trends, project updates, tech developments, and regulatory policies in the crypto industry.

Smartphones and Computers Will Become More Expensive: Ministry of Industry and Trade Plans to Collect 136 Billion Rubles from Electronics Buyers

Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade plans to introduce a new mandatory "technological levy" on imported and domestically produced electronics, starting December 1, 2026. Unlike earlier proposals, a previously planned 5,000-ruble cap per device has been removed from the draft rules, which could lead to significantly higher charges. The ministry estimates the levy will raise 136 billion rubles over six years, with funds earmarked to support the domestic microelectronics industry. The levy applies to electronic components and finished products like smartphones, computers, and telecommunications equipment. While businesses will formally pay the fee, the cost is expected to be passed on to consumers through higher retail prices, potentially most affecting budget devices. This move may also reduce the variety of products available if importing certain models becomes unprofitable. The plan has raised concerns. A legal conflict exists as the current law still includes the 5,000-ruble cap. Additionally, the specific rates and calculation method for devices like smartphones remain unclear. Experts compare it to a similar levy on vehicles, where rates and exemptions were frequently revised. The collected funds will supplement, not replace, other state and private investments in the microelectronics sector. The levy's ultimate impact on device affordability and industry support will depend on final regulations and implementation.

cryptonews.ru08/18 09:56

Smartphones and Computers Will Become More Expensive: Ministry of Industry and Trade Plans to Collect 136 Billion Rubles from Electronics Buyers

cryptonews.ru08/18 09:56

Technological Self-Reliance in China: A War from Lithography Machines to ABF Films

"China's Tech Independence: A Battle from Lithography Machines to ABF Film" In August 2026, Japan's Ajinomoto announced a 30% supply cut of ABF film to Chinese mainland clients, causing industry-wide shock and fears of price hikes and shortages in the semiconductor supply chain. That same year, Chinese company Lotus Holdings, known for its MSG business, acquired a small domestic ABF film startup for 103 million yuan, aiming to change this passive situation. ABF film is a core insulating material for advanced CPU, GPU, and AI chip packages. Ajinomoto, originally a food flavoring company, has monopolized over 95% of the global ABF film market for nearly 30 years, deriving its technology from byproducts of monosodium glutamate production. With AI chips consuming 5-10 times more ABF film than traditional chips, the supply-demand gap is widening. Ajinomoto's supply cut to China, where domestic ABF film production accounts for less than 5%, directly threatens the production of domestic high-end AI chips and their substrates. This incident highlights a crucial but often overlooked truth: the vulnerabilities in China's quest for technological self-reliance extend beyond headline areas like lithography machines to critical but seemingly minor components—insulating films, photoresists, electronic specialty gases, etc. The article frames China's tech independence as a multi-front war. While major breakthroughs have been achieved in chip design (e.g., Huawei's HiSilicon), foundry (e.g., SMIC), and memory chips (e.g., YMTC), countless smaller "Ajinomoto-style" chokepoints remain. Lotus Holdings' acquisition represents a significant shift: the battle is no longer fought only by tech giants but has become a collective, industry-wide effort involving companies from diverse backgrounds. Historically, external blockades have often spurred China's technological breakthroughs, as seen with Huawei's Kirin chips and YMTC's 3D NAND flash memory. Ajinomoto's supply cut, while a short-term challenge, may similarly catalyze domestic innovation in ABF film and other critical materials. The path to technological sovereignty is long and arduous, requiring sustained patience and investment to fill every gap in the complex supply chain. Lotus's move is not an immediate solution but a step towards that future, symbolizing a broader, relentless march toward independence.

marsbit08/17 11:41

Technological Self-Reliance in China: A War from Lithography Machines to ABF Films

marsbit08/17 11:41

Elon Musk Building Terafab: The Largest Chip Factory for AI, Robots, and Space Data Centers

Elon Musk's SpaceX and Tesla have launched the Terafab project to build a massive semiconductor facility in Grimes County, Texas. The plant, exceeding 9.3 million square meters, aims to integrate logic chip manufacturing, memory production, advanced packaging, and testing. The initial phase requires $16.8 billion in capital investment, with a long-term goal of producing over 1 terawatt of computing power annually. This capacity will support Tesla's Optimus robots and Cybercab autonomous vehicles, as well as SpaceX's orbital data centers. Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed the project's start in August 2026, highlighting 3,000 new jobs and a $30 million state grant. Elon Musk emphasized the strategic advantage of combining logic, memory, and packaging under one roof. Musk called the future complex the "largest and most valuable building on Earth," with an area roughly 50 times that of the Pentagon. Intel is the key technology partner, with plans to use its 14A process node for chip production. This partnership aims to diversify supply chains currently dominated by TSMC. The project aligns with the U.S. Pax Silica initiative to secure semiconductor supply chains. An AI analysis notes the project's scale and potential challenges, comparing it to delays seen in other U.S. megafab projects like Intel's Ohio facility. It questions whether Terafab can avoid similar pitfalls related to timelines, budgets, workforce, and supply chain stability. The facility's success could significantly shift the global semiconductor balance and strengthen the U.S. position in the tech race.

cryptonews.ru08/15 08:56

Elon Musk Building Terafab: The Largest Chip Factory for AI, Robots, and Space Data Centers

cryptonews.ru08/15 08:56

Elon Musk is Building Terafab: The Largest Chip Plant for AI, Robots, and Space Data Centers

Elon Musk's SpaceX and Tesla have launched the massive Terafab project to build a semiconductor plant in Grimes County, Texas. Spanning over 9.3 million square meters, the facility will integrate logic chip and memory production, advanced packaging, and testing. The initial phase requires $16.8 billion in capital investment, with a long-term goal of producing over 1 terawatt of computing power annually. This output is intended to supply Tesla's Optimus robots and Cybercab autonomous vehicles, as well as SpaceX's orbital data centers. Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed the project's start on August 6, 2026, highlighting the creation of 3,000 jobs and a $30 million grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund. Musk emphasized the strategic advantage of combining chip design, memory production, and packaging under one roof to accelerate hardware development. He stated the fully built complex would be "the largest and most valuable building on Earth," about 50 times larger than the Pentagon. An estimated 25% of production is earmarked for Tesla's robotics, with 75% for SpaceX's space-based AI systems. Earlier tax documents suggested a total project cost of up to $119 billion, but this has not been officially confirmed. Intel is the key technology partner, with plans to use its 14A process node for chip manufacturing. This partnership aims to diversify supply chains and reduce dependence on dominant foundries like TSMC. The initiative aligns with the broader U.S. Pax Silica program, which seeks to build secure international semiconductor supply chains with allied nations. An AI-driven analysis notes that megafab projects, such as Intel's delayed Ohio facility, often face schedule and budget overruns. While Terafab represents a significant step toward U.S. semiconductor self-sufficiency and could shift the global tech balance, its success will depend on factors like skilled labor availability, energy supply, and supply chain stability. The final outcome may not be clear until the late 2030s.

cryptonews.ru08/15 08:41

Elon Musk is Building Terafab: The Largest Chip Plant for AI, Robots, and Space Data Centers

cryptonews.ru08/15 08:41

NullReceiver abandons the recording address that made EtherHiding easy to detect

**Sonatype Research Labs has uncovered six malicious npm packages that retrieve command-and-control server addresses from an attacker's Ethereum wallet.** Three of the packages are legitimate, popular libraries that were compromised: `@kolbo/mcp`, `agentgui`, and `godot-kit`. The other three are purely malicious packages: `envpack-conf`, `postcss-initial-provider`, and `tailwindcss-motion-advanced`. All six deploy the same payload. The malware loader queries the Ethereum blockchain for the latest outgoing transaction from a specific wallet. It extracts bytes from the recipient field of that transaction, converts them into two IPv4 addresses, and uses these as primary and backup command-and-control servers. After connecting, it fetches, decodes, and executes a second-stage payload using `eval()` or by spawning a child process. This method, dubbed **"NullReceiver,"** is an evolution of the earlier "EtherHiding" technique. While EtherHiding hid data in transaction fields and sent funds to a fixed "burner" address (creating a monitoring point), NullReceiver sends no funds and generates unique, dynamic receiver addresses, making detection harder. OpenSourceMalware has linked this activity to the North Korean Lazarus group's "Contagious Interview" campaign. Sonatype advises developers to remove the affected package versions immediately and check their systems for signs of secondary payload execution.

cryptonews.ru08/13 20:33

NullReceiver abandons the recording address that made EtherHiding easy to detect

cryptonews.ru08/13 20:33

Chip Giant with 700 Billion Market Cap Sees Soaring Inventory

"Chips Giant with 700 Billion Market Cap Sees Inventory Soar" In its 2026 first-half financial report, Cambricon, a leading Chinese AI chip design company, reported significant growth in both revenue and profit. Revenue reached 59.96 billion yuan, up 108.13% year-on-year, while net profit grew 122.61% to 23.11 billion yuan. However, a major point of investor focus was the sharp rise in the company's inventory, which surged 66.83% from the end of the previous year to 82.48 billion yuan. This inventory now represents 45.32% of its total assets. The increase is primarily attributed to a substantial growth in raw materials (up 77.95% to 52.78 billion yuan) and work-in-process with contract manufacturers (up 61.85% to 24.18 billion yuan). Cambricon management explained that the inventory build-up was due to increased purchases of raw materials and outsourced processing. The company acknowledged the risk of inventory impairment should market conditions change. Industry analysts noted that as a fabless chip designer, such inventory accumulation is a strategic move to secure wafer capacity. However, it carries significant risk due to the industry's rapid technological iteration. If downstream demand slows, the company could face substantial inventory write-downs. Additionally, Cambricon's prepayments soared nearly threefold to 29.14 billion yuan. Brokerage analyses interpret the concurrent rise in prepayments and inventory as a positive indicator, suggesting strong future order fulfillment and pointing towards significant revenue growth in the third quarter. Despite strong operational metrics, the company's cash and cash equivalents have shown a declining trend over the past three years, dropping to 6.26 billion yuan by mid-2026. Cambricon's stock price hit a historic high of 1,620 yuan per share in June, briefly pushing its market capitalization above one trillion yuan. As of August 13th, its share price was 1,105.5 yuan, with a total market cap of approximately 694.6 billion yuan.

marsbit08/13 10:50

Chip Giant with 700 Billion Market Cap Sees Soaring Inventory

marsbit08/13 10:50

J.P. Morgan Global Markets Strategy: Are Current Commodities a Case of Déjà Vu from 2022?

J.P. Morgan Global Markets Strategy analyzes whether the current commodity environment resembles 2022. While the Fed's potential upcoming rate hike cycle may mirror the mid-cycle adjustment of 1999-2000, the commodity market setup is more akin to 2022. Historically, commodities have delivered positive returns during Fed tightening cycles, except for 2022-2023. That cycle saw a ~14% drop due to fading Russia-related supply risk premiums coinciding with global manufacturing weakness. Today, renewed inflation pressures coincide with supply disruptions (e.g., shipping through the Strait of Hormuz). The key risk is that another erosion of supply disruption premiums, combined with tighter financial conditions, could lead to a subdued commodity performance in any impending hike cycle. Sector outlooks vary: Energy faces bearish fundamentals but has near-term tail risks from prolonged disruptions; Precious metals (especially gold) are highly vulnerable to further Fed action; Industrial metals (like copper) currently look robust but could weaken if manufacturing momentum fades amid aggressive hikes.

marsbit08/13 08:45

J.P. Morgan Global Markets Strategy: Are Current Commodities a Case of Déjà Vu from 2022?

marsbit08/13 08:45

The Rise of CoreWeave and SuperMicro Stocks Boosts Artificial Intelligence Company Stocks

Shares of AI infrastructure companies rose on Wednesday following better-than-expected quarterly results from CoreWeave, Super Micro Computer, and Nebius Group. This surge also boosted related sectors like server makers, memory suppliers, and optical component manufacturers. Nebius Group (NBIS) led the gains, jumping roughly 23% after reporting revenue that significantly exceeded analyst forecasts. CoreWeave (CRWV) saw its stock rise about 19%, while Super Micro Computer (SMCI) climbed 13% on strong guidance. CoreWeave disclosed a backlog exceeding $100 billion, up about 50% from the prior quarter, with an additional $25 billion in orders received after the quarter ended. However, financing this growth at a high cost of capital was noted as a key concern. A major constraint highlighted was limited power and cooling capacity, which Supermicro cited as preventing it from fulfilling more orders. This supply-side limitation allows companies to raise prices, boosting profitability beyond expectations. The positive momentum extended to memory and optics. Lumentum's (LITE) stock rose after its quarterly revenue more than doubled, while shares of memory-related firms like Micron (MU) also gained. South Korea's Kospi index tracked its best August performance, linked to AI demand optimism. Investors are now awaiting NVIDIA's (NVDA) earnings report on August 26 for further market direction.

cryptonews.ru08/12 20:49

The Rise of CoreWeave and SuperMicro Stocks Boosts Artificial Intelligence Company Stocks

cryptonews.ru08/12 20:49

"Ontology Faction" vs. "Supplier Faction": In-depth Observation of Dexterous Hand Track Financing in 2026

The article analyzes the robotics "dexterous hand" sector in 2026, revealing intense investment activity. Key insights include: The sector is divided into two camps: "Body Manufacturers" (15 companies like Zhuji Power, Xingdong Era, Xingchen Intelligence) that integrate self-developed dexterous hands into their humanoid robots, and "Third-Party Suppliers" (32 companies) that independently sell complete dexterous hands or core components like tactile sensors and micro-motors. Body Manufacturers secured significantly larger average funding rounds (over ¥8B vs. under ¥2B for suppliers), reflecting bets on the broader humanoid robot market. While body makers now view in-house hand R&D as essential for differentiation, they still heavily rely on external suppliers for key underlying components like sensors and actuators. The supplier landscape is further segmented. "Complete Hand" suppliers (e.g., Critical Point AGILINK, Lingxin Qiaoshou, Xynova) face fierce consolidation as scale becomes critical. "Tactile Perception" specialists (e.g., Paxini, Daimeng, Qianjue) possess high technical barriers and early-mover advantages. "Core Component" makers (e.g., Wuji Tech, Zhijian Zhiqing, Nuoshi Robotics) are "hidden champions" with deep expertise in motors and drive systems, benefiting from import substitution. The analysis concludes the industry is structurally diverging. A hybrid model of body-maker integration plus specialist outsourcing will likely dominate. Suppliers will undergo significant consolidation, particularly among complete hand makers, while component specialists with deep technical moats are poised for sustained growth.

marsbit08/12 09:46

"Ontology Faction" vs. "Supplier Faction": In-depth Observation of Dexterous Hand Track Financing in 2026

marsbit08/12 09:46

After Yushu Got Hot, a 68-Year-Old Auto Parts Boss Bet 1.85 Billion

After staying relatively low-profile for years, Shanghai Bate Technology, a traditional auto parts supplier, has recently been thrust into the spotlight as a leading humanoid robotics concept stock. This shift is largely tied to the impending IPO of robotics company Unitree, with which Bate collaborates on prototype development. Bate's founder, 68-year-old Jin Kun, is making a bold bet on this new frontier. The company is investing 1.85 billion yuan to build a major R&D and production base in Kunshan for planetary roller screws—a key component in robot joints. With an annual capacity of 2.6 million sets planned, plus overseas expansion, this represents a massive, forward-looking commitment from a firm whose 2025 revenue of 2.3 billion yuan still relies almost entirely on its traditional automotive business (over 98%). The investment highlights a strategic pivot. Bate aims to leverage decades of expertise in metal processing, precision manufacturing, and heat treatment from the automotive sector and apply it to the burgeoning robotics industry. However, this move carries significant risk. The company has not yet secured formal supplier contracts or begun mass deliveries for its roller screws. It is essentially betting on future demand in a market that remains nascent. The broader industry context adds to the uncertainty. While multiple Chinese manufacturers are racing to invest in similar robotics component capacity (totaling over 6 billion yuan), the downstream humanoid robot market is still in its early stages. Estimates put 2025 global shipments at only around 18,000 units, primarily for entertainment, education, and data collection rather than large-scale industrial use. This creates a critical mismatch: the speed of upstream component factory construction and capital investment is far outpacing the commercialization and adoption of the robots themselves. Bate's story, driven by Jin Kun's decisive gamble, encapsulates the high-stakes transition facing traditional manufacturers seeking a "second growth curve" in robotics—a future full of potential but currently backed more by market anticipation than concrete financial results.

marsbit08/12 09:02

After Yushu Got Hot, a 68-Year-Old Auto Parts Boss Bet 1.85 Billion