US Inflation Accelerates to 2.​9% as Jobless Claims Surge

**China has banned the overseas issuance of yuan-linked stablecoins without government approval**, marking a significant regulatory move in the digital currency space. **Key Points:** - The ban targets stablecoins pegged to the Chinese yuan issued outside mainland China - Issuers must now obtain official approval before launching yuan-backed digital assets - This follows China's consistent stance that crypto and stablecoins have no legal status domestically **Context:** China has maintained strict crypto regulations, previously ordering stricter enforcement against digital assets in December 2025. This latest move extends Beijing's control over yuan-denominated financial products into the offshore stablecoin market. The timing is notable as Tether recently minted multiple billion-dollar USDT batches, and the U.S. advances legislation around stablecoins. China's action reinforces its approach to maintaining monetary sovereignty while other nations develop stablecoin frameworks.

A Bithumb employee mistakenly distributed 2,000 BTC to users, causing Bitcoin's price to plummet 10% on the exchange. **Key Details:** - The error resulted in an unintended airdrop of approximately 2,000 Bitcoin - BTC price dropped 10% specifically on Bithumb exchange - The incident was caused by human error in transaction processing **Implications:** This event underscores the importance of implementing stronger verification systems and multi-step approval processes at cryptocurrency exchanges. Such operational mistakes can trigger significant market volatility and erode user confidence in platform security measures. Exchanges handling large volumes of digital assets need robust safeguards to prevent similar incidents that can disrupt markets and affect traders.

**Nvidia has delayed its upcoming gaming chip launch** due to a shortage of memory chips, impacting the company's product roadmap. **Key Points:** - The delay affects Nvidia's new gaming GPU release schedule - Memory chip supply constraints are the primary cause - This follows recent reports of Chinese tech firms ordering 2M H200 chips, straining overall supply **Market Context:** The shortage comes as demand for Nvidia chips remains high across multiple sectors, from gaming to AI applications. Chinese companies' massive orders for H200 chips earlier this year have contributed to supply chain pressures. **Impact:** Gamers and PC manufacturers may face extended wait times for next-generation graphics cards, while the shortage could affect Nvidia's revenue projections for the gaming segment.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has issued a warning against launching additional EVM-compatible chains, advocating instead for a more focused ecosystem approach. **Key Recommendations:** - Deploy prediction markets on Layer 1 (L1) - Conduct trading activities on Layer 2 (L2) solutions - Prioritize authentic Ethereum-aligned projects This guidance suggests a strategic shift toward consolidating the Ethereum ecosystem rather than fragmenting it further with new chains. The emphasis on L2 trading indicates continued support for scaling solutions while maintaining L1 for critical infrastructure. The statement comes as the Ethereum ecosystem faces questions about chain proliferation and network effects. Buterin's position appears aimed at strengthening core Ethereum infrastructure rather than diluting development resources across multiple competing chains. This follows his earlier November 2025 call for quantum-resistant cryptography implementation before 2028, showing ongoing concern for Ethereum's long-term security and architectural decisions.

**China's CXMT has launched 32GB DDR4 ECC server RAM at $138**, significantly undercutting the global market price range of $300-400. This represents a price reduction of over 50% compared to established competitors. **Key Points:** - CXMT's new server RAM module priced at $138 - Global market prices currently range from $300-400 - Product: 32GB DDR4 ECC (Error-Correcting Code) server memory - Represents China's push into enterprise-grade memory market **Market Context:** This pricing strategy follows China's recent approval of a $42B spending plan in January, suggesting coordinated efforts to strengthen domestic semiconductor capabilities and challenge international suppliers in the enterprise hardware sector. The aggressive pricing could pressure established memory manufacturers and potentially reshape server hardware economics for data centers globally.