South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix experienced a 30% flash crash in pre-market trading on Nextrade, hitting the daily limit down at 116.8 million won per share before recovering to a 2% loss by the close of the session. This is the second such incident in about a week, intensifying concerns over extreme volatility on the country's alternative trading platforms. During regular trading on the Korea Exchange, SK Hynix fell as much as 9.8%, weighed down by weakness in U.S. chip stocks after Western Digital's revenue outlook missed expectations.

Chinese AI firm DeepSeek announced that it will significantly raise the pricing for its API services in the near future. In a notice to users, the company advised them to plan their usage accordingly, with details to be released in a formal announcement. The move suggests growing confidence in its product demand and could ripple through the regional AI ecosystem as developers and businesses relying on its infrastructure brace for higher costs.

SoftBank Group's Vision Fund reported a 99% year-on-year drop in quarterly profit to just 5.43 billion yen (approximately $37 million). The dramatic decline underscores the volatility of the tech investment landscape, particularly amid global market jitters and a pullback in AI-related bets. The fund's performance is closely watched as a bellwether for startup valuations in Asia and beyond.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) declined to comment on market rumors that a second batch of stablecoin issuer licenses could be granted around China's National Day holiday, stating it maintains an open but cautious stance with no clear timeline. The regulator emphasized its current priority is to facilitate the two licensed stablecoin issuers in their business preparations, including compliant issuance and observing market applications. This follows Hong Kong's first stablecoin licenses issued earlier, positioning the city as a digital asset hub in Asia.

ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo outlined a strategic integration of the company's AI offerings—Doubao, Feishu, and Volcano Engine—during an all-hands meeting, signaling a pivot towards ToB productivity services. Liang noted that AI development in productivity is exceeding expectations, with over 90% of new Feishu customers also adopting Feishu AI products. The company's core strategy prioritizes AI, information platforms, and transaction services, with Doubao expected to become a 'backbone' business like Douyin (TikTok's Chinese version).

Nvidia is urgently seeking AI base station suppliers in China to develop 6G AI-RAN base stations—infrastructure that integrates communication and AI computing. The company has been in talks with Shenzhen-based Jiaxian Communications for over half a year, with the two now collaborating on R&D using Nvidia’s CUDA ecosystem. The initiative targets overseas markets and could signal a deepening of Nvidia's engagement with Chinese telecom manufacturers despite geopolitical headwinds.

JPYC, the issuer of the Japanese yen stablecoin, completed a Series B funding round totaling approximately $38 million, with logistics giant AZ-COM Maruwa Holdings contributing about $6.3 million. The capital will be used to expand its financial and Web3 ecosystem, promoting real-world adoption of the yen-pegged digital currency. This funding underscores growing institutional interest in Japan's stablecoin sector, which has seen proactive regulatory frameworks.

Jeff Dean, Google's chief scientist, is leaving after 27 years to co-found an AI startup called Discovery Loop, aimed at automating scientific research. He is joined by three senior Google researchers, including Oriol Vinyals, who will also co-lead the new $100 million AI fund 224 Ventures. Discovery Loop has received cloud resources and investment from Alphabet, with Radical Ventures and Khosla Ventures leading the seed round. The move mirrors a broader brain drain from Big Tech into entrepreneurial AI ventures.

The upcoming CRS 2.0 global tax reporting standard will expand the definition of financial assets to include cryptocurrencies, central bank digital currencies, and specified electronic money products. This will enable tax authorities, including those in Asia, to access data on offshore crypto holdings, closing a significant information gap. As China and other Asian jurisdictions tighten cross-border tax collection, the new rules could have profound implications for crypto investors with assets abroad.

South Korea's KOSPI index extended losses to 3%, with SK Hynix down over 7% and Samsung Electronics falling nearly 3%. The decline tracked a pre-market slump in U.S. storage stocks, where Western Digital fell almost 12% and Micron dropped about 3%, after Western Digital's revenue guidance disappointed. The interconnectedness of the global semiconductor supply chain continues to drive correlated sell-offs in Asian markets.