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According to foreign media reports, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix rejected a prepayment proposal for electricity bills put forward by the Korea Electric Power Corporation. The proposal originally required the two companies to pay electricity bills in advance to fund the construction of the power grid for a new technology cluster. Utility companies across Asia are struggling to keep up with the growing demand from the semiconductor and artificial intelligence industries due to tight funding.The Korea Electric Power Corporation's proposal is estimated by local media to total 250 trillion won, equivalent to five years' worth of electricity bills. A spokesperson for the Korea Electric Power Corporation stated via text message, "The two companies ultimately rejected the proposal from the Korea Electric Power Corporation." According to local media reports, the two chip manufacturers are concerned about the uncertainty of whether the current semiconductor boom can be sustained over the next five years.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, as traditional automakers withdraw, Tesla is re-expanding its share in the U.S. electric vehicle market. According to Motor Intelligence data, Tesla's market share reached 52% in the first eight months of 2026, up from 43% in the same period last year.Although Tesla's U.S. sales decreased by 16% year-on-year, the overall electric vehicle market shrank even more, declining by 30%.

Electrum has released version 4.8.2, which includes multiple security fixes and enhances the security of the Bitcoin wallet codebase. The related fixes are based on reports from researchers such as Bitcoin Red Team, Calle, l0rinc, haoxucu, and m0wer.This version addresses a critical backup issue affecting some Lightning wallets that use non-deterministic keys and anchored channels. Previously, the channel backups and full wallet backups of affected wallets may have lacked the keys necessary to transfer funds on-chain after a remote force close request; affected users will receive a warning when starting Electrum and should export a new backup, as the old backup cannot correctly restore funds in this scenario.This version also strengthens Lightning HTLC verification, rejects previously acceptable format errors in xpub/xprv keys, expands the scope of codebase security enhancements, and prevents the Android QR code scanner from reading screenshots. This is the third security-focused version release of Electrum since July, following versions 4.8.0 and 4.8.1.

According to Reuters, Mexican authorities discovered an illegal cryptocurrency mining operation in a remote mountainous building in Tehuacán, Puebla, where 300 GPUs, 80 medium-voltage terminals, and 8 satellite antennas were found on-site. Authorities are investigating whether the operation is stealing electricity from a nearby hydroelectric power station.This is the fourth similar crypto farm discovered in the area since early last year, with three others found near a hydroelectric power station in northern Puebla last year. Local residents reported that the noise from the equipment can be heard from a kilometer away. Mexican security analyst David Saucedo stated that drug trafficking groups seem to have reached a new level of sophistication, as establishing such operations requires technical expertise and support from well-funded groups.Chainalysis Latin America expert Caio Motta pointed out that such operations are usually located in areas with extremely low electricity prices or within the reach of organized crime to steal electricity and establish large-scale mining infrastructure.

The wealthiest state in India, Maharashtra, is formulating policies to tokenize state government assets (including power transmission infrastructure), with the funds raised to be used for constructing new transmission lines and energy storage facilities. The Chief Minister's Chief Economic Advisor and CEO of the Maharashtra Transformation Institute (MITRA), Praveen Pardeshi, introduced this plan at an invitation-only event called "The Box Launch," hosted by the real estate tokenization company RealX and MST Blockchain at the Mumbai World Trade Center.Pardeshi stated that transmission lines could be partially tokenized, for example, 40% to 50%, allowing investors holding tokens to receive a portion of the revenue from Maharashtra Transco. The new funds generated from token sales could be used to build more transmission lines and solar energy storage centers. He pointed out that the state currently has a significant surplus of solar power but lacks the grid capacity to deliver it to where it is needed; distribution companies must pay high prices of 16 to 18 rupees per unit during peak hours, while the price during surplus periods on the power exchange is only 2 paise per unit.He also illustrated the practice of real estate tokenization with the example of the Mumbai Express Towers commercial building tokenized under a REIT structure, emphasizing that tokenization does not equate to privatization but rather allows more citizens to participate in the development activities of public asset creation. Additionally, the state is drafting the Maharashtra Digital and Land Token Asset Trading Act (DELTA Act), which, if passed, will make it the first state in India to legislate for blockchain-based property tokenization.

According to The Bell, Samsung Electronics' foundry division has delayed its contract for application processor foundry production with Qualcomm due to differences in production unit prices, and both parties have failed to narrow the price gap, prolonging negotiations. There have been no significant technical issues, and the currently discussed 2-nanometer process has received a considerable degree of stabilization evaluation.Industry sources indicate that the Qualcomm AP foundry using Samsung's 2-nanometer process may be postponed until next year, and it is unclear whether production can commence within this year. Qualcomm had previously entrusted advanced AP production to Samsung before 2021, and Samsung has been continuously striving to regain this business in recent years, having secured clients such as Tesla and Broadcom.Informed sources state that the contract delay has made it difficult for Samsung to produce APs for Qualcomm this year, and both parties may turn to discuss the next generation of products. After acquiring strategic clients, Samsung is no longer willing to accept low-price orders as it did in the past.

On September 10, Kim Sang-hoon, the head of the packaging division at Samsung Electro-Mechanics, delivered a speech at the KPCA Show International Seminar INSIGHT 2026 held at the Incheon Songdo Conference Center, proposing a multilayer core (MLC) technology direction to address the large-scale and high-multilayer challenges of AI semiconductor packaging substrates.Kim Sang-hoon stated that in the past, the single-layer core (SLC) method, which increased the thickness of a single CCL, led to increased difficulty in processing internal vias and circuits as the core thickened, and the size of the vias became limited. The MLC approach shifts to a combination of CCL and PPG multilayers, or even a mixed structure of two CCLs, which can simultaneously enhance rigidity and wiring freedom, while also allowing for ground or signal wiring to be arranged in the PPG layer. A bonding layer added between the two CCLs can provide more stable support for the substrate, but the process is more complex.Currently, the commonly used bump pitch in mass production is above 90μm, with around 85μm being the turning point for printed fine solder ball processes. The difficulty significantly increases around 80μm, and the 55-45μm range may shift towards metal bumps. Glass cores are another option, offering higher rigidity and lower thermal expansion coefficients, which help reduce warping in large packages, but issues related to fragility and micro-hole plating technology need to be addressed. The substrate must meet signal integrity, power integrity, and mechanical integrity requirements simultaneously, with high-performance packaging substrate layers expected to evolve from about 20 layers at the 90mm level to 120mm and even more than 40 layers.

According to the Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily, Samsung Electronics has begun developing its first AI glasses equipped with a display. This product not only provides audio functionality but also displays colorful visual information on the lenses, similar to the Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses.Industry insiders revealed that Samsung Electronics is considering developing an ultra-small screen with a size of only 0.2 inches or smaller for the AI glasses, and last month assigned this R&D task to Samsung Display, outlining requirements regarding product dimensions, information display area, color, and price. Samsung Electronics is currently evaluating candidate panel solutions such as OLEDoS or LEDoS, and the industry expects this product to be released in the second half of 2027 or the first half of 2028.Currently, the specific details of the glasses have not been finalized. In terms of color display, Samsung Electronics is expected to use a limited grayscale with 4-bit color instead of a high-definition screen, and it has not yet decided whether to adopt a binocular or monocular design. Industry insiders indicate that RGB OLEDoS faces challenges in terms of price and yield, and it is likely that a white OLEDoS panel will be launched. Samsung previously released AI glasses without a display, co-developed by Samsung Electronics, Google, Gentle Monster, and Warby Parker.

According to Decrypt, the Mexican federal prosecutor, in conjunction with the Navy and Puebla state police, conducted a raid on a property in the remote mountainous area of Tlaola, Puebla, seizing approximately 300 cryptocurrency mining machines, as well as transformers, medium-voltage terminals, and satellite internet antennas.The investigation revealed that the mining operation illegally tapped into the grid of the Nuevo Necaxa hydroelectric power station, and authorities have filed charges for "theft of electricity." Currently, forensic accountants are tracing the source of the hardware funding, and money laundering suspicions have not been ruled out. Data from the Mexican Federal Electricity Commission shows that from January to July 2024, non-technical electricity losses reached up to 6,346 gigawatt-hours, valued at approximately 13.8 billion pesos (about 817 million USD).

According to a report by ZDNet Korea on the 9th, Samsung Electro-Mechanics and LG Innotek are advancing into the Intel EMIB-T packaging substrate supply chain, with related product development and testing already underway. EMIB connects chips with small silicon bridges, which Intel previously used mainly for its own chips; the improved EMIB-T is expanding external sales. The next-generation AI accelerator TPU that Google plans to launch in the second half of next year will be the first to use EMIB-T. EMIB-T inserts silicon vias for power transmission within the silicon bridge.Insiders say that Samsung Electro-Mechanics has developed EMIB substrate samples over the years and is currently advancing EMIB-T supply based on the 2.1D packaging substrate concept. Recently, LG Innotek delivered EMIB-T packaging substrates to SK Hynix for sample testing, and both parties are installing HBM on the substrate to evaluate product characteristics.Currently, EMIB-T packaging substrates are supplied by Japan's Ibiden, Shinkawa Electric, Taiwan's Xinxing Electronics, and Austria's AT&S. Ibiden has decided to utilize idle factories to construct a dedicated production line for Intel's EMIB-T substrates, with an investment scale of about 20 trillion Korean won, and it is reported that they have already received advance payments from Google, Amazon, Intel, and others.

French artificial intelligence company Mistral AI announced the completion of a €3 billion Series D funding round, with a post-investment valuation exceeding €21 billion. The company stated that this is the largest equity financing for a technology company in Europe to date. Samsung Electronics led the round, with the Scaleup Europe Fund managed by EQT and existing investor PSG Equity co-leading. New investors include Advent, funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.Existing investors such as a16z, ASML, Belfius, BNP Paribas CIB, Bpifrance, Carmignac, DST Global, Eurazeo, General Catalyst, Headline, Hillspire, Index Ventures, Korelya Capital, Lightspeed, NVIDIA, Solar Fund under Phoenix Court (including LocalGlobe, Latitude, and Solar), and Salesforce Ventures continued to participate. The funds will be used for cutting-edge model research, computing power and infrastructure expansion, as well as commercialization and international market development. Mistral AI currently operates in 20 countries, serving over 125 companies, including Airbus, ASML, and HSBC.

Licheng, Jingyuan Electronics, and Silergy all reported year-on-year and month-on-month revenue growth in August, with Licheng and Silergy setting new historical highs for two consecutive months. Licheng's consolidated revenue in August was 8.558 billion New Taiwan Dollars, a month-on-month increase of 3.48% and a year-on-year increase of 24.46%. After breaking the 8 billion mark for the first time in July and setting a historical high, August saw another record. The cumulative revenue for the first eight months reached 61.258 billion New Taiwan Dollars, a year-on-year increase of 30.83%. Jingyuan Electronics reported revenue of 4.08 billion New Taiwan Dollars in August, a month-on-month increase of 2.23% and a year-on-year increase of 31.58%. The cumulative revenue for the first eight months was 29.404 billion New Taiwan Dollars, a year-on-year increase of 35.53%. Silergy's revenue in August was 2.07 billion New Taiwan Dollars, with a month-on-month increase of nearly 3% and a year-on-year increase of nearly 29%. The cumulative revenue for the first eight months reached 15.26 billion New Taiwan Dollars, a year-on-year increase of over 20%.Licheng's main source of growth this year remains the rebound in demand for memory packaging and testing. Licheng previously anticipated that revenue in the third quarter would show single-digit quarter-on-quarter growth, with the fourth quarter having the potential to exceed the third quarter. The momentum for memory orders is expected to continue until the end of the year, with a positive market outlook at the beginning of next year. In addition to its core memory business, advanced packaging has become a key focus for the next phase of development. The panel-level packaging has already been adopted by American clients, and the production capacity of the P11 plant has been secured by clients, with plans to enter the mass production phase of integrated ASIC and HBM AI chips by mid-2027.Jingyuan Electronics has been actively expanding its high-end testing capacity in recent years, with AI-related products becoming an important driving force for its operations. The testing demand for AI GPUs, ASICs, and high-performance computing chips remains its main source of growth. Silergy pointed out that the demand for AI and high-speed interconnects is strong, including an increase in demand for high-performance computing chips such as CPUs, GPUs, ASICs, and AI accelerators. After completing the cleanroom construction at the newly acquired Hukou plant in February, Silergy began mass production in July, currently achieving 40% of the total capacity of the plant and gradually taking on new demand from overseas clients.

According to South Korean media Greened.kr, Samsung Electronics and Arm have officially launched a joint research and development project for edge AI chips. Arm approved a one-time engineering fee at the end of August for the development of the next-generation edge AI SoC chip and officially started the project with Samsung Electronics.The project adopts a collaborative model where Arm provides core technology, and Samsung Electronics integrates and implements it, aiming to jointly develop customized chips for end customers.

The Korea Electric Power Corporation is negotiating a multi-billion dollar electricity prepayment plan with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to raise funds for the power grid needed to build a new semiconductor industry cluster. According to the current plan, Samsung Electronics will prepay 200 trillion won, and SK Hynix will prepay 50 trillion won, totaling 250 trillion won, which is approximately equivalent to the electricity costs for the next five years.In a statement, Korea Electric Power said that the large-scale electricity prepayment system is a mechanism that meets the needs of companies urgently needing to expand the power grid and Korea Electric Power, which requires investment funds. Specific details, including the amount of prepayment and the coverage period, have not yet been finalized.

According to a report by South Korea's Seoul Economic Daily on August 31, the prices of HBM and DRAM used in AI accelerators continue to rise. Data from the Korea Trade Association shows that DRAM export volume decreased from approximately 681.7 million units in May to 591.74 million units in July, a decline of 13.2%. However, the export value increased from $11.428 billion to $13.552 billion, a growth of 18.5%, with the export unit price rising from $16.76 to $22.9, an increase of 36.6%.The supply of HBM4 to customers such as Nvidia is expanding, but the initial yield is lower than that of HBM3E, exacerbating the overall DRAM supply shortage. Samsung Electronics' memory division is reportedly planning to allocate about 70% of its capacity to long-term supply agreements until 2031, with major clients including Nvidia, Microsoft, and Google. Mega Grid Supply data shows that the spot price for HBM3E 36GB is $2,100, approximately 4 to 5 times the long-term contract price; the spot price for HBM4 16-layer, which is in mass production coordination, is about $3,500.The financial investment community expects Samsung Electronics' third-quarter revenue to reach 206.64 trillion won and operating profit to reach 116.38 trillion won, with operating profit expected to exceed 100 trillion won for the first time. SK Hynix's third-quarter revenue is expected to be 101.76 trillion won, with operating profit of 79.16 trillion won. Samsung Electronics is considering converting its only wafer foundry line S5 in the Pyeongtaek campus to memory production as early as next year.

LG Electronics will entrust Samsung Electronics to manufacture AI home appliance chips to reduce reliance on TSMC. CoAsia SEMI will develop two IoT chips for LG, with a total project cost of 31 billion Korean won (approximately 1.51 billion RMB), lasting from July 2026 to December 2030.This project is part of the South Korean government's "K-On-Device AI Semiconductor Technology Development" program, which has a total budget of approximately 800 billion Korean won.

Today, South Korean semiconductor concept stocks are under pressure and have retreated, but trading in related asset markets remains active. According to data from the Gate platform, SK Hynix (000660) is currently priced at $1,175.12, with a 24-hour decline of 2.11%; Samsung Electronics (005930) is currently priced at $183.02, with a 24-hour decline of 1.94%.According to CoinGlass data, trading in the SKHYNIX and SAMSUNG contract markets is active, with the open interest of the two underlying contracts increasing by 4.03% and 7.30%, respectively. The trading volume of the contracts increased by 451.63% and 1069.65%, respectively. In Gate's related stock derivatives, the SKHX contract open interest reached $180 million, ranking second in the entire network, with a 24-hour trading volume of $180 million; the SAMSUNG contract open interest reached $8.14 million, ranking second in the entire network, with a 24-hour trading volume of $5.94 million.

The Taiwanese prosecutors stated that they are investigating the global leading chip substrate and printed circuit board manufacturer, Unimicron Technology Corporation, which is a key supplier for NVIDIA, Intel, Google, and Amazon. The investigation targets the company for allegedly mislabeling parts made in China as being produced in Taiwan, which may violate laws prohibiting the laundering of origin.Unimicron Technology Corporation is one of the world's top printed circuit board manufacturers, and this investigation occurs against the backdrop of the United States cracking down on transshipment.

Japanese cryptocurrency exchange service provider Coincheck announced that it has completed the registration for electronic payment methods and other transactions on August 27, 2026, becoming the second company in Japan to obtain a license related to stablecoins.Coincheck stated that it will gradually develop stablecoin and on-chain financial related businesses based on its previous cooperation with the American company Circle to expand the use cases of USDC in Japan. The company claims that stablecoins have price stability linked to fiat currencies, which can be used for around-the-clock, fast, and low-cost transfers and payments.