TSMC's fourth-quarter profits jumped 57% to $11.4 billion, and while most analysts credit AI chip demand, there's another force quietly reshaping semiconductor markets. Blockchain infrastructure is creating demand patterns that extend far beyond cryptocurrency mining - we're seeing measurable pressure across multiple chip categories that most observers haven't connected yet.The applications driving this demand aren't limited to financial networks. Everything from supply chain verification systems to new bitcoin casinos requires specialized hardware that traditional computing applications never needed. Gartner projects this intersection will generate a $1.5 billion market opportunity by 2028, while Deloitte's research shows 70% of semiconductor executives expect blockchain to significantly impact their operations within five years. That's not speculation - it's capital allocation planning based on technical requirements they're already seeing.When Cryptography Meets SiliconHere's what makes blockchain different from typical computing workloads: the cryptographic operations require hardware that can handle intensive hashing calculations efficiently. GPUs, originally designed for graphics rendering, happen to excel at these mathematical operations. This creates competition for the same chips that AI applications demand, compounding supply pressures we're already experiencing.Hardware Security Modules represent another specialized requirement. These devices store and protect cryptographic keys, requiring semiconductors built to strict security standards. Unlike general-purpose processors, HSMs must meet specific compliance requirements while handling cryptographic operations at scale. Every blockchain network that processes sensitive transactions needs this type of hardware infrastructure.Infineon Technologies offers a practical example with their NFC cryptochips that combine blockchain verification with physical products. You can attach these chips to items and scan them to authenticate origins, creating a bridge between digital blockchain records and physical supply chains. This isn't theoretical; it's addressing real counterfeiting problems with measurable hardware requirements.The technical demands go deeper than most realize. Blockchain networks require nodes that can process and verify transactions continuously, demanding consistent computational power rather than the burst processing typical of many applications. This sustained load creates different thermal and reliability requirements for the underlying semiconductors.The Foundry ResponseMajor manufacturers aren't waiting to see how this plays out. TSMC has implemented blockchain technology within its own supply chain operations, tracking components from raw materials through finished products. When the world's largest semiconductor foundry adopts blockchain for internal operations, that tells you something about both the technology's maturity and the hardware demands it creates.IBM and Samsung's collaboration on blockchain-based component tracking represents another significant development. They're building platforms that require substantial processing power to handle supply chain verification across multiple manufacturing partners. Each verification operation demands computational resources, multiplying hardware requirements as adoption scales.The industry has committed $185 billion in capital expenditures for 2025, expanding manufacturing capacity by 7%. While AI applications capture headlines, blockchain infrastructure contributes to demand pressures driving these investments. TSMC expects its AI server processor revenue to triple in 2024, reflecting how blockchain and AI applications often converge on similar hardware requirements.Manufacturing processes themselves are adapting to include blockchain verification layers. This creates additional computational overhead during production, requiring more processing power throughout the manufacturing workflow. It's a feedback loop where blockchain adoption drives chip demand while simultaneously being integrated into chip production processes.Securing the Chain That Builds the ChipsThe semiconductor industry faces a $75 billion problem with substandard components entering global markets. Blockchain applications are addressing this directly by tracking manufacturing equipment and components throughout production cycles. Manufacturing machines get registered on blockchain networks with unique identities, creating tamper-evident records of their performance and maintenance history.This approach reduces the manual burden of identifying counterfeit or substandard components. Instead of relying on post-production testing and documentation review, blockchain verification can flag issues during manufacturing. The computational requirements for maintaining these verification networks add another layer to semiconductor demand.Supply chain security applications demonstrate blockchain's practical value beyond financial transactions. When you can track a chip from raw silicon through final assembly with cryptographic certainty, you're solving real problems that cost the industry billions annually. This creates sustainable demand for blockchain infrastructure rather than speculative applications.Beyond the Hype CurveIndustry projections show semiconductor sales reaching $697 billion in 2025 - an 11% year-over-year increase - with expectations of hitting $1 trillion by 2030. Blockchain infrastructure represents a meaningful portion of this growth, though it's often overshadowed by AI applications in market analysis.The sustainability of blockchain's semiconductor demand depends on practical applications rather than speculative projects. Supply chain verification, secure authentication systems, and infrastructure applications that solve measurable problems will drive continued hardware requirements. Gaming platforms, financial networks, and enterprise verification systems all represent sustained demand sources.Manufacturing capacity constraints affect blockchain infrastructure deployment just like other applications. The 7% capacity expansion planned for 2025 addresses multiple growth drivers simultaneously, with blockchain contributing to demand pressures alongside AI, automotive electronics, and traditional computing applications.Current capital expenditure commitments total $185 billion across the industry, but this may not adequately address combined demand from AI and blockchain applications. Lead times for advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment often exceed two years, meaning today's capacity decisions determine 2027's supply capabilities.The Semiconductor StakesWhile AI dominates technology headlines, blockchain infrastructure creates parallel demand streams that compound manufacturing pressure. 70% of executives expecting a significant blockchain impact aren't responding to speculation - they're planning for technical requirements they can measure and quantify.We're approaching an inflection point where blockchain applications prove their practical value while requiring substantial hardware infrastructure. Supply chain security, authentication systems, and verification networks all demand specialized semiconductors that didn't exist five years ago. The industry faces a dual challenge: scaling production capacity while implementing the very blockchain technologies that help secure that scaling process.The 2028 market projections provide a concrete checkpoint for these predictions. Whether blockchain infrastructure delivers on its $1.5 billion semiconductor market potential depends on the continued adoption of practical applications that solve real problems rather than speculative use cases.

As generative AI and edge computing technologies continue to evolve, Edge AI has become a key driving force for industries pursuing smart transformation. Recognizing this opportunity, Silicon Application Corp. (SAC) Group, a subsidiary of WPG Holdings and a global leader in semiconductor component distribution, announced today that it has obtained exclusive distribution rights for Axelera AI - an emerging European Edge AI chip company - in the Asia-Pacific region. The two parties will collaborate to combine SAC's strengths in supply chain integration with Axelera AI's technological innovation, aiming to help equipment manufacturers accelerate the development of Edge AI devices, enable independent software vendors (ISVs) to innovate more rapidly, and enhance the capabilities of system integrators (SIs) in deploying their smart applications."To promote the widespread adoption of AI, we launched the global partner program - the Axelera Partner Accelerator Network Program. We are pleased to have WPG Holdings' SAC Group as our core strategic partner in the Asia-Pacific region, working together to accelerate the implementation and application of Edge AI solutions," said John Wilkins, Global Channel Sales Director at Axelera AI. Wilkins pointed out that SAC brings deep technical resources, long-standing customer relationships, and a strong commitment to innovation - qualities that make them the ideal partner to bring our transformative AI technologies to broader markets. Through our partnership with SAC, we believe that equipment manufacturers, SIs, and ISVs will be able to adopt Axelera AI's highly flexible, high-performance, and scalable Edge AI solutions more quickly. This will shorten development cycles from proof of concept to mass production, and accelerate the deployment of smart applications from edge to cloud across various fields such as security surveillance, drones, retail, healthcare, and industrial automation.""The SAC Group's vision of promoting smart applications through Edge AI aligns perfectly with Axelera AI's core mission of driving the widespread adoption of AI technologies," said Lawrence Chang, Vice President of Tactical Development BU at WPG Holdings' SAC Group. He noted that many of the product lines currently distributed by SAC already support Edge AI applications, spanning diverse scenarios such as smart manufacturing, smart buildings, and in-vehicle systems. This collaboration will further enhance and complete SAC's Edge AI product portfolio. Looking ahead, SAC will continue to strengthen its technical support capabilities, offering customers end-to-end services - from early-stage evaluation and product selection recommendations to system integration testing. This will help clients adopt Edge AI technologies and solutions more efficiently, as they move together toward a fully intelligent AI-driven future."In the first half of 2025, WPG Holdings achieved the highest global revenue among semiconductor distributors and has consistently led the industry in technological investment related to computing chips," said Eddie Chou, Senior Project Director in the CEO Office at WPG Holdings. Since the rapid rise of AI in 2023, WPG Holdings has launched an AI acceleration initiative focused on three core areas. On the product front, the company has expanded its AI product portfolio to meet growing customer demand and has been recognized by over 30 suppliers of AI-related chips - including those specializing in compute, power management, and other critical components supporting AI applications. It is now fully capable of providing a complete range of hardware and resources required for AI servers and data centres. In terms of services, WPG Holdings has trained its sales teams to gain a deep understanding of AI project requirements. In addition to basic component support, it now offers advanced, integrated sales services for system-level servers and AI computing power management. From an investment perspective, WPG Holdings has participated in strategic investments in advanced-process IC design, helping more strategic partners build a thriving and collaborative AI ecosystem. Aspiring to become a key player in the AI industry chain, WPG Holdings' reliable partnership with Axelera AI serves as a concrete step toward realizing a mutually beneficial and prosperous future for the whole industry.

While biopharmaceutical technologies have made substantial strides in treating diseases, drug research and development continue to face a multitude of obstacles, such as complex methodologies, high R&D costs, limited target options, and poor translational efficacy. This is particularly relevant for gene or RNA-level abnormalities, which are not effectively addressed by protein-targeting therapeutics, limiting their clinical impact.The rapid advancement in RNA biology has triggered a surge of interest and investment from pharmaceutical companies and the capital markets, accelerating the explosive growth of the RNA therapeutic sector. InFocus Therapeutics is leading this momentum, combining AI with RNA science to create the world's first and currently only "RNA-targeted small molecule drug generation platform." In just four months, InFocus successfully generated two series of drug candidates for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and advanced them to the animal efficacy and toxicity testing phase, demonstrating exceptional research and development efficiency.According to Emily Fang, CEO and founder of InFocus Therapeutics, the traditional drug development method is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and marked by a low success rate. In recent years, major pharmaceutical companies have poured significant resources into RNA-based therapies. Yet, a lack of innovative R&D strategies continues to limit their potential. On the other hand, most AI startups struggle to deliver true breakthroughs in this domain, largely due to a lack of real-world experience in early drug discovery and the complex process of transforming molecules into clinically viable, patentable drug candidates.InFocus rapidly gained traction by leveraging the team's deep expertise in AI and RNA technology, the discovery of novel chemical entities that differentiate from competitors and existing marketed drugs. In just four months, they identified two sets of promising therapeutic candidates, an achievement unmatched in the industry and now a key competitive advantage.40x Faster R&D Efficiency: Unlocking the Power of RNA-Targeted MedicinesFounded in 2023, InFocus Therapeutics specializes in the development of small-molecule chemical drugs that directly target RNA, an area poised to reshape modern therapeutics. The company brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts spanning molecular biology, AI algorithms, finance, and RNA drug discovery. Designed to tackle high-impact, hard-to-treat conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases and metastatic cancers, InFocus has built a proprietary RNA-targeted small molecule drug generation platform that integrates advanced AI algorithms and specialized databases to automate the lead discovery process, from molecular design and generative chemistry to structure prediction and experimental validation. The result: a breakthrough platform that delivers up to 40 times greater R&D efficiency, rapidly uncovering best-in-class drug candidates far beyond the reach of conventional methods.Using spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) as a case study, InFocus's platform efficiently identified two promising compounds, IFT-0000002 and IFT-0000003, within a remarkably short timeframe. Both compounds demonstrated strong biological activity, good oral absorption, and toxicological profiles, establishing a solid foundation for further development. CEO Emily Fang highlighted that the InFocus platform achieves a 40% success rate in RNA-targeted drug development, far surpassing the typical ~1% success rate of traditional small-molecule drug development. This high efficiency represents a core competitive advantage for the company.Raising Capital to Accelerate Pipeline ExpansionInFocus is currently raising a US$1 million angel round to support critical next steps. The funds will be deployed to complete the preclinical development and animal studies for the SMA program, and to launch R&D on two new RNA-targeted cancer programs for drug-resistant prostate cancer and colorectal cancer. These efforts will significantly expand the depth and breadth of the platform's therapeutic reach.Commitment to Establish and Grow Taiwan as a Clinical Hub for Strategic CollaborationsTaiwan boasts a comprehensive health insurance system, a world-class medical system, a highly digitized medical record system, and a plethora of clinical research capabilities. It has long been the favored site for clinical trials for international pharmaceutical corporations. InFocus Therapeutics views Taiwan as a key launchpad for clinical collaboration and regional expansion, and plans to set up a subsidiary in 2025. It will engage with the company's proposed clinical trial application framework for 2026 and formally commence the product's admission into the clinical validation phase, while also accelerating the recruitment of local talent and partnering with clinical collaborators.Emily shared that when seeking collaboration opportunities in Taiwan, she fortuitously connected with Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) and joined its startup incubation program. InFocus gained valuable support and mentoring resources from the Mosaic accelerator, laying the groundwork for future investment and global market expansion. "Soon after our partnership with TTA, we engaged in the 2024 Founder Pitch event, which markedly improved our visibility and fostered connections within the investment community."Alongside its R&D milestones, InFocus is actively expanding its international investor network via TTA, aiming to accelerate the completion of its angel round fundraising and reinforce InFocus's leadership position in RNA-targeted small molecule therapeutics. With its AI-powered platform, high development success rate, and global footprint, InFocus is charting the path toward long-term growth in one of biotech's most promising frontiers.InFocus-BFMTV: InFocus founder Emily Fang was interviewed by renowned economist Nicolas Doze on BFM Business, France's number one financial news channel, and announced that it had received the Sanofi-sponsored 2024 Oncology "Golden Ticket" prize.InFocus Lab in a Loop: InFocus's proprietary artificial intelligence RNA drug discovery technology can generate high clinical potential therapeutic candidates targeting pathogenic RNA within a few months.