On Thursday, Asian equities advanced following Nvidia’s upbeat outlook and the company getting a US license for new chip exports to China, cryptocurrencies attempted another breakout, while Toyota’s January car sales increased.
Asian markets surge
Asian stocks climbed Thursday after encouraging results from Nvidia eased concerns about artificial-intelligence spending and industry disruption.
The chipmaker forecast first-quarter revenue above expectations, reinforcing confidence that Big Tech investment in AI infrastructure remains intact.
Japan’s Nikkei reached a record high early in the session, South Korea’s KOSPI rose about 3%, and MSCI’s Asia-Pacific index outside Japan gained roughly 0.6%.
Investors remain divided over the durability of AI spending.
Currency markets focused on Japan’s monetary policy outlook.
The yen hovered near a two-week low after government nominations of stimulus-leaning central bank board members cast doubt on additional Bank of Japan rate hikes.
Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran kept oil prices elevated ahead of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Brent crude traded around $71 a barrel, while gold also rose on safe-haven demand.
Bitcoin rallies as altcoins outperform and risk appetite returns
Bitcoin approached $70,000 before retreating to about $68,300, marking its strongest recovery attempt since the February 5 crash.
The move represented roughly a 5% swing between the session high and overnight low.
Altcoins outperformed sharply, with ether up 8.5%, solana gaining 6.9%, cardano surging 10.8%, and dogecoin adding 8.3%.
Bitcoin’s gain was comparatively modest.
The rally occurred alongside muted reaction to Nvidia’s earnings, which beat estimates but failed to spark a sustained tech-stock surge.
Analysts warned that macroeconomic conditions still pose risks.
Market maker Wintermute said crypto continues to move with technology stocks, while Matrixport cited stagnant stablecoin supply as a headwind.
Bitrue warned that a drop below $60,000 could trigger deeper losses toward $50,000-$55,000 or even $47,000.
Nvidia gets US license for limited H200 exports to China
Nvidia said the US government granted a license allowing shipment of a limited number of less-advanced H200 chips to Chinese customers.
The approval requires US inspection and a 25% duty, and the company is not yet including any China data-center revenue in its sales outlook.
“While small amounts of H200 products for China-based customers were approved by the US Government, we have yet to generate any revenue, and we do not know whether any imports will be allowed into China,” Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress told investors.
The development marks a cautious step toward re-entering a major market restricted by national-security export controls.
Nvidia has previously said the China AI-chip market could reach about $50 billion.
Chinese competitors—including Huawei and Cambricon—are receiving government support, and Kress noted they “have the potential to disrupt the structure of the global AI industry over the long term.”
Toyota posts record January sales
Toyota reported January global sales rose 4.8% year-over-year to 887,266 vehicles, a record for the month.
The figure includes subsidiaries Daihatsu and Hino.
The company maintained momentum despite tariffs, competition from Chinese automakers, and uncertainty surrounding electric-vehicle demand.
Toyota sold 11.3 million vehicles in 2025, keeping its position as the world’s top carmaker.
Sales increased 8.1% in the United States and 6.6% in China, though domestic Japanese sales fell 2.7%.
Production slipped 4.2% to 848,020 units, partly due to a redesign of the RAV4.
US tariffs remain a challenge after Washington imposed a 15% duty on Japanese auto imports, significantly higher than the previous 2.5% rate.
Rival automakers continue adjusting production and pricing to offset costs.
Elsewhere, Honda’s sales declined 6.1% while Nissan posted a modest 0.6% increase.
The post Morning brief: Asian stocks rise, Bitcoin near $68,000 appeared first on Invezz
