Market Brief: Google's AI Chip ambitions, US holds calls with Japan and China amid tensions

Global markets opened the week with a wave of developments spanning technology, cryptocurrencies, and geopolitics.

Google advanced its artificial intelligence ambitions with new efforts to expand the reach of its custom chips, while Bitcoin and major altcoins rallied on increasing confidence that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in December.

At the same time, diplomatic tensions between Japan and China intensified despite back-to-back calls with US President Donald Trump.

Google’s ambitions in the AI chip market

Google is seeking to strengthen its position in the AI semiconductor landscape by proposing that major clients deploy its tensor processing units (TPUs) directly inside their own data centers, according to The Information.

The company has reportedly approached Meta Platforms and several financial institutions about extending TPU usage beyond its Google Cloud services.

The initiative signals Google’s push to widen AI hardware adoption and reduce reliance on Nvidia, the dominant player in the sector.

The move comes as the company accelerates its AI strategy, highlighted by its newly announced partnership with NATO and the recent unveiling of its latest AI model, Gemini 3.

Larry Page becomes the world’s second-richest person

Alphabet co-founder Larry Page has overtaken Oracle’s Larry Ellison to become the world’s second-richest individual, driven by a sharp rally in Alphabet shares on Monday.

Page’s net worth jumped by $8.7 billion in a single session to about $255 billion, according to Forbes.

Page’s wealth has more than quadrupled over the past five years, rising to nearly $261 billion.

He recently surpassed Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Google co-founder Sergey Brin, while Elon Musk remains the world’s richest person with $475.5 billion.

Crypto market jumps on rate-cut optimism, ETF news

Bitcoin and major altcoins rallied on November 25, with Bitcoin rising to $88,071 and several top altcoins, including Bonk, Kaspa, Sui, XRP, and Ethebna, gaining more than 5% in 24 hours.

The global crypto market cap climbed above $3 trillion.

The surge is being driven largely by rising expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut rates in December.

Data from Polymarket, Kalshi, and the CME FedWatch Tool shows the probability of a December rate cut jumping to between 78% and 82%, following dovish comments from top Fed officials, including John Williams, Christopher Waller, and Mary Daly.

Additional catalysts supporting the rally include falling SOFR levels, expanding global money supply, and news that Upbit, South Korea’s largest exchange, is considering a New York IPO.

The debut of new altcoin ETFs has also contributed to bullish sentiment, with Grayscale and Franklin’s XRP ETFs attracting $67 million and $27 million in first-day inflows.

Analysts, however, caution that the move could represent a temporary “dead-cat bounce” unless major tokens break above key technical indicators.

US, Japan and China hold calls amid rising tensions

Back-to-back phone calls between President Trump and the leaders of Japan and China have done little to ease escalating tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi spoke with Trump on Tuesday after his call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The dispute stems from Takaichi’s recent comments on how Japan might respond to a Chinese attack on Taiwan.

China has demanded she retract the statement, something analysts say she cannot do without political cost.

Beijing has intensified economic pressure on Japan through travel advisories, import restrictions, and public warnings.

Analysts caution that while the chance of military conflict remains low, diplomatic friction is likely to persist, echoing earlier Chinese economic pressure campaigns against South Korea and Australia.

Beijing has signaled there is “no room for compromise,” suggesting the standoff may extend for some time.