Highlights for the morning: bitcoin growth, TSMC record and Buffett's warning

TSMC reported record quarterly profits, showing that demand for AI chips continues to accelerate and is already directly transforming the financial results of major semiconductor manufacturers. Warren Buffett has publicly warned that the development of artificial intelligence is comparable in the scale of risks to the creation of nuclear weapons, as even industry leaders do not understand where this technology will eventually lead. These and other topics are covered in our review of key events for the morning of January 15.

Bitcoin (BTC) surpassed the $97,000 mark amid optimism around the possible passage of a bill in the United States, forming uniform rules for the crypto market and clarifying the powers of regulators, writes Yahoo Finance. BTC added more than 3% after the draft document was published, while ether rose 5% and Solana gained 2%. Industry supporters believe that a comprehensive regulatory framework could be a driver of outperformance of digital assets after a weak fourth quarter, although some analysts doubt that the law will be passed as early as this year due to disagreements between cryptocurrency companies and banks.

Bitcoin is up about 10% since the start of 2026 after falling late last year, driven by sales by long-term holders and reduced leverage. Analysts note resistance near $98,000, but allow bitcoin's growth to continue and return to above $100,000 if inflows into spot ETFs continue. Institutional demand is considered a key factor in further upward movement: it is purchases by large investors that can push BTC to new highs.

The world's largest contract chip maker TSMC reported a 35% rise in net profit for the fourth quarter of 2025, beating market expectations and hitting an all-time high, Reuters reports. The company benefited from a surge in demand for semiconductors for artificial intelligence applications. TSMC's key customers include Nvidia and Apple.

Net income for October-December last year reached NT$505.7 billion ($16.01 billion), well above analysts' forecast of NT$478.4 billion. The estimate took into account the LSEG SmartEstimate consensus forecast, which relies on the opinions of analysts with the most accurate forecast history.

Warren Buffett said in an interview with CNBC that the risks associated with the rapid development of artificial intelligence remind him of one of the key geopolitical threats of his career - the emergence of nuclear weapons, Yahoo Finance reports. He emphasized that even leading AI experts do not understand where this technology will eventually lead, and this makes the situation dangerous: "The genie is already out of the bottle." Buffett compared the current uncertainty to the words of World War II-era Albert Einstein on the creation of the atomic bomb: "It changes everything except how people think."

The investor noted that mankind has failed to solve the problem of nuclear weapons, only increasing the number of countries possessing them, and admitted that he would be ready to spend his entire fortune if it would eliminate the nuclear threat. It was this topic, he said, that became the starting point for thinking about philanthropy. Buffett also recalled that he sees nuclear, biological, chemical and cyber attacks as key long-term threats - and his current statements on AI echo earlier warnings amid a flurry of market interest in new technologies.

Toyota Industries shares hit an all-time high, rising nearly 6%, after Toyota Motor raised its buyout offer price by more than 15% to 18,800 yen per share, Yahoo Finance reports. Toyota Industries' shares rose above the new offer price, indicating investors' expectations of more favorable terms. Shares of Toyota Motor, meanwhile, rose more than 2%. The company has previously received a request for a price increase, and analysts and independent experts believe that the asset may still be undervalued, not ruling out pressure from activist investors.

- Japan's broad Topix index was up 0.64%, while the Nikkei 225 was down 0.85% in Jan. 15 trading.

- Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was falling by 0.57%. CSI 300 index of mainland China - by 0.21%.

- In South Korea, the Kospi index added 1.39% and the Kosdaq added 0.82%.

- Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.47%.

- Futures on the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite and stock contracts on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were little changed.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor