Over time, gamers and computer users have suffered from a shortage of high-end graphics cards due to the need to buy GPUs from cryptocurrency operators. Now, a new cryptocurrency called Chia will most likely cause similar problems for the storage drive market. According to the South China Morning Post , hard drive prices in China have risen sharply as miners rushed to mine and sell this cryptocurrency. “The price of hard drives keeps going up” Unlike Bitcoin, which consumes a lot of electricity and energy to process complex algorithms, Chia is mined based on a consensus algorithm and is one of the currencies advertised as being environmentally friendly. A Bitcoin mining facility in China. Cryptocurrency Chia aims to reduce environmental impact. Photo: Bloomberg. The founder of Chia is Bram Cohen, who is also a BitTorrent developer. Cohen said he would usurp the outdated industry with increasingly slow and costly documentation capabilities. Although Chia has not been officially traded on the market and only came into operation on May 3, the “miners” have rushed to buy and stock up a series of HDDs and SSDs. According to SCMP, panic purchases can lead to hard drives shortages, high prices and scarcity. On China’s Taobao and JD.com e-commerce platforms, large enterprise hard drives have been sold out. “There have been a lot of people asking to buy a large number of hard drives to exploit Chia in the past few days,” said a customer care worker at the online store Taobao of two major brands Seagate and Western Digital said. Hard drives were sold out on Chinese e-commerce sites. Photo: Weibo. Most business-class hard drives with more than 8TB of storage have already been sold, not sure when new products will be available, the vendor says. According to the manmanbuy.com A Chinese website that evaluates and compares product prices on popular e-commerce platforms, the price of a Western Digital hard drive with 12 TB of storage in February before The increase was 2,188 yuan (about $ 337). On April 8, the corresponding drive price increased to 3,499 yuan ($ 538) on JD.com. Seagate’s hard drive with 8 TB of storage before April 14 cost 1,150 yuan, but has since risen to 2,160 yuan, according to manmanbuy.com . Cryptocurrency miners Chia in China buys bulk hard drives in bulk at the store. In Huaqiangbei, the world’s largest electronics market in southern China, Shenzhen, some vendors said that they now only have a hard drive with less than 4 TB of storage and they don’t know when This situation has just changed. This person also confirmed that the price of a 4 TB hard drive will be a bit higher than the 700 yuan she used to sell before, because the demand from customers is growing. “At peak times, the prices of hard drives will be at least 60% higher than normal. The prices have come down a bit recently, but for now they are still around 50% higher, ”said a supplier named Chen. The topic of hard drive scarcity has become a hot topic, attracting a lot of attention and discussion on Chinese social networking site Sina Weibo, with tags attached to articles such as “rising hard drive prices” and ” Hard drive prices doubled in 10 days. ” “That’s it all, first the graphics card craze, then you guys switch to the hard drive. Now I can only buy one computer case,” said one netizen. on Weibo. Chia’s further goal In recent years, the increasing popularity and demand for computation has increased the value of virtual currencies like Bitcoin. Cryptocurrency mining has become popular and familiar to many people with knowledge of technology and computers. Although the Chinese government does not recognize Bitcoin as a legal currency, the country does not completely ban Bitcoin mining. According to an article recently published in Nature in April, China accounts for about 70% of all Bitcoin mining activities worldwide. Bitcoin mining currently consumes a lot of energy, leading to concerns about overuse of coal-fired electricity. Photo: DW. The increase in electricity consumption related to cryptocurrency mining has also caught the attention of Chinese regulators, as the country is making efforts to save energy and reduce pollution. environment. The leader of Inner Mongolia, the major Bitcoin producing region in northern China due to cheap electricity prices, said they would close all Bitcoin mining pools by May. The global Bitcoin mining network consumes about 113.88 TWh of electricity per year. If ranked as a country, Bitcoin would be the 33rd electricity consumer in the world, out of total consumption by the Netherlands and the Philippines, according to Cambridge’s Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index.

The Sao Khue Award after 18 years of organization, up to now has honored about 1,270 products, of which 180 products in 2021. With the mission of “Promoting digital solutions platforms – Pioneering in the development of digital ecosystems”, Sao Khue Award for the first time this year selected the group “Digital transformation platforms”. In particular, the year 2021 is the first year of implementing the 5-year plan for Vietnam to get rid of low-middle income, implementing the 10-year Strategy to become a middle-income country. The year 2021 is also the first year of the 25-year aspiration of becoming a highly integrated developed country and starting the digital transformation process, so this year’s Sao Khue award-winning products are believed to create a launch pad. pushes your digital transformation comprehensively. Sao Khue Award Ceremony 2021 (Photo: VNA) “The Ministry of Information and Communications highly appreciated the efforts of VINASA successfully organized the Sao Khue 2021 award in many difficulties and challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. In particular, Sao Khue Organizing Committee quickly introduced the criteria of 4.0 technology and added digital transformation items to the award system, in accordance with the policies of the Party and State as well as of the Ministry of Information. and media. Great digital technology awards such as Sao Khue Award will be a factor contributing to the propaganda of gathering resources of the whole society together to unanimously achieve strategic goals ”, Mr. Phan Tam, Thu Minister of Information and Communication emphasized. The number of nominations for the Sao Khue Award this year has increased by nearly 60% compared to last year, showing that the digital technology community in our country is increasingly promoting the nuclear role in the digital transformation process based on platforms. Make in Vietnam platform. “This year, the number of nominations has increased dramatically and the products are diverse. In particular, many businesses choose technology products to meet Vietnam’s hot issues, such as healthcare. In addition, the application of a number of technologies is not new compared to previous years, but in a very new field, for example in the field of entertainment or volunteering. Demonstrate that the digital transformation of the Made in Vietnam policy is spreading throughout Vietnam. VINASA has also supported “Made in Vietnam flames” throughout the territory, “said Nguyen Thanh Tuyen, Deputy Director of Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Information and Communications. Top 10 Sao Khue with products in 6 groups of awards such as: Digital products, solutions; Digital conversion platforms; New technology solutions for all sectors; Digital startup products and solutions … will be supported by the Vietnam Software and Information Technology Services Association (VINASA), connecting with technology partners to build Sao Khue Ecosystem. On that basis, award-winning products can reach users faster, forming complete digital ecosystems for Vietnamese people, helping to accelerate the process of national digital transformation. “18 years ago, we celebrated Sao Khue for the first time and after 18 years, today we have 180 Sao Khue awards. 18 years of extremely rapid development, forming the largest industry in the country. . The information technology industry has accounted for 14.3% of GDP and the growth rate over the past few decades has been 37%, the labor productivity of the industry is 7.6 times higher. We are proud that over the past 18 years, Vietnam has been named on the digital map of the world. Today, we are entering a term of digital transformation of great challenges awaiting Vietnam has never had such a great opportunity, Vietnam has never started in the same line with the advanced countries in the world ”, said Mr. Truong Gia Binh, Chairman of VINASA Founding Council. Realizing the aspiration of digital transformation based on Make in Vietnam technology platforms, promoting industries and fields entering the digital transformation stage will continue to be focused on building by State management agencies. more appropriate strategies and policies. It is expected that this year, the Ministry of Information and Communications will submit to the Government for promulgation the Strategy for digital infrastructure development, the Strategy for the development of digital postal infrastructure, the Strategy for the development of digital technology enterprises, the Strategy Development of Digital Government, Strategy of Digital Socio-Economic Development, Strategy of Cyber ​​Security, Strategy of Digital Transformation of the Press Industry./.

The leading German software company SAP has significantly increased the pace of relocating its core business to the cloud. The revenues for the flagship product S / 4Hana Cloud rose in the first quarter by 36 percent to 227 million euros, as the Walldorf-based DAX group announced. This was the first time he published figures on this development. S4 / Hana Cloud is a digital development and integration platform from SAP for software applications. It is intended to enable companies to access data in real time via the cloud.

What is the cloud The term cloud means the interaction of several server computers. These servers take over data storage or complicated program processes. Users can access this via the Internet, mostly via programs on the accessing devices (“clients”) and the web browser.

More customers should switch

The 227 million euros in sales with the S / 4 Hana Cloud make up only a fraction of the total cloud revenues, which were 2.15 billion euros from January to March – an increase of seven percent. SAP was able to increase the cloud revenues contractually guaranteed for the next twelve months by 19 percent to 7.6 billion euros. In the case of the S4 / Hana Cloud, this increase was 43 percent. The Walldorf-based company is now taking its customers by the hand more closely with the long reluctance to switch to the cloud. To this end, SAP boss Christian Klein introduced the “Rise with SAP” bundle offer in January, which is intended to enable customers to switch to the cloud versions of the SAP standard software more quickly. It now seems to be starting to take effect.

SAP boss Christian Klein relies on the cloud.

Strongest cloud growth in five years

“The first quarter of 2021 was unique in many ways. We had the highest growth in orders for the cloud business and software licenses in five years, and our operating income and operating margin rose the strongest in ten years,” said SAP CFO Luka Mucic . In the medium term, the accelerated conversion of SAP to the cloud business will accelerate sales growth and give the company significantly more resilience and planning security.

Profit increase of 70 percent

Because of the investments in the “Rise with SAP” program this year and next, SAP is also accepting lower earnings. In the first quarter, the DAX group was nevertheless able to increase its net profit 70 percent to 1.72 billion euros. The fresh figures are well received on the stock market. In an initial reaction, the SAP share rises up to 1.9 percent to 119 euros. That is the highest level in five months.

Global IPO transaction volume increased by 85% year-on-year, and fundraising increased by 271%

IPO activities of special purpose acquisition companies are more active than in 2020

The first quarter of 2021 is the best-performing first quarter in two decades

The market sentiment has been active so far in 2021. Calculated by the number of transactions and the amount of funds raised, it has been the best first quarter for the same period in the past two decades. Although the market conditions in the first quarter were traditionally quiet, the first quarter of this year broke the tradition and transactions were very active. Not only the traditional IPO market is active, but also the IPOs of special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) have also reached new highs. Both the number of transactions and the amount of funds raised in the first quarter were higher than those of the whole of 2020. There were a total of 430 transactions in the global IPO market in the first quarter, raising US$105.6 billion, an increase of 85% and 271% year-on-year respectively.

The “new normal” under the new crown epidemic has stimulated market liquidity and brought new opportunities, and promoted the continuous rise of IPO market sentiment. At the same time, speculative transactions and non-institutional investment platforms that are open to the general public (including the younger generation) have become more popular, making investment more convenient than ever. Looking ahead, due to concerns about the imminent adjustment of the market, investor sentiment remains cautious and will continue to use existing liquidity to obtain investment returns.

The Americas market remained resilient in the first quarter, with 121 transactions and a total of US$45.2 billion in funding. On the whole, the trading volume and funding of the Americas Exchange are the highest in more than two decades. The Asia-Pacific region has the highest IPO funding in two decades, with 200 IPOs totaling US$34.3 billion. The Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) region recovered from the quiet market sentiment of 2020 in the first quarter of 2021, and recorded 109 IPOs with a total amount of US$26.1 billion.

From an industry perspective, the technology industry remains strong in the first quarter of 2021, ranking first with 111 IPOs and US$46.1 billion in funding. The healthcare industry ranked second, with 78 IPOs and a total of 14 billion U.S. dollars raised. Calculated by the number of transactions, the industrial products industry ranked third with 57 transactions and a total of 6.3 billion U.S. dollars in funding.

Ernst & Young Global Listing Services Director Wu Jilong Means:

“Market liquidity has flooded the market, making the number of global IPO transactions and the amount of funds raised have reached new highs in two decades. However, many uncertain factors still exist, which may cause market fluctuations and affect the IPO market.

These factors include: the vaccination plan is slower than expected, and the ongoing epidemic hinders any real economic recovery; the tightening of the regulatory process has slowed down IPO applications and the withdrawal of listing applications by companies; the reduction of leverage by banks has led to increased risks in the capital market, etc. Companies need to prepare for listing while the opportunities in the IPO market are still open. ”

In the first quarter of 2021, the number of IPO market transactions and funds raised in the Americas reached a record high

In the first quarter of 2021, the number of IPO transactions in the Americas increased sharply by 218% (total of 121 IPOs), more than three times that of the first quarter of last year. Funding also recorded a stronger than expected trend, reaching US$45.2 billion, a 446% increase from the same period last year and a record high. The healthcare industry still dominates the region’s IPO transaction volume, with 44 transactions, raising US$8.7 billion. The technology industry ranked first in terms of funding, raising US$21.4 billion, with 33 transactions in total.

Similar to the global market, the US IPO market usually slows down in the first quarter. However, in the first quarter of 2021, benefiting from the continued transactions from 2020 and the high valuation led by issuers using technology companies, there were a total of 99 IPOs in the United States during the quarter, raising US$41.1 billion. The outbreak of SPAC IPO activities will continue into 2021, and the number of transactions in the first quarter of this year has broken the record for the entire year of 2020. Although the number of traditional IPO transactions on US exchanges has also risen sharply in the first quarter of this year, the number of SPAC IPOs is still three times that of traditional IPOs. In the first quarter of 2021, there were a total of 300 SPAC IPOs in the United States, raising a total of 93.4 billion U.S. dollars.

The Asia-Pacific IPO market beats expectations, and the momentum remains positive

In the first quarter of this year, IPO activities in the Asia-Pacific region accounted for nearly half (47%) of the global total. There were a total of 200 transactions in the district during the quarter, raising US$34.3 billion, the highest amount raised in the first quarter in two decades, breaking the record in the first quarter of 2010. As far as the industry is concerned, the technology industry surpasses other industries in terms of the number of transactions and the amount of funds raised. There are 51 transactions and US$17.7 billion in funding.

Cai Weirong, Head of Listing Services, EY Asia Pacific Means:

“This is the first quarter of the new year, and it is also the first year of the new president of the United States. The new team will handle Sino-US relations. In addition, entering the second year of the new crown epidemic, the market is both optimistic and full of optimism. Uncertainty, this may cause volatility in the Asia-Pacific IPO market in 2021. Companies in the Asia-Pacific region need to maintain resilience in this challenging environment in order to successfully go public.”

The strong IPO momentum in Greater China reflects its positive economic growth. Despite the implementation of the new IPO review process by Chinese regulators, the number of transactions and the amount of funds raised in Greater China have increased by 51% (total of 133 transactions) and 121% (US$28.9 billion) respectively year-on-year.

In Greater China, it is expected that the full implementation of the IPO registration system in Mainland China will have a positive impact on the capital market. The registration system is one of the most significant reforms in China’s capital market. The measures will help the market continue to develop in the long term. Together with the delisting mechanism and the newly released IPO approval process, it is expected that the quality of listed companies in Mainland China will gradually be optimized.

In Hong Kong, as economies around the world gradually get back on track and China’s concept stocks continue to be listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Hong Kong’s IPO activities are expected to remain active.

He Zhaofeng, Head of Listing Services, Ernst & Young Greater China Point out:

“Driven by the economic recovery and abundant market liquidity, IPO activities in the first quarter of 2021 will remain strong. The tightening of the IPO approval process may have a certain degree of impact on A-share listing activities, but the country’s 14th Five-Year Plan It is also good for the listing of companies in related key industries. In Hong Kong, the return of Chinese concept stocks will boost the number of IPOs. Although the volatility of the capital market is expected to increase this year, we believe that 2021 will still be the largest IPO in Greater China. year. ”

EMEIA’s IPO market in the first quarter was more active, optimistic and more unicorns appeared

In the first quarter of 2021, the EMEIA area will take on the momentum of the fourth quarter of 2020 and have a good start. The continued growth of IPO activity in the region stems from high valuations, low volatility and confidence in the gradual restart of the economy. Overall, there were 109 IPOs in the district, a year-on-year increase of 179%. The amount of funds raised was US$26.1 billion, an increase of 646% year-on-year.

Despite the restrictions imposed by the new crown epidemic, the European market remains resilient, and investor sentiment has improved. IPO activity in Europe resumed its trajectory in the first quarter of 2021. The number of transactions rose by 315% (83 cases in total), and the amount of funds raised increased by 1,814% (US$23.1 billion). In the UK, investors are still interested in investing, and companies are taking full advantage of the accelerated growth due to the epidemic and the high liquidity of the market. There were 17 IPO transactions in the UK in the first quarter, raising a total of US$7.5 billion, an increase of 467% and 1,031% respectively.

Outlook for the second quarter of 2021: uncertainty may increase market volatility, triggering a “perfect storm”

Although market sentiment tends to be positive, uncertainties will increase, causing market volatility. The new crown epidemic in various countries around the world may still rebound. In addition, different countries’ vaccination schedules, geopolitical risks, inflation, interest rates and the ability of global financial markets to withstand shocks may all be the trigger points of the perfect storm. Regardless of whether the company decides to conduct a traditional IPO, SPAC or direct listing, companies that are well prepared, are in a hot industry, and have an appropriate investment story should act now and seize the trading opportunities that are still open.

This article is written for the purpose of providing general information and is not intended to be relied upon accounting, taxation, legal or other professional advice. Please ask your consultant for specific advice.