Yeliz Akmaca 
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that even if the U.S. eases chip export rules, the likelihood of China purchasing the next-generation H200 AI chips is low. These remarks came immediately after Huang met with former President Donald Trump at the White House.
In discussions about possible sales scenarios, Huang emphasized that offering a downgraded version of the H200 to China is unacceptable for the company.
“Sending chips with reduced performance is not an option. China will not accept such a chip. We cannot compromise the chips we sell to China; they would not accept it.”
Regulatory and Commercial Uncertainty
The U.S. administration and some political actors are exploring limited levers for selling high-performance AI chips like the H200 to China. However, Huang stated that it is unclear whether Chinese authorities would approve such a purchase. “We don’t know if they would approve,” he said, highlighting that sales depend not only on U.S. policy changes but also on Chinese regulatory decisions.
Previous measures have also had striking effects. For instance, in the first quarter of 2025, Nvidia recorded a $5.5 billion write-down related to H20 stocks. This underscores the financial pressure of Chinese market restrictions on Nvidia.
H200’s Technical and Strategic Position
The H200 is a top-tier GPU designed for AI and data center applications. However, its technical capacity, combined with U.S.-China export restrictions, creates a barrier to direct export to China.
Huang previously highlighted that missing the Chinese market would be a major loss. Yet, due to current restrictions, the company cannot re-enter China with its “Hopper” GPU series, further increasing uncertainty for H200.
Global AI Competition and Future Sales Strategy
The closed Chinese market forces Nvidia to rethink long-term strategies. If the H200 or similar chips cannot be sold, the company could face financial and competitive disadvantages.
Meanwhile, Chinese technology firms may be further motivated to develop domestic solutions. This scenario could reshape global AI chip markets and industrial strategies over the long term.
Impact of H200 Chips on Crypto
The inability to sell H200 chips to China may not directly impact cryptocurrency prices, but it is significant for GPU-based mining and AI-powered blockchain projects. Chinese miners and AI blockchain companies may have to operate with lower-performance chips, limiting transaction speed and network efficiency, which could affect mining profitability. Additionally, domestic solution development in China may accelerate, potentially altering competitive dynamics in global AI-based crypto projects.