Chinese chip designer Xiamen Sophgo — a firm with links to Bitmain — has denied any business relationship with Huawei, after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) cut dealings with it following a United States probe into potential sanctions violations.
Sophgo said the US probe into TSMC and Huawei was not related to Sophgo and its product and had never engaged directly or indirectly with Huawei. “Sophgo has been conducting business in strict compliance with applicable laws and regulations,” added Sophgo.
Bitmain began looking into AI chip development in 2018 at the direction of Zhan, in a bid to bolster its chip offerings outside of crypto.
This shift in strategy created tension between Zhan and fellow co-founder Jihan Wu, who said the company should remain focused entirely on producing Bitcoin mining rigs.
