Bytedance Reportedly Tops Chinese Nvidia Chip Buyers – But Now It Can't Use Them

The TikTok-owned company stockpiled GPUs to prepare for potential U.S. supply restrictions.

Bytedance, the parent company of TikTok, was reportedly the largest Chinese buyer of Nvidia (NVDA) chips in 2025, but recent regulatory restrictions in China have left the company holding on to chips that it can’t use.

According to a report from The Information, citing sources, ByteDance purchased more Nvidia chips than any other Chinese firm last year. The report added that Bytedance did so as it was racing to secure computing power for its billion-plus user base amid fears that U.S. supply could be restricted under the Trump administration. However, instead of Washington, Beijing emerged as a blocker. 

China Says Bytedance Can’t Use Nvidia Chips

The report said Chinese regulators have recently prohibited the company from using Nvidia chips in newly built data centers. The move leaves Bytedance with a large inventory of high-end chips it cannot currently utilize, creating both operational and financial challenges.

Simply put, Bytedance stockpiled Nvidia GPUs in anticipation of potential bottlenecks – and now it can’t use them. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around Bytedance, which is not a publicly traded company, was in ‘extremely bullish’ territory, accompanied by ‘high’ levels of chatter.

Meanwhile, Nvidia’s stock edged 0.4% lower in pre-market trade. Retail sentiment around the AI bellwether also remained in ‘extremely bullish’ territory alongside ‘extremely high’ levels of chatter over the past day. 

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