The upcoming lock-up expiry for MetaX will trigger a critical liquidity test for China’s domestic AI accelerator and memory supply chain stocks.

China is bracing for a potentially significant sell-off of a leading artificial intelligence chip stock this Thursday, as a lock-up period covering 14 million shares in MetaX Integrated Circuits comes to an end, according to SCMP.

Analysts expect MetaX to face substantial selling pressure once the restricted shares enter trading. This anticipation follows the expiration of a similar lock-up period for Moore Threads last week, which triggered a wave of sales that erased nearly 49 billion yuan (approximately US$7.3 billion) in market value in a single day.

The impending release of MetaX’s shares is being closely monitored as a critical test for China’s broader AI chip sector. These stocks have drawn significant investor attention as Beijing accelerates efforts to build domestic competitors to Nvidia, the U.S. graphics processing unit leader.

Both Moore Threads and MetaX launched on Shanghai’s STAR Market in December with blockbuster debuts, their share prices rising by several hundred percent amid intense investor enthusiasm. Alongside Biren Technology and Enflame, they are grouped together as the “four little dragons” of China’s AI chip industry.