Chip tracking and location verification

Knowing where advanced AI chips are, so export rules and agreements can be enforced.

Facts

Lane: Security and geopolitics
Wave: 7 of 12 (build order, not a date)
Needs: 2 boxes all the way back through hard links
Unlocks: 3 boxes downstream through hard links
Leverage: 0.2 points · stands in the way of 1 of 53 stages · rank 40 of 57
Cluster: Compute governance and geopolitics

Evidence as of October 2026

Nvidia ships opt-in location software that only monitors, with no kill switch, while the Chip Security Act that would mandate verification sits in committee. AI 2040 also wants AI-chip recycling stopped.

Around it

Needs · 2

Export controlscapability · Built today
Chip and memory supplycapability · Built today

Unlocks · 2

Verification of AI agreementscapability · Speculative
Compute deterrencecapability · Speculative

Loops and off-ramps

Taiwan chip disruptionoff-ramp · cut off

Openings researchers' judgement, October 2026 scouting

Startup room 57/100 · rank 18 of 124 Research room 57/100 · rank 38 of 124

Crowding2 Lab overlap4 Small-team fit3 Buyer today3 Research openness4

Depth: light
Players: Nvidia Blackwell location tool; US Commerce; MIRI TGT; Chip Security Act (committee)
Wedge: Tamper-resistant, privacy-preserving delay-based chip location attestation; buyer switches on if the Chip Security Act passes. startup