Alibaba Launches Shipments of Latest RISC-V Anti-Sanction Server Processor — XuanTie C930

Today at the XuanTie RISC-V Ecological Conference 2025, Alibaba subsidiary Damo Academy announced that it will soon begin shipping a new server processor based on the open-source RISC-V architecture. The XuanTie C930 processor, whose specifications are still under wraps, will be shipped to customers in March.

Image source: t-head.cn

Among other things, the fact that a new and more powerful server solution is being released means that the chip has undergone extensive testing and has entered mass production, which once again underlines the limited impact of US sanctions on China. The development of the C930 processor was first announced in March 2024. Plans were also announced at that time to begin production of the chip in late 2024, and it appears that they have been implemented.

Damo Academy has previously released several RISC-V-based XuanTie processors, including the C910 in 2019 and the C920 last year. The event also announced plans to develop new XuanTie series chips, including the C908X, R908A, and XL200. These solutions are designed for scenarios such as AI acceleration, automotive applications, and, by extension, telecommunications.

The announcement of the new server chip shipments comes days after the tech giant unveiled a massive investment plan of at least 380 billion yuan ($52 billion) in artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure over the next three years. The company, China’s largest cloud services provider, is aiming to meet growing demand for AI models driven by the recent popularity of high-performance, low-cost solutions such as those built by Hangzhou-based startup DeepSeek.

The planned spending, which exceeds Alibaba’s total investment in AI infrastructure over the past decade, is expected to go toward building more data centers and expanding the use of AI-enabled chips.