SEALSQ Corp (NASDAQ: LAES) saw a significant surge in its stock price on December 17, 2024, closing at $2.98, up 21.63% from the previous day's close of $2.45. The stock opened at $2.94 and reached a high of $3.20, with an extraordinary trading volume of 82,845,758 shares, far exceeding the average daily volume of 14,024,282. This remarkable price movement was primarily driven by the announcement of a $25.0 million registered direct offering, which was priced above market under NASDAQ rules, involving the sale of 13,157,896 ordinary shares at $1.90 each. This offering has attracted significant attention from institutional investors, boosting confidence in the company's financial position and future prospects.
Additionally, SEALSQ's strategic partnership with Hedera to develop quantum-resistant semiconductors further fueled investor optimism. The collaboration aims to integrate SEALSQ's quantum-resistant chips with Hedera's blockchain network, enhancing security against quantum computing threats. This partnership is part of SEALSQ's broader 2025 product roadmap, which includes the QS7001 Open Platform and QVault Trusted Platform Module (TPM), both undergoing rigorous testing. The combination of these strategic developments has sparked discussions among retail investors, with some expressing bullish sentiment on social media platforms.