SK Hynix has overtaken Samsung Electronics to become South Korea’s most valuable listed company, a big change in the country’s technology sector as demand for AI hardware continues to surge.
Shares of SK Hynix rose 5.6% on June 22, pushing its market value to about 2,080 trillion won ($1.35 trillion). Samsung’s market value stood slightly lower at about 2,067 trillion won, ending the electronics giant’s position at the top, which it had held since 2000.
The milestone shows how quickly the AI boom has changed the semiconductor industry. Companies building large AI models and data centres now require advanced memory chips in huge volumes, creating new winners in the sector.
IMG TXT: SK Hynix Overtakes Samsung. Source: Semiconductor
Are HBM chips driving SK Hynix’s rise?
The factor behind SK Hynix’s growth has been its dominance in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, a specialized type of memory used in AI systems.
The company supplies HBM chips to major technology firms, including NVIDIA and Google. Unlike traditional memory products, HBM chips are closely tied to AI processors and are harder for competitors to replicate.
Industry estimates show SK Hynix controlled about 61% of the global HBM market in 2025, well ahead of Samsung and rival chipmaker Micron Technology.
The company’s stock has climbed more than 340% this year as investors continue to bet on long-term growth in AI infrastructure.
AI is creating new leaders in global technology
The company’s growth shows how demand for AI chips is changing the market. For years, size and manufacturing scale were often the biggest advantages in the chip industry. Today, companies with products that are important to AI systems are gaining the most attention from investors.
This development is also being watched closely by crypto markets. Many of the same data centres and computing systems used to train AI models support blockchain infrastructure, cloud services, and digital asset platforms.
As spending on AI hardware grows, suppliers of advanced chips are becoming increasingly important to the digital economy. SK Hynix’s planned U.S. listing is to grow its global investor base and strengthen its position in the rapidly growing AI hardware market.
Separately, Samsung has also been increasing the use of blockchain technology in its AI-powered home appliances to strengthen security across connected devices. Samsung will also implement “Cross Platform” technology, ensuring that security standards are uniformly applied across various operating systems.
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