SK Hynix trillion valuation lifts $1T memory-chip race on HBM - The Cryptonomist

SK Hynix's market capitalization surged past $1 trillion on May 27, 2026, becoming South Korea's second company to reach this milestone after Samsung Electronics. This achievement underscores the grow... Read original →

SK Hynix’s $1T valuation signals memory’s transformation from a cyclical commodity into AI-critical infrastructure. Technically, surging HBM demand is accelerating adoption of sub-3nm nodes and EUV in DRAM stacking, making TSV and hybrid bonding the new bottlenecks. Geopolitically, U.S.-led export controls have inflated equipment costs, while capacity constraints in Taiwan, China and mainland China concentrate HBM supply risk among three Korean-American firms. Samsung will likely fast-track HBM4 and explore foundry partnerships to counter SK’s NVIDIA advantage, while Micron leverages CHIPS Act subsidies to expand Arizona output for North American hyperscalers. Over the next 18 months, tight supply will sustain premium margins—yet commercialization of CPO or in-memory computing could abruptly disrupt today’s HBM hegemony.