On June 22, 2026, South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix once again shattered market expectations. During trading, its share price surged over 6% to 2,944,000 KRW, setting a new all-time high. By market close, SK Hynix finished up 5.61% at 2,906,000 KRW (approximately $1,891), bringing its latest market capitalization to 207.2 trillion KRW (about $1.35 trillion).
Even more significant, SK Hynix’s market cap briefly surpassed Samsung Electronics during the session, making it the most valuable publicly listed company in South Korea. This marks the first time since 1999 that the top spot in Korea’s stock market has changed hands.
For global investors, a key question emerges: Where can you trade SK Hynix stock?
Up Over 340% This Year: Why Does SK Hynix Keep Soaring?
SK Hynix’s stock performance has been nothing short of phenomenal. As of the close on June 22, 2026, SK Hynix’s year-to-date gain had reached 349%. This far outpaces the KOSPI’s 116.28% rise over the same period and cements SK Hynix as one of the standout semiconductor plays in the current global AI wave.
The main driver behind this rally is the explosive growth in demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM). As a core HBM supplier to NVIDIA, SK Hynix is a major beneficiary of the ongoing acceleration in AI infrastructure investment. In Q1 2026, SK Hynix reported revenue of 52.58 trillion KRW, up 198% year-over-year, and operating profit of 37.61 trillion KRW, a staggering 405% increase. Most analysts expect Q2 operating profit to fall between 60 trillion and 70 trillion KRW.
On the technology front, SK Hynix announced on June 18 that it had delivered engineering samples of its 12-layer stacked HBM4E to key customers, with peak speeds of 16Gbps per pin and energy efficiency more than 20% higher than the previous generation HBM4. On June 8, NVIDIA and SK Hynix announced a multi-year joint R&D partnership, with NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang publicly calling SK Hynix "NVIDIA’s largest memory partner."
What Does SK Hynix Topping Korea’s Stock Market Mean?
On June 22, SK Hynix achieved a historic milestone by overtaking Samsung Electronics. According to the Korea Exchange, as of 12:51 p.m. that day, SK Hynix’s market cap reached 208.46544 trillion KRW (about 920 billion RMB), exceeding Samsung Electronics by 456.1 billion KRW.
Samsung Electronics had held the top spot in Korea’s stock market since July 29, 1999—a reign of over 25 years. This leadership change signals a profound shift in the industrial landscape of the AI era. SK Hynix’s business is highly focused on semiconductors like HBM, while Samsung Electronics spans semiconductors, smartphones, home appliances, displays, and more, limiting its ability to fully capitalize on the current semiconductor "boom."
So far this year, Samsung Electronics shares are up 197.7%, but SK Hynix has soared 341.9%. The gap reflects the market’s premium for pure-play AI semiconductor names, as well as a reassessment of the valuation discount for diversified businesses.
Multiple Ways to Trade SK Hynix on Gate
For users looking to invest in SK Hynix, Gate offers several trading options. As a platform committed to bridging digital assets and traditional financial markets, Gate has built a comprehensive suite of products around SK Hynix to meet diverse trading needs.
Stock Derivatives (Perpetual Contracts): Gate’s Stock Contracts section launched live trading for SKHYNIX (SK Hynix) perpetual contracts on June 2, 2026. These are settled in USDT and support both long and short positions with leverage from 1x to 20x, selectable at order placement. This allows users to participate in SK Hynix price movements without directly holding the underlying shares.
Korea ETF Derivatives: Gate also offers perpetual contracts for EWY (iShares MSCI South Korea ETF) in its Stock Contracts section, again settled in USDT and supporting 1x to 20x leverage. EWY tracks the Korean stock index, and as SK Hynix is now the largest component, its performance heavily influences EWY. Trading EWY perpetuals gives users indirect exposure to both the Korean market and SK Hynix.
Korean Stock Spot Trading: Gate has officially launched Korean stock trading, initially covering the top 1,000 companies by market cap on the Korea Exchange (KRX). Users can trade KRX-listed stocks directly with USDT, without needing a traditional Korean brokerage account or currency conversion. SK Hynix (KRX: 000660), now Korea’s largest stock by market cap, is included in the tradable list.
The Experience and Threshold for Trading Korean Stocks with USDT
Compared to traditional cross-border securities investing, Gate’s Korean stock trading service significantly lowers the entry barrier. Users simply transfer USDT from their spot account to their stock account and can buy or sell during Korean trading hours—no need to open a Korean securities account or handle KRW conversion.
Korean stock trading hours align with regular Korea Exchange sessions, currently supporting continuous auction trading from 09:00 to 15:20 Korea time. Stock prices, market cap, and P&L are displayed in KRW, while trading fees and settlements are converted and processed in USDT at real-time exchange rates.
When it comes to investment thresholds, Gate’s stock products support fractional trading from as little as 0.01 shares. Users need only a small amount of USDT to invest in leading Korean companies like SK Hynix. Gate’s stock products are fully integrated with the platform’s VIP tier system—users with just $2,000 in holdings can qualify for VIP status, enjoy exclusive trading fees as low as 0.023%, and receive 1-on-1 account manager support.
How SK Hynix’s US Listing Could Affect Trading Channels
Beyond direct trading on the Korea Exchange (KRX), SK Hynix’s progress toward a US ADR listing is also drawing attention. According to media reports, SK Hynix plans to list on Nasdaq as early as August this year, with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) possibly approving its American Depositary Receipt (ADR) application this week.
SK Hynix secretly filed for a US listing in March, aiming to raise up to $14 billion. The company has confirmed plans to issue ADRs in 2026. If approved, SK Hynix could debut as early as mid-August.
Once listed, SK Hynix will have both Korean (KRX: 000660) and US (Nasdaq) trading channels. This will further broaden its investor base, enabling more global investors—especially those unable to access Korean stocks directly—to easily invest in this AI semiconductor leader. For Gate users, this means that in the future, you’ll be able to trade SK Hynix via US stock channels as well, further expanding your options.
Summary
On June 22, 2026, SK Hynix surged over 6% intraday to 2,944,000 KRW, setting a new record high. Its market cap broke through 200 trillion KRW, with year-to-date gains expanding to 349%. SK Hynix also made history by overtaking Samsung Electronics as Korea’s most valuable public company. The main drivers behind this rally are the explosive growth in HBM demand and the ongoing acceleration of AI infrastructure investment.
For those looking to invest in SK Hynix, Gate offers a variety of trading options: For stock derivatives, SKHYNIX perpetual contracts support both long and short positions with 1x to 20x leverage. For ETF derivatives, EWY perpetual contracts provide indirect exposure to both the Korean market and SK Hynix. For spot trading, users can directly buy or sell SK Hynix shares listed on KRX using USDT, with no need for a Korean brokerage account, and with extremely low entry thresholds thanks to fractional trading. As SK Hynix’s US ADR listing progresses, trading channels will continue to expand.
FAQ
Q: What are SK Hynix’s latest share price and market cap?
A: As of the close on June 22, 2026, SK Hynix traded at 2,906,000 KRW (about $1,891), up 5.61% on the day and setting a new all-time high. Its latest market cap reached 207.2 trillion KRW (about $1.35 trillion), with a year-to-date gain of 349%.
Q: What does it mean that SK Hynix’s market cap surpassed Samsung Electronics?
A: On June 22, 2026, SK Hynix’s market cap overtook Samsung Electronics for the first time, making it the most valuable listed company in Korea. This is the first time since 1999 that Korea’s "number one by market cap" position has changed hands, signaling a profound shift in the industrial landscape of the AI era.
Q: How can I trade SK Hynix on Gate?
A: Gate offers multiple ways to trade SK Hynix: You can trade SKHYNIX perpetual contracts (USDT-settled, 1x–20x leverage) in the Stock Contracts section; gain indirect exposure via EWY Korea ETF perpetual contracts; or directly buy and sell SK Hynix shares listed on KRX through Gate’s Korean stock spot trading, using USDT settlement and supporting fractional shares.
Q: When will SK Hynix’s US ADR be listed?
A: According to media reports, SK Hynix plans to list on Nasdaq as early as August 2026, with the SEC possibly approving its ADR application this week. The company has confirmed plans to issue ADRs within 2026.
Q: Do I need a Korean securities account to trade Korean stocks on Gate?
A: No. Gate’s Korean stock trading service allows users to trade KRX-listed stocks directly with USDT, with no need to open a traditional Korean brokerage account or handle KRW conversion.
