Samsung Electronics Overtakes Bitcoin by $246 Billion in Global Market-Cap Ranking

Samsung Electronics ranks 12th among global assets

Gap with Bitcoin widens to $246 billion

SK Hynix also closes in on Bitcoin

Samsung Electronics has widened its lead over Bitcoin in the global asset market-cap rankings. Semiconductor shares rallied as the Kospi rose above 9,000 for the first time in intraday trading, while Bitcoin stayed weak.

As of June 19, Samsung Electronics had a market capitalization of about $1.522 trillion, ranking 12th among global assets, according to CompaniesMarketCap. Bitcoin was valued at about $1.276 trillion, placing 15th. The gap between the two stood at about $246 billion.

The two assets have recently traded places in the rankings. Samsung Electronics moved ahead of Bitcoin on June 1 to claim 13th place, but Bitcoin regained the lead on June 8 after Samsung shares plunged.

That trend reversed again as Samsung shares rebounded on expectations for stronger demand for artificial intelligence chips and high-bandwidth memory, or HBM. The gap with Bitcoin widened once more. As of 4 p.m. on June 19, Samsung Electronics was up 4.62% from the previous trading day.

Bitcoin, by contrast, remained under pressure. U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded net outflows of $82.2 million on June 19, weighing on investor sentiment.

SK Hynix is also closing in rapidly. Its shares rose 6.51% on June 19, lifting its market capitalization to about $1.248 trillion and putting it 16th in the global asset rankings. Its gap with Bitcoin narrowed to about $28 billion.

Lee Jung-woo, Hankyung.com reporter, krse9059@hankyung.com