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Anthropic's annualized revenue exceeds $65 billion, up more than 7x since the end of last year
Odaily News: As Anthropic prepares for an IPO, its annualized revenue run rate had surpassed $65 billion (approximately 92 trillion KRW) as of the end of July, representing a more than sevenfold increase from the end of last year. The figure was disclosed in regular operating data reports shared with major investors.Anthropic's full-year 2025 revenue has already exceeded $9 billion, reaching $47 billion in May this year. Preliminary second-quarter revenue surpassed $11.5 billion, compared to $787 million in the same period last year—a roughly 15-fold increase. Adjusted operating profit is expected to turn profitable.Anthropic has hired Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs as lead underwriters for its IPO, with JPMorgan also participating in the transaction. Following its latest funding round, the company is valued at $965 billion, one of the highest valuations among private companies. (ETNews SW)
AI Database Company GraphAI Completes $12 Million Series A Funding, Led by K2 Investment Partners
Odaily News: South Korean enterprise-grade AI data infrastructure company GraphAI has announced the completion of a 17 billion KRW (approximately $12 million) Series A funding round, led by K2 Investment Partners, with participation from A-Ventures and Jiyu Investment, as well as Quad Ventures, Kiwoom Investment, and We Ventures, who previously participated in the Pre-A round. To date, the company's cumulative funding has reached 20.6 billion KRW (approximately $14.7 million).Founded in 2022 by Min-Soo Kim, a professor at KAIST's School of Computing, GraphAI aims to provide next-generation data infrastructure for enterprise AI applications by integrating graph database, vector database, and relational database capabilities. Its Akasic platform offers an integrated solution covering enterprise data connectivity, ingestion, transformation, AI inference, and an intelligent agent (Agentic AI) execution environment. (Thelec)
Korean stock market's semiconductor main line takes a pause, sparking sector rotation as non-semiconductor industries undergo value revaluation
Odaily News: Data released today by the Korea Exchange shows that heavyweight semiconductor stocks have recently pulled back, with capital beginning to rotate toward non-semiconductor sectors. From August 3 to 7, Samsung Electronics fell 12.00%, SK Hynix dropped 17.23%, and the KOSPI index declined 5.10% over the same period; however, sectors such as metals and machinery equipment rose against the trend.Currently, the combined market capitalization of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix as a share of the KOSPI has fallen from 58.9% on June 25 to 46.3% on August 7. Meanwhile, the KOSPI's net profit forecast for this year, excluding these two companies, has been revised upward from 219.2 trillion KRW last week to 222.3 trillion KRW, with improving market earnings further supporting the valuation recovery of non-semiconductor sectors. KB Securities researcher Kim Min-kyu stated that the current "semiconductor pause, other sectors rising" pattern is closer to previously overlooked industries being revalued while the leading sector takes a breather, rather than a simple broad-based expansion of the market rally. (FNNews)
"Unease and anticipation are just two sides of the same coin": SK Hynix stock pulls back but remains favored by institutions, market focuses on HBM4 technology moat
Odaily News: SK Hynix's stock price has recently seen a pullback. On August 3, the stock fell 8.79%. Although it rebounded slightly by 0.64% and 5.77% on August 4 and 5 respectively, it plunged another 10.37% on August 6, closing at 1.495 million KRW; on August 7, it dropped a further 4.88%, closing at 1.422 million KRW.Against the backdrop of heightened market volatility, SK Group released an advertisement quoting founder Choi Jong-gun’s famous saying: "Despair and hope are two sides of the same coin; you can turn despair into hope as easily as flipping your palm," and adapted it to: "Unease and anticipation in the AI era are also two sides of the same coin; you can turn unease into anticipation," thereby conveying confidence in the long-term development of the AI industry.Securities institutions believe that short-term stock price fluctuations have not changed SK Hynix's fundamentals, and the market should focus on its HBM4 technology leadership and the earnings stability brought by long-term supply agreements (LTAs). Specifically:1. Hyundai Motor Securities expects SK Hynix's DRAM and NAND bit growth to reach 9.7% and 1.5% respectively in the third quarter. As HBM4 sales contributions expand, even with a higher proportion of LTAs, DRAM average selling prices (ASP) are still expected to rise 19.9% quarter-over-quarter. Companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic are advancing plans to build their own hyperscale AI data centers and intend to raise funds for related construction through IPOs. Even if some large tech companies adjust capital expenditures (Capex) in the future, this could be offset by demand from other AI infrastructure. Additionally, regarding competitive concerns over China's CXMT, given the U.S. continued tightening of semiconductor equipment export restrictions, as well as Micron's expansion of domestic U.S. investment, the likelihood of major companies like Apple adopting Chinese memory chips is relatively low.2. SK Securities is also bullish on SK Hynix's competitive advantages, believing that with its leading position in HBM, partnerships with major North American GPU companies, and AI-driven LTA demand, SK Hynix's market position remains solid. Currently, the HBM supply-demand fulfillment rate is below 70%, and the core value of LTAs lies in ensuring profit sustainability and earnings stability through a "mutual binding structure" between customers and suppliers. With value-reassessment initiatives such as an ADR listing progressing, along with dividend income from the sale of SPC assets related to Kioxia, the company's goal of achieving net cash of 100 trillion KRW may be reached earlier than expected. As shareholder return policies gradually become clearer, this will help the market re-evaluate the value of the LTA model and drive a further re-rating of SK Hynix. (Daum)
SK hynix subsidiary Solidigm seeks pre-IPO funding with target valuation of 50 trillion KRW
Odaily News, Citrini analyst jukan posted on X platform that Korean media reports indicate SK hynix subsidiary Solidigm is seeking pre-IPO funding, potentially in preparation for a Nasdaq listing. Reports say the company's target valuation in this funding round is 50 trillion KRW. Solidigm is a U.S. subsidiary established by SK hynix in 2021 to take over Intel's NAND flash and SSD business, which SK hynix agreed to acquire for approximately 10 trillion KRW in 2020.
Korean stock market forced liquidation volume reaches 344.2 billion KRW in July, credit leverage risks continue to escalate
According to data from the Korea Financial Investment Association, driven by a significant downturn in the stock market, on-exchange credit leverage has entered a phase of concentrated deleveraging. The cumulative forced liquidation amount for July has already reached 344.2 billion KRW, with a single-day liquidation volume of 142.2 billion KRW on July 9 alone. Due to a two-trading-day delay in the reporting of liquidation data, the clearing pressure triggered by the sharp drop in the KOSPI on the 13th has not yet been fully reflected in the statistics, leading market forecasts to anticipate a further increase in subsequent liquidation volumes.On July 13, the Korean stock market experienced severe volatility, with the KOSPI closing down 8.95% and triggering both the Sidecar selling suspension mechanism and a Level 1 circuit breaker during the session. The semiconductor sector led the decline, with SK Hynix falling 15.37%, marking its largest single-day drop in history, while Samsung Electronics closed down 10.7%. Currently, the margin balances and credit financing balances of Korean retail investors continue to shrink, with the market entrenched in a negative deleveraging cycle of "falling stock prices → forced liquidation → further decline in stock prices." (WSJ)
8.87 trillion KRW, South Korea's H1 venture capital investment hits record high, financial institution contributions up 54.9%
Odaily News: South Korea's venture capital investment reached 8.87 trillion KRW in the first half of this year, setting a new all-time high. Policy financing contributions increased 58.3% year-on-year, while the private sector grew 28.1%, with private funds accounting for over 80% of total venture capital fund commitments. Among them, private financial institutions such as banks contributed 2.61 trillion KRW, up 54.9% year-on-year. The risk weight (RW) for policy-oriented venture capital funds has been reduced from 400% to 100%, thereby lowering the capital burden on financial companies. AI solutions, AI chips, memory chips, and humanoid robots have emerged as new investment destinations, with ICT manufacturing investment surging 143.3% year-on-year and electrical, machinery, and equipment investment rising 90.4%. Companies established within the last three years received 1.83 trillion KRW in investments, up 56.4% year-on-year, while non-capital region investments increased 104.7%. The gaming sector was the only industry to see a decline in investment, with a reduction in large-scale projects and a drop in new business formations cited as the main reasons. The VC industry noted that the KOSDAQ IPO market has not sufficiently absorbed investment exits, and South Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to expand support for M&A and secondary share funds. (ETNews Electronics)
Korea to Implement New Rules for Single-Stock Leverage Products: Closing Deviation Rate Management Range Tightened to 2%
Odaily News: The Financial Services Commission of South Korea has announced that it will further raise the investor threshold for single-stock leveraged ETFs and ETNs, with the new rules set to take effect on August 19. In addition to the existing 30 million KRW base margin and 3 hours of prior education, first-time individual investors in leveraged products on single domestic and foreign stocks will also be required to complete simulated trading.In addition, the management standards for deviation rates of ETFs and ETNs will also be comprehensively tightened. The closing deviation rate management range for domestic ETFs and ETNs will be tightened from 3% to 2%, while for overseas products it will be tightened from 6% to 5%. For deviation rates calculated as negative values, they will be computed based on their absolute values. Under the new rules, if the deviation rate exceeds twice the management range, a screening and designation notice will be triggered; if the deviation rate again exceeds twice the range within 10 trading days from the date of the designation notice, or exceeds the standard for two consecutive trading days, the product may be designated as an investment caution item, after which a call auction will be conducted for 3 trading days.The Financial Services Commission explained that the tightened regulation is due to the negative compounding effect of single-stock leverage products, where investors may incur losses even if the underlying asset remains flat, and it hopes investors will fully understand the product structure and risks before making actual investments. (Yonhap)
South Korea Strengthens Crypto Asset Regulation: Expands Scope of Major Shareholder Review, Abolishes Million Threshold for Travel Rule
The South Korean State Council approved the Amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Specific Financial Information Act, expanding the crypto asset Travel Rule from currently applying only to transfers above 1 million KRW to all transfers to prevent splitting transactions to evade regulation. The new regulations also tighten VASP admission, expand the scope of major shareholder review, and add new financial requirements such as a debt ratio not exceeding 200%; transfers with overseas exchanges and personal wallets will be managed differentially according to risk levels, and high-risk transactions may be prohibited. The Travel Rule and related regulations will be implemented six months after publication.
"Unease and anticipation are just two sides of the same coin": SK Hynix stock pulls back but remains favored by institutions, market focuses on HBM4 technology moat
Odaily News: SK Hynix's stock price has recently seen a pullback. On August 3, the stock fell 8.79%. Although it rebounded slightly by 0.64% and 5.77% on August 4 and 5 respectively, it plunged another 10.37% on August 6, closing at 1.495 million KRW; on August 7, it dropped a further 4.88%, closing at 1.422 million KRW.Against the backdrop of heightened market volatility, SK Group released an advertisement quoting founder Choi Jong-gun’s famous saying: "Despair and hope are two sides of the same coin; you can turn despair into hope as easily as flipping your palm," and adapted it to: "Unease and anticipation in the AI era are also two sides of the same coin; you can turn unease into anticipation," thereby conveying confidence in the long-term development of the AI industry.Securities institutions believe that short-term stock price fluctuations have not changed SK Hynix's fundamentals, and the market should focus on its HBM4 technology leadership and the earnings stability brought by long-term supply agreements (LTAs). Specifically:1. Hyundai Motor Securities expects SK Hynix's DRAM and NAND bit growth to reach 9.7% and 1.5% respectively in the third quarter. As HBM4 sales contributions expand, even with a higher proportion of LTAs, DRAM average selling prices (ASP) are still expected to rise 19.9% quarter-over-quarter. Companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic are advancing plans to build their own hyperscale AI data centers and intend to raise funds for related construction through IPOs. Even if some large tech companies adjust capital expenditures (Capex) in the future, this could be offset by demand from other AI infrastructure. Additionally, regarding competitive concerns over China's CXMT, given the U.S. continued tightening of semiconductor equipment export restrictions, as well as Micron's expansion of domestic U.S. investment, the likelihood of major companies like Apple adopting Chinese memory chips is relatively low.2. SK Securities is also bullish on SK Hynix's competitive advantages, believing that with its leading position in HBM, partnerships with major North American GPU companies, and AI-driven LTA demand, SK Hynix's market position remains solid. Currently, the HBM supply-demand fulfillment rate is below 70%, and the core value of LTAs lies in ensuring profit sustainability and earnings stability through a "mutual binding structure" between customers and suppliers. With value-reassessment initiatives such as an ADR listing progressing, along with dividend income from the sale of SPC assets related to Kioxia, the company's goal of achieving net cash of 100 trillion KRW may be reached earlier than expected. As shareholder return policies gradually become clearer, this will help the market re-evaluate the value of the LTA model and drive a further re-rating of SK Hynix. (Daum)
Korea's Tightened Leveraged ETF Regulation Shows Effect: Trading Volume Falls Below 1 Trillion KRW for Two Consecutive Days, Heat Clearly Cooling Off
Odaily News: One week after the implementation of regulatory measures on single-stock leveraged and inverse ETFs in South Korea, trading activity in related products has noticeably cooled, with trading volume falling below 1 trillion KRW for two consecutive trading days.According to data from the Korea Exchange (KRX), on August 7, the combined trading volume of 16 single-stock leveraged and inverse ETFs in the Korean market stood at 941.2 billion KRW, marking the second consecutive trading day below 1 trillion KRW after the previous day's 919.8 billion KRW.Market observers believe the decline in trading volume is mainly attributed to the new regulatory measures implemented on July 31. The new rules raise the capital threshold for ordinary retail investors to participate in single-stock leveraged ETFs, increasing the base margin requirement from 10 million KRW to 30 million KRW in cash.Data shows that on the day before the regulation took effect (July 30), the trading volume of the 16 related ETFs reached as high as 12.45 trillion KRW. On the first day of regulation (July 31), it plummeted to 3.15 trillion KRW, and has continued to decline since, dropping to 1.39 trillion KRW and 1.26 trillion KRW on August 3 and 4 respectively, before falling below 1 trillion KRW in recent days.Meanwhile, the share of single-stock leveraged and inverse ETFs in the overall Korean ETF market turnover has also dropped significantly, falling to 5.6% on August 7, compared with 30% to 40% before the regulation.However, Korean securities institutions point out that investment demand has not completely disappeared. Instead, there is evidence of "regulatory arbitrage" or a "balloon effect," with funds shifting toward semiconductor leveraged ETFs and overseas-listed leveraged products.Jung Hyun-jong, a researcher at Korea Investment & Securities, stated that while single-stock leveraged ETF trading volumes have declined following the regulation, semiconductor leveraged ETF trading volume has actually increased, indicating that some capital is rotating into alternative products. Overseas market products may also become targets for capital flows. Jung noted that since overseas-listed ETFs are not subject to domestic Korean regulatory restrictions, investors may turn to overseas single-stock leveraged ETFs. Among them, the Hong Kong-listed CSOP SK Hynix Daily (2x) Leveraged Product is currently one of the largest single-stock leveraged ETF products globally by market capitalization. Domestic Korean regulatory measures alone are unlikely to fully curb investor demand for semiconductor cycles and high-leverage strategies, and the long-term effectiveness of the regulation will require continued observation. (Daum)
SK Hynix May Introduce Stock Split Plan, Potentially Following Samsung Electronics Precedent
Odaily News With the end of the "Quiet Period" following SK Hynix's U.S. ADR listing, the market has begun to focus on whether the company will introduce shareholder return policies, including a stock split. Among these, the possibility of a "split" against the backdrop of high stock prices has become a key topic of discussion. Recent sentiment circulating in the Korean market suggests that SK Hynix may follow the precedent set by Samsung Electronics, promoting a stock split after continued share price gains to lower the per-share price and expand participation from individual investors. However, such claims have not yet been officially confirmed by the company.Park Seok-hyun, Deputy Head of the WM Products Division at Woori Bank, stated on YTN Radio on the 5th that there is "currently no clear basis" for an SK Hynix stock split, but it "cannot be considered entirely impossible." While SK Hynix's current par value is relatively low and whether there is room for another split is debated, a stock split is not completely out of the question as the share price continues to rise.He noted that following the listing of SK Hynix's ADR on the U.S. market in July, newly listed companies typically undergo a "quiet period" of about 25 days, during which major policy changes are rarely announced. That period ended on August 4th."The end of the quiet period means SK Hynix has entered a phase where it may announce important financial policies. The recent uptick in market discussions about stock splits and dividend increases may be linked to this timing," Park said.Market observers believe SK Hynix's current stock price is already at a high level on the Korean exchange. As of the close on the 5th, the company's stock was trading at 1.668 million KRW per share, a relatively high unit price. If a stock split were implemented in the future, it could lower the investment threshold and boost trading activity among retail and overseas investors.Additionally, Park noted that SK Hynix's profitability has improved significantly in recent years, and the company may also strengthen shareholder return policies in the future, including raising dividend levels. If such policies materialize, they could further increase interest from U.S. market investors in its ADR.However, SK Hynix has not yet made any official announcements regarding a stock split or adjustments to its dividend policy, and market speculation still awaits confirmation from the company's board and official sources. (Daum)
Analyst: BofA Expects Samsung Electronics' Shareholder Return Plan May Include Special Dividends of Over 30 Trillion KRW and a Share Buyback of 40 Trillion KRW
Odaily News, Citrini analyst jukan posted on X platform, stating that Bank of America expects Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to announce specific shareholder return plans.For Samsung Electronics, Bank of America expects it to return 50% of its free cash flow to shareholders, mainly including: paying special dividends of over 30 trillion KRW in Q3 or Q4; repurchasing over 40 trillion KRW worth of shares in H1 2027; and distributing year-end dividends of 30 trillion KRW in April 2027. In addition, Samsung Electronics will also repurchase an additional 30 trillion KRW worth of shares for employee compensation.For SK Hynix, Bank of America also expects it to return 50% of its free cash flow to shareholders, but the proportion of share buybacks will be higher than cash dividends, with an expected share repurchase amount of over 40 trillion KRW and cash dividends exceeding 20 trillion KRW.
SK hynix subsidiary Solidigm seeks pre-IPO funding with target valuation of 50 trillion KRW
Odaily News, Citrini analyst jukan posted on X platform that Korean media reports indicate SK hynix subsidiary Solidigm is seeking pre-IPO funding, potentially in preparation for a Nasdaq listing. Reports say the company's target valuation in this funding round is 50 trillion KRW. Solidigm is a U.S. subsidiary established by SK hynix in 2021 to take over Intel's NAND flash and SSD business, which SK hynix agreed to acquire for approximately 10 trillion KRW in 2020.
South Korea's stablecoin net outflow reached $367 million in June, approaching net purchases of overseas stocks
Odaily News: Domestic stablecoin funds in South Korea continue to flow to overseas exchanges. Data from the Financial Supervisory Service shows that in June 2026, the volume of stablecoins transferred from South Korea's top five crypto exchanges to overseas exchanges reached 2.7625 trillion KRW, while inflows amounted to 2.2022 trillion KRW, resulting in a net outflow of approximately 560.3 billion KRW (around $367 million).Data indicates that from January 2025 to June 2026, net outflows of stablecoins to overseas exchanges have exceeded inflows for 18 consecutive months. In the second quarter of this year, South Korea's net stablecoin outflow reached 1.6872 trillion KRW, while during the same period, net selling of overseas stock investments totaled 1.6185 trillion KRW. Analysts believe that stablecoins flowing overseas are primarily used for cryptocurrency derivatives unavailable on domestic exchanges, spot and futures products related to Korean stocks, as well as services such as RWA and DeFi.A South Korean lawmaker stated that capital outflows and high-leverage trading overseas have increased risks for investors, and the government needs to strengthen related regulations and protective measures. (Yonhap)
Target price raised by 24%: KIS increases SK Hynix target price to 4.7 million KRW
Citrini analyst jukan posted on platform X, stating that KIS has raised its target price for SK Hynix by 24% to 4.7 million KRW, with today's closing price at 1.41 million KRW.
WEMIX Stablecoin Hacked, Approximately $6.25 Million WEMIX$ Abnormally Outflowed
According to "Digital Assets", South Korean blockchain platform WEMIX released an official announcement on July 27, acknowledging a security incident involving its stablecoin WEMIX$ (WEMIX Dollar) smart contract. The incident occurred at 6:18 PM on July 26, when the owner permissions of the WEMIX$ smart contract were hijacked, resulting in approximately $6.25 million (approximately 87 million KRW) worth of WEMIX$ being abnormally minted and transferred to external addresses. WEMIX stated that it has identified the addresses suspected of being used in the attack and is conducting on-chain tracking, while collaborating with major exchanges and blockchain security agencies to monitor the flow of stolen assets, and will cooperate with law enforcement agencies if necessary.
Upbit Will List Euler (EUL) KRW Trading Pair
According to Upbit's announcement, South Korean crypto exchange Upbit will list Euler (EUL) on the Korean Won (KRW) market on July 26 at 12:00 (KST), supporting deposits and withdrawals on the Ethereum network. Within approximately 5 minutes after trading opens, buy orders and some sell orders will be restricted; within approximately 2 hours after opening, only limit orders will be supported. Euler is a decentralized finance lending protocol based on Ethereum, allowing users to create lending markets and deposit or borrow assets. Euler v2, launched in 2024, adopts a modular Vault structure, supporting users in building lending markets based on different assets and risk preferences, and can be extended to scenarios such as RWA, synthetic assets, and NFTs. The EUL token is primarily used for governance, Fee Flow bidding, and reward mechanisms.
WEMIX Stablecoin Hacked, Approximately $6.25 Million WEMIX$ Abnormally Outflowed
According to "Digital Assets", South Korean blockchain platform WEMIX released an official announcement on July 27, acknowledging a security incident involving its stablecoin WEMIX$ (WEMIX Dollar) smart contract. The incident occurred at 6:18 PM on July 26, when the owner permissions of the WEMIX$ smart contract were hijacked, resulting in approximately $6.25 million (approximately 87 million KRW) worth of WEMIX$ being abnormally minted and transferred to external addresses. WEMIX stated that it has identified the addresses suspected of being used in the attack and is conducting on-chain tracking, while collaborating with major exchanges and blockchain security agencies to monitor the flow of stolen assets, and will cooperate with law enforcement agencies if necessary.
South Korea’s Top 5 Cryptocurrency Exchanges Have Experienced 57 Hacking and System Incidents Over the Past Six Years, with Total Compensation Amounting to Approximately $5.1 Million
South Korea’s top five cryptocurrency exchanges experienced a total of 57 hacking incidents and system failures between 2020 and April 2026, resulting in cumulative compensation of approximately 7 billion KRW (about USD 5.1 million).
8.87 trillion KRW, South Korea's H1 venture capital investment hits record high, financial institution contributions up 54.9%
Odaily News: South Korea's venture capital investment reached 8.87 trillion KRW in the first half of this year, setting a new all-time high. Policy financing contributions increased 58.3% year-on-year, while the private sector grew 28.1%, with private funds accounting for over 80% of total venture capital fund commitments. Among them, private financial institutions such as banks contributed 2.61 trillion KRW, up 54.9% year-on-year. The risk weight (RW) for policy-oriented venture capital funds has been reduced from 400% to 100%, thereby lowering the capital burden on financial companies. AI solutions, AI chips, memory chips, and humanoid robots have emerged as new investment destinations, with ICT manufacturing investment surging 143.3% year-on-year and electrical, machinery, and equipment investment rising 90.4%. Companies established within the last three years received 1.83 trillion KRW in investments, up 56.4% year-on-year, while non-capital region investments increased 104.7%. The gaming sector was the only industry to see a decline in investment, with a reduction in large-scale projects and a drop in new business formations cited as the main reasons. The VC industry noted that the KOSDAQ IPO market has not sufficiently absorbed investment exits, and South Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to expand support for M&A and secondary share funds. (ETNews Electronics)
Bithumb Will List TRB KRW Trading Pair
According to the official announcement, Bithumb will list the TRB/KRW trading pair.
Upbit will list PROM KRW and USDT trading pairs.
According to the official announcement, Upbit will list PROM KRW and USDT trading pairs.
Upbit 将上线 DOS 韩元、BTC 及 USDT 交易对
According to the official announcement, Upbit will list DOS KRW, BTC, and USDT trading pairs.
Bithumb will list DAPPOS (DOS) KRW trading pair
According to the official announcement, Bithumb will list the DAPPOS (DOS) KRW trading pair.
"Unease and anticipation are just two sides of the same coin": SK Hynix stock pulls back but remains favored by institutions, market focuses on HBM4 technology moat
Odaily News: SK Hynix's stock price has recently seen a pullback. On August 3, the stock fell 8.79%. Although it rebounded slightly by 0.64% and 5.77% on August 4 and 5 respectively, it plunged another 10.37% on August 6, closing at 1.495 million KRW; on August 7, it dropped a further 4.88%, closing at 1.422 million KRW.Against the backdrop of heightened market volatility, SK Group released an advertisement quoting founder Choi Jong-gun’s famous saying: "Despair and hope are two sides of the same coin; you can turn despair into hope as easily as flipping your palm," and adapted it to: "Unease and anticipation in the AI era are also two sides of the same coin; you can turn unease into anticipation," thereby conveying confidence in the long-term development of the AI industry.Securities institutions believe that short-term stock price fluctuations have not changed SK Hynix's fundamentals, and the market should focus on its HBM4 technology leadership and the earnings stability brought by long-term supply agreements (LTAs). Specifically:1. Hyundai Motor Securities expects SK Hynix's DRAM and NAND bit growth to reach 9.7% and 1.5% respectively in the third quarter. As HBM4 sales contributions expand, even with a higher proportion of LTAs, DRAM average selling prices (ASP) are still expected to rise 19.9% quarter-over-quarter. Companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic are advancing plans to build their own hyperscale AI data centers and intend to raise funds for related construction through IPOs. Even if some large tech companies adjust capital expenditures (Capex) in the future, this could be offset by demand from other AI infrastructure. Additionally, regarding competitive concerns over China's CXMT, given the U.S. continued tightening of semiconductor equipment export restrictions, as well as Micron's expansion of domestic U.S. investment, the likelihood of major companies like Apple adopting Chinese memory chips is relatively low.2. SK Securities is also bullish on SK Hynix's competitive advantages, believing that with its leading position in HBM, partnerships with major North American GPU companies, and AI-driven LTA demand, SK Hynix's market position remains solid. Currently, the HBM supply-demand fulfillment rate is below 70%, and the core value of LTAs lies in ensuring profit sustainability and earnings stability through a "mutual binding structure" between customers and suppliers. With value-reassessment initiatives such as an ADR listing progressing, along with dividend income from the sale of SPC assets related to Kioxia, the company's goal of achieving net cash of 100 trillion KRW may be reached earlier than expected. As shareholder return policies gradually become clearer, this will help the market re-evaluate the value of the LTA model and drive a further re-rating of SK Hynix. (Daum)
Related news
8.87 trillion KRW, South Korea's H1 venture capital investment hits record high, financial institution contributions up 54.9%
Odaily News: South Korea's venture capital investment reached 8.87 trillion KRW in the first half of this year, setting a new all-time high. Policy financing contributions increased 58.3% year-on-year, while the private sector grew 28.1%, with private funds accounting for over 80% of total venture capital fund commitments. Among them, private financial institutions such as banks contributed 2.61 trillion KRW, up 54.9% year-on-year. The risk weight (RW) for policy-oriented venture capital funds has been reduced from 400% to 100%, thereby lowering the capital burden on financial companies. AI solutions, AI chips, memory chips, and humanoid robots have emerged as new investment destinations, with ICT manufacturing investment surging 143.3% year-on-year and electrical, machinery, and equipment investment rising 90.4%. Companies established within the last three years received 1.83 trillion KRW in investments, up 56.4% year-on-year, while non-capital region investments increased 104.7%. The gaming sector was the only industry to see a decline in investment, with a reduction in large-scale projects and a drop in new business formations cited as the main reasons. The VC industry noted that the KOSDAQ IPO market has not sufficiently absorbed investment exits, and South Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to expand support for M&A and secondary share funds. (ETNews Electronics)
Anthropic's annualized revenue exceeds $65 billion, up more than 7x since the end of last year
Odaily News: As Anthropic prepares for an IPO, its annualized revenue run rate had surpassed $65 billion (approximately 92 trillion KRW) as of the end of July, representing a more than sevenfold increase from the end of last year. The figure was disclosed in regular operating data reports shared with major investors.Anthropic's full-year 2025 revenue has already exceeded $9 billion, reaching $47 billion in May this year. Preliminary second-quarter revenue surpassed $11.5 billion, compared to $787 million in the same period last year—a roughly 15-fold increase. Adjusted operating profit is expected to turn profitable.Anthropic has hired Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs as lead underwriters for its IPO, with JPMorgan also participating in the transaction. Following its latest funding round, the company is valued at $965 billion, one of the highest valuations among private companies. (ETNews SW)
SK Hynix Leveraged ETF Investors Trapped at High Levels Struggle to Break Even: Average Losses Exceed 76%, Breaking Even Requires Nearly 326% Further Rise
According to Korean media Daum, although SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics have seen recent stock price rebounds, investors who bought near the highs at the end of June still face significant losses. Data from the Korea Exchange shows that for investors who bought at the high on June 25, SK Hynix's 7 leveraged ETFs saw declines ranging from -75.98% to -76.75%, with an average loss of 76.51%; Samsung Electronics' 7 single-stock leveraged ETFs had cumulative returns compared to that day ranging from -51.64% to -52.76%, with an average loss of 52.25%. If investors had invested 1 million KRW respectively at that time, the SK Hynix leveraged ETFs would now be worth only about 235,000 KRW, while the Samsung Electronics leveraged ETFs would be worth only about 478,000 KRW. Due to the non-linear return characteristics of leveraged ETFs, the difficulty of recovering losses is far greater than the decline itself. Data shows that Samsung Electronics leveraged ETFs need to rise by about 109.4% to recover the principal, while SK Hynix leveraged ETFs need to rise by about 325.7%. In other words, a 50% loss requires a 100% gain to break even, while a 75% loss requires a 300% gain. Analysis points out that single-stock leveraged ETFs typically track twice the daily return of the underlying asset, not simply corresponding to the stock price increase. Due to the daily rebalancing of leverage ratios, continuous volatility generates "volatility decay," so even if the underlying stock price returns to its previous level, ETF investors may not necessarily be able to fully recover their principal.
AI Database Company GraphAI Completes $12 Million Series A Funding, Led by K2 Investment Partners
Odaily News: South Korean enterprise-grade AI data infrastructure company GraphAI has announced the completion of a 17 billion KRW (approximately $12 million) Series A funding round, led by K2 Investment Partners, with participation from A-Ventures and Jiyu Investment, as well as Quad Ventures, Kiwoom Investment, and We Ventures, who previously participated in the Pre-A round. To date, the company's cumulative funding has reached 20.6 billion KRW (approximately $14.7 million).Founded in 2022 by Min-Soo Kim, a professor at KAIST's School of Computing, GraphAI aims to provide next-generation data infrastructure for enterprise AI applications by integrating graph database, vector database, and relational database capabilities. Its Akasic platform offers an integrated solution covering enterprise data connectivity, ingestion, transformation, AI inference, and an intelligent agent (Agentic AI) execution environment. (Thelec)
Operating profit fell 73% quarter-over-quarter, Upbit operator Dunamu drops to KRW 23.5 billion in Q2
Odaily News, Upbit operator Dunamu has announced its Q2 2026 earnings, reporting quarterly revenue of KRW 173.5 billion and operating profit of KRW 23.5 billion, down approximately 26% and 73% respectively from Q1. Dunamu's Q1 revenue was KRW 234.6 billion, with operating profit of KRW 88 billion. Dunamu stated that the Q2 decline was primarily driven by shrinking overall liquidity in the global digital asset market, which weakened investor sentiment. (Digitalasset)
Korea to Implement New Rules for Single-Stock Leverage Products: Closing Deviation Rate Management Range Tightened to 2%
Odaily News: The Financial Services Commission of South Korea has announced that it will further raise the investor threshold for single-stock leveraged ETFs and ETNs, with the new rules set to take effect on August 19. In addition to the existing 30 million KRW base margin and 3 hours of prior education, first-time individual investors in leveraged products on single domestic and foreign stocks will also be required to complete simulated trading.In addition, the management standards for deviation rates of ETFs and ETNs will also be comprehensively tightened. The closing deviation rate management range for domestic ETFs and ETNs will be tightened from 3% to 2%, while for overseas products it will be tightened from 6% to 5%. For deviation rates calculated as negative values, they will be computed based on their absolute values. Under the new rules, if the deviation rate exceeds twice the management range, a screening and designation notice will be triggered; if the deviation rate again exceeds twice the range within 10 trading days from the date of the designation notice, or exceeds the standard for two consecutive trading days, the product may be designated as an investment caution item, after which a call auction will be conducted for 3 trading days.The Financial Services Commission explained that the tightened regulation is due to the negative compounding effect of single-stock leverage products, where investors may incur losses even if the underlying asset remains flat, and it hopes investors will fully understand the product structure and risks before making actual investments. (Yonhap)