SK Hynix passes Intel in 2025 chip revenue on AI memory demand, report says
In brief
- SK Hynix revenue rose 42.3% to $67.2 billion in 2025, per Crypto Briefing.
- Intel revenue fell 3.7% to $48.5 billion over the same period.
- SK Hynix climbed from fourth to third among global chip suppliers, ahead of Intel.
- High-bandwidth memory (HBM) drove SK Hynix's growth, according to Crypto Briefing.
- Intel raised $20 billion in stock and announced an R&D deal with Applied Materials.
Memory did the heavy lifting
Crypto Briefing's analysis points to one product line. It credits high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, the memory that feeds data to AI processors, as the engine behind SK Hynix's growth. The outlet reported that SK Hynix holds about 50% of the HBM market (a share that's slipped slightly as Samsung gained ground) and that it's still the leading HBM supplier to Nvidia.
The margin numbers are hard to ignore. Crypto Briefing reported SK Hynix posted operating margins of around 76% in the second quarter of 2026, driven by HBM and DRAM.
Zoom out and the picture is bigger than one company. According to the report, the top 10 chip suppliers captured two-thirds of a record semiconductor market in 2025, and memory makers Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron, along with Nvidia, drove most of that growth.
Intel wasn't part of that story.
Intel's year in reverse
Crypto Briefing reported that Intel was the sole decliner among the top 10 in a year when the overall market hit a record. The company has also been reporting net losses, per the outlet.
Intel has since gone to the capital markets. In August 2026 it completed an upsized $20 billion common stock offering, selling 210.5 million shares at $95 each, according to Crypto Briefing. The proceeds are earmarked for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures.
Then on October 6, Intel and Applied Materials announced a technical collaboration that'll run at Applied's EPIC Center and Intel's Oregon R&D site. The report said the partnership targets next-generation transistors, interconnect scaling and advanced packaging for AI workloads.
What the reshuffle shows
The two companies are headed in opposite directions on these numbers. SK Hynix grew revenue by more than 40% on the back of a product that sits next to AI processors. Intel shrank, kept posting losses, and has answered (so far, as reported) with a $20 billion raise and an R&D pact aimed squarely at AI workloads.
That's the 2025 scoreboard as Crypto Briefing laid it out.
Frequently asked questions
Why did SK Hynix overtake Intel in chip revenue?
Crypto Briefing credits high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which feeds data to AI processors, for SK Hynix's growth. The company's 2025 revenue rose 42.3% to $67.2 billion, while Intel's fell 3.7% to $48.5 billion, according to the report.
What has Intel done since its revenue declined?
According to Crypto Briefing, Intel completed an upsized $20 billion stock offering in August 2026, selling 210.5 million shares at $95 each. On October 6, 2026, it announced a technical collaboration with Applied Materials covering next-generation transistors, interconnect scaling and advanced packaging for AI workloads.
