Samsung To Supply 2nm GAA Chips to Chinese Cryptocurrency Mining Companies

Samsung continues its push to secure meaningful market share in the advanced foundry segment, with new reports indicating it will supply 2nm GAA chips to two major Chinese cryptocurrency mining equipment manufacturers. This development signals slow but steady progress as the Korean giant works to scale its next generation process and attract a broader customer base.

According to Hankyung, MicroBT and Canaan have both placed orders for Samsung’s 2nm GAA technology, intending to use the chips as the core processing engines for their upcoming mining hardware. MicroBT and Canaan are currently the second and third largest cryptocurrency mining equipment manufacturers globally, behind Bitmain.

The report notes that Bitmain has not signed any 2nm contract with Samsung and remains committed to TSMC. The reasoning is clear. TSMC continues to deliver consistent supply, cutting edge process leadership, and stable yields. These are areas where Samsung is still working to demonstrate comparable performance at scale.

MicroBT’s 2nm orders have already entered production, while Canaan is expected to begin first silicon fabrication in early 2026. Deliveries for both customers are planned for the second half of 2026. All wafers will be manufactured at Samsung’s S3 line in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

Collectively, the orders represent about ten percent of Samsung’s current 2nm production capacity, estimated at roughly 2,000 300mm wafers per month. Although the volume is modest, the contracts are strategically valuable because they help Samsung strengthen its customer portfolio in the early stages of the node’s lifecycle.

Samsung’s roadmap indicates a clear ambition to challenge TSMC’s dominance in advanced foundry technologies. Beyond these new cryptocurrency mining contracts, Samsung has also been working with Qualcomm. Early samples of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 built on Samsung’s 2nm node have already been shipped for evaluation. Industry observers expect Qualcomm to adopt a dual sourcing strategy once the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 arrives in late 2026.

To stay competitive, Samsung has reportedly completed the base design for its second generation 2nm GAA process and is advancing development on a third iteration known as SF2P+. These steps are critical for narrowing the performance and efficiency gap compared to TSMC’s equivalent offerings.

Samsung’s 2nm ambitions extend beyond Korea. The company plans to produce next generation wafers at its new Taylor plant in Texas. ASML has already formed a dedicated team to deliver and install equipment required for EUV based 2nm manufacturing. When fully operational, the facility is expected to exceed 15,000 wafers per month through 2027.

Although Samsung still faces significant challenges in process maturity and yield optimization, securing MicroBT and Canaan as early customers is a meaningful step in the right direction.

Do you think Samsung can close the gap with TSMC in the 2nm era, or will these orders remain niche until yields improve? Let us know your thoughts.