Samsung’s foundry division has a long road ahead before it becomes profitable, and a key part of that journey is attracting enough customers for its 2nm GAA manufacturing process. Currently, the Exynos 2600 is expected to be the first chip produced on this node, and Samsung has already secured a major contract with Tesla.
A new report now adds that two Chinese clients have stepped forward to place 2nm orders for their next wave of cryptocurrency-mining hardware—an encouraging sign for Samsung, though it is still nowhere near challenging TSMC’s dominance.
MicroBT and Canaan line up for Samsung’s 2nm chips—Bitmain stays with TSMC
According to the Korean outlet Hankyung, MicroBT and Canaan, the second and third-largest manufacturers of crypto-mining machines, will utilise Samsung’s 2nm GAA chips in their upcoming products.
The industry leader, Bitmain, is not joining them for now. The company reportedly prefers to stay with TSMC, likely because of TSMC’s proven track record with advanced nodes, reliable supply, and better yield performance—areas where Samsung still needs to demonstrate consistency with its 2nm technology.
Samsung has already started producing MicroBT’s chips, while Canaan expects to begin manufacturing its first 2nm designs in early 2026, with shipments planned for the second half of that year. Both companies’ orders will be handled at Samsung’s S3 facility in Hwaseong, located in Gyeonggi Province.
Although these orders account for only about 10 per cent of Samsung’s overall 2nm production capacity—roughly 2,000 300mm wafers per month—they show that the company is actively pursuing more clients for its most advanced node. This gradual momentum is essential as Samsung works to narrow the gap with TSMC.
Earlier reports suggested that Qualcomm received early samples of its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, manufactured on Samsung’s 2nm process, although a true dual-sourcing arrangement may not be established until the Gen 6 model arrives in late 2026. Samsung has also completed the foundational design for its second-generation 2nm GAA process and is already developing a third version, referred to as SF2P+.
Samsung plans to bring 2nm manufacturing to its Taylor, Texas, plant as well. ASML recently assembled a team to install the equipment needed for next-generation wafer production at the facility. Once fully operational, the site is expected to handle more than 15,000 wafers per month through 2027.
