Is Korea’s Chip Selloff a Crypto Buying Opportunity? Tom Lee’s Case and Its Catch

BitMine chairman Tom Lee linked crypto market pressure to risk reduction by investors in the U.S., South Korea and Taiwan, and said such declines can create favorable risk-reward conditions when fundamentals remain strong. South Korea’s KOSPI dropped 17% between Oct. 1 and Oct. 16 and 3.5% at Tuesday’s open; Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, 44% of the index in May, fell 19.74% and 28.38%. Forced liquidations surpassed 50 billion won for four consecutive sessions through Oct. 16. BitMine holds ether, and Korean investors added a net $1.4 billion to its shares in 2025; Dan Greenhaus of Solus Alternative Asset Management instead pointed to higher borrowing costs.