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Aventis Energy Confirms Strong Radioactivity During Successful Exploration Program at the Corvo Uranium Project

Investing 11 Mins Read

Aventis Energy (‘ Aventis ‘ or the ‘ Company ‘) (CSE:AVE | FRA:C0O0 | OTC: VBAMF) is pleased to announce an update from its 2025 exploration program at the Corvo Uranium Project (‘ Corvo ‘, or the ‘ Project ‘), currently under a three-year earn-in option agreement with Standard Uranium Ltd. (‘ Standard ‘) (CSE: STND). From July 4 to July 16, 2025, the Company completed a detailed mapping and sampling program across historical uranium showings and zones of interest on the Project.

Highlights:

  • Off-Scale** Radioactivity at Surface : Verification of strong radioactivity at the historical Manhattan showing with handheld scintillometer measurements >65,535 counts per second (‘ cps ‘) at surface, in addition to 112 further occurrences of highly anomalous*** radioactivity up to 13,500 cps across the Project.
  • Discovery of New Radioactive Showings : Scintillometer prospecting uncovered previously undocumented radioactive occurrences across the Project in favorable rock types for uranium and Rare Earth Element (‘ REE ‘) mineralization.
  • Favorable Uranium Host Rocks : Geological mapping along structural and electromagnetic (‘ EM ‘) trends across the Project confirmed the presence of deformed and hydrothermally altered basement lithologies including metasedimentary, calc-silicate, and granitic rocks.
  • Ongoing Exploration : An extensive ground gravity survey is being planned for Q4 2025, designed to identify density anomalies potentially representing hydrothermal alteration systems coincident with newly refined EM conductor trends across the Project. A diamond drill program is being planned for Q1 2026 to begin testing targets developed and ranked through the detailed programs executed in 2025.

Michael Mulberry, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented, ‘We are proud to announce preliminary results from our 2025 Exploration Program at the Corvo Project. With the identification of strong radioactivity at the Manhattan showing, and favourable results from geological mapping along key trends at the Project, we are well positioned to complete a near term ground gravity survey.’

Figure 1. Regional Map of the Corvo Uranium Project

2025 Prospecting Program – Preliminary Results

Beginning July 4 and concluding July 16, 2025, the technical team completed a detailed mapping, prospecting, and sampling program to ground-truth historical uranium showings at surface on the Project (the ‘ Program ‘):

  • A total of 30 outcrop and boulder grab samples have been submitted to Saskatchewan Research Council Geoanalytical Laboratories in Saskatoon, SK for whole-rock, uranium, and REE geochemical analysis. Results will be released and incorporated into the first NI 43-101 technical report on the Project.
  • More than 160 detailed geological observations, structural measurements, and scintillometer readings were taken from several outcrops across the Project within the T-Lake, Dorward, Unnamed, Finger, Snout, Hook, and Sheppard Lake areas.
  • Prospecting confirmed several uraniferous outcrops and boulders across the Project, including the Manhattan showing (1.19 to 5.98% U3O8) and SMDI showing 2052 (0.137% U3O8 and 2,300 ppm Th). 1 Off-scale radioactivity >65,535 cps was measured at the Manhattan showing (Please see Figures 2 and 3).
  • A total of 112 handheld scintillometer readings of anomalous radioactivity >300 cps were recorded, including six measurements >10,000 cps at surface (Please see Figure 4). Prospecting for radioactive boulders and outcrop was completed using handheld RS-120 Super-Scintillometers and RS-125 Super-Spectrometers manufactured by Radiation Solutions Inc.

Figure 2. Close-up photos of fault-controlled mineralization (black vitreous minerals) and secondary iron oxide alteration at surface at the Manhattan showing (Dorward Lake area), reaching >65,535 cps on the RS-125 Super-Spectrometer.

At the Corvo Uranium Project, uranium mineralization is present along a strike length of 800 metres in historical drill holes TL-79-3 (0.057% U3O8 over 3.5 m) to TL-79-5 (0.065% U3O8 over 0.1 m). Recent expansion of the Project adds multiple new data points of uranium anomalism in the south, including surface sample JBWLR011, returning 1,420 ppm U.

Figure 3. Expanded view of fault-controlled mineralization and alteration products on surface at the Manhattan showing, reaching >65,535 cps over more than one metre.

Figure 4. Newly discovered hematized magnetite-rich pegmatitic orthogneiss reaching upwards of 13,500 cps, in the T-Lake area.

Future Exploration Plans

Supplementary geophysical surveys across the Project are being designed to further refine drill targets for an inaugural drill program. The Company plans to complete a high-resolution ground gravity survey across the main conductive trends on the Project, aiming to identify potential hydrothermal alteration halos which could be related to basement-hosted uranium mineralization.

Earlie r this year, Standard Uranium contracte d Axiom Exploration Group Ltd. in partnership wi t h New Resolution Geophysics to carry out a helico p ter-borne Xcite time domain electr o magnetic and total field ma g netic survey over the Project 2 . The survey totalled approximately 1,380 line-kms w ith a traverse line spacing of 100 m and tie-line spacing of 1,000 m. The airborne TDEM survey outlines several kilometers of conductive anomalies and magnetic features in bedrock, effectively enhancing the resolution of more than 29 kilometres of conductive trends on the Project.

The magnetic survey component of the TDEM survey contributes to definition of potential fault systems and structural trends not previously identified across the Project related to historical uranium showings at surface and in historical drill holes.

Ongoing geophysical interpretation and modeling is being completed to integrate historical surveys with newly collected datasets, which will provide high-priority drill targets and significantly derisk the Project prior to modern drilling in 2026.

Qualified Person Statement

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed, verified, and approved by Sean Hillacre, P.Geo., President and VP Exploration of Standard Uranium and a ‘qualified person’ as defined in NI 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Historical data disclosed in this news release relating to sampling results from previous operators are historical in nature. Neither the Company nor a qualified person has yet verified this data and therefore investors should not place undue reliance on such data. The Company’s future exploration work may include verification of the data. The Company considers historical results to be relevant as an exploration guide and to assess the mineralization as well as economic potential of exploration projects. Any historical grab samples disclosed are selected samples and may not represent true underlying mineralization.

Natural gamma radiation in diamond drill core reported in this news release was measured in counts per second (cps) using a handheld RS-125 super-spectrometer and RS-120 super-scintillometer. Readers are cautioned that scintillometer readings are not uniformly or directly related to uranium grades of the rock sample measured and should be treated only as a preliminary indication of the presence of radioactive minerals. The RS-125 and RS-120 units supplied by Radiation Solutions Inc. (‘RSI’) have been calibrated on specially designed Test Pads by RSI. Standard Uranium maintains an internal QA/QC procedure for calibration and calculation of drift in radioactivity readings through three test pads containing known concentrations of radioactive minerals. Internal test pad radioactivity readings are known and regularly compared to readings measured by the handheld scintillometers for QA/QC purposes.

References

1 SMDI# 2052: https://mineraldeposits.saskatchewan.ca/Home/Viewdetails/2052 & Mineral Assessment Report MAW00047: Eagle Plains Resources Inc., 2011-2012

2 Standard Uranium Provides Exploration Update Highlighting Results of Gravity and TDEM Surveys on Three Eastern Athabasca Uranium Projects, News Release, March 13, 2025. https://standarduranium.ca/news-releases/standard-uranium-provides-exploration-update-tdem-surveys-on-three-eastern-athabasca-uranium/

*The Company considers uranium mineralization with concentrations greater than 1.0 wt% U3O8 to be ‘high-grade’.

**The Company considers radioactivity readings greater than 65,535 counts per second (cps) on a handheld RS-125 Super-Spectrometer to be ‘off-scale’.

***The Company considers radioactivity readings greater than 300 counts per second (cps) on a handheld RS-125 Super-Spectrometer to be ‘anomalous’.

About Aventis Energy Inc.

Aventis Energy Inc. (CSE: AVE | FRA: C0O0 | OTC: VBAMF) is a mineral exploration company dedicated to the development of strategic projects comprised of battery, base and precious metals in stable jurisdictions. The Company is working to advance its Corvo Uranium & Sting Copper Project.

The Corvo Uranium property has historical drill holes intersected multiple intervals of uranium mineralization, notably along a strike length of 800 metres between historical drill holes TL-79-3 ( 0.116% U 3 O 8 over 1.05 m ) and TL-79-5 ( 0.065% U 3 O 8 over 0.15 m ) 2 . High-grade* Uranium at Surface with the Manhattan showing ( 1.19 to 5.98% U 3 O 8 ) and SMDI showing 2052 ( 0.137% U 3 O 8 and 2,300 ppm Th ).

The Sting Copper Project covers approximately 12,700 hectares and recently had results of 54.8m at 0.32% Cu starting at a depth of 27.0m, with higher-grade intervals including six samples (≥0.5m length) ranging from 0.96% to 5.43% Cu. High grade samples of 0.5m at 2.85% Cu and 0.5m at 1.92% Cu with an additional broader interval of 31.1m at 0.27% Cu.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Michael Mulberry
Chief Executive Officer, Director
+1 (604) 229-9772
info@vitalbatterymetals.com

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain ‘Forward-Looking Statements’ within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and ‘forward-looking information’ under applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words ‘anticipate’, ‘believe’, ‘estimate’, ‘expect’, ‘target’, ‘plan’, ‘forecast’, ‘may’, ‘would’, ‘could’, ‘schedule’ and similar words or expressions, identify forward-looking statements or information.

Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information relating to any future mineral production, liquidity, enhanced value and capital markets profile of Aventis, future growth potential for Aventis and its business, and future exploration plans are based on management’s reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on management’s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the price of uranium, copper, gold and other metals; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; Aventis’ ability to operate in a safe and effective manner and its ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms.

This news release contains ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of the Canadian securities laws. Statements, other than statements of historical fact, may constitute forward looking information and include, without limitation, statements with respect to the Project and its mineralization potential; the Company’s objectives, goals, or future plans with respect to the Project; statements with respect to the Program; expected benefits of the Program; and the Company’s anticipated exploration program at the Project. With respect to the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made numerous assumptions regarding, among other things, the geological, metallurgical, engineering, financial and economic advice that the Company has received is reliable and are based upon practices and methodologies which are consistent with industry standards. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies. Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. Known risk factors include, among others: fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of well results and the geology, continuity and grade of uranium, copper, gold and other metal deposits; uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs, recovery rates, production estimates and estimated economic return; the need for cooperation of government agencies in the exploration and development of properties and the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs or in construction projects and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals; increased costs and restrictions on operations due to compliance with environmental and other requirements; increased costs affecting the metals industry and increased competition in the metals industry for properties, qualified personnel, and management. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e8e733e7-dcb6-4095-8da8-ce86c9ef42f6

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d23d1cf1-1881-4c92-b544-929907bbc822

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a237ab5b-a971-432e-b537-61b98e4ad47e

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/598dc24c-5005-4b68-9d4b-de69ab453e53

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Finlay Minerals completes Field Work on Newly Identified Geophysical Targets on the SAY and JJB Properties

Investing 6 Mins Read

finlay minerals ltd. (TSXV: FYL,OTC:FYMNF) (OTCQB: FYMNF) (‘Finlay’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce that the results from airborne magnetic surveys conducted over the SAY and JJB properties (refer to Figure 1 ), have identified significant northwest- and northeast-trending structures. These structures resemble those found in the Toodoggone area of British Columbia which is recognized for its potential to host larger porphyry and epithermal deposits. A total of 1,900 kilometres (‘km’) of airborne magnetic survey data was collected over the two properties.

Follow-up groundwork at the SAY property focused on the IFT target, where a large circular magnetic anomaly, measuring 2.5 km by 2.5 km, was identified. This anomaly displays geophysical signatures similar to those observed in other copper porphyry deposits. Additionally, a second kilometre-scale target, known as Ozzy, was identified. Ozzy is located at the intersection of a northeast-trending magnetic anomaly and a northwest-trending magnetic anomaly. Further follow-up work is planned for both targets.

The SAY property was acquired in 2024, and an inaugural field program concentrated on chip sampling and mapping along the 4.3-kilometer-long SPUR Trend last summer. This effort led to the discovery of the 200 m x 200 m copper-silver mineralized AG Zone and confirmed the continuity of high-grade copper-silver mineralization at the Spur Target.  Chip sampling at the AG Zone included 9.5 metres of 0.94% Cu and 18.1 g/t Ag . (1)

The JJB property was staked in February, 2025 for its porphyry potential. Three main copper showings—Squingula, Quin, and Pat—have been identified. Squingula and Quin are located near an Eocene intrusion on the western side, and show a coincident magnetic high linked to a multi-element geochemical anomaly from limited sampling. This summer, fieldwork focused on the PAT target, one of three potential targets. This work aimed to evaluate the similarities between the high-grade copper-silver mineralization found at JJB and the SPUR/AG targets within the SAY Property.

SAY & JJB Project Highlights:

SAY 2025 Program :

JJB 2025 Program :

•       Over 1,200 line-km of airborne magnetics

•       Completion of Finlay’s inaugural field program

•       Completion of property-wide LiDAR survey

•       Completion of property-wide LiDAR survey

•       Completion of satellite mineral alteration survey (PhotoSat)

•       Completion of satellite mineral alteration survey (PhotoSat)

•       84 rock samples collected

•       700 line-km of airborne magnetics

•       307 soil samples collected

•       18 rock samples collected

•       275 biogeochemistry samples collected

•       35 soil and talus samples collected

Processing of the LiDAR and satellite mineral alteration data is on-going.  All field samples have been submitted to the laboratory for analysis with results pending.

Situated in the underexplored Bear Lake corridor, the SAY and JJB projects are part of a 135-kilometre geological corridor that includes American Eagle Gold’s NAK project, as well as Amarc Resources and Boliden Mineral Canada’s DUKE copper-molybdenum-silver-gold prospects.

PIL and ATTY Project Updates:

Exploration work at the PIL and ATTY Toodoggone projects is on-going and anticipated to be completed within the next two weeks with continued induced polarization geophysical surveys. The PIL and ATTY work is fully funded by Freeport-McMoRan Mineral Properties Canada Inc. under their respective Earn-In Agreements (2) with Finlay acting as the operator.

References:

Qualified Person:

Wade Barnes , P. Geo. and Vice President, Exploration for Finlay Minerals and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has approved the technical content of this news release.

About finlay minerals ltd.

Finlay is a TSXV company focused on exploration for base and precious metal deposits through the advancement of its ATTY, PIL, JJB, SAY and Silver Hope Properties; these properties host copper-gold porphyry and gold-silver epithermal targets within different porphyry districts of northern and central BC. Each property is located in areas of recent development and porphyry discoveries with the advantage of hosting the potential for new discoveries.

Finlay trades under the symbol ‘FYL’ on the TSXV and under the symbol ‘FYMNF’ on the OTCQB. For further information and details, please visit the Company’s website at www.finlayminerals.com

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Robert F. Brown ,
Executive Chairman of the Board

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Information: This news release includes certain ‘forward-looking information’ and ‘forward-looking statements’ (collectively, ‘forward-looking statements’) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, although not always, identified by words such as ‘expect’, ‘plan’, ‘anticipate’, ‘project’, ‘target’, ‘potential’, ‘schedule’, ‘forecast’, ‘budget’, ‘estimate’, ‘intend’ or ‘believe’ and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions ‘will’, ‘would’, ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘should’ or ‘might’ occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding, among others, the exploration plans for the Properties. Although Finlay believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. These forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions including, among other things, assumptions regarding general business and economic conditions, the timing and receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals, the ability of Finlay and other parties to satisfy stock exchange and other regulatory requirements in a timely manner, the availability of financing for Finlay’s proposed transactions and programs on reasonable terms, and the ability of third-party service providers to deliver services in a timely manner. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Finlay does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE finlay minerals ltd.

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2025/22/c1184.html

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Crypto Market Update: US$1.5B Bullish Crypto Bets Liquidated in Sharpest Drop Since March

Investing 6 Mins Read

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Monday (September 22) as of 9:00 a.m. UTC.

Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ethereum and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$112,653, a 2.7 percent decrease in 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$112,293 after an earlier price peak of US$115,775.

Bitcoin price performance, September 22, 2025.

Chart via TradingView

Bitcoin dropped to US$112,000 range after falling below a key support level, triggering the year’s largest long-liquidation event — over US$1.7 billion in leveraged long positions were closed. The decline came even as some investor accumulation showed through surging exchange outflows and rising longs on platforms like Bitfinex, which added pressure from both sides.

Ether (ETH) was trading at US$4,181.86, down by 6.4 percent. Its lowest valuation as of Monday was US$4,145.53, while the cryptocurrency’s highest was US$4,497.46.

Altcoin price update

  • Solana (SOL) was priced at US$221.91, a decrease of 7.5 percent over the last 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$220.28, while its highest valuation was US$240.05.
  • XRP was trading for US$2.82, down by 5.5 percent in the past 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$2.78, while its highest was US$2.99.
  • SUI (Sui) was valued at US$3.32, trading at its lowest valuation of the day and down by 8.2 percent over the past 24 hours. Its highest price point on Monday was US$3.67.
  • Cardano (ADA) was priced at US$0.8246, down by 7.0 percent over 24 hours. Its lowest value of the day was US$0.813, while its highest value was US$0.8893.

Last week’s crypto recap

Last week saw crypto markets consolidate into a tight range.

BTC largely held just below its all-time high of US$118,000), trading around US$116,000 to US$117.000 most of the week. Meanwhile, ETH quietly rallied: large spot-ETH ETF inflows of nearly US$2.13 billion on September 19 alone pushed ETH briefly above US$4,500.

Meanwhile, the Fed’s expected 25 bps rate cut on September 17 produced only a muted “sell-the-news” reaction.

BTC briefly surged above US.$117,000 on the news. Moreover, investors poured more money into crypto funds: about US$1.9 billion flowed into exchange-traded crypto products last week, translating roughly US$977 million into BTC ETFs and US$772 million into ETH funds. This brought BTC ETF inflows hovering around US$3.9 billion over the past four weeks.

Recent policy developments last week also broadened crypto’s institutional access. The SEC approved the first spot ETFs for altcoins, as REX-Osprey XRP ETF (CBOE:XRPR) and REX-Osprey DOGE ETF (CBOE:DOJE). For stablecoins, Tether launched a new US-compliant dollar token (“USA₮”) under the GENIUS Act.

Fear and Greed Index snapshot

Chart via CoinMarketCap

CMC’s Crypto Fear & Greed Index remained firmly in neutral territory over the past week. The tracker shows readings oscillating around 50: for instance, it registered 53 on September 17, then dipped to 48 by September 20 and 49 by September 21.

Currently, the index remains registered on neutral territory at 47. The past week’s negative funding rates on perpetual futures and long/short ratios suggest slight caution, but strong ETF inflows and recent whale buying show underlying bullish conviction from investors.

Things to look out for

Over the course of this week, traders will be keeping a very close eye on the Federal Reserve and the tone at the Fed, combined with how recent economic data compares to expectations.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will be speaking, after the policy-outlook statement. If the upcoming economic data disappoints, analysts say that there is a risk that BTC could retest support in the low US$112,000 range.

Meanwhile, a dovish pivot could rapidly reignite inflows into ETFs and “riskier” assets, lifting all boats including volatile altcoins.

Furthermore, the report on US existing home sales data is also due on Wednesday (September 23). The data gives insight into the state of the housing market, which is one of the key components of consumer spending and overall economic health.

Today’s crypto news to know

Bullish crypto bets unwind as US$1.5 billion liquidated

Crypto markets endured their steepest shakeout in months after more than US$1.5 billion in leveraged long positions were wiped out on Monday (September 22), according to Coinglass.

Ether bore the brunt of the rout, plunging as much as 9 percent to US$4,075, while Bitcoin briefly slipped 3 percent to US$111,998. The wave marked the largest round of liquidations since March 27, with more than 407,000 traders seeing positions erased in just 24 hours.

Analysts pointed to fading demand from digital-asset treasury firms, whose stock retreats signaled waning appetite for large-scale token hoarding. Funding rates for Ether futures have also now turned negative, a sign that short sellers are paying to maintain bearish bets.

Overall, crypto market capitalization dropped below US$4 trillion, while gold prices surged to fresh records near US$3,720 an ounce.

Metaplanet climbs to fifth-largest corporate Bitcoin holder

Tokyo-based Metaplanet has cemented itself as a heavyweight in corporate crypto holdings, announcing the purchase of 5,419 BTC worth US$633 million.

The acquisition boosts its total stash to 25,555 BTC valued at nearly US$3 billion, making it the fifth-largest corporate Bitcoin treasury, according to BitcoinTreasuries.net.

The buy came at an average of about US$117,000 per Bitcoin, leaving the firm temporarily down almost 4 percent as spot prices hovered closer to US$112,500.

Despite the purchase, Metaplanet’s stock has struggled to keep pace. The company’s shares have tumbled by more than 30 PERCENT over the past month even as shares rose modestly this week.

London prepares for US$7 billion Bitcoin fraud trial

The UK is bracing for one of its most significant crypto trials as Zhimin Qian, a Chinese national accused of orchestrating a US$7 billion Ponzi-style fraud, faces charges in London starting September 29.

Qian allegedly ran Tianjin Lantian Gerui Electronic Technology, a scheme that lured nearly 130,000 investors in China with promises of triple-digit returns between 2014 and 2017.

After China’s crypto ban, she fled to Britain and converted proceeds into Bitcoin, some of which were later seized in UK money laundering probes linked to her associate Jian Wen, already convicted in 2024.

Prosecutors have avoided direct fraud charges, instead focusing on offenses tied to the possession and transfer of illicit cryptocurrency.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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Perpetua’s Stibnite Gold-Antimony Project Gets Green Light for Construction

Investing 3 Mins Read

Perpetua Resources (TSX:PPTA,NASDAQ:PPTA) has secured final federal clearance to move forward with construction of its Stibnite gold-antimony project in Idaho.

The US Forest Service issued a conditional notice to proceed last week, confirming that the company has met all requirements outlined in its January 2025 record of decision.

“After 8 years of extensive permitting review and over $400 million invested, it is finally time for the Stibnite Gold Project to deliver for America,” said Jon Cherry, Perpetua’s president and CEO.

“With the US Forest Service’s Notice to Proceed and the joint financial assurance package approved, we are ready to begin to bring Stibnite back to life as a national strategic asset,” he added.

The project can advance once Perpetua posts the joint financial assurance bonds agreed to with state and federal regulators.Once posted, regulators will sign off on Perpetua’s operating plan, clearing the way for construction to begin.

The Stibnite project carries both strategic and environmental ambitions. It is expected to supply more than 100 million pounds of antimony over its projected 15 year mine life, potentially meeting more than a third of US annual demand.

Antimony, used in munitions and advanced defense systems, is currently imported largely from China.

The project is also designed to produce about 450,000 ounces of gold annually. Proven and probable reserves at the site include 148 million pounds of antimony and more than 6 million ounces of gold.

Beyond mineral production, the project is pitched as an environmental restoration initiative for a heavily impacted historical mine site. Plans call for cleaning up legacy contamination, reconnecting salmon to native spawning grounds, improving water temperatures and enhancing wetlands and stream habitats.

The final mine plan reduces the project footprint by 13 percent compared to earlier designs and frontloads restoration work to occur alongside mining activities.

Perpetua began formal permitting under the National Environmental Policy Act in 2016.

The Forest Service, as lead agency, issued a draft environmental impact statement in 2020, followed by a supplemental draft in 2022 and a final environmental impact statement in 2024.

The final record of decision came in January after a process that drew more than 23,000 supportive public comments.

The Trump administration included the Stibnite project on its FAST-41 permitting transparency list earlier this year, placing it among infrastructure and resource projects deemed nationally significant and eligible for expedited review.

Perpetua’s shares reflected the regulatory breakthrough, climbing 2.2 percent in pre-market trading on Friday (September 19) following the notice to proceed. The company expects bonding to be completed within weeks, paving the way for site work and a targeted commercial production in 2028.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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Locksley Continues to Strengthen its Position in Paving Pathway to 100% Made in America

Investing 2 Mins Read

Company Reports Exceptional Initial Metallurgical Results for Its US Mojave Project

Locksley Resources Ltd. (ASX: LKY,OTC:LKYRF; OTCQB: LKYRF) announced it has achieved significant results from initial metallurgical testwork completed by the company on samples collected from the Desert Antimony Mine (DAM) Prospect. These results validate that the Mojave Project can deliver feedstock required to underpin a domestic mine-to-market antimony supply chain. Recovery rates of the level indicated in the initial testing confirm Locksley’s pathway to 100% Made in America Antimony, which is directly aligned with U.S. government priorities for onshore critical mineral supply security.

For the six samples assessed, antimony grades ranged from a low of 27.5% to a high of 39.1%. Recovery rates ranged from 82.9% to 85.9% among the six samples. Additional details are available here: https://cdn-api.markitdigital.com/apiman-gateway/ASX/asx-research/1.0/file/2924-02996029-6A1284968&v=c2533a54e2514fb77a8f93f84db686e1125273e9

‘This is an excellent milestone to have achieved for the Mojave Project,’ said Julian Woodcock , Technical Director of Locksley Resources. ‘It demonstrates that conventional flotation technology is suitable to produce a stibnite concentrate from the Desert Antimony Mine Prospect. What is also remarkable is the success of the testwork on surface samples, which have been susceptible to oxidation. I am extremely encouraged by the results and optimistic that with further testwork we will be able to improve on this already high-quality first-pass outcome. This activity continues to rapidly advance our strategy to provide onshore supply of antimony to the U.S. market.’

Concentrate from these tests was sent to Rice University to commence with Deep Eutectic Solvent Extraction testwork using Rice University’s Deep Solv methodology, in conjunction with the recently announced partnership by Locksley and Rice .

Locksley Resources ( https://www.locksleyresources.com.au ) is an Australian-based explorer focused on critical minerals and base metals, with assets in both the U.S. and Australia . The company is actively advancing its U.S. asset, the Mojave Project, in California , targeting rare earth elements (REEs) and antimony. The company has also announced a strategic collaboration with Rice University to develop DeepSolv, for domestic processing of North American antimony. The agreement is part of Locksley’s U.S. Critical Minerals and Energy Resilience Strategy to accelerate ‘mine-to-market’ deployment of antimony in the U.S.

Contact: Beverly Jedynak , beverly.jedynak@viriathus.com , 312-943-1123; 773-350-5793 (cell)

View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/locksley-continues-to-strengthen-its-position-in-paving-pathway-to-100-made-in-america-302562438.html

SOURCE Locksley Resources

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Copper Quest Closes Second and Final Tranche of Financing

Investing 7 Mins Read

// Not for distribution to the United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States //

Copper Quest Exploration Inc. (CSE: CQX; FRA: 3MX) (‘ Copper Quest ‘ or the ‘ Company ‘) is pleased to announce that it has closed the second and final tranche (the ‘ Second Tranche ‘) of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the ‘ Private Placement ‘) with the issuance of 4,070,534 units (the ‘ Units ‘, and each, a ‘ Unit ‘) of the Company at a price of $0.075 per Unit for gross proceeds of $305,290.05.

Each Unit consists of one (1) common share of the Company (‘ Share ‘) and one (1) Share purchase warrant, whereby each Share purchase warrant (‘ Warrant ‘) is convertible into an additional Share (‘ Warrant Share ‘) at an exercise price of $0.15 per Warrant Share. Each Warrant will expire on September 19, 2027 (the ‘ Expiry Date ‘), being the date that is two (2) years following the date of issuance. The Expiry Date is subject to acceleration in the event the closing price of the Company’s common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange is equal to or greater than C$0.29 for a period of 10 consecutive trading days at any time after that date which is four (4) months following the date of issuance, in which case the Expiry Date of the Warrants shall automatically accelerate and the Warrants will expire on that date which is 30 days from the date of notice of such acceleration event.

In connection with the Private Placement, the Company paid aggregate finder’s fees in the amount of $5,040 to eligible finders and issued a total of 67,200 finder warrants (the ‘ Finder Warrants ‘). The terms of the Finder Warrants are the same as the Warrants.

An insider of the Company acquired an aggregate of 680,000 units. The participation by the insider in the Private Placement constitutes a ‘related party transaction’ as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (‘ MI 61-101 ‘). The Company relied on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as neither the fair market value of the securities purchased by insiders, nor the consideration for the securities paid by such insiders, exceeded 25% of CQX’s market capitalization. The Company did not file a material change report in respect of the related party transaction at least 21 days before the closing of the Private Placement, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances in order to complete the Offering in an expeditious manner. The Private Placement was unanimously approved by the Board.

Proceeds from the Private Placement are intended for exploration activities and general working capital purposes. All securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a statutory hold period expiring January 20, 2026, being the date that is four months and one day from the date of issuance.

The securities described herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the ‘ U.S. Securities Act ‘), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold absent registration or compliance with an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Copper

Copper is an essential industrial metal at the heart of the global energy transition and modern infrastructure. It plays a critical role in electrification, renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, data centers, and smart technologies. With global demand rising and new supply challenged by declining grades, complex permitting, and underinvestment, the copper market faces persistent deficits and growing geopolitical scrutiny. Recent U.S. policy announcements, including import tariffs and initiatives to secure domestic and allied supply chains, underscore copper’s strategic importance and the need for resilient, localized resource exploration, development, production and processing capacity.

About Copper Quest Inc.

Copper Quest (CSE: CQX; OTCQB: IMIMF; FRA: 3MX) is focused on building shareholder value through the exploration and development of its North American Critical Mineral portfolio of assets. The Company’s land package currently comprises four projects that span over 40,000+ hectares in great mining jurisdictions.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the Stars Property, a porphyry copper-molybdenum discovery, covering 9,693 hectares in central British Columbia’s Bulkley Porphyry Belt. Contiguous to the Stars Property Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the 5,389 ha Stellar Property. CQX also has an earn-in option up to 80% and joint-venture agreement on the 4,700 ha porphyry copper-molybdenum Rip Project, also in the Bulkley Porphyry Belt.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the Thane Project located in the Quesnel Terrane of Northern BC which spans over 20,658 ha with 10 high-priority targets identified demonstrating significant copper and precious metal mineralization potential.

Copper Quest’s leadership and advisory teams are senior mining industry executives who have a wealth of technical and capital markets experience and a strong track record of discovering, financing, developing, and operating mining projects on a global scale. Copper Quest is committed to sustainable and responsible business activities in line with industry best practices, supportive of all stakeholders, including the local communities in which it operates. The Company’s common shares are principally listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange under the symbol ‘CQX’. For more information on Copper Quest, please visit the Company’s website at Copper Quest .

On behalf of the Board of Copper Quest Exploration Inc.

Brian Thurston, P.Geo.
Chief Executive Officer and Director
Tel: 778-949-1829

For further information contact:

Kelly Abbott
Investor Relations
info@copper.quest

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain ‘forward-looking information’ and ‘forward-looking statements’ (collectively, ‘ forward-looking statements ‘) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein, including without limitation, statements relating the future operations and activities of Copper Quest, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘believes’, ‘intends’, ‘estimates’, ‘potential’, ‘possible’, and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results ‘will’, ‘may’, ‘could’, or ‘should’ occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the expected use of proceeds from the Private Placement. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, risks associated with possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, risks associated with the interpretation of exploration results, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company’s exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company’s business and prospects. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this press release, and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia

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Top 5 Canadian Mining Stocks This Week: Japan Gold Rises 119 Percent

Investing 10 Mins Read

Statistics Canada released July’s monthly mineral production survey on Friday (September 19). The data showed gold production increased month-over-month, while copper and silver declined; shipments, however, saw broad declines from June for all three metals.

Gold production increased significantly to 18,855 kilograms compared to 16,935 kilograms in June. Meanwhile, copper production fell to 37.99 million kilograms from 39.17 million kilograms in June, and silver production slipped to 25,345 kilograms from 28,390 kilograms.

As for shipments, gold shipments slid to 16,748 kilograms from 18,554, copper fell to 39.28 million kilograms from 45.96 million, and silver decreased to 26,397 kilograms from 31,181.

StatsCan released August’s consumer price index (CPI) data on Tuesday (September 16), the day before the Bank of Canada’s interest rate decision. The release showed that all-items inflation rose 1.9 percent on a yearly basis, up from the 1.7 percent recorded in July.

The agency attributed the faster growth in headline inflation in part to a slower year-over-year decline in gasoline prices, which fell 12.7 percent in August versus 16.1 percent in July, resulting in a less moderating effect on inflation than during the previous month.

StatsCan noted that without volatile gasoline prices included, CPI in August rose 2.4 percent year-over-year after registering a 2.5 percent increase in the three previous months.

The Bank of Canada chose to reduce its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points to 2.5 percent on Wednesday (September 17), noting ‘a weaker economy and less upside risk to inflation.’ It marks the first cut since March, when it set the rate at 2.75 percent.

South of the border, the US Federal Reserve held its September meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee on Tuesday and Wednesday. The US central bank also chose to cut 25 basis points from the Federal Funds Rate, bringing it to the 4 percent to 4.25 percent range. It is the first change to the interest rate since the last 25 basis point cut in December 2024.

For more on what’s moving markets this week, check out our top market news roundup.

Markets and commodities react

Canadian equity markets were in positive territory this week.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) set another new record high this week, ending the week up 1.29 percent to 29,768.36. The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) performed even better, climbing 2.65 percent to finish Friday at 904.80, its first close above 900 since January 2022. The CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) also jumped, gaining 4.98 percent to end the week at 162.04.

The gold price was in focus again this week as it climbed to another new record, reaching an intraday high of US$3,707 per ounce on Wednesday ahead of the FOMC meeting. While the price retreated slightly to US$3,642 on Thursday, it ended the week up 1.15 percent overall at US$3,685.26 per ounce.

The silver price was also volatile, rising to US$42.83 per ounce early in the week before dipping below US$42 per ounce in mid-week trading. It bounced back to end the week on 14 year highs, gaining 2.11 percent to close Friday at US$43.08.

Copper saw its mid-week gains erased by the end of the week, closing Friday largely flat at US$4.63 per pound. The S&P Goldman Sachs Commodities Index (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) echoed those movements with a 0.06 percent gain to end the week at 545.95.

Top Canadian mining stocks this week

How did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?

Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.

Stocks data for this article was retrieved at 4:00 p.m. EDT on Friday using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market caps greater than C$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.

1. Japan Gold (TSXV:JG)

Weekly gain: 119.05 percent
Market cap: C$50.3 million
Share price: C$0.23

Japan Gold is an exploration company focused on a portfolio of Japan-based gold assets.

Its most advanced property is the Mizobe gold project located in Southern Kyushu. The site hosts several exploration targets covering an area of 2 kilometers by 2.5 kilometers and has produced river float samples up to 18.9 g/t of gold.

The company is also working on a trio of projects with Barrick (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B), the most advanced of which is the Hakuryu project located in Northern Hokkaido. The company has identified several targets, including the Hakuryu No. 3 vein, which hosts a 360 meter main zone with a thickness of 20 meters.

Shares in Japan Gold gained significantly at the end of the week; however, the company has not released news since September 9, when it reported that it had mobilized for a four-hole, 1,600 meter drill program at Mizobe.

2. Minnova (TSXV:MCI)

Weekly gain: 110 percent
Market cap: C$21.06 million
Share price: C$0.21

Minnova is an exploration and development company advancing its brownfield PL gold mine in Manitoba, Canada.

The property consists of 28 mining claims and covers an area of 5,114 hectares. An April 2018 feasibility study for the project indicated project economics with an after-tax net present value of C$36.7 million, an internal rate of return of 53 percent and a payback period of 1.2 years, calculated at a gold price of US$1,250 per ounce.

The company has been working to restart the mine over the past few years, but faced funding shortfalls. Trading for Minnova was halted on August 6 as it worked to resolve financial issues to maintain its listing on the TSXV.

On September 11, the company announced that trading would resume on the TSXV alongside a corporate update. It disclosed that it had a working capital deficiency of C$544,611 and is planning a private placement to address the shortfall. Funds will also go towards ongoing activities at PL, including drilling, test work and updated NI 43-101 techno-economic studies.

Minnova also announced that it is advancing plans for preliminary open-pit and underground mine design and layout, and that work on a new mine development plan that takes into account higher gold prices is underway.

Shares in Minnova have surged since trading resumed earlier this week from their price of under C$0.10 before the halt.

3. Stamper Oil and Gas (TSXV:STMP)

Weekly gain: 98.26 percent
Market cap: C$16.02 million
Share price: C$0.018

Stamper Oil and Gas is an exploration and development company working to advance offshore projects in Namibia.

The company holds an interest in five exploration blocks in Namibia; its most significant holding is a 32.9 percent stake in PEL 107 located in the Orange Basin. PEL 107 covers an area of 5,484 square kilometers and is located 210 kilometers from shore in an area that hosts three multi-billion-barrel discoveries since 2022.

The company has been conducting seismic work ahead of the planned drilling of an exploration well set to commence in 2027.

Stamper completed the acquisition of its holdings in the Namibian blocks on September 10, when it reported it had closed its purchase of BISP Exploration, originally announced on May 12.

4. New Break Resources (CSE:NBRK)

Weekly gain: 93.33 percent
Market cap: C$17.03 million
Share price: C$0.29

New Break Resources is a gold exploration company working to advance its Moray gold project in Northeastern Ontario, Canada.

The property is located near Timmins, within the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, and spans an area of 10,326 hectares. Additionally, it is situated 32 kilometres northwest of Alamos Gold’s (TSX:AGI) Young-Davidson gold mine, which produced 174,000 ounces of gold in 2024.

On Wednesday, New Break announced results from its six-hole, 1,502-meter maiden diamond drilling program at the site. The company highlighted one assay with an average grade of 4.11 grams per metric ton (g/t) gold over 31.3 meters, including an interval of 6.75 g/t over 7.1 meters.

The prior week, the company closed the final tranche of an oversubscribed private placement. In total, the company raised proceeds of C$1 million over three tranches, which will be used for ongoing exploration at Moray and for general working capital purposes.

5. Clean Tech Vanadium Mining (TSXV:CTV)

Weekly gain: 91.67 percent
Market cap: C$15.77 million
Share price: C$0.115

CleanTech Vanadium is an exploration company working to advance several critical mineral projects in the US.

Its most recent focus has been on its Kentucky-Illinois fluorspar projects, which consist of over a dozen deposits covering over 8,150 acres along the border of Kentucky and Illinois. Mining in the region dates back to the late 1800s and has produced 12.5 million metric tons of fluorspar, according to the company.

CleanTech also owns the Gibellini vanadium project in Nevada, US. The project has been approved for multiple state permits and received a positive environmental impact statement from the Bureau of Land Management. According to the project page, the site covers 21 kilometers and hosts a measured and indicated vanadium oxide resource of 127 million pounds.

Additionally, the company announced on August 6 that it had acquired the El Triunfo gold-antimony project near La Paz, Bolivia, from Silver Elephant for cash considerations of C$155,000.

The most recent announcement from CleanTech came on Tuesday when it welcomed an additional US$1 billion in funding programs from the Department of Energy (DoE) that was announced on August 13. It also highlighted the continued inclusion of fluorspar, germanium, gallium, indium and vanadium on the US Geological Survey’s Critical Minerals list.

CleanTech stated that it intends to explore funding options with the DoE, with a focus on advancing its Illinois-Kentucky fluorspar district. The company noted that the Department of Defense is funding research at the nearby Hicks Dome rare earth and fluorspar project in Illinois.

FAQs for Canadian mining stocks

What is the difference between the TSX and TSXV?

The TSX, or Toronto Stock Exchange, is used by senior companies with larger market caps, and the TSXV, or TSX Venture Exchange, is used by smaller-cap companies. Companies listed on the TSXV can graduate to the senior exchange.

How many mining companies are listed on the TSX and TSXV?

As of May 2025, there were 1,565 companies listed on the TSXV, 910 of which were mining companies. Comparatively, the TSX was home to 1,899 companies, with 181 of those being mining companies.

Together, the TSX and TSXV host around 40 percent of the world’s public mining companies.

How much does it cost to list on the TSXV?

There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.

The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.

These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.

How do you trade on the TSXV?

Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange’s trading hours.

Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.

Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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Crypto Market Update: Stablecoin Funding Hits Record, Ethereum Sets Next Hard Fork Date

Investing 8 Mins Read

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Friday (September 19) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.

Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ethereum and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$115,191, a 1.9 percent decrease in 24 hours, and its lowest valuation of the day, after an earlier price peak to US$116,450.

Bitcoin price performance, September 19, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

The crypto market showed strength this week, bolstered by investor confidence after the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut on Wednesday (September 17) and NVIDIA’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) US$5 billion investment in Intel (NASDAQ:INTC).

Meanwhile, the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) adoption of new generic listing standards for spot crypto exchange-traded products paves the way for faster approvals of products tracking digital assets.

The REX-Osprey XRP ETF (NYSEAMERICAN:XRPR) and the REX-Osprey DOGE ETF (NYSEAMERICAN:DOJE) launched on Thursday (September 18) as the first implementations of this rule change.

The funds saw US$37.7 million and US$17 million traded on the day, respectively.

Ether (ETH) was trading at US$4,445.54, down by 3.2 percent to its lowest valuation on Friday. The cryptocurrency’s highest valuation was US$4,541.88.

Altcoin price update

  • Solana (SOL) was priced at US$236.73, a decrease of 4.8 percent over the last 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$236.10, while its highest valuation was US$242.53.
  • XRP was trading for US$2.99, down by 3.8 percent in the past 24 hours, its lowest valuation of the day. Its highest was US$3.04.
  • SUI (Sui) was valued at US$3.65, trading at its lowest valuation of the day and down by 7.6 percent over the past 24 hours. Its highest price point on Friday was US$3.75.
  • Cardano (ADA) was priced at US$0.8959, down by 3.6 percent over 24 hours. Its lowest value of the day was US$0.8933, while its highest value was US$0.9075.

ETF data & derivatives trends

Spot Bitcoin ETFs drew record inflows this week, with around 20,685 BTC were added. The influx pushed US spot Bitcoin ETF holdings to around 1.32 million BTC worth US$150 billion.

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (NASDAQ:IBIT) led with US$1 billion in net buys, while Fidelity’s Advantage Bitcoin ETF (TSX:FBTC) topped US$843 million and ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (BATS:ARKB) added US$182 million.

Meanwhile, US Ethereum ETFs saw outflows of US$62 million over the week.

Altcoin ETFs are also taking shape. In mid-September, the SEC approved the first US ETFs for XRP and Dogecoin. DOGE jumped by 20 percent upon its ETF debut. This altcoin ETF wave, now backed by giants like Grayscale and Franklin Templeton, is reshaping flows and legitimizing more speculative assets.

On the derivatives side, leverage is at a near-record level.

Bitcoin futures open interest surpassed US$220 billion in September. CryptoQuant notes clusters of orders just above and below the spot price, so any sharp swing, even a small break, could trigger “record liquidations.”

Bitcoin liquidations have totaled approximately US$13.71 million over the past four hours, predominantly from long positions, indicating continued selling pressure in the market.

Ethereum liquidations reflected a similar trend, with about US$10.85 million liquidated in the same period, of which US$10.08 million were long positions, signaling sustained bearish momentum.

The perpetual funding rate for BTC was at 0.0064 percent, while the ETH funding rate stood at 0.001 percent, indicating a neutral or balanced market without strong bias toward bullish or bearish positioning.

Market indicators showed an RSI level of 41.03 as of 8:00 p.m. UTC, suggesting neutral conditions.

Next week’s crypto news to watch

Bitcoin has formed a rising wedge pattern over the past month, with a bearish divergence noted by on-chain analysts. Technically, Bitcoin appears to be in a mild consolidation after last week’s surge.

CryptoQuant analyst Axel Adler has observed that Bitcoin is trading just above its short-term holder realized price.

In equities, the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) and Nasdaq Composite (INDE XNASDAQ:.IXIC) hit record highs as crypto pulled back modestly on Friday, reflecting a temporary decoupling.

Key crypto catalysts to watch next week include potential announcements out of Korea’s Blockchain Week, scheduled to run in Seoul from September 22 to 28.

Additionally, LayerZero (ZRO) is scheduled for a major token unlock on September 20 of approximately 25.7 million ZRO tokens, roughly 8.5 percent of the current circulating supply, valued at around US$52.5 million

Other significant upcoming unlocks include Optimism’s 116 million OP tokens on September 21 and AltLayer’s 3.7 million ALT token release on September 25.

Today’s crypto news to know

Stablecoin startups post fundraising record

Funding for stablecoin-related companies has surged to unprecedented levels this year, with 14 firms raising a combined US$537 million so far, according to DefiLlama data. That figure marks a sharp jump from the US$84 million raised across all of 2024, underscoring a wave of investor confidence in fiat-pegged digital assets.

The year’s biggest deal came in July, when Hong Kong’s OSL Group (HKEX:0863) secured US$300 million.

Analysts have linked the momentum to favorable regulatory shifts, including the GENIUS Act, signed into law by U.S. President Donald Trump in July, which provided legal clarity for stablecoin issuers.

The sector’s rapid rise is also visible in secondary markets. For instance, after its initial public offering in June, Circle (NYSE:CRCL) is now trading at four times its debut value.

Watchdog flags Trump-linked crypto firm for token sales to sanctioned actors

A watchdog group has accused World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency venture tied to US President Donald Trump, of allowing its tokens to flow into the hands of users connected with sanctioned entities.

According to Accountable.us, WLFI tokens ended up with wallets linked to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, Iran’s Nobitex exchange, and Russian traders, despite long-standing US restrictions.

The report highlights one case on Jan. 20, 2025, when WLFI sold 600,000 tokens, worth roughly US$10,000, on Trump’s inauguration day to a wallet later tied to Lazarus transactions.

Even after DeFi platforms flagged the account, the wallet continued operating until late August, receiving WLFI’s branded USD1 stablecoin as part of an airdrop. Separate sales were traced back to Iran’s Nobitex in October 2024, a platform that Chainalysis has previously identified as a hub for sanctions evasion.

The allegations raise questions over WLFI’s compliance and could intensify regulatory pressure on the company.

Trump’s team has not publicly responded to the claims.

Ethereum Foundation announces next hard fork details and timeline

Ethereum’s Fusaka hard fork is scheduled for mainnet launch on December 3, 2025, according to an announcement shared by Ethereum researcher Christine D. Kim.

The upgrade will include 11 to 12 Ethereum improvement proposals focused on scalability and network efficiency, particularly doubling blob capacity to enhance layer-2 transaction throughput.

Testing will occur on public testnets throughout October and November. A US$2 million audit competition is underway to ensure Fusaka’s code security ahead of deployment.

The upgrade follows May’s Pectra hard fork and sets the stage for subsequent improvements planned for 2026.

PayPal’s US dollar stablecoin expands to nine blockchains

PayPal Holdings’ (NASDAQ:PYPL) US dollar stablecoin, PYUSD, is expanding to nine new blockchains through a partnership with interoperability protocol LayerZero.

The move broadens the token’s reach beyond its native issuance on Ethereum, Solana, Arbitrum, and Stellar, making it accessible across networks like Avalanche, Aptos, Tron, and others.

As part of the rollout, LayerZero created a wrapped version called PYUSD0, which is fully interchangeable with the original token and operates within its Hydra Stargate system.

The expansion is designed to accelerate adoption and cement PYUSD’s role as a dollar-backed instrument across the crypto ecosystem. Since launching in 2023 through issuer Paxos, PYUSD has grown steadily, with supply climbing from US$520 million at the start of the year to US$1.3 billion.

Kraken, Trust Wallet partner to expand xStocks access

Kraken has partnered with Trust Wallet to expand access to xStocks, a tokenized equities product developed by Backed.

This collaboration, announced on Friday, brings 60 tokenized US equities to over 200 million Trust Wallet users worldwide, allowing them to trade these assets across multiple blockchains using a variety of local fiat currencies.

“For xStocks to achieve true mass adoption, seamless integration with the world’s most popular self-custody wallets is vital. Bringing xStocks to Trust Wallet places open and interoperable tokenized equities directly into the hands of millions, alongside the crypto, stablecoins and DeFi assets they already use every day,” said Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi.

In the coming weeks, the team said it will continue collaborating with partners to introduce xStocks to additional high-performance blockchains and leading consumer applications.

Canadian regulators called to crypto action

In a speech on Thursday, the Bank of Canada’s executive director of payments, Ron Morrow, said that Canada is behind other countries in developing rules for the use of stablecoins and should consider regulations for digital assets given the growing interest in them domestically and the US’ efforts to enable widespread adoption.

“Governments are moving to regulate stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies so consumers can reap their benefits and be protected from credit and liquidity risks. In fact, many jurisdictions worldwide either have, or will soon have, a regulatory framework for cryptoassets,” Morrow said during a keynote speech at the ONE Conference in Ottawa.

He called on federal and provincial regulators to “work quickly and collaboratively to evolve our regulatory frameworks.”

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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Defense Market Trends and Stocks to Watch in the New Era of Conflict

Investing 7 Mins Read

Modern warfare is evolving quickly alongside emerging technologies, unlocking unprecedented investment opportunities in diverse areas of the defense sector.

Escalating conflicts in Europe and the Middle East are prompting governments worldwide to increase military spending. Looking at the US alone, the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has the potential to bring a US$150 billion investment into the defense industry. In addition, the Trump administration is proposing a US$1 trillion defense budget for 2026 with a focus on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems capabilities.

The biggest US defense contractors and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are expected to benefit greatly from the huge government spending expected in the sector. As for up-and-coming American defense companies that offer investors growth opportunities, those that can quickly develop and commercialize dual-capability technologies (i.e. for both civil sector and defense markets) are looking equally as attractive.

“If the opportunity is purely in the defense sector, that’s a big, but ultimately limited, opportunity. If the opportunity is in defense and a range of other sectors because the technology has got a transversal application, then it becomes far more interesting for an investor,” notes Joe Cassidy, partner, technology, media and telecom at KPMG in the UK.

Defense and security trends: Nature of war is changing

Defense spending jumped nearly 10 percent in 2024, according to a KPMG report on emerging trends in the aerospace and defense sector, representing “its fastest growth rate in nearly four decades.’

The firm attributes this growth to geopolitical destabilization both in Europe and in the Middle East. The global trade war surrounding rare earths, platinum-group metals, aluminum, steel and semiconductors is adding further pressure.

This increase in domestic defense spending has been translating into big wins for defense and security stocks. As Raymond James’ September Defense & Government Market Intel Report shows, publicly traded companies in the US defense sector are up by 57.8 percent since September 2024.

In a June interview with Federal News Network’s Terry Gerton, Sam Maness, managing director of Raymond James’ Defense and Government Group, ascribed the growth to the anticipated increase in funding for domestic defense contractors. He noted that US-China tensions and other geopolitical conflicts are “lead(ing) to bullishness for anything that is more meaningfully touching mission, and defense technology naturally does that.’

Looking forward, analysts expect supply chain sovereignty and cutting-edge technological advancements to be the major themes in this sector as nations look to cost effectively build out their domestic defense industries. At the same time, new weapons systems are reshaping the nature of war both on the battlefield and online.

“The way conflicts are resolved is changing rapidly and new technologies are disrupting the battlefield strategy,” states KPMG in its report. “Defense departments need rapid innovation and are no longer willing to wait years for a custom system when an ‘80% Solution’ can be purchased off-the-shelf.”

So what technologies are getting the most attention in the defense sector?

As mentioned, cybersecurity, autonomous systems and AI solutions are in the spotlight, and companies with dual-capability technologies are getting recognition. Below are examples of defense stocks tracked by Raymond James that are focused on providing these technologies to both the civil and defense sectors.

Cybersecurity defense stocks

One of the greatest threats to modern militaries is cyber attacks. This makes securing military IT infrastructure, communications networks and weapons systems mission critical for today’s armed forces.

L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) is a leading US defense contractor that provides cybersecurity solutions such as end-to-end technologies across air, land, sea, space and cyber domains.

The firm also serves public safety sectors such as law enforcement and fire; commercial sectors such as utilities and transportation; the commercial aviation space; and the healthcare industry.

Mercury Systems (NASDAQ:MRCY) develops secure processing subsystems, embedded computing and mission-critical technologies with advanced cybersecurity features for military and defense applications.

The company also supplies the aviation and industrial sectors.

V2X (NYSE:VVX) supplies vehicle-to-everything cybersecurity to secure communications between military vehicles, drones and command centers. It is in the process of acquiring federal IT business of QinetiQ Group (LSE:QQ), which provides data engineering, intel mission support and cyber solutions for US intelligence agencies.

In the civil and commercial space, the company provides solutions to first responders, commercial fleets and the auto sector, as well as urban mobility and utilities.

Zscaler (NASDAQ:ZS) is a leader in cloud-native security and its zero-trust architecture platforms are used by the US Department of Defense, intelligence agencies and other defense contractors. In August, the company acquired Red Canary, adding to its portfolio of cybersecurity detection and response solutions for US defense and intelligence agencies. Zscaler also serves the healthcare, finance, retail, energy, manufacturing and public sectors.

    Autonomous system defense stocks

    The changing nature of war is probably best represented in the rapid innovation and adoption of lower-cost autonomous systems such as drones, unmanned ground vehicles, robotics and counter-drone technologies.

    A key supplier to the US military, AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) designs and manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles and robotics systems primarily for military surveillance and reconnaissance.

    The company also provides electric energy systems to the commercial and public sectors.

    Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) specializes in advanced defense technologies such as unmanned systems, satellite communications and hypersonics, while adapting them for commercial markets.

    Teledyne Technologies (NYSE:TDY) provides drones, unmanned vehicles and robotics-related technologies to the defense sector through its subsidiary Teledyne FLIR.

    It also provides these technologies for the civil aviation, manufacturing and energy sectors.

    Through its subsidiary Textron Systems, Textron (NYSE:TXT) develops and integrates autonomous and robotics systems for the US Department of Defense and military operations for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The company’s autonomous technologies portfolio also extends into civil aviation, law enforcement and critical infrastructure protection for government and civilian operations.

      Artificial intelligence defense stocks

      AI technologies are rapidly being integrated into existing and emerging defense tech, including unmanned aerial and ground vehicles, reconnaissance and surveillance systems as well as hypersonic weapons.

      Curtiss-Wright (NYSE:CW) is a global engineering company that provides products such as sensors, controls and data acquisition systems for the defense, aviation, nuclear power and industrial markets. Its defense solutions division has produced AI-optimized rugged embedded computing systems for use on the battlefield.

      Leonardo DRS (NASDAQ:DRS) specializes in AI-enabled computing and sensing for tactical military platforms, including for use in US Army ground vehicles. Its technology is also used for public safety and infrastructure protection during disaster responses, as well as in industrial automation, medical diagnostics and commercial transportation.

      Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) is a leading defense contractor that delivers AI platforms for the US military and its allies. It partners with other major defense industry companies such Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) and Anduril Industries. Palantir’s technology is also widely used in the civil sector, as well as by more than half of Fortune 500 companies in sectors such as healthcare, energy, finance and manufacturing.

      Voyager Technologies (NYSE:VOYG) is a defense- and space-focused AI technology company that provides national security solutions with partners such as Palantir. In August, it acquired Electromagnetic Systems, adding AI-based automated target recognition software and intelligence analytics for space-based radar systems to its portfolio. Voyager’s AI tech is also used by NASA and commercial satellite operators.

        Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

        This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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        Investing

        Editor’s Picks: Gold Price Breaks US$3,700 for First Time, Major Miners Hone Portfolios

        Investing 6 Mins Read

        Gold hit yet another new price record this week, rising past US$3,700 per ounce.

        The yellow metal broke that level on Wednesday (September 16), the first day of the US Federal Reserve’s meeting, and then did it again the next day just after the gathering wrapped up.

        The Fed was widely anticipated to cut interest rates, and that’s exactly what happened — it announced a 25 basis point reduction to the 4 to 4.25 percent range, with Chair Jerome Powell describing it to reporters as a ‘risk-management cut.’

        Although inflation is still outside the Fed’s 2 percent target, Powell said the central bank has shifted its focus toward the jobs market due to a change in the balance of risks — in his view, it’s no longer possible to call the labor market ‘very solid.’

        ‘Labor demand has softened, and the recent pace of job creation appears to be running below the break-even rate needed to hold the unemployment rate constant.’ — Jerome Powell, US Federal Reserve

        All Fed governors were in favor of the 25 basis point cut, with the exception of new addition Stephen Miran, who wanted to see a 50 basis point decline. Miran, who is on leave from his position at the White House Council of Economic Advisers, was confirmed by the Senate this week. He was selected by US President Donald Trump to replace Adriana Kugler.

        Miran’s new role at the Fed has raised questions about the central bank’s independence, as Trump has now nominated three out of seven governors. Lisa Cook, who Trump attempted to fire in August, ultimately did not lose her position after a federal appeals court ruling.

        Looking forward, the Fed’s latest dot plot shows policymakers expect two additional 25 basis point cuts this year, which would take rates to the 3.5 to 3.75 percent level.

        In 2026, they are currently anticipating only one quarter-point reduction.

        Going back to gold, it took a breather after passing US$3,700, sinking back down to the US$3,640 level after the Fed’s meeting. It was back at up at US$3,685 as of Friday (September 19) afternoon.

        While that’s a fairly big move in a short amount of time, many experts agree that right now it’s the big picture that’s important for gold, not day-to-day factors.

        Here’s how Will Rhind of GraniteShares explained it:

        ‘I think the main thing that’s driving gold, like I said, is this alternative to the dollar. People want an alternative to fiat money and particularly the dollar, and also to traditional stocks and bonds. And so gold’s appeal as being a genuine alternative, an uncorrelated alternative grows by the month, seemingly.’

        Bullet briefing — Gold M&A heats up, GDX switches index

        Newmont announces sale of Coffee

        Denver Gold Group hosted its Mining Forum Americas in Colorado Springs this week, bringing together the gold sector’s major players — and with them a slew of news.

        Among the major transactions announced was Newmont’s (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM,ASX:NEM) sale of its Yukon-based Coffee project to explorer Fuerte Metals (TSXV:FMT,OTCQB:FUEMF), formerly Atacama Copper, for total consideration of up to US$150 million.

        The Coffee transaction is the latest in a series of divestments from Newmont, which is looking to cut costs and hone in on tier-one assets after buying Newcrest Mining in 2023. Once the deal goes through, Newmont will have sold all six operations and two projects it set out to trim.

        ‘The sale of the Coffee Project reflects our ongoing efforts to streamline the portfolio and sharpen our focus on core operations’ — Tom Palmer, Newmont

        During the last gold bull market, major miners were criticized for doing high-priced deals and letting costs spiral out of control — this time, they appear to be taking steps to avoid that.

        Alamos to divest Turkish subsidiary

        Also divesting an asset this week was Alamos Gold (TSX:AGI,NYSE:AGI), which said it plans to sell its Turkish subsidiary to a unit of industrial conglomerate Nurol Holding.

        The US$470 million agreement will take several assets off Alamos’ hands, including its Kirazlı gold project, which has been blocked since 2019, when its mining licenses were not renewed amid protests. Alamos filed a $1 billion claim against Turkey in response, but said arbitration will be suspended and ultimately discontinued if certain contractual milestones are met.

        ‘This transaction marks a positive outcome, allowing us to crystallize significant value for our Turkish assets, and utilize the proceeds to support the development of our portfolio of other high-return growth projects’ — John A. McCluskey, Alamos Gold

        Zijin Gold plans IPO

        Zijin Gold International, which operates all of Zijin Mining Group’s (OTC Pink:ZIJMF,HKEX:2899,SHA:601899) mines outside of China, is lining up a Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) that could raise over US$3 billion.

        Trading is set to begin on September 29, and the deal will value Zijin Gold at US$24.1 billion. According to Zijin Gold’s prospectus, it ranks ninth and eleventh globally in terms of gold reserves and production, respectively. The IPO is reportedly the world’s largest since May, and of course comes as gold continues on its record-setting price run.

        GDX makes index switch

        The VanEck Gold Miners ETF (ARCA:GDX), better known as GDX, began tracking a new index on Friday. It now follows the MarketVector Global Gold Miners Index.

        VanEck announced the change at the beginning of June, saying that it would coincide with GDX’s regular index reconstitution and rebalance cycle. In an update this week, the company shared how the shift will impact weightings for its holdings. While in many cases the difference is less than a percentage point, there are some larger changes — for example, Newmont’s weighting is falling by 6.04 percent; in addition, some companies have been removed or added.

        So far VanEck hasn’t announced changes for the VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF (ARCA:GDXJ). Adjustments to that fund could be interesting — market participants often note that it doesn’t provide true exposure to exploration-stage companies.

        Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

        This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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