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The
Australian Financial Review - Gold
Markets,
Cryptos and Culture
Sydney,
Australia to Wall Street, New York
February
7, 2026
Black
Friday In The USA Sees Some Light Arrive; Crypto True
Believers Rejoince And Regain Some Lost Ground
Australians
See Yanks Regain Some Smiles
"All
That Glitters"
Sorting
Pure Gold From Fools Gold?!
Who
Is Putting The Crypto And Market Strings?
Roller
Coaster Ride Continues Into The Weekend ...
"All
That Glitters" Edition: Part 6
"Gold"
(Spandau Ballet)
"You
Got the Silver" (The Rolling Stones)
"Goldfinger"
(Shirley Bassey)
"Mercy,
Mercy, Mercy" (The Wolf Of Wall Street theme)
Cannonball Adderley
"Stretch
Your Face" (TOBACCO). Silicon Valley theme
"Diamonds"
(Rihanna)
"Falling
Down" (1993). (James Newton Howard)
"Every
1's a Winner" (Hot Chocolate)
"Still
Humble" (def rebel)
"Clubbed
to Death". (The Matrix theme). Kurayamino Mix.
(Rob D)
"Bulls
on Parade" (Rage Against the Machine)
Markets
ASX
200 futures up 102 points/1.2% to 8749
AUD +1.4% to US70.21¢
BTC $71,212.23 +11.54%
Wall St:
Dow +2.5%
S&P +2%
NAS +2.2%
VIX -4.01 to 17.76
Gold +3.9% to $US4963.65 an ounce
Silver 77.978 +7.14 +10.08%
Oil +0.6% to $US67.93 a barrel
Iron ore -1.6% to $US99.00 a ton
News
Crypto:
too early to be greedy
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap has lost more than 8% in the last
24 hours to $2.22T, dropping to $2.09T at its lowest
point. The Crypto fell below last April's lows and
rolled back to levels last seen in September 2024.
The market did not hold on to the strong line that
had served as support and resistance for more than
two years. Either this is a switch to panic mode,
or we saw a short-term overreaction during a period
of reduced liquidity, and cryptocurrencies will partially
rebound in the coming days.
The
sentiment index fell to 9, where it was last seen
in June 2022. In general, reaching single-digit levels
is a very rare occurrence. At the same time, we warn
again that such oversold conditions may be followed
by months of consolidation or bottoming out. Thus,
in 2022, the market only bottomed out in November,
falling by about a quarter, and the momentum for growth
only appeared in January.
Bitcoin,
at its lowest point at the start of trading on Friday,
fell to $60K, ending up just one step away from its
200-week moving average, which is just below $58K.
Bitcoin only fell below this line in 2022 and the
following year, 2023. Before that, in 2015, 2019,
and 2020, touching this line effectively stopped the
sell-off, attracting buyers.
News
Background
The
collapse of the crypto market reflects a decline in
interest in digital assets at the institutional and
regulatory levels, according to Deutsche Bank. Three
factors are putting pressure on Bitcoin: a steady
outflow of institutional investor funds, changes in
traditional Bitcoin market relationships, and the
loss of regulatory momentum that previously supported
liquidity and reduced volatility.
The
collapse of Bitcoin was caused by the actions of large
market participants, not panic among private investors,
said technical analyst Peter Brandt. In his opinion,
the nature of the movement, when BTC updated its lows
for eight days in a row, has all the signs of a “planned
sell-off.”
Tension
was heightened by unconfirmed rumours of a $9 billion
sale of bitcoins by a Galaxy Digital client.
Stifel
admits that bitcoin could collapse to $38K due to
the high correlation of cryptocurrencies with the
falling US tech sector.
According
to DeFiLlama, the net inflow of funds to Binance over
the past 24 hours amounted to almost $700 million.
The data refuted rumours circulating on social media
about mass withdrawals and account closures after
Binance reported technical problems with withdrawals
on February 3rd.
According
to Bloomberg, there is still disagreement in the US
over the Clarity Act. The current version of the document
prohibits the accrual of interest for staking. Crypto
companies are making new concessions to US banks,
but the parties have not yet reached an agreement.
(FxPro)
News
Gold
News
Gold
tries to prove that the bull trend is not yet broken
After the most significant sell-off since 1980, gold
is attempting to stabilise. Bears argue that the bubble
has burst and events will unfold as they did in 2011.
Back then, after falling from record highs, the precious
metal entered a multi-year downtrend. Bank of America
notes that volatility remains elevated. This allows
us to talk about gold as a speculative asset and reduces
central banks' demand for bullion. This is especially
true given some recovery of confidence in the US dollar.
Bulls
argue that the fundamentals of the gold market remain
intact. US government debt is growing rapidly, which
devalues Treasuries and the greenback. Political and
geopolitical risks remain high. The Fed will resume
its cycle of policy easing. Also, precious metals
do not seem expensive at these levels. The Dow Jones
index exceeded its value by 1.3 times in 1980, and
during the dot-com crisis, its ratio soared above
40. Currently, it is just over 10.
Events
at the end of last week unfolded too quickly. By the
close of last week, the collapse had reached historic
proportions, leaving scars on the market at the start
of February. Formally, we see the week closing in
positive territory and an impressive rebound of $550
from Monday's lows. It is also worth mentioning that
the price reached these levels for the first time
just two weeks ago. Nevertheless, we remain in the
bear camp, assuming that the three-year bull market
has already been broken. We may see attempts to grow
and even break through $5000, but we expect that too
many will sell gold at these levels/ (FxPro)
News
UK/Europe
News
The
Bank of England sank the pound
Markets
now pricing the BoE will cut its rate in March.
Neither
slowing inflation nor the strength of the euro scared
the ECB.
While
the ECB decided to support its currency, the Bank
of England deliberately sank the pound. Both regulators
left rates unchanged, but this is a dovish pause.
Four out of nine MPC members voted to cut the repo
rate from 3.75% to 3.5%, while markets had expected
only two.
Andrew
Bailey noted that there is an even chance of the next
rate cut next month, as inflation is sure to fall
significantly. As a result, the futures market raised
the probability of such an outcome from 20% to 60%,
pressuring GBPUSD.
The
ECB showed much more mercy to the euro. On the eve
of the Governing Council meeting, investors were concerned
that the slowdown in inflation in the eurozone to
1.7% in January and the 13% strengthening of the euro
against the USD over the past year would provoke ‘dovish’
rhetoric from Christine Lagarde.
But
eventually, she noted that the ECB would not make
decisions based on a single data point and that the
strengthening of the euro was already factored into
its forecasts. EURUSD bulls breathed a sigh of relief.
They were helped by disappointing data on the US economy.
In 2025, it created 1 million fewer jobs than in 2024.
According
to Challenger, layoffs are occurring at the fastest
pace since the global economic crisis of 2008-2009.
ADP is signalling a slowdown in employment, and unemployment
claims are exceeding forecasts. The Fed has already
cut rates three times pre-emptively in response to
signs of a cooling jobs market. If the negative trends
continue, the monetary easing will resume earlier
than expected. After a series of disappointing reports,
derivatives have raised the odds of an April rate
cut to 40%. If the BLS employment statistics bring
an unpleasant surprise, they could rise to 50%, which
is bearish for the US dollar.
It
is hard to say how the greenback will react to the
armed conflict in the Middle East. The erosion of
confidence in it due to Donald Trump's policies has
led to the loss of its status as the main safe-haven
asset. Gold has taken its place. However, the January-February
sell-off of the precious metal and rumours of a burst
bubble could change everything. Will the US dollar
regain its former glory? (FxPro)
News
The
Lead Up
24
Hours Ago
ASX
snaps two-day winning run as silver tumbles
The
Australian sharemarket snapped a two-day winning streak
on Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 closing down
38.60 points to 8889.20, while the price of silver
tumbled by 15 per cent. Silver miner South32 declined
4 per cent to $4.60, while BHP fell 3.9 per cent to
$50.36. Gold miner Genesis Materials declined by six
per cent to $6.87 and uranium miner Paladin Energy
slumped nine per cent to $12.36, while stocks to rise
included the Commonwealth Bank, which rose 1.4 per
cent to $159.28, and Regal Partners, up 5.1 per cent
to $3.07. (RMS)
News
Lead Up
ASX
rises as miners rally; Yancoal soars 9pc
The
Australian sharemarket posted a strong gain on Wednesday,
with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.8 per cent to close
at 8,927.8 points. BHP rose 4.5 per cent to $52.40,
Northern Star Resources was up 6.2 per cent at $28.55
and Woodside Energy advanced 3.1 per cent to $25.84.
However, Origin Energy was down 3.6 per cent at $11.12
and Synlait Milk shed 13.5 per cent to end the session
at $0.45.
News
Lead Up
24
Hours + Ago
Miners
Glencore
soothes Rio concerns with US deal
Glencore
has secured a preliminary, non-binding agreement to
sell a 40 per cent stake in its Mutanda and Kamoto
copper mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The deal was struck just days before the expiry of
a deadline for Rio Tinto and Glencore to finalise
their proposed merger or extend the negotiations.
The consortium that will buy a minority stake in the
two copper mines is headed by Orion Resource Partners,
in which the US government has a stake. Rio Tinto
has concerns about the two mines' links to Israeli
businessman Dan Gertler, who was sanctioned by the
US government in late 2017.
News
NYSE
The
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) saw mixed performance
during the latest trading session on February 4, 2026.
While the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.52%
to close at 49,501.30, the broader NYSE Composite
Index edged up just 0.41% to finish at 22,975.59.
In contrast, tech-heavy indices like the Nasdaq and
S&P 500 faced pressure, sliding 1.5% and 0.5%
respectively as investors rotated out of major software
and semiconductor names.
Recent
Market Trends (February 2026)
Rotation
out of Tech: Investors are increasingly moving capital
from high-valuation AI and software companies into
"real economy" Dow components.
Active
IPO Market: Veradermics Inc (MANE) made a massive
debut on the NYSE on February 5, 2026, with shares
soaring 118% from their $17.00 IPO price.
Semiconductor
Consolidation: Texas Instruments announced the acquisition
of Silicon Laboratories for $7.5 billion, causing
SLAB shares to surge nearly 50%.
Healthcare
Volatility: Eli Lilly shares jumped 10% after strong
Q4 results, helping the company reclaim a $1 trillion
market cap, even as other healthcare firms like Novo
Nordisk slumped on cautious outlooks.
Market
Outlook and Valuations
As
of early February 2026, major Wall Street analysts
remain generally optimistic for the year, projecting
total returns for the S&P 500 of approximately
6% to 11% by year-end.
Current
valuations suggest that the U.S. equity market is
trading at roughly a 5% discount to fair value estimates,
with small-cap and late-cycle technology stocks identified
as especially attractive. However, experts warn that
elevated volatility is likely to persist due to shifting
government policies and potential risks in the AI
sector.
News
Lead Up
24
Hours Ago +
Crypto
market updates local lows
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap fell 2.2% to $2.59 trillion, briefly
touching $2.49 trillion, and is continuing its descent
to last April's lows. Solana was hit particularly
hard by the sell-off among the top coins, losing 6.8%
compared to 2.9% for Bitcoin and 1.6% for Ethereum.
Tron outperformed the market, gaining 1% on the day
and losing only 2.3% over 7 days and 2.8% over 30
days, compared to a 14.5% and 18.1% decline in total
cap, respectively.
Bitcoin
broke through its 2025 lows on Tuesday and briefly
fell below $73,000, back to its early November 2024
lows. Although there has been some rebound since the
start of Wednesday, the sequence of lower local highs
and lows indicates that selling on the rise prevails
in the markets. Bulls, for their part, may point to
oversold conditions on the RSI and divergence, where
a lower local price low corresponds to a higher local
low on the relative strength index. There were two
such instances in 2024 and 2025, followed by gains
of more than 20% and 60%, respectively. However, during
the 2020 bear market, such signals did not work. News
Background
Demand
in the BTC spot market is drying up, with additional
pressure from stablecoin outflows from trading platforms.
Uncertainty surrounding the Fed's policy and the possible
appointment of Kevin Warsh threaten to strengthen
the dollar. This has a negative impact on risky assets,
according to Arctic Digital.
There
are no catalysts for growth in the crypto market,
and selling pressure remains. In such conditions,
Bitcoin risks falling to $56,000-58,000, according
to Galaxy Digital.
The
current crypto winter is closer to its end than its
beginning, according to Bitwise. The crypto market
is nearing the end of its decline phase, according
to Compass Point. The base scenario assumes that BTC
will bottom out in the $60,000-68,000 range.
According
to a JPMorgan survey, asset managers from 30 countries
around the world are betting on artificial intelligence,
leaving cryptocurrencies out of the picture. Only
17% of respondents consider digital assets to be a
key topic.
The
German division of ING Bank has opened access to exchange-traded
notes (ETNs) focused on cryptocurrencies to retail
clients. The instruments allow investors to invest
in Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana through the familiar
banking interface. (FxPro)
News
Gold
Gold
inflates a new bubble
The
US dollar may suffer because of Kevin Warsh
Gold
volatility remains elevated
The
drop of US stock indices amid new developments in
artificial intelligence has caused the US dollar to
retreat. Software stocks have been hit hardest by
Anthropic's innovations. The US market no longer looks
as exceptional as it once did, with investors tending
to diversify their portfolios and sell off American
stocks. Coupled with a reassessment of Kevin Warsh's
views as Fed chairman, this brings back interest in
buying EURUSD. The futures market gives a 59% probability
of a federal funds rate cut in June and expects two
acts of monetary expansion before the end of the year.
MUFG Bank notes that Kevin Warsh is respected by the
markets. Donald Trump's choice in his favour has eased
concerns about the Fed losing its independence and
boosted confidence in the US dollar. However, the
former FOMC official intends to cut rates. Rumours
are growing on Forex that they will fall by 100-125
basis points. The Fed is not a one-man show. It will
require a change in the economic outlook of the majority
of the Open Market Committee, and this process is
already underway. According to Richmond Fed President
Thomas Barkin, companies are not raising prices due
to customer resistance. They are absorbing the tariffs.
This is good news for inflation. The US economy is
growing thanks to the artificial intelligence ecosystem
and serving wealthy customers. The retreat of the
US dollar has strengthened investors' desire to buy
gold after the slump. Political and geopolitical tensions
remain high, fuelling interest in gold as a safe-haven
asset. In percentage terms, the precious metal recorded
its largest daily gain since March 2009. At that time,
investors were actively buying it due to the global
economic crisis. However, Bank of America warns that
there was no decline in volatility after gold collapsed
on Black Friday, 30 January. The indicator continues
to remain at high levels, increasing the risks of
a new bubble forming. As the parliamentary elections
approach, hedge funds are increasing their sales of
the yen. If the Liberal Democratic Party strengthens
its position in the lower house, interest in ‘Takaichi
trade’ will return, inspiring USDJPY bulls. (FxPro)
News
The
Lead Up
24
+ Hours Ago ...
Cryptos
Very
limited rebound in crypto
Market
Overview
The
crypto market capitalisation grew by 1.7% in 24 hours
to $2.65 trillion. Once again, the positive sentiment
in global financial markets came to the rescue of
crypto. BNB is leading the rebound, benefiting from
the support of the founder of Binance and Doge, which
was mentioned again by Musk. At the same time, local
resistance has formed in the market at $2.65-2.68
trillion, where the rebound has been losing momentum
since the beginning of the month.
Bitcoin
is trading above $78K, about 5% higher than Monday's
lows, but hitting resistance from 1 February. This
limited rebound is causing bearish sentiment about
the immediate prospects for Bitcoin and the whole
crypto market. News Background
According
to CoinShares, global investment in crypto funds fell
by $1.696 billion last week, following an outflow
of $1.732 billion the week before. Investments in
Bitcoin fell by $1.321 billion, in Ethereum by $308
million, in XRP by $44 million, in Solana by $32 million,
and in multi-asset funds by $14 million.
The
options market indicates that investors are beginning
to form positions in anticipation of a local bottom.
Long-term Bitcoin investors have moved into unrealised
losses, which allows the market to transition into
an ‘extremely bearish’ phase, according
to CryptoQuant. The market has also been negatively
affected by a persistent lack of liquidity for several
months.
Bernstein
expects the crypto market decline to end when Bitcoin
reaches the highs of the previous cycle in the $60,000
range. The subsequent reversal will lay the foundation
for the ‘most significant cycle’ for BTC.
Meanwhile,
Bloomberg Intelligence strategist Mike McGlone reiterated
his forecast for the current year, according to which
Bitcoin could fall to $10,000. In his opinion, the
current year may resemble the crisis years of 2008
and 2000-2001.
Corporate
Ethereum holders suffered a major loss after the asset's
value fell. According to BitMineTracker, the ‘paper’
losses of BitMine, the largest holder of the second-largest
cryptocurrency, amounted to $6.95 billion. Investor
Ross Gerber called this ETH purchase potentially ‘the
worst deal in history.’
Hong
Kong-based Trend Research has already begun to reduce
its positions, selling 33,589 ETH ($79 million) at
a loss. Japanese financial holding company Nomura
is also reducing its investments in cryptocurrencies.
However, Strategy continues to buy, acquiring another
855 BTC ($75.3 million) over the past week at an average
price of $87,974. (FxPro)
News
Best
Quotes Of The Day
Media
Man
Cryptocurrency,
Finance and World
"Volatility
is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." - Michael
Saylor
"Bitcoin
is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and
tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme."
— Naval Ravikant
"We
have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical
framework that is free of politics and human error."
— Tyler Winklevoss
"You
can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere,
and the world will have to readjust. World governments
will have to readjust." — John McAfee
"Bitcoin
is the most important invention in the history of
the world since the Internet." — Roger Ver
"Cryptocurrency
is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn
governments." — Charles Lee
"In
the future, national currencies will become obsolete.
Bitcoin will become the single global currency."
— Jack Dorsey
"The
future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in
payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng
Zhao
"Crypto
offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged."
— Elizabeth Stark
"The
new frontier of innovation is in decentralization.
Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott
"Digital
currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter
of how long before governments embrace it." —
Brad Garlinghouse
Pop
Culture
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking
The
Million Dollar Man vs IRS
Money
INC vs Right To Censor
Santa
vs Grinch
Bulls
vs Bears
Crypto
King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens
vs NWO
Neo
vs Agent Smith
John
McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO
vs Naysayers
Jake
Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
Chris Jericho vs Dirtsheets
NFL vs everyone
Zuffa vs MVP
Netflix vs World
Meta vs Australia
White Light vs Dark Matter
Lexis King vs NIL's (WWE NXT)
Volk vs Naysayers (UFC: Sydney, Australia)
Brock Lesnar vs Everyone! (WWE Royal Rumble)
Roman Reigns vs CM Punk (WWE WrestleMania)
Green vs The Coal Miners Daughter
AC/DC vs Swifties
Triangle v World Bank
Sarah's Oil vs Big Oil
Mr X vs Mr VOX
Mr X vs Mr Platformer
Mr FOX vs Mr Vice
Fox And The Hound vs The View
The Masked Superstar vs Mr Jones
The Undertaker vs Mankind
UFC Legends vs Father Time
Vinnie Vegas and Oz vs Los Americanos
NXT GM vs The Don
Mr Moneymaker vs Mr Regulator
Mr Blockchain vs Mr EU
WWE Unreal vs The Old Guard
Reality TV vs John Pilger Type Journalism and Docos
Mr Real Deal vs Mr Grifter
Mr Truth vs Mr Shock Jock
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky: Rematch
Markets,
Cryptos And Culture
February
2, 2026
Sydney,
Australia to Wall Street, New York
"All
That Glitters" Edition
"Gold"
(Spandau Ballet)
"You Got the Silver" (The Rolling Stones)
"Goldfinger" (Shirley Bassey)
"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (The Wolf Of Wall
Street theme) Cannonball Adderley
"Stretch Your Face" (TOBACCO). Silicon Valley
theme
"Diamonds" (Rihanna)
"Falling Down" (1993). (James Newton Howard)
"Every 1's a Winner" (Hot Chocolate)
"Still Humble" (def rebel)
"Clubbed to Death". (The Matrix theme).
Kurayamino Mix. (Rob D)
Markets
ASX
futures down 60 points/0.7% to 8809
AUD +0.2% at US69.71¢
Bitcoin $78,107.72 -0.94%
Dow -0.4%
S&P -0.4%
Nasdaq -0.9%
Gold -8.9% to $US4894.23 an ounce
Silver 84.634 -31.16 -26.91%
Brent oil +0.1% at $US68.38 a barrel
Iron ore -0.9% at $US103.85 a ton
Numbers
Double Check
Australian
Dollar: $0.6949 USD (down $0.0076 USD) Iron Ore: $103.55
USD (down $0.95 USD)
Iron Ore: $103.85 USD (down $0.93 USD)
Oil Price (WTI): $65.21 USD (down $0.26 USD)
Gold Price: $4,893.20 USD (down $405.49 USD)
Copper Price: $5.9670 USD (down $0.2165 USD)
Dow Jones: 48,892.47 (down 179.09 points)
News
ASX
set to fall as investors expect RBA to raise rates
Futures
pricing suggests that Australian equities will shed
about 0.7 per cent when the market opens on Monday,
following a negative lead from Wall Street. The Reserve
Bank's monetary policy board meeting on Tuesday will
be the key focus for local investors in the coming
week, with financial markets now pricing in a 74 per
cent chance of an interest rate rise. Investors will
also be closely watching movements in the price of
gold and silver; both precious metals fell sharply
on Friday, as the Trump administration confirmed that
it will nominate Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell
as the chairman of the Federal Reserve. The S&P/ASX
200 shed 0.6 per cent to close at 8,869.1 points on
Friday, although it gained 1.8 per cent in January.
(RMS)
News
Crypto
News
Feb
2
The
cryptocurrency market is experiencing significant
downward pressure as of early February 2026. Bitcoin
(BTC) has seen sharp declines, trading around $77,000–$78,000
(down roughly 1.5–2% in the last 24 hours and
more over the past week), following a weekend sell-off
that triggered liquidations and erased recent gains.
This extends from highs earlier in the cycle, with
analysts warning of potential further downside, possibly
testing $75,000 or lower in a corrective phase, amid
cooling institutional demand and macro factors like
Fed policy speculation and commodity sell-offs (e.g.,
silver).Major altcoins are also hit hard: Ethereum
(ETH) is down around 10% recently, hovering near $2,300–$2
,400.
XRP has dropped about 11%.
Other
assets like Solana, Litecoin, and Cardano are seeing
similar 9–12% declines in recent sessions.
Overall
crypto liquidations have exceeded $2.5 billion in
short periods, with leverage unwinds contributing
to the volatility. Bitcoin ETFs have recorded substantial
outflows (around $6 billion cited in reports), signaling
reduced institutional enthusiasm temporarily.
News
Miners
Energy/Resources
Australia
and World
Cracks
in Glencore, Rio merger plans
Rio
Tinto investors are contemplating a potential $340
billion merger with Glencore that is motivated by
a wish to own Glencore's copper assets. With financial
information firm S&P Global having recently predicted
that copper demand will jump from 28 million tonnes
last year to 42 million tonnes by 2040, big mining
companies like Rio and BHP are all trying to get access
to copper resources. Glencore has pledged to almost
double its copper production by 2035 to 1.6 million
tonnes, but the discovery of an ancient ceramic pot
in a remote part of the Argentinian Andes last year
could potentially harm that forecast. It was discovered
at the site of a $US9.4 billion ($13.4 billion) copper
mine known as El Pachon that Glencore is hoping to
develop, and it serves as a timely reminder that mines
such as it will need to be approved, funded and built
rapidly if Glencore is to meet its targets. (RMS)
News
Rio,
Chinalco team up on $1.3b Brazil deal
Rio
Tinto and the Aluminium Corporation of China (Chinalco)
have acquired a 68.6 per cent stake in Companhia Brasileira
de Aluminio for almost $US902.1 million ($1.3 billion).
The Brazilian company owns electricity generators,
bauxite mines, alumina refineries and aluminium smelters,
with Rio and Chinalco also partners in Guinea's Simandou
iron ore project. The deal comes a week before Rio
is due to consummate or extend merger discussions
with Glencore, whose aluminium division includes bauxite
mining and alumina refining assets in Brazil. (RMS)
News
Glencore
courted Blair's key man
The
latest release of the Jeffrey Epstein files by the
US Department of Justice have revealed interesting
emails in the lead-up to Glencore's 2011 public listing
on the London and Hong Kong stock exchanges. The emails
show that ex-UK cabinet minister Peter Mandelson touted
his potential as a possible chairman of Glencore to
the mining company's then CEO Ivan Glasenberg, and
that Glasenberg appeared to lobby for Mandelson to
get the job. Mandelson did not end up succeeding in
his bid to become Glencore chairman, but his lobbying
firm Global Counsel reportedly won lucrative work
advising Glencore on international political issues.
(RMS)
News
Teammates
still kicking the big goals
Sierra
Nevada Gold was recently awarded an exploration permits
in Saudi Arabia, as was Australia's richest person,
Gina Rinehart. She has an estimated fortune of about
$46.3bn, while Sierra Nevada Gold has a market capitalisation
of just $16m. It is run by former VFL champion Peter
Moore, who won two Brownlow medals during his career,
along with playing in four losing grand finals for
Collingwood; he said Sierra Nevada Gold's success
in securing an exploration permit indicated that the
Saudis were not as worried about a firm's bank balance
as they were about its expertise. (RMS)
News
Inside
WA Police's elite gold squad
Western
Australia is home to the world's only specialised
gold-stealing detection unit, although the Kalgoorlie-based
police section is more commonly referred to as "The
Gold Squad". Its $390,000 annual operating expenses
are funded by 15 gold mining companies and the Perth
Mint, with gold squad Detective Sergeant Graham Baylor
saying a lot of its work is intelligence-based. At
a current price of around $7,620 per ounce, stealing
even a small amount of gold can mean a big windfall
for thieves, so he says it is surprising that the
record price of gold has not led to a jump in gold-related
crime, (RMS)
News
Latimore
to hit Nasdaq with minerals venture
Billionaire
Brisbaned-based businessman Matt Latimore will list
his coal trading business M Resources on the US Nasdaq
after raising $US270 million ($386 million). M Resources'
main asset is Illawarra Metallurgical Coal, which
operates two mines south of Sydney, while it also
trades in materials such as graphite and lithium.
Latimore founded M Resources in 2011, with its revenue
rising from $1.3 billion in 2024 to $1.5 billion last
year, boosting its profit by almost 15 per cent to
$109 million, while he expects strong demand for metallurgical
coal for decades to come, with steel makers so far
unable to find a cost-effective lower carbon alternative.
(RMS)
News
Kambalda's
future unclear on 60th anniversary of nickel discovery
It
was 60 years ago this week that nickel was discovered
on the edge of a salt lake at Kambalda in Western
Australia. However, the future of nickel mining at
Kambalda remains very uncertain, after the WA nickel
sector collapsed in 2024, with three underground mines
at Kambalda being among the casualties. More than
1.6 million tonnes of nickel has been mined from Kambalda
over its history, while 24 nickel mines have operated
in the Kambalda district in the past 60 years. Mining
magnate Andrew Forrest will have a big say in Kambalda's
future prosperity, with his private company Wyloo
completed a $760 million takeover of Kambalda nickel
miner Mincor Resources in 2023, but barely six months
later its mines were shut. Dewatering operations are
continuing around the clock so the mines do not flood,
enabling a future restart, though Zoran Seat from
Wyloo could not say when that might be. (RMS)
News
Gas
crisis on horizon if no intervention
State
and federal energy ministers are assessing whether
to give new "last resort" powers to the
Australian Energy Market Operator in an attempt to
avoid gas supply shortfalls set to hit southern states
from 2028. Modelling undertaken by Acil Allen has
found wholesale spot gas prices would double to over
$20 a gigajoule across the east coast gas market if
no changes are made to current market settings, but
Australian Energy Producers, which represents major
oil and gas suppliers, said the proposal to give AEMO
new powers risks undermining the objectives of the
Gas Market Review. (RMS)
News
Roy
Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Outlet Of The
Month' award
Sky
News Australia wins Media Man 'News Company Of The
Month' award
The
Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newspaper
Of The Month' award
Netflix
wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of the Month' award
WWE
wins Media Man 'Wrestling Promotion Of The Month'
award
Mack
Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Brand Of The Month' award
Caterpillar
wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Company Of The Month'
award
RAM
wins Media Man 'Light Truck Of The Month' award
Gina
Rinehart wins Media Man 'Mining Disruptor Of The Month'
award
Jim's
Mowing wins Media Man 'Australian Business Of The
Month' award
News
Best
Quotes Of The Day
Media
Man
Cryptocurrency,
Finance and World
"Volatility
is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." - Michael
Saylor
"Bitcoin
is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and
tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme."
— Naval Ravikant
"We
have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical
framework that is free of politics and human error."
— Tyler Winklevoss
"You
can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere,
and the world will have to readjust. World governments
will have to readjust." — John McAfee
"Bitcoin
is the most important invention in the history of
the world since the Internet." — Roger Ver
"Cryptocurrency
is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn
governments." — Charles Lee
"In
the future, national currencies will become obsolete.
Bitcoin will become the single global currency."
— Jack Dorsey
"The
future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in
payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng
Zhao
"Crypto
offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged."
— Elizabeth Stark
"The
new frontier of innovation is in decentralization.
Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott
"Digital
currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter
of how long before governments embrace it." —
Brad Garlinghouse
Pop
Culture
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking
The
Million Dollar Man vs IRS
Santa vs Grinch
Bulls vs Bears
Crypto King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
Chris Jericho vs Dirtsheets
NFL vs everyone
Zuffa vs MVP
Netflix vs World
Meta vs Australia
White Light vs Dark Matter
Lexis King vs NIL's (WWE NXT)
Volk vs Naysayers (UFC: Sydney, Australia)
Brock Lesnar vs Everyone! (WWE Royal Rumble)
Money Inc vs Right To Censor
Mad Men vs Queer Eye
Sky News Australia vs Woke Media
FOX vs The Hound
Polymarket vs Underground Bookies
Mining,
Energy, Resources, Markets. Biz, Heavy Industry, Blue
Collar, Culture, News
Australia
and World
January
2026
Heavy
Industry Awards
Mack
Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month'
award
Caterpillar
wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The
Month' award
Bingo
Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The
Month' award
Elders
wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award
Landman
wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award
(Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)
Jim's
Mowing wins Media Man 'Australian Business Of The
Month' award
Markets,
Cryptos and Culture
January
2026
Jan
27
Sydney,
Australia re-opens
to
Wall Street, New York
Media
Man's X Returns With A Bang
Gold
Glitters And Crypto's Start To Shine Edition
"Ruby
Tuesday" In Sin City Sydney
"Tuesday's Gone" Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Gold" Spandau Ballet
"Stretch Your Face" Silicon_Valley theme
(Tobacco. Composer)
"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"(Cannonball Adderley).
The Wolf of Wall Street theme
Markets
ASX
200 futures up 52 points/0.6% to 8880
AUD +0.4% to US69.18¢
BTC $88,344.02 +0.64%
Wall
St:
Dow +0.8%
S&P +0.6%
NAS +0.5%
VIX -0.26 to 15.83
Gold +1.1% to $US5043.71 oz
Oil -0.4% to $US65.61 a barrel
Iron -1% to $US103.55 a ton
10-year
yield: US 4.21% Aust 4.81%
Cryptos
The
crypto market rose due to dollar weakness
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap has fallen by 5% over the past seven
days. The decline resumed at the start of the new
week, with total capitalisation falling to $2.9T amid
slippage in an illiquid market. In recent hours, however,
positive momentum has prevailed, bringing the market
back to $2.97T due to the weakness of the US dollar
and global purchases of risky assets. But even now,
cryptocurrencies remain a lagging class of risk-sensitive
assets, falling short of metals and the strongest
global currencies.
Bitcoin
hit a low for the day near $86K, its lowest level
since December. After that, the market received support
from the weak dollar, which, like a tide, lifted all
boats at once. The technical bearish picture remains
relevant, despite the gains in recent hours. BTC remains
below its key moving average lines and has not attempted
to break through the support of the last two months.
News Background
Outflows
from spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US over the past shortened
week nearly offset the previous week's inflows, reaching
their highest level in almost 11 months. According
to SoSoValue, net outflows from spot BTC ETFs amounted
to $1.33 billion. Net weekly outflows from spot Ethereum
ETFs in the US exceeded $611 million.
Bitcoin
holders began to record net losses for the first time
since October 2023, signalling the asset's entry into
an ‘early bear market.’ Bitcoin is now trading
below the acquisition price of 75% of the total supply,
signalling growing pressure from sellers, Glassnode
notes.
The
main reason for BTC's weakness is large-scale sales
by long-term holders, rather than concerns about quantum
computing, according to Checkonchain.
Activity
on the Ethereum mainnet has exceeded that of layer
2 (L2) solutions since the Fusaka upgrade. Token Terminal
has called this trend a ‘return to the mainnet.’
At the same time, there has been an outflow of liquidity
from ‘add-ons.’
The
adoption of cryptocurrencies by banks, large corporations
and investment companies is no longer an ‘optional
or peripheral’ process, notes auditing firm PwC
in its report on global cryptocurrency regulation
for 2026. ‘Institutional participation has passed
the point of no return.’
DAT
companies accumulating cryptocurrencies on their balance
sheets will face ‘severe consolidation’
in the coming year — only a few of the largest
players with Bitcoin and Ethereum on their balance
sheets will survive, warns Pantera Capital. (FxPro)
News
Interventions
spooked the dollar
Rumours
of coordinated intervention caused the USD index to
plummet.
The
risk of a new shutdown is putting pressure on the
greenback.
The
US dollar started in the last week of January with
a down gap amid investor fears of coordinated currency
intervention. Japan's Deputy Finance Minister Atsushi
Mimura said that the authorities would respond to
speculative actions on the Forex in close cooperation
with the US. In 1985, such cooperation ended in a
spectacular collapse of the USD. Will we see history
repeat itself?
Politics
is encroaching on the economy. Donald Trump intends
to use non-market methods to lower the key policy
rate by replacing the Fed chair and filling the FOMC
with doves. The US president has repeatedly spoken
out in favour of a weaker currency, which would increase
the competitiveness of American manufacturers. Tokyo's
interest in strengthening the yen to lower import
prices and slow inflation is being exploited by Washington
for its own purposes.
Countries
are forced to respond to the uncertainty of Donald
Trump's policies and the associated slowdown in economic
growth with fiscal stimulus measures. According to
Apollo Global Management estimates, government support
measures will accelerate GDP growth in the US and
Germany by 1 percentage point in 2026 and in Japan
by 0.5 percentage points. This leads to an increase
in public debt. The Germans can afford this, which
has a positive effect on the EURUSD.
Pressure
on the US dollar has intensified due to the growing
risks of another shutdown. Dissatisfied with the shootings
in Minneapolis, Democrats are not going to vote for
the government funding package without serious changes
to the national security system. The government risks
being sidelined again, which will negatively affect
GDP growth. The same goes for the devastating winter
storm, which could bring hardship to nearly 200 million
Americans. Already, 11,900 flights have been cancelled
at airports from Dallas to Boston, and about 900,000
consumers are without power.
In
2025, the US economy managed to withstand tariffs
and the shutdown thanks to investments in artificial
intelligence, productivity growth and the wealth effect.
However, will it be resilient in 2026? If not, the
US dollar risks weakening.
Gold
was the main beneficiary of the fall in the USD index.
Its price rose by 17% so far this year and is approaching
$5,100 per ounce. (FxPro)
News
Jan
27
Gold
and silver mania lifts ASX to 3-month peak
The
Australian sharemarket climbed to a three-month high
on Tuesday as investors returned from the long weekend
to surging precious metal prices, looking past the
noise of shifting US trade policies.
President
Donald Trump said in a social media post that he will
increase tariffs on South Korean goods, including
autos, from 15 per cent to 25 per cent as he accused
the ally’s legislature of “not living up”
to its trade deal with Washington.
The
S&P/ASX 200 Index gained 85.3 points, or 1 per
cent, to 8945.40, rebounding from last week’s
0.5 per cent loss. If sustained, it would be the index’s
biggest one-day rise this year.
Of
the 11 sectors, nine were in the green, led by materials
and energy.BHP leapt 2.9 per cent, regaining its position
as Australia’s most valuable listed company for
the first time in 18 months, unseating the Commonwealth
Bank, which managed a modest 0.6 per cent gain.
Miners
led the charge as gold and silver set fresh records.
Bullion hit $US5100 an ounce, and silver topped $US114
on Monday. As a result, Horizon Minerals jumped nearly
8 per cent, Alkane Resources leapt 3.9 per cent, and
Newmont rose 1.8 per cent.
Among
silver mines, Investigator Silver and Silver Mines
advanced 8.3 per cent each, while, Sun Silver pushed
up 6 per cent.Elsewhere, Rio Tinto gained 2.2 per
cent, and Capstone Copper was the biggest index gainer,
up 8 per cent.
In
the index-heavy financial area, all the big banks
were in the green, led by Macquarie Group, up 2 per
cent. National Australia Bank rose 1.3 per cent.
Family
app Life360 and mining group Alcoa were the two biggest
laggards, down more than 8 per cent.
In
currencies, the Australian dollar climbed to US69.40¢,
nearing its strongest level in three years, on growing
expectations the Reserve Bank will lift the cash rate
next month.
Higher
borrowing costs would boost the appeal of Australian-denominated
assets such as government bonds.
Also
supporting the Aussie was a broadly weaker greenback
on fears of a partial US government shutdown this
week.
Republicans
and Democrats are at odds over funding for the Department
of Homeland Security after the fatal shooting of a
second US citizen by federal immigration officers
in Minnesota. (AFR) *full coverage via subscription
to The Australian Financial Review
News
Jan
27
Stocks
Shares
in DroneShield cratered 6 per cent despite doubling
revenue in the December quarter, from a year ago.
Iron
ore giant Fortescue Metals rose 1.3 per cent after
sweeping up all remaining shares of dual-listed Alta
Copper at $C1.40 ($1.47) per share, as the mining
giant expands into the red metal.
Wholesaler
company Metcash rallied 1.2 per cent following the
appointment of Bruce Sabatta as the new chief executive
of its food service and convenience business, from
next month.
Brazil-focused
explorer and producer Karoon Energy trimmed early
gains and was trading flat despite posting a lower
output in the December quarter, from the September
period.
Jewellery
retailer Michael Hill International jumped 4 per cent
after reporting a stronger half-year profit than a
year ago despite record gold prices.
Insurer
group AUB was placed on a trading halt after launching
a $400 million institutional placement to finance
a UK acquisition.
Santos
leapt 3.1 per cent on news it had finally shipped
its first liquefied natural gas cargo from a delayed
Barossa project in the Timor Sea.
Health
tech group Cyclopharm soared 18 per cent after its
lung imaging technology received a major endorsement
from America’s top medical professionals.
News
Numbers
Double Check
Australian
Dollar: $0.6918 USD (up $0.0080 USD)
Iron Ore Feb Spot Price: $103.55 USD (down $0.10 USD)
Oil Price): $60.58 USD (up $1.25 USD)
Gold Price: $5,036.89 USD (up $117.01 USD)
Copper Price: $5.9240 USD (up $0.1240 USD)
Dow Jones: 49,446.27 (up 347.56 points on Friday's
close)
News/Profile
Wall
Street
Physical
Street and Landmark
Wall
Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial
District of Lower Manhattan.
Location:
It runs between Broadway and South Street, ending
at the East River.
Key
Landmarks: It is home to the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE) and Federal Hall National Memorial, where George
Washington was inaugurated.
History:
The name originates from a 17th-century defensive
wall built by Dutch settlers to protect New Amsterdam
from potential British or Native American attacks.
Financial
Industry Metonym
The
term is a metonym for the U.S. financial markets,
including stock exchanges, investment banks, and brokerage
firms.
Institutions:
Major firms associated with Wall Street include JPMorgan
Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley.
Current
Activity (January 2026):
As
of January 24, 2026, markets have seen volatility
following a week of "policy whiplash" related
to international tariff threats. Recent trading shows
the S&P 500 flat, while the Nasdaq has risen 0.3%
despite a 17% tumble in Intel stock.
Media
and Publications
The
Wall Street Journal: A premier business-focused international
newspaper headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.
Pop
Culture: The street’s high-stakes culture has
been immortalized in films like Oliver Stone’s
Wall Street (1987) and Martin Scorsese’s The
Wolf of Wall Street (2013).
News
Best
Quotes Of The Day
Media
Man
Cryptocurrency,
Finance and World
"Volatility
is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." - Michael
Saylor
"Bitcoin
is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and
tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme."
— Naval Ravikant
"We
have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical
framework that is free of politics and human error."
— Tyler Winklevoss
"You
can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere,
and the world will have to readjust. World governments
will have to readjust." — John McAfee
"Bitcoin
is the most important invention in the history of
the world since the Internet." — Roger Ver
"Cryptocurrency
is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn
governments." — Charles Lee
"In
the future, national currencies will become obsolete.
Bitcoin will become the single global currency."
— Jack Dorsey
"The
future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in
payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng
Zhao
"Crypto
offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged."
— Elizabeth Stark
"The
new frontier of innovation is in decentralization.
Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott
"Digital
currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter
of how long before governments embrace it." —
Brad Garlinghouse
Pop
Culture
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking
Santa
vs Grinch
Bulls
vs Bears
Crypto
King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens
vs NWO
Neo
vs Agent Smith
John
McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO
vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
Chris Jericho vs Dirtsheets
NFL vs everyone
Zuffa vs MVP
Netflix vs World
Meta vs Australia
White Light vs Dark Matter
News
Pop
Culture
It’s
All About the Money [”The Million Dollar Man”
Ted DiBiase]
By
Jimmy Hart & J.J. Maguire
Intro
(Money,
money, money, money, money...)
[Verse
1]
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
Everybody's got a price
Everybody's gonna pay
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
Because the Million Dollar Man...
Always get his way
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
[Verse
2]
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
Some might cost a little
Some might cost a lot
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
But I'm the Million Dollar Man...
And you will be bought
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
[Outro]
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
News/Profile
Flashback
Vinnie
Vegas was a professional wrestling persona used by
the actor and retired professional wrestler Kevin
Nash from 1992 to 1993 in World Championship Wrestling
(WCW). This gimmick was a wisecracking pseudo-mobster
character, inspired by Steve Martin's character in
the 1990 film My Blue Heaven.
Career
Overview
WCW
Debut: Kevin Nash was repackaged as Vinnie Vegas on
January 21, 1992, at the event Clash of the Champions
XVIII.
Stables
and Tag Teams: He was initially part of a stable of
large wrestlers called "A Half-Ton of Holy Hell,"
managed by Harley Race. Later, he joined the "Diamond
Mine" stable led by Diamond Dallas Page, forming
a tag team known as the Vegas Connection. Other stablemates
included the future Scott Hall (Diamond Studd) and
Raven (Scotty Flamingo).
Departure
to WWF: The Vinnie Vegas character was not considered
successful due to a lack of character development
and inconsistent booking. Nash left WCW for the World
Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in June 1993,
where he achieved superstardom under the ring name
Diesel.
Later
Success: Nash later returned to WCW in 1996 and was
a founding member of the influential New World Order
(nWo) faction under his real name, Kevin Nash, and
the nickname "Big Sexy".
News/Profile
Flashback
Michael
Wall Street
"Michael
Wall Street" most commonly refers to Michael
Wallstreet, a ring name used by professional wrestler
Mike Rotunda (born 1958). It can also refer to Michael
Douglas, the actor famous for portraying the corporate
raider Gordon Gekko in the film Wall Street.
Professional
Wrestling (Mike Rotunda)
Mike
Rotunda adopted the persona of Michael Wallstreet
(and later V.K. Wallstreet) in World Championship
Wrestling (WCW) starting in 1990.
The
Gimmick: A wealthy "financial wizard" from
Lower Manhattan who used a computer (managed by Alexandra
York) to predict the length and outcome of his matches.
Signature
Moves: His finishing move was often called the "Stock
Market Crash".
Notable
Teams: He is also well-known for his time in the WWF
as Irwin R. Schyster (I.R.S.), where he teamed with
Ted DiBiase to form Money Inc..
Legacy:
Rotunda was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class
of 2024 as part of The U.S. Express.
Film
and Finance (Michael Douglas)
Gordon
Gekko: Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best
Actor for his role as Gordon Gekko in the 1987 film
Wall Street.
Cultural
Impact: The character became the archetypal symbol
of 1980s corporate greed, famous for the line "Greed,
for lack of a better word, is good".
Sequel:
Douglas reprised the role in the 2010 sequel, Wall
Street: Money Never Sleeps.
Current
Status (2026)
Mike
Rotunda: As of early 2026, Rotunda remains a respected
veteran in the wrestling industry. Recent reports
from late 2025 indicated he had been hospitalized
for a serious heart condition but was moved to a rehabilitation
center for recovery.
Michael
Douglas: He continues to be active in the entertainment
industry as an actor and producer.
Miners
Hancock
Prospecting
Hancock
Prospecting Pty Ltd is a privately owned Australian
company primarily involved in the mining of iron ore
and, increasingly, the agriculture sector. It is led
by Executive Chairwoman Gina Rinehart, Australia's
richest person.
Company
Overview
Founded:
25 November 1955 by Lang Hancock.
Headquarters: Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Ownership:
The company is privately held, with Gina Rinehart
owning the majority stake (76.6%).
Core
Business: Hancock Prospecting has evolved from purely
mineral exploration into a major producer, primarily
in iron ore and agriculture, and is considered one
of the most successful private mining companies in
the world.
Major
Projects and Investments
Hancock
Prospecting has a diverse portfolio of major projects
and strategic investments.
Roy
Hill: This is a mega integrated iron ore mine, rail,
and port project in the Pilbara region of Western
Australia, which is Australia's largest single iron
ore mine.
Hope
Downs: A significant iron ore project operated as
a 50/50 joint venture with Rio Tinto Iron Ore, which
includes four open-pit mines.
Atlas
Iron: Hancock Prospecting acquired Atlas Iron in 2018,
which operates several iron ore mines including Mount
Webber, Sanjiv Ridge, and Miralga Creek.
Agriculture:
Through its agribusiness division, Hancock Prospecting
is Australia's second-largest producer of beef with
ownership interests in numerous cattle stations and
a majority stake in S. Kidman & Co. It is also
a 50% partner in the award-winning Bannister Downs
Dairy.
Critical
Minerals and Energy: The company has diversified its
investments into other strategic commodities necessary
for the "green transition", including stakes
in publicly traded companies involved in:
Lithium:
Investments in Australian firms like Liontown Resources
and Azure Minerals, as well as Germany's Vulcan Energy
Resources.
Rare
Earths: Significant shareholdings in global rare earths
producers such as US-based MP Materials and Australia's
Lynas Rare Earths, as well as exploration-stage companies.
Copper,
Coal, Oil and Gas: Exploration and production interests
in these commodities across Australia and internationally,
including projects in Ecuador, Canada, and the UK.
Pop
Culture Flashback
Heart
Of Gold
Song by Neil Young ? 1972
Lyrics
I
want to live
I want to give
I've been a miner
For a heart of gold
It's
these expressions
I never give
That keep me searching
For a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
Keep me searching
For a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
I've
been to Hollywood
I've been to Redwood
I crossed the ocean
For a heart of gold
I've
been in my mind
It's such a fine line
That keeps me searching
For a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
Keeps me searching
For a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
Keep me searching
For a heart of gold
You
keep me searching
And I'm growing old
Keep me searching
For a heart of gold
I've been a miner
For a heart of gold
Markets,
Cryptos And Culture
January
2026
Digital
Bush Telegraph
Wrestling
With Numbers And Showbiz Edition; Mining For Intel!
Sin
City Sydney, Australia
Wednesday January 14
Past
High Noon Update
to
Wall
Street, New York
Lucky/Unlucky Tuesday January 13
ASX
futures up 5 points or 0.1% to 8789 near 6am AEST
AUD -0.4% at US66.85¢
Bitcoin $95,297.29 +4.38%
Dow -0.7% S&P -0.3% Nasdaq -0.3%
Gold +0.1% to $US4599.68 an ounce
Brent oil +2.9% at $US65.70 a barrel
Iron ore -0.9% at $US108.20 a ton
Numbers
Double Check
Australian
Dollar: $0.6680 USD (down $0.0033 USD) Iron Ore Feb
Spot Price: $108.20 USD (down $0.85 USD)
Oil Price: $61.11 USD (up $1.60 USD)
Gold Price: $4,582.10 USD (down $26.34 USD)
Copper Price: $6.0015 USD (down 0.0210 USD)
Dow Jones: 49,082.27 (down 507.93 points)
News
Shares
BHP
Group Ltd $48.02 +0.44 +0.91%
Elders
Ltd $7.49 +0.16 +2.11% (ASX)
Rio
Tinto plc ADR Common Stock $83.59 +0.71 +0.86%
Mineral
Resources ADR $39.49
TKO
Group Holdings Inc $208.89 +9.82 +4.94%
Tesla
Inc $447.20 -1.76 -0.39%
Trump
Media & Technology Group Corp
$13.99 +0.070 +0.50%
Palantir
Technologies Inc $178.96 -0.45 -0.25%
NVIDIA
Corp $185.81 +0.87 +0.47%
Netflix
Inc $90.32 +0.91+1.02%
Paramount
Skydance Corp $12.14 -0.0100 -0.082%
Alphabet
Inc Class A $335.97 +4.11 +1.24%
Microsoft
Corp $470.67 -6.51 -1.36%
Porsche
Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany ADR $4.37
-0.026 -0.59%
Volvo
ADR $33.38 -0.51 -1.50% (Parent company of Mack Trucks)
Bally's
Corp $16.64 -0.0100 -0.060%
Wynn
Resorts Ltd $116.40 -0.44 -0.38%
MGM
Resorts International $34.65 -0.17 -0.49%
Red
Rock Resorts Inc $62.38 +0.51 +0.82%
News
Australia
ASX
rallies as copper surge boosts BHP, Rio
The
Australian sharemarket posted a solid gain on Tuesday,
with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.6 per cent to close
at 8,808.5 points. The rising price of copper and
gold boosted the resources sector, with BHP up 2.3
per cent at $47.58 and Northern Star Resources ending
the session 3.6 per cent higher at $26.35. Suncorp
Group in turn finished one per cent higher at $17.26
and Austral advanced 6.7 per cent to $8.73. However,
Woodside Energy fell 1.7 per cent to $23.31 and GQG
Partners was down 8.6 per cent at $1.64. (Roy Morgan
Summary)
News
Mining
(Australia and World)
Rio
may finally land its Glencore megamerger
The
prospects of a merger between Rio Tinto and Glencore
may have been boosted by the former's appointment
of Simon Trott as CEO last year. He is like to be
more amenable to a deal than his predecessor, Jakob
Stausholm, who is said to have objected to Glencore's
proposal in previous merger talks that its CEO Gary
Nagle rather than himself should head the combined
group. Meanwhile, Rio Tinto's dual listing in Australia
and the UK may be a challenge in sealing a merger.
Glencore's coal mines are also likely to be problematic,
given that Rio Tinto has exited the sector and these
assets would conflict with its environmental, social
and governance policy. (RMS)
News
Crypto:
sell-the-growth continues
Market
Overview
The
crypto market capitalisation grew by 1% over the past
day and is down 1% from a week ago. Bitcoin received
a boost from reports of a criminal investigation against
the head of the Federal Reserve, which created momentum
for a flight from US assets. In our view, this precedent
is negative for risk appetite.
Bitcoin
jumped to $92,500 but saw a significant influx of
sellers, returning to $90,300 at the time of writing.
Testing of the 50-day moving average as support continues.
A slip below $90K could have a strong psychological
effect, quickly taking the price to $87K and then
sending it lower below $80K.
XRP
is losing for the seventh day in a row, like Bitcoin,
rolling back to the 50-day MA and close to the round
level of $2.0. The coin is still up 10% since the
beginning of the year, but the initial momentum has
clearly lost steam, as there are too many people in
the markets willing to sell on the rise. Most likely,
this change in strategy for all cryptocurrencies will
characterise the market in the coming months.
News
Background
The
total open interest in Bitcoin derivatives has fallen
to its lowest level since the end of 2022, according
to CryptoQuant. Historically, reaching such levels
has preceded periods of consolidation or even bullish
reversals.
Bitcoin
could reach $2.9 million by 2050 in a base case scenario,
according to VanEck's forecast. This will happen if
the first cryptocurrency becomes a currency for international
settlements and enters the reserves of central banks.
The main obstacle to mass adoption remains the scalability
of the network. VanEck emphasised the importance of
developing second-level solutions that will speed
up transactions and reduce commissions.
Monero
(XMR) is regaining its status as the leading anonymous
coin amid the crisis in the Zcash ecosystem following
the departure of its development team. The asset has
been growing steadily for several weeks, outperforming
most of its competitors in the sector.
There
are more and more signs in the crypto market pointing
to the end of the sell-off. Among them are the stabilisation
of outflows from ETFs, the situation with perpetual
futures and positions on the CME, according to JPMorgan.
MSCI's
decision on 6 January regarding companies accumulating
cryptocurrencies is also favourable for cryptocurrencies.
The global provider of stock indices has decided not
to exclude them from its indices during the review
in February 2026. (FxPro)
News
Crypto
market grows with risk appetite in stocks
Market
Overview
The
crypto market gained 0.75% over the past 24 hours
to $3.13T in another attempt to turn towards growth,
pushing off the 50-day moving average. Appetite for
crypto grew amid a rebound in US financial markets
during Monday’s trading and continued growth
in Japanese stocks on Tuesday morning. Steady risk
appetite began to spread to cryptocurrencies, which
had underperformed the market for many weeks.
Bitcoin
has exceeded $92K since Monday evening, attempting
to climb above levels seen a week ago. There were
wide fluctuations on Monday, with an impressive increase
in sales when the price rose above $92K, but this
did not deter the bulls from continuing their attempts.
It would be too hasty to conclude sustained risk appetite
while the price remains below previous local highs
of $95K. An optimistic view of the situation considers
a series of rising local lows since November.
Ethereum
is holding above $3,000, carefully forming a bottom
at this level over the past five days. At the end
of last month, a similar support level was near $2,920.
As with Bitcoin, ETH is trading above the 50-day MA,
but still below the local peak on 6 January.
News
Background
Retail
investors continue to offload loss-making assets due
to fears of volatility, which is increasing selling
pressure, according to CryptoQuant.
Profit-taking
and shifting expectations in the options market indicate
that investors are postponing bullish expectations
to a later date, not believing in a quick rally. Optimism
about a breakout in the first quarter is fading, QCP
Capital notes.
Views
of cryptocurrency content on YouTube have fallen to
their lowest levels since 2021, ITC Crypto notes.
A similar decline in social interest has also been
recorded on social network X.
According to Arkham Intelligence, the DAT company
BitMine has increased the amount of locked assets
on the Ethereum network to 1.08 million coins. The
value of the portfolio exceeded $3 billion.
The
theory of Ethereum’s ‘demise,’ based
on its prolonged decline against Bitcoin, is untenable,
said MN Trading founder Michael van de Poppe. In his
opinion, the ETH/BTC rate has already bottomed out.
The key argument in favour of growth is the increase
in the volume of stablecoins on the Ethereum network.
South
Korea has lifted its ban on corporate investment in
cryptocurrencies. Legal entities will be able to allocate
up to 5% of their share capital to coins from the
top 20 by market capitalisation, excluding stablecoins.
(FxPro)
News
The
yen returned to the Takaichi trade
The
dollar resumed its growth after the lawsuit against
the Fed chairman
Rumours
of early elections in Japan drove up USDJPY quotes.
‘We’re screwed!’ -- that’s how
Donald Trump described the possible Supreme Court’s
ruling against his tariffs. The US will have to return
hundreds of billions of dollars, not to mention the
cancellation of investments that other countries intended
to make in exchange for lower import duties. In fact,
the White House screwed up a little earlier when the
Justice Department informed Jerome Powell about the
lawsuit. The Fed chairman and the markets perceive
this event as a factor putting pressure on the central
bank. Lowering rates under pressure from the president
could lead to uncontrolled inflation, as has occurred
in several emerging market countries in the past.
Investors will demand a higher risk premium on bonds.
Higher Treasury yields will weigh on the economy.
The
greenback is poised to benefit from both the Supreme
Court’s repeal of tariffs and the lawsuit against
Jerome Powell. The latter led to a rise in EURUSD
and allowed the euro to be sold at a higher price.
The refund of previously paid fees could be seen as
a fiscal stimulus that will boost the US economy.
The strength of the dollar was one of the reasons
for the USDJPY’s surge to its highest level since
July 2024. The second factor was rumours of early
elections in Japan. The new prime minister’s
ratings are high, and she intends to strengthen the
Liberal Democratic Party’s position in parliament.
As a result, investors are returning to a so-called
‘Takaichi trade’ with stocks rising while
the yen is weakening.
The
USDJPY rally is forcing the government to return to
verbal interventions. Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki
Katayama expressed concern about the speculative nature
of the yen’s weakening at a meeting with her
American counterpart. She said that Scott Bessent
is also unhappy with what is happening on Forex.
Now
the markets are trying to determine the levels of
Tokyo’s potential intervention in the international
currency market. In 2024, it resorted to currency
interventions four times near the 160 level, a very
close call with 159 now.
Gold
took advantage of the growing distrust of fiat currencies.
It reached a new record high. As a result, CME changed
its margin calculation methodology to reduce volatility.
Its increase at the end of 2025 caused precious metals
to retreat. (FxPro)
News
Crude
Oil counteracts
While
developments in Venezuela acted as a headwind for
oil prices, events surrounding Iran provided clear
support. Expectations of an influx of cheaper supply
from Latin America pushed Brent crude to its lowest
level in eight months. However, escalating tensions
in the Middle East helped North Sea crude find a floor
and rebound. The four-day rally in black gold highlights
a renewed rise in geopolitical risk premiums.
According
to Capital Economics, mass protests, oil workers'
strikes, the blockade of the shadow fleet, and Tehran's
threats to close the Strait of Hormuz could push Brent
prices up by $15-20 per barrel. Iran is a much larger
oil producer than Venezuela, ranking fourth in OPEC.
It accounts for about 3% of global production, or
3.3 million barrels per day. Exports are estimated
at 2 million barrels per day, with about 90% going
to China. The country's share of China's black gold
imports is estimated at 15%. Venezuela's share is
only 2%. Western sanctions have significantly undermined
Tehran's potential. At the peak of its glory in the
1970s, Iran's share of global production was 10%.
Investors are hedging against the risks of Brent's
rally continuing at its fastest pace since the joint
US-Israeli attack on Iran last summer. At the same
time, the market is considering two key scenarios
for further developments. Either there will be a supply
crisis, or the resumption of the trade war between
the United States and China will deal a blow to the
world economy and global demand for oil. Following
Donald Trump's announcement of additional 25% tariffs
on countries doing business with Tehran, such a scenario
is quite likely. Such a rapid rally in Brent would
not have happened if speculators had not built up
huge short positions in North Sea crude against the
backdrop of events in Venezuela. Their unwinding is
leading to a rebound. Demand for oil call options
has jumped to its highest level since October. A significant
share of them are trading with strike prices at $80
per barrel. (FxPro)
News
Sports
Culture
NRL
broadcast deal focus for game changes
The
Australian Rugby League Commission's chairman Peter
V'landys still hopes the NRL's next broadcasting rights
deal will be worth at least $5bn. He contends that
in order to achieve a record rights deal the NRL must
evolve by making rule changes that will make the sport
more exciting and attract new viewers. The ARLC and
the NRL are currently consulting with the league's
17 clubs regarding a number of proposed rule changes
for the 2026 season; they include giving the team
that concedes a try the option of either kicking off
or receiving the ball. V'Landys notes that previous
rule changes have boosted NRL viewership from just
137 million in 2019 to 224 million in 2025. (RMS)
News
Jan
12
Tech/A.I
Joint
statement from Google and Apple
Apple
and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration
under which the next generation of Apple Foundation
Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and
cloud technology. These models will help power future
Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized
Siri coming this year.
After
careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google's
Al technology provides the most capable foundation
for Apple Foundation Models and is excited about the
innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple
users. Apple Intelligence will continue to run on
Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining
Apple's industry-leading privacy standards. (Source:
Google/Alphabet)
https://blog.google/company-news/inside-google/company-announcements/joint-statement-google-apple/
News
Pop
Culture
NETFLIX
BECOMES OFFICIAL HOME OF WWE LIBRARY IN UNITED STATES
January
6, 2026 – Netflix and WWE today announced an
expansion to their long-term partnership that will
see the world’s leading entertainment service
become the home of WWE’s library in the U.S.
Beginning
immediately, Netflix is the new U.S. home for WWE’s
library of Premium Live Events (prior to September
2025) including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal
Rumble, as well as award-winning documentaries and
original programming.
This
follows the January 2025 launch of WWE on Netflix,
where Monday Night Raw has become a weekly staple
in the global English Top 10. Past episodes of Monday
Night Raw are also available as part of the WWE library
on Netflix.
The
arrival of WWE’s library on Netflix also comes
ahead of Season 2 of original behind-the-scenes documentary
series WWE: Unreal on January 20.
News
Pop
Culture
Pro
Wrestling
AJ
Styles Returns to TNA Wrestling LIVE January 15 on
Premiere of Thursday Night iMPACT! on AMC
Jan
9, 2026
The
premiere of Thursday Night iMPACT! on AMC will be
PHENOMENAL.
For
the first time since Slammiversary, AJ Styles makes
his jaw-dropping return to TNA Wrestling as a new
era begins LIVE January 15 from the Curtis Culwell
Center in Dallas, Texas.
What
will "The Phenomenal One" have in store
as TNA Wrestling makes history once again?
Also
on the loaded lineup:
Frankie
Kazarian vs. Mike Santana for the TNA World Championship
The
IInspiration vs. The Elegance Brand for the TNA Knockouts
World Tag Team Championship
Elijah
and The Hardys vs. Order 4
Plus
more!
Thursday
Night iMPACT! on AMC debuts January 15, 2026 at 9/8c
LIVE from the Curtis Culwell Center in Dallas, Texas.
News
Pop
Culture
Pro
Wrestling: WWE - Studio/Production News
WWE
is set to be an important part of a new initiative
that Fanatics is launching.
It
was announced today that Fanatics and production company
OBB Media have linked up to launch Fanatics Studios,
which will see Fanatics produce its own feature films
and documentaries, unscripted and scripted original
programming, live event specials, premium digital
series, and more. WWE is listed among the partners
— with a “multi-project commitment across
unscripted and digital content.”
"YEE(A)T
with The Usos: Fanatics Studios will debut an unscripted
culinary series with WWE Superstars Jimmy and Jey
Uso, who will take their tag team efforts on the road
with a BBQ travel show featuring fellow WWE superstars
and celebrity friends distributed across WWE’s
social and YouTube channels"
News
Jan
12
Netflix
- WWE News
“Netflix
members welcomed WWE with a bang (but thankfully,
no permanent injuries). In 2025, our members watched
525M hours of WWE content”... “Of this total,
Raw accounted for nearly 340M views and 185M views
for Premium Live Events broadcast outside of the US
like SmackDown, WrestleMania, Elimination Chamber,
Money in the Bank, Night of Champions and Royal Rumble.”
...
Netflix
scribed that Raw ranked in the top 10 of its category
most weeks, with it only falling outside of the rankings
in December when “Stranger Things” took
up much of the top 10.
“Since
Raw’s official Netflix debut on January 6, 2025,
the show has made the Global English TV Top 10 nearly
every week it’s been on service (47 out of a
possible 52 weeks),” Netflix wrote. “Over
52 shows, Raw has averaged more than 3M views per
week.
“And
it’s not just in the US, the birthplace of the
WWE. Raw has made the Top 10 in 34 countries, including
the US (51 weeks), Bolivia (49 weeks), Canada (48
weeks), the UK (40 weeks) and Mexico (38 weeks).”
Media/TV
Biz
Research:
Netflix leads growth in streaming ad-tiers
Jan
13
Global
usage of ad-supported subscription tiers increased
across Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Max between Q4 2024
and Q3 2025, according to research from Digital i.
The
highest growth in adoption was on Netflix, with 40
per cent of active accounts using its Standard with
Ads plan in Q3 2025, in the 20 countries measured
by Digital i.
This
was up by 14 per cent from the 26 per cent of subscribers
on that tier in Q4 2024 that were recorded in Digital
i’s trend report, Evolving Streamer Strategies,
in 2025.
Ad-supported
tier usage rose from 35 per cent to 44 per cent on
Disney+ during that period and from 22 per cent to
28 per cent on HBO Max. Prime Video remained the service
with the highest ad-supported tier usage, but this
fell from 88 per cent of subscribers in Q4 2024 to
82 per cent in Q3 2025.
Digital
i measures streaming audience data in the UK, the
US, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, France,
Italy, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, Poland, Denmark,
Finland, Sweden, Norway, Australia, South Korea and
Japan. (Wires)
News
Best
Quotes Of The Day
Media
Man
Cryptocurrency,
Finance and World
"Volatility
is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." - Michael
Saylor
"Bitcoin
is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and
tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme."
— Naval Ravikant
"We
have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical
framework that is free of politics and human error."
— Tyler Winklevoss
"You
can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere,
and the world will have to readjust. World governments
will have to readjust." — John McAfee
"Bitcoin
is the most important invention in the history of
the world since the Internet." — Roger Ver
"Cryptocurrency
is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn
governments." — Charles Lee
"In
the future, national currencies will become obsolete.
Bitcoin will become the single global currency."
— Jack Dorsey
"The
future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in
payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng
Zhao
"Crypto
offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged."
— Elizabeth Stark
"The
new frontier of innovation is in decentralization.
Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott
"Digital
currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter
of how long before governments embrace it." —
Brad Garlinghouse
Pop
Culture
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking
Santa
vs Grinch
Bulls vs Bears
Crypto King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
Chris Jericho vs Dirtsheets
NFL vs everyone
Zuffa vs MVP
Netflix vs World
Meta vs Australia
Google Deepmind and Gemini vs X
Paul Bros vs Lucha Bros
Office Workers vs Field Workers
Markets/Biz/Mining/Energy/Politics/Culture
Australia
and World
January
2026
Jan
13
Markets
Australian
Dollar: $0.6713 USD (up $0.0042 USD)
Iron Ore: $109.05 USD (up $0.75 USD)
Oil Price: $59.51 USD (up $0.39 USD)
Gold Price: $4,608.44 USD (up $99.24 USD)
Copper Price): $6.0225 USD (up 0.1320 USD)
Bitcoin: $91,157.39 +0.29%
Dow Jones: 49,552.79 (up 48.72 points)
News
Minerals
stockpile faces 'long road' to pay-off
The
Association of Mining & Exploration Companies'
CEO Warren Pearce says the federal government's critical
minerals strategic reserve could potentially be generating
revenue for the nation by 2030. He adds that its success
will depend on securing offtake agreements quickly.
Resources Minister Madeleine King has conceded that
it will take some time for the strategic reserve to
begin producing revenue, but she believes that the
need for a more diversified critical minerals supply
chain will eventually result in "upside"
for the nation. King adds that Australia has some
key advantages over resources-rich Greenland in the
development of mineral deposits. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Japan
chases critical minerals deal
Justin
Hayhurst is about to finish his time as Australia's
ambassador to Japan, with Hayhurst to be replaced
by Andrew Shearer, a former national security adviser
to prime ministers Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison.
Hayhurst says that he never left his embassy residence
in the last weeks of his appointment without a list
of critical minerals on him, with Japanese officials
keen to struck a similar deal with Australia to the
one that Australia signed with the US last year, with
that deal seeing $4.6 billion earmarked to develop
new critical minerals projects. (RMS)
News
Allan
denies firefighting funding cuts
Victoria's
Opposition claims that the state government has cut
funding to the Country Fire Authority, with the CFA's
most recent annual report being cited as evidence.
It shows that government grant funding fell from $351.6m
to $339.5m over the four years to 2023-24, with the
CFA's 2024-25 annual report not yet released. With
Premier Jacinta Allan rejecting the opposition's claims,
the row over funding comes as CFA volunteers fighting
the state's current bushfires have claimed that they
are being expected to do so in ageing trucks with
no air-conditioning in temperatures of up to 40C.
About 27 fires were still burning across Victoria
on Monday. (RMS)
News
Telcos
face renewed pressure after fire outages leave people
stranded and desperate
Independent
federal MP Helen Haines says telecommunications need
to be secured during natural disasters such as the
bushfires in Victoria; her electorate includes the
fire-ravaged town of Longwood. Haines also contends
that mobile phone base towers should have back-up
power to ensure that there is network coverage during
emergencies. The Strathbogie shire area, which includes
Longwood, experienced a telecommunications outage
during the bushfires, as did Towong and Natimuk. Temporary
disaster roaming is already available for Triple Zero
calls, but Telstra told a parliamentary inquiry in
late 2025 that there a number of challenges in deploying
it more broadly. (RMS)
News
Pauline
Hanson and Barnaby Joyce use Gina Rinehart's private
jet to visit flooded parts of Queensland
One
Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has defended the use of a
private jet to visit flooded regions of Queensland.
Joyce and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson recently
travelled to Mt Isa on a Gulfstream jet that is owned
by mining magnate Gina Rinehart, where they subsequently
visited flood-affected towns such as Julia Creek.
Joyce contends that they were saving taxpayers' money
by using the jet; he adds that the trip was an important
sign of support for towns that have been affected
by heavy rain and flooding from ex-Tropical Cyclone
Koji in recent weeks. Hanson also travelled to the
US on Rinehart's jet in October, along with her chief-of-staff
James Ashby. (RMS)
News
'I'll
cut off Cuba's oil, put Rubio in charge': Trump
Mexican
president Claudia Sheinbaum says her country will
continue to supply Cuba with crude oil, referring
to the shipments as humanitarian aid. Sheinbaum's
comments come after US President Donald Trump cut
off Cuba's entire supply of heavily subsidised oil
from Venezuela, while he also re-posted an account
on his Truth Social site which stated that "Marco
Rubio will be president of Cuba", accompanied
by a laughing face emoji. Trump's secretary of state,
Rubio is Cuban-American and a long-time opponent of
the Cuban government. (RMS)
News
Wheatbelt
family in wind farm court fight
Western
Australia's Wheatbelt region has been labelled as
the next frontier for renewables in WA, with $20bn
worth of renewables projects in the region at various
stages of approval or proposed. However, renewable
energy companies have told the state government that
a tactic being used by some farmers in the region
is creating "operational risk" and investor
uncertainty. It involves farmers who are against wind
farms on neighbouring properties building a house
on or close to their boundary to ensure no wind turbines
can be built within 1.5km, a standard adopted to reduce
the impact of turbine noise on neighbours. (RMS)
News
ASX
gains on miners; Light & Wonder soars
The
Australian sharemarket posted a solid gain on Monday,
with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.5 per cent to close
at 8,759.4 points. The rising gold price boosted producers
of the precious metal, with Ramelius Resources advancing
6.3 per cent to $4.39 and Newmont Corporation up 5.8
per cent at $166.59. Light & Wonder rose 18 per
cent to $182.50 and PWR Holdings ended the session
10 per cent higher at $9.60; however, BHP was down
2.5 per cent at $46.51 and Super Retail Group fell
5.3 per cent to $14.90. (RMS)
News
BHP
closes in on CBA's crown as ASX king
Shares
in BHP have risen by 30 per cent in the last six months,
lifting its market capitalisation to $236bn. The resources
giant is now just 8.5 per cent shy of the Commonwealth
Bank of Australia's market cap of $258bn, and a continued
strong run could see it reclaim the title of the ASX's
biggest company. CBA's shares peaked at $192 in mid-2025;
Peter Gardner from Plato Investment Management believes
that CBA is still a bit overvalued at its current
price of about $154 per share. Meanwhile, BHP has
been buoyed by strong commodity prices, which has
prompted investors to rebalance their portfolios in
favour of mining companies rather than banks. (RMS)
News
Woolworths
strikes Google deal allowing AI to fill shopping baskets
Woolworths
CEO Amanda Bardwell says its new partnership with
Google will alter how its customers interact with
it online. The deal with Google will see the supermarket
chain use Google's Gemini artificial intelligence
platform in Olive, which is Woolworths' chatbot. It
will mean that Olive will be able to help Woolworths'
customers plan their meals, and, with their permission,
add items to their online shopping baskets. (RMS)
News
The
true value of BlueScope
AustralianSuper
has effectively told the Stokes family and US firm
Steel Dynamics that the traditional practice of linking
a takeover bid to the pre-bid market price does not
apply to BlueScope Steel. This would seem to be the
only interpretation that can be put on the fact that
AustralianSuper started buying BlueScope shares at
around $30, which is the price that the Stokes/Steel
Dynamics alliance is offering for BlueScope, with
AustralianSuper's strategy having essentially 'killed
off' the bid. (RMS)
News
Wind,
solar to get big federal boost
Clean
Energy Finance Corporation CEO Ian Learmonth says
it plans to back a number of big wind projects this
year, including the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy
Zone in western NSW. Wind power is seen as vital to
the federal government's goal of 82 per cent renewable
energy in the grid by the end of the decade, while
Learmonth says that large-scale wind, solar and battery
projects will continue to be the CEFC's focus as far
as projects that it will invest in. (RMS)
News
Upgrades
at airports to transform travel experience
Airports
have introduced advanced screening technology in response
to legislative changes, with the technology eliminating
the need for airline passengers to remove laptops,
aerosols and drink bottles from carry-on baggage.
This is expected to double the rate of passenger screening
when compared to existing systems, while other changes
expected to improve the travel experience at Australian
airports this year include fixing Melbourne Airport's
problem-plagued baggage system and improving travel
access at Perth Airport. (RMS)
News
Directors
vote to close Sendle after ill-fated US merger
Founded
in 2014 and promoted as an alternative to Australia
Post, parcel delivery company Sendle was recently
merged with two US-based start-ups to form a new company
called Fast Group. However, the directors of Fast
Group have voted to close that company down, due to
problems with gaining new funding; Sendle advised
its customers on Sunday evening that it had ceased
operations and had cancelled all scheduled parcel
deliveries. (RMS)
News
Battle
of the poker machine giants settled for $190m after
two years
Light
& Wonder has settled a dispute with fellow poker
poker machine manufacturer Aristocrat Leisure that
began two years ago. The spat started when Aristocrat
Leisure alleged that Light & Wonder had 'ripped
off' the programming behind its Dragon Link gaming
machine, and had used it to create its own games:
Dragon Train and Jewel of the Dragon. Light &
Wonder advised on Monday that it has agreed to pay
US127.5 million ($190 million), while it will cease
commercialisation of the Dragon Train and Jewel of
the Dragon games. (RMS)
News
'It's
embarrassing': riders say time is up for fossil fuel
sponsorship of heat-affected Tour Down Under
Oil
and gas company Santos is the sponsor of cycling's
Tour Down Under, which begins on 16 January. With
cyclists facing increasingly extreme heat in events
as a result of climate change, there are calls for
the Tour Down Under to end its association with the
fossil fuel producer. Former national champion Cyrus
Monk says it is "embarrassing" that Santos
sponsors the biggest cycling race in Australia, while
former Tour De France commentator Matt Rendell claims
fossil fuel companies like to associate themselves
with cycling events because "cycling is cheap
and the bicycle has impeccable environmental credentials".
(RMS)
News
Labor
warms to mining merger
The
proposed merger between Rio Tinto and Glencore would
require regulatory approval in a number of countries,
including Australia. Resources Minister Madeleine
King does not believe that a merger would be negative
for Australia, noting that both companies have a significant
presence in the nation's resourcs industry; she adds
that Rio Tinto will always be an important part of
the domestic economy. Meanwhile, Barrenjoey analysts
suggest that Glencore's coal assets could be spun-off
to existing shareholders if the proposed merger proceeds,
given that Rio Tinto has exited coal mining. (RMS)
News
BHP
considering its options amid mega-merger talks
BHP
has declined to comment on speculation about its possible
response to the renewed merger between Rio Tinto and
Glencore. Romano Sala Tenna from Katana Asset Management
says it could make more sense for BHP to merge with
Glencore, given that both companies have significant
coal assets and Rio Tinto has completely exited that
sector. He adds that growing global sovereign risk
means that achieving scale in the mining sector also
makes sense. MKI Global Partners' CEO Mark Kelly in
turn notes that BHP is seeking to reduce its reliance
on iron ore for export earnings. (RMS)
News
Gold
to crack $US5K amid Iran protests and Fed pressure
The
price of gold rose by 65 per cent during calendar
2025, and it has risen above $US4,600 per ounce for
the first time in early 2026. Sebastian Mullins from
Schroders notes that the traditional 'safe haven'
investment is benefiting from factors such as geopolitical
uncertainty in Venezuela and Iran, as well as the
Trump administration's latest attack on the independence
of the US Federal Reserve. Justin Lin from Global
X says the firm regards gold as one of the most attractive
investments of 2026, and he is among the market watchers
who believe that the gold price could rise above $US5,000
an ounce this year. (RMS)
News
Hedge
funds 'toasted' as lithium spike hits shorts
The
price of lithium carbonate in China has risen by 20
per cent so far in 2026, while spodumene - the type
of lithium that is mined in Australia - has gained
22 per cent. This has in turn boosted ASX-listed lithium
producers, which were among the bourse's top-performing
stocks in 2025; Liontown Resources has gained 34 per
cent since the start of this year, while Core Lithium
is up 15 per cent. Meanwhile, there has been a sharp
fall in the short-selling of Australian-listed lithium
stocks, and the rising price of the battery metal
has forced hedge funds to buy more shares in order
to cover their short positions. (RMS)
News
Roy
Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Company Of The
Month' award
News
Mining,
Energy, Resources, Markets, Biz, Heavy Industry, Blue
Collar, Energy, Culture, News
Heavy
Industry Awards
Mack
Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month'
award
Caterpillar
wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The
Month' award
Bingo
Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The
Month' award
Elders
wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award
Landman
wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award
(Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)
Jim's
Mowing wins Media Man 'Australian Business Of The
Month' award
News
Pop
Culture News
Landman
(Paramount Plus)
(In
Case You Missed It)
Plot
Set
against the backdrop of the booming West Texas oilfields,
Landman follows Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton),
a crisis manager and landman for an independent oil
company. Tommy navigates cutthroat deals, family tensions,
and moral dilemmas while trying to keep his business
afloat. The story kicks off with an investigation
into a fatal accident involving an out-of-town lawyer,
weaving in elements of drug cartels.
Landman
is an American drama television series created by
Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace, inspired by
Wallace's podcast Boomtown. It explores the high-stakes
world of the oil industry in West Texas, blending
themes of fortune-seeking, corporate intrigue, and
personal drama amid roughnecks, billionaires, and
geopolitical shifts.
The
series premiered on Paramount+ on November 17, 2024,
and has been renewed for a second season.
Landman:
Season 2. Trailer (Paramount Plus)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=mhzQawESdqg
"You
think you understand how this business works, but
you don't." Things are heating up in the final
Landman trailer. Season 2 premieres November 16, 2025,
only on Paramount+.
"Death
and a Sunset"
November 16, 2025
"Sins
of the Father"
November 23, 2025
"Almost
a Home"
November 30, 2025
"Dancing
Rainbows"
December 7, 2025
"The
Pirate Dinner"
December 14, 2025
"Dark
Night of the Soul"
December 21, 2025
"Forever
Is an Instant"
December 28, 2025
"Handsome
Touched Me"
January 4, 2026
"Plans,
Tears and Sirens"
January 11, 2026
"Tragedy
and Flies"
January 18, 2026
News
Gold
Movie
Gold
is a 2016 American epic crime drama film directed
by Stephen Gaghan and written by Patrick Massett and
John Zinman. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Édgar
Ramírez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Corey Stoll,
Toby Kebbell, Craig T. Nelson, Stacy Keach and Bruce
Greenwood. The film is loosely based on the true story
of the 1997 Bre-X mining scandal, when a massive gold
deposit was supposedly discovered in the jungles of
Indonesia; however, for legal reasons and to enhance
the appeal of the film, character names and story
details were changed.
Trailer
Gold
(YouTube Movies and TV)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=yc0S96OZhi0
Gold
is the epic tale of one man's pursuit of the American
dream, to discover gold. Starring Oscar® winner
Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, Dallas Buyers Club,
The Wolf Of Wall Street) as Kenny Wells, a modern
day prospector desperate for a lucky break, he teams
up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on
an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle
of Indonesia. Getting the gold was hard, but keeping
it would be even harder, sparking an adventure through
the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street. The film
is inspired by a true story.
News
Best
Quotes
The
best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."
"You
are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig
to find it and make it real."
"Your
mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will
find something golden."
"Don't
die without mining the gold in your mind."
"We're
like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's
inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."
"If
you want to find gold, you've got to love the process
of digging."
"Even
if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to
dig."
"Develop
men the same way gold is mined"
"Don't
go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in
looking for the gold."
"A
prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"
"A
prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't
find much gold"
"The
world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not."
"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are
silver, these are gold."
"All
that is gold does not glitter."
"Gold
is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears
out"
"Gold
is the money of kings"
"Mining
is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit.
An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher
of a dead mule."
"Anyone
can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds
the gold."
"True
gold fears no fire."
"The
desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means
of freedom and benefit."
"Make
new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these
are gold."
"When
taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes
considered like cheap copper – so are people."
Media
Man
Roy
Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The
Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance
News
Jan
6
BHP
iron ore carrier docks in China after a month in limbo
A
BHP spokesman has indicated that it is continuing
to negotiate with China Mineral Resources Group regarding
a long-running dispute over iron ore shipments. However,
one of two bulk carriers was allowed to enter a Chinese
port on 31 December, having been moored off the coast
of China since late November; the second vessel carrying
BHP's Pilbara iron ore has yet to dock at the port
of Qingdao, having arrived in Chinese waters in early
December. Meanwhile, BHP has declined to comment on
whether CMRG is exerting pressure to change the index
it uses to price iron ore shipments to China; recent
media reports suggest that both Rio Tinto and Fortescue
have agreed to do so. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
AI
digs out more profits at mining giant BHP
BHP's
chief technical officer Johan van Jaarsveld says the
resources group aims to generate annual savings and
revenue gains of about $250m via the use of artificial
intelligence technology. BHP is deploying AI across
its operations, but it has had particular success
at the Escondida copper mine in Chile. Machine learning
technology has been used to help design the blast
patterns that are used to break up orebodies at the
mine; van Jaarsveld says mill throughout rose by five
per cent on the day BHP started using the technology.
(RMS)
News
Geologists
uncover Earth's largest iron ore deposit ever recorded,
worth $5.7 trillion
It
was previously thought that the Pilbara Craton's iron
ore bodies were formed at least two billion years
ago. However, new dating techniques applied at key
sites in the Hamersley Basin have concluded that these
ore bodies were formed between 1.4 and 1.1 billion
years ago; the new age range has been confirmed across
multiple ore bodies in the region. The research has
also found that the Pilbara Craton may contain about
55 billion metric tonnes of ore; this would be worth
more than $5.7trn based on the current price of iron
ore.(RMS)
News
Northern
Star cops a crusher blow to forecast
Morgans
Financial has downgraded its recommendation on Northern
Star Resources' stock from 'accumulate' to 'hold'
in response to the gold miner's reduced production
guidance. Northern Star recently advised that it now
expects to produce between 1.6 million and 1.7 million
ounces of gold in 2025-26, compared with previous
guidance of 1.7 million to 1.85 million ounces. The
lower production outlook has been attributed to a
series of equipment failures during the December quarter,
including the breakdown of the primary crusher at
the company's Kalgoorlie operations. (RMS)
News
Coronado
halts Queensland production after death
Production
at Coronado Global Resources' Mammoth coal mine in
Queensland has been put on hold in the wake of a fatal
accident. One worker died and another was injured
on Friday when a roof collapsed at the underground
mine, which is part of Coronado's Curragh mining complex.
Resources Safety & Health Queensland will investigate
the incident, which is the third fatality at Coronado's
Queensland coal operations in recent years. A worker
at its Lower War Eagle mine in the US also died in
mid-December. (RMS)
News
Australia
Northern
Star loses lustre as gold giant cuts production forecasts
Northern
Star Resources has blamed a catalogue of equipment
failures for slashing the amount of bullion it expects
to produce this year, prompting investors to punish
its stock.
Australia’s
biggest listed gold miner took almost a month to alert
the market that the primary crusher at its famed Super
Pit mine in Western Australia had broken down in December.
Investors
sold down Northern Star stock after the miner said
it would produce up to 13 per cent less gold this
year than previously forecast. Shares slumped 10 per
cent on Friday, when the new estimate was first disclosed,
and rose slightly to close at $24.95 on Monday after
a call with analysts.
Northern
Star, led by managing director Stuart Tonkin, had
told investors that it now expected to produce as
few as 1.6 million ounces in the year, down from earlier
guidance of up to 1.85 million ounces.
“The
full-year reduction has been necessary due to a number
of isolated operational events late in the December
quarter, which have largely now been rectified,”
Tonkin told analysts on Monday.
“I’d
like to reinforce our confidence in the underlying
asset portfolio... Our long-term value creation strategy
is sound,” he added.
The
miner said the crusher problems at the Super Pit were
expected to be resolved by the end of January, but
that they were just the tip of the iceberg.
Other
technical problems included a slip in the open-cut
wall at its South Kalgoorlie mine in October, and
a failure at its crushing circuit at Jundee that is
twice as bad as previously anticipated, resulting
in 20,000 fewer ounces than forecast. Simon Jessop,
Northern Star’s chief operating officer, blamed
October’s wall slip on heavy rainfall around
Kalgoorlie. (AFR) *Full article and coverage via subscription
to The Australian Financial Review
News
Australian
Mining News
Tragic
Incident at Queensland Coal Mine
A
worker was found dead following a roof collapse at
the Curragh coal mine in central Queensland. The incident
occurred on January 2, with the miner trapped underground;
search teams recovered the body on January 3-4. This
has prompted investigations into safety protocols
at the site, operated by Coronado Global Resources.
Acquisitions
and Deals
IPD
Group (ASX:IPG) acquired Platinum Cables, a key supplier
of cables for the mining and resources sector, for
$37.5 million. The deal aims to bolster electrification
efforts in Australian mining operations.
Ongoing
asset sales and agreements, such as Horizon Minerals
divesting the Lake Johnston Project to Forrestania
Resources for $35 million.
Capricorn
Metals is advancing acquisition of the Yalgoo gold
project in Western Australia from Tempest Minerals.
Critical
Minerals and Future Outlook
Several
ASX-listed companies are positioning for growth in
critical minerals, with projects expected to ramp
up supply in 2026. This includes advancements in rare
earths processing (e.g., a new facility in Sydney
set for completion) and antimony-gold developments.
Government
support continues for domestic processing to reduce
reliance on overseas supply chains.Industry Trends
and ForecastsGold production remains strong, with
high prices driving earnings forecasts to around $60
billion for 2025-26 and 2026-27.
Preparations
for 2026 include industry-government alignments in
Western Australia for decarbonisation, digital transformation,
and critical minerals demand.
Workforce
projections indicate over 22,000 new jobs from 96
mining and energy projects by 2030, though challenges
like skills shortages persist.
Upcoming
events: Future of Mining Australia 2026 conference
and potential shareholder votes on major takeovers
(e.g., Fortescue's interest in copper projects).
News
Pop
Culture News
Landman
(Paramount Plus)
(In
Case You Missed It)
Plot
Set
against the backdrop of the booming West Texas oilfields,
Landman follows Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton),
a crisis manager and landman for an independent oil
company. Tommy navigates cutthroat deals, family tensions,
and moral dilemmas while trying to keep his business
afloat. The story kicks off with an investigation
into a fatal accident involving an out-of-town lawyer,
weaving in elements of drug cartels.
Landman
is an American drama television series created by
Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace, inspired by
Wallace's podcast Boomtown. It explores the high-stakes
world of the oil industry in West Texas, blending
themes of fortune-seeking, corporate intrigue, and
personal drama amid roughnecks, billionaires, and
geopolitical shifts.
The
series premiered on Paramount+ on November 17, 2024,
and has been renewed for a second season.
Landman:
Season 2. Trailer (Paramount Plus)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=mhzQawESdqg
"You
think you understand how this business works, but
you don't." Things are heating up in the final
Landman trailer. Season 2 premieres November 16, 2025,
only on Paramount+.
"Death
and a Sunset"
November 16, 2025
"Sins
of the Father"
November 23, 2025
"Almost
a Home"
November 30, 2025
"Dancing
Rainbows"
December 7, 2025
"The
Pirate Dinner"
December 14, 2025
"Dark
Night of the Soul"
December 21, 2025
"Forever
Is an Instant"
December 28, 2025
"Handsome
Touched Me"
January 4, 2026
"Plans,
Tears and Sirens"
January 11, 2026
"Tragedy
and Flies"
January 18, 2026
News
Gold
Movie
Gold
is a 2016 American epic crime drama film directed
by Stephen Gaghan and written by Patrick Massett and
John Zinman. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Édgar
Ramírez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Corey Stoll,
Toby Kebbell, Craig T. Nelson, Stacy Keach and Bruce
Greenwood. The film is loosely based on the true story
of the 1997 Bre-X mining scandal, when a massive gold
deposit was supposedly discovered in the jungles of
Indonesia; however, for legal reasons and to enhance
the appeal of the film, character names and story
details were changed.
Trailer
Gold
(YouTube Movies and TV)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=yc0S96OZhi0
Gold
is the epic tale of one man's pursuit of the American
dream, to discover gold. Starring Oscar® winner
Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, Dallas Buyers Club,
The Wolf Of Wall Street) as Kenny Wells, a modern
day prospector desperate for a lucky break, he teams
up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on
an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle
of Indonesia. Getting the gold was hard, but keeping
it would be even harder, sparking an adventure through
the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street. The film
is inspired by a true story.
News
Best
Quotes
The
best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."
"You
are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig
to find it and make it real."
"Your
mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will
find something golden."
"Don't
die without mining the gold in your mind."
"We're
like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's
inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."
"If
you want to find gold, you've got to love the process
of digging."
"Even
if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to
dig."
"Develop
men the same way gold is mined"
"Don't
go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in
looking for the gold."
"A
prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"
"A
prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't
find much gold"
"The
world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not."
"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are
silver, these are gold."
"All
that is gold does not glitter."
"Gold
is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears
out"
"Gold
is the money of kings"
"Mining
is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit.
An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher
of a dead mule."
"Anyone
can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds
the gold."
"True
gold fears no fire."
"The
desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means
of freedom and benefit."
"Make
new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these
are gold."
"When
taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes
considered like cheap copper – so are people."
Media
Man
Roy
Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The
Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance
Markets/Cryptos/Biz/Culture
January
2, 2026
Bitcoin
Never Sleeps Edition
Santa
def Grinch
Sydney
to Wall Street, New York and Beyond
ASX
futures down 31 points/0.4% to 8676
AUD -0.1% at US66.66¢
Bitcoin $88,602.45 +0.87%
Dow closed
S&P closed
Nasdaq closed
Gold -0.5% to $US4319.37 oz
Brent -0.8% at $US60.85 a b
BNB
$861.70 -1.14%
XRP $1.8761 +1.93%
DOGE $0.1266 +6.96%
News
Pop
Culture
Santa
def Grinch
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking
Santa
vs Grinch
Bulls vs Bears
Crypto King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
News
Pop
Culture News
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream
Match Series; Crack The Code!
Million
Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets
Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation
Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr Cardona
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far! Re-match!
Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle
UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs NYC and Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
UFC Legal vs UFC Bad Egg Betting Disruptors
Bulls vs Bears
Logan Paul vs WWE babyfaces
Santa's Helper vs Grinch
John McAfee vs FBI + + +, Running .... Netflix Wins
again!
Killer Kross vs Matt Riddle - Shoot Fight/Wrestling
(MLW)! Holliday working web?! Most Marketable?!
VKM vs Numerous!
MLW vs The World
The Big Event vs US Promoters
Storm vs WWE Locker Room. Lash Legend on side!
NXT Gold Rush: Page & Green vs Hendry & Hail
Baszler vs Itoh - HOG Superclash - Nov 15
MSG, NY winning with WWE and UFC in Nov
The Vision vs WWE Lockerroom
John Cena vs Dirty Dom
Miz vs Management
Jericho vs Internet Marks
Mr Gold vs Mr Fool's Gold
Neo vs Mr Smith
PBR vs Others. No Bull?!
Aus Gvt vs Big Tech
Banks vs Cryptos
NVIDIA vs World
White House vs Wokes
Packer vs Devil D
Lucha Bros vs AAA Heels
WWE Black Scorpion/Masked Man vs Babyfaces
CM Punk vs The Hood
Starks vs Oba Femi - NXT Deadline
TNA Wrestling vs Dirtsheets
TKO vs Naysayers
John Cena vs Gunther: SNME
Chris Jericho and Mr X vs IWC
Mr Netflix vs Mr Paramount
Triple H vs (many) Washington Cena Fans!
WWE vs Lucha LIbra AAA - Friendly TKO b2b
News
Best
Quotes
An
investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
— Benjamin Franklin
"Bottoms
in the investment world don't end with four-year lows;
they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim
Rogers
Be
fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when
others are fearful." — Warren Buffett
Media
Man "Bullish is a mindset"
News
The
dollar may defy expectations
The
return of American exceptionalism will help the greenback.
The yen will start the new year with interventions,
and the RBA with a rate hike. The US dollar ends 2025
with its worst performance in nearly a decade. By
mid-September, fears for the fate of the US economy
due to tariffs and expectations of Fed rate cuts had
caused the USD index to plummet to its lowest level
in 3.5 years. However, the greenback then recovered
thanks to large-scale investments in artificial intelligence,
GDP growth and capital inflows into the stock market.
At the end of the year, divergence in monetary policy
between the Fed and other central banks caused the
USD index to fall. Goldman Sachs believes that the
downward trend for the US dollar will continue in
2026, albeit on a smaller scale. The main drivers
of the greenback's decline will be accelerating economic
growth abroad and lower federal funds rates. The consensus
forecast of major Wall Street banks is for EURUSD
to rise to 1.2 and GBPUSD to 1.36 by the end of 2026.
What could go wrong? A Supreme Court ruling that the
White House tariffs are illegal would sow chaos in
financial markets and force investors to buy the US
dollar as a safe-haven asset. A big and beautiful
tax cut bill, coupled with investments in artificial
intelligence, will boost GDP and bring back the theme
of American exceptionalism to the markets. As a result,
the Fed will have less reason to ease monetary policy.
The federal funds rate will be cut only once in 2026,
if at all. If the factors of divergence in monetary
policy and the narrowing gap in economic growth between
the US and the eurozone do not work, investors' views
on the fate of the US dollar will change radically.
History may play in favour of the greenback. In 2017,
Donald Trump's first year as president, the USD index
weakened significantly. However, in 2018, it recovered
some of its lost ground. The yen will start 2026 under
the sign of intervention. The government is unhappy
with the USDJPY rally, and the Bank of Japan has failed
to break the bulls' back by raising the overnight
rate to its highest level since 1995. Either a rapid
continuation of the cycle of monetary restriction
or Tokyo's intervention in the Forex market is required.
The Australian dollar appears to be the favourite
thanks to expectations of a key rate hike by the Reserve
Bank and the Chinese economy's adaptation to US tariffs.
(FxPro)
News
Silver
stirs up the markets
Precious
metal sell-offs shake investors
Donald
Trump renews criticism of the Fed
While
major global currencies, led by the US dollar, are
recovering very slowly after Christmas, the precious
metals market has been rocked by a real thriller.
Silver and other assets in the sector have plummeted.
For XAGUSD, the fall was the largest since the beginning
of 2021. The trigger was an increase in CME margin
requirements for related futures contracts. This forced
speculators to take profits and triggered a pullback.
Silver saw a record rally in 2025. The 150% increase
is significantly higher than that of gold and other
assets in the sector. At the same time, the white
metal is still far from the inflation-adjusted price
record set in 1980. To return to that level, silver
would have to cost $200 per ounce today. ETF stocks
have grown by 150 million ounces this year, but are
still far from the highs recorded in 2021. The ratio
to gold also has room to fall.
Speculators
have used these arguments to justify the need for
further purchases of XAGUSD. There is indeed serious
competition between the US, Europe and Asia in the
physical asset market. This is due to the risks of
Washington imposing tariffs on silver imports after
adding it to the list of critical minerals. However,
the silver rally looks too rapid and resembles a bubble,
and it is quite possible that it may have burst. After
the CME raised margin requirements in February 2021,
the white metal collapsed by 43% over 18 months. Other
assets in the sector are following silver. Despite
the post-Christmas sell-off, gold is heading for its
second-best performance in a year in history. The
first was in 1979. The XAUUSD pullback does not look
like a burst bubble. The US economy risks slowing
down in 2026, and the Fed may accelerate the cycle
of monetary policy easing, especially under pressure
from the White House.
Donald
Trump is back to his old ways. The US president said
he would gladly fire Jerome Powell as Fed chairman.
He said that Powell was too slow to cut interest rates.
At the same time, the US administration does not rule
out filing a lawsuit against the head of the central
bank for incompetence due to excessive spending on
renovating the Fed's headquarters. The White House
wants to make room in the FOMC for the ‘doves’.
This increases the risks of a weakening US dollar.
(FxPro)
News
Dec
25
Precious
metals rewarded for success
The
US dollar is falling as a safe-haven asset amid growing
risk appetite
Gold is performing well, but other assets in the sector
are looking even better GDP growth of 4.3% in the
third quarter did not help the US dollar. It would
seem that the strength of the economy, the rise in
Treasury bond yields and the decline in the likelihood
of the Fed easing monetary policy in March to less
than 50% should have cooled the hot heads of the EURUSD
bulls. However, greed reigns supreme in the financial
markets. The S&P 500 closed at a record high,
which had a negative impact on the USD index. Donald
Trump was encouraged by the success of the US economy,
citing tariffs as the main reason. The president said
that the new Fed chairman would cut rates if the market
was performing well. Investors should be rewarded
for their success. Support from the White House is
helping US stock indices, improving global risk appetite
and reducing demand for the dollar as a safe-haven
asset. In such conditions, high-yield currencies feel
most at home. The British pound reached a three-month
high against the greenback, and the Australian dollar
reached a 14-month high. After the Reserve Bank signalled
the end of the monetary policy easing cycle, the futures
market began to price in expectations of a cash rate
hike in 2026. By Christmas, the start date for monetary
tightening had shifted to June, which created a tailwind
for AUDUSD. Investors in a Bloomberg survey see the
Bank of England's neutral rate at 3.25% and estimate
the chances of it falling to 3% in 2026 as fifty-fifty.
They are more dovish than the BoE. At their December
meeting, Andrew Bailey and his colleagues opted for
caution, which supported GBPUSD. Meanwhile, gold has
broken through the psychologically important level
of $4,500 per ounce. JP Morgan forecasts XAUUSD to
rise to 5,000 by the end of 2026 and estimates the
scale of bullion purchases by central banks and retail
investors at 585 tonnes per quarter. According to
the bank, every 100 tonnes above the base 350 tonnes
leads to a 2% increase in precious metal prices. Gold
has already gained more than 70% in value in 2025
and is heading for its best performance since 1979.
Other assets in the precious metals sector are growing
even faster. Prices for silver, platinum and palladium
have more than doubled this year. Along with strong
investment demand, fears about the introduction of
US import duties are playing into their hands. (FxPro)
News
Biz
Culture News Lead Up
48
+ hours ago
News
Media
Man Favs
TKO
$216.11 -1.33 -0.61%
Alphabet Inc Class A $313.56 +0.050 +0.016%
Netflix Inc $94.15 -0.32 -0.34%
Paramount Skydance Corp $13.50 -0.090 -0.66%
Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany
ADR $4.60 -0.040 +0.86%
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $17.54 +0.11 +0.63%
News
Gold
Dec
24
Gold
passes $4500 for first time
Gold
has surpassed $US4500 an ounce for the first time
on escalating geopolitical tensions and prospects
for more US rate cuts. Spot gold rose1.5 per cent
to $US4504.59 an ounce at 10.38am AEDT, taking total
gains for the year past 70 per cent. This year is
shaping up to deliver the best return to gold investors
in over 40 years.Traders are betting the Federal Reserve
will follow three straight interest-rate cuts by lowering
the cost of borrowing again next year, which would
be a tailwind for non-yielding precious metals. Gold’s
haven appeal has also been amplified in the last week
by rising geopolitical tensions, particularly in Venezuela,
where the US has blockaded oil tankers as it ratchets
up pressure on the government of President Nicolás
Maduro. Gold miners on the ASX were, however, mixed.
Newmont was down 0.5 per cent, Northern Star was up
0.9 per cent and Evolution Mining up by 1.2 per cent.
News
Market
Recap
January
2, 2026
Australian
Dollar: $0.6670 USD (unchanged) Iron Ore: Bid $104.00
USD (public holiday) Oil Price: $57.42 USD (unchanged
- public holiday) Gold Price: $2,659.37 USD (down
$3.16 USD) Copper Price: $4.0305 (down 0.0875 USD)
Bitcoin: $88,211.47 (up 1.07%) Dow Jones: 48,063.29
(down 303.77 points)
News
Jan
2
NYSE
Closed
TKO
Group Holdings Inc: $209.00 -5.17 -2.41%
News
Big
Bash sell-off will 'kill Test cricket'
Cricket
Australia is under growing criticism over a proposal
to privatise the eight Big Bash League teams. Former
Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings is amongst
those to have questioned the proposal; amongst other
things, he contends that Australian cricket does not
the influx of money that would come from selling stakes
in BBL teams. He is also concerned that privatisatiom
would be detrimental to Test cricket in Australia,
because the new investors would expect top players
to prioritise their BBL franchise rather than the
long form of the game. Test cricket is already under
scrutiny after two of the matches in the current Ashes
series were over in less than two days, including
the flagship Boxing Day Test at the MCG; the fifth
Test starts on Sunday at the SCG, with Australia leading
the series 3-1. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Venus
rising with Australian Open wildcard
Tennis
Australia director Craig Tiley has described Venus
Williams' return for the 2026 tournament as a "win
for fans and tennis". The winner of seven grand
slam titles has not played in the Australian Open
since 2021, and she has not competed internationally
since 2023; at the age of 45, Williams will be the
oldest woman to compete in the Australian Open during
the modern era. She has been granted a wildcard to
appear in both the Australian Open and the Hobart
International. However, Tennis Australia is yet to
announce whether Nick Kyrgios will be given a wildcard
for the Australian Open, which begins on 12 January.
(RMS)
News
Australia/China
China
imposes beef quotas, now all eyes on Australia’s
EU trade deal
The
federal government will face growing pressure to finalise
a much-stalled free-trade agreement with the European
Union following China's move to introduce import controls
on beef. China has imposed a total import quota of
2.69 million tonnes in 2026, which will rise to 2.74
million tonnes next year; shipments that exceed the
quota will be subject to a 55 per cent duty, in a
move that is aimed at protecting local producers.
Australia's annual beef quota has been set at 205,000
tonnes, and Trade Minister Don Farrell says the federal
government expect the nation's status as a valued
Free Trade Agreement partner to be respected by China.
Australia exported 216,050 tonnes of beef to China
in 2024. (RMS)
News
Awards
Google
Finance wins Media Man 'Business News Website Of The
Month'; Runner-up: Yahoo! Finance
The
Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newspaper
Of The Year' award (2025)
Sky
News Australia wins Media Man 'Australian Based News
Outlet Of The Year' award
TKO
Group wins Media Man 'Entertainment Promoter Of The
Year' award
Netflix
wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Year' award
Mack
Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Brand Of The Year' award
Caterpillar
wis Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Brand Of The Year'
award
X
and YouTube Tie for Media Man 'Platform Of The Year'
award
Markets,
Cryptos and Biz
December
2025
Dec
30
Sydney,
Australia to Wall St, New York
Digital
Bush Telegraph
Markets
ASX
200 futures pointing down 6 points/0.1% to 8711
AUD
-0.3% to US66.93¢
Bitcoin
$87,218.84 -0.73%
Wall
St:
Dow -0.5%
S&P -0.4%
Nasdaq -0.5%
VIX +0.59 to 14.19
Gold
-4.4% to $US4335.01 an ounce
Silver -6.8% to $US71.94/oz
Platinum -13.8% to $US2118.03/oz
Brent oil +1.8% to $US61.75 a barrel
Iron ore +1.3% to $US106.05 a tonne
10-year
yield: US 4.11% Australia 4.75%
Cryptos
Bitcoin
$87,218.84 -0.73%
XRP $1.8529 -0.70%
BNB $852.81 -0.71%
Dogecoin $0.1231 -0.64%
Stockmarket
US
Stock Market Overview (as of late December 2025)
The
US stock market is in a strong bull run heading into
the final days of 2025, with major indices near all-time
highs and on track for a robust year-end close. Trading
volume has been light post-holidays, but sentiment
remains positive amid resilient economic growth, AI-driven
gains, and expectations of a "Santa Claus rally"
(the seasonal uptrend in the last five trading days
of the year and first two of the next).
Key
Index Levels (from the most recent close on December
26, 2025)
S&P
500 — Closed at approximately 6,930 (down slightly
that day but hit an intraday high near 6,946). Up
nearly 18% year-to-date, with the index eyeing the
psychological 7,000 milestone in the coming sessions.
Dow
Jones Industrial Average — Closed at around 48,711
(fractionally lower), up solidly for the year.
Nasdaq
Composite — Closed near 23,593, up about 22%
YTD, led by tech and AI stocks
Markets
were closed on December 27 (weekend) and reopen on
December 29 for the last few trading days of 2025.
Expect thin liquidity and potential for modest moves
as investors position for 2026.
Broader
Context
2025
has been a resilient year despite challenges like
early tariff impacts, AI spending concerns, and Fed
rate adjustments (benchmark now at 3.50%-3.75%). Tech
and AI names (e.g., Nvidia crossing $5T market cap)
have dominated, but there's been rotation into cyclicals,
materials, and foreign equities. Precious metals like
gold and silver are at historic highs amid safe-haven
demand.
Wall
Street forecasts for 2026 are bullish, with many targeting
S&P 500 levels between 7,100–8,100. However,
history suggests potential pullbacks after strong
years, so caution on overvaluation is advised. (Grok)
News
Dec
24
Precious
metals rewarded for success
The
US dollar is falling as a safe-haven asset amid growing
risk appetite.
Gold
is performing well, but other assets in the sector
are looking even better.
GDP
growth of 4.3% in the third quarter did not help the
US dollar. It would seem that the strength of the
economy, the rise in Treasury bond yields and the
decline in the likelihood of the Fed easing monetary
policy in March to less than 50% should have cooled
the hot heads of the EURUSD bulls. However, greed
reigns supreme in the financial markets.
The
S&P 500 closed at a record high, which had a negative
impact on the USD index.
Donald
Trump was encouraged by the success of the US economy,
citing tariffs as the main reason. The president said
that the new Fed chairman would cut rates if the market
was performing well. Investors should be rewarded
for their success. Support from the White House is
helping US stock indices, improving global risk appetite
and reducing demand for the dollar as a safe-haven
asset. In such conditions, high-yield currencies feel
most at home.
The
British pound reached a three-month high against the
greenback, and the Australian dollar reached a 14-month
high. After the Reserve Bank signalled the end of
the monetary policy easing cycle, the futures market
began to price in expectations of a cash rate hike
in 2026.
By
Christmas, the start date for monetary tightening
had shifted to June, which created a tailwind for
AUDUSD.
Investors
in a Bloomberg survey see the Bank of England's neutral
rate at 3.25% and estimate the chances of it falling
to 3% in 2026 as fifty-fifty. They are more dovish
than the BoE. At their December meeting, Andrew Bailey
and his colleagues opted for caution, which supported
GBPUSD. Meanwhile, gold has broken through the psychologically
important level of $4,500 per ounce.
JP
Morgan forecasts XAUUSD to rise to 5,000 by the end
of 2026 and estimates the scale of bullion purchases
by central banks and retail investors at 585 tonnes
per quarter. According to the bank, every 100 tonnes
above the base 350 tonnes leads to a 2% increase in
precious metal prices.
Gold
has already gained more than 70% in value in 2025
and is heading for its best performance since 1979.
Other
assets in the precious metals sector are growing even
faster. Prices for silver, platinum and palladium
have more than doubled this year. Along with strong
investment demand, fears about the introduction of
US import duties are playing into their hands. (FxPro)
News
Dec
29
A
confident Euro and a vulnerable Yen
Rapid GDP growth in the eurozone has helped EURUSD.
USDJPY
risks rising to 164. Christmas week turned out to
be the worst for the US dollar since June. Falling
Treasury yields and new S&P 500 records caused
the USD index to retreat. The chances of the Fed easing
monetary policy in March rose above 50% again, and
there is active discussion in Forex about the new
Fed chair. Historically, central bank chiefs have
had a significant influence on the FOMC. Donald Trump's
man could bring down interest rates and the greenback.
However, the Fed is not a one-man show. Decisions
are made collectively based on incoming data. The
longer the pause in the monetary expansion cycle lasts,
the higher the chances of a correction in the EURUSD
to an upward trend. In this case, the yield differential
between US and German bonds will remain wide. Money
will flow from Europe to the United States, strengthening
the dollar. In the medium term, monetary policy divergence
and a narrowing gap in GDP growth could play in favour
of the euro. Financial Times experts expect the eurozone
economy to expand by 1.2% in 2026 and 1.4% in 2027.
In 2025, it will grow by 1.4%, significantly more
than the 0.9% forecast at the end of 2024. Faster
economic growth in the currency bloc has been one
of the key drivers of the EURUSD's 13.5% rally this
year. Another trump card for the euro has been the
divergence in monetary policy. Financial Times experts
believe that the ECB's deposit rate will remain at
2% until the end of 2026 and rise to 2.25% in 2027.
The futures market expects two acts of monetary expansion
from the Fed next year. The narrowing of the spread
between US and German bond yields is a strong argument
in favour of maintaining the upward trend in EURUSD.
Meanwhile, the number of yen bears is growing after
the Bank of Japan failed to bring about a serious
correction in USDJPY by raising the overnight rate
in December. BNP Paribas forecasts the pair to rise
to 160 by the end of 2026, while JP Morgan forecasts
164. The strengthening of the greenback has caused
gold to retreat from record highs. The precious metal
is heading for its best annual performance since 1979.
Since the beginning of the year, it has risen by more
than 70%, partly due to capital inflows into ETFs.
The reserves of the largest specialised exchange-traded
fund, SPDR Gold Shares, have increased by more than
20%.
News
Dec
29
Miners
and Metals
Nickel
price jumps as Indonesia signals big production cut
Nickel
prices are at a seven-month high after Indonesia,
the world’s biggest producer, signalled plans
to cut supply of the metal in a Christmas gift for
struggling Australian miners who have been shuttering
projects.
The
rising prices came after Indonesian media reported
Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia had confirmed
plans for unspecified production cuts. A group representing
Indonesian nickel miners this month said it expected
Jakarta to enforce a 34 per cent cut in volumes next
year.
While
the size of the cuts has not been finalised, the comments
suggest the worst could be over for miners after a
two-and-a-half year period in which prices for the
metal were crushed by excess production in Indonesia.
Nickel
was a fashionable commodity for investors between
2017 and 2022 on expectations that demand would rise
in line with the metal’s use in the batteries
used in electric vehicles. Prices reached $US30,000
a tonne in late 2022, but a wave of Indonesian supply
emerged in 2023 as new technology allowed low-grade
material to be cheaply processed into top quality
metal.
The
extra supply pushed nickel prices below $US20,000
since mid-2023, forcing Australian miners like BHP
and Panoramic Resources to mothball their Western
Australian mines, refineries and smelters.
The
price had slumped to $US14,110 a tonne at the London
Metal Exchange on December 16, but has rallied to
$US15,430 after reports of Indonesian production cuts.
The price had not been above $US15,400 since May.
The
recovery could help BHP’s nickel assets just
14 months before a self-imposed deadline to decide
whether they should be permanently closed. BHP mothballed
the assets last year in the belief the supply surge
was a structural change to nickel markets, and not
merely a cyclical one.
BHP
announced at its August half-year results that it
would attempt to sell the assets, but finding a buyer
has proved difficult given the enormous rehabilitation
obligations attached to them. If a buyer cannot be
found, BHP will permanently shut the nickel division
in February 2027.
Another
potential winner from a nickel price recovery would
be businessman Duncan Saville, whose companies control
the mothballed Savannah mine in WA. The mine closures
have seen Australian exports slump from about 180,000
tonnes in 2017 to 81,000 tonnes this year.
The
Industry Department provided a gloomy outlook for
the sector in a report published on December 19, predicting
prices would stay low, and export volumes would fall
further as IGO Limited prepared for the Nova-Bollinger
nickel mine in WA to reach the end of its working
life.
Closure
of Nova would leave Glencore’s Murrin Murrin
operation as the last remaining major nickel mine
in the country.
Industry
Department economists predicted Australia will ship
just 49,000 tonnes of nickel in 2027; down 73 per
cent in a decade.
Batteries
account for about 16 per cent of global nickel demand,
with the stainless-steel sector still buying about
63 per cent of the world’s nickel.
Fitch
predicts nickel prices will average $US16,000 a tonne
in 2026.
Silver
continues to soar
Signs
of recovery in nickel prices come as silver prices
have soared. The precious metal was fetching $US28.83
an ounce on the final trading day of 2024, but soared
to a record high $US79.27 on Boxing Day 2025.
Financial
markets have traditionally used gold prices to determine
an appropriate price for silver, and the rally in
silver prices is partly linked to the earlier rally
in gold prices over the last 12 months.
Very
few mines are primarily focused on silver production,
with the metal typically occurring as a byproduct
at mines that are focused on copper, zinc or lead.
Australia’s biggest silver producers include
South32’s Cannington mine in Queensland, Glencore’s
Mount Isa hub and BHP’s Olympic Dam.
Iltani
Resources, an ASX-listed miner exploring for silver,
zinc, lead and indium near Herberton in Queensland,
is one producer that has seen its share price jump
more than 200 per cent alongside the silver rally.
“It
puts us in a really good position to hit 2026 with
a really aggressive drill program,” said Iltani
managing director Donald Garner. (AFR). *Full article
and coverage via The Australian Financial Review
News
VC/Sports
Biz/Tech News
Jake
& Logan Paul Announce $30M Venture Fund Backing
AI, Robotics Startups
Anti
Fund, co-founded by YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul
and entrepreneur Geoffrey Woo, closed its oversubscribed
$30 million Anti Fund I on December 3, bringing the
firm’s total assets under management to more
than $65 million. The firm named influencer and WWE
star Logan Paul as a general partner, marking the
first time the Paul brothers have become business
partners.
According
to a press release, the venture capital firm concentrates
its investments in artificial intelligence and robotics
companies. Anti Fund focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage
ventures, as well as select growth-stage industry
leaders. The portfolio includes OpenAI, Anduril, Ramp,
Cognition, Polymarket, Flock Safety, and Physical
Intelligence.
Investment
Strategy
Anti
Fund employs what it calls an “extreme barbell
strategy,” making first checks of $100,000 to
$500,000 for 10% ownership in technical founders,
while also deploying $10 million or more in growth
investments into industry leaders.
The
fund’s limited partners include institutional
investors Aquarian Holdings and Autilus Partners,
as well as individual investors Marc Andreessen and
Chris Dixon. Focuspoint Private Capital Group served
as the exclusive placement agent for the fund.
Founder
Background
Woo holds a bachelor’s degree with honors and
distinction in computer science from Stanford and
has co-authored numerous U.S. patents and peer-reviewed
scientific papers.
Jake
Paul built his career as a professional boxer and
entrepreneur. Logan Paul founded PRIME, a beverage
brand, and performs as a professional wrestler.
“Jake,
what I realized is that he is essentially an avatar
of the American dream, and I think Logan, in a very
similar parallel sense, also represents that,”
Woo said in an interview with FOX Business.
“When
Jake named Anti Fund, I think we all share the same
belief, that the people that create the future are
the crazy ones that believe they can do it.”
Business
Philosophy
The firm positions itself as founder-friendly, emphasizing
what it calls the intersection of capital and attention.
While capital remains a commodity, Anti Fund leverages
the Paul brothers’ cultural influence to source
founders and accelerate portfolio company growth.
Jake
Paul discussed his long-standing interest in venture
capital, noting he met with companies including Google,
Uber, and Twitter in Silicon Valley as a teenager.“
Not
only are we investors, but we can disrupt Logan with
PRIME, me with W, Betr is always in the top five in
the App Store is absolutely crushing it,” Paul
told FOX.
“And
these are companies that we’ve incubated ourselves,
because if no one else is building it and we see a
hole in the market, we can hire the best teams and
grow and scale these companies in a major way.”
Anti
Fund has incubated and funded several of Jake Paul’s
business ventures, including W and Betr Media.
Rudy
Sahay, founder and managing partner of Aquarian Holdings,
said the fund closing “validates the confidence
investors have in their strategy” and noted the
firm “carved out a unique position at the intersection
of frontier technologies and culture.”
Best Quotes
Cryptocurrency,
Finance and World
"Volatility
is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." - Michael
Saylor
"Bitcoin
is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and
tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme."
— Naval Ravikant
"We
have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical
framework that is free of politics and human error."
— Tyler Winklevoss
"You
can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere,
and the world will have to readjust. World governments
will have to readjust." — John McAfee
"Bitcoin
is the most important invention in the history of
the world since the Internet." — Roger Ver
"Cryptocurrency
is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn
governments." — Charles Lee
"In
the future, national currencies will become obsolete.
Bitcoin will become the single global currency."
— Jack Dorsey
"The
future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in
payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng
Zhao
"Crypto
offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged."
— Elizabeth Stark
"The
new frontier of innovation is in decentralization.
Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott
"Digital
currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter
of how long before governments embrace it." —
Brad Garlinghouse
Pop
Culture
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking
Santa
vs Grinch
Bulls vs Bears
Crypto King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
News
Media
Man Favs
TKO
$216.11 -1.33 -0.61%
Alphabet Inc Class A $313.56 +0.050 +0.016%
Netflix Inc $94.15 -0.32 -0.34%
Paramount Skydance Corp $13.50 -0.090 -0.66%
Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany
ADR $4.60 -0.040 +0.86%
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $17.54 +0.11 +0.63%
Markets,
Cryptos, Biz and Culture
All
That Glitters
Digital
Bush Telegraph - Australia to Hollywood and Silicon
Valley Edition; Xmas Media Watercooler; Santa vs Grinch
December
25, 2025
Sydney, Australia
Gold
4479.21 -0.28%
S&P/ASX 200 8762.70 -0.24%
S&P 500 6932.05 +0.32%
NIKKEI 50344.10 -0.14%
FTSE 9870.68 -0.19%
AUD/USD 67.05 +0.08%
Cryptos
BTC
$87,605.02 -0.07%
BNB $849.26 +0.75%
Dogecoin $0.1285 +0.70%
XRP $1.8721 -0.50%
Market
Favs
TKO
$217.98 +2.15 +1.00%
Alphabet Inc Class A $314.09 -0.26 -0.083%
Netflix Inc $93.64 +0.14 +0.15%
Paramount Skydance Corp $13.74 +0.21 +1.55%
Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany
ADR $4.64 +0.011 +0.24%
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $17.40 +0.0100 +0.058%
News
Dec
24
Fortescue
aims for 2030 debut in African iron ore
Gabon's President Brice Oligui Nguema has committed
to undertaking a "comprehensive audit" of
every mining agreement that the developing nation
secured between 2010 and 2024. This is likely to include
the deal that Fortescue struck with Nguema's predecessor
Ali Bongo in 2021 regarding the Belinga iron ore project.
Fortescue's executive chairman Andrew Forrest recently
travelled to Gabon to discuss the project with Nguema.
Fortescue aims to complete a feasibility study by
the end of 2026, and Forrest has indicated that he
wants shipments to begin by 2030. (RMS)
News
Golden
time as bullion hits new heights
The
gold price has risen by more than 70 per cent so far
in 2025, which is the strongest annual performance
for the 'safe haven' in over four decades. The spot
price reached a new peak of $US4,497.80 an ounce on
Tuesday, compared with about $US2,624/oz at the start
of this year. Factors such as central bank buying
and geopolitical tensions have contributed to the
rally in the gold price, as well as the shares of
Australian-listed gold producers. Meanwhile, Justin
Lin from Global X says the gold price could potentially
rise to around $US5,000/oz in 2026. (RMS)
The
Lead Up
Dec
23
Sydney, Australia
Australian
Dollar: $0.6654 USD (up $0.0044 USD)
Iron Ore: $104.90 USD (up $US0.40)
Oil: $58.04 USD (up $1.52 USD)
Gold: $4,436.33 USD (up $96.23 USD)
Copper: $5.4985 USD (up $0.0150 USD)
Bitcoin: $88,564.31 -0.09%
Dow Jones: 48,389.19 (up 254.30 points)
BTC
$88,564.31 -0.09%
BNB $856.94 -0.10%
Dogecoin $0.1327 -0.99%
Market
Favs
TKO
$215.49 +2.06 +0.97%
Alphabet Inc Class A $309.78 +2.62 +0.85%
Netflix Inc $93.23 -1.16 -1.23%
News
Trading
Schwab
CEO Rick Wurster draws a ‘bright line’ between
investing and gambling
When
it comes to encouraging customers to invest for the
long haul or live in the fast lane, Rick Wurster says
he knows where his brokerage stands. And it is not
on the side of the guy dressed as a race-car driver.
Wurster, appointed Charles Schwab’s CEO in January,
has delivered higher profit this year thanks to individual
investors’ mounting confidence in trading everything
from stocks and bonds to options and exchange-traded
funds. An extended rally has led some ordinary Americans
into riskier, more-volatile markets.
News
Las
Vegas
30
years, millions of lights and one big party at downtown
Las Vegas’s Fremont Street Experience
In
Vegas time, 30 years is long enough to feel like forever.
It’s a monumental chunk of time wherein generations
of locals and visitors may have no understanding of
what came before. That’s how long we’ve
had the Fremont Street Experience—the historic
casino-lined five-block pedestrian promenade Downtown,
covered mostly by the 1,375-foot LED-screen canopy
flashing Viva Vision shows every night—instead
of “Glitter Gulch,” what we called Fremont
Street when you could drive your car there. When the
canopy came to life, there was no Stratosphere tower
in Las Vegas, no Bellagio fountains, no faux Eiffel
Tower.
News
Congressman
urges Commodity Futures Trading Commission to review
Kalshi-CNN deal
Congressman
Abe Hamadeh has called on federal regulators to review
the partnership between news broadcaster CNN and prediction
market platform Kalshi, warning that the deal posed
risks to market integrity and even national security.
In a letter to Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Acting Chairwoman Caroline D. Pham, Hamadeh requested
details on how the regulator is reviewing the partnership
between Kalshi and CNN. He argued that the arrangement
creates a conflict of interest as it allows a major
news organization to potentially profit from geopolitical
events.
News
The
crypto market rebound is far from recovery
Market
Overview
The crypto market is making a new attempt at growth,
and its capitalisation has once again exceeded the
psychologically important round level of $3 trillion.
The centre of the battle between bulls and bears over
the past month has been near this level. Positive
dynamics prevail on Monday, but this is mainly due
to the low base effect.
The
sentiment index rose to 25, signalling a potential
exit from the extreme fear zone. It seems that over
the past month, the crypto market has simply grown
tired of fear. On the other hand, this is not enough
for growth, and objective fundamental changes will
be needed to return to a bull market.
Bitcoin
is trading at $89K, once again at the upper limit
of the range that has been in effect since the beginning
of last week. The short-term positive momentum may
be misleading, and the broader picture of disappointment
compared to hopes at the start of the year should
not be overlooked. Bitcoin is 30% below its peak and
trading at a level lower than it was at the beginning
of 2025. Attempts to bring YTD momentum to zero are
little consolation in this context.
News
Background
Sentiment
in the crypto market remains bearish, according to
Santiment. Growth in demand for Bitcoin is fading,
which could keep the asset in a bearish trend, according
to CryptoQuant.
Risk
appetite in the derivatives market has also weakened.
The technical picture has deteriorated: Bitcoin has
broken below the 365-day moving average, which traditionally
serves as the boundary between growth and decline
phases.
There
has been no final capitulation of investors in the
market yet, and the search for a price bottom is not
over, according to Checkonchain's assessment of the
situation. Experts cite $81K as a critical level,
which corresponds to the average purchase price for
spot Bitcoin ETFs.
Fundstrat
has named the possible range of $60K - $65K as a ‘good
entry point’ before the subsequent recovery of
the asset.
The
fact that many influential BTC developers are ignoring
the threat of quantum computing is already a bearish
factor for Bitcoin, according to Castle Island Ventures.
This position contradicts the philosophy of ‘active
paranoia,’ which is typically characteristic
of the Bitcoin community.
Ethereum
developers have chosen a name for the upcoming update,
which will follow the Glamsterdam hard fork in the
first half of 2026. The upgrade has been named Hegota,
and its release is scheduled for the second half of
2026. (FxPro_
News
Gold
sets a record
The
US dollar may strengthen against major global currencies.
Debasement
trading and geopolitics are helping gold. Markets
await Christmas, central banks await data. As expected,
the Bank of Japan raised its overnight rate to 0.75%,
the highest level in three decades. However, the yen
weakened sharply against major global currencies due
to the implementation of the ‘buy the rumour,
sell the fact’ principle and the BoJ's reluctance
to use hawkish rhetoric. Kazuo Ueda noted that there
is room to continue the normalisation cycle, but further
actions by the regulator will depend on data. The
futures market gives only a 20% probability of a cut
in the federal funds rate in January and a 54% chance
in March. Most likely, the Fed will wait until spring
to ease monetary policy. The rate differential with
the Bank of Japan will remain wide. This will be a
strong argument in favour of intensifying carry trade
and continuing the USDJPY rally. The same applies
to other low-yielding currencies. The US dollar is
becoming a risky asset due to its still high interest
rates. It may rise against the backdrop of the traditional
Christmas rally in US stock indices. The presidents
of the Federal Reserve Banks of New York, John Williams,
and Cleveland, Beth Hammack, spoke in favour of keeping
the Fed's monetary policy unchanged, at least until
spring. According to the latter, rates are slightly
below neutral. Therefore, the risks of stimulating
the economy and accelerating inflation are still high.
The weakening of major global currencies and the rise
in bond yields around the world, led by Japan, as
prices fall, are bringing back investor interest in
so-called debasement trading. This has allowed gold
to break above $4,400 per ounce for the first time
in history and reach a new record high. The rally
is being fuelled by rising geopolitical risks, including
the US blockade of oil supplies from Venezuela and
Ukraine's first attack on a Russian shadow fleet tanker
in the Mediterranean. Capital inflows into specialised
exchange-traded funds have been flowing for five consecutive
weeks. Precious metal-focused ETFs increased their
reserves every month in 2025 except May. According
to Goldman Sachs, investors are beginning to compete
with central banks for a limited number of bullion
bars. This will allow gold to reach $4,900 in 2026.
(FxPro)
News
More
Intel
Dec
19
Central
banks did not scare the dollar
Central
banks prefer to pause
The
strengthening of the dollar prevented gold from reaching
a record high. Global central banks are diverging
in their policy paths. In the wake of the Fed's decision,
Britain and Mexico have lowered rates, whereas the
eurozone, Norway, and Sweden have signalled a continued
pause. The Bank of Japan tightened its policy, raising
the overnight rate to its highest level since 1995
at 0.75%. Nevertheless, the US dollar strengthened
against major world currencies on expectations of
a prolonged pause in the process of lowering the federal
funds rate. The Bank of England lowered the repo rate
to 3.75% by five votes to four. Andrew Bailey warned
of limited room for manoeuvre in the monetary expansion
cycle in 2026. As a result, the futures market reduced
its expected scale to 25 basis points. The pound initially
strengthened, but a reassessment of US inflation data
brought GBPUSD back down to earth. As expected, the
ECB raised its eurozone GDP forecasts to 1.4% in 2025
and 1.2% in 2026. The central bank expects inflation
to remain below target until 2028. Christine Lagarde
did not encourage the ‘hawks’ who had previously
discussed raising deposit rates. The Frenchwoman repeated
the mantra that the European Central Bank is in a
comfortable position. The EURUSD's inability to break
through resistance at 1.176 resulted in a sell-off.
The Bank of Japan raised its overnight rate to 0.75%.
This outcome of the December meeting was predicted
by all 50 Bloomberg experts. In this regard, after
the BoJ's verdict, a sell-off of the yen began on
the facts. Moreover, the Governing Council did not
signal a continuation of the cycle of monetary tightening.
The US dollar strengthened against major world currencies
as investors ignored the slowdown in US core inflation
to 2.6% in November. This is the lowest level since
the beginning of 2021. After the shutdown, the BLS
is experiencing problems with data. It will take time
for confidence in it to return. The market's reluctance
to take US consumer price statistics at face value
played a cruel joke on gold. The precious metal hit
a new local high but failed to reach a record high
and was forced to retreat due to the strengthening
of the US dollar. According to Goldman Sachs, structurally
high demand from central banks for bullion and cyclical
support from the Fed's rate cuts will continue to
create tailwinds for XAUUSD. (FxPro)
News
U.S/Tech/Search/A.I
News
Google
executive addresses calls to slow AI, highlights security
and energy focus
Executive
cites cybersecurity and energy as key areas where
AI growth can be beneficial
Google
executive Royal Hansen responded to some lawmakers'
calls to slow the development of artificial intelligence
(AI) in the U.S., emphasizing the need to develop
and use the technology responsibly rather than fall
behind other countries.
"It's
really… this idea of being responsible as we
invest in and develop AI because there's a lot of
upside to using AI well, whether it's in energy production
or healthcare or science."
"But
in cybersecurity," he continued, "it's an
area where we need to keep people safe, help people
learn to use AI well at the same time."
News
Dec
22
Australia
Dodgy
$60m crypto mining scheme shut
The
Federal Court last week ordered that NGS Crypto and
two linked companies be wound up, with the three firms
known collectively as the NGS digital mining scheme.
The ruling followed an Australian Securities &
Investments Commission investigation into the dubious
scheme, with ASIC reporting that over 450 people invested
about $60 million with the NGS companies over a period
of six years. However, to date, only around $US4.5
million ($6.7 million) of that money has been traced.
(RMS)
News
Dec
20
Show
hits pay dirt, and some real gold
The
Discovery Channel Australia will broadcast the 10th
season of Aussie Gold Hunter from 8 January. The show
was the highest-rating factual series across Foxtel's
channels from 2017 and 2022, while it has an estimated
global audience of 40 million people in 140 countries.
Seven teams of gold prospectors will appear in the
new season of Aussie Gold Hunters; the program is
produced by Perth-based Electric Pictures, and executive
producer Andrew Ogilvie says much of its appeal lies
in its depiction of ordinary people finding gold -
or not finding it. (RMS)
News
Dec
22
New-age
'showman' stalking Hollywood
Netflix
and Paramount are battling for control of Warner Bros
Discovery, with Netflix's bid for much of Warner Bros
valued at $US72bn ($108.7bn). Some have claimed that
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos is trying to destroy Hollywood
with its bid, but he has stated he views it as a win
for the entertainment industry. He promised in a speech
in Paris to keep films in theatres, although he told
a Time magazine event this year that he views traditional
filmgoing as being outmoded for most people. Producer
Greg Berlanti has stated that Sarandos "has that
old studio showman flair", while US President
Donald Trump has spoken highly of him. (A.I Newsfeed)
News
Gold
Gold
prices surged over 65% this year, nearing $4,400 per
ounce.
Rising
central bank buying and geopolitical risks are driving
gold demand and outlook.
It’s
hard to imagine gold having a better year in 2026
than it has this year.
The
precious metal is up more than 65% this year and has
been retesting highs set near Halloween, gaining 7.5%
in the last month to get within sniffing distance
of $4,400 per ounce.
Markets
that achieve that kind of vertical lift — and
gold prices as measured by SPDR Gold Shares (GLD)
are up 33.7% annualized and roughly 140% cumulative
over the last three years — nearly always have
similarly scary pullbacks, so investors’ gold
nerves are on edge.
And
while gold has always been considered a hedge against
rising prices and inflation has proven persistent
and sticky, gold’s recent rise appears to have
little to do with inflation and more to do with geopolitical
risk, tariff concerns, a weakened dollar, and more.
News
Dec
20
Sharemarket
caps weak year of returns amid blue-chip exodus
Australia's
benchmark S&P/ASX 200 is set to underperform its
global peers in calendar 2025. It is on track to post
a gain of about six per cent, compared with 8.4 per
cent in 2024 and 11.4 per cent in 2023; in contrast,
the US and UK bourses are set to post double-digit
returns, while the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong has
gained nearly 30 per cent. Tony Sycamore from IG notes
that the S&P/ASX 200's performance would have
been much worse if it had not benefited from a rally
by the resources sector, which has gained about 25
per cent in the year to date; this has been primarily
due to a surge in the price of gold. The S&P/ASX
200 rose 0.39 per cent to 8,621.4 points on Friday.
(RMS)
News
Flashback
Markets,
Biz, News, Resources, Culture
December
19, 2025
Sydney, Australia
Australia
and World
S&P/ASX
200 8588.20 +0.37%
S&P 500 6778.28 +0.85%
NIKKEI 49001.50 -1.03%
FTSE 9837.77 +0.65%
AUD/USD66.15 +0.23%
GOLD 4331.30 +0.23%
BITCOIN $84,747.60 -1.52%
News
Markets
ASX
futures up 44 points/0.5% to 8627
Wall
Street:
S&P 500 +0.8%
Dow Jones: +0.1%
Nasdaq +1.2%
Europe:
Stoxx 50 +1.1%
FTSE +0.7%
DAX +1%
CAC +0.8%
Australian
dollar +0.1% to US66.12 cents
Bitcoin
$85,077.30 -0.99%
Gold
-0.3% to $US4325.33 per ounce
US
oil +0.1% to $US55.98 a barrel
Brent
crude oil +0.1% to $US59.71 a barrel
Iron
ore +1.3% to $US105.00 per ton
10-year
yield:
US 4.11%
Australia 4.74%
Germany 2.85%
News
Mining/Energy/Resources
Demand
headwinds may put brakes on iron ore's run
The
iron ore price has risen by about seven per cent so
far in 2025, but Vivek Dhar from the Commonwelth Bank
warns that oversupply concerns could soon see the
price of the steel input fall below $US100 per tonne.
He notes that demand headwinds are accelerating in
China, while shipments from the Simandou project in
Guinea have commenced. UBS in turn says factors such
as rising iron ore port inventories, pressure on the
steel sector and Simandou pose downside risks to iron
ore prices. Despite the bearish outlook, the ASX 200
materials sector has gained 27 per cent in the year
to date. (RMS)
News
Iron
ore tipped to plunge into a bear market
Westpac
is particularly bearish about the outlook for the
iron ore price, forecasting that it will fall by 20
per cent to about $US83 per tonne by the end of 2026.
The pessimistic forecast comes amid ongoing signs
of a downturn in China's steel industry. Production
fell by 11 per cent year-on-year in November, declining
for a sixth consecutive month. In contrast, iron ore
imports into China reached a record high during the
first 11 months of calendar 2025, and inventories
at the nation's ports have reached their highest level
since March. (RMS)
News
US
miners take on Simandou play in Guinea
The
Rio Tinto-backed Simandou iron ore mine in Guinea
is currently the world's biggest mining project. However,
the Kon Kweni iron ore deposit in south-east Guinea
is estimated to be of higher quality. It is owned
by US-based Ivanhoe Atlantic, which has proposed a
$US1.8bn mine and rail project to produce iron ore
with 66.5 per cent purity. Ivanhoe Atlantic's president
and CEO Bronwyn Barnes says every ton of iron ore
produced at Kon Kweni will be reserved solely for
US and allied supply chains. The company expects to
start shipping ore in the first half of 2027, while
it has received preliminary approval to list on the
Australian sharemarket. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Bitcoin
is holding, while Solana is on the edge
Market
Overview
The
crypto market capitalisation fell to $2.91T (-2.4%
for the day). The surge at the start of the US session
on Wednesday only fuelled the bears, who drove the
market down to $2.89T by the end of the day, retreating
only slightly from these lows. Under intense pressure,
the major old altcoins — Ethereum, XRP, and Solana
— retreated to multi-month lows, losing about
4% over the past 24 hours.
Bitcoin
is trading near $87K, roughly where it was the day
before. A sharp jump in price above $90K hit a wall
of selling, and now just above this round level is
a significant short-term resistance line, which was
support until 14 December. However, it is also difficult
for the market to find reasons to go below the $85K
level, from which the price has been rebounding since
the beginning of the week. Additionally, it is worth
noting that BTC is trading significantly above its
late November lows of $80K, outperforming major altcoins.
Solana's
price fell to $123, testing an important support area
from March 2024. Since its peak in September, this
seventh-largest altcoin has lost half of its value.
The technical rebound that began at the end of November
has ended, and if support at $120 fails, the road
down to $90 or even $70 will open up.
News
Background
Long-term
Bitcoin holders have almost completed their active
selling phase, according to K33 Research, which anticipates
a decrease in selling pressure. Over the past two
years, 20% of the supply has returned to the market,
and this process is almost complete.
Institutional
investors have begun buying Bitcoin at a rate faster
than miners can mine it, Capriole notes. For the first
time since November, demand from companies has exceeded
the inflow of new coins into the market amid a more
than 30% drop in the asset from its October highs.
Strategy
bought 641 bitcoins daily in 2025, according to Finbold
Research. This allowed it to increase its holdings
by 223,800 BTC (a 50% increase) in less than a year.
The
capacity of the Lightning Network (LN) micropayment
network has reached a historic high, thanks to technical
improvements and the implementation of the solution
by major exchanges. The growth of this indicator is
a sign of demand for faster and cheaper transactions.
(FxPro)
News
Currency
Notes Under The Watercooler
Crypto
Winter Darwinism
Digital
asset treasuries were flying high earlier this year
until bitcoin's sudden October crash. Now many of
those companies are sitting on unrealized losses.
Over
180 public companies currently hold crypto on their
balance sheets, with roughly 100 of that total having
followed some version a the playbook that Strategy
co-founder Michael Saylor pioneered in 2020 by issuing
debt and equity to rapidly accumulate bitcoin.
Bitcoin's
more recent volatility has prompted a sell-off across
the digital asset treasury space.
Strategy's
stock has fallen roughly 40% since bitcoin's Oct.
10 liquidation.
Investors
have wrestled with Strategy's imitators even worse
over the past month. KindlyMD (NAKA) has dived 39%.
Eric Trump's American Bitcoin (ABTC) is down 60%.
Anthony Pompliano's ProCap Financial (BRR) has fell
65%.
Other
ether-holding treasury companies, like sports betting
company SharpLink Gaming (SBET) and computing firm
Bit Digital (BTBT), have seen their stocks tumble
about 40% over the past two months.
"Market
concerns on MSTR are overstated and there is no realistic
scenario which threatens the longevity of MSTR,"
analyst Gautam Chhugani wrote in a note on Dec. 1.
"However, several MSTR copy-cats may continue
to trade at discount to their NAVs without a clear
path to raise long term capital."
Restructuring
and stronger players acquiring weaker ones are possibilities,
according to Will Owens, a research analyst for Galaxy
Digital.
"In
other words, treasury companies are about to enter
a Darwinian phase," Owens wrote earlier this
month.
Bet
with your head, not over it!
Best
Quotes Of The Day
Cryptocurrency,
Finance and World
"Volatility
is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." - Michael
Saylor
"Bitcoin
is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and
tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme."
— Naval Ravikant
"We
have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical
framework that is free of politics and human error."
— Tyler Winklevoss
"You
can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere,
and the world will have to readjust. World governments
will have to readjust." — John McAfee
"Bitcoin
is the most important invention in the history of
the world since the Internet." — Roger Ver
"Cryptocurrency
is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn
governments." — Charles Lee
"In
the future, national currencies will become obsolete.
Bitcoin will become the single global currency."
— Jack Dorsey
"The
future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in
payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng
Zhao
"Crypto
offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged."
— Elizabeth Stark
"The
new frontier of innovation is in decentralization.
Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott
"Digital
currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter
of how long before governments embrace it." —
Brad Garlinghouse
Markets,
Cryptos and Pop Culture
Culture
In Biz Edition
December
To Remember
Dec
10
Cryptos
Struggling; All That Glitters. TKO To Naysayers!
World Streaming Wars
Online Media vs Legacy Media: Disruptors
Media Pop Culture Theme: "Another Brick In The
Wall" aka "We Don't Need No Education"
(Pink Floyd)
"Schools Out" (Alice Cooper)
Silicon Valley theme: "Stretch Your Face"
(Tobacco)
"The Social Network" (score album for film)
"Hall of Fame" (The Script)
"Eight Days a Week" (The Beatles)
"The Wolf of Wall Street" ("Mercy,
Mercy, Mercy" (Cannonball Adderley)
December
10, 2025
Sin
City Sydney, Australia
Australian
dollar +0.21% to 66.39 US cents
Wall
Street:
S&P 500 +0.04%
Dow Jones -0.26%
Nasdaq +.28%
Europe:
Stoxx 50 -0.13%
FTSE -0.03%
DAX -1.1%
CAC +0.49%
Bitcoin
$92,341.80 +2.12%
Gold
+0.42% to $US4208.41 per ounce
US oil -1.12 to $US58.22 a barrel
Brent crude oil -0.9% to $US61.93 a barrel
Iron ore -0.79% to $US106.42 per ton
10-year
yield:
US 4.18%
Australia 4.75%
Germany 2.85%
Bitcoin
Bitcoin:
(Near Live) $92,341.80 +2.12%
Ethereum
$3,317.79 +6.32%
XRP
$2.0989 +1.18%
News
Update: (Near Live)
News
New
York/Wall St via Mr Wolf!
December To Remember!
Dec
9
After The Bell; Bells To Be Rung
NYC!
Cryptos
Today: (Near Live)
Cryptos
shining up a little!
Bitcoin
$92,572.31 +2.38%
Market
ups and downs! Mood: Medium: Still picking up. Play
the long game?! Hardcores keep dream, as always!
Media
Man Favs:
(Near
Live)
Bells
Rung by Mr Wolf! TKO hulks up! Christmas Grinch vs
Santa. Miners on hunt. Gamers full speed instead of
socials.. Tech heads grapplers watch streaming wars!
NYSE Bell Ringers With Trees! Prep for new Season's
Beatings! TKO kicks out heading towards Saturday Night's
Main Event
Wall
St, New York
TKO
Group Holdings Inc $197.11 -6.71 -3.29%
NVIDIA Corp $184.97 -0.60 -0.33%
Formula One Group Series $85.13 +1.63 +1.95%
Alphabet Inc Class A $317.08 +3.36 +1.07%
News Corp Class A $25.95 +0.22 +0.86%
Netflix Inc $96.71 -0.11 -0.11%
Caterpillar Inc $594.36 -2.14 -0.36%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $11.30 +0.20
+1.80%
Tesla Inc $445.26 +5.68 +1.29%
Walt Disney Co $107.02 -0.61 -0.57%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $124.22 -2.91 -2.29%
Meta Platforms Inc $656.96 -9.84 -1.48%
Elders ADR $19.73 (US) (NYSE)
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $17.71 -0.100 -0.56%
Rio Tinto Ltd $90.58 (US)
Paramount Skydance Corp $14.64 +0.070 +0.48%
Red Light Holland Corp $0.018 -0.00028 -1.53%
Volvo ADR (parent/owner of Muck Trucks) $30.89 -0.53
-1.69%
Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany
ADR $4.72 +0.020 +0.43%
Microsoft $492.02 +1.00 +0.20%
News
Crypto
market awaits the final battle of the year
Market
Overview
The
crypto market lost just over 1% in 24 hours to $3.08T,
falling back to the consolidation levels of late November.
Attempts to shake up the market at the beginning of
this month were unsuccessful for both bulls and bears.
Excluding this impulse, the market has been treading
water for almost two weeks, hovering around the 23.6%
correction rebound line from the October-November
decline. Such a shallow rebound could be a sign of
a strong bear market, but this will only be confirmed
if November's lows of $2.73T are updated.
Bitcoin
is trading near $90K, having crossed this level for
the fifth consecutive day. An upward trend line can
be drawn through the lows of late November, but BTC
is now trading dangerously close to this line. At
the same time, horizontal resistance has formed in
the $92K area, bringing the positions of bulls and
bears closer together over time and promising a decisive
battle by the end of this week. It could not only
be the last significant battle of the year but also
determine the trend for the coming months.
News
Background
Short
positions on Bitcoin have recorded their largest outflow
since March 2025, when the price of BTC was near its
lows. Investors likely believe that the current surge
in negative sentiment has bottomed out, according
to CoinShares.
According
to Glassnode, the reserves of long-term Bitcoin holders
fell to a cyclical low in November. This marks the
end of the spot sell-offs that have hindered market
growth throughout 2025.
Ethereum
exchange reserves have fallen to record lows, which
could signal an imminent supply crisis, according
to CryptoQuant. Since July 2025, the indicator has
fallen by about 20%.
The
largest American investment company, BlackRock, has
applied with the SEC to register an ETF that will
allow investors to earn income from staking Ethereum
without directly owning the cryptocurrency.
Strategy
has increased its weekly Bitcoin purchases to their
highest level since July. The company bought 10,624
BTC ($963 million) last week at an average price of
$90,615 per coin. Strategy now owns 660,624 BTC, purchased
for $49.3 billion at an average price of $74,696 per
Bitcoin. (FxPro)
News
Streaming
Wars: Netflix vs Paramount (for Warner Bros) aka WBD.
What's Up Doc?!
Paramount
makes hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
Dec
9
Paramount
Skydance has directly approached Warner Bros Discovery's
shareholders with a takeover offer; it has opted to
bypass the rival media group's board, contending that
Warner's directors have backed an "inferior proposal".
Paramount has proposed a cash offer of $US30 per share,
valuing its bid for the entire company at about $US108bn.
It is seeking to trump Netflix's deal to acquire some
of Warner's assets for around $US83bn, which has been
approved by the boards of both companies. Warner has
rejected Paramount's claims that its sale process
had favoured a single bidder.
*Developing news story "The Streaming Wars"
News
Australia
- USA Connection
Praise
for Trump's review of AUKUS
Defence
Minister Richard Marles says the federal government
is currently "working through" the Trump
administration's now-completed review of the AUKUS
alliance. He adds that the US is "completely
supportive" of the deal to sell nuclear-powered
submarines to Australia. The review was headed by
US defence official Elbridge Colby, who has been a
notable critic of AUKUS in the past. The AUKUS alliance
is likely to be a key focus when Marles and Foreign
Minister Penny Wong hold the annual AUSMIN talks with
US counterparts Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio in Washington
DC next week.
News
24
hours ago
The
crypto market tries to form an uptrend
Market
Overview
The
crypto market soared by almost 7% over the past day,
reaching a capitalisation of $3.15T and forming a
higher local peak compared to Sunday. The mood on
the crypto market was buoyed by moves from institutional
giants Vanguard and Bank of America to open access
to digital assets for their clients. Combined with
the fact that the low point on December 1st is higher
than the lows on November 21st, we are seeing a series
of vital signs of an upward trend forming. However,
a conservative view suggests that fluctuations below
$3.38T are a correction from the previous decline.
Bitcoin
approached $94K on Wednesday morning, recovering half
of its losses from the sell-off between November 11th
and 21st. Considering the entire decline from its
October peak, BTCUSD remains trading below $ 98K as
part of the correction. The $98-100K range contains
three psychologically significant levels: the 50-day
average, early November support, and 61.8% of the
decline from the peak. Consolidation above this level
could convince buyers that crypto winter has not arrived.
News
Background
Vanguard,
the world's second-largest investment company by assets,
will open access to crypto ETF trading for its clients
on December 2nd. The company had previously stated
that it would avoid Bitcoin funds because cryptocurrency
is an “immature asset class” and does not
fit with the company's philosophy.
Bank
of America, one of the largest banks in the United
States, has recommended that its institutional clients
allocate 1% to 4% of their portfolios to cryptocurrencies.
Previously, investors were unable to access cryptocurrencies
because advisors were prohibited from recommending
such instruments.
The
four-year cycle theory has ceased to work, so Bitcoin
has a chance to reach new highs in 2026, according
to Grayscale. Analysts believe there are already some
signs that Bitcoin has likely bottomed out.
News
(from Friday: Sydney)
ASX
up as tech stocks rally, WiseTech gains
The
Australian sharemarket posted a modest gain on Thursday,
with lower trading volumes ahead of Wall Street's
closure for Thanksgiving Day; the S&P/ASX 200
added 0.1 per cent to close at 8,617.3 points. WiseTech
Global was up 6.9 per cent at $69.72, Bellevue Gold
rose 3.2 per cent to $1.29 and Reece advanced four
per cent to $12.73. However, DroneShield was down
7.8 per cent at $2 and Santos fell 1.8 per cent to
end the session at $6.44. (RMS)
News
The
Dollar's new edge: from shield to sword
The
dollar is losing its safe-haven status. • The
scale of the Fed's rate cuts has been overestimated.
• The yen is the main favourite for 2026.
BoJ
may not raise rates until March. If the US dollar
was previously a shield, it is now turning into a
sword. (FxPro)
News
Pop
Culture News
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream
Match Series; Crack The Code!
Million
Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets
Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation
Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr Cardona
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far! Re-match!
Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle
UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs NYC and Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
UFC Legal vs UFC Bad Egg Betting Disruptors
Bulls vs Bears
Logan Paul vs WWE babyfaces
Santa's Helper vs Grinch
John McAfee vs FBI + + +, Running .... Netflix Wins
again!
Killer Kross vs Matt Riddle - Shoot Fight/Wrestling
(MLW)! Holliday working web?! Most Marketable?!
VKM vs Numerous!
MLW vs The World
The Big Event vs US Promoters
Storm vs WWE Locker Room. Lash Legend on side!
NXT Gold Rush: Page & Green vs Hendry & Hail
Baszler vs Itoh - HOG Superclash - Nov 15
MSG, NY winning with WWE and UFC in Nov
The Vision vs WWE Lockerroom
John Cena vs Dirty Dom
Miz vs Management
Jericho vs Internet Marks
Mr Gold vs Mr Fool's Gold
Neo vs Mr Smith
PBR vs Others. No Bull?!
Aus Gvt vs Big Tech
Banks vs Cryptos
NVIDIA vs World
White House vs Wokes
Packer vs Devil D
Lucha Bros vs AAA Heels
WWE Black Scorpion/Masked Man vs Babyfaces
CM Punk vs The Hood
Starks vs Oba Femi - NXT Deadline
TNA Wrestling vs Dirtsheets
TKO vs Naysayers
John Cena vs Gunther: SNME
Chris Jericho and Mr X vs IWC
Mr Netflix vs Mr Paramount
News
Crypto
Movies/Docos
The
Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring
Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the
community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s
early days and its potential to disrupt finance.
Banking
on Bitcoin (2016)
Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots,
and impact on global financial systems through interviews
with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.
Cryptopia:
Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet
(2020)
Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives
into blockchain’s broader applications beyond
cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory
challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s
transformative potential.
Trust
Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated by
Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal
impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems.
A comprehensive look at real-world applications.
Bitcoin:
The End of Money as We Know It (2015)
Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin
as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized
financial systems. Features interviews with crypto
experts.
Deep
Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary
focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator,
Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in
dark web transactions.
Bitconned
(2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing
how three individuals defrauded investors during the
2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated
markets.
Feature
Films
Crypto
(2019)
A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth,
and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering
agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency
in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal
but praise its entertainment value.
Silk
Road (2021)
A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of
the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin.
It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and
drama.
Dope
(2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin
as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin
for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association
with illicit activities.
Bonus
Mentions
Life
on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to
live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early
adoption challenges.
Bitcoin
Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers
chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.
Notes
Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing
on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology,
and real-world implications. They’re great for
beginners and enthusiasts alike.
Feature
films often dramatize crypto’s association with
crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating
for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy.
For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like
Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many
of these are available.
News
Wall
Street (Movie)
Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is a
drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial
world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young
stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled
with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless corporate
raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,”
drives the story as Bud is lured into insider trading
and unethical deals, compromising his morals for wealth
and power.
The
film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal,
with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father
(Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.
Key
Details: Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie
Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin
Sheen (Carl Fox).
Runtime: 2h 6m.
Genre: Drama/Crime.
Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).
Awards:
Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Notable
Aspects:
Gekko’s
“Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting
1980s excess. Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan
Boesky and Michael Milken.
A
sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued
the story.
Where
to Watch (as of 2025):
Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or
rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current
availability).
Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.
News
Best
Quotes
An
investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
— Benjamin Franklin
"Bottoms
in the investment world don't end with four-year lows;
they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim
Rogers
Be
fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when
others are fearful." — Warren Buffett
Media
Man "Bullish is a mindset"
News,
Markets, Biz, Politics, Mining, Media, Marketing,
Culture: Australia and World
December
2025
December
1
Markets
Australian
Dollar: $0.6540 USD (up 0.0011 USD)
Iron Ore: $105.40 USD (down $1.30 USD)
Oil: $58.55 USD (down $0.55 USD)
Gold: $4,219.23 USD (up $61.79 USD)
Copper: $5.2780 USD (up $0.1155 USD)
Bitcoin: $87,321.17 -3.98%
Dow Jones: 47,716.42 (up 289.30 points)
News
ASX
tipped for solid start ahead of GDP data
Futures
pricing suggests that Australian equities will gain
about 0.1 per cent when the market opens on Monday,
following a positive lead from Wall Street. The release
of GDP data for the September quarter is set to be
a key focus for local investors in the coming week,
as they seek guidance on the outlook for official
interest rates. Inflation data released last week
has heightened speculation that the next rate move
may be up rather than down. The S&P/ASX 200 shed
0.37 per cent to close at 8,614.1 points on Friday,
and it fell by three per cent in November. (RMS)
News
Nov
28
Gold
may have doubled, but miners a gamble
Factors
such as its 'safe haven' staus and record buying by
central banks have seen the price of gold rise by
more than 50 per cent so far in 2025. The share prices
of Australian-listed gold producers have also rallied
during 2025, and some have posted solid returns over
the last decade. However, analysis shows that just
100 of the 172 listed gold miners in 2015 are still
in business now. Meanwhile, about 40 per cent of the
survivors have posted a negative return over the last
10 years. (RMS)
News
'Bloodbath':
Black Friday deals pose a dilemma for small business
Australians
are expected to spend nearly $7bn over the four days
of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, and up
to $39bn over the month of November. Indeed, Black
Friday has evolved to essentially become a one-month
sales event, and there is a growing expectation among
consumers that every store will offer big discounts.
However, Black Friday is challenging for many small
businesses, which simply cannot match the deep discounts
of large retailers. This is highlighted by research
from the Council of Small Business Organisations;
it found that 60 per cent of small business owners
do not pay themselves at least occasionally, while
25 per cent have used their personal savings to stay
afloat. (RMS)
News
Australia's
Most Trusted and Distrusted Brands + The Retail Landscape
Join
Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine to discover Australia's
most Trusted and Distrusted brands; how traditional
retail brands are being impacted by Temu, Shein, and
AliExpress; how the dramatic shift to low prices is
affecting discount department stores like Kmart and
Big W; whether Amazon has finally become the digital
category killer, impacting Myer, JB Hi-Fi and Harvey
Norman; whether Coles and Woolworths are finally showing
real signs of reputational recovery; and whether the
retail sector seeing a rise in distrust amid all the
upheaval. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Media
and Marketing
Sport
keeps TV afloat as Seven pips Nine
The
Seven Network has become Australia's top-rating commercial
free-to-air broadcaster for a fifth consecutive year.
Seven's national audience share across the 2025 rating
year was 41.6 per cent, ahead of the Nine Network
on 40.5 per cent. Seven's total audience share across
all five free-to-air networks was 29.4 per cent, followed
by Nine (28.7 per cent), the ABC (21.5 per cent),
Ten (12.6 per cent) and SBS (7.7 per cent). Nine's
live coverage of the NRL Grand Final was the highest-rating
program for the year, with a record 4.56 million viewers;
the AFL Grand Final attracted a total audience of
4.18 million. (RMS)
News
The
Age misses mark on AFL deal
A
spokesman for DAZN says the UK-based sports-focused
streaming company "categorically refutes"
a recent media report which suggested that it could
seek to renegotiate Foxtel's current seven-year AFL
broadcasting rights deal. The Age reported last week
that unnamed sources had claimed that DAZN believes
it is paying too much for the AFL rights. Foxtel was
acquired by DAZN earlier in 2025, in a deal that is
said to have been worth about $3.4bn. (RMS)
News
News
media eyes $600m yearly boost
Google,
Meta, Microsoft, TikTok and Apple are estimated to
have had combined revenue of $41bn in Australia during
fiscal 2024. They could potentially pay local news
publishers about $610m a year via the federal government's
News Bargaining Incentive, which will penalise technology
companies that fail to secure content deals with the
nation's news publishers; based on the revenue of
the 'big five', the financial penalty for not striking
such deals could be around $920m a year. The NBI would
apply to all digital platforms that operate "significant"
social media or search services, even if they do not
feature any news content. (RMS)
News
Magazine
stable faces carve-up
Private
equity firm Mercury Capital still hopes to sell the
whole of Are Media to a single buyer. However, sources
at Are have said there is speculation within the publisher
that several potential suitors have expressed interest
in selectively buying some magazine titles, and shunning
the less profitable ones. Mining magnate Andrew Forrest
is said to have been approached about buying the flagship
Australian Women's Weekly via his family company,
Tattarang, which already owns the RM Williams magazine.
(Roy Morgan Summary)
News
AI
threat slashes billions from classifieds giants
Jarden
analyst Tom Beadle has downplayed the risks that online
classified advertising groups are facing due to the
growing use of artificial intelligence platforms.
He contends that AI companies are unlikely to develop
a 'killer application' that will disrupt the business
of Real Estate Dotcom Dot Au http://realestate.com.au
owner REA Group in the near term. However, REA Group's
market capitalisation has fallen by nearly $9bn since
August, while CAR Group - which owns Car Sales http://carsales.com.au
- has shed 16 per cent of its value. Nevertheless,
there are fears that AI platforms will be increasingly
used to directly search for jobs, homes or cars. (RMS)
News
Nov
28
Free
entry gets museum record-breaking visitors
Analysis
of the annual reports of museums in Australia shows
that consumers continued to embrace the nation's cultural
institutions in 2024-25. Museums Victoria had the
highest patronage, with 1.93 million visitors during
the financial year; however, this was 13 per cent
lower than previously. Meanwhile, Western Australia
Museum was the nation's second-most-visited museum,
with visits to its three sites rising by 21 per cent
year-on-year to 1.2 million. WA Museum chair Sheila
McHale notes that visitor numbers were boosted by
the state government's decision to waive entry fees
during the 2024-25 summer. (RMS)
News
Mining/Resources/Energy
Nov
28
Inside
the battle for BHP's future
There
is growing speculation that BHP's CEO Mike Henry is
preparing to step down after six years in the role.
However, BHP's merger talks with Anglo American last
week showed that Henry is still deeply engaged in
high-stakes strategic endeavours, rather than easing
into retirement. Potential internal candidates to
succeed Henry when he eventually steps down include
Geraldine Slattery, Rag Udd, Vandita Pant and Catherine
Raw. Meanwhile, some BHP directors believe that the
resources group should simplify its commodities portfolio
by exiting the coal sector and focusing on copper;
indeed, analysis shows that both BHP and Rio Tinto
have underperformed those of pure-play copper mines
in recent years. (RMS)
News
Nov
28
Bitcoin
stalled at a critical resistance
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap corrected by 0.4% to $3.10T, pausing
the cautious rebound from last Friday. Yet we can’t
talk about the rebound running out of steam, as there
was strong growth the day before. But we do not see
any increase in optimism, as just about one in seven
coins has gained in the last 24 hours, compared to
a decline for most.
The
sentiment index rose to 25, the threshold for exiting
the territory of extreme fear, despite the latest
round of weakness. The index’s dynamics are likely
to attract buyers who were eager to enter the market
but were waiting for a discount after the highs were
set in early October.
Bitcoin
has fallen below $ 91K, stabilising near the 61.8%
Fibonacci retracement level of the decline since November
11th. The area near $90K was significant for the market
about a year ago, serving as support for the correction
after the growth momentum in early November. There
is some risk that it will now act as resistance, reinforcing
the bearish signal of a possible end to the rebound.
A rise above $95K would signal a victory for the bulls
and a return to a bull market, while a decline below
$87K could open the way to $80K, driving the market
into a depression.
News
Background
Kronos
Research describes the current dynamics as a classic
rebound from oversold conditions. The market has cleared
out excess long positions, creating room for growth,
according to Presto Research.
Futures
and options data point to a return of bullish sentiment.
The market is ‘ready for growth’ after speculative
longs were closed over the past two weeks, according
to GSR.
According
to CryptoQuant, in November, the Binance crypto exchange
increased its stablecoin reserves to a record $51.1
billion. The growth of this indicator can be seen
as a positive factor for the crypto market.
The
potential exclusion of Strategy from the S&P 500
index and continued outflows from spot crypto ETFs
could bring back bearish sentiment and trigger sell-offs,
warns QCP Capital.
Bolivia
will include cryptocurrencies and stablecoins in its
national financial system to modernise it.
Cryptocurrencies
will be allowed to be used as a means of payment,
savings accounts, credit products and loans. The authorities’
decision is a result of the country’s challenging
economic situation. (FxPro)
News
Heavy
Industry News
Mack
Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month'
award
Caterpillar
wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The
Month' award
Bingo
Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The
Month' award
Elders
wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award
Landman
wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award
(Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)
Jim's
Mowing wins Media Man 'Franchise Of The Month' award
News
Pop
Culture Flashback
Citizen
Kane (1941)
Directed
by Orson Welles | Written by Orson Welles & Herman
J. Mankiewicz | Cinematography by Gregg Toland
Why
it’s considered one of the greatest films ever
made:
Revolutionary
storytelling: Non-linear structure jumping through
multiple perspectives and timelines — decades
before it became common.
Iconic
moments/lines:
“Rosebud…”
The
campaign speech with the giant Kane poster
The
slow push-in on young Charlie playing in the snow
as his future is decided
“Old
age… it’s the only disease, Mr. Thompson,
that you don’t look forward to being cured of.”
(Bernstein)
News
Salt
of the Earth (1954
Mexican
workers at a zinc mine call a general strike. It is
only through the solidarity of the workers, and importantly
the indomitable resolve of their wives, mothers, and
daughters, that they eventually triumph.
Best
Quotes
The
best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."
"You
are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig
to find it and make it real."
"Your
mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will
find something golden."
"Don't
die without mining the gold in your mind."
"We're
like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's
inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."
"If
you want to find gold, you've got to love the process
of digging."
"Even
if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to
dig."
"Develop
men the same way gold is mined"
"Don't
go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in
looking for the gold."
"A
prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"
"A
prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't
find much gold"
"The
world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not."
"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are
silver, these are gold."
"All
that is gold does not glitter."
"Gold
is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears
out"
"Gold
is the money of kings"
"Mining
is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit.
An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher
of a dead mule."
"Anyone
can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds
the gold."
"True
gold fears no fire."
"The
desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means
of freedom and benefit."
"Make
new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these
are gold."
"When
taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes
considered like cheap copper – so are people."
Media
Man
Roy
Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The
Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance
Markets,
News, Biz, Mining, Energy, Politics: Australia and
World
November
2025
Nov
28
Heavy
Industry News
Mack
Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month'
award
Caterpillar
wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The
Month' award
Bingo
Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The
Month' award
Elders
wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award
Landman
wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award
(Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)
Jim's
Mowing wins Media Man 'Franchise Of The Month' award
News
Markets
Australian
Dollar: $0.6529 USD (up 0.0009 USD)
Iron Ore: $106.70 USD (up $0.10 USD)
Oil: $59.10 USD (up $0.40 USD)
Gold: $4,157.44 USD (down $8.15 USD)
Copper: $5.1625 USD (down $0.0410 USD)
Bitcoin: $91,056.34 -0.12%
Dow Jones: 47,427.12 (closed for Turkey Day)
News
Labor
urged to bite the bullet on energy bills
Treasurer
Jim Chalmers recently indicated that the federal government
has yet to decide whether to extend its electricity
bill rebates beyond December 2025. The rebate was
introduced in 2023 and extended by six months in the
March budget. The expiry of state energy rebates contributed
to the higher-than-expected 3.8 per cent headline
inflation rate in the year to October. Economists
have urged the government to end the rebates, contending
that they have a distortionary impact on inflation
and have cost the federal budget about $6.8bn to date.
Challenger's chief economist Jonathan Kearns notes
that rebates also risk lifting expectations of higher
inflation; indeed, ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations
have risen to a two-year high. (RMS)
News
ASX
up as tech stocks rally, WiseTech gains
The
Australian sharemarket posted a modest gain on Thursday,
with lower trading volumes ahead of Wall Street's
closure for Thanksgiving Day; the S&P/ASX 200
added 0.1 per cent to close at 8,617.3 points. WiseTech
Global was up 6.9 per cent at $69.72, Bellevue Gold
rose 3.2 per cent to $1.29 and Reece advanced four
per cent to $12.73. However, DroneShield was down
7.8 per cent at $2 and Santos fell 1.8 per cent to
end the session at $6.44. (RMS)
News
What
bubble? AI investors double down
Australian
technology investors have used a slump on the US Nasdaq
earlier in the month to boost their exposure to the
artificial intelligence sector. Those investors included
Munro Partners, which has topped up its exposure to
Nvidia, Alphabet and Taiwan Semiconductor, while Loftus
Peak's holdings of US tech stocks include Amazon,
Microsoft, Nvidia and Taiwan Semiconductor. For his
part, Joseph Ziller from Ziller Funds Management says
he avoids AI stocks that are not creating value today
from their huge capital expenditure. (RMS)
News
Snowy
Hydro signs renewable power deals
Snowy
Hydro will announce today that it has signed a 15-year
deal to purchase power from a wind farm in South Australia
that is being developed by Aula Energy, and which
Rystad Energy says could cost between $810 million
and $945 million. In addition to the deal with Aula
Energy, Snowy Hydro will also announce that it has
entered into a 15-year contract with French-backed
TagEnergy to access 105 megawatts of capacity at the
Golden Plains storage battery, which will be located
alongside a large wind farm site near Geelong in Victoria.
(RMS)
News
Tech
giants target roadblocks to AI spending
Australian
Bureau of Statistics figures shows that investment
in machinery and equipment by IT firms in the September
quarter came in at $2.8 billion, which was double
the previous record of $1.4 billion set in the previous
quarter. The figure includes investment in routers,
cooling towers and servers used to construct data
centres, and technology companies such as Microsoft
and TikTok, along with data centre operators such
as NextDC and AirTrunk, have got together to form
Data Centres Australia. It will lobby for reforms
to energy, water and planning approval and copyright
laws, so as to encourage investment in AI-linked investment.
(RMS)
News
Atlassians
resist Allan's crusade
Atlassian
is expanding its operations in Victoria, where Premier
Jacinta Allan wants to legislate the right to work
from home two days a week for private and public sector
employees. Although he is an advocate of hybrid work
arrangements and once stated that his employees can
work from anywhere, Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes
is against the idea of work-from-home mandates, believing
that flexible work arrangements should be up to business
to decide. As to the future of the Australian tech
sector, Cannon-Brooke is very optimistic, even though
the federal government seems set to fail in its target
for the nation to employ 1.2 million tech workers
by the end of the decade. (RMS)
News
Online
out to pasture as Tabcorp bets big on pub and club
punters
Tabcorp
CEO Gillon McLachlan announced a major shakeup of
its retail wagering operations earlier in the yea
with McLachlan ditching a strategy by his predecessor
that was heavily focused on internet betting growth.
McLachlan instead plans to focus on punters in clubs
and pubs, where it has an advantage over rivals such
as Sportsbet and Ladbrokes. Its new strategy will
see it pay pubs and clubs hundreds of thousands of
dollars to help entice punters to gamble in their
venues, while it will allocate $50 million to pay
for bonus bets and other inducements for gamblers
in pubs and clubs. (RMS)
News
High
Court challengers of teen social media ban want Musk,
Google to fund case
A
group called the Digital Freedom Project is challenging
the federal government's under-16 social media ban
in the High Court, with the plaintiffs in the challenge
being teenage children of members of the group. The
group's president is NSW Libertarian Party MP John
Ruddick, who is encouraging the big tech companies
to fund its challenge, while he says it should be
the responsibility of parents to be aware of what
their children are doing online and to educate them
about the harms of social media. Minister for Communications
Anika Wells told parliament on Wednesday the government
was committed to the ban, and that it will not be
intimidated by legal challenges. (RMS)
News
Cricket's
shot at $1.2bn Big Bash prize
Cricket
Australia is aiming to partially privatise the Big
Bash League, although it will need the consent of
the various state cricket bodies. There are currently
eight teams in the BBL, with Cricket Australia hoping
to expand it to 10 teams; it has placed a value of
$1.2 billion on a 10-team BBL, meaning that it stands
to make a $600 million windfall if its plans go ahead.
Most potential bidders are likely to come from India,
with Cricket Australia not optimistic that local buyers
would be able to meet its asking price. (RMS)
News
Critical
minerals rise from waste ashes
Latrobe
Magnesium recently received a letter of interest from
the US Export-Import Bank, which offered to provide
up to $US122m ($187m) to help build a magnesium plant
in Victoria. Latrobe CEO David Paterson says China
accounts for about 90 per cent of the global supply
of magnesium, which is vital to the manufacture of
electric vehicles and military aircraft. Latrobe's
technology can convert the fly ash produced by coal-fired
power stations into magnesium oxide. It has built
a demonstration plant near the site of the defunct
Hazelwood power station, and the funding from the
US export credit agency will be used to build a commercial
plant. (RMS)
News
Mineral
explorers bounce on 81pc funding surge
Data
from advisory firm BDO shows that the 739 pre-revenue
minerals exploration companies on the ASX raised more
than $3.49bn in total during the September quarter.
This is 81 per cent higher than the June quarter,
and Sherif Andrawes from BDO expects this growth to
continue. Meanwhile, total exploration expenditure
by pre-revenue companies rose by 16 per cent to a
two-year high of $843.6m in the September quarter,
while the average cash balance of mineral explorers
increased by 20 per cent to $11m. Andrawes anticipates
strong IPO activity among pre-revenue explorers in
the December quarter. (RMS)
News
Palmer's
Covid drug donation behind tax dispute
Clive
Palmer is in a dispute with the Australian Taxation
Office over a purchase he made of a shipment of the
antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine during the COVID-19
pandemic. He is seeking a tax deduction of almost
$13m for his purchase, which was made at a time when
US President Donald Trump was promoting hydroxychloroquine
as a way of combatting COVID-19, with Palmer claiming
his deduction as a donation for defending Australia,
although the drug was never distributed. (RMS)
News
'How
far is it going to escalate?' Fear Santos gas plan
in Beetaloo basin could be start of NT fracking rush
Gas
and oil company Santos has announced plans to drill
12 fracking wells at Tanumbirini Station, which is
a large cattle station in the Northern Territory's
Beetaloo basin. Environment Centre NT executive director
Dr Kirsty Howey is worried that if Santos's plans
lead to to full-scale production, that over 6,000
wells could be drilled through "our precious
aquifers, polluting our groundwater with toxic chemicals",
with ninety percent of the NT's water supply coming
from groundwater. Howey says Santos should be a "good
corporate citizen" and refer its proposal to
be assessed under federal environment laws.
News
LNG
levy proposal scared producers
The
federal government is reviewing Australia's east coast
gas market, with it being understood that it was considering
a levy on east coast LNG exporters at one stage. However,
while that idea appears to have been shelved and the
government looks set to have settled on a gas reservation-style
scheme, the fact that the government was even considering
a levy has sparked concern among the gas industry
about the extent to which the government is prepared
to intervene in the sector. (RMS)
News
Smelters
become a test case for bailouts
Glencore
and Nyrstar are among the companies that have received
financial assistance from federal and state governments
to keep their ageing Australian smelters operating.
China's dominance of the critical minerals sector
has underlined the importance of continuing to produce
metals such as copper and zinc in Australia. Nyrstar's
lead smelter at Port Pirie and its zinc smelter in
Hobart can potentially be upgraded to produce critical
minerals such as antimony, bismuth, tellurium, germanium
and indium; these metals are crucial to Australia's
economic and security equation, particularly in the
wake of the recent critical minerals agreement with
the US. (RMS)
News
Crisafulli
denies favouritism amid mine deals
Harmony
Gold's Eva Copper Mine has received an undislosed
financial incentive from the Queensland government's
Northwest Energy Fund. However, two coal projects
in the state have received no financial assistance
from the government. Premier David Crisafulli has
rejected suggestions that the government is favouring
critical minerals over coal, arguing that it is providing
the coal industry with certainty with regard to regulation
and taxation; the government has previously been criticised
for retaining its Labor predecessor's controversial
coal royalty regime. Crisafulli adds that the Eva
Copper Mine will help ensure that Glencore's Mount
Isa smelter remains viable. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
ASX
rally tempers on CPI shock; miners rise
The
Australian sharemarket posted a sold gain on Wednesday,
despite a pullback in response to data showing that
inflation rose to a higher-than-expected 3.8 per cent
in the year to October. The S&P/ASX 200 added
0.8 per cent to close at 8,606.5 points, having risen
by about 1.2 per cent before the monthly CPI data
was released. BHP was up two per cent at $41.80, Pilbara
Minerals rose 7.2 per cent to $4.04 and Ramsay Health
Care advanced 3.8 per cent to $37.32. However, Temple
& Webster shed 32.3 per cent to end the session
at $13.83. (RMS)
News
Fortescue,
former execs settle with each side to pay costs
The
terms of a settlement between Fortescue and three
former executives will remain confidential, after
all parties to the legal dispute agreed to take no
further action. Michael Masterman, Bart Kolodziejczyk
and Bjorn Winther-Jensen had been accused of using
Fortescue's proprietary information when they left
to establish a rival 'green' iron company called Element
Zero in 2022. Fortescue commenced legal action in
April 2024, and attracted criticism for hiring private
detectives to undertake surveillance on the three
former employees and their families. Element Zero's
green iron plant in Perth will be formally opened
by Premier Roger Cook today. (RMS)
News
The
rare earths race is on
China
has spent unlimited money to develop the world's best
technology to produce heavy rare earths, while the
French have developed rival technology that is not
as good and is far more expensive. Meanwhile, Sinosteel's
$100m pilot plant in Western Australia to process
ore from Northern Minerals' Browns Range rare earth
project is likely to remain idle, as Northern Minerals
intends to build a new plant at Browns Range with
financial support from the US Export-Import Bank.
Haoma Mining's Bamboo Creek heavy rare earths deposit
is also a threat to China's dominance of the sector;
its Elazac process is now being used to extract gold
and platinum from the Bamboo Creek material, and it
could become a rival to the Chinese and French technology
for extracting heavy rare earths such as terbium.
(RMS)
Nov
26
News
Haoma
Mining: Chairman's Presentation to shareholders
Haoma
Mining NL Announcements
Haoma
Mining held its Annual General Meeting at Tonic House
in Melbourne on 26 November. Chairman Gary Morgan
updated shareholders on Haoma's major activities in
the Pilbara region of Western Australia, including
the use of the Elazac process to produce gold bullion
at the Bamboo Creek Pilot Plant, as well as its Pilbara
Heavy Rare Earth discovery. Shareholders were also
updated on progress at the Pirra Lithium exploration
joint venture between Haoma and SQM Australia, as
well as activities at Haoma's Top Camp Roadhouse and
Caravan Park at Ravenswood in Queensland. (Roy Morgan
Summary)
Lead
Up
Nov
25
Big
super's $110m stake in 'blood oil'
Australian
Federation of Ukrainian Organisations chair Kateryna
Argyrou says Australia's superannuation funds should
divest their stakes in companies such as India's Reliance
Industries. Argyrou's comments follow the revelation
that Reliance has profited from refining sanctioned
Russian crude oil and exporting the resulting fuels
into markets such as Australia. The nation's four
largest super funds have invested nearly $110 million
in Reliance; they include AustralianSuper and the
Australian Retirement Trust. (RMS)
Nov
25
Markets
Australian
Dollar: $0.6462 USD (up 0.0009 USD)
Iron Ore: $105.00 USD (up $0.75 USD)
Oil: $58.84 USD (up $0.78 USD)
Gold: $4,123.68 USD (up $58.41 USD)
Copper: $4.9890 USD (down $0.0070 USD)
Dow Jones: 46,478.79 (up 233.38 points)
Bitcoin: $88,103.67 +1.47%
News
Force
miners to sell local: smelter owner
Nyrstar
Australia's CEO Matt Howell says the federal government
should consider implementing a domestic minerals reservation
scheme. It would work in much the same way as the
proposed domestic gas reservation scheme, and require
mining companies to sell a portion of their mineral
ore to Australian refinery operators. The future of
facilities such as Nyrstar's Port Pirie lead smelter
and its Hobart zinc smelter have been under scrutiny,
prompting federal and state government assistance.
However, Howell's proposal has been dismissed by Minerals
Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable, who has
cautioned against government intervention in the minerals
market. (RMS)
News
'Our
gas, our prices': Ed Husic breaks ranks with Labor
to demand an end to 'profiteering' by exporters
Former
Labor industry minister Ed Husic has backed a motion
by independent MP Nicolette Boele regarding east coast
gas prices. The motion calls on the federal government
to "only allow uncontracted gas to be exported
after it has been offered to the domestic market at
a reasonable price", with Boele saying Australia
does not have a gas supply problem, but rather a gas
export problem. Calling for stronger action against
what he labels 'profiteering' gas exporters, Husic
contends that "our gas, our prices: that should
be the bedrock of our thinking. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
ASX
to rally in 2026 on mining bounce: UBS
The
benchmark S&P/ASX 200 has retreated from the record
high of 9,904 points in recent weeks, having closed
at 8,525.1 yesterday. However, Richard Schellbach
from UBS is upbeat about the outlook for the local
bourse, forecasting that the ASX 200 will top 8,900
points again by the end of 2026. Schellbach says there
are expectations that earning growth will exceed 10
per cent in 2026; he adds that although this will
be driven by the resources sector, there will be earnings
growth across the broader sharemarket. (RMS/AFR)
News
BHP
drops second tilt at rival Anglo
BHP
has advised that it has held preliminary discussions
with Anglo American's board regarding a potential
merger, but says it is no longer considering a bid
for its London-based rival. BHP abandoned a previous
takeover bid for Anglo American in 2024, and the company
says it is still of the view that a merger would have
"strong strategic merits" and create significant
value for all stakeholders. BHP has indicated that
it will instead focus on its organic growth strategy.
Meanwhile, the latest aborted bid for Anglo has prompted
speculation that Rio Tinto could pursue growth via
acquisitions. (RMS)
News
Rinehart
puts blowtorch on Rio Tinto, BHP over net zero spending
Hancock
Prospecting's executive chair Gina Rinehart has criticised
major resources groups for spending billions of dollars
on reducing carbon emissions. Rinehart singled out
BHP and Rio Tinto in her speech to mark National Mining
Day; BHP is expected to spend up to $500m on reducing
emissions over the next five years, while Rio Tinto
has committed to halving its emissions by 2030 at
a cost of $US5bn over 10 years. Rinehart contended
that the dividends of BHP and Rio Tinto shareholders
are being "sacrificed on the green altar".
The speech was written by Rinehart but delivered by
Hancock Iron Ore's CEO Gerhard Veldsman via a video
message. (RMS)
News
Lithium
prices slide on Chinese mine restart
The
price of lithium fell sharply on Friday, in response
to media reports that China-based Contemporary Amperex
Technology could potentially resume production at
its Jianxiawo mine in early December. Data from S&P
Global Platts shows that the price of spodumene -
the type of lithium that is mined in Australia - fell
by 8.3 per cent to $US1,135 a tonne; the price of
lithium carbonate in turn fell by nine per cent to
91,020 yuan on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange. The
downturn prompted a fall in the share prices of Australian
lithium producers on Monday. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Santos
hit by delay on Narrabri gas ruling
Santos
has received another setback in its long-running bid
to proceed with the Narrabri gas project in NSW. A
two-day hearing on the Gomeroi people's appeal against
a Native Title Tribunal ruling on the project had
been scheduled to begin in the Federal Court this
week; however, Justice Natalie Charlesworth recused
herself from the case because an associate had worked
for Santos on secondment on two separate occasions.
Another judge is not available to hear the case, so
the traditional owners' appeal has been pushed back
to March 2026. (RMS)
News
Nov
24
UK
launches critical minerals strategy to reduce dependency
on China
British
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a critical
minerals and rare earths strategy, with the strategy
aimed at reducing the UK's dependency on China. It
includes a Stg50 million fund to boost production
at tungsten and lithium mines in Cornwall. Europe's
largest deposits of lithium are in Cornwall, while
the EU has previously singled out the county's tungsten
mine for potential financial support. The strategy
follows a six-week standoff between China and the
EU over the supply of chips used in the car sector,
while it seeks to ensure no more than 60% of any one
critical mineral comes from a single partner country
by 2035; the British government also wants to produce
at least 50,000 tonnes of lithium in the UK by the
same year. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Pop
Culture
Gold
Movie
Gold
is a 2016 American epic crime drama film directed
by Stephen Gaghan and written by Patrick Massett and
John Zinman. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Édgar
Ramírez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Corey Stoll,
Toby Kebbell, Craig T. Nelson, Stacy Keach and Bruce
Greenwood. The film is loosely based on the true story
of the 1997 Bre-X mining scandal, when a massive gold
deposit was supposedly discovered in the jungles of
Indonesia; however, for legal reasons and to enhance
the appeal of the film, character names and story
details were changed.
Trailer
Gold
(YouTube Movies and TV)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=yc0S96OZhi0
Gold
is the epic tale of one man's pursuit of the American
dream, to discover gold. Starring Oscar® winner
Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, Dallas Buyers Club,
The Wolf Of Wall Street) as Kenny Wells, a modern
day prospector desperate for a lucky break, he teams
up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on
an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle
of Indonesia. Getting the gold was hard, but keeping
it would be even harder, sparking an adventure through
the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street. The film
is inspired by a true story.
News
Citizen
Kane (1941)
Directed
by Orson Welles | Written by Orson Welles & Herman
J. Mankiewicz | Cinematography by Gregg TolandWhy
it’s considered one of the greatest films ever
made:
Revolutionary
storytelling: Non-linear structure jumping through
multiple perspectives and timelines — decades
before it became common.
Iconic
moments/lines:
“Rosebud…”
The
campaign speech with the giant Kane poster
The
slow push-in on young Charlie playing in the snow
as his future is decided
“Old
age… it’s the only disease, Mr. Thompson,
that you don’t look forward to being cured of.”
(Bernstein)
News
Salt
of the Earth (1954
Mexican
workers at a zinc mine call a general strike. It is
only through the solidarity of the workers, and importantly
the indomitable resolve of their wives, mothers, and
daughters, that they eventually triumph.
Best
Quotes
The
best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."
"You
are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig
to find it and make it real."
"Your
mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will
find something golden."
"Don't
die without mining the gold in your mind."
"We're
like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's
inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."
"If
you want to find gold, you've got to love the process
of digging."
"Even
if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to
dig."
"Develop
men the same way gold is mined"
"Don't
go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in
looking for the gold."
"A
prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"
"A
prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't
find much gold"
"The
world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not."
"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are
silver, these are gold."
"All
that is gold does not glitter."
"Gold
is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears
out"
"Gold
is the money of kings"
"Mining
is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit.
An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher
of a dead mule."
"Anyone
can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds
the gold."
"True
gold fears no fire."
"The
desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means
of freedom and benefit."
"Make
new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these
are gold."
"When
taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes
considered like cheap copper – so are people."
Media
Man
Roy
Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The
Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance
Markets,
Crypto and Culture
Cryptos
Struggle again, Medium Bull Update: Round 1! Bloody
Noses and Black Eyes Cont! Red And Black Attack! All
That Glitters. Bells To Be Rung! Aussie - US Connection
November
24, 2025
Sin
City Sydney, Australia
Mad Monday Aussie
ASX
futures up 92 points/1.1% to 8519
Wall
Street:
S&P 500 +1%
Dow Jones: +1.1%
Nasdaq +0.9%
Europe: Stoxx 50 -1%
FTSE +0.1%
DAX -0.8%
CAC flat
Australian
dollar at US64.59 cents
Bitcoin +3.3% to $US87,532
Gold
-0.3% to $US4065.14
Oil -1.6% to $US58.06 a barrel
Brent crude oil -1.3% to $US62.56 a barrel
Iron ore +0.3% to $US104.25 per ton
10-year
yield:
US 4.06%
Australia 4.46%
Germany 2.70%
Bitcoin:
(Near Live) $87,749.31 +3.95%
News
Update: (Near Live)
News
New
York/Wall St via Mr Wolf!
The November Man!
23 Nov
NYC!
Cryptos
Today: (Near Live)
Moody:
Cryptos lost shine!
Bitcoin
$87,749.31 +3.95%
Ethereum $2,833.20 +3.10%
Tether $1.0005 +0.06%
Binance Coin $853.96 +2.91%
XRP $2.0762 +6.95%
Solana $133.00 +4.96%
TRON $0.2755 +0.52%
Dogecoin $0.1470 +4.85%
Cardano $0.4158 +3.49%
Market
scares! Mood: Medium:; Picking up for some in traditional
sectors! Hardcores keep dream! Many bears selling
out!
Media
Man Favs:
(Near
Live)
Bells
Rung by Mr Wolf! TKO kicks out. Comeback! Christmas
Grinch Comes Early for some! Santa gives little for
miners, gamers, some tech heads and grapplers!
Wall
St, New York
TKO
Group Holdings Inc $178.17 +1.680.95%
NVIDIA Corp $178.88 -1.76 -0.97%
Formula One Group Series A $85.18 -0.72 -0.84%
Alphabet Inc Class A $299.66 +10.21 +3.53%
News Corp Class A $25.69 +0.89 +3.59%
Netflix Inc $104.31 -1.36 -1.29%
Caterpillar Inc $550.43 +4.30 +0.79%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $10.33
-0.020 -0.19%
Tesla Inc $391.09 -3.96 -1.00%
Walt Disney Co $104.28 +1.58 +1.54%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $119.60 +2.46 +2.10%
Meta Platforms Inc $594.25 +5.03 +0.85%
Elders ADR $19.73 (US) 53.08 +0.50 +0.95% (NYSE)
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $16.45 +0.32 +1.98%
Elders ADR $19.73 (US)
Rio Tinto Ltd $84.00 -1.00 - 1.18% (US)
Paramount Skydance Corp $15.89 +0.21 +1.34%
Red Light Holland Corp $0.018 -0.0013 -6.84%
News
The
Dollar's new edge: from shield to sword
•
The dollar is losing its safe-haven status. •
The scale of the Fed's rate cuts has been overestimated.
• The yen is the main favourite for 2026. •
BoJ may not raise rates until March. If the US dollar
was previously a shield, it is now turning into a
sword. (FxPro)
News
Crypto
market accelerates decline
Market
Overview
The
crypto market is experiencing a sharp decline, losing
another 4% over the past 24 hours and falling back
to $3.07 trillion, its lowest level since early May.
The decline is accelerating relative to the trend
observed since 10 October. At this stage, the market
is being dragged down by major coins — Bitcoin,
Ethereum, XRP — which are losing more than 5%,
while some altcoins remain in the shadows. It is unlikely
that this should be considered a sign of strength
for coins such as Monero (+2.7%), Tron (-1.8%) or
Bitcoin Cash (-2.4%). It would be more accurate to
say that the bears have not yet reached them.
Bitcoin
fell below $90K, trading at its lowest levels since
the end of April. As expected, the dip below the 50-week
moving average at the end of last week triggered sellers,
confirming the breakdown of the bullish trend that
had lasted for the previous two years. Now, the working
scenario appears to be a chance for BTC to dip to
its 200-week moving average. In 2022, this path took
9 weeks, and over 30 weeks to form the bottom.
Ethereum
fell below $3,000, following Bitcoin, which rolled
back below its 50-week moving average. In this case,
the 200-week average (approximately $2,300) will deter
sellers, and we are considering a decline to $1,700
as a working pessimistic scenario.
News
Background
According
to CoinShares, global investment in crypto funds declined
by $2.036 billion last week, marking the third consecutive
week of outflows. Investments in Bitcoin fell by $1.378
billion, in Ethereum by $689 million, in XRP by $16
million, and in Solana by $8 million. Investments
in Sui rose by $6 million, in Litecoin by $3 million,
and in ETFs with multiple crypto assets by $31 million.
The
fall of Bitcoin from its record highs in October was
triggered by the capitulation of short-term holders,
rather than the distribution of coins by long-term
investors, according to XWIN Research.
Ethereum
is entering a Supercycle phase like the one that brought
Bitcoin a hundredfold increase since 2017, said BitMine
CEO Tom Lee. In his opinion, the market decline is
attributed to issues with several large market makers
attempting to provoke liquidations in Bitcoin.
The
inflow of stablecoins to Binance reached $9 billion
in 30 days. The indicator is close to historical peaks,
which previously preceded strong market movements,
notes CryptoOnchain analyst. In his opinion, capital
in standby mode can quickly change the market dynamics
in favour of the ‘bulls’.
Strategy's
business model is entirely dependent on funds buying
its shares and is built on ‘fraud,’ said
Peter Schiff, a well-known cryptocurrency critic and
gold advocate. Since July, Strategy's shares have
fallen by more than 50%, and recently, its capitalisation
has fallen below the value of its assets. (FxPro)
News
The
crypto is set for a short-term rebound, not a full
recovery
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap has lost 9.5% over the past seven
days. The decline took place on weekdays last week,
with the level stabilising around $3.25 trillion over
the weekend. Among altcoins, the standout is the unsinkable
Zcash at $700, nearing its highs, and weak Solana
and Ethereum, which have lost 45% and 40% from their
August and September highs, respectively.
The
crypto sentiment index recorded values of 10 on Saturday
and Sunday, marking a return to the lows of late February
this year. Although this was a good point to buy on
the rebound in the following days, the downward trend
continued for almost a month and a half. Market dynamics
since the beginning of October have been reminiscent
of those seen at the end of January. This is good
news for short-term buyers but may cause medium-term
buyers to stay on the sidelines for a while.
Bitcoin
slipped below $93K during illiquid trading early in
the day, but found impressive buyer interest there,
rising to $95.6K. Whether this is a short-term rebound
or the beginning of a recovery can only be determined
after it consolidates above $100,000. There is a high
chance that the strategy of selling on rebounds will
remain prevalent.
News
Background
Outflows
from spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US continue for the
third week in a row. According to SoSoValue, net outflows
from spot BTC ETFs totalled $1.11 billion last week,
slightly lower than the previous week's outflows,
resulting in a total inflow of $58.85 billion into
these products since January 2024.
Net
outflows from spot Ethereum ETFs in the US continue
for the second week in a row, amounting to $728.6
million. The cumulative net inflow since the launch
of ETFs in July 2024 has fallen to $13.13 billion.
Inflows
into the recently launched Solana spot ETFs in the
US have continued for the third consecutive week,
totalling $382.1 million. However, during this time,
the price has fallen by a third, reinforcing the idea
that entering traditional financial markets does not
necessarily promise price growth.
Long-term
Ethereum holders have increased their sales to 45,000
ETH per day, the highest level since February 2021,
according to Glassnode. Long-term Bitcoin holders
are also actively selling their holdings. According
to CryptoQuant, they have dumped 815,000 BTC on the
market over the past month.
Miner
Bitfarms has announced a gradual phase-out of Bitcoin
mining and a transition to developing infrastructure
for artificial intelligence. The company reported
a net loss of $46 million in its third-quarter report.
(FxPro)
News
Gold
stabilised at $4,000, but the upward trend has already
broken down Gold has stabilised around the $4,000
mark over the last ten days, ending the week at roughly
the same level as it started. Attempts by sellers
to push the price below $3,900 are meeting with impressive
buying interest.
This
is facilitated by the Supreme Court, which is considering
the illegality of US tariffs. If Donald Trump is defeated,
the money will have to be returned. As a result, the
budget deficit and public debt will increase, leading
to chaos in the financial markets. Concerns about
this are prompting investors to seek refuge in safe-haven
assets. However, this all appears to be an attempt
to play the old card, which can only delay the inevitable.
According
to estimates by the World Gold Council, central bank
purchases of bullion in 2025 are expected to amount
to 750-900 tonnes. In each of the previous three years,
the figure exceeded 1,000 tonnes. China's cancellation
of VAT credits for precious metal retailers will increase
prices for the jewellery industry and lead to a decline
in demand. ETF stocks are falling.
HSBC,
Bank of America and Societe Generale continue to stick
to their forecasts of $5,000 per ounce. However, the
gold rally has broken down. Selling on the rise is
becoming relevant. (FxPro)
News
Crypto
bulls fail to maintain momentum
Market
Overview
The
crypto market has gained 1% over the past 24 hours,
the first increase after four days of decline. The
market is stabilising at levels just above $3.4 trillion,
close to May's local highs. The situation currently
resembles a pause in the decline rather than a serious
reversal, due to somewhat cautious sentiment in the
stock markets and the strengthening of the dollar
since the second half of September. Ironically, this
reversal coincides with the resumption of the easing
cycle of monetary policy. The sentiment index has
emerged from the zone of extreme fear, which also
coincided with a market rebound. According to the
creators of such an index, now is the right time for
bulls. Still, traders should be cautious with such
an interpretation, as the previous rebound from extreme
fear was not long-lasting, and the market is now 5%
below the local low of 17 Oct, when sentiment last
recovered from extreme anxiety. Bitcoin is trading
near $103,000, pausing its rebound but remaining far
from its recent lows. The bulls managed to bring the
coin back above the 50-week moving average, but there
is still a lot of time left until the end of the week,
and for now, time is on the bears' side. On intraday
charts, it looks as if the rebound has run out of
steam and sellers are ready to seize the initiative
again.
News
Background
Cryptocurrencies
are under pressure from general risk aversion in global
markets. Among the factors are concerns about the
Fed's interest rate and the situation in the credit
sector, according to Hashdex. Wintermute attributes
the worst performance of cryptocurrencies among all
other asset classes to the redistribution of cash
flows to other markets. Short-term Bitcoin holders
continue to sell cryptocurrencies at a loss, using
any rebound as an opportunity to sell, notes analyst
Darkfost. However, accumulator addresses — wallets
that only buy and never sell — have acquired
a record 375,000 BTC over the past month. Amid the
asset's decline, French company Sequans Communications,
which accumulates Bitcoin, was forced to sell 970
BTC to partially repay its convertible debt. The company's
reserves fell from 3,234 to 2,264 BTC. Japanese company
Metaplanet, on the other hand, is raising funds to
purchase bitcoins. On 31 October, the company received
a $100 million loan secured by its reserves. Ripple
announced that it had raised $500 million in strategic
investments (with a valuation of $40 billion) from
major institutional players. Zcash (ZEC) could become
an alternative to Bitcoin among those who fear the
centralisation of BTC due to Wall Street and are concerned
about the tracking of on-chain transactions, according
to Galaxy Digital. Supporters of the private coin
refer to it as ‘encrypted Bitcoin’ and a
return to the principles of the cypherpunks. (FxPro)
News
Lead Up
Price
Movements and Market Outlook
Spot
Gold Dips Slightly: Gold traded at $4,068.70 per troy
ounce on November 17, down 0.36% from the previous
day. This extends a two-day losing streak amid fading
bets for a December Fed rate cut, with the probability
dropping below 50%. However, the metal remains up
55.75% year-over-year, supported by broader safe-haven
demand.
Recent
Rally: Prices surged nearly 3% earlier in the week
to a two-week high, driven by soft U.S. economic indicators
that bolstered rate-cut hopes and lifted non-yielding
assets like gold.
Forecast:
Analysts see potential upside if gold sustains above
$4,100, targeting $4,140–$4,145, and possibly
$4,200. A break below $4,000 could accelerate declines
toward $3,900. A weaker USD and softer risk sentiment
are keeping a floor under prices, amid concerns over
the ongoing U.S. government shutdown impacting economic
momentum.
Global
Demand and Regional Updates
India
and China Cooling: Physical demand in India stayed
subdued due to volatile prices, leading to steep discounts
for the first time in seven weeks post-festivals.
In China, a state bank halted new retail gold accounts
after tax exemptions were tweaked, likely curbing
demand in the world's top consumer market. Premiums
rose in other Asian hubs as global rates eased.
Investment
Trends: First-time gold investing hit its strongest
levels since the Global Financial Crisis, per recent
surveys, signaling renewed interest amid uncertainty.
Buzz
on X (Recent Posts) Social discussions highlight gold's
role as a hedge against crypto volatility and inflation:
Users are buying gold amid Bitcoin's dip into the
$80Ks, viewing it as a tangible alternative to "digital
tulips."
News
Gold:
correction is not over yet
The
strengthening of the US dollar and higher Treasury
yields have brought the gold price back below $4000.
Yellow
metal is gradually losing its wild cards. It managed
to reach a record high thanks to devaluation trading,
expectations of aggressive monetary expansion by the
Fed, Donald Trump's threats of 100% tariffs against
China, geopolitics, pessimistic forecasts for the
global economy, and active purchases of bullion by
central banks.
However,
the White House is no longer attacking the Fed as
aggressively as before. The US and China have found
common ground. The Middle East conflict has been resolved,
and the global economy is proving resilient in the
face of tariffs. The Fed is cautious about lowering
rates, and central bank activity in the bullion market
is declining.
The
other two examples of similar velocity of gold rose
were 1979 and 2011. The experience of those years
shows that the surge and collapse were followed by
long periods of consolidation. In other words, after
a period of retreat from the top, the precious metal
will find its trading range and settle within it.
But for the weeks ahead, we continue to see more risks
of further decline. (FxPro)
News
Flashback
Oil
Holds Strong Despite Bearish Fundamentals
Weekly
data from the EIA noted that the US returned to record
oil production rates last week, supplying an average
of 13.6 million barrels per day to the market, according
to the latest EIA data. The trend towards increased
supply began in August, but producers have only now
returned to the peak levels recorded at the end of
last year. Despite a 5.5-million-barrel increase in
US commercial inventories over the past two weeks,
inventories stay at the lower end of the range seen
over the past decade, leaving considerable room for
growth. The same can be said for the strategic reserve,
which holds nearly 40% less oil than it did five years
ago, before the start of the active sell-off. It is
an interesting game in which, on the one hand, the
US (the largest oil producer) is increasing supplies,
while OPEC+ is increasing quotas on a monthly basis.
This extremely bearish combination of factors did
not cause oil prices to collapse; it was only because
of global trade in currency depreciation that caused
precious metals, stock indices, and cryptocurrencies
to rise. Oil prices have not peaked in recent weeks
.. To be cont .. (FxPro)
News
Gold
hits new highs due to political turmoil
Gold
is outside the realm of politics.
While
currencies and securities depend on the actions of
presidents and governments, precious metals do not.
Therefore, political turmoil forces investors to use
them as safe-haven assets.
The
impressive 52% rally in gold started in April with
the introduction of tariffs on America's Liberation
Day. It continued due to the US government shutdown,
the political crisis in France, and the change of
leadership in Japan. he rise of gold above 4,000 dollars
per ounce is not only the result of the weakness of
fiat currencies. There are tectonic shifts in the
structure of investment portfolios and fears of financial
crises due to government recklessness.
The
share of precious metals is growing both in speculators'
assets and in the gold and foreign exchange reserves
of central banks. The indicator has already exceeded
the share of the euro. According to Eurizon Capital,
if it equals the share of the US dollar, the price
per ounce will soar to 8,500 dollars. The Supreme
Court's abolition of tariffs will inflate the US budget
deficit. France does not intend to reduce it, and
Japan plans to increase bond issuance. All this creates
a tailwind for commodity assets. (FxPro)
News
Pop
Culture News
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream
Match Series; Crack The Code!
Million
Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets
Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation
Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr H
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far! Re-match!
Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs NYC and Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
UFC Legal vs UFC Bad Egg Betting Disruptors
Bulls vs Bears
Logan Paul vs WWE babyfaces
Santa's Helper vs Grinch
John McAfee vs FBI + + +, Running .... Netflix Wins
again!
Killer Kross vs Matt Riddle - Shoot Fight/Wrestling
(MLW)!
VKM vs Numerous!
MLW vs The World
The Big Event vs US Promoters
Storm vs WWE Locker Room. Lash Legend on side!
NXT Gold Rush: Page & Green vs Hendry & Hail
Baszler vs Itoh - HOG Superclash - Nov 15
MSG, NY winning with WWE and UFC in Nov
The Vision vs WWE Lockerroom
John Cena vs Dirty Dom
Miz vs Management
Jericho vs Internet Marks
Mr Gold vs Mr Fool's Gold
Neo vs Mr Smith
PBR vs Others. No Bull?!
Aus Gvt vs Big Tech
Banks vs Cryptos
NVIDIA vs World
White House vs Wokes
Packer vs Devil D
Lucha Bros vs AAA Heels
News
Cryptocurrency
Movies
Docos
The
Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring
Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the
community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s
early days and its potential to disrupt finance.
Banking
on Bitcoin (2016)
Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots,
and impact on global financial systems through interviews
with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.
Cryptopia:
Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet
(2020)
Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives
into blockchain’s broader applications beyond
cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory
challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s
transformative potential.
Trust
Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated by
Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal
impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems.
A comprehensive look at real-world applications.
Bitcoin:
The End of Money as We Know It (2015)
Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin
as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized
financial systems. Features interviews with crypto
experts.
Deep
Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary
focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator,
Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in
dark web transactions.
Bitconned
(2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing
how three individuals defrauded investors during the
2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated
markets.
Feature
Films
Crypto
(2019)
A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth,
and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering
agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency
in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal
but praise its entertainment value.
Silk
Road (2021)
A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of
the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin.
It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and
drama.
Dope
(2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin
as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin
for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association
with illicit activities.
Bonus
Mentions
Life
on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to
live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early
adoption challenges.
Bitcoin
Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers
chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.
Notes
Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing
on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology,
and real-world implications. They’re great for
beginners and enthusiasts alike.
Feature
films often dramatize crypto’s association with
crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating
for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy.
For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like
Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many
of these are available.
News
Wall
Street (Movie)
Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is a
drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial
world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young
stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled
with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless corporate
raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,”
drives the story as Bud is lured into insider trading
and unethical deals, compromising his morals for wealth
and power.
The
film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal,
with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father
(Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.
Key
Details: Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie
Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin
Sheen (Carl Fox).
Runtime: 2h 6m.
Genre: Drama/Crime.
Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).
Awards:
Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Notable
Aspects:
Gekko’s
“Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting
1980s excess. Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan
Boesky and Michael Milken.
A
sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued
the story.
Where
to Watch (as of 2025):
Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or
rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current
availability).
Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.
News
Best
Quotes
An
investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
— Benjamin Franklin
"Bottoms
in the investment world don't end with four-year lows;
they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim
Rogers
Be
fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when
others are fearful." — Warren Buffett
Media
Man "Bullish is a mindset"
Mining/Energy/Rare
Earths/Biz/Culture/Politics: Australia, U.S and World
Mad
Monday Edition
News
November
2025
Markets
Nov
17
Australian
Dollar: $0.6529 USD (up 0.0001 USD)
Iron Ore: $102.50 USD (down 0.35 USD)
Oil: $60.09 USD (up $1.34 USD)
Gold: $4,080.78 USD (down $82.66 USD)
Copper: $5.0500 USD (up $0.0015 USD)
Bitcoin: $94,324.41USD (down 1.62%)
Dow: 47,147.48 (down 309.74 points)
Bitcoin:
(Near Live) $95,096.48 -0.79%
News
Heavy
Industry Awards
Mack
Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month'
award
Caterpillar
wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The
Month' award
Bingo
Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The
Month' award
Elders
wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award
Landman
wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award
(Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)
News
Wyloo
bets on nickel future as part of critical minerals
boom
Wyloo's
financial accounts show that it booked a $377.6m profit
in 2024-25, after a massive impairment charge on its
nickel assets resulted in a $352.8m loss for the previous
financial year. The private company of Andrew and
Nicola Forrest is continuing to explore for nickel
near its mothballed mines in Western Australia, while
it is also considering the construction of a nickel
concentrator near Kambalda. Wyloo's CEO Luca Giacovazzi
stated in its latest annual report that its future
growth is likely to be on mining and selling nickel,
while this focus is expected to be expanded to include
rare earths. (RMS)
Nov
15
Make
coal great again or China gets your data: Hanson
One
Nation leader Pauline Hanson will release details
of the party's energy policy during the last parliamentary
sitting week for 2025. However, Hanson contends that
amongst other things Australia must withdraw from
the Paris climate agreement and extend the operating
lives of the nation's existing fleet of coal-fired
power stations. Hansen has emphasised the importance
of coal-fired power generation to data centres in
Australia, warning that they will not be able to compete
with China. Hanson adds that it "frightens the
hell out of me" that China will dominate global
data storage due to its lower electricity prices,
which will be at least partly due to coal imported
from Australia. (RMS)
News
Former
Rio boss called to Mongolian probe
A
Mongolian parliamentary inquiry into cost blowouts
at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine was announced in September,
with public hearings due to be held between December
8 and 12. Slated to be one of the world's top-five
producers of copper by the end of the decade, the
Oyu Tolgoi mine cost almost $US1.7 billion more than
planned and took almost two years longer than expected
to build. Former Rio Tinto CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques
is one of close to 300 witnesses called to appear
before the inquiry, with Jacques having been CEO of
Rio from 2016 to 2020. (Roy Morgan Summary)
Nov
14
BHP
to learn class action fate for $72b Brazil dam disaster
The
UK's High Court will shortly issue a ruling on whether
BHP is legally for an iron ore tailings dam disaster
in Brazil which killed 19 people and caused massive
environmental damage in November 2015. The tailing
dam was owned by the Samarco joint venture between
BHP and iron ore rival Vale. Should BHP be found to
be legally liable, individual claimants' eligibility
for compensation and the size of any payouts will
be determined in the next stage of the long-running
case. BHP and Vale have already paid billions in compensation
to people who were affected by the disaster. (RMS)
News
Fresh
probe launched into MinRes, Ellison
It
has been revealed that the Australian Taxation Office
has launched a new investigation into Mineral Resources
and its billionaire founder Chris Ellison. News of
the investigation was revealed in a request sent by
the ATO to the Federal Court in October for access
to previously sealed documents that had been filed
in the unfair dismissal case brought by MinRes' former
procurement manager Steve Pigozzo in 2022. The new
investigation will focus on how MinRes and Ellison
calculated income and fringe benefit taxes, with the
revelation regarding the new probe coming as MinRes
prepares to hold its AGM next week, at which shareholders
will be asked to approve a lucrative share options
package for new chairman Malcolm Bundey. (Roy Morgan
Summary)
News
Rio
ends two-decade Serbia lithium mining dream as cost
cuts bite
Rio
Tinto has advised that its Jadar lithium project in
Serbia has put in 'care and maintenance' mode. The
company will cease undertaking environmental, heritage
and geological surveys at the site in the Jadar Valley,
four years after revealing plans to invest $US2.4bn
($3.7bn) on developing what it claimed would be the
biggest lithium mine in Europe. There is growing competition
for capital within Rio Tinto's lithium division, and
its $10bn deal to acquire Arcadium Lithium earlier
in 2025 added several mines that are already in production
to its lithium portfolio. (RMS)
News
American
activist claims IperionX more dud than minerals gem
Trading
in the shares of Australian-listed IperionX were halted
on Thursday, following the release of a report into
the company by New York hedge fund Spruce Point Capital
Management, which specialises in short-selling. With
the US-based IperionX seeking to develop titanium
extraction technology and having been backed by the
Trump administration as part of its bid to secure
domestic production of critical minerals, Spruce Point's
report sought to raise doubt about IperionX's prospects.
(RMS)
News
Biotech
gets $20m in critical minerals push
US-based
biotechnology firm Endolith has raised $US13.5m ($20.6m)
via its initial round of venture funding, while it
aims to raise an additional $3m in a second tranche.
The start-up is developing technology that can be
used to extract critical minerals such as copper from
low-grade ore and waste rock that would be unprofitable
to process using traditional methods. Endolith's technology
uses microbes and artifical intelligence, and the
company aims to commence real-world trials at a mine
site within 6-12 months. (RMS)
News
Oversupply
of oil could create glut of 4m barrels a day, says
energy watchdog
The
International Energy Agency has stated in its latest
monthly report that the world is producing more oil
than it needs, and that there could be a glut of 4m
excess barrels a day entering the market by 2026.
The IEA's warning has come in the same week that it
issued its latest energy outlook report, which included
a controversial scenario in which global oil demand
would continue to grow until 2050. It had dropped
the scenario in 2020 after it was accused of repeatedly
criticised for underestimating the growth of renewable
energy in its annual report, but returned the scenario
to its outlook this year after calls from the White
House to present a more optimistic view for the future
of oil. (RMS)
News
Markets
Australian
Dollar: $0.6528 USD (down $0.0012 USD) Iron Ore: $102.85
USD (up $0.20 USD) Oil: $58.75 USD (up $0.33 USD)
Gold: $4,163.44 USD (down $33.38 USD) Copper: $5.0485
USD (down $0.0345 USD) Bitcoin: $98,332.56 USD (down
3.01%) Dow Jones: 47,460.49m (down 794.33 points)
Bitcoin:
(Near Live) $97,618.71 =5.38%
News
The
cryptocurrency market is stagnating, lagging its competitors
Market
Overview
The cryptocurrency market capitalisation has changed
little over the past day, fluctuating around $3.5
trillion. The cryptocurrency fear index has fallen
to 15, its lowest level since 4 March. Notably, the
cryptocurrency market has been left out of the recent
rally in precious metals and stock indices. If this
is not an attempt by whales to lock in profits from
the rally since April or even from the growth of the
last two years, then it is an alarming signal of deep-seated
risk aversion that is about to manifest itself in
larger markets.
Bitcoin
continues to struggle to remain within the bull market
on weekly timeframes, trying to stay above the 50-week
moving average. Last week's close was on the edge
and attempts to develop an offensive this week are
running into sell-offs, despite the favourable external
backdrop. The previous such transition occurred at
the end of 2021, and so far, everything aligns with
the 4-year halving cycles that many were quick to
dismiss.
News
Background
Over
the past three months, a clear break has occurred
in the correlation between Bitcoin and the stock market.
The S&P 500 stock index has risen 7% during this
time, while BTC has lost 15%. Judging by four years
of close correlation, it can be argued that Bitcoin
is currently undervalued, according to Santiment.
Jan3
founder Samson Mow attributes Bitcoin's decline to
a massive sell-off by investors who bought it over
the past 12 to 18 months. They are rushing to lock
in profits amid rumours of an imminent bearish trend
in the crypto market.
The
crypto market's growth phase is nearing its end, so
it is time for investors to consider locking in profits
and reducing the share of crypto assets in their portfolios,
according to Morgan Stanley, which cites a four-year
cycle that the cryptocurrency market has consistently
followed since 2009.
The
bitcoin mining industry is facing a difficult period
due to growing competition and declining profitability,
said MARA CEO Fred Thiel. According to him, only those
miners who have access to cheap energy or new business
models will survive.
According
to SoSoValue, spot Solana ETFs in the US have attracted
more than $350 million in 11 trading sessions. The
steady inflow of funds into new SOL ETFs came as a
surprise to the market. The results significantly
exceeded initial conservative forecasts, according
to LVRG Research.
Visa
has unveiled a pilot project called Visa Direct, which
allows US customers to make direct cross-border payments
in USDC stablecoin to recipients' wallets. The initiative
is aimed at content creators and freelancers.
The
crypto industry is entering a new phase of capital
raising. The launch of Coinbase's ICO platform is
expected to be a key event in this trend, according
to Bitwise. The exchange will select and launch one
verified project per month. (FxPro)
News
The
dollar emerging from the data fog
•
The US government shutdown is over. • Central
bank policy convergence helps EURUSD. • Political
scandal causes the pound to fall. • Japan's currency
interventions are ineffective The House of Representatives
voted 222 to 209 to resume government operations.
The president immediately signed the document. The
record-long shutdown is over. This fact promises that
the Fed and investors will soon begin to exit their
positions. The president immediately signed the document.
The record-breaking shutdown is over. This fact suggests
that the Fed and investors will quickly start to emerge
from the fog once statistics are published again,
allowing them to make data-driven decisions. But will
they like what they see when the picture becomes clearer?
Alternative sources show a slowdown in the US GDP.
The IMF forecasts a decline in its growth rate from
2.8% to 2% in 2025. The eurozone, on the other hand,
is expected to accelerate from 0.9% to 1.2%. At the
same time, the Bank of France plans to raise its estimates
for the country, despite the ongoing political turmoil.
The narrowing divergence in economic growth argues
in favour of maintaining the upward trend for EURUSD.
The same can be said about monetary policy. The ECB
has most likely ended its easing cycle, barring any
major shocks. The federal funds rate is likely to
continue falling amid a cooling US labour market and
economy. The euro has advantages over the dollar.
However, in the short term, mixed data could lead
to mixed movements in EURUSD.
The conflict on Downing Street has allowed GBPUSD
bears to launch a new attack. When Labour came to
power in Britain in 2024, the pound gained preference
thanks to hopes for political stability after constant
ministerial changes under the Conservatives. However,
since then, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's ratings
have been falling. Rumours of a plot to replace the
leader have made investors nervous and prompted them
to sell sterling. Doubts about the effectiveness of
potential currency interventions continue to push
the USDJPY pair higher. The current conditions differ
from those of last year. Back then, Tokyo intervened
in the FOREX market before raising the overnight rate.
Now, Sanae Takaichi is sticking to a policy of fiscal
and monetary stimulus. Any purchase of the yen will
only have short-term success. In addition, it will
require the expenditure of foreign exchange reserves.
These are needed to make the investments in the US
economy promised to Donald Trump. (FxPro)
News
Heavy
Industry Awards
Mack
Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month'
award
Caterpillar
wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The
Month' award
Bingo
Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The
Month' award
Elders
wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award
Landman
wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award
(Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)
News
Media
Google
Finance wins Media Man 'Business News Website Of The
Month' award; Runner-up: Yahoo! Finance
Netflix
wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Month' award;
YouTube and Paramount Plus are runner-ups! Strong
mention: Tubi
News
News
Pop
Culture News
Landman
(Paramount Plus)
Plot
Set
against the backdrop of the booming West Texas oilfields,
Landman follows Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton),
a crisis manager and landman for an independent oil
company. Tommy navigates cutthroat deals, family tensions,
and moral dilemmas while trying to keep his business
afloat. The story kicks off with an investigation
into a fatal accident involving an out-of-town lawyer,
weaving in elements of drug cartels.
Landman
is an American drama television series created by
Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace, inspired by
Wallace's podcast Boomtown. It explores the high-stakes
world of the oil industry in West Texas, blending
themes of fortune-seeking, corporate intrigue, and
personal drama amid roughnecks, billionaires, and
geopolitical shifts.
The
series premiered on Paramount+ on November 17, 2024,
and has been renewed for a second season.
Landman:
Season 2. Trailer (Paramount Plus)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=mhzQawESdqg
"You
think you understand how this business works, but
you don't." Things are heating up in the final
Landman trailer. Season 2 premieres November 16, 2025,
only on Paramount+.
"Death
and a Sunset"
November 16, 2025
"Sins
of the Father"
November 23, 2025
"Almost
a Home"
November 30, 2025
"Dancing
Rainbows"
December 7, 2025
"The
Pirate Dinner"
December 14, 2025
"Dark
Night of the Soul"
December 21, 2025
"Forever
Is an Instant"
December 28, 2025
"Handsome
Touched Me"
January 4, 2026
"Plans,
Tears and Sirens"
January 11, 2026
"Tragedy
and Flies"
January 18, 2026
News
Gold
Movie
Gold
is a 2016 American epic crime drama film directed
by Stephen Gaghan and written by Patrick Massett and
John Zinman. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Édgar
Ramírez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Corey Stoll,
Toby Kebbell, Craig T. Nelson, Stacy Keach and Bruce
Greenwood. The film is loosely based on the true story
of the 1997 Bre-X mining scandal, when a massive gold
deposit was supposedly discovered in the jungles of
Indonesia; however, for legal reasons and to enhance
the appeal of the film, character names and story
details were changed.
Trailer
Gold
(YouTube Movies and TV)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=yc0S96OZhi0
Gold
is the epic tale of one man's pursuit of the American
dream, to discover gold. Starring Oscar® winner
Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, Dallas Buyers Club,
The Wolf Of Wall Street) as Kenny Wells, a modern
day prospector desperate for a lucky break, he teams
up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on
an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle
of Indonesia. Getting the gold was hard, but keeping
it would be even harder, sparking an adventure through
the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street. The film
is inspired by a true story.
News
Best
Quotes
The
best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."
"You
are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig
to find it and make it real."
"Your
mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will
find something golden."
"Don't
die without mining the gold in your mind."
"We're
like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's
inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."
"If
you want to find gold, you've got to love the process
of digging."
"Even
if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to
dig."
"Develop
men the same way gold is mined"
"Don't
go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in
looking for the gold."
"A
prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"
"A
prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't
find much gold"
"The
world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not."
"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are
silver, these are gold."
"All
that is gold does not glitter."
"Gold
is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears
out"
"Gold
is the money of kings"
"Mining
is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit.
An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher
of a dead mule."
"Anyone
can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds
the gold."
"True
gold fears no fire."
"The
desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means
of freedom and benefit."
"Make
new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these
are gold."
"When
taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes
considered like cheap copper – so are people."
Media
Man
Roy
Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The
Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance
Markets,
Crypto and Culture
Super
Bulls Running Show; Cryptos Still Hurting; Medium
Bull Update: Round 5! Bloody Noses and Black Eyes!
Red And Black Attack! Black Friday! All That Glitters
... Elon Smiles Again!
November
10, 2025
Sin
City Sydney, Australia
Mad Monday!
ASX
futures up 23 points or 0.3% to 8794
Wall Street:
S&P 500 +0.1%
Dow Jones: +0.2%
Nasdaq -0.2%
Europe:
Stoxx 50 -0.8%
FTSE -0.6%
DAX -0.7%
CAC -0.2%
Australian
dollar at US64.88 cents
Bitcoin
+3% to $US104,999
Gold
+0.6% to $US4001.26 per ounce
Oil +0.5% to $US59.75 a barrel
Brent crude oil +0.4% to $US63.63 a barrel
Iron ore -2.4% to $US101.45 per ton
10-year
yield:
US 4.10%
Australia 4.35%
Germany 2.66%
News
Update: (Near Live)
Bitcoin:
$104,464.32 +2.11%
New
York/Wall St via Mr Wolf!
Cryptos
Today: (Near Live)
Moody:
Part Corrective agub! Mainly uphill. Salt Into The
Wound Again?! Or Salt Of The Earth. Red turns to green?
Bitcoin
$104,464.32 +2.11%
Ethereum $3,577.97 +5.00%
Tether $0.9999 -0.01%
Binance Coin $996.71 -0.13%
XRP $2.3401 +2.08%
Solana $165.15 +4.40%
TRON $0.2914 -0.16%
Dogecoin $0.1799 +2.26%
Cardano $0.5800 +2.27%
Market
part corrective! Mood: Still somber-like for many
but picking up! Upswing again! Suspicious! Regaining
smiles in selected cases! Hardcores keep the dream!
Media
Man Favs:
(Near
Live). Bells Rung by Mr Wolf! TKO kicks out and winning
again today! Christmas Grinch Comes Early for some!
Wall
St, New York
TKO
Group Holdings Inc $182.56 +1.59 +0.88%
NVIDIA Corp $188.15 +0.070 +0.037%
Formula One Group Series A $92.25 -1.46 -1.56%
Alphabet Inc Class A $278.83 -5.92 -2.08%
News Corp Class A $26.72 +1.64 +6.54%
Netflix Inc $1,103.66 +6.64 +0.61%
Caterpillar Inc $563.10 -6.68 -1.17%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $13.10 -0.23
-1.73%
Tesla Inc $429.52 -16.39 -3.68%
Walt Disney Co $110.74 +0.25 +0.23%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $126.14 +3.60 +2.94%
Meta Platforms Inc $621.71 +2.77 +0.45%
BHP Group Ltd (NYSE) $55.16 -0.45 - 0.81% (NYSE)
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $16.92 +0.22 +1.32%
Elders Ltd $6.69 -0.100 -1.47%
Rio Tinto Ltd $82.03 -2.012.39% (US)
News
Gold
stabilised at $4,000, but the upward trend has already
broken down
Gold
has stabilised around the $4,000 mark over the last
ten days, ending the week at roughly the same level
as it started. Attempts by sellers to push the price
below $3,900 are meeting with impressive buying interest.
This
is facilitated by the Supreme Court, which is considering
the illegality of US tariffs. If Donald Trump is defeated,
the money will have to be returned. As a result, the
budget deficit and public debt will increase, leading
to chaos in the financial markets. Concerns about
this are prompting investors to seek refuge in safe-haven
assets. However, this all appears to be an attempt
to play the old card, which can only delay the inevitable.
According
to estimates by the World Gold Council, central bank
purchases of bullion in 2025 are expected to amount
to 750-900 tonnes. In each of the previous three years,
the figure exceeded 1,000 tonnes. China's cancellation
of VAT credits for precious metal retailers will increase
prices for the jewellery industry and lead to a decline
in demand. ETF stocks are falling.
HSBC,
Bank of America and Societe Generale continue to stick
to their forecasts of $5,000 per ounce. However, the
gold rally has broken down. Selling on the rise is
becoming relevant. (FxPro)
News
Crypto
bulls fail to maintain momentum
Market
Overview
The
crypto market has gained 1% over the past 24 hours,
the first increase after four days of decline. The
market is stabilising at levels just above $3.4 trillion,
close to May's local highs. The situation currently
resembles a pause in the decline rather than a serious
reversal, due to somewhat cautious sentiment in the
stock markets and the strengthening of the dollar
since the second half of September. Ironically, this
reversal coincides with the resumption of the easing
cycle of monetary policy. The sentiment index has
emerged from the zone of extreme fear, which also
coincided with a market rebound. According to the
creators of such an index, now is the right time for
bulls. Still, traders should be cautious with such
an interpretation, as the previous rebound from extreme
fear was not long-lasting, and the market is now 5%
below the local low of 17 October, when sentiment
last recovered from extreme anxiety. Bitcoin is trading
near $103,000, pausing its rebound but remaining far
from its recent lows. The bulls managed to bring the
coin back above the 50-week moving average, but there
is still a lot of time left until the end of the week,
and for now, time is on the bears' side. On intraday
charts, it looks as if the rebound has run out of
steam and sellers are ready to seize the initiative
again.
News
Background
Cryptocurrencies
are under pressure from general risk aversion in global
markets. Among the factors are concerns about the
Fed's interest rate and the situation in the credit
sector, according to Hashdex. Wintermute attributes
the worst performance of cryptocurrencies among all
other asset classes to the redistribution of cash
flows to other markets. Short-term Bitcoin holders
continue to sell cryptocurrencies at a loss, using
any rebound as an opportunity to sell, notes analyst
Darkfost. However, accumulator addresses — wallets
that only buy and never sell — have acquired
a record 375,000 BTC over the past month. Amid the
asset's decline, French company Sequans Communications,
which accumulates Bitcoin, was forced to sell 970
BTC to partially repay its convertible debt. The company's
reserves fell from 3,234 to 2,264 BTC. Japanese company
Metaplanet, on the other hand, is raising funds to
purchase bitcoins. On 31 October, the company received
a $100 million loan secured by its reserves. Ripple
announced that it had raised $500 million in strategic
investments (with a valuation of $40 billion) from
major institutional players. Zcash (ZEC) could become
an alternative to Bitcoin among those who fear the
centralisation of BTC due to Wall Street and are concerned
about the tracking of on-chain transactions, according
to Galaxy Digital. Supporters of the private coin
refer to it as ‘encrypted Bitcoin’ and a
return to the principles of the cypherpunks. (FxPro)
Newsfeed
If
the 4-year cycles are still alive, BTC faces a pullback
to $70K
Market
Overview
The
crypto market continues its impressive decline, losing
another 2.4% over the past 24 hours. Having fallen
to a low of $3.3 trillion, the market is now at its
lowest point since early July. A steady move below
the 200-day moving average and a drop of more than
20% from its peak are sure signs of a bear market.
Perhaps crypto enthusiasts are confident that this
is a temporary decline, similar to the one seen in
March and April.
However,
we would prefer not to rule out the possibility of
another bear market starting in the coming years.
At a time when many have buried the 4-year cycles,
we still see that they have only lost amplitude but
have generally retained their influence. According
to these patterns, the market is close to or has already
passed its peak for the next couple of years, which
explains the intense selling pressure since October.
Bitcoin
fell to five-digit price levels overnight, touching
lows just below $99,000 twice. BTC traded steadily
below these levels from February to May. And then
there was a psychologically significant consolidation
period in December and January. The market is now
undergoing a critical test. Another step down will
open the way to the $60,000-$70,000 range. However,
there is a theoretical chance that BTC will quickly
rebound by the end of the week from the 50-week moving
average, which has served as a global support since
the first half of 2023.
News
Background
Early
investors continue to sell off cryptocurrency. Over
the past 30 days, long-term holders have sold 400,000
BTC — about 2% of the total supply of the asset,
according to WeRate. Additional pressure is coming
from continued outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs.
The
US government shutdown, now in its second month, is
also putting pressure on Bitcoin. Another factor is
the Coinbase premium, which remains in negative territory,
according to CryptoQuant. This indicates sustained
pressure from US sellers.
At
the same time, there has been a record outflow of
stablecoins from exchanges, indicating a shift of
capital from risky assets to safe-haven dollar instruments.
Demand for Bitcoin from institutional investors has
declined, according to Capriole. For the first time
in seven months, net purchases have fallen below the
daily issuance of the asset.
Bitcoin
has lost significant growth potential due to the influence
of large financial institutions and government structures,
according to Peter Thiel, the former PayPal CEO and
billionaire.
Strategy
intends to conduct its initial public offering on
the European stock market, issuing 3.5 million preferred
shares denominated in euros. The funds will be used
to purchase bitcoins and replenish working capital.
(FxPro)
News
Gold:
correction is not over yet
The
strengthening of the US dollar and higher Treasury
yields have brought the gold price back below $4000.
Yellow
metal is gradually losing its wild cards. It managed
to reach a record high thanks to devaluation trading,
expectations of aggressive monetary expansion by the
Fed, Donald Trump's threats of 100% tariffs against
China, geopolitics, pessimistic forecasts for the
global economy, and active purchases of bullion by
central banks.
However,
the White House is no longer attacking the Fed as
aggressively as before. The US and China have found
common ground. The Middle East conflict has been resolved,
and the global economy is proving resilient in the
face of tariffs. The Fed is cautious about lowering
rates, and central bank activity in the bullion market
is declining.
The
other two examples of similar velocity of gold rose
were 1979 and 2011. The experience of those years
shows that the surge and collapse were followed by
long periods of consolidation. In other words, after
a period of retreat from the top, the precious metal
will find its trading range and settle within it.
But for the weeks ahead, we continue to see more risks
of further decline. (FxPro)
News
Crypto
is on the verge of a bear market
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap has fallen to $3.47 trillion. This
is 4% lower than the previous day and 19% off from
the global peak set just four weeks ago. Sellers are
pushing cryptocurrencies into bear market territory
(unofficially, this occurs when there is a 20% decline
from the peak) in the hope that the sell-off will
be self-sustaining near this point. However, we are
also seeing signs of a similar accelerated sell-off
at the start of the week, following a lull from Friday
to Sunday.
The
sentiment index has fallen to 21, the lowest level
since 9 April, indicating extreme fear. Last month,
entering this territory triggered a rebound, but the
market has already fallen below those levels. As we
previously suggested, the initial surge of extreme
fear levels is only the beginning of a prolonged period
of volatility in this territory. This period is also
characterised by an even more substantial decline
in altcoins compared to the first cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin
plummeted below $ 105K, shedding nearly 3% in the
past 24 hours. Excluding short-term slips last month,
BTC has not traded lower since June. By and large,
it is now testing levels that served as resistance
last December and January.
News
Background
According
to CoinShares, global investment in crypto funds declined
by $360 million last week, following inflows the week
before. Only investments in Bitcoin declined, by $946
million. Investments in altcoins increased, with notable
gains in Ethereum by $58 million, in Solana by $421
million, in XRP by $43 million, and in Sui by $9 million.
QCP
Capital recorded large transfers of Bitcoin to the
Kraken exchange by early investors. According to analysts,
the current consolidation resembles the period before
the breakthrough in 2024. Otherwise, it could signal
the beginning of a crypto winter.
Bitcoin
is not showing growth as early investors pass the
baton to long-term holders. The recovery of the first
cryptocurrency is only possible after the ETF and
Strategy resume large-scale purchases, according to
CryptoQuant.
Strategy
bought 397 bitcoins last week at an average price
of $114,771. Strategy now owns 641,205 BTC worth $47.49
billion at an average purchase price of $74,057 per
coin. The company's weekly BTC purchase volumes remain
close to record lows.
Another
record was set in October by the Ethereum network,
with stablecoin transactions reaching $2.8 trillion
last month. Circle's USDC was the leader, accounting
for $1.6 trillion of the total turnover. (FxPro)
News
Flashback
Oil
Holds Strong Despite Bearish Fundamentals
Weekly
data from the EIA noted that the US returned to record
oil production rates last week, supplying an average
of 13.6 million barrels per day to the market, according
to the latest EIA data. The trend towards increased
supply began in August, but producers have only now
returned to the peak levels recorded at the end of
last year. Despite a 5.5-million-barrel increase in
US commercial inventories over the past two weeks,
inventories stay at the lower end of the range seen
over the past decade, leaving considerable room for
growth. The same can be said for the strategic reserve,
which holds nearly 40% less oil than it did five years
ago, before the start of the active sell-off. It is
an interesting game in which, on the one hand, the
US (the largest oil producer) is increasing supplies,
while OPEC+ is increasing quotas on a monthly basis.
This extremely bearish combination of factors did
not cause oil prices to collapse; it was only because
of global trade in currency depreciation that caused
precious metals, stock indices, and cryptocurrencies
to rise. Oil prices have not peaked in recent weeks
.. To be cont .. (FxPro)
News
Gold
hits new highs due to political turmoil
Gold
is outside the realm of politics.
While
currencies and securities depend on the actions of
presidents and governments, precious metals do not.
Therefore, political turmoil forces investors to use
them as safe-haven assets.
The
impressive 52% rally in gold started in April with
the introduction of tariffs on America's Liberation
Day. It continued due to the US government shutdown,
the political crisis in France, and the change of
leadership in Japan. he rise of gold above 4,000 dollars
per ounce is not only the result of the weakness of
fiat currencies. There are tectonic shifts in the
structure of investment portfolios and fears of financial
crises due to government recklessness.
The
share of precious metals is growing both in speculators'
assets and in the gold and foreign exchange reserves
of central banks. The indicator has already exceeded
the share of the euro. According to Eurizon Capital,
if it equals the share of the US dollar, the price
per ounce will soar to 8,500 dollars. The Supreme
Court's abolition of tariffs will inflate the US budget
deficit. France does not intend to reduce it, and
Japan plans to increase bond issuance. All this creates
a tailwind for commodity assets. (FxPro)
News
Pop
Culture News
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream
Match Series; Crack The Code!
Million
Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets
Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation
Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr H
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far! Re-match!
Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
UFC Legal vs UFC Bad Egg Betting Disruptors
Bulls vs Bears
Logan Paul vs WWE babyfaces
Santa's Helper vs Grinch
John McAfee vs FBI + + +, Running .... Netflix Wins
again!
Killer Kross vs Matt Riddle - Shoot Fight/Wrestling
(MLW)!
VKM vs Numerous!
MLW vs The World
The Big Event vs US Promoters
Storm vs WWE Locker Room. Lash Legend on side!
News
Cryptocurrency
Movies
Documentaries
The
Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring
Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the
community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s
early days and its potential to disrupt finance.
Banking
on Bitcoin (2016)
Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots,
and impact on global financial systems through interviews
with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.
Cryptopia:
Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet
(2020)
Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives
into blockchain’s broader applications beyond
cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory
challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s
transformative potential.
Trust
Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated by
Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal
impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems.
A comprehensive look at real-world applications.
Bitcoin:
The End of Money as We Know It (2015)
Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin
as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized
financial systems. Features interviews with crypto
experts.
Deep
Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary
focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator,
Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in
dark web transactions.
Bitconned
(2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing
how three individuals defrauded investors during the
2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated
markets.
Feature
Films
Crypto
(2019)
A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth,
and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering
agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency
in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal
but praise its entertainment value.
Silk
Road (2021)
A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of
the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin.
It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and
drama.
Dope
(2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin
as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin
for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association
with illicit activities.
Bonus
Mentions
Life
on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to
live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early
adoption challenges.
Bitcoin
Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers
chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.
Notes
Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing
on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology,
and real-world implications. They’re great for
beginners and enthusiasts alike.
Feature
films often dramatize crypto’s association with
crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating
for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy.
For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like
Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many
of these are available.
News
Wall
Street (Movie)
Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is a
drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial
world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young
stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled
with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless corporate
raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,”
drives the story as Bud is lured into insider trading
and unethical deals, compromising his morals for wealth
and power.
The
film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal,
with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father
(Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.
Key
Details: Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie
Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin
Sheen (Carl Fox).
Runtime: 2h 6m.
Genre: Drama/Crime.
Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).
Awards:
Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Notable
Aspects:
Gekko’s
“Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting
1980s excess. Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan
Boesky and Michael Milken.
A
sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued
the story.
Where
to Watch (as of 2025):
Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or
rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current
availability).
Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.
News
Best
Quotes
An
investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
— Benjamin Franklin
"Bottoms
in the investment world don't end with four-year lows;
they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim
Rogers
Be
fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when
others are fearful." — Warren Buffett
Media
Man "Bullish is a mindset"
World
News, Markets: Australia and New York, Biz, Culture,
News
October
2025
Freaky
Friday Further Spooks Market, Investors Of All Nature;
Did You Survive October?!
Numbers:
(Near Live)
Sharemarket
Gold
4,002.93 +0.32 +0.01%
Bitcoin
$109,675.25 +1.61%
Ethereum
$3,861.37 +2.34%
Alphabet
Inc Class A $281.19 -0.29 -0.10%
TKO
Group Holdings Inc $188.40 +0.62 +0.33%
Netflix
Inc $1,118.86 +29.86 +2.74%
Microsoft
Corp $517.81 -7.95 -1.51%
BHP
Group Ltd $43.45 -0.43 -0.98%
Rio
Tinto Ltd $132.87 -0.56 - 0.42%
Oct
31
Gold:
correction is not over yet
The
strengthening of the US dollar and higher Treasury
yields have brought the gold price back below $4000.
Yellow
metal is gradually losing its wild cards. It managed
to reach a record high thanks to devaluation trading,
expectations of aggressive monetary expansion by the
Fed, Donald Trump's threats of 100% tariffs against
China, geopolitics, pessimistic forecasts for the
global economy, and active purchases of bullion by
central banks.
However,
the White House is no longer attacking the Fed as
aggressively as before. The US and China have found
common ground. The Middle East conflict has been resolved,
and the global economy is proving resilient in the
face of tariffs. The Fed is cautious about lowering
rates, and central bank activity in the bullion market
is declining.
The
other two examples of similar velocity of gold rose
were 1979 and 2011. The experience of those years
shows that the surge and collapse were followed by
long periods of consolidation. In other words, after
a period of retreat from the top, the precious metal
will find its trading range and settle within it.
But for the weeks ahead, we continue to see more risks
of further decline. (FxPro)
News
Verbal
interventions do not help yen
The
Fed will make things clear
The ECB may lower rates in the future.
•
The truce between the US and China is fragile.
• The Bank of Japan has not given any signals.
• Interventions did not scare USDJPY.
The
Bank of Japan's passivity and the ECB's reluctance
to spring surprises weakened the yen and the euro,
adding fuel to the USD index rally.
The
market continues to reassess its views on the fate
of the federal funds rate and is buying the US dollar.
At the same time, growing uncertainty is boosting
demand for the greenback as a safe-haven currency.
The trade deal between the US and Beijing is being
compared to a truce with hidden risks of escalation.
The Supreme Court's cancellation of tariffs in November
could even trigger chaos in the financial markets.
The
ECB has no reason to complain about the eurozone economy.
In the third quarter, it accelerated from 0.5% to
0.9% year-over-year, thanks to the gradual adjustment
of exports to US tariffs, a strong labour market,
solid household balance sheets, and a prolonged cycle
of rate cuts.
However,
risks remain. The Governing Council's doves warn of
a slowdown in GDP and inflation under the influence
of high US tariffs and a strong euro. The futures
market gives a 40% probability of a deposit rate cut
by mid-2026. This puts pressure on EURUSD. The euro
could stumble at any moment and fall off the cliff
near the 1.1550 mark.
On
the contrary, the chances of a Fed rate cut in December
fell from more than 90% at the start of the week to
67%. At the same time, Treasury bond yields are rising,
which is supporting the US dollar.
USDJPY
managed to restore its upward trend due to the Bank
of Japan's reluctance to signal an increase in the
overnight rate in the future. Kazuo Ueda cited uncertainty
in the US economy and the need for new wage data,
saying he was not afraid of a situation where sluggishness
could trigger a surge in inflation.
The
yen was not helped by the acceleration of consumer
prices in Tokyo from 2.5% to 2.8% and verbal interventions.
According to Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama, the
government is closely monitoring speculative movements
on Forex and is ready to intervene. However, such
statements only temporarily cooled the bulls' enthusiasm
for USDJPY. Moreover, hedge funds are positioned for
the US dollar to rise towards 160 yen. (FxPro)
News
With
no help from Powell, Crypto is again hoping for technical
support
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap continues to fall, dropping to $3.58
at the end of the day on Thursday, but stabilising
near $3.7 trillion at the beginning of the day on
Friday. In other words, we are seeing a local rebound,
but each time, lower local highs are being recorded.
On the other hand, since July, there have been enough
buyers on dips in the $3.5 trillion range.
Bitcoin
fell to $106K at the end of the day on Thursday. Attempts
to recover on Friday with a return to $110K now look
like a rebound. The first cryptocurrency has clearly
fallen under stronger gravity in recent days. Perhaps
the start of a new month will give buyers a boost.
However, the aura of a historically positive month,
so-called Uptober, lasted only for the first few days,
followed by an impressive decline.
News
Background
In
recent months, long-term investors have increased
their sales of BTC, tripling them from June to October,
according to Glassnode. The primary buyers of the
asset were investors who purchased Bitcoin at an average
price of $93K.
The
inability to consolidate above $113K after six months
of steady trading at high levels indicates a weakening
of buying activity. If the trend continues, a pullback
to the next significant support level around $88K
is possible, Glassnode warns.
In
October, the volume of spot trading in Bitcoin on
the largest exchanges reached a record high, exceeding
$300 billion, according to CryptoQuant. This indicates
an increase in liquidity and market stability.
Strategy
founder Michael Saylor said that Bitcoin will reach
$150K by the end of the year. His long-term forecast
for the next 20 years assumes an average annual growth
rate of approximately 30% for BTC.
According
to Nansen, on-chain activity on the Ethereum network
has risen to a monthly high. Despite this, fees on
the ETH network remain near historic lows. The surge
in on-chain activity comes amid a deterioration in
other indicators. For example, the number of active
addresses has been steadily declining since May.
The
anonymous cryptocurrency Zcash has grown by 700% in
a month due to a surge in ‘demand for privacy.’
The volume of secure transactions in Zcash reached
a record 4.9 million ZEC. However, the ZEC price is
still 89.2% below its historic high, reached in October
2016 at just under $3,200. (FxPro)
News
Lead Up
Oct
28
The
Fed will make things clear
Strong
statistics are helping the dollar.
The
Fed may spring a surprise.
The
US asks the Bank of Japan to loosen its grip.
The
Aussie becomes the favourite.
The
de-escalation of the US-China trade conflict has shifted
market attention to central bank monetary policy.
Finance Minister Scott Bessent said that the negotiations
had created a successful framework for the two countries'
leaders to sign a deal. Beijing says a preliminary
consensus has been reached. The risks of a trade war
have receded, US stock indices have hit new highs,
global risk appetite has increased, and the EURUSD
has risen.
The
futures market gives a 98% probability of a cut in
the federal funds rate to 4% in October and a 95%
chance of a cut to 3.75% in December. Derivatives
expect a further cut in March. The ECB is expected
to pause rate cuts until 2027. The deposit rate last
fell to 2% in June. Since the summer, Christine Lagarde
said the European Central Bank feels comfortable.
Some
Bloomberg experts predict a rate hike in 2026. This
would require an improvement in the European economy.
Pleasant surprises from eurozone business activity
and German business sentiment indicate positive GDP
growth in the fourth quarter. In July-September, gross
domestic product most likely grew by 0.1%.
The
divergence in monetary policy between the ECB and
the Fed, coupled with positive signals from the European
economy, gives EURUSD bulls hope for a recovery in
the uptrend. However, events in France continue to
dampen the euro. The Socialists do not rule out a
new vote of no confidence in the government if parliament
do not accept their proposal to raise taxes on the
rich to reduce the budget deficit.
While
EURUSD awaits the results of the Fed and ECB meetings,
the yen is strengthening thanks to verbal interventions.
Government officials have stated that they will continue
to closely monitor the dynamics of the yen on the
international currency market. Finance Minister Satsuki
Katayama noted that monetary policy issues were not
directly discussed at the meeting with Scott Bessent.
If they were discussed indirectly, the risks of currency
intervention may increase. Investors preferred to
play it safe and close some of their long positions
on USDJPY. (FxPro)
News
The
Land Down Under including ...
Sin
City, Sydney, Australia ... and
The
Bush Telegraph including Outback Australia
Oct
31
ASX
finishes flat after Wall Street losses; ANZ unveils
$1.1b profit hit
The
Australian sharemarket spent most of the session in
the green but ultimately finished flat, after a negative
lead from Wall Street as investors digested a raft
of corporate news and the meeting between US President
Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The
S&P/ASX 200 closed the session 3.6 points, or
0.04 per cent, lower to 8881.9, dragged down by consumer
discretionary (-1.7 per cent) and utilities (-1.1
per cent).
“Australian
shares are down over the week after high September
quarter inflation data signalled no chance of a rate
cut at next week’s RBA meeting and raised doubt
about future cuts,” said AMP Capital deputy chief
economist Diana Mousina.
“There
were large falls in healthcare, tech, consumer discretionary
and real estate. European equities are up over the
week and Chinese shares have had another strong rally
and are outperforming.”
The
Reserve Bank will be meeting next Tuesday, on Melbourne
Cup Day, and is widely expected to keep rates on hold.
Hopes of a cut were dashed after higher than expected
inflation figures were released earlier this week.
“The
[RBA] board is likely to be unanimous in its decision
to keep rates steady,” said Mousina.
“Financial
markets are pricing in some chance of another rate
cut and pricing is unlikely to change after the meeting.”
Finishing
at the top of the bourse was Healius, gaining 6 per
cent. Vault Minerals rose 5.8 per cent and Westgold
Resources lifted 5.4 per cent.
Financial
stocks were mixed. Commonwealth Bank and Westpac both
closed 1 per cent higher, while National Australia
Bank declined 0.1 per cent and ANZ lost 0.6 per cent
after it revealed a $1.1 billion hit to its profits
due to a range of significant items, including costs
relating to job cuts.
Mining
stocks are also mixed. Among iron ore heavyweights,
Rio Tinto added 0.4 per cent, BHP shed 1 per cent
and Fortescue slid 0.9 per cent. Gold miners jumped
as the price of the safe haven climbed back over $US4000.
Evolution Mining gained 3.5 per cent, Newmont rose
3.2 per cent and Northern Star rose 3.5 per cent.
At
the bottom of the index was insurance broker Steadfast
Group, shedding 9.7 per cent. Alcoa Corporation fell
4.9 per cent and Lovisa fell 4.8 per cent.
In
the energy sector, Santos fell 0.9 per cent while
Woodside Energy rose 1.2 per cent. Origin Energy slumped
2.8 per cent, while AGL closed 1.3 per cent higher.
Late on Friday, AGL said it had begun consultations
with its workforce about job cuts as it reviews costs
and proposes changes to its organisational structure.
No decisions on redundancies have been made yet, but
it is expected that about 200 employees will be affected.
Endeavour
Group, the operator of Dan Murphy’s and BWS finished
unchanged after a first-quarter update that showed
retail liquor sales had fallen by 1.4 per cent. Meanwhile,
the group’s pubs, clubs and hotels business grew
sales by 4.4 per cent, driven by strength across all
four pillars of food sales, bars, gambling and accommodation.
Overall, total sales declined 0.3 per cent for the
quarter.
The
Australian dollar was trading at US65.46¢ at
4:17pm AEDT.
Overnight,
the US sharemarket sank from its record heights as
Wall Street sifted through mixed developments on everything
from the US-China trade war to profits for big tech
behemoths.
The
S&P 500 fell 1 per cent and pulled further from
its all-time high set on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial
Average slipped 109 points, or 0.2 per cent, and the
Nasdaq composite dropped 1.6 per cent from its record
set the day before.
Stocks
were also mixed in Europe and Asia, coming off a much-anticipated
meeting between the leaders of the world’s two
largest economies. Trump hailed his talk with China’s
Xi as a “12” on a scale of zero to 10, and
Trump said he would cut tariffs on China. But while
the talks may offer some stability for the near term,
major tensions remain between the two countries.
Plus,
stocks had already run to records earlier this week
on expectations for potentially big improvements coming
out of the Trump-Xi talks.
“The
result was fine but fine isn’t good enough, given
the expectations going in,” said Annex Wealth
Management chief economist Brian Jacobsen. “The
results were more like small gestures, instead of
a grand bargain.”
Also
feeling the burden of high expectations were some
of Wall Street’s most influential stocks.
Meta
Platforms dropped 11.3 per cent, cutting into what
had been a 28.4 per cent jump for the year so far,
and was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500. Analysts
said investors were likely perturbed by how much Facebook’s
parent company said it’s planning to spend in
2026. Companies across the industry have been on an
investment spree to build out their artificial-intelligence
capabilities, and the concern is whether it will all
pay off.
Microsoft
sank 2.9 per cent, even though it reported stronger
profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts
expected. Analysts pointed to how it also expects
to spend more on investments in 2026 than in 2025,
while growth for its Azure business may have fallen
a bit short of some investors’ expectations.
On
the winning side of big tech was Alphabet. Shares
of Google’s parent company climbed 2.5 per cent
after its profit and revenue for the latest quarter
easily topped analysts’ expectations.
The
yield on the 10-year Treasury held at 4.08 per cent,
where it was late Wednesday, up from 3.99 per cent
the day before Fed Reserve chair Jerome Powell’s
warning of a looming end to quantitative tightening.
In
sharemarkets abroad, indexes dipped by 0.5 per cent
in France and by less than 0.1 per cent in Germany
after the European Central Bank decided not to move
its main interest rate.
News
Media
(Global)
ESPN,
ABC and more than a dozen other Disney-owned channels
have disappeared from YouTube TV after the two companies
failed to renew their content deal before expiration.
The
blackout cuts off major sports programming, including
NFL games and college football, for more than 8 million
subscribers.
Google
contends that Disney is demanding "costly economic
terms" that would drive up prices for YouTube
TV subscribers.
Disney
says YouTube is refusing to "pay fair rates"
for its channels and is "using its market dominance
to eliminate competition".
YouTube
TV — which has become one of the largest TV providers
in the country as linear cable fades — has increasingly
found itself in carriage disputes as it tries to set
new payment standards for the streaming era.
Because
virtual pay-TV providers are not regulated in the
same way as their traditional pay-TV peers, these
disputes give companies like YouTube TV an opportunity
to reshape agreements in the digital era in a way
that better suits their objectives.
YouTube
TV is reportedly looking for Disney to make its streaming
content — like Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ —
available to YouTube TV subscribers.
Disney,
which is trying to build its own streaming services,
has little incentive to do that!
News
Markets
via Sydney, Australia
October
31, 2025
Roy
Morgan Summary
Australian
Dollar: $0.6549 USD (down $0.0021 USD)
Iron
Ore: $106.95 USD (down $0.80 USD)
Oil
Price (WTI): $60.22 USD (down $0.18 USD)
Gold
Price: $4,022.53 USD (up $73.21 USD)
Copper
Price: $5.1005 USD (down $0.1025 USD)
Bitcoin:
$106,919.01 USD (down 3.29% in last 24 hours)
Dow
Jones: 47,522.12 (down 109.88 points on yesterday's
close)
News
Media
(Australia/World)
'Irreplaceable'
Murdoch confidante cuts News Corp ties after 20 years
News
Corp Australia veteran Siobhan McKenna will step down
as the media group's head of broadcasting at the end
of this year. She was appointed to the role in 2017,
and had responsibility for Foxtel and Sky News Australia;
there has been speculation about her future at News
Corp since the sale of Foxtel to sports streaming
group DAZN earlier this year. McKenna will also retire
as the chair of Lachlan Murdoch's Nova Entertainment
and his private investment vehicle, Ilyria. She had
been Murdoch's closest advisers, and media reports
earlier in 2025 revealed that she had been the 'architect'
of a plan to change the Murdoch family trust in favour
of Lachlan. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Oct
31
Mining/Resources
MinRes
downplays lithium firesale talk, hits iron ore record
Mineral
Resources has advised that it shipped a record 11.4
million tonnes of iron ore in the September quarter;
its average realised price was 14 per cent higher
quarter-on-quarter at $US90 ($137) per tonne. The
average realised price for its lithium was in turn
up 31 per cent at $US849 per tonne. The company has
hired JPMorgan to help sell parts of its lithium portfolio,
but chief financial officer Mark Wilson says a stronger
balance sheet means it does not need to divest lithium
assets and will only consider deals that are good
value. (RMS)
News
China
will squeeze rare earths projects: Lynas MD
Lynas
Rare Earths has posted revenue of $200.2m for the
September quarter, which is 66 per cent higher than
previously. Meanwhile, CEO Amanda Lacaze says the
companymade a deliberate choice to buy equipment for
its cracking and leaching plant near Kalgoorlie in
Western Australia from non-Chinese suppliers, which
has increased the cost of the refinery by about 30
per cent. She has warned that new rare earths projects
in Australia and the US will also incur higher construction
costs because Chinese suppliers will restrict access
to equipment and consumables. Iluka will also source
most of the equipment for its Eneabba rare earths
refinery from non-Chinese suppliers. (RMS)
News
Industry
push to end WA ban on uranium mining
An
inquiry into Western Australia's role in assisting
the global decarbonisation effort has prompted calls
from many mining companies for the state to lift its
ban on new uranium projects. The WA Chamber of Minerals
and Energy contends permitting four proposed uranium
projects to proceed would produce more than $1 billion
in annual exports, create 9,000 jobs and generate
$50 million in royalties, but Australian Manufacturing
Workers Union WA general secretary Steve McCartney
says it would run a campaign against the Cook Labor
government if it moves to change its policy on uranium
mining. (RMS)
News
Santos
calls AFP over fake email
Santos
has asked the Australian Federal Police and cyber
authorities to investigate the use of a fake email
address to seek confidential documents and other information
about the company. A number of Santos employees had
received an email purporting to have been sent by
chief strategy officer Tracy Winters at various times,
including during the recent failed merger talks between
Santos and an Abu Dhabi-led consortium. The same email
account had been used in October 2023, when Santos
director Yasmin Allen received an email that was highly
critical of Winters and CEO Kevin Gallagher. (RMS)
News
Best
Quotes
An
investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
— Benjamin Franklin
"Bottoms
in the investment world don't end with four-year lows;
they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim
Rogers
Be
fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when
others are fearful." — Warren Buffett
Media
Man "Bullish is a mindset"
Markets,
Crypto and Culture
Running
Of The Bulls To Normal; Cryptos Hurting; All That
Glitters ...
October
15/16, 2025
Sin
City Sydney, Australia
ASX
futures up 5 points/0.1%, at 9024
Wall
Street:
S&P 500 +0.4%
Dow Jones: flat
Nasdaq +0.7%
Europe:
Stoxx 50 +1%
FTSE -0.3%
DAX -0.2%
CAC +2%
Australian
dollar: US65.06 cents
Bitcoin
-1.6% to $US111,106
Gold
+1.5% to $US4227.10 per ounce
Oil
+0.1% to $US58.78 a barrel
Brent
crude oil +0.1% to $US62.45 a barrel
Iron
ore -0.3% to $US104.90 per ton
10-year
yield:
US 4.03%
Australia 4.21%
Germany 2.57%
News
Update: (Near Live)
Bitcoin:
New
York/Wall St
Cryptos
Today: (Near Live) Mood: Corrective! Salt Into The
Wound In Checkers?! Or Salt Of The Earth In Metals
Right Chess Move?! All That Glitters Not Digital Gold?!
Bitcoin
$111,291.65 -1.77%
Ethereum $3,980.33 -3.44%
Tether $1.0005 -0.03%
Binance Coin $1,161.17 -3.98%
XRP $2.4129 -3.48%
Solana $194.13 -3.71%
TRON $0.3194 +0.85%
Dogecoin -$0.1961 -4.15%
Cardano $0.6677 -4.14%
Market
corrective. Mood: Somber-like for many! Suspicious!
Regaining smiles! Hardcores keep the dream!
Media
Man Favs:
October
15, 2025 (Near Live)
Wall St, New York
TKO
Group Holdings Inc $191.21 +1.18 +0.62%
NVIDIA Corp $179.83 -0.18 -0.099%
Formula One Group Series C $103.57 -0.15 -0.14%
Alphabet Inc Class A $251.03 +5.58 +2.27%
News Corp Class A $26.57 -0.070 -0.26%
Netflix Inc $1,203.29 -12.06 -0.99%
Caterpillar Inc $534.05 +6.58 +1.25%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $16.27
-0.010 -0.061%
Tesla Inc $435.15 +5.91 +1.38%
Walt Disney Co $111.71 +0.54 +0.49%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $118.07 +1.96 +1.69%
Meta Platforms Inc $717.55 +8.90 +1.26%
BHP Group Ltd $43.54
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $15.15 +0.040 +0.26%
Elders Ltd $7.50
Rio Tinto Ltd $129.69
News
The
dollar prefers to stay within the range for now
The
US dollar turned downward at the end of the day on
Tuesday and continues to move downward in the first
half of Wednesday. The dollar is being weighed down
by the recovery of positive momentum in the stock
markets. Pressure on the dollar can also be linked
to Powell's latest comments yesterday evening. The
Fed chairman confirmed the path to further rate cuts
and said asset sales from the balance sheet could
be halted soon, ending the quantitative tightening
phase. To be cont ..
(FxPro)
News
The
US stock market rebound may falter
US
stock index futures are rising after a disastrous
Friday, when Trump's aggressive response to China's
tariffs shook the markets. The US president's announcements
were carefully timed, with the most aggressive measures
(additional 100% tariffs on Chinese goods) announced
after the market closed.
Over
the weekend, US and Chinese leaders appeared to reach
out to each other, offering opportunities for further
discussion and a deal. Market sentiment was close
to extreme fear, with the Fear and Greed Index falling
to 29 on Friday and recovering to 30 on Monday. These
are the lowest values since the end of April, when
the market was recovering from the “liberation
day” effect on Trump's tariffs. In the last couple
of years, this index has entered the extreme fear
zone before we saw a reversal in the indices. This
means that bears may exert another round of pressure
on the markets. It is easy to link this to further
toughening of mutual rhetoric between China and the
US, albeit with the possibility of dialogue remaining
open. In other words, in this case, it is worth talking
about a decrease in the intensity of mutual recriminations,
but not about a reversal in relations. From this,
we can conclude that the risks that caused the markets
to collapse on Friday remain. We also note that the
S&P 500 is trading at a significant distance from
its 200-week moving average, near which the market
has ended its declines over the past 14 years since
2011, touching it or turning around within 2-5% of
it. This contrasts sharply with the current situation,
where the S&P 500 is almost 25% above this line.
If we talk about a correction within a bull market,
then the target for bears seems to be the 6100–6150
range, where the 50-week moving average and last winter's
highs are concentrated. Movement in this direction
looks like a viable strategy for the final quarter
of the year, unless there is a real reversal in the
rapprochement between China and the US, which we highly
doubt. In addition, seasonal factors are also temporarily
on the side of the bears, given the more than 40%
growth from the lows of the year in early April, the
suppressed volatility of the last month and a half,
and the tendency to look for new patterns in the markets
in the final months of the year. If that's not enough,
add to this the fact that the economy is beginning
to feel the effects of tariff wars and a deteriorating
labour market, and AI is no longer a novelty. In these
conditions, it will be increasingly difficult for
traders to find reasons for local purchases. (FxPro)
News
Crypto
market recovers from tariff shock
Market
Overview
The
crypto market capitalisation stood at $3.9 trillion
on Monday, up 4.4% from the previous day but down
6% from pre-Friday crash levels. On Friday, the US
stock market saw its biggest drop since April but
recovered some of its losses on Monday. Since Sunday,
the crypto market has been attempting to rebound after
a sell-off that began as an emotional reaction to
tariff initiatives by China and the US but escalated
into massive margin calls and stop orders being triggered.
The
sentiment index stood at 38 (fear) on Monday morning,
down from 24 (extreme fear) the day before. The level
of sentiment we saw over the weekend was last seen
in April under similar circumstances — when tough
trade tariffs were announced.
Bitcoin
approached $115K on Monday, while Ethereum exceeded
$4,200. Cryptocurrencies are recovering after Friday's
sharp decline. The movement on Friday and in the early
hours of Saturday swept the ‘weak hands’
out of the market, taking the price of BTC below the
50—and 200-day moving averages and below the
August and September lows.
Such
sweeping liquidations often set the bottom of the
market, but it may take time for the wounds to heal.
In 2020, 2021 and 2024, it took a couple of weeks
for the rally to start, although the market did not
rewrite the lows. But in 2022, the turnaround to growth
after the crash began after about six months. Relying
on these statistics is encouraging for bargain hunters
in crypto. Still, it would be too hasty to say that
the recovery will be just as quick and will begin
immediately.
News
Background
Wall
Street crashed on Friday after US President Donald
Trump escalated the trade conflict with China following
Beijing's tightening of restrictions on trade in rare
earth metals, Reuters reports. Cryptocurrencies and
stock indices fell sharply on Friday. Some softening
of tone from Trump and Xi has led to the probability
of 100% tariffs against China by 1 November being
estimated at 8% on Polymarket, down from 26% at the
end of Friday. Santiment notes that bitcoin remains
extremely sensitive to risk appetite and behaves more
like a risky asset than a safe haven.
The
Kobeissi Letter notes that the collapse of cryptocurrencies
on 11 October will not have long-term fundamental
consequences and was caused by a combination of technical
factors. The market crash triggered a record cascade
of liquidations worth $19.3 billion. Analyst Frank
Fetter, citing technical indicators, said the cryptocurrency
market is still far from overbought, which means there
is still potential for the rally to continue.
News
Flashback
Oil
Holds Strong Despite Bearish Fundamentals
Weekly
data from the EIA noted that the US returned to record
oil production rates last week, supplying an average
of 13.6 million barrels per day to the market, according
to the latest EIA data. The trend towards increased
supply began in August, but producers have only now
returned to the peak levels recorded at the end of
last year. Despite a 5.5-million-barrel increase in
US commercial inventories over the past two weeks,
inventories stay at the lower end of the range seen
over the past decade, leaving considerable room for
growth. The same can be said for the strategic reserve,
which holds nearly 40% less oil than it did five years
ago, before the start of the active sell-off. It is
an interesting game in which, on the one hand, the
US (the largest oil producer) is increasing supplies,
while OPEC+ is increasing quotas on a monthly basis.
This extremely bearish combination of factors did
not cause oil prices to collapse; it was only because
of global trade in currency depreciation that caused
precious metals, stock indices, and cryptocurrencies
to rise. Oil prices have not peaked in recent weeks
.. To be cont .. (FxPro)
News
Gold
hits new highs due to political turmoil
Gold
is outside the realm of politics.
While
currencies and securities depend on the actions of
presidents and governments, precious metals do not.
Therefore, political turmoil forces investors to use
them as safe-haven assets.
The
impressive 52% rally in gold started in April with
the introduction of tariffs on America's Liberation
Day. It continued due to the US government shutdown,
the political crisis in France, and the change of
leadership in Japan. he rise of gold above 4,000 dollars
per ounce is not only the result of the weakness of
fiat currencies. There are tectonic shifts in the
structure of investment portfolios and fears of financial
crises due to government recklessness.
The
share of precious metals is growing both in speculators'
assets and in the gold and foreign exchange reserves
of central banks. The indicator has already exceeded
the share of the euro. According to Eurizon Capital,
if it equals the share of the US dollar, the price
per ounce will soar to 8,500 dollars. The Supreme
Court's abolition of tariffs will inflate the US budget
deficit. France does not intend to reduce it, and
Japan plans to increase bond issuance. All this creates
a tailwind for commodity assets. (FxPro)
News
Politics
remains the main driver of FX
The
US government shutdown did not have a noticeable impact
on the dollar's performance last week. However, it
did help the stock market to grow slightly by strengthening
expectations of monetary policy easing. However, these
events pale in comparison to the change in Japan's
ruling elite and the resignation of the French prime
minister less than a day after the formation of the
government in terms of their impact on the currency
market. In Japan, Sanae Takaichi was chosen head of
the Liberal Democratic Party over the weekend and
is on track to become the country's first female prime
minister. This event caused the yen to fall 2% to
150.49 from Friday's level before correcting to 149.80
at the time of writing. Takaichi is considered a supporter
of aggressive government spending, structural reforms,
and soft monetary policy, echoing the basic principles
of Shinzo Abe. Overall, she has a more right-wing
approach to national policy and is also a supporter
of revising Japan's pacifist constitution. The market
reaction clearly shows that they are considering Takaichi
to be the new prime minister. If she does not change
her political views (and she has softened them recently
to win the party elections), we should be prepared
for a further weakening of the yen, which reached
its highest level since 1991 in the EURJPY pair, exceeding
176. However, the single currency is also facing uncertainty
today due to a new political crisis in France. Prime
Minister Lecornu, who had been trying to form a government
for a month, resigned the day after he finally presented
his new cabinet. His appointments drew criticism from
both left-wing and right-wing allies. The EURUSD fell
to 1.1650 at its lowest point on Monday, losing a
full cent against Friday's levels. Unlike Japan, where
a 2% drop in the JPY was accompanied by a 5% jump
in the Nikkei225 index, France's CAC40 lost more than
2% intraday, paring its losses to 1.2% towards the
end of the trading day in Europe. The EURUSD stopped
its climb in July and has been hovering around 1.1700
all this time, not least because of the political
crisis in France. Without it, the single currency
would have had a much better chance of exploiting
political divisions in the US to its advantage. It
would be an exaggeration to call the situation in
Japan and France a drama. Still, these events once
again emphasise that as soon as the dollar's throne
begin.
News
Pop
Culture News
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream
Match Series; Crack The Code!
Million
Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
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Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets
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Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
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Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
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Mr Kross vs Mr H
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Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far! Re-match!
Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle UFC vs PFL
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News
Cryptocurrency
Movies
Documentaries
The
Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring
Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the
community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s
early days and its potential to disrupt finance.
Banking
on Bitcoin (2016)
Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots,
and impact on global financial systems through interviews
with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.
Cryptopia:
Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet
(2020)
Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives
into blockchain’s broader applications beyond
cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory
challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s
transformative potential.
Trust
Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated by
Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal
impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems.
A comprehensive look at real-world applications.
Bitcoin:
The End of Money as We Know It (2015)
Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin
as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized
financial systems. Features interviews with crypto
experts.
Deep
Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary
focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator,
Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in
dark web transactions.
Bitconned
(2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing
how three individuals defrauded investors during the
2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated
markets.
Feature
Films
Crypto
(2019)
A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth,
and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering
agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency
in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal
but praise its entertainment value.
Silk
Road (2021)
A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of
the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin.
It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and
drama.
Dope
(2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin
as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin
for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association
with illicit activities.
Bonus
Mentions
Life
on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to
live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early
adoption challenges.
Bitcoin
Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers
chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.
Notes
Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing
on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology,
and real-world implications. They’re great for
beginners and enthusiasts alike.
Feature
films often dramatize crypto’s association with
crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating
for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy.
For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like
Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many
of these are available.
News
Wall
Street (Movie)
Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is a
drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial
world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young
stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled
with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless corporate
raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,”
drives the story as Bud is lured into insider trading
and unethical deals, compromising his morals for wealth
and power.
The
film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal,
with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father
(Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.
Key
Details: Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie
Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin
Sheen (Carl Fox).
Runtime: 2h 6m.
Genre: Drama/Crime.
Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).
Awards:
Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Notable
Aspects:
Gekko’s
“Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting
1980s excess. Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan
Boesky and Michael Milken.
A
sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued
the story.
Where
to Watch (as of 2025):
Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or
rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current
availability).
Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.
News
Flashback
Gold,
copper, & silver:
How
metals are moving this year
Metal
futures have made some pretty dramatic moves lately
from safe haven gold to tariff sensitive copper. So
let's take a look at the longer term trends. I'm Jared
Blikre, host of Stocks in Translation. And I'm going
to start by charting some of the moves in Dr. Copper
because this is where we have the most zig and zags
over the last 25 years. So this goes back to the beginning
of the century and we can see right now, we're at
$5.51 per pound. That is a record high. But if we
go back to the beginning of the century, guess what?
Uh we had a little bit of a slump in the wake of the
dot com boom and then bust, but starting in 2003,
we saw a big rise there. And that was as China actually
joined the World Trade Organization or the WTO. That
lasted into the global financial crisis. Then we had
a pretty big bust in in Dr. Copper, and then we had
another rise. And that rise was due to unprecedented
stimulus, not only from the Chinese government, but
also from the United States government, QE was in
force, and then we saw kind of a strong dollar play.
That weighed on this metal all the way into the beginning
of 2016. The entire world, most of the world indices
went through a bear market in 2015, and then 2016,
we found the footing. And that was actually the year
that Trump won, began his first presidency. And from
there, we saw some zig and zags, and then we saw a
shock into the pandemic. A couple of, a couple of
years of deflation or a semi-deflation, disinflation,
that caught up with it in 2022, but then it was off
to the races again. And especially with the Trump
tariffs now on copper, threatening to be threatening
to be 50% on August 1st, we're seeing a lot of front
running in this trade. Now, I also want to show you
gold futures and I'm going to show you silver as well.
And they follow a very similar pattern. We're not
seeing the dramatic zig and zags that we did in copper,
but we did see the same pattern of China joining the
WTO, contributing to that huge rise in price to 1800,
almost $2,000 an ounce by the beginning of the global
financial crisis. So a little bit of a meltdown there.
But in 2016 into 2018, we saw a bit of a rise into
the pandemic, a little bit of a whipsaw there, and
consolidation over a few years. Again, that 2022 bare
market in US stocks that contributed to some deflation
and disinflation globally, supply chain chain shocks
came into force again, and then we saw this huge rise
beginning in late 2023, and we are now at 3353. We've
seen a high of as much as $3,500 per ounce. And gold
is kind of unique among the precious metals and also
the industrial metals, and this is because central
banks have been a huge determining force in their
buying of it. This is a bar chart that shows central
bank buying in tons going back all the way to 2010.
And what you notice here is the last three years,
2022, 2023, 2024, all of those had gold being bought
by central banks of in the amount of over 1,000 tons.
And so that's a pretty big dramatic increase from
the prior years. And this has to do with the ongoing
dedollarization in China, as well as Russia, but also
a host of other countries, even some in western and
eastern Europe. So this is a trend that we want to
follow. Uh, I want to close out here with silver,
and I'm going to just chart the price action. Again,
very similar chart to gold and copper in terms of
the big movements here. We saw a big price spike into
almost $50 per ounce, and that was just as the global
financial crisis was getting underway. And then the
QE area in 2011, that's when we saw that high. Then
we saw a dramatic, dramatic crash into 2016, kind
of found its footing, saw a big squeeze in the early
pandemic, 2020 was a great year for silver, but then
we saw a little bit of a fallout. And again, silver
is on the rise here at $38. It's still off of that
$50 record high, but it is increasing very quickly.
To round out the conversation, I want to just put
on a table here. I have all three medals and just
kind of grouping them together. I want to display
how they are moving with their specific patterns with
a trigger, and then to tell you which one of these
is featured in these specific criteria. So here, under
the pattern, we have acceleration. So that would be
an economic acceleration. The trigger would be liquidity.
And when that happens, we see all metals benefiting
from that. And then when there's a safe haven scare,
and that trigger would be a crisis of some sorts,
you're going to see gold and silver outperforming
the most, kind of leaving Dr. Copper behind. And then
here's a bearish one, industrial drags, that affects
copper disproportionately here, and the trigger there
is typically a stronger US dollar because the US dollar
surges when global global industrials tend to drag,
and that's because the US is the least dirty shirt
in the laundry basket of the world. And then finally
here, we have a policy shock. This will affect all
three medals, but especially copper and gold here.
Um, arguably, the biggest reason is tariffs and debt,
and we've seen both of those contribute to silver
rising. So we could put all three in that basket as
well. But when you put it all together, we have the
perfect explosive mix for all three of these metals,
including palladium and also platinum, which we didn't
get to have time for, but all of these are experiencing
huge thrust in 2025. And we'll have to see how these
tariffs play out, especially on Dr. Copper with respect
to that August 1st deadline. Remember, 50% there.
So tune into Stocks in Translation for more jargon
busting deep dives, new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays
on Yahoo Finances website, or wherever you find your
podcast. (Transcript from Yahoo! Finance podcast)
News
Best
Quotes
An
investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
— Benjamin Franklin
"Bottoms
in the investment world don't end with four-year lows;
they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim
Rogers
Be
fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when
others are fearful." — Warren Buffett
Media
Man "Bullish is a mindset"
Westgold
Resources shops gold mill acquired in $2.5b Karora
merger
Gold
funds burst out of the blocks in 2025 as returns rocket
Gold,
Rare Metals, Crypto, Mining: Australia and Global
February
23/24, 2025
All
That Glitters: Gold: The Real Thing! Real Record Nears!
Crypto
Is Often But Not Always Digital Gold: Media Man Group
February
23, 2025
Gold
holds near record high
Gold
traded a whisper away from last week’s all-time
high as unexpectedly weak economic data and rising
expectations for inflation helped boost haven demand.
Bullion was around $US2937 an ounce, after notching
its eighth weekly gain – the longest run since
2020. Gains have been supported by a sharp increase
in demand for bullion-backed exchange-traded funds,
with holdings last week jumping the most since 2022.
News
Trump
and Musk Set for Fort Knox Gold Inspection
During
a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference,
President Donald Trump announced that he and Elon
Musk would personally visit Fort Knox to verify if
the U.S. gold reserves are still present. This inspection
follows Elon Musk's public interest in ensuring the
gold's existence, amidst discussions about its security
and value. Historically, such audits have been rare,
with the last notable inspection occurring in 1974.
(Grok)
News
Crypto
Trader Ends Life on Livestream Post Memecoin Loss
A
cryptocurrency trader known as 'MistaFuccYou' or 'Im
really poor' on social platforms livestreamed his
suicide after losing his last $500 in a memecoin rug
pull. The event has sparked a wave of reactions across
social media, with many expressing sadness, others
critiquing the crypto trading culture, and some mentioning
the creation of a memecoin based on his final words.
The incident occurred on February 22, 2025, highlighting
the volatile and risky nature of cryptocurrency trading,
especially with speculative investments like memecoins.
(Grok)
News
Bybit
Hack: Largest Crypto Heist Traced to Lazarus Group
February
22, 2025
Cryptocurrency
exchange Bybit confirmed a major security breach on
February 21, 2025, where hackers stole over $1.4 billion,
primarily in Ethereum, marking the largest hack in
crypto history. The breach has led to unprecedented
withdrawal activity from the platform, with over 350,000
withdrawal requests processed in a short span. Cybersecurity
experts and blockchain analysts have attributed the
hack to North Korea's Lazarus Group, with the investigation
led by crypto investigator ZachXBT. (Grok)
News
US,
Ukraine ramp talks on minerals deal
Ukrainian
officials and US special envoy Keith Kellogg are said
to be seeking to finalise a deal on critical minerals,
with their discussions coming after Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky rejected an initial deal that would
have seen the US secure half the income from it. Zelensky
said his meeting with Kellogg had "restored hope",
while White House national security adviser Mike Waltz
said on Friday US time that he expected that Zelensky
would sign a minerals agreement "in the very
short term"; a deal on US access to Ukrainian
minerals in exchange for security guarantees would
be a major part of the Trump administration's bid
to end the three-year war between Russia and Ukraine.
(Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Gold
Road Resources makes record profit for 2024 calendar
year
February
24, 2025
Gold
Road Resources informed the ASX on Friday that it
had made a net profit after tax of $142.7 million
for the 2024 calendar year, up from $115.7 million
in 2023. The owner of the Gruyere gold mine in the
remote northern Goldfields region of Western Australia,
Gold Road Resources earned its record profit result
on record revenue from gold sales of $528 million,
up from $472.1 million in 2023, while its EBITDA of
$294.4 million was also a record for it. Gold Road
Resources declared a fully franked final dividend
of $0.015 cents per share for the six months to 31
December, which followed the fully franked $0.005
cents per share interim dividend it paid for the six
months to 30 June.
News
Production
declines at three of Gold Fields' four WA mines in
2024 calendar year
South
African mining firm Gold Fields released its 2024
results last week, with Gold Fields reporting that
its four gold mines in Western Australia produced
1,135,400 ounces of gold last year. This represented
a seven per cent decline on the 1,222,600oz they produced
in 2023, while of GoldFields' four WA mines - St Ives,
Granny Smith, Agnew and Gruyere - only Granny Smith
produced more gold than it did in 2023. Globally,
GoldFields' mines produced 2.071 million ounces in
2024, down 10 per cent on 2.304Moz in 2023, while
its global production guidance for 2025 is 2.250Moz-2.45Moz;
Gold Fields operates Gruyere as a 50:50 joint venture
with Perth-based Gold Road Resources.
News
Cashed-up
Yancoal makes $1.2b profit, eyes M&A
Yancoal
Australia has posted revenue of $6.86m for the 2024
calendar year, which is 10 per cent lower than previously.
Yancoal's net profit fell 38 per cent to $1.2m, while
underlying earnings were down 26 per cent at $2.58bn.
Thermal coal accounted for 90 per cent of the company's
sales in 2024; executive general manager David Bennett
says that although Yancoal would be open to buying
thermal coal assets, metallurgical coal is a more
attractive option that it will pursue if it can find
the right asset at the right price. (RMS)
News
Jervois
lawyers up amid calls for EGM
Cobalt
miner Jervois Global was at one point valued at $1.6
billion, but unhappy shareholders have accused its
board and management of running it into the ground.
They are unhappy that Jervois Global is seeking to
enter into a voluntary administration deal in the
US that will leave with them with nothing, and shareholders
representing almost seven per cent of its register
have called for an emergency general meeting. Jervois
Global has hired law firm King & Wood Mallesons
to help stave off requests for an EGM, with the firm
telling shareholders that their notices requesting
one are invalid. (RMS)
News
US
giant MidOcean linked to stake in Barossa gas
Japan-based
JERA has downplayed speculation that it is holding
talks regarding the sale of its 12.5 per cent stake
in Santos's Barossa LNG project in the Timor Sea.
Sources have indicated that US-based MidOcean Energy
is looking to buy JERA's stake, but Saul Kavonic from
MST Marquee says it would be unusual for a Japanese
LNG company to exit a project that it only recently
entered. The Japanese government has previously expressed
concern about the impact of the federal government's
changes to the 'safeguard mechanism' on the Barossa
project.
News
Whyalla
fallout hits $1.5b mining contractor
$1.5
billion ASX-listed NRW has sought for a halt in the
trading of its shares to be extended until 28 February
so that it can 'recast' its half-year accounts in
the wake of the South Australian government's decision
to force OneSteel Manufacturing into administration.
NRW's mining contracting business Golding is the largest
single creditor to OneSteel Manufacturing, which is
the owner of the Whyalla steelworks and associated
iron ore mines around 60 kilometres away, with Golding
said to be owed as much as $120 million. Meanwhile,
treasurer Jim Chalmers has played down the likelihood
that the federal government might take a stake in
the Whyalla steelworks, but he flagged the prospect
of mandating quotas to ensure its steel is used in
government projects. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Plateau
State Halts Mining Operations Over Security
February
22, 2025
Governor
Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, Nigeria, has issued
an executive order suspending all mining activities
in the region due to rising security concerns. The
decision comes after reports of increased illegal
mining and related insecurity. The suspension will
remain until further notice, while a technical committee
has been established to regulate artisanal mining
practices. (Grok)
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