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Breaking
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Australian
Stock Exchange
News
Media Drops
Media
Man Group
Markets,
Cryptos and Culture
February
20, 2026
Mining
For Intel
Crypto Fool's Gold Shines Up A Little
Sydney,
Australia to Wall Street, New York
Markets
ASX
200 futures down 44 points/0.5%: 9003
AUD +0.2% to US70.59¢
Bitcoin
$66,744.93 +0.48%
Wall
St:
Dow -0.5%
S&P -0.3%
Nasdaq -0.3%
VIX +0.61 to 20.23
Gold +0.5% to $US5000.44 an ounce
Silver 76.738 -0.86
Brent oil +2.2% to $US71.89 a barrel
Iron ore -0.4% to $US95.35 a tonne
10-year
yield:
US 4.07%
Australia 4.78%
News
Numbers
Double Check
Australian
Dollar: $0.7048 USD (up $0.0008 USD)
Iron Ore: $95.35 USD (down $0.60 USD)
Oil
Price: $66.60 USD (up $1.35 USD)
Gold
Price: $4,990.28 USD (up $11.22 USD)
Copper
Price: $5.7530 USD (down $0.0110 USD)
Dow
Jones: 49,319.56 (down 343.10 points)
News
ASX
rallies as banks, oil stocks gain; Zip sinks 34pc
The
Australian sharemarket performed strongly on Thursday,
with the S&P/ASX 200 Index closing up 79.20 points
at 9086.20. The big four banks all rose, while the
rising oil price on the back of fears of a US-Iran
conflict saw energy stocks in demand, with Santos
up 5.6 per cent to $7, and Woodside Energy increasing
4.5 per cent to $27.10. Payments company Zip slumped
after its results for the half year fell short of
expectations, while Lifestyle Communities fell 7.1
per cent to $5.33 after its profit dropped to $15.8
million for the first half. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Shares
Summary/Snapshot (near live)
*check Google Finance or Yahoo! Finance for totally
live (as close to) for the latest ticker prices)
TKO
Group Holdings Inc
$208.68 -4.60 -2.16%
Alphabet
Inc Class A
$302.85 -0.48 -0.16%
Netflix
Inc
$77.00 -0.99 -1.27%
News
Cryptos
Ethereum
is resting on a 6-year trend
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap fell by more than 1% in 24 hours
to $2.31 trillion, approaching last week's lows but
leaving the market 5% above its low point on 6 February.
The market's range continues to narrow, suggesting
that volatility is likely to soon break out of the
$2.3-2.4T range. Given the previous dynamics and the
increasingly cautious nature of growth in the US stock
markets, there is a greater chance of an early update
of local lows with a dip to the levels we saw in the
second half of 2024.
Bitcoin
is trading just above $67K, losing slightly under
1%, which is better than the market, as active selling
has moved to altcoins outside the top five. BTC is
trading at the bottom of the downward range of the
last week and a half.
Ethereum
is resting on a support line that originated in 2020
and was touched in early 2024 and at the February
lows. This global trend line now also coincides with
the area around $2,000, which further reinforces its
significance. However, for such a serious event as
the breakdown of the 6-year support, confirmation
in the form of a failure below the recent lows at
$1,500 is required. Until then, bulls may remain hopeful,
attracting long-term buyers on dips. News Background
The
indicator of Bitcoin inflows from large holders to
the Binance exchange has reached record levels, indicating
increased pressure on BTC from large players, according
to CryptoQuant.
The current state of the crypto market resembles the
final stage of the 2022 bear phase, which was followed
by a protracted period of consolidation, according
to K33.
Bitcoin
has only entered the first phase of the bear cycle,
according to Willy Woo, co-founder of the CMCC Crest
investment fund. The second phase will be associated
with a fall in global stock markets, and the third
will mark a period of stabilisation.
Strategy
bought 2,486 BTC ($168.4 million) over the past week
at an average price of $67,710 per coin. Strategy
now owns 717,131 BTC, purchased for $54.5 billion
at an average price of $76,027 per bitcoin.Japan's
Metaplanet reported a net loss of $619 million for
2025. The negative financial result is due to the
revaluation of the company's Bitcoin reserves.
Ethereum's share of staking exceeded 50% of the total
supply of the asset for the first time in history,
according to Santiment. The queue for Ethereum staking
is near historic highs — 3.8 million ETH (waiting
time — 67 days).
BlackRock
has taken the first step towards launching a staking
Ethereum ETF in the United States.
The
Founders Fund, a venture capital fund owned by billionaire
investor Peter Thiel, has sold all of its shares in
the DAT company ETHZilla, one of the largest corporate
holders of Ethereum. Back in August, Thiel's share
was 7.5%.
Updated
rules from the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have
scared American crypto investors. Starting in 2026,
all US-licensed crypto exchanges will be required
to disclose information about their clients, from
the volume of investments to the profits or losses
they have. (FxPro)
News
Bitcoin
News
Bitcoin’s
worrying slips down
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap has been hovering around $2.34-2.35T
for the third day in a row. Volatility seems to have
been turned off in this market, while stock indices
are much livelier. There, investors are actively buying
up dips, relying on support in the form of important
moving averages: 50-day for the Dow Jones and Russell
2000 and 200-day for the Nasdaq100. The crypto market
is now below its 50- and 200-day curves by 17% and
31%, respectively. If cryptocurrencies still play
a role as an indicator of risk appetite, it points
to disaster.
By
and large, the cryptocurrency sentiment index says
the same thing, falling to 8 at the start of the day
on Wednesday. The indicator has been in single digits
for nine of the last fourteen days. This is worse
than the darkest moments of 2020 and 2022. It seems
that as the cryptocurrency market matures, it is becoming
less optimistic. On the other hand, it is also becoming
less volatile.
Bitcoin
continues its downward drift, periodically bouncing
along the way. At the end of US trading, the price
of the first cryptocurrency fell to $66.7K but added
about 1,000 at the time of writing. It is alarming
that Bitcoin's dynamics mirror the recent strengthening
of the dollar. When investors become convinced that
the rise of the dollar is a trend, there may be a
sharp increase in volatility.
News
Background
Bitcoin's
collapse to $60,000 has put psychological pressure
on long-term BTC holders, comparable to the collapse
of the Terra (LUNA) ecosystem in May 2022, Glassnode
notes. They began to sell off assets at significant
losses, which is typical of the later stages of a
bear market.
A
net outflow of stablecoins from the Binance exchange
has been observed for the third month in a row, signalling
a continuing liquidity squeeze across the crypto market,
notes analyst Darkfost. The last time a similar dynamic
was observed was during the 2023 bear market.
Standard
Chartered Bank has significantly lowered its forecasts
for major cryptocurrencies for 2026 amid market volatility.
The forecast for Bitcoin has been lowered from $150,000
to $100,000, for Ethereum from $7,000 to $4,000, for
Solana from $250 to $135, and for XRP from $8 to $2.8.
Bloomberg
Intelligence commodities strategist Mike McGlone has
reiterated his forecast for Bitcoin. According to
him, the leading cryptocurrency could plummet to $10,000
this year, heralding a recession in the US economy
and a stock market crash.
According
to Token Terminal, Polygon has surpassed Ethereum
in daily transaction fees for the first time. The
Polymarket prediction platform has made the main contribution
to the growth in activity.
Stablecoins
are increasingly being used for payments, salaries
and savings, according to a study by BVNK. The key
factor was savings on fees, which average 40% compared
to traditional payment services. (FxPfo)
News
Geopolitics
saves Crude Oil
Asian
demand is making the black gold market more bullish
than last year
The
fate of Brent depends on the outcome of negotiations
between the US and Iran on the one hand, and Russia
and Ukraine on the other.
Brent
bulls believe that sooner or later, Russia and Iran
will reduce production and exports of Crude. This
will lead to price increases. The bears are convinced
of the opposite: thanks to discounts, barrels of oil
will be absorbed by buyers, most likely China. At
the same time, the negotiation processes between Washington
and Tehran on the one hand, and Moscow and Kyiv on
the other, are of key importance.
According
to a Bloomberg insider, Russian oil production did
indeed decline for the second month in a row to 9.28
million bpd in January. This is approximately 300,000
bpd below OPEC+ quotas. Nevertheless, exports rose
to 3.39 million bpd in the week ending February 15th.
In the first half of the month, deliveries to China
jumped to more than 2 million bpd. According to Kpler,
they are being redirected from India.
Overall,
Asian demand for oil continues to grow rapidly. The
company expects record growth in imports to China,
India and other countries in the region to 28.51 bpd
in February. This growth could lead to a smaller market
surplus than previously expected. This is especially
true given the supply disruptions that have occurred,
including those caused by sanctions.
Thus,
even without geopolitics, the situation looks less
bearish than it did in 2025. Last year, according
to the IEA, onshore reserves of Oil grew by 477 million
barrels, or 1.3 million bpd. The main reason for this
was increased production in the US, Brazil and OPEC+.
At the same time, global demand remained healthy.
The
market's attention is focused on the negotiations
between Washington and Tehran, where each side has
its own version of the truth. The Iranian Foreign
Ministry claims that the basic terms of the agreement
have been reached. This will allow sanctions to be
lifted and war in the Middle East to be avoided. US
Vice President DJ Vance, on the other hand, believes
that Donald Trump's demands have not been met and
that Tehran has two more weeks to do so.
Iran
has an important trump card. It knows the peculiarities
of the US president's negotiating tactics, which involve
moving from threats to retreat. Moreover, a rise in
Brent to $150 per barrel is not part of Donald Trump's
plans, especially in the run-up to the midterm elections.
(FxPro)
News
Eric
Trump Predicts Bitcoin Will Reach $1 Million Despite
Slump
Speaking
at the World Liberty Forum in Mar-a-Lago, hosted by
Eric and Donald Trump Jr., Eric forecasted Bitcoin
hitting $1 million, citing its average 70% yearly
gains from $16,000 two years ago. The event ties to
their World Liberty Financial platform, launched after
banks closed Trump Organization accounts post-January
6, 2021, which the brothers call political debanking.
Donald Trump Jr. called traditional banking a 'Ponzi
scheme' favoring insiders, while WLFI announced a
partnership with Apex Group for their USD1 stablecoin.
News
Shares
(Yesterday - 24 Hour Ago)
The Lead Up
(For reference, historical and educational purposes)
Alphabet
Inc Class A
$303.33 +1.31 +0.43%
TKO
Group Holdings Inc
$213.40 +3.30 +1.57%
Netflix
Inc
$77.99 +0.99 +1.29%
Palantir
Technologies Inc
$135.38 +2.36 +1.77%
Tesla
Inc
$411.22 +0.59 +0.14%
Microsoft
Corp
$399.60 +2.74 +0.69%
Mercedes
Benz Group ADR
$17.41 +0.030 +0.17%
Porsche
Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany ADR
$4.20 +0.011 +0.26%
Volvo
ADR (Parent to Mack Trucks)
$38.13 +0.13 +0.34%
Formula
One Group Series A
$81.70 +2.07 +2.60%
Wynn
Resorts Ltd
$116.31 +1.91 +1.67%
MGM
Resorts International
$37.19 +2.92 +8.52%
Light
& Wonder Inc
$98.12 +0.020 +0.020%
Mineral
Resources Ltd
$53.75 +1.73 +3.33%
St
George Mining Ltd
$0.079 -0.0262 -4.76%
Lynas
Rare Earths ADR
$11.00 +0.21 +1.95%
Arafura
Rare Earths Ltd
$0.17 +0.0006 +00.35%
Rio
Tinto plc ADR Common Stock
$98.93 +2.05 +2.12%
Rio
Tinto plc ADR Common Stock
$98.93 +2.05 +2.12%
Fortescue
Ltd
$20.20 (ASX)
+0.100 +0.50%
BHP
Group Ltd
$52.29 -0.45 -0.85% (ASX)
News
Culture/Streaming
24
Hours Ago approx
YouTube
Restores Service After Brief Global Outage
The
outage hit around 2 a.m. UTC on February 18, blocking
access to videos, apps, recommendations, YouTube TV,
Music, and Kids for under two hours. TeamYouTube confirmed
the issues and fixed them by 3:12 a.m. UTC, after
Downdetector logged over 320,000 U.S. complaints alone.
Users turned to X to share frustrations and jokes,
while some reports of wider disruptions to services
like Google and Netflix went unconfirmed by official
status pages.
News
Sports/Formula
One
Russell
Edges Piastri to Top Bahrain Pre-Season Test Day One
On
Wednesday at Bahrain International Circuit, Russell's
1:33.459 lap led Piastri by a whisker, with Ferrari's
Charles Leclerc third after 70 laps. Mercedes piled
on mileage at 145 laps combined, while Lewis Hamilton
tested Ferrari's SF-26, calling it 'exciting' with
his heavy sim input baked in. Drama came from Lance
Stroll's gravel spin and Aston Martin's power issues,
but off-track smiles shone in the 'Carlando' reunion
photoshoot of Norris and Sainz. (Grok)
News
Culture
'Welcome
To The Blockchain' aka
The
Bitcoin Song
Intro
We're
now standing on the precipice of a global revolution
Of economics, of politics, and government
Welcome to the blockchain
verse
Power
corrupts, money is power
The power to control the money is one that is now
In the hands of those who pretend we can't function
without them
So how can we do something about it? (Huh?)
Working hard to get a raise, lifting that wage up
Inflation takes it like a hidden taxation
Manipulated interest rates to give the banks
A way to create money with the loans that they're
giving out daily (yup)
That means our money is debt
That we gotta pay back more than a hundred percent
No wonder then why the middle class is going under
When the one's above them gotta cover and come to
collect
And many have no access to banking
Making payments, or saving, so more fees are taken
And every day the gatekeepers are trying to stop change
We can not wait, welcome to the blockchain
chorus
Welcome
to the blockchain
Things are about to change
Open up the gates
Systems get replaced
Bitcoin
Decentralize the trust
Security, transparency
The network's run by us
Bitcoin
verse
Bitcoin
is a decentralized ledger
And the currency is its first enterprise ever
Secured by the worldwide incentivized network
Can't be stolen or controlled by any sized effort
You can send it anywhere and instantly
No one can intervene, no third party in between
There's no counterfeiting
Algorithms control the outer limits of how many coins
can get released
Programmable money, no government can seize it
Payments can be customized by sender and receiver
Contracts can be written cementing your agreements
With terms that can't be bent once you consent then
it completes it
Autonomous businesses are possible
Where profit is distributed amongst those adopting
it
Paradigm shift we must adjust to the ending
With the blockchain, bitcoin is just the beginning
chorus
Welcome
to the blockchain
Things are about to change
Open up the gates
Systems get replaced
Bitcoin
Decentralize the trust
Security, transparency
The network's run by us
Bitcoin
bridge
Now
that we got control
We're not gonna let it go
My people all around the globe
We gotta keep building, building, building
Now that we got control
We're not gonna let it go
My people all around the globe
We gotta keep building, building, building
chorus
Welcome
to the blockchain
Things are about to change
Open up the gates
Systems get replaced
Bitcoin
Decentralize the trust
Security, transparency
The network's run by us
Bitcoin
Writer:
Toby Ganger
News
Mining/Energy/Resources/Biz
Rio
Tinto dodges merger bullet
Rio
Tinto has dodged two 'bullets' due to Glencore's rejection
of a merger proposal: a possible BHP takeover bid
and a dangerous acquisition. BHP looked closely at
whether to bid for Rio Tinto if the latter announced
a merger with Glencore. The two companies would make
excellent merger partners; amongst others things,
their staff and senior people have similar cultures,
they are co-operating on future Australian iron ore
projects and they are copper joint venture partners
in Chile and the US. Meanwhile, there are significance
cultural differences between Rio Tinto and Glencore;
there is little doubt that Rio Tinto's CEO Simon Trott
would have had doubts about a merger once he understood
these cultural differences. (RMS)
News/Snapshot
Australian
Mining
Global
Commodity Rankings
Australia
holds some of the world's largest reserves and is
a leading producer of several key minerals.
#1
Producer: Iron Ore, Bauxite, Lithium, Rutile, and
Zircon.
#1
Reserves: Iron Ore, Gold, Lead, Nickel, Rutile, Uranium,
and Zinc.
#2
Producer: Gold, Alumina, and Manganese.
Key
Mining Hubs & Major Projects
Western
Australia: The nation's "engine room," producing
98% of Australia's iron ore and 60% of its gold. Major
sites include the Pilbara (iron ore) and the Super
Pit in Kalgoorlie (gold).
Queensland:
A global leader in metallurgical coal (Bowen Basin)
and silver/lead production (Cannington mine).
South
Australia: Home to Olympic Dam, which contains the
world's largest single uranium deposit and significant
copper and gold reserves.
Major
Players
The
sector is dominated by several multinational giants
and significant domestic players:
BHP:
Often ranked as Australia's most valuable company;
major interests in iron ore, copper, and coal.
Rio Tinto: A world leader in iron ore (Pilbara) and
aluminum.
Fortescue
(FMG): Primarily focused on iron ore and rapidly expanding
into green energy.
Hancock
Prospecting: Australia's largest private mining company,
led by Gina Rinehart, the nation's wealthiest person.
South32:
Spun out of BHP; manages a diversified portfolio including
manganese, silver, and nickel.
2026
Trends & Developments
Critical
Minerals Push: The government has introduced a $23
billion package to support domestic processing and
manufacturing of critical minerals to reduce global
reliance on single-country supply chains.
Uranium
Rally: Prices exceeding US$100/lb have sparked renewed
interest in Australian prospects like the Kalkaroo
project.
M&A
Activity: Major merger talks continue between giants
like Rio Tinto and Glencore as they seek to consolidate
copper exposure for the EV market.
Workforce
Challenges: The Minerals Council of Australia is currently
calling for migration reforms to address a significant
"skills crunch" in the sector.
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
WWE Wrestlers vs NFL Super Bowl Players
Logan Paul and Bad Bunny vs Jake Paul and The Don
- Special ref: Damian Priest
Kelly Gang vs Snow White Clan
BKFC vs PFL vs ONE
Mr Sky vs Mr Vice
Marvel Universe vs DC Universe vs Monster Universe
Logan Paul vs Tom Brady
MMA vs Lucha Libre
Confirmed
Matches To Happen:
Rousey
vs Carano (Netflix) May 16
Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov (Netflix) April
11
Markets,
Cryptos and Culture
February
4, 2026
Sydney,
Australia to Wall Street, New York
"All
That Glitters" Edition: Part III
"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 73 points/0.8% to 8741
AUD +0.9% to US70.09¢
Bitcoin $76,201.96 -2.95%
Dow -0.9%
S&P -1.4%
Nasdaq -2.1%
Gold +5.2% to $US4905.80 an ounce
Silver 85.011 +5.855 7.41%
Oil +1% to $US67.01 a barrel
Iron ore -0.1% at $US102.80 a ton
News
Numbers
Double Check
Australian
Dollar: $0.7010 USD (up $0.0067 USD) Iron Ore: $102.80
USD (unchanged) Oil Price: $63.70 USD (up $1.62 USD)
Gold Price: $4,953.56 USD (up $273.87 USD) Copper
Price: $6.0730 USD (up $0.2345 USD) Dow Jones: 49,222.61
(down 185.05 points)
News
ASX
rises on gold rebound; CBA, tech rally
The
Australian sharemarket rallied on Tuesday, with the
S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.9 per cent to close at 8,870.6
points; it initially rose 1.1 per cent before the
Reserve Bank announced an increase in the cash rate.
Gold stocks were boosted by a rebound in the price
of the precious metal, with Newmont Corporation advancing
5.6 per cent to $164.75. WiseTech Global was up 1.7
per cent at $57.38 and the Commonwealth Bank finished
1.1 per cent higher at $153.08, but Neuren Pharmaceuticals
shed 10 per cent to end the session at $14.63. (RMS)
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
The
dollar moves forward
Greenback
actively attacks opponents
Central
banks take different paths
The
first expansion in manufacturing business activity
in more than a year and the second government shutdown
in the last five months have added fuel to the US
dollar rally. The Purchasing Managers' Index reached
52.6, its highest level since August 2022. This is
evidence of the strength of the US economy. The BLS
has been forced to postpone the publication of labour
market data due to the shutdown. Under these circumstances,
the chances of a federal funds rate cut in June have
fallen to 58%, pressuring EURUSD.
TD
Securities believes the US dollar will strengthen
by another 2% in February, as US data will begin to
pleasantly surprise. Nevertheless, the USD index rally
is an excellent opportunity to sell the greenback
versus the Euro, Australian dollar, Pound and Swedish
krona. The company expects EURUSD to rise to 1.22
in the third quarter.
Forecasts
of a short-term strengthening of the US dollar seem
logical. Donald Trump is dancing his tango (two steps
forward, one step back) with tariff threats. So, the
‘sell America’ strategy has faded into the
background. Scott Bessent denies US involvement in
currency interventions. Markets considered Kevin Warsh
to be the most hawkish possible candidate for the
Fed chairmanship. The shutdown deprives the Fed of
necessary data and prolongs the pause in the monetary
easing cycle.
As
a result, the futures market does not expect the Fed
to ease its monetary policy until June. For four months,
the federal funds rate will exceed the ECB deposit
rate by 175 basis points. This creates ideal conditions
for carry traders and EURUSD sales.
The
euro's retreat allows the ECB to breathe a sigh of
relief. The European Central Bank was on tenterhooks
over fears that the main currency pair would settle
above 1.2. This would have created headwinds for the
eurozone's export-oriented economy. The step back
of EURUSD makes the Governing Council meeting on 5
February boring.
The
Bank of England is another matter. There was already
a split within the Monetary Policy Committee. The
simultaneous acceleration of inflation and cooling
of the British labour market is exacerbating it. GBPUSD
risks getting caught in a real storm when the results
of the BoE's February meeting are announced.
Meanwhile,
the Reserve Bank of Australia's cash rate hike has
inspired AUDUSD bulls to launch a new attack. (FxPro)
News
Feb
3
Bitcoin
Price Plunges 40% From All-Time Highs to One-Year
Lows
The
bitcoin price is trading at one-year lows.
Bitcoin’s
price dropped below $75,000 today, its lowest level
in nearly a year, as global crypto markets endured
a sustained wave of selling triggered by broader financial
stresses and shifting investor appetite.
The
bitcoin price has now retraced more than 40% from
its all-time highs reached in late 2025. According
to Bitcoin Magazine Pro data, the one-year low for
the bitcoin price is $74,747. Bitcoin is dancing near
that number.
Recent
trading data showed Bitcoin price slipping through
key technical support levels, driving forced liquidations
across derivatives markets and intensifying downside
price pressure. Over roughly the past 24 hours, around
$2.56 billion in Bitcoin positions were liquidated,
according to market data.
This
follows weeks of risk-off sentiment across global
asset classes.
The
downturn in cryptocurrencies has coincided with stress
in other markets like precious metals, tech sell-offs,
and losses in equities.
Institutional
players report losses as policy signals remain dubious
The
market slide has had tangible impacts on key industry
participants. Galaxy Digital, a major crypto investment
firm led by Michael Novogratz, reported a $482 million
loss for the fourth quarter of 2025, earlier today.
The
firm attributed this to the decline in digital asset
prices and a sharp drop in trading volumes, which
fell more than 40% from the prior quarter. Galaxy’s
stock traded lower following the earnings release,
reflecting investor concern about the broader bitcoin
price and crypto downturn.
Also,
Bitcoin price currently trades below $76,000, which
is roughly the average price at which Strategy acquired
a portion of its BTC holdings and well below the cost
of many of its accumulated coins.
Since
Strategy owns hundreds of thousands of bitcoins at
higher average purchase prices, the current market
value is less than what was paid for much of its inventory,
leaving a significant portion of its holdings “underwater.”
Market
participants have also pointed to U.S. monetary policy
developments as a significant driver of the sell-off.
The
recent nomination of Kevin Warsh as chair of the U.S.
Federal Reserve by President Donald Trump has prompted
forecasts of tighter monetary conditions.
A
strengthening U.S. dollar in response to monetary
policy shifts has also weighed on Bitcoin. A firmer
dollar typically makes non-yielding assets like Bitcoin
less attractive, reducing inflows from investors seeking
currency-neutral hedges. Analysts noted that the dollar’s
recent performance provided technical headwinds that
amplified the crypto market’s decline.
The
Trump administration has continued to engage with
industry leaders on digital asset policy, including
efforts to advance regulatory clarity through legislation
such as the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act.
This
dialogue has really slowed down over the last couple
of months, it has not yet translated into stabilizing
price action amid current conditions.
Bitcoin
price in genuine ‘crypto winter’
Despite
this, Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan said in a recent memo
that the crypto market has been in a genuine “crypto
winter” since early 2025, rather than experiencing
a short-lived correction.
Hougan
highlighted that bearish sentiment remains strong,
as evidenced by the Crypto Fear and Greed Index, which
shows near all-time fear levels despite positive developments
like the appointment of a bitcoin-friendly Fed chair.
Hougan
noted that institutional flows helped mask the severity
of the downturn. U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs and digital
asset treasury vehicles purchased over 744,000 BTC
during this period—roughly $75 billion in demand
— cushioning bitcoin price’s drawdown, which
he estimated could have reached nearly 60% without
this support.
He
compared the current environment to previous downturns
in 2018 and 2022, where markets remained depressed
despite incremental positive news.
Looking
ahead, Hougan suggested that crypto winters often
end not with exuberance but with exhaustion. In his
words, “It’s always darkest before the dawn.”
Bitcoin
price is currently at $74,800, with a 24-hour trading
volume of 55 B. BTC is -5% in the last 24 hours. It
is currently -5% from its 7-day all-time high of $78,994.
(BM/AI News)
News
Mining/Politics/Trade
Trump
launches $US12 billion strategic mineral stockpile
to counter China; rare earth stocks jump
The
Trump administration will launch a major initiative
known as Project Vault, which is designed to reduce
America's dependence on China for rare earths and
other strategically important metals. According to
senior administration officials, the initiative would
represent the first large-scale mineral reserve designed
specifically for private-sector use. By creating a
centralised reserve for civilian industries, US government
officials hope to cushion companies against sudden
shortages and sharp price swings that can disrupt
production and strain finances. Project Vault will
be financed through a mix of private and public funding:
$US1.67 billion is expected to come from private investors,
while the US Export-Import Bank is set to provide
a $US10 billion loan with a 15-year term. The program
is part of a broader push to cut US reliance on China,
which dominates much of the critical minerals supply
chain. (RMS)
US
critical-minerals diplomacy: from America-First deals
to Pax Silica
International
Institute for Strategic Studies
The
Trump administration has adopted a three-pronged approach
to critical minerals policy during its second term
in office. It initially focused on increasing domestic
production of critical minerals, including fast-tracking
permitting processes, widening the US government's
financing reach and relaxing environmental constraints;
this was followed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act,
which appropriated US$7.5 billion to the Pentagon
for critical minerals. The Trump administration has
also pursued bilateral arrangements with key partners,
including Australia, Japan and Ukraine to reduce dependence
on China for critical minerals. Meanwhile, the US
launched Pax Silica in December 2025, an initiative
aimed at building secure and resilient supply chains
for the technologies foundational to artificial-intelligence,
especially silicon and critical minerals. (RMS)
News
Mining/Rare
Earths Biz
Rio
Tinto investors lean to London
Rio
Tinto's Australian-listed shares have fallen by 1.5
per cent since the resources giant confirmed in early
January that it is holding merger talks with Glencore,
while its London-listed shares have gained nearly
nine per cent. Rio Tinto's Australian shares have
traditionally traded at a premium to its London stock,
but this premium has fallen from 23 per cent at the
start of 2026 to around 14 per cent. Some observers
believe that Rio Tinto is more likely to pay for the
Glencore deal by issuing new Australian shares, which
could result in the shareholdings of local investors
being diluted. (RMS)
News
Investors
rush in to ASX-listed rare earths
Shares
in Australian-listed critical minerals explorers and
producers rallied on Tuesday, amid hopes that they
will be able to participate in the Trump administration's
Project Vault. RZ Resources' CEO Campbell Jones says
the US government's proposed critical minerals stockpile
provides a "real opportunity" for the company,
which is developing a minerals sands mine in Victoria
and a processing plant in Queensland. RZ Resources'
executive chairman David Fraser in turn says the company
could be processing third-party minerals within 12
months. (RMS)
News
Gold
Price News
As
of February 4, 2026, gold prices have experienced
significant volatility, rebounding after a historic
sell-off in late January.
Current
Live Spot Prices
Per
Ounce (USD): ~$4,940.70
Per Ounce (AUD): ~$7,044.24
Per Gram (AUD): ~$226.48
Per Kilogram (AUD): ~$226,477.15
Market
Summary & Recent Performance
Recent
Volatility: Gold surged nearly 7% on February 3, 2026,
as bargain hunters entered the market following a
massive two-day rout. This crash saw prices drop from
an all-time high of $5,594.82 on January 29 to as
low as $4,405 on February 2.
Key
Drivers: The sharp decline was triggered by the nomination
of Kevin Warsh as Fed Chair (perceived as a hawkish
move) and increased margin requirements by the CME
Group.
Historical
context: Despite the recent correction, gold is up
approximately 74% compared to this time last year.
Retail
Bullion Prices (AUD)
include:
For those looking to buy physical gold in Australia,
representative selling prices from dealers like ABC
BullionandJaggards
1oz
Gold Cast Bar: ~$7,560.00
1/2oz Gold Cast Bar: ~$3,791.00
10g Gold Minted Tablet: ~$2,380.00
1g Gold Minted Bar: ~$262.70
Future
Outlook
Analysts
remain divided on the short-term trajectory. While
Citi maintains a 2026 average forecast of $5,000,
some institutions like JP Morgan and UBS expect gold
to reach $6,200–$6,300 by year-end as investors
seek hedges against rising debt and inflation.
News
Pop
Culture
Gold
Movies:
Gold
(2022 Australian Film): A survival thriller starring
Zac Efron. Set in a harsh desert, it follows two drifters
who discover a massive gold nugget and must protect
it from intruders and the elements.
Gold
(2016 American Film): A crime drama starring Matthew
McConaughey, loosely based on the 1997 Bre-X mining
scandal. It follows a prospector's journey into the
Indonesian jungle to find a massive gold deposit.
Gold
(2018 Indian Film): A period sports drama starring
Akshay Kumar. It tells the story of India's first
Olympic gold medal as an independent nation in the
1948 Summer Olympics hockey event.
Gold
(2022 Indian Malayalam Film): A comedy-drama directed
by Alphonse Puthren, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran
and Nayanthara.
Gold
(1974 British Film): A thriller starring Roger Moore
as a mine manager caught in a deadly conspiracy involving
a South African gold mine.
News
Wall
Street Movies:
Wall
Street (1987): Oliver Stone’s archetypal drama
featuring Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko, whose "Greed
is good" mantra defined the 1980s era of excess.
Glengarry
Glen Ross (1992): A masterclass in dialogue following
desperate real estate salesmen under intense pressure
to "Always Be Closing".
Trading
Places (1983): A comedic take on commodities trading
where a commodities broker and a street hustler trade
lives as part of a callous bet.
Working
Girl (1988): A look at corporate mergers and acquisitions
through the eyes of a secretary who seizes an opportunity
to climb the ladder.
Financial
Dramas & Thrillers:
Recent
films have shifted focus to the mechanics of the 2008
financial crisis and the rise of retail trading movements.
The
Big Short (2015): Directed by Adam McKay, this film
uses unconventional storytelling and celebrity cameos
to explain the complex housing market collapse.
The
Wolf of Wall Street (2013): Martin Scorsese’s
high-energy portrayal of Jordan Belfort's rise and
fall through penny stock scams and extreme debauchery.
Margin
Call (2011): An intense, 24-hour look inside an investment
bank on the verge of collapse as its leaders realize
their assets are toxic.
Dumb
Money (2023): Dramatizes the real-life GameStop "short
squeeze" where retail investors on Reddit took
on major hedge funds.
Boiler
Room (2000): Focuses on the predatory world of "pump
and dump" brokerage firms and the high-pressure
sales tactics used to scam investors.
New & Upcoming Releases (2025–2026):
The
finance genre continues to expand with new stories
about whistleblowers and corporate scandals.
The
Social Reckoning (expected Oct 2026): Directed by
Aaron Sorkin, this highly anticipated film follows
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and her collaboration
with a Wall Street Journal reporter.
How
to Make a Killing (expected Feb 2026): An A24 production
starring Glen Powell about a man on the hunt for an
inheritance taken from him at birth.
Crime
101 (expected Feb 2026): A heist thriller involving
a multi-million dollar score and a disillusioned insurance
broker.
Documentaries:
Inside
Job (2010): Narrated by Matt Damon, this Academy Award-winning
documentary provides a detailed examination of the
2008 meltdown.
Enron:
The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005): A deep dive
into one of history’s most infamous accounting
scandals and the corruption that led to the company's
fall.
Becoming
Warren Buffett (2017): A profile of the legendary
investor’s life and his unique approach to wealth
and philanthropy.
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
Markets
And Cryptos
Jan
19, 2026
Sydney to New York
Mining
For Intel Edition
Summary
ASX
futures down 3 points/0.1%: 8901
AUD flat: US66.84¢
Bitcoin $95,469.59 +0.34%
Dow -0.2% S&P -0.1%
NAS -0.1%
Gold -0.4% to $US4596.09 an ounce
Oil +0.2% at $US62.61 a barrel
Iron ore -1.0% at $US106 a ton
News
Markets
and Commodities
Numbers
Double Check
Australian
Dollar: $0.6671 USD (down $0.0030 USD)
Iron Ore: $106.00 USD (down $1.20 USD)
Oil Price: $59.44 USD (up $0.39 USD)
Gold Price: $4,596.34 USD (down $18.09 USD)
Copper Price): $5.8485 USD (down $0.1405 USD)
Dow Jones: 49,359.33 (down 83.11 points)
News/Snapshot
Commodities
Commodities
are basic, standardized raw materials or primary products
like oil, gold, wheat, or coffee, valued for their
interchangeability and used as inputs for production
or as investment assets, traded globally on exchanges
for their inherent value rather than brand, with main
categories being energy, metals, and agriculture.
Key
Characteristics
Fungible:
One unit is essentially identical to another (e.g.,
a barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude oil).
Raw/Primary: Usually found in nature or minimally
processed (e.g., iron ore, raw cotton).
Standardized:
Grades and qualities are uniform, allowing for broad
trading.
Main
Categories
Energy:
Crude oil, natural gas, gasoline.
Metals: Precious (gold, silver) and base (copper,
aluminum, iron ore).
Agriculture
(Softs): Grains (wheat, corn), coffee, cocoa, sugar,
livestock.
How
They're Traded
Commodity
Exchanges: Centralized markets where futures (contracts
for future delivery) and options are traded.
Spot
Markets: Buying/selling the physical commodity for
immediate delivery.
Participants:
Producers (hedging), speculators (profit/diversification),
and consumers.
Why
They Matter
Inflation
Hedge: Can protect against rising prices.
Economic Indicator: Prices reflect global supply/demand,
economic growth, and policy.
Foundation
of Finance: The oldest form of financial trading.
News
Streaming
Business
Netflix
Fourth Quarter Earnings
Netflix
is currently embroiled in one of the most gripping
media dramas in recent memory as it tries to acquire
Warner Bros. Discovery and ward off competing bids
for the famed studio from Paramount Skydance.
Netflix's
bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming
and studio assets still remains the company's preferred
deal. Though Bloomberg last week reported that the
streaming giant was preparing to sweeten its takeout
bid to make it an all-cash offer, matching some of
the terms of Paramount Skydance's proposal to acquire
Warner Bros. Discovery. Netflix's proposal does not
include the company taking on Warner Bros. Discovery's
cable and news businesses, which Paramount's bid does.
Media
Shares (Before The Bell)
Jan
16
Netflix
Price:
88.44 +0.44 (+0.50%)
Paramount
Skydance Corporation (PSKY)
11.92 +0.12 (+1.02%)
Warner
Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD)
28.52 -0.06 (-0.21%)
News/Snapshot
Streaming
Wars
In
2026, the term "Streaming Wars" describes
the intense competition among digital platforms to
dominate audience attention and market share. While
once a battle for subscriber numbers, the conflict
has evolved into a race for profitability, engagement
time, and effective bundling.
Netflix's
Dominance: Many analysts consider the "original"
streaming wars over, with Netflix emerging as the
clear winner in terms of global reach (over 282 million
subscribers) and consistent profitability.
Major
Consolidation: Recent major shifts include Netflix's
late 2025 acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery’s
studio and content assets (including Max/HBO) for
$83 billion.
The
"New" Rivalry: The primary battleground
has shifted from Netflix vs. Disney+ to Netflix vs.
YouTube, as platforms now compete for total "share
of the screen" and time spent.
News
TKO
(After
Hours/Before The Bell)
TKO
Group Holdings Inc $203.27 -5.45 -2.61%
News/Snapshot
Hancock
Prospecting Pty Ltd
Hancock
Prospecting Pty Ltd (HPPL) is a privately owned Australian
mineral exploration and agriculture company headquartered
in Perth, Western Australia. As of 2026, it is recognized
as one of the most successful private companies in
Australian history.
Leadership
and Ownership
Executive
Chairwoman: Gina Rinehart AO, who has led the company
since 1992.
CEO:
Garry Korte.
Ownership:
The company is owned by Gina Rinehart (76.6%) and
the Hope Margaret Hancock Trust (23.4%).
Major
Mining Operations
The
company has transitioned from a prospecting firm into
a major global miner, with primary interests in the
Pilbara region:
Roy
Hill: A flagship mega-project and Australia’s
largest single iron ore mine, producing 60–70
million tonnes annually.
Hope
Downs: A 50/50 joint venture with Rio Tinto, comprising
four open-pit mines with a capacity of approximately
47Mtpa.
Atlas
Iron: Acquired in 2018, it operates the Mount Webber,
Sanjiv Ridge, and Miralga Creek mines.
Hancock
Iron Ore: A new entity formed in July 2025 to consolidate
Roy Hill and Atlas Iron operations.
Diversification
and Strategic Investments
Under
Rinehart’s leadership, the company has expanded
significantly into other sectors:
Agriculture:
Hancock is Australia's second-largest beef producer,
owning over 25 properties including the iconic S.
Kidman & Co. It also owns 50% of Bannister Downs
Dairy.
Critical
Minerals: Major stakes in lithium (Liontown Resources,
Azure Minerals, Vulcan Energy) and rare earths (Arafura
Rare Earths, MP Materials, Lynas Rare Earths).
Energy:
Significant interests in oil and gas through Warrego
Energy and Senex Energy.
International
Ventures: In January 2026, the company signed a gold
exploration license agreement with Saudi Arabia's
state-owned miner, Ma’aden.
Current
Events (January 2026)
Australia
Day Sponsorship: The company is the principal partner
for the 2026 Hancock Prospecting Australia Day celebrations
in Perth.
Helipad
Proposal: In December 2025, the City of Perth refused
the company's proposal to build a helipad at its West
Perth headquarters.
Financial
Performance: For the 2025 fiscal year, the company
reported a profit of AU$3.08 billion.
History
The
company was founded on November 25, 1955, by Lang
Hancock, who is credited with discovering the world's
largest iron ore deposit in 1952. When Gina Rinehart
took over following his death in 1992, the company
was in a precarious financial state with significant
debt.
News
Jan
19
'Red
hot' miners to drive gains: Liu
The
share prices of BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue have
risen by more than 20 per cent in the last year, and
Ten Cap's co-founder Jun Bei Liu expects them to post
further share price gains during the first half of
2026. However, Liu forecasts a strong performance
across Australia's mining sector, and is particularly
bullish about copper, aluminium and gold producers.
However, Liu is cautious about the outlook for bank
stocks and real estate investment trusts that have
exposure to the commercial propperty sector. (RMS)
News
Glasenberg's
wealth tops $21b on Rio-Glencore mega-merger talks
Ivan
Glasenberg was CEO of Glencore from 2002 to 2021,
with the South African-born Glasenberg being an Australian
citizen and owning 10 per cent of Glencore. With shares
in Glencore having surged since talk of a possible
merger with Rio Tinto became public, Glasenberg's
personal wealth has now topped $21 billion, making
him currently the fourth-richest person in Australia,
with only Gina Rinehart, real estate mogul Harry Triguboff
and packaging businessman Anthony Pratt and family
ahead of him. (RMS)
News
Rio,
Glencore coal spin-off could offer 'cleaner' business
Glencore
is proposing a $300 billion merger with Rio Tinto,
with fund managers stating that Glencore spinning
off its coal assets would result in a "cleaner"
business post-merger that would be focused on copper
and iron ore. Glencore has coal mines in NSW, Queensland,
Central Africa and Latin America, and they could be
worth tens of billions of dollars, while if they were
spun off as an ASX company, they would be competing
with Whitehaven Coal and New Hope Corporation for
investor attention. (RMS)
News
AWS
backs Rio's new copper tech
Amazon
Web Services has signed a two-year deal with Rio Tinto
to acquire copper from its Johnson Camp mine in Arizona.
The mine was restarted in 2024 as a "proving
ground" for Rio's Nuton bioleaching technology,
which uses acid and bacteria to produce 99.99 per
cent pure copper from ore that has been previously
classified as low-grade; it is said to require less
water and emit less carbon than traditional processing
techniques. AWS will use the copper from the Johnson
Camp mine for data centre construction, with the largest
such centres requiring huge amounts of copper for
all their wiring needs. (RMS)
News
Rinehart
joins up for Saudi gold hunt
Midana
Exploration, a private company that is owned by Gina
Rinehart, has established a joint venture with the
Saudi Arabian Mining Company. They have secured five
gold exploration permits that cover more than 24,000
square kilometres of land in Saudi Arabia's Nabita
Ad-Duwayhi gold belt. Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting
also struck deals with two Saudi Arabian companies
in 2025 to undertake gold and copper exploration in
the nation's Jabal Sayid and AlHajjar regions. Rinehart
is best-known for her companies' iron ore mines, although
she also has exposure to resource commodities such
as lithium, rare earths and coal. (RMS)
News
Lithium
rebound fuels hope for dormant mines
The
price of spodumene - the type of lithium that is mined
in Australia - has risen above $US2,000 a tonne, compared
with $US575/tonne in June. The downturn in the lithium
price in recent years prompted a number of companies
to suspend production at some mines, but PLS Group's
CEO Dale Henderson says that many of these mines will
be profitable at current prices. Analysts note that
the global oversupply of lithium appears to be easing,
while demand remains strong. Barrenjoey has forecast
that the lithium price will top $US3,250 a tonne in
2026. (RMS)
News
Jan
17
Rare
earths, blessings and a legal mess
Two
ASX-listed companies are involved in a legal dispute
over an alleged deal regarding rare earth tenements
in the US, with Rabbi Mordechai Fixler caught up in
the dispute. Gaining prominence in 2020 over lockdown-breaching
prayer sessions, he is said to have acted as 'finder'
in the deal, and to have blessed it. Gladiator Resources
claims it had a deal with Dateline Resources to acquire
the tenements, but that Dateline failed to follow
on their deal to transfer them. For its part, Dateline
claims that no such transaction had been agreed to.
(RMS)
News
Roy
Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Company Of The
Month' award
News
12
hours ago
Gold
near its peak
The
White House dealt a blow to gold by postponing tariffs
on critical minerals. Although precious metals were
not on the list, other assets in the sector were.
Concerns about import duties played a key role in
the rally in silver, platinum and palladium. However,
the overflow of bullion in the US occurred at the
initial stage of the rally. Subsequently, other factors
came into play.
Gold's
position looks strong amid extremely unpredictable
geopolitics and ongoing tensions. The increasing polarisation
of the world is forcing central banks to continue
the processes of de-dollarisation and diversification
of reserves. Although central banks remain net buyers,
their purchase volumes are declining amid more than
130% price growth over the past two years, pushing
prices to historic highs.
Our
attention is also drawn to reports of a huge volume
of short exchange positions held by active funds.
At current prices and dynamics, especially in silver,
an explosion of volatility could occur at any moment.
This could be either the start of a sharp downward
movement or a final short squeeze with growth to non-market
levels, which could ultimately remove buyers from
the market. (FxPro)
News
24
hours ago
Bitcoin
has not crossed the correction line
Market
Overview
The
crypto market has fallen 1.5% over the past 24 hours
to $3.23 trillion as the market regains strength after
the growth momentum at the beginning of the week.
The top five cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation
are down less than 1%, while smaller altcoins are
experiencing more significant declines. The exception
is Tron, which is up about 1% on the day and has been
steadily gaining weight since the end of December.
Bitcoin
is trading near $95.5K, retreating from levels near
$98K, where the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement level
also passes. The first cryptocurrency has reached
the retracement line, waiting for further momentum
to determine its direction. No critical macroeconomic
publications are scheduled for the near future, so
BTC will have to follow the highly unpredictable geopolitics
and market reaction to quarterly reports.
News
Background
Over
the past three days, more than 47,000 retail investors
have left the market due to fear, doubt and uncertainty.
The price rebound was supported by a seven-month low
in the volume of bitcoins on exchanges, according
to Santiment.
The
dynamics of the Value Days Destroyed indicator suggest
that long-term holders are refraining from taking
profits despite the rise in prices. The current growth
is based on fundamental market strength rather than
speculation, according to CryptoQuant.
According
to CoinGlass, the total open interest in Bitcoin derivatives
on all exchanges is now 28% below its peak in early
October. A large-scale ‘cleansing’ of the
market from excessive leverage could signal a recovery
for BTC.
Despite
the optimism, the derivatives segment has not yet
entered a full-fledged growth phase, according to
Greeks Live.
The
recent growth was caused by a short squeeze in the
futures market amid low trading volumes, rather than
an influx of fresh capital, according to Glassnode.
Despite the local positive, the options market signals
that risks remain.
The
US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has closed
a case initiated in August 2023 against the non-profit
organisation Zcash Foundation, which is behind the
development of the private coin. (FxPro)
News
Mining
16
Jan
Rivals
Rio and BHP ponder tie-up to help open new Pilbara
deposits
BHP
and Rio Tinto are considering a tie-up that would
see them mine an previously inacessible iron ore deposit
on the boundary of their adjoining Yandi and Yandicoogina
operations in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
The tie-up would see the two companies mine 200 million
tonnes of ore, with mining expected to commence early
next decade, with BHP and Rio having previously joined
forces in 2023 to mine the Mungadoo Pillar, which
also 'unlocked' ore on a shared boundary. (RMS)
News
Trump
backs warfare-focused critical minerals reserve
The
federal government's critical minerals strategic reserve
is being tailored to help meet the needs of the US
military in the wake of Chinese trade restrictions
on minerals used in weapon-making. The reserve is
likely to operate under a floor and ceiling price
system, and President Donald Trump has issued a directive
under the Trade Expansion Act that commits the US
to working with its allies on adopting "price
floors" for trade in "processed critical
minerals and their derivative products". Resources
Minister Madeleine King says the reserve is of "great
interest to our friends in the US", while the
government has prioritised three minerals that are
vital in modern warfare - antimony, gallium and rare
earths - in the strategic reserve. (RMS)
News
Industry
frustrated over delay to WA emissions reforms
The
Western Australian government promised in October
2024 to hand over responsibility for policing greenhouse
gas emissions to Canberra, a pledge that angered environmental
groups and the WA Greens. It was welcomed by the resources
sector, which was told the changes would take only
months to implement, but as of January 2026, they
have not happened. As a result, many resources and
energy companies operating in WA are still having
to report their missions to both the WA and federal
governments, a situation that is causing confusion
and frustration in the sector. (RMS)
News
LNG
importers confident despite reservation plan
Squadron
Energy's CEO Rob Wheals says LNG import terminals
will be vital to the success of the federal government's
domestic gas reservation scheme, and the facilities
will be necessary. The Andrew Forrest-backed Squadron
has invested more than $200m in its import terminal
at Port Kembla in NSW. Wheals notes that the gas reservation
scheme will primarily affect LNG exporters in Queensland
rather than increasing gas supply in NSW and Victoria,
because the gas pipelines linking Queensland to the
southern states are already operating at capacity
most of the time. (RMS)
News
The
Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newspaper
Of The Month' award
Roy
Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Business Of The
Month' award
Sky
News Australia wins Media Man 'Australian Media Outlet
Of The Month' award
Markets,
Cryptos And Culture
January
17, 2026
Sydney,
Australia to Wall Street, New York
Friday
Lead In To The Weekend; Well And Hard Earned Gains
ASX
futures up 6 points/0.1% to 8883
AUD -0.2% at US66.83¢
Bitcoin $95,370.15 +0.17%
Dow +0.03%
S&P +0.1%
Nasdaq +0.1%
Gold -0.5% to $US4595.42 an ounce
Brent oil +1.1% at $US64.45 a barrel
Iron ore -1% at $US106.00 a ton
News
Gold
near its peak
The
White House dealt a blow to gold by postponing tariffs
on critical minerals. Although precious metals were
not on the list, other assets in the sector were.
Concerns about import duties played a key role in
the rally in silver, platinum and palladium. However,
the overflow of bullion in the US occurred at the
initial stage of the rally. Subsequently, other factors
came into play.
Gold's
position looks strong amid extremely unpredictable
geopolitics and ongoing tensions. The increasing polarisation
of the world is forcing central banks to continue
the processes of de-dollarisation and diversification
of reserves. Although central banks remain net buyers,
their purchase volumes are declining amid more than
130% price growth over the past two years, pushing
prices to historic highs.
Our
attention is also drawn to reports of a huge volume
of short exchange positions held by active funds.
At current prices and dynamics, especially in silver,
an explosion of volatility could occur at any moment.
This could be either the start of a sharp downward
movement or a final short squeeze with growth to non-market
levels, which could ultimately remove buyers from
the market. (FxPro)
News
Bitcoin
has not crossed the correction line
Market
Overview
The
crypto market has fallen 1.5% over the past 24 hours
to $3.23 trillion as the market regains strength after
the growth momentum at the beginning of the week.
The top five cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation
are down less than 1%, while smaller altcoins are
experiencing more significant declines. The exception
is Tron, which is up about 1% on the day and has been
steadily gaining weight since the end of December.
Bitcoin
is trading near $95.5K, retreating from levels near
$98K, where the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement level
also passes. The first cryptocurrency has reached
the retracement line, waiting for further momentum
to determine its direction. No critical macroeconomic
publications are scheduled for the near future, so
BTC will have to follow the highly unpredictable geopolitics
and market reaction to quarterly reports.
News
Background
Over
the past three days, more than 47,000 retail investors
have left the market due to fear, doubt and uncertainty.
The price rebound was supported by a seven-month low
in the volume of bitcoins on exchanges, according
to Santiment.
The
dynamics of the Value Days Destroyed indicator suggest
that long-term holders are refraining from taking
profits despite the rise in prices. The current growth
is based on fundamental market strength rather than
speculation, according to CryptoQuant.
According
to CoinGlass, the total open interest in Bitcoin derivatives
on all exchanges is now 28% below its peak in early
October. A large-scale ‘cleansing’ of the
market from excessive leverage could signal a recovery
for BTC.
Despite
the optimism, the derivatives segment has not yet
entered a full-fledged growth phase, according to
Greeks Live.
The
recent growth was caused by a short squeeze in the
futures market amid low trading volumes, rather than
an influx of fresh capital, according to Glassnode.
Despite the local positive, the options market signals
that risks remain.
The
US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has closed
a case initiated in August 2023 against the non-profit
organisation Zcash Foundation, which is behind the
development of the private coin. (FxPro)
News
Strong
macro data and rate spreads are the USD’s main
weapon
The
greenback's primary weapon is the wide spread in interest
rates
The
yen is following the lead of the government and the
Bank of Japan
The
US dollar continues its strong run in the forex market
for almost a month. A combination of strong US macro
statistics and hawkish Fed officials' comments allows
the greenback to dominate. In the week ending January
10th, Initial Unemployment Claims fell to 198K. In
recent years, the figure has only occasionally fallen
below 200K. Its 4-week average fell to the lowest
in two years. This points to a stabilisation of the
labour market and deprives the FOMC doves of their
key trump card.
The
EURUSD has been falling for 11 of the last 15 sessions
and has reached its lowest since early December. According
to Credit Agricole, the idea of divergence in the
monetary policies of the Fed and the ECB will not
be realised. The Fed will leave rates unchanged in
2026, and the wide spread with the deposit rate will
become the primary weapon of the US dollar. Bank of
America warns that the ECB's dissatisfaction with
inflation dynamics may force it to resume its cycle
of monetary expansion. This will put pressure on the
euro.
It
seems the only hope for EURUSD bulls is Donald Trump,
who dreams of lowering the federal funds rate to 1%.
However, the US president has tied his own hands with
a lawsuit against Jerome Powell. Now, candidates close
to him for the position of Fed chairman may be rejected
by the Senate due to concerns about the independence
of the central bank.
The
only currency performing better than the dollar recently
is the yen. USDJPY gave way to fears of possible currency
interventions, as hinted at by Japanese Finance Minister
Satsuki Katayama. According to Bloomberg insiders,
the BoJ is focusing its attention on the pro-inflationary
impact of a weak yen. Although no rate hike is expected
in January, further policy tightening may remain on
the table. Experts do not expect an overnight rate
hike before July.
Reduced
geopolitical risk, supported by developments involving
Venezuela and Iran, has put pressure on gold prices.
The strong dollar and rising US Treasury yields are
also weighing on gold. However, the precious metal's
reluctance to correct in difficult conditions speaks
to its strength.
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
TNA Wrestling vs AEW
Office Workers vs Field Workers
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,
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,
Cryptos and Pop Culture
Culture
In Biz Series Edition
December
To Remember
Dec
15
Sydney, Australia
Dec
14
Wall Street, New York Groove
Cryptos
Struggling; All That Glitters
TKO To Naysayers Again! Thank You Cena!
Road To Royal Rumble
World Streaming Wars
Crypto Wolf Of Wall Street Works Weekends And Xmas
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)
"Friday On My Mind" (The Easybeats)
December
15, 2025
Sin
City Sydney, Australia
ASX
futures down 51 points/0.6%, to 8659
Wall
Street:
S&P
500 -1.1%
Dow Jones: -0.5%
Nasdaq -1.7%
Europe:
Stoxx
50 -0.6%
FTSE -0.6%
DAX -0.5%
CAC -0.2%
Australian
dollar at US66.43 cents
Bitcoin
$88,689.56 -1.83%
Gold
+0.5% to $US4299.63 per ounce
US oil -0.3% to $US57.44 a barrel
Brent crude -0.3% to $US61.12
Iron ore -1% to $US100.45 per ton
10-year
yield:
US 4.18% Australia
4.72% Germany 2.86%
Bitcoin
Bitcoin:
(Near Live) $88,689.56 -1.83%
News
Update: (Near Live)
News
New
York/Wall St via Mr Wolf!
December To Remember!
Dec
14
Before The Bell; Bells To Be Rung
NYC!
Cryptos
Today: (Near Live)
Cryptos
tarnished again!
Bitcoin
$88,689.56 -1.83%
Market
ups and downs! Mood: Medium: Still picking up a little.
Play the long game?! Hardcores keep dream, as always!
Media
Man Favs:
(Near
Live)
Bells
Rung by Mr Wolf!
TKO hulks up Again! Going for submission on competitors?!
Christmas Grinch vs Santa.
Miners on hunt. Gamers full speed instead of socials.
Gaming Awards: Tomb Raider: Atlantis!
Tech heads and grapplers watch streaming wars!
NYSE Bell Ringers With Trees! Prep for new Season's
Beatings!
TKO kicks out again. Saturday Night's Main Event aftermath
heading to WWE RAW and Road To Royal Rumble In UAE
Wall
St, New York
TKO
Group Holdings Inc $208.42 +4.12 +2.02%
NVIDIA Corp $208.42 +4.12 +2.02%
Formula One Group Series $86.41 -0.25 -0.29%
Alphabet Inc Class A $309.29 -3.14 -1.01%
News Corp Class A $26.22 +0.12 +0.46%
Netflix Inc $95.19 +1.10 +1.17%
Caterpillar Inc $597.89 -27.72 -4.43%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $10.65 -0.26
-2.38%
Tesla Inc $458.96 +12.09 +2.71%
Walt Disney Co $111.60 +0.14 +0.13%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $123.66 -1.19 -0.95%
Meta Platforms Inc $644.23 -8.48 -1.30%
Elders ADR $19.73 (US) (NYSE)
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $18.03 +0.12 +0.67%
Rio Tinto Ltd $96.29 +5.70 +6.29%
Paramount Skydance Corp $13.74 -0.38 -2.69%
Red Light Holland Corp $0.020 -0.00018 -0.87%
Volvo ADR (parent/owner of Muck Trucks) $31.94 -0.12
-0.37%
Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany
ADR $4.75 -0.030 -0.63%
Microsoft $478.53 -4.94 -1.02%
News
Global
Markets React to Central Bank Decisions and Policy
Outlooks
Stock
indices
The
Fed managed to please the American stock market by
easing its policy and forecasting an increase in GDP
from 1.8% to 2.3%, as well as a slowdown in inflation
from 3% to 2.5% in 2026, while also discussing the
positive impact of AI on productivity. As a result,
the S&P500 experienced its most dramatic reaction
to an FOMC meeting since March, and the Russell 2000
set a new record. A strong economy and inflation heading
towards the 2% target present a prime opportunity
for stocks. Along with increased productivity, this
indicates that S&P500 companies may see growth
in corporate earnings. Historical episodes in which
the Fed cut rates and markets were near their peaks
have shown higher levels 12 months later in every
case.
However,
expectations for the next rate cut have now shifted
to April, removing the indexes safety buffer. There
may be renewed talk of a tech giant bubble, as evidenced
by Oracle's shares plunging sharply after the company
reported disappointing earnings.
According
to Yardeni Research, investors should diversify away
from the "Magnificent Seven" and seek opportunities
in other issuers, as artificial intelligence is transforming
nearly every company into a technology firm.
What
is ahead
The
key events of the third week of December will be the
release of US labour market data for October and November,
as well as central bank meetings. The ECB, the Bank
of England and the Bank of Japan will have their say.
Investors will also pay attention to European business
activity data for December.
Jerome
Powell says that FOMC officials have similar views
on the US economy but differ in their assessment of
its risks. Hawks are concerned about high inflation,
while doves are worried about the cooling labour market.
If employment figures disappoint, derivatives will
shift expectations of monetary policy easing from
April to March, and possibly even January. This will
weaken the dollar. On the other hand, a pleasant surprise
from non-farm payrolls will allow the USD to recoup
some of its losses. While no changes are expected
from the ECB, the Bank of England is 90% likely to
cut its repo rate to 3.75%. However, the negative
is already priced into the pound, and in the event
of hawkish comments, the pound could strengthen. The
fate of the yen will depend on the outlook for the
Bank of Japan's leadership. Few doubt that the overnight
rate will be raised, but what next? (FxPro)
News
'I
love solving puzzles': How AFP's crypto sleuth tracks
ill-gotten gains
Abigail
Gibson is the Australian Federal Police's only cryptocurrency
forensic accountant, a role she has held since 2022,
after she first joined the AFP as a forensic accountant
in 2017. Gibson uses blockchains to look for clues
that might be able to connect individuals to money
laundering, scams or sales of illicit goods and services
on the dark web, and she says that "cryptocurrency
is a well-established method for criminals to attempt
to hide their wealth and transfer assets". Her
work includes aiding the AFP's Criminal Asset Confiscation
Taskforce, which has frozen $65 million in cryptocurrency
assets since July. (AFR)
News
Miners
lift ASX after Fed; Oracle hits tech
The
Australian sharemarket posted a small gain on Thursday,
with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.2 per cent to close
at 8,592. The resources sector was bolstered by a
rise in the gold price after the US Federal Reserve's
decision to reduce the cash rate for a third time;
Ramelius Resources advanced 6.7 per cent to $3.81
and Rio Tinto was up 1.8 per cent at $140.01. However,
a sharp fall in Oracle's share price weighed on local
technology stocks, with WiseTech Global shedding 2.2
per cent to end the session at $70.99. (AFR/Roy Morgan
Summary)
News
Flashback
Dec
11
Bitcoin
attempts to break the short uptrend
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap has been in a see-saw pattern over
the past three weeks, exhibiting a gentle uptrend
that has returned to the $3.08 trillion level during
a consolidation phase. With no clear trend, crypto
traders have reduced their activity in altcoins, waiting
for the trend to recover in the first cryptocurrency
and key stock indices.
Bitcoin
jumped to $94.5K on Wednesday evening in response
to the Fed's announcement of a bond-buying programme
and a key rate cut. But this link to stocks played
a cruel joke. The fall in Oracle shares dragged the
Nasdaq-100 to eight-day lows, and BTC rolled back
to $90K. The market is testing the strength of the
modest uptrend that has been forming since 21 November.
A drop below $88K would break this trend, bolster
bearish sentiment and confirm the end of the recovery
rally.
News
Background
Public
and private companies have increased their Bitcoin
reserves by 448% since the beginning of the year to
1.08 million BTC, according to Glassnode. The corporate
sector remains a key driver of demand for digital
gold.
ARK
Invest CEO Cathie Wood believes that large companies
buying cryptocurrency for long-term storage could
prevent BTC from falling 75-90% as it has in the past.
Strategy
founder Michael Saylor announced the company's plans
to acquire as much Bitcoin as possible. Mayside Partners
believes that such plans are economically unsound.
This is not innovation, but cascading leverage on
speculative collateral — a model that has failed
time and time again.
The
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has called on
the US Senate to withdraw the cryptocurrency bill
on ‘responsible financial innovation,’ which
will be considered next week. The organisation pointed
to the risks to pension savings and the country's
economy.
Twenty
One Capital, a big Bitcoin holder, has entered the
stock market. The company's shares fell 20% on their
first day of trading on the NYSE. The firm ranks third
among public holders of the first cryptocurrency with
42,000 BTC (~$3.9 billion). (FxPro)
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
World
Leaders Condemn Bondi Beach Attack
Many
Small Crypto Bears Sell Out; Tests Patience To Often;
Bulls Controlling Market For Long Haul
News
56
hours ago +
Developing
Story
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
Triple H vs (many) Washington Cena Fans!
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"
Markets,
Cryptos and Pop Culture
Culture
In Biz Series Edition
Thank God It's Friday For Sin City Sydney
December
To Remember
Dec
12
Sydney, Australia
Dec
11
Wall Street, New York Groove
Cryptos
Struggling; All That Glitters
TKO To Naysayers Again!
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)
"Friday On My Mind" (The Easybeats)
December
12, 2025
Sin
City Sydney, Australia
ASX
futures up 96 points/1.1% to 8687
Wall
Street:
S&P
500 +0.2%
Dow Jones +1.4%
Nasdaq -0.3%
Europe
Stoxx
50 +0.8%
FTSE +0.5%
DAX +0.7%
CAC +0.8%
Australian
dollar at 66.39 US cents
Bitcoin
$92,885.97 +0.52%
Gold
flat: $US4205.79 per ounce
US oil -1.2% to $US57.78 a barrel
Brent crude -1.2% to $US61.46 a barrel
Iron ore -1% to $US101.75 per ton
10-year
yield:
US 4.14%
Australia 4.72%
Germany 2.84%
Bitcoin
Bitcoin:
(Near Live) $92,885.97 +0.52%
Ethereum
$3,249.65 -2.76%
XRP
$2.0508 +0.03%
News
Update: (Near Live)
News
New
York/Wall St via Mr Wolf!
December To Remember!
Dec
11
After The Bell; Bells To Be Rung
NYC!
Cryptos
Today: (Near Live)
Cryptos
tarnished again!
Bitcoin
$93,473.79 +1.16%
Market
ups and downs! Mood: Medium: Still picking up a little.
Play the long game?! Hardcores keep dream, as always!
Media
Man Favs:
(Near
Live)
Bells
Rung by Mr Wolf!
TKO hulks up! Going for submission on competitors?!
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 again heading towards Saturday Night's
Main Event via Friday Night SmackDown!
Wall
St, New York
TKO
Group Holdings Inc $204.30 +7.36 +3.74%
NVIDIA Corp $180.93 -2.85 -1.55%
Formula One Group Series $86.66 +1.42 +1.67%
Alphabet Inc Class A $312.43 -7.78 -2.43%
News Corp Class A $26.10 -0.020 -0.077%
Netflix Inc $94.09 +1.38 +1.49%
Caterpillar Inc $625.61 +10.26 +1.67%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $10.91
-0.39 -3.45%
Tesla Inc $446.87 -4.58 -1.02%
Walt Disney Co $111.46 +2.63 +2.42%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $124.85 +1.25 +1.01%
Meta Platforms Inc $652.71 +2.58 +0.40%
Elders ADR $19.73 (US) (NYSE)
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $17.91 +0.11 +0.62%
Rio Tinto Ltd $90.59 (US)
Paramount Skydance Corp $14.12 -0.60 -4.08%
Red Light Holland Corp $0.021 +0.00261 +4.33%
Volvo ADR (parent/owner of Muck Trucks) $32.06
+0.70 +2.23%
Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany
ADR $4.78 +0.070 +1.49%
Microsoft $483.47 +4.91 +1.03%
News
Global
Markets React to Central Bank Decisions and Policy
Outlooks
Stock
indices
The
Fed managed to please the American stock market by
easing its policy and forecasting an increase in GDP
from 1.8% to 2.3%, as well as a slowdown in inflation
from 3% to 2.5% in 2026, while also discussing the
positive impact of AI on productivity. As a result,
the S&P500 experienced its most dramatic reaction
to an FOMC meeting since March, and the Russell 2000
set a new record.
A
strong economy and inflation heading towards the 2%
target present a prime opportunity for stocks. Along
with increased productivity, this indicates that S&P500
companies may see growth in corporate earnings. Historical
episodes in which the Fed cut rates and markets were
near their peaks have shown higher levels 12 months
later in every case.
However,
expectations for the next rate cut have now shifted
to April, removing the indexes safety buffer. There
may be renewed talk of a tech giant bubble, as evidenced
by Oracle's shares plunging sharply after the company
reported disappointing earnings.
According
to Yardeni Research, investors should diversify away
from the "Magnificent Seven" and seek opportunities
in other issuers, as artificial intelligence is transforming
nearly every company into a technology firm.
What
is ahead
The
key events of the third week of December will be the
release of US labour market data for October and November,
as well as central bank meetings. The ECB, the Bank
of England and the Bank of Japan will have their say.
Investors will also pay attention to European business
activity data for December.
Jerome
Powell says that FOMC officials have similar views
on the US economy but differ in their assessment of
its risks. Hawks are concerned about high inflation,
while doves are worried about the cooling labour market.
If employment figures disappoint, derivatives will
shift expectations of monetary policy easing from
April to March, and possibly even January. This will
weaken the dollar. On the other hand, a pleasant surprise
from non-farm payrolls will allow the USD to recoup
some of its losses.
While
no changes are expected from the ECB, the Bank of
England is 90% likely to cut its repo rate to 3.75%.
However, the negative is already priced into the pound,
and in the event of hawkish comments, the pound could
strengthen. The fate of the yen will depend on the
outlook for the Bank of Japan's leadership. Few doubt
that the overnight rate will be raised, but what next?
(FxPro)
News
'I
love solving puzzles': How AFP's crypto sleuth tracks
ill-gotten gains
Abigail
Gibson is the Australian Federal Police's only cryptocurrency
forensic accountant, a role she has held since 2022,
after she first joined the AFP as a forensic accountant
in 2017. Gibson uses blockchains to look for clues
that might be able to connect individuals to money
laundering, scams or sales of illicit goods and services
on the dark web, and she says that "cryptocurrency
is a well-established method for criminals to attempt
to hide their wealth and transfer assets". Her
work includes aiding the AFP's Criminal Asset Confiscation
Taskforce, which has frozen $65 million in cryptocurrency
assets since July. (AFR)
News
Miners
lift ASX after Fed; Oracle hits tech
The
Australian sharemarket posted a small gain on Thursday,
with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.2 per cent to close
at 8,592. The resources sector was bolstered by a
rise in the gold price after the US Federal Reserve's
decision to reduce the cash rate for a third time;
Ramelius Resources advanced 6.7 per cent to $3.81
and Rio Tinto was up 1.8 per cent at $140.01. However,
a sharp fall in Oracle's share price weighed on local
technology stocks, with WiseTech Global shedding 2.2
per cent to end the session at $70.99. (AFR/Roy Morgan
Summary)
News
Dec
11
Bitcoin
attempts to break the short uptrend
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap has been in a see-saw pattern over
the past three weeks, exhibiting a gentle uptrend
that has returned to the $3.08 trillion level during
a consolidation phase. With no clear trend, crypto
traders have reduced their activity in altcoins, waiting
for the trend to recover in the first cryptocurrency
and key stock indices.
Bitcoin
jumped to $94.5K on Wednesday evening in response
to the Fed's announcement of a bond-buying programme
and a key rate cut. But this link to stocks played
a cruel joke. The fall in Oracle shares dragged the
Nasdaq-100 to eight-day lows, and BTC rolled back
to $90K. The market is testing the strength of the
modest uptrend that has been forming since 21 November.
A drop below $88K would break this trend, bolster
bearish sentiment and confirm the end of the recovery
rally.
News
Background
Public
and private companies have increased their Bitcoin
reserves by 448% since the beginning of the year to
1.08 million BTC, according to Glassnode. The corporate
sector remains a key driver of demand for digital
gold.
ARK
Invest CEO Cathie Wood believes that large companies
buying cryptocurrency for long-term storage could
prevent BTC from falling 75-90% as it has in the past.
Strategy
founder Michael Saylor announced the company's plans
to acquire as much Bitcoin as possible. Mayside Partners
believes that such plans are economically unsound.
This is not innovation, but cascading leverage on
speculative collateral — a model that has failed
time and time again.
The
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has called on
the US Senate to withdraw the cryptocurrency bill
on ‘responsible financial innovation,’ which
will be considered next week. The organisation pointed
to the risks to pension savings and the country's
economy.
Twenty
One Capital, a big Bitcoin holder, has entered the
stock market. The company's shares fell 20% on their
first day of trading on the NYSE. The firm ranks third
among public holders of the first cryptocurrency with
42,000 BTC (~$3.9 billion). (FxPro)
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 +
Developing
Story
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"
Mining/Energy/Resources:
Australia and World
October
2025
October
21, 2025
Monday
Money: All That Glitters ...
(New
York, Wall St)
Mining
Stocks: (Near Live)
BHP
Group Ltd $43.63 -0.50 -1.13%
Fortescue Ltd $20.31 -0.56%
Rio Tinto $130.11 -1.78 -1.35%
Northern Star $23.46 -2.38 -9.21%
Evolution Mining Ltd $10.58 -1.01 -8.71%
Lynas Rare Earths Ltd $18.11 -0.86 -4.51%
Mineral Resources Ltd $41.38 -0.79 -1.87%
Gold
Price Today: 4,122.58 -219.77 -5.06%
News
Oct
22
Australia
Trump
and Albanese Seal $8.5 Billion Critical Minerals Pact
Amid Rudd Rebuke
President
Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony
Albanese signed a framework agreement on October 20,
2025, at the White House, valued at up to $8.5 billion,
to enhance supply chains for critical minerals and
rare earths, including over $3 billion in investments
for mining and processing 30 essential metals for
defense, technology, and clean energy. The deal aims
to reduce reliance on China's dominance in these resources
while reinforcing the U.S.-Australia alliance, including
AUKUS submarine efforts. During the meeting, Trump
publicly confronted Australian Ambassador Kevin Rudd
over his prior criticisms, stating 'I don't like you
either,' prompting varied reactions from Australian
officials and widespread social media attention.
News
Albanese
hits critical mass
The
$US8.5bn ($13bn) critical minerals framework agreement
between Australia and the US will result in each country
contributing at least US$1bn to critical minerals
and rare earths projects over the next six months.
They include a gallium project in Western Australia
and the Nolans rare earths project in the Northern
Territory. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump says
the AUKUS alliance will be a "deterrence"
to Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.
Trump contends that AUKUS will not be needed to defend
Taiwan, because he does not think China will invade
the self-governed territory. Trump has also ruled
out reviewing the current tariffs on Australian imports,
stating that the nation "pays among the lowest
tariffs"; this includes a baseline tariff of
10 per cent and a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium
products. (RMS)
News
The
Victorian towns poised to benefit from critical minerals
deal
Edith
Cowan University's Amir Razmjou says Western Australia,
Queensland and South Australia will benefit the most
from the landmark critical minerals deal with the
US, followed by Victoria. Meanwhile, the Victorian
government notes that the state has "globally
significant" quantities of titanium, zirconium
and rare-earth elements, as well as Australia's only
operating antimony mine. It adds that growth in critical
minerals could "inject billions of dollars of
benefits" into regional Victoria; the Gippsland,
Wimmera and Mallee regions account for the bulk of
the state's critical minerals. However, farmers have
warned that developing these deposits must not jeopardise
the state's food bowl.
News
Flashback
News
Lead Up
PM
to meet White House mining gurus to help solve crisis
Prime
Minister Anthony Albanese will attend an event in
Washington on Tuesday to mark the 140th anniversary
of mining company BHP. US Interior Secretary Doug
Burgum and National Security Council adviser David
Copley will be present at the event, with both men
heavily involved in trying to solve the US's critical
minerals crisis. A former executive of US gold, copper
and zinc miner Newmont, Copley is viewed as the White
House's unofficial mining guru, while Burgum has taken
a keen interest in the efforts of BHP and fellow Australian
mining firm Rio Tinto to establish a large copper
mine in Arizona. (RMS)
News
NuCoal
to blight pitch on minerals
There
are claims that the cancellation of a coal mining
licence by the NSW government in 2014 represents a
breach of the Australian-US free trade act. The licence
was held by NuCoal, with US investors in NuCoal seeking
as much as $500 million in compensation for the cancellation.
Nick Farr-Jones, director of Taurus Funds Management,
which represents US shareholders in NuCoal, says Prime
Minister Anthony Albanese should use his trip to Washington
and his meeting with US President Donald Trump as
an opportunity to compensate the US investors. Farr-Jones
says Australia needs to "right this wrong"
if the federal government is to have any credibility
when it comes to mineral rights. (RMS)
News
Gold
Bulls have no choice but to push
Gold's
rally to record highs above $4,300 per ounce resulted
from a debasement trade. Governments cannot cope with
budget deficits, are accumulating debt and demanding
that central banks cut interest rates, as in the US,
or keep them low, as in Japan. As a result, investors
are losing confidence in government bonds and currencies.
They are looking for alternatives and turning their
attention to precious metals. As a result, gold has
been gaining for the last nine weeks, the fifth time
in the history of free currency conversion since the
1970s. However, there has never been a 10-week consecutive
growth period. The gap from the 200-week moving average
also shows the excessiveness of the rally. The spot
price at its peak exceeded this line by 90%. There
has only been one larger gap once before, in 1980.
At the very least, the market needs a technical respite.
But historically, its beginning could be the start
of a significant multi-year reversal. Now, we are
on the side of the bears, but at the same time, we
understand that the bulls simply have no choice but
to push the price further up, as stopping would ruin
the whole game. Each time, gold finds a new driver
of growth. In the summer, there were expectations
of a resumption of the Fed's easing cycle. To be cont...
(FxPro)
News
Rinehart's
rare earths shares top $3.5b as Trump needles China
Hancock
Prospecting has increased its exposure to the rare
earths sector after participating in St George Mining's
$72.5m capital raising. The latter had initially sought
to raise $40m, but increased this to $50m in response
to strong demand from institutional investors. St
George subsequently also agreed to issue Hancock with
$22.5m worth of shares, lifting the Gina Rinehart-controlled
company's stake to around six per cent. St George
will use the proceeds of the capital raising to expand
its Araxa project in Brazil. Hancock's other investments
in the sector include Lynas Rare Earths, Arafura Rare
Earths and US-based MP Materials. (RMS)
News
Flashback
PM
has his work cut out striking rare earths deal with
Trump
Prime
Minister Anthony Albanese is hoping to secure a deal
with US President Donald Trump regarding the US getting
access to Australia's rare earths, but it may not
be as easy as Albanese might hope. The Trump administration
is seen as being divided into two camps on the issue,
namely the resource nationalists and the economic
rationalists, and the first one is currently holding
sway. They believe the US should create an end-to-end
critical mineral supply chain, and it was probably
behind the recent US government investments and equity
stakes in US critical minerals mining firms Lithium
Americas and MP Materials. The economic rationalists
camp believes the US needs the help of its allies
to meet its critical mineral needs, at least in the
short term, with it being noted it can take more than
20 years to open a new mine in the US. (RMS)
News
Minerals/Politics
Stockpile
of critical metals urgent: miners
The
federal government aims to establish its $1.2bn critical
minerals strategic reserve by late 2026. However,
the mining industry has warned the government that
it must act more quickly to build the minerals stockpile,
contending that another mining nation could potentially
trump Australia and become a supplier of choice to
defence partners such as the US and Japan. Meanwhile,
the industry is believed to have been told that the
government may use contracts for difference to set
a 'floor price' for critical minerals. The strategic
reserve is expected to a priority when Prime Minister
Anthony Albanese meets US President Donald Trump at
the White House next week. (RMS)
News
Australian/Asia
Pacific News
Rio
set to shutter Tomago smelter
The
Tomago aluminium smelter's coal-fired power supply
contract with AGL Energy is set to expire in 2028,
and it faces the prospect of a massive increase in
power costs under any new supply agreement. This makes
it highly likely that Rio Tinto and its partners in
Tomago will permanently shut down the NSW smelter
in 2028, unless investment in renewable energy in
the state is ramped up significantly in the next few
years. The cost of electricity is also a major threat
to the future of Rio Tinto's Bell Bay aluminium smelter
in Tasmania, with its current supply deal to expire
at the end of this year. The Tomago smelter employs
more than 1,000 people. (RMS)
News
Ellison
loses key ally in MinRes board exodus
Iron
ore and lithium producer Mineral Resources has appointed
Colin Moorhead and Susan Ferrier as non-executive
directors. Their recruitment follows the departure
of six members of Mineral Resources' board in recent
months; this includes Zimi Meka, whose resignation
was announced on Friday. The recent departures mean
that only three of the nine MinRes directors who attended
its 2024 AGM will front shareholders at this year's
meeting; they include embattled MD Chris Ellison,
who has previously committed to stepping down by mid-2026.
(RMS)
News
Rare
earths market splits into light and medium-heavy segments
There
are increasing signs that the rare earths market is
splitting into two distinct segments, namely light
elements such as as neodymium and praseodymium, and
medium-heavy elements such as dysprosium and terbium.
The Shanghai Metal Market suggests that while demand
for light elements remains stable, demand for medium-heavy
elements is weak, and procurement teams need to differentiate
between these segments when negotiating contracts.
US buyers need to cultivate relationships with non-Chinese
suppliers, as well as keeping an eye on government
equity moves, as Washington's willingness to take
direct stakes in projects like Tanbreez suggests future
deals are likely.
News
Rio,
Japanese in Pilbara mine deal
Rio
Tinto has secured state and federal government approvals
to develop new iron ore deposits at the West Angelas
hub in the Pilbara. Rio Tinto and its Robe River joint
venture partners, Mitsui and Nippon Steel, will invest
$US733m ($1.1bn) to expand the West Angelas mine,
with Rio Tinto to contribute $US389m. The expansion
of West Angelas will maintain its annual production
capacity of 35 million tonnes. Rio Tinto launched
its Western Range iron ore joint venture with China-based
Baowu in June, as part of its ongoing commitment to
the Pilbara. (RMS)
News
Loophole
use in $2.4b gold deal leads to reform calls
Shares
in gold miner Predictive Discovery have rallied in
the wake of a proposed merger with Toronto-listed
Robex. Predictive's shareholders will control 51 per
cent of the merged group, although they will not be
given a vote on the deal. In contrast, the merger
will need to be approved by at least two-thirds of
Robex shareholders. The proposed merger has prompted
renewed scrutiny of the ASX's listing rules, which
allow companies to waive the requirement for a shareholder
vote under certain circumstances. Simon Mawhinney
from Allan Gray Australia has likened the Predictive
deal to James Hardie's merger with Azek earlier this
year. (RMS)
News
GoldMining
Inc. launches 2025 exploration at São Jorge,
Brazil
Comprehensive
program targets copper-gold zones; recent drilling
hit 2.79 g/t AuEq over 79m, including antimony mineralization.
Company also expands land package and updates mineral
resource estimates.
News
Nevada
Gold Mines deploys autonomous haul trucks
Fleet
of 300- and 230-tonne trucks automated using Komatsu's
FrontRunner system across U.S. surface operations
for efficiency gains.
News
Calls
for uranium listing as US goes all out on nuclear
power
Shadow
energy minister Dan Tehan says White House officials
emphasised during his recent visit to the US thart
a secure supply of uranium is a priority for the Trump
administration. Tehan contends that the federal government
should therefore add uranium to its critical minerals
list, and include it in any deal with the US for an
exemption from its reciprocal tariffs regime. Australia
accounts for about one-third of the world's known
reserves, although the nation's exports of unenriched
uranium comprises just 10 per cent of global supply
at present. Tehan recently reiterated that nuclear
power will remain part of the Coalition's energy policy.
(RMS)
News
BHP
salutes Japan 'trust'
BHP's
president of its Australian operations, Geraldine
Slattery, addressed an Australia-Japan business conference
on Monday. She declined to comment on unconfirmed
reports that China has banned the resources group's
Pilbara iron ore shipments. Instead, she emphasised
BHP's "deep" relationship with Japan and
the free-trade relations between the two nations.
Slattery highlighted the level of trust and transparency
in the relationship between Australia and Japan. (RMS)
News
MinRes
appoints company secretary
Iron
ore and lithium producer Mineral Resources has appointed
Sarah Standish as its joint company secretary. Standish
will replace CFO Mark Wilson in the role, which she
will share with Derek Oelofse. Mineral Resources has
released a statement in which it notes that Standish
has 20 years of experience in legal, governance, risk
and compliance functions at both ASX-listed and international
companies in the mining and energy sectors. Her appointment
has coincided with the Australian Securities &
Investments Commission investigation into corporate
governance issues at Mineral Resources. (RMS)
News
Upstart
glisters among surging gold miners
The
gold price has risen by almost 50 per cent in US dollar
terms so far in 2025. This has in turn boosted the
share prices of Australian gold producers; Northern
Star Resources' market capitalisation has increased
by 60 per cent so far in 2025, reaching a record high
of $35bn last week. Meanwhile, Westgold Resources'
share price rose by 24 per cent last week, lifting
its market capitalisation from $4bn to $5.1bn; this
followed its announcement of plans to lift gold production
by 45 per cent to 470,000 ounces over the next three
years. (RMS)
News
Lynas
revisited: Can it reclaim its crown in rare earths?
Lynas
Rare Earths is one of the few players in the sector
outside China with genuine scale, but it is now at
a critical juncture. A vertically integrated business
model allows Lynas to produce a range of refined products,
particularly neodymium and praseodymium. However,
its product mix has leaned heavily toward light rare
earths, leaving it exposed to pricing volatility.
The most notable development in 2025 has been Lynas's
breakthrough into heavy rare earths; the company announced
its first production of dysprosium oxide in May, followed
by terbium oxide at its Malaysian plant in June. This
milestone currently makes Lynas the only commercial-scale
producer of separated heavy rare earths outside China.
Potential risks for Lynas include cost inflation,
the ongoing threat of competition from China and uncertainty
regarding the future of its licence in Malaysia. (RMS)
News
MinRes
scores legal win on port levies
The
Supreme Court of Western Australia has ruled that
Mineral Resources and its lawyers should be allowed
to see details of a controversial agreement between
the state government and Chevron. The state-owned
Pilbara Ports Authority had sought to block access
to the agreement, which requires MinRes to pay a levy
for using a cargo wharf and part of a shipping channel
that had been dredged by Chevron for its Wheatstone
LNG project. Chevron also built the Port of Ashburton,
which MinRes now uses to export iron ore from its
Onslow Iron project. (RMS)
News
Rare
earth magnets have become the new battleground for
global power
The
unique properties of rare earth magnets have resulted
in them becoming strategic assets, and supply chain
control is increasingly being viewed as a matter of
national security. China dominates the global production
and supply of rare earth magnets, and this dependence
on China was underlined earlier this year when the
nation imposed export controls. Four rare earth magnet
factories are currently under construction in the
US, but China has been investing in rare earths processing
for decades; it also manufactures most of the world's
refining equipment and employs most of the specialised
technicians, so ending China's dominance is likely
to take years. (RMS)
News
BHP
Faces Chinese Iron Ore Ban Amid Pricing Dispute:
Reports
emerged that China's state-run iron ore buyers have
instructed steelmakers to halt purchases of dollar-denominated
cargoes from BHP, causing the company's shares to
drop 1.8%. This escalates a broader pricing row, with
BHP's stock closing at A$41.91 (down 0.73%). Analysts
warn of potential supply chain disruptions for Australia's
largest exporter.
Rio
Tinto Eyes Early Closure of Queensland's Largest Coal
Power Station:
The
mining giant notified the Australian Energy Market
Operator of a potential shutdown of its 1,000 MW coal-fired
plant at the Tarong site as early as March 2029—six
years ahead of schedule. This aligns with Rio's decarbonization
push but raises concerns over energy reliability in
coal-dependent Queensland.
Alcoa
Permanently Closes Kwinana Alumina Refinery:
The
U.S.-based firm confirmed the shutdown of its Western
Australian facility after 60 years, citing high energy
costs and global oversupply. This impacts 400 jobs
and underscores aluminium sector struggles, with WA's
government exploring support for affected workers.
Coal
Royalty Pressures Lead to Job Cuts:
BHP's
closure of the Saraji South mine in Queensland's Bowen
Basin will eliminate 750 jobs, blamed on royalties
eight times higher than 2024 profits.
Anglo
American announced further redundancies at its Grosvenor
mine and Brisbane office (potentially 1,000+ roles).
Queensland's government offers fee relief but resists
royalty cuts.
News
Flashback
Events
The
sector gears up for major gatherings focusing on innovation
and investment:
WA
Mining Conference & Exhibition: October 8–9,
Perth Convention Centre—spotlighting future tech,
sustainability, and critical minerals. Expected to
draw thousands for networking and demos.
International
Mining & Resources Conference (IMARC): October
21–23, Sydney—featuring leaders from 120+
countries, including Federal Resources Minister Madeleine
King. Themes include global investment and decarbonization.
Asia-Pacific
International Mining Exhibition (AIMEX):
September
23–25, Adelaide (ongoing as of early October)—showcasing
automation and safety, with the Australian Mining
Prospect Awards at Adelaide Oval.
News
Flashback
Trump
seeks equity stakes in critical mineral producers
The
US Department of Defense bought $US400m ($607m) worth
of shares in rare earths producer MP Materials earlier
in 2025. The Trump administration is said to be looking
at buying equity-like stakes in other producers of
critical minerals, according to executives of Australian
mining companies who recently held talks with officials
from various US government agencies. Amongst other
things, the government is said to be interested in
buying stock warrants, which would grant it the right
to buy shares in a mining company. The US aims to
reduce its reliance on China for minerals that are
crucial for defence technology and the energy transition.
(RMS)
News
Argonaut
tips gold to hit $US4500, lithium revival as supply
tightens
The
gold price has risen by 45 per cent so far in 2025,
and it is currently trading above $US3,800 per ounce.
Perth-based stockbroker Argonaut is bullish about
the outlook for bullion, lifting its peak price forecast
to US$4,500. Argonaut's executive chairman and co-founder
Eddie Rigg also anticipates further consolidation
in the gold sector. Meanwhile, Rigg expects the lithium
price to rebound, arguing that proposed new projects
in South America and Africa are unlikely to proceed
in the near-term; he notes that they will be capital-intensive,
while many are in volatile jurisdictions. (RMS)
News
News
Flashback
Profile
Hancock
Prospecting
Hancock
Prospecting Pty Ltd is an Australian-owned mining
and agricultural business run by Executive Chairwoman
Gina Rinehart and CEO Garry Korte. At various stages
of its trading history, the company has been known
as Hancock Prospecting Ltd, Hancock Resources Ltd,
Hanwright Pty Ltd, Hancock & Wright Ltd, and Hancock
Prospecting Pty Ltd.
Hancock
Prospecting Pty Ltd is owned by Rinehart (76.6%) and
the Hope Margaret Hancock Trust (23.4%).
The
company was founded in 1955 by Rinehart's father,
the late Lang Hancock. Hancock Prospecting holds the
mineral rights to some of the largest Crown land leases
in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Gina
Rinehart has disputed accusations that she is an heiress.
Through Rinehart's spokesperson and chief financial
officer at Hancock Prospecting, Jay Newby, Rinehart
has claimed that upon assuming the role of the Executive
Chairwoman, she took over a company that was in a
perilous financial position with significant debt
and major assets mortgages and under threat of seizure.
Projects:
Balfour
Downs Station Manganese Operation, northeast of Newman,
a joint venture with Mineral Resources
Hope
Downs mine, northwest of Newman, a joint venture with
Rio Tinto
Roy
Hill project, south of Port Hedland, a joint venture
between Hancock Prospecting (70%), Marubeni (15%),
POSCO (12.5%), and China Steel Corporation (2.5%)
Alpha
Coal project, Galilee Basin in Central Queensland
Kevin's
Corner coal project, Galilee Basin in Central Queensland
Nicholas
Downs mine, northwest of Newman, a joint venture with
Mineral Resources
(Developing
profile/news). To be cont ...
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
January
5, 2025
Media
Man
News
Entertainment
News Pop
Culture Sports
News Politics
Business
News Social
Media
Streaming
News Wrestling
News
Trending
News X
News Grok
News
Here's
a snapshot of what's buzzing in the entertainment
world today:
Angelina
Jolie has made headlines with her new hairstyle, debuting
bangs at a recent red carpet event post-divorce.
Taylor
Swift and Travis Kelce were spotted having a cozy
New Year's celebration, adding fuel to the gossip
mills.
Vanessa
Williams has announced a brief hiatus from her career
following a family tragedy.
Kristen
Bell has warmed hearts with her actions ahead of the
New Year, capturing fans' admiration.
The
Jonas Brothers kicked off the New Year with a performance
that sent their fans into a frenzy.
Ariana
Grande has humorously mentioned that her voice for
the role in 'Wicked' might stick with her permanently.
Christina
Haack and Josh Hall are reportedly clashing in a new
HGTV show, "The Flip Off."
The
Golden Globes are set to kick off the awards season,
with Viola Davis and Ted Danson giving masterclasses
in artistry at a special ceremony.
Additionally,
trending news includes:
Marianne
Jean-Baptiste securing a critics' trifecta for her
role in 'Hard Truths', though her Oscar chances remain
uncertain due to the film's mixed reception. (Trending
on X)
LiAngelo Ball has released a new song titled 'TWEAKER',
creating significant buzz with its catchy lines. (Trending
on X)
Shayla, a popular character, has stirred deep emotions
among fans, possibly due to a significant storyline
change or development. (Trending on X)
For
more entertainment updates, keep an eye on platforms
like X for the latest and most engaging news from
the world of celebrities, movies, music, and more.
(Grok)
Breaking
News via Grok
January
5, 2025
Grok
Here
are some of the top breaking news headlines from recent
updates:
Domestic
Violence Incident in Brighton: A tragic shooting in
Brighton, New York, resulted in the deaths of two
adults and a child, identified as a domestic violence
case. Emergency services responded promptly to the
scene at Hollyvale Drive.
Virgin
Australia Crew Incident in Fiji: Two Virgin Australia
crew members were allegedly assaulted and robbed during
a night out in Nadi, Fiji, on New Year's Eve. The
incident has raised concerns about safety in tourist
areas.
Heatwave
in South-East Australia: A forecasted heatwave is
expected to bring temperatures over 40°C in parts
of Sydney, with Melbourne also experiencing significant
heat. This weather event is prompting concerns about
fire risks and public health.
Flooding in Queensland: Brisbane has seen its wettest
year in over a century, leading to flooding in parts
of North Queensland. The heavy rainfall has caused
disruptions and raised flood warnings.
Search
for Missing Fisherman Halted: The search for a missing
fisherman off the coast of New South Wales was paused,
with family members still holding out hope. This incident
underscores the dangers of fishing in coastal waters.
Trump's
NATO Consideration: There are discussions about President-elect
Trump potentially pulling the U.S. out of NATO, a
significant policy shift that could impact global
alliances and security.
Urfan
Sharif Assault in Prison: Urfan Sharif, convicted
for the murder of his daughter, was attacked in HMP
Belmarsh, leading to discussions about prison justice
and security.
These headlines cover a range of topics from local
tragedies to potential shifts in international policy,
reflecting the diverse nature of current events. Remember,
for the most up-to-date information, checking trusted
news sources or following live updates is advisable.
Combat
Sports Week At Media Man; Elon Musk's X And Grok Take
Publishers, Reporters, Fans Et Al Around The World
Of Sports In A TKO Second!: Media Man
October
1, 2024
News
Alex
Pereira's Arrival for UFC 307
Alex
Pereira, known as 'Poatan', is gearing up for a highly
anticipated UFC fight at UFC 307 against Khalil Rountree
Jr., scheduled for October 2024. The fight week has
begun with both fighters, including notable figures
like Jose Aldo, checking in for the event. There's
considerable excitement around this match, primarily
due to the knockout capabilities of both fighters.
Pereira has publicly stated his intention to 'break'
Rountree, intensifying the event's buildup. Discussions
and analyses have focused on Pereira's recent UFC
activities, potential retirement, and the high stakes
of the main event, suggesting it could be one of the
most thrilling UFC main events recently. Additionally,
Khalil Rountree hinted at employing a never-before-seen
move during the fight, adding an element of mystery
and anticipation. (Grok)
News
UFC
307 and DWCS Week 8
UFC
307 is generating significant buzz, particularly for
the main event where Alex Pereira has promised an
intense confrontation against Khalil Rountree, vowing
to 'break' him. This fight is not only a highlight
of the event but also showcases both fighters' formidable
striking power, with predictions leaning towards a
knockout rather than a decision. Alongside this main
event, the UFC community is abuzz with excitement
for other matchups, discussing fighters' skills and
predicting outcomes. Concurrently, the Dana White's
Contender Series (DWCS) Week 8 is taking place, spotlighting
emerging talents like Christien Savoie, who are competing
for the chance to earn UFC contracts. The DWCS not
only serves as a platform for new fighters but also
engages fans with live events and betting odds, adding
another layer of anticipation and discussion around
the UFC's upcoming events. (Grok)
News
UFC
307 Fight Week
UFC
307, scheduled for Saturday, features a highly anticipated
main event between Alex Pereira, known for his striking
prowess, and Khalil Rountree Jr., who has hinted at
a unique move he might employ during the fight. The
event has sparked considerable interest among fans
and analysts, with discussions focusing on the fighters'
capabilities and potential outcomes. Alongside the
main event, the Dana White Contender Series (DWCS)
Week 8 is also taking place, offering emerging fighters
a chance to secure UFC contracts. Notable fighters
like Jose Aldo, Kevin Holland, and Stephen Thompson
are also highlighted, adding to the excitement with
their upcoming matches. The event is set to be broadcast
live, with various analyses and predictions circulating
among enthusiasts. (Grok)
News
Torrez
Finney's Third DWCS Victory
Torrez
Finney achieved a significant milestone by becoming
the first fighter to win three times on Dana White's
Contender Series (DWCS). In his third appearance on
DWCS, which took place on October 1, 2024, Finney
secured a first-round TKO victory over Abdellah Er-Ramy.
This performance not only marked his third win on
the series but also showcased his dominant skills,
leading to widespread acclaim across social media
platforms, particularly X (formerly known as Twitter).
Following this victory, there was a consensus among
observers and fans that not offering Finney a UFC
contract would be an oversight, given his undefeated
record and his consistent performance under the DWCS
spotlight. This achievement cements his status as
a top prospect in the middleweight division, with
many expecting him to finally receive a UFC contract.
(Grok)
News
Khalil
Rountree's Mystery Move at UFC 307
Ahead
of UFC 307, Khalil Rountree Jr. has hinted at employing
a unique, never-before-seen technique in his upcoming
fight against Alex Pereira, the current light heavyweight
champion. Rountree, known for his striking prowess,
aims to dethrone Pereira with a knockout, seeking
to establish himself as a formidable force in the
UFC. The event has drawn significant attention, with
fans and analysts speculating on Rountree's strategy
and the potential outcome of this high-stakes match.
Meanwhile, new sparring footage of Pereira with Sean
Strickland has been released, showcasing Pereira's
skills and improvement in English. Other notable fighters
like Kevin Holland and Jose Aldo are also featured
in the event, but the main event between Pereira and
Rountree remains the focal point, with expectations
set high for an explosive encounter. (Grok)
News
Diyar
Nurgozhay's Head Kick KO
Diyar
Nurgozhay recently showcased his striking prowess
at Dana White's Contender Series, where he secured
a notable victory via a head kick knockout against
Bartosz Szewczyk during the light heavyweight bout
at DWCS 74. This event took place on October 1, 2024,
at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Nurgozhay, maintaining
his undefeated record, delivered the knockout in the
second round, further solidifying his reputation in
the MMA community. This performance not only electrified
the audience but also significantly boosted his potential
for earning a UFC contract, given the platform's purpose
of scouting new talent for the UFC roster. This victory
adds to Nurgozhay's highlight reel, known for his
finishing capabilities, as he continues his journey
with an eye on the UFC. (Grok)
News
New
WWENXT Logo Debuts on The CW
WWE
NXT has introduced a new logo as part of its transition
to The CW network, marking the beginning of a new
era for the wrestling brand. The rebranding, effective
from October 1, 2024, aims to evoke a more classic
aesthetic. The debut on The CW was highlighted by
various wrestling personalities and news outlets,
with many expressing enthusiasm for the new look and
the show's premiere. The debut episode featured significant
matches, including a championship bout and a street
fight, indicating a strong start to NXT's new chapter
on The CW. (Grok)
News
Roxanne
Perez Retains NXT Title with Cora Jade's Return
Roxanne
Perez successfully defended her NXT Women's Championship
against Giulia in a recent WWE NXT event, marked by
an unexpected twist when Cora Jade returned to assist
Perez in retaining her title. This intervention was
pivotal in Perez's victory, sparking varied reactions
among fans. While some expressed disappointment with
the match's conclusion and the manner of Giulia's
defeat, others were thrilled by Cora Jade's comeback,
anticipating new storylines. Despite the controversial
finish, the match received praise for its quality.
(Grok)
News
Mixed
Reactions to New NXT Titles
Based
on the information gathered from posts on X and general
web sentiment, the introduction of new NXT titles
has generated a mix of reactions among fans and observers:
Design
Critique: There's a noticeable divide over the aesthetic
of the new NXT titles. Some fans have expressed a
preference for the previous designs, particularly
the "rainbow titles" which were admired
for their vibrant yet balanced color scheme. The new
designs have been described by some as less appealing
initially, but there's an acknowledgment that acceptance
might grow over time. For instance, one user likened
the transition in perception from the old to the new
titles humorously, suggesting that while the initial
reaction might be negative, eventual adaptation is
expected.
Nostalgia
and Change: The change in title designs seems to reflect
broader changes within NXT, including its move to
The CW network. This shift has stirred mixed feelings,
with some fans feeling nostalgic about the "black
and gold" era of NXT, which these new titles
symbolically depart from. However, there's also excitement
about what this change could mean for NXT's future,
especially with the involvement of figures like Shawn
Michaels in crafting the new era.
Performance
and Presentation: Despite mixed feelings about the
titles' design, there's a consensus on the quality
of the matches and the presentation of NXT on The
CW. The debut of NXT on this new platform, highlighted
by significant matches like Ethan Page vs. Trick Williams
for the NXT Title, and the involvement of high-profile
figures or matchups, indicates that while the titles
themselves might be divisive, the content and direction
of NXT are still highly anticipated and discussed.
Fan
Engagement: The new titles have certainly engaged
the fanbase, sparking conversations not just about
design but about what these changes signify for NXT's
identity and its place within WWE's broader ecosystem.
This engagement ranges from criticism to cautious
optimism, with some fans seeing it as a necessary
evolution for NXT to stand out in the crowded landscape
of wrestling entertainment.
Cultural
and Identity Shifts: There's an underlying discussion
about what these titles represent for NXT's brand
identity. Some fans have humorously or critically
remarked on the choice of design, questioning if it
aligns with NXT's desire to carve out a unique identity
or if it's merely a shift for the sake of change.
This touches on broader themes of brand evolution
and fan acceptance of change in professional wrestling.
In
summary, while the new NXT titles have sparked a variety
of reactions from critique over their design to nostalgia
for previous eras, there's an underlying excitement
about the narrative and performance aspects of NXT's
new chapter. The conversation around these titles
encapsulates fans' emotional connection to NXT's history
and their hopes or concerns for its future under its
new presentation. (Grok)
News
Wes
Lee Wins Street Fight at WWENXT
During
a recent WWE NXT event, Wes Lee defeated Zachary Wentz
in a highly praised street fight. The match, described
as both brutal and entertaining, featured intense
action characteristic of street fights. Both wrestlers
received acclaim for their performance, with fans
and commentators noting the match as a highlight of
the evening's programming. The fight included dramatic
moments, such as Wentz missing a table dive, adding
to the spectacle. This victory for Wes Lee was celebrated,
with many expressing enthusiasm for the match's quality
and hoping for future encounters between the two.
(Grok)
News
WWE
Bad Blood
WWE
Bad Blood is making a comeback in 2024, marking the
fourth event under this name and the first since 2004.
Here's what you need to know:
Event
Date and Location: The event is scheduled for Saturday,
October 5, 2024, at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta,
Georgia. This date coincides with the 27th anniversary
of the first Bad Blood event.
Broadcast
Details: Bad Blood 2024 will be available via traditional
pay-per-view (PPV) worldwide and will also air on
WWE's streaming platforms, specifically Peacock in
the United States and WWE Network internationally.
Historical
Significance: The original Bad Blood in 1997 introduced
the Hell in a Cell match, which has been a staple
of the event, including in its previous iterations
in 2003 and 2004.
Matches
and Card: One of the main matches includes Liv Morgan
vs. Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship,
with a unique twist where Dominik Mysterio will be
suspended above the ring in a shark cage to prevent
interference.
There's
also speculation and reports about a Hell in a Cell
match between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre, though there
was some uncertainty about whether this would be the
main event or if a tag team match involving Roman
Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Solo Sikoa, and possibly Jacob
Fatu would close the show. However, recent discussions
and fan reactions suggest a strong possibility of
Punk vs. McIntyre main eventing due to the historical
significance of Hell in a Cell at Bad Blood.
Themes
and Anniversaries: The event is not only a nod to
its own history but also leverages the anniversary
of the first Hell in a Cell match. The involvement
of high-profile figures like CM Punk, Drew McIntyre,
and the intertwining storylines with Roman Reigns
and Cody Rhodes adds layers to the event's narrative.
Fan
and Industry Buzz: There's considerable excitement
around the return of Bad Blood, especially concerning
how WWE will utilize the Hell in a Cell structure
this time, given its history with the event. Fan posts
on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) show anticipation
for the matches, particularly the potential main events,
and how WWE might script the outcomes to impact ongoing
WWE storylines.
This
event represents not just a wrestling spectacle but
a significant moment in WWE's calendar, blending nostalgia
with current rivalries, making Bad Blood 2024 a must-watch
for WWE fans. (Grok)
News
Beterbiev
vs Bivol: Clash of the Undefeated
The
latest on Beterbiev vs. Bivol, titled "Clash
of the Undefeated," centers around their upcoming
fight scheduled for October 12, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia. Here's what's been circulating and reported:
Fight
Details: Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) will face
Dmitry Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) in a unification bout
for the IBF, WBC, WBO, and WBA light heavyweight titles,
marking a significant event in boxing as both fighters
are undefeated.
Beterbiev's
Condition: After a knee injury forced a postponement
from an initially planned June fight, Beterbiev has
confirmed his 100% recovery and readiness for this
bout. His approach to training and recovery underscores
his intent to maintain his 100% knockout record.
Bivol's
Perspective: Dmitry Bivol has expressed that this
fight is not personal but a professional challenge
to become the undisputed champion. His strategy likely
involves his well-known boxing skills, with an emphasis
on counterpunching and movement, aiming to possibly
outbox or even, as speculated by some like Chris Algieri,
potentially knock down Beterbiev.
Public
and Expert Opinions: There's a mix of predictions
and excitement around this match. Some fans and analysts
believe Bivol's boxing IQ and defensive skills might
give him an edge, while others favor Beterbiev's relentless
pressure and knockout power. The discussion often
revolves around whether Bivol's style can withstand
or adapt to Beterbiev's aggressive tactics.
Undercard
and Event: The undercard features notable fights,
enhancing the event's appeal. Names like Chris Eubank
Jr., Fabio Wardley, and Jai Opetaia add to the night's
boxing spectacle.
General
Sentiment: The fight is widely anticipated as one
of the biggest in 2024, not just for the titles at
stake but for the clash of styles and the potential
for defining moments in both fighters' careers. The
narrative around this fight often highlights the rarity
of seeing two such high-caliber, undefeated champions
facing off, especially at light heavyweight.
This
event is not just a fight for belts but is seen as
a significant moment in boxing, where the outcome
could solidify one fighter's legacy or dramatically
alter perceptions of both in the sport. (Grok)
News
AEW
Dynamite 5-Year Anniversary Show
The
AEW Dynamite 5-Year Anniversary Show, set for October
2, 2024, at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh,
PA, is gearing up to be a landmark event for All Elite
Wrestling. Here's what's on the slate based on the
latest information:
Main
Event: A high-stakes, title-for-title match is scheduled
where Bryan Danielson will defend his AEW World Championship
against Kazuchika Okada, who is bringing his AEW Continental
Championship into the match. However, there's a twist:
Okada's championship will only be on the line for
the first 20 minutes of the match. If the match goes
beyond that, only Danielson's AEW World Championship
remains in contention.
Another
Title Defense: Will Ospreay will defend his AEW International
Championship against Ricochet. This match has been
highlighted as part of the anniversary celebration.
Other
Matches:
Hangman Adam Page is set to face Juice Robinson. Dr.
Britt Baker, D.M.D. will return for a match, although
the opponent hasn't been specified in the latest updates
provided, there was mention of her facing Serena Deeb
in some fan discussions or reports.
Special
Features: The episode is not just about the matches
but also about celebrating five years of AEW Dynamite.
Tony Khan, AEW's President, has teased a significant
announcement which could potentially set the tone
for the future of AEW. This adds an element of anticipation
beyond the in-ring action.
Broadcast
Details: The show will have a significant overrun,
courtesy of TBS Network, indicating more content than
the usual runtime, possibly to accommodate the extra
matches or the celebration elements.
This
anniversary episode is not just a showcase of wrestling
talent but also a milestone for AEW, marking its growth
and the journey it has had over the past five years.
The inclusion of champion vs. champion matches underscores
AEW's commitment to big matches on big nights, promising
fans a memorable event to commemorate this occasion.
(Grok)
News
Danielson
vs. Okada: Title-for-Title Match
On
the 5-year anniversary of AEW Dynamite, a significant
wrestling event is scheduled for October 2, 2024,
in Pittsburgh, PA, where Bryan Danielson, the AEW
World Champion, will face Kazuchika Okada, holder
of the AEW Continental Title. This match is unique
as it features a title-for-title stipulation with
a twist: the Continental Championship, which usually
has a 20-minute time limit, will only be at stake
for the first 20 minutes of the match. However, the
World Championship, with its 60-minute time limit,
will remain in contention for the entire duration.
This setup has sparked varied reactions among wrestling
fans, with some questioning the effectiveness of the
stipulation, while others are excited about the potential
of the match. The event is set to be a highlight of
AEW Dynamite's milestone celebration, pitting two
of wrestling's top talents against each other in what
promises to be a memorable clash. (Grok)
News
Conor
McGregor's Stroll on Emirates Pitch
Conor
McGregor was spotted walking around the Emirates Stadium
pitch following Arsenal's victory over PSG in the
Champions League. Videos and photos showed McGregor
enjoying himself, including interactions with Arsenal
player Declan Rice. This appearance led to various
reactions and discussions online, with many finding
amusement in McGregor's post-match activities. Meanwhile,
Arsenal secured a 2-0 win against PSG, with goals
from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka. The match also marked
the debut of Mikel Merino for Arsenal, who joined
from Real Sociedad. Additionally, Thomas Partey was
highlighted for his exceptional performance during
the game. However, there were concerns about Jurrien
Timber, who felt a muscular issue during the match,
prompting Arsenal to manage his playing time carefully.
(Grok)
Combat
Sports News/Profile via Grok
Combat
sports encompass a wide range of athletic competitions
where the primary objective is to physically subdue
an opponent. Here's a brief overview of some popular
forms:
1.
Boxing
Origin:
Ancient Greece, but modern boxing is often associated
with 18th-19th century England.
Rules:
Competitors use only their fists, wearing gloves,
and aim to score points by landing punches on the
opponent's upper body or head. A fight can end by
knockout (KO), technical knockout (TKO), or points
decision.
2.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
Origin:
While various forms of mixed combat have existed historically,
modern MMA was popularized through events like the
UFC starting in the 1990s.
Rules:
Allows a mix of striking and grappling techniques
from various martial arts. Fighters can win by knockout,
submission (tap out), judges' decision, or disqualification.
3.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)
Origin:
Derived from judo in Brazil in the early 20th century,
made famous by the Gracie family.
Rules:
Emphasizes ground fighting and submission holds. Competitors
aim to force a submission through joint locks or chokeholds.
Points can also be scored for position control and
takedowns.
4.
Wrestling
Freestyle
and Greco-Roman: Common in the Olympics, Greco-Roman
restricts holds below the waist.
Professional
Wrestling (Pro Wrestling): More entertainment-focused,
with choreographed matches, high flying moves, and
storylines.
5.
Kickboxing
Origin:
A group of stand-up combat sports based on kicking
and punching. It evolved from Karate, Muay Thai, and
Western boxing.
Rules:
Similar to boxing but includes kicks. Variants include
allowing knee strikes and elbows (influenced by Muay
Thai).
6.
Muay Thai
Origin:
Thailand, known as the "Art of Eight Limbs"
because it uses punches, kicks, elbows, and knees.
Rules:
Similar to kickboxing but with a heavier emphasis
on clinching (a kind of standing grapple) and use
of all eight points of contact.
7.
Judo
Origin:
Japan, developed by Jigoro Kano in the late 19th century
as a physical, mental, and moral pedagogy.
Rules:
Based on throws (Nage-waza) and ground techniques
(Katame-waza). The objective is to either throw or
takedown an opponent to the ground, immobilize them,
or force a submission through joint locks or strangles.
8.
Karate
Origin:
Okinawa, Japan, with influences from Chinese martial
arts.
Styles:
Many styles with different focuses, but generally
emphasizes striking with punches, kicks, knee strikes,
and open-hand techniques like knife-hands.
9.
Taekwondo
Origin:
Korea, developed in the 1940s and 1950s.
Rules: Known for its high, fast, and spinning kicks.
Competitors
score points in Olympic Taekwondo for strikes to the
torso or head.
10.
Krav Maga
Origin:
Israel, designed as a self-defense system for the
Israel Defense Forces.
Rules:
Not typically a sport, but some organizations hold
competitions. Focuses on real-world scenarios, aiming
to neutralize threats quickly and efficiently.
Each
combat sport has its unique culture, training methods,
and competitive environments, reflecting diverse historical,
cultural, and practical contexts. If you're interested
in any particular sport, each has its own set of governing
bodies, leagues, and famous athletes or events that
could be explored further! (Grok)
Flashback
Online Poker Bill Introduced in U.S. Senate
New Bill Is Separate from Barney
Frank's Similar Online Gambling Bill, with a Higher-Profile
Position in the Senate
August
6, 2009 (CAP Newswire) -- New Jersey Democrat
Robert Menendez has just introduced into the U.S.
Senate a brand new piece of legislation designed
to legalize and regulate Internet poker.
"To
amend title 31, United States Code, to provide
for the licensing by the Secretary of the Treasury
of Internet poker and other games that are predominantly
of skill, to provide for consumer protections
on the Internet, to enforce the tax code, and
for other purposes," the bill begins.
The
bill would establish a new legal regulatory framework
for Internet poker in the United States, and also
put in place certain consumer protections such
as age restrictions. Officially entitled S.8309,
the Internet Poker and Games of Skill Regulation,
Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, it was
introduced today.
No
matter what success this bill meets with, it represents
another huge milestone in the nationwide struggle
to reclassify poker from gambling to a game of
skill. This movement seeks to enable online poker
to be not only legalized but also change the way
it is regarded in popular culture.
That
movement has gained a lot of transaction over
the past year, with smaller court victories in
states such as Colorado, Pennsylvania, and South
Carolina, and with Representative Barney Frank’s
recent efforts to legalize and regulate certain
sectors of online gambling with his own legislation
(which is separate from this bill).
Home
to the original U.S. gaming resort destination,
Atlantic City, New Jersey has long had its own
internal struggles regarding the legality of gaming,
and has recently clashed with the federal government
on this basis. So it makes sense that the author
of this new legislation is is from New Jersey
— and a Democrat, the party that is apparently
more open to the idea of fully legalized online
gambling. (Although it technically has bipartisan
support, the vast majority of supporters of Barney
Frank’s recent pro-Internet gambling efforts
have been Democrats.)
The
Poker Players Alliance (PPA) not only supports
the new bill, but has provided a copy of it at
its website. Check
it out here.
Greg
Tingle comment...
This
online poker bill is most welcome news, and has
been a long time coming.
Down
under in Australia poker and I dare say, online
poker, is already a strong part of our popular
culture, just as are kangaroos, meat pies and
Holden cars, and having a punt on the (horse)
races and a bit of a spin on the pokies. By the
way, Sportingbet is introducing V8Bet, so punters
can be on the V8 Supercar racing, (Holden and
Ford).
Some
may not like this, and some will, but there's
strong rumblings that sports betting might try
to significantly ride off the back of this poker
bill, as there could be legal arguments that there
certainly are elements of skill (knowledge etc)
in picking sports bet winners. A similar scenario
of sorts with the game known as "Spot The
Ball", which has long been a part of British
culture, with numerous British newspapers running
Spot The Ball competitions. Property listing companies
such as Play4Property.com
are taking the Spot The Ball game internationally,
which isn't that hard to do with the internet
as an medium of media, backed up by traditional
media, journalism, marketing et al.
Friends,
the rules have changed, and will continue to,
in regards to online poker, online games of skill,
online gambling, and the way business is conducted
between people, corporations, media companies
et al.
A
few apt quotes from some gentlemen with some good
ideas and track record of success, getting things
done, and changing the world, and the rules of
play!
James
Packer - "Internet is like electricity"
Rupert
Murdoch - "Big will not beat small anymore.
It will be the fast beating the slow"
Charles
Darwin - "In the long history of humankind
(and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate
and improvise most effectively have prevailed"
My
tip, look to California to plug into online poker,
online sports betting, and quite likely, online
gambling as a whole. They have been pro active
and early adopters on other social issues such
as the environment, poverty and health.
You
can bet that Harrah's Entertainment and their
chain of hotel - casino - resorts will be watching
this space, as will Macau's Cotai Strip, and even
Parliament House down under in Canberra, Australia.
In
this space, I'm sure glad to be a journalist,
media agent and website portal developer, rather
than an owner of a casino or online casino. The
online poker and online casino happenings are
most certainly extremely newsworthy items to cover.
It's of course part of the larger civil liberties
and freedom of speech - censorship debate. We
should have the right to do what we like in our
homes, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. Also
remember, sometimes the law is an ass, so just
because something is legal or illegal, doesn't
mean it is necessarily right or wrong. It just
means its (current) law, some of which get changed
for the better, some not.
As
always, know your limits, bet with your head,
not over it. If the gambling, or poker playing
stops being enjoyable, its likely time to stop.
Have fun, whether poker, pokies, spot the ball,
or some other game tickles your fancy.
Media Man Australia
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