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Friday Into The Weekend Edition!

October 3/4, 2025

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $122,667.92 +2.23%
Ethereum $4,506.29 +0.60%
Tether $1.0005 flat
Binance Coin $1,177.34 +7.54%
XRP $3.0270 +0.11%
Solana $230.17 -0.54%
USDC $0.9996 flat
TRON $0.3408 -0.88%
Dogecoin $0.2542 - 1.31%
Cardano $0.8572 -0.14%

Market bullish! Mood joyful

News

October 3, 2025

Markets (Sydney to New York)

Australian Dollar: $0.6590 USD (down $0.0020 USD)
Iron Ore: $103.40 USD (down $0.20 USD)
Oil: $60.68 USD (down $1.12 USD)
Gold: $3,856.37 USD (down $9.29 USD)
Copper: $4.9540 USD (up 0.0595 USD)
Bitcoin: $120,564.31 USD (up 2.56%)
Dow Jones: 46,519.72 (up 78.62 points)

Stocks

Media Man Favs:

TKO Group $197.35 -0.65 -0.33%
Formula One Group Series C $104.83 +0.68 +0.65%
NVIDIA Corp $187.62 -1.32 -0.70%
Alphabet Inc Class A $245.35 -0.34 -0.14%
News Corp Class A $28.38 -0.17 -0.60%
Netflix Inc $1,153.32 -9.21 -0.79%
Caterpillar Inc $497.85 +7.28 +1.48%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $17.34 +0.14 +0.81%
Tesla Inc $429.83 -6.17 -1.42%
Walt Disney Co $112.47 +0.33 +0.29%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $123.66 -9.68 -7.26%
Meta Platforms Inc $710.56 -16.49 -2.27%
BHP Group Ltd $42.08 +0.14 +0.33%
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $16.24 +0.18 +1.11%

News

Crypto

October 2

The cryptocurrency market soared to extremes

Market Overview

The cryptocurrency market capitalisation soared by 4% over the past day to $4.07 trillion. The capitalisation has soared into the extreme zone, above which it was only briefly in mid-August and mid-September.

Cryptocurrency investors are convinced that the US government shutdown is not dampening risk appetite, and macroeconomic data is pushing the Fed to ease its policy further.

The sentiment index rose to 64 (greed), reaching its highest level in the last six weeks. However, the index is far from extreme greed, leaving significant potential for further strengthening.

On Thursday morning, Bitcoin exceeded $118K, surpassing the previous highs, which indicates an important technical breakthrough of the established range. The next step could well be an attempt to update historical highs approaching $125K. At the same time, it is worth paying attention to the activity of long-term sellers, who have been actively selling near these levels since July: we may see a new episode of selling on the rise.

News Background

The total supply of stablecoins grew by a record $45 billion in the third quarter, according to http://CEX.io. At the same time, 69% of the ‘printed’ volume was issued on the main Ethereum network.

According to CryptoQuant, the growth in the supply of stablecoins creates a powerful foundation for a bull market. Historically, Bitcoin has rallied not only in October but throughout the last quarter of the year.

The main factors that could trigger a crypto market rally in the fourth quarter could be changes in digital asset regulation in the US and expanded access to the crypto market through products on stock exchanges, according to Grayscale.

The total Bitcoin reserves of Japanese company Metaplanet reached 30,823 coins, placing it in fourth place among all corporate BTC holders.

According to Onchain Lens, Tether, the issuer of USDT, has replenished its Bitcoin reserve with 8,889 BTC worth $1 billion. Since May 2023, the company has been allocating 15% of its net profit to the purchase of BTC as part of its long-term asset diversification strategy.

Stani Kulechov, founder of leading lending platform Aave, said lower interest rates by global central banks will create favourable conditions for yield growth in the DeFi sector and may drive renewed interest in decentralised finance. (FxPro)

News

Oct 3

ASX rallies 1.1pc as miners and CBA jump

The Australian sharemarket posted a strong gain on Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 1.1 per cent to close at 8,945.9 points. BHP rose 1.1 per cent to $41.94, Westgold Resources was up 8.3 per cent at $5.37 and the Commonwealth Bank finished 1.7 per cent higher at $169.82. However, profit-taking saw DroneShield fall 9.8 per cent to $5.18 following a rally in recent days, while REA Group was down 1.9 per cent at $224.99. (RMS)

News

Pop Culture News

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream Match Series; Crack The Code!

Million Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets
Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation
Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr H
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
L. 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)!

News

Cryptocurrency Movies

Documentaries

The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014) Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s early days and its potential to disrupt finance.

Banking on Bitcoin (2016) Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots, and impact on global financial systems through interviews with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.

Cryptopia: Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet (2020)

Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives into blockchain’s broader applications beyond cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s transformative potential.

Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated by Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems. A comprehensive look at real-world applications.

Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It (2015) Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized financial systems. Features interviews with crypto experts.

Deep Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator, Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in dark web transactions.

Bitconned (2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing how three individuals defrauded investors during the 2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated markets.

Feature Films

Crypto (2019) A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth, and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal but praise its entertainment value.

Silk Road (2021) A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin. It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and drama.

Dope (2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association with illicit activities.

Bonus Mentions

Life on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early adoption challenges.

Bitcoin Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.

Notes

Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology, and real-world implications. They’re great for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

Feature films often dramatize crypto’s association with crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy.

For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many of these are available.

News

Wall Street (Movie)

Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is a drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless corporate raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,” drives the story as Bud is lured into insider trading and unethical deals, compromising his morals for wealth and power. The film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal, with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father (Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.

Key Details:

Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin Sheen (Carl Fox). Runtime: 2h 6m. Genre: Drama/Crime. Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).

Awards: Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Notable Aspects:

Gekko’s “Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting 1980s excess.

Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken.

A sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued the story.

Where to Watch (as of 2025):

Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current availability). Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.

News Flashback

Gold, copper, & silver: How metals are moving this year

Metal futures have made some pretty dramatic moves lately from safe haven gold to tariff sensitive copper. So let's take a look at the longer term trends. I'm Jared Blikre, host of Stocks in Translation. And I'm going to start by charting some of the moves in Dr. Copper because this is where we have the most zig and zags over the last 25 years. So this goes back to the beginning of the century and we can see right now, we're at $5.51 per pound. That is a record high. But if we go back to the beginning of the century, guess what? Uh we had a little bit of a slump in the wake of the dot com boom and then bust, but starting in 2003, we saw a big rise there. And that was as China actually joined the World Trade Organization or the WTO. That lasted into the global financial crisis. Then we had a pretty big bust in in Dr. Copper, and then we had another rise. And that rise was due to unprecedented stimulus, not only from the Chinese government, but also from the United States government, QE was in force, and then we saw kind of a strong dollar play. That weighed on this metal all the way into the beginning of 2016. The entire world, most of the world indices went through a bear market in 2015, and then 2016, we found the footing. And that was actually the year that Trump won, began his first presidency. And from there, we saw some zig and zags, and then we saw a shock into the pandemic. A couple of, a couple of years of deflation or a semi-deflation, disinflation, that caught up with it in 2022, but then it was off to the races again. And especially with the Trump tariffs now on copper, threatening to be threatening to be 50% on August 1st, we're seeing a lot of front running in this trade. Now, I also want to show you gold futures and I'm going to show you silver as well. And they follow a very similar pattern. We're not seeing the dramatic zig and zags that we did in copper, but we did see the same pattern of China joining the WTO, contributing to that huge rise in price to 1800, almost $2,000 an ounce by the beginning of the global financial crisis. So a little bit of a meltdown there. But in 2016 into 2018, we saw a bit of a rise into the pandemic, a little bit of a whipsaw there, and consolidation over a few years. Again, that 2022 bare market in US stocks that contributed to some deflation and disinflation globally, supply chain chain shocks came into force again, and then we saw this huge rise beginning in late 2023, and we are now at 3353. We've seen a high of as much as $3,500 per ounce. And gold is kind of unique among the precious metals and also the industrial metals, and this is because central banks have been a huge determining force in their buying of it. This is a bar chart that shows central bank buying in tons going back all the way to 2010. And what you notice here is the last three years, 2022, 2023, 2024, all of those had gold being bought by central banks of in the amount of over 1,000 tons. And so that's a pretty big dramatic increase from the prior years. And this has to do with the ongoing dedollarization in China, as well as Russia, but also a host of other countries, even some in western and eastern Europe. So this is a trend that we want to follow. Uh, I want to close out here with silver, and I'm going to just chart the price action. Again, very similar chart to gold and copper in terms of the big movements here. We saw a big price spike into almost $50 per ounce, and that was just as the global financial crisis was getting underway. And then the QE area in 2011, that's when we saw that high. Then we saw a dramatic, dramatic crash into 2016, kind of found its footing, saw a big squeeze in the early pandemic, 2020 was a great year for silver, but then we saw a little bit of a fallout. And again, silver is on the rise here at $38. It's still off of that $50 record high, but it is increasing very quickly. To round out the conversation, I want to just put on a table here. I have all three medals and just kind of grouping them together. I want to display how they are moving with their specific patterns with a trigger, and then to tell you which one of these is featured in these specific criteria. So here, under the pattern, we have acceleration. So that would be an economic acceleration. The trigger would be liquidity. And when that happens, we see all metals benefiting from that. And then when there's a safe haven scare, and that trigger would be a crisis of some sorts, you're going to see gold and silver outperforming the most, kind of leaving Dr. Copper behind. And then here's a bearish one, industrial drags, that affects copper disproportionately here, and the trigger there is typically a stronger US dollar because the US dollar surges when global global industrials tend to drag, and that's because the US is the least dirty shirt in the laundry basket of the world. And then finally here, we have a policy shock. This will affect all three medals, but especially copper and gold here. Um, arguably, the biggest reason is tariffs and debt, and we've seen both of those contribute to silver rising. So we could put all three in that basket as well. But when you put it all together, we have the perfect explosive mix for all three of these metals, including palladium and also platinum, which we didn't get to have time for, but all of these are experiencing huge thrust in 2025. And we'll have to see how these tariffs play out, especially on Dr. Copper with respect to that August 1st deadline. Remember, 50% there. So tune into Stocks in Translation for more jargon busting deep dives, new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays on Yahoo Finances website, or wherever you find your podcast. (Transcript from Yahoo! Finance podcast)

News

Best Quotes

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." — Benjamin Franklin

"Bottoms in the investment world don't end with four-year lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim Rogers

Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful." — Warren Buffett

Media Man

"Bullish is a mindset"

Markets, Crypto and Culture

October 2, 2025

Sydney, Australia

Markets

ASX futures up 46 points or 0.5% to 8923

Wall Street:
S&P 500 +0.3%
Dow Jones +0.1%
Nasdaq +0.4%

Europe:
Stoxx 50 +0.9%
FTSE +1%
DAX +1%
CAC +0.9%

Bitcoin +2.4% to $US117,575

Gold +0.1% to $US3864.36 per ounce
US oil -1% to $US61.77 a barrel
Brent crude oil -1% to $US65.39 a barrel
Iron ore flat at $US103.60 per tonne

10-year yield:
US 4.10%
Australia 4.36%
Germany 2.71%

News

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $117,874.03 +3.44%
Ethereum $4,322.05 +4.37%
Tether $1.0004 +0.04%
Binance Coin $1,022.61 +1.94%
XRP $2.9400 +3.35%
Solana $219.80 +5.58%
USDC $0.9997 +0.02%
TRON $0.3417 +2.62%
Dogecoin $0.2466 +6.40%

Market Cautious! Mood gaining

News

Mining Stocks

BHP Group Ltd $41.47 -1.06 +2.49%
Fortescue Ltd $18.94 +0.26 +1.39%
Rio Tinto $122.58 +0.55 +0.45%

News

The crypto market has rebounded from its low point, but further signals are needed
Market Overview
The crypto market capitalisation has remained virtually unchanged over the past 24 hours, staying close to $3.91 trillion and the 50-day moving average. The market has moved away from local lows but prefers to wait for the next catalyst to determine its direction. Labour market data and the resolution of the US shutdown issue promise to help in this regard.

Bitcoin is trading above $114.4k, trying to consolidate above its 50-day moving average. The first cryptocurrency is much worse than gold and silver at exploiting the narrative of US financial problems, showing very indecisive growth. Cryptocurrencies are being weighed down by pressure on the stock markets, for which the shutdown is a negative factor.

Bitcoin rose 6.1% in September to $114.6k, defying the seasonal trends of one of the two worst months of the year. In recent days, BTC has managed to approach the highs of the middle of the month.

From a seasonal perspective, October is one of the three best months of the year, which is why it is called ‘Uptober.’ Over the past 14 years, Bitcoin has ended this month with growth in 10 cases. The average growth was 27.4%, and the average decline was 15.3%.

News Background
According to Bitwise, the current situation may indicate the end of the decline phase. Sellers appear to be ‘increasingly depleted.’ Upcoming SEC decisions on spot ETFs could be catalysts for growth, according to Bitget Research.

The share of altcoins in the volume of futures trading on Binance reached a historic high of 82.3%, exceeding the peak values of the 2021 altseason, according to CryptoQuant. Traders are increasingly shifting their attention to more volatile assets in anticipation of higher profits.

DePIN tokens of decentralised physical infrastructure networks are not securities and are therefore outside the SEC's oversight. This is stated in a letter from the regulator addressed to the DoubleZero project. (FxPro)

Media Man: Cryptos bullish!

News lead up

Crypto market attempts to form a double bottom

Market Overview

The crypto market has been gaining since the start of the day on Friday, adding 3.5% during this time to $3.85 trillion, but still 1.3% below the level of a week earlier.

The rebound is coming from roughly the same levels as in early September. Once again, altcoins are recovering stronger than BTC. Such outperformance in the early stages of recovery often indicates the future winners of the race, which in this case are altcoins. The sentiment index fell to 28 on Friday but recovered to 50 by Monday. The approach to the extreme fear zone seems to have activated optimists, who began to buy back the drawdown. However, cautious traders will likely prefer to wait for the results of the 50-day moving average test, which is currently passing through $3.92 trillion. At the end of last week, Bitcoin found support at 109,000.

It was bought at roughly the same levels as the end of August and even slightly higher, which is positive for the bulls. On the other hand, September's local high is lower than the previous one, which generally indicates a decrease in volatility and a stronger movement towards a breakout beyond the $108-118K range. Movements within the range can give many false short-term signals.

News Background

Santiment has recorded a surge in mentions of “buy on dip,” which may indicate the likelihood of an imminent rebound. In addition, whales continue to accumulate BTC, and the supply of Bitcoin on exchanges is declining. However, Glassnode warns of a continued correction, given growing selling pressure from long-term holders and declining institutional demand for ETFs. The first Ethereum ETF with a staking feature from REX Shares and Osprey Funds has launched in the US.

Investors will receive monthly payments for supporting the ETH network. Applications from BlackRock and Fidelity are still being reviewed by the SEC. Ethereum has begun to show signs that a local bottom has likely been reached, notes analyst Mikybull Crypto.

The RSI oscillator on daily charts has fallen to its lowest levels since April, when ETH was trading around $1,400. According to the Wall Street Journal, US regulators are investigating cases of potential insider trading involving companies that accumulate cryptocurrencies in their reserves. The SEC and FINRA have already sent inquiries to a number of companies.

Rating agency Moody's warns that the rapid expansion of cryptocurrencies’ use in developing countries, including stablecoins, poses risks to monetary sovereignty and financial stability. (FxPro)

News

Sept 30

Uncertainty benefits AUD, while shutdown hurts USD

The Australian dollar gained for the third trading session, accelerating its growth to 0.5% on Tuesday after the Reserve Bank of Australia decided to keep its key rate at 3.60%. Analysts widely anticipated the decision, but the official commentary on the decision contained hawkish notes, which played into the hands of the AUD. The RBA noted that September inflation may be higher than previously expected and pointed to a recovery in economic activity. When the economy does not require emergency support and inflation is likely to pick up, central banks are more inclined to pause and assess the dynamic. In contrast, there are increasing signs in the US that monetary policy needs to be eased.

Taken together, this creates a divergence between Australian and US monetary policy in favour of the Australian dollar. At the end of last week, AUDUSD found support at the 50-day moving average and reversed to growth at the 200-day average. The pair has been moving upwards within a range since the beginning of the year, from which it only fell during the shock of ‘America's Liberation Day’ in early April. The Aussie touched the upper limit of this channel on 17 September, briefly exceeding 0.6700, but the looming US government shutdown halted the strengthening of the USD on the Fed's cautious comments. This exceptionally short-term and speculative story (a compromise was always found sooner or later) nevertheless undermines long-term confidence in the dollar, preventing it from reversing the downward trend that began at the start of the year. (FxPro)

News Flashback

Oil: producers intensify battle for market share Bullish sentiment on global stock and commodity markets supported the prevailing positive mood in oil prices last week. However, on Friday, the price turned downwards when it touched the 200-day moving average. This is due not only to technical factors but also to a set of fundamental reasons.

The latest weekly data on stocks and production reinforce the position of oil sellers. On Friday, Baker Hughes noted an increase in the number of active oil rigs to 424 (+6 for the week and +14 from the low in early August). Although this is significantly lower than the levels at the beginning of the year, when the latest decline began, it still resembles a trend that points to increased activity among US oil producers and their renewed confidence in the need to invest in the sector.

In addition, actual production levels have been rising since mid-July. In the middle of last week, the EIA reported an increase in production to 13.5 million barrels per day, the highest since the end of March. Interestingly, this has not yet led to an accumulation of reserves. Commercial stocks have fallen by almost 10 million barrels over the past two weeks, staying close to the lower limit for this indicator over the past ten years.

The strategic reserve is being replenished, but at about half the rate it was before Trump's election victory in November last year. Over the weekend, it was also reported that at the next monthly meeting of the OPEC+ monitoring committee on October 5, a recommendation will be considered for the cartel to increase quotas by at least another 135,000 barrels per day starting in November. The cartel has made a shift in its strategy, actively increasing quotas, first by removing voluntary cuts and now by raising the bar for all participants. In total, quotas have been increased by 2.5 million barrels per day during this period. The intensification of oil production has halted attempts by oil to grow, despite the positive macroeconomic backdrop. As a result, oil prices have been unable to sustainably consolidate above the 200-day moving average for more than a year now. This downward trend line has fallen to around $70, compared to $82 just over a year ago and a peak of $100 at the end of 2022.

Oil has been moving within a downward range for the past three years, with the upper limit for Brent at $73 per barrel and the lower limit at $53. Although the price is now significantly closer to the upper limit, a set of fundamental factors and technical pressures makes a decline more likely than growth in the near term. (FxPro)

News

News Flashback

Gold

What the aggressive growth of gold indicates

Gold is once again benefiting from a combination of geopolitical tensions, demand for safe-haven assets, and reduced risk appetite in the stock and cryptocurrency markets. The price per ounce returned to its historic highs, reaching $3,750 on the spot market and adding 3% from the start of the day on Friday to the start of active trading in Europe on Tuesday.

The previous historic high was set on 17 September, followed by two days of profit-taking. However, the wave of decline was not long-lasting, and gold corrected by less than 20% from its last rally on 20 August. This indicates a strong appetite for gold, despite the price highs and an almost unprecedented rate of growth since the beginning of the year. From a technical point of view, the expansion of this pattern indicates the potential for the price to rise to $4,000.

Politics is once again working in favour of gold bugs. The tightening of work visa rules is likely to cause discontent in India. Modi's statements about the need to make the country independent of foreign markets are undermining hopes for a trade settlement.

The latest discussion of a government shutdown also supports gold purchases.

The Fed's softening of its monetary policy stance is providing additional long-term confidence to buyers. Although this reassessment of market prospects has paused in recent days, it appears to be a pause rather than a reversal, as it would take a strong improvement in labour market indicators and a surge in inflation to change this trend.

Gold is being pushed in the same direction by expectations that global central banks will continue to accumulate gold reserves at the expense of the dollar's share in them, as alternative currencies do not look much better in terms of fundamentals.

On the other hand, the price growth rate is now more of a bearish factor. The historic rally is increasing demand for a full-fledged portfolio shake-up, with a correction of more than 130% growth over the last three years. The period from September to November, with the end of the financial and calendar year, looks like a suitable point to start this trend.

Additionally, the RSI on daily timeframes entering the overbought zone above 80 earlier in September increases the risks of a decline. Last week's price decline pushed the index back to 70. A similar signal has triggered a sideways movement or correction about a dozen times in the last five years, with only one exception in April 2024, when we saw an 8% price increase before a three-month sideways movement.

On balance, we view the situation as the final stage of gold's increase over the past three years. Growth within it may be quite aggressive, combined with accelerated closing of short positions. However, for medium- and long-term investors, this is suitable for closing long positions and looking for the right moment to open short ones. (FxPro)

News

Pop Culture News

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream Match Series

News

Cryptocurrency Movies

Documentaries

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)

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

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)

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

Gold, copper, & silver: How metals are moving this year

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"

Cryptocurrency News, Fintech, Blockchain, Media

September 29, 2025

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $114,160.79 +1.91%
Ethereum $4,222.43 +2.12%
Tether $1.0005 -0.02%
XRP $2.8938 +1.08%
Solana $214.06 +2.03%
TRON $0.3372 +0.45%
Dogecoin $0.2369 +0.18%

News

September 29, 2025

Crypto market attempts to form a double bottom

Market Overview

The crypto market has been gaining since the start of the day on Friday, adding 3.5% during this time to $3.85 trillion, but still 1.3% below the level of a week earlier.

The sentiment index fell to 28 on Friday but recovered to 50 by Monday. The approach to the extreme fear zone seems to have activated optimists, who began to buy back the drawdown. However, cautious traders will likely prefer to wait for the results of the 50-day moving average test, which is currently passing through $3.92 trillion.

At the end of last week, Bitcoin found support at 109,000. It was bought at roughly the same levels as the end of August and even slightly higher, which is positive for the bulls. On the other hand, September's local high is lower than the previous one, which generally indicates a decrease in volatility and a stronger movement towards a breakout beyond the $108-118K range. Movements within the range can give many false short-term signals.

News Background

However, Glassnode warns of a continued correction, given growing selling pressure from long-term holders and declining institutional demand for ETFs. The first Ethereum ETF with a staking feature from REX Shares and Osprey Funds has launched in the US. Investors will receive monthly payments for supporting the ETH network. Applications from BlackRock and Fidelity are still being reviewed by the SEC.

Ethereum has begun to show signs that a local bottom has likely been reached, notes analyst Mikybull Crypto. The RSI oscillator on daily charts has fallen to its lowest levels since April, when ETH was trading around $1,400.

According to the Wall Street Journal, US regulators are investigating cases of potential insider trading involving companies that accumulate cryptocurrencies in their reserves. The SEC and FINRA have already sent inquiries to a number of companies.

Rating agency Moody's warns that the rapid expansion of cryptocurrencies’ use in developing countries, including stablecoins, poses risks to monetary sovereignty and financial stability. (FxPro)

News

September 25, 2025

The crypto market is digging deeper

Market Overview

The crypto market capitalisation has fallen to a nearly three-week low of $3.83 trillion, falling deeper below its 50-day moving average. However, similar declines at the end of June and the end of August only encouraged buyers. On Thursday morning, Bitcoin wiped out the previous day's gains, while major altcoins, Ethereum, and Solana, have been declining for the fifth trading session in a row.

The sentiment index at 44 barely touches the fear zone, preventing us from talking about a full-fledged reversal in sentiment. Nevertheless, we are once again turning our attention to crypto as an early indicator of risk appetite. Altcoins, as well as small currencies of developed countries, have been losing ground since the Fed cut rates a week ago, and key US indices have joined them since Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Bitcoin unsuccessfully attempted to storm the 50-day moving average. Earlier, BTCUSD fell out of the upward channel that had been forming since early September. These are all signs of a deeper dive ahead, potentially into the $104-107K range.

News Background

Bitcoin's implied volatility has fallen to its lowest level since 2023. Blockchain data points to a “calm before the storm,” according to XWIN Research. The last time this happened, it was followed by explosive growth.

CoinW also calls the situation “the calm before the storm.” Negative funding rates, seasonal trends, and inflows into institutional ETFs tip the odds in favour of growth. According to CoinGlass, Bitcoin has strengthened in October in 10 of the last 12 years.

If US inflation turns out to be moderate, the Fed's rate will be further reduced, and the amount of liquidity in the market will increase. According to QCP Capital, this factor will be the main driver of Bitcoin's growth in October.
However, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon believes that the Fed is unlikely to cut its key rate. He sees factors that are more likely to cause inflation to rise than fall.

SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci confirmed his previous forecast that Bitcoin will reach its target of $150,000 by the end of the year. In his opinion, November-December is the most favourable period for buying BTC.

Pantera Capital CEO Dan Morehead said BRICS countries, including Russia and China, view Bitcoin as a tool for de-dollarisation. In his opinion, these countries will prepare to create state Bitcoin reserves and their own Bitcoin ETFs. (FxPro)

News

Blockchain News

1. SWIFT Announces Blockchain-Based Overhaul for Global Payments

The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), which handles millions of daily transactions, is integrating a blockchain-based ledger into its infrastructure. This move aims to enhance interoperability and speed, with top global banks collaborating on the project.

In response to rising stablecoin competition, SWIFT's update could accelerate tokenized asset adoption. Industry experts see this as a pivotal step toward hybrid traditional-fintech systems.

Related buzz: Qatar National Bank (QNB) has adopted JPMorgan's blockchain platform for instant USD payments in the Middle East, building on its prior Ripple partnership for cross-border efficiency.

2. Institutional Momentum:

BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF Expansion and Treasury PlaysBlackRock filed for a Bitcoin Premium Income ETF, extending its dominance beyond the $87 billion iShares Bitcoin Trust. This signals growing mainstream interest in yield-generating crypto products.

Anthony Scaramucci-backed Hivemind Capital launched a $550 million fund to acquire digital tokens on the Avalanche blockchain—the first of its kind for on-chain treasuries.

However, institutional Bitcoin acquisitions have slowed sharply, with treasuries scaling back amid market volatility. Analysts predict a potential cycle dip mirroring 2017, with $200K BTC targets if liquidity holds.

3. Regulatory and Government Advances

Nasdaq proposed rule changes to tokenize equity securities and exchange-traded products, potentially unlocking billions in on-chain capital markets.

The SEC is drafting an "innovation exemption" to fast-track digital asset product approvals, while U.S. lawmakers push to include crypto in retirement plans.

Stablecoin legislation is also advancing in Congress.

Globally, Kyrgyzstan plans to migrate government services on-chain by 2028, and the Philippines is exploring blockchain post-corruption protests.

Fnality, a blockchain payment firm, raised $136M from major banks for real-time settlements.

4. Tech Innovations and Ecosystem GrowthAmadeus Protocol unveiled the world's first "thinking blockchain," converting mining power into AI intelligence via unique Proof-of-Work (uPoW).

Solana developers are debating removing block limits after the Alpenglow upgrade to boost capacity for high-performance validators.

Layer-1 blockchains are solidifying as crypto's backbone, with tokenized assets and stablecoin rules testing their scalability.

AGII launched optimization engines for reliable blockchain automation in Web3.

In gaming and RWAs:

OFA Group's real-estate tokenization platform with Blockchain App Factory, and AAA's document-authentication pilot using Integra Ledger.

5. Market Sentiment and Warnings

Bitcoin's upward grind continues, but analysts flag 10-20% pullbacks and a possible financial crash by late September tied to global M2 liquidity.

XRP ETF speculation is heating up, with bearish trader bets amid approval rumors.

Broader trends: Korea Blockchain Week (through Sep 28) featured exchange partnerships and regulatory updates. Decentralized apps like Bitchat surged in Madagascar during protests.

News Flashback

September 24, 2025

BTC Calm Breaks as Bulls Face Resistance

Digital assets have been hit by one of the biggest sell-offs since the beginning of the year. According to Coinglass, 1.5 billion dollars in long positions were liquidated at the start of this week. Bitcoin fell from its monthly highs due to a revision of market views on the fate of the federal funds rate, the strengthening of the US dollar, and concerns about a decline in demand.

Corporations have accumulated $116 billion worth of Bitcoin and have become serious players in the market. The fall in their shares, coupled with Nasdaq's requirement for shareholder approval of new issues, has created real panic. If these financial institutions find it difficult to raise funds through securities issues, demand for digital assets will fall, and prices will also drop.

Optimists believe that this is not the case. There are also specialised exchange-traded funds and the resumption of the Fed's monetary policy easing cycle is likely to increase demand for Bitcoin ETFs. The outflow of capital from money market funds will also play a role. Reserves increased to a whopping $7.7 trillion in 2025. The average yield was 4.1%, which is significantly higher than the average 0.6% on bank deposits. As the federal funds rate declines, yields will fall, and money will flow into other ETFs, including those related to cryptocurrency.

Investors believe that over time, the link between US stock indices and Bitcoin will be restored. However, while US stocks have such an important growth driver as artificial intelligence technology, Bitcoin does not. Companies from the S&P 500, especially tech giants, regularly report positive corporate reports. Interest in cryptocurrency purchases by corporations, on the contrary, is falling.

The cryptocurrency market is prone to extremes. The highest derivative bets are concentrated at the 95,000 and 140,000 levels. This means that after a long period of calm, investors are expecting to see a real storm. Much will depend on the ability of Bitcoin bulls to overcome important resistance levels at 113,500 and 115,000. If they succeed, there will be a chance to restore the uptrend. Failure will increase the risks of a Bitcoin correction. (FxPro)

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

Cryptocurrency

“Bitcoin is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme.” – Naval Ravikant, former CEO of AngelList

“We have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical framework that is free of politics and human error.“ – Tyler Winklevoss, co-CEO of Gemini

"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, Founder of McAfee Associates

“There are 3 eras of currency: Commodity based, politically based, and now, math-based.“ – Chris Dixon, Venture Capitalist at Andreesen Horowitz

“As the value goes up, heads start to swivel and skeptics begin to soften. Starting a new currency is easy, anyone can do it. The trick is getting people to accept it because it is their use that gives the “money” value.“ - Adam B. Levine, CEO of Tokenly

“Trading Bitcoin is like trading Apple, Amazon, Google, or Facebook a decade ago. The more you obsess over timing the market, the more mistakes you make. They were all technology networks that were dominant & destined to grow.” - Michael Saylor, Former CEO of MicroStrategy

"Whereas most technologies tend to automate workers on the periphery doing menial tasks, blockchains automate away the center. Instead of putting the taxi driver out of a job, blockchain puts Uber out of a job and lets the taxi drivers work with the customer directly." - Vitalik Buterin, Co-Founder of Ethereum

"The Latin American countries where you have this combination of inflation or hyperinflation cycles – deflation as well – and then you have very high friction for financial transactions, a high percentage of people who are unbanked, cryptocurrencies make total sense." – Fred Thiel, CEO of Thiel Advisors & Marathon Digital Holdings

“…we know gold is a $12 trillion asset, bitcoin’s about a 10th of gold. Could they be half of gold? At one point, Sure, it could … And at some point, it will be larger than gold… that money is finding its way to Gen Z and Millennials, and they feel much more comfortable with digital gold than old clunky gold.” - Mike Novogratz, CEO of Galaxy Digital

“If you don't believe me or don't get it, I don't have time to try to convince you, sorry.” - Satoshi Nakomoto, Founder of Bitcoin

Markets, Crypto and Culture

September 23, 2025

Sydney, Australia

Markets

ASX futures up 20 points/ 0.2% to 8868

Wall Street:
S&P 500 +0.4%
Dow Jones +0.1%
Nasdaq +0.7%

Europe:
Stoxx 50 -0.3%
FTSE +0.1%
DAX -0.5%
CAC -0.3%

Bitcoin -2.2% to $US112,771

Gold +1.7% to $US3747.00 per ounce

Oil -0.1% to $US62.64 a barrel

Brent crude oil -0.1% to $US66.62 a barrel

Iron ore +0.1% to $US106.60 per ton

10-year yield:
US 4.15%
Australia 4.26%
Germany 2.75%

News

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $112,742.03 USD -2.20%
Ethereum $4,192.08 USD -5.97%
Tether $1.00 USD +0.4%
XRP $2.85 USD -4.15%
BNB $992.06 USD -5.65%
Solana $220.02 USD -6.78%
TRON $0.3394 USD -1.03%
Dogecoin $0.2404 USD -8.18%

Market Cautious!

News

Mining Stocks

BHP Group Ltd $40.03 +0.39 +0.98%
Fortescue Ltd $19.31 +0.59 +3.15%
Rio Tinto $116.92 +2.92 +2.56%

News

Sept 23

Miners push ASX higher as Reece soars

The Australian sharemarket posted a solid gain on Monday, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.4 per cent to close at 8,810.9 points. The local bourse was boosted by a positive lead from Wall Street amid growing expectations of further official interest rate cuts in the US. Fortescue was up 3.1 per cent at $19.31, Boss Energy rose 6.8 per cent to $2.04 and Reece advanced 14.2 per cent to $11.78. However, the Commonwealth Bank eased 0.4 per cent to end the session at $165.57. (RMS)

News

Sept 23

'Old world industries' drags ASX lower against peers

Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 has gained eight per cent so far in 2025, rebounding from the sell-off in response to the Trump administration's reciprocal tariffs regime in early April. However, the ASX 200 has underperformed so far this year in comparison with its international peers, despite having recently risen above 9,000 points for the first time. Anna Milne from Wilson Asset Management says the local bourse's growth has been stymied by factors such as its heavy weighting towards traditional stocks like materials and financials, rather than artificial intelligence. (RMS)

News

24 hours ago

ASX to rally as US traders pile back in on Fed bets

Futures pricing suggests that Australian equities will gain about 0.3 per cent when the market opens on Monday, after a positive lead from Wall Street. Stephen Miller from GSFM says US investors appear to be anticipating further monetary policy easing, following last week's interest rate cut. Meanwhile, bond traders do not expect the Reserve Bank of Australia to reduce the cash rate in October, although a rate rise in November is now widely tipped. The S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.32 per cent to 8,773.5 points on Friday. (RMS)

Cryptos and Markets

September 9, 2025

Sydney, Australia

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $112,346.79 USD +1.07%
Ethereum $4,318.63 USD +0.44%
Tether $0.9999 USD +0.06%
XRP $2.98 USD +3.83%
BNB $879.96 USD +0.66%
Solana $214.83 USD +4.71%
TRON $0.3318 USD +0.55%
Dogecoin $0.2427 USD +7.72%

Markets

Wall Street:
S&P 500 +0.2%
Dow Jones +0.3%
Nasdaq +0.5%

Europe:
Stoxx 50 +0.8%
FTSE +0.1%
DAX +0.9%
CAC +0.8%

Bitcoin +0.7% to $US112,068
Gold -0.4% to $US3545.85 per ounce
Oil +0.4% to $US62.48 a barrel
Brent crude oil +0.8% to $US66.02 a barrel
Iron ore +1.5% to $US104.80 per ton

10-year yield:

US 4.16%
Australia 4.35%
Germany 2.72%

News

Cryptocurrency market uncertainty as a sign of suppressed retail risk appetite

Market Overview

Cryptocurrency market capitalisation has gained 2.5% over the past seven days to $3.85 trillion, demonstrating a very modest and erratic recovery without buyer euphoria or significant volumes. The crypto market capitalisation remains below its 50-day moving average, indicating the prevalence of bears in the market. This is a very worrying indicator of underlying risk appetite in financial markets. Although stocks are offsetting the weakness in the labour market with growth in anticipation of Fed dovishness, the weakness of the economy is still negative for retail customers, the driving force behind prices.

The sentiment index fell into fear territory on Sunday at 44, but returned to a neutral 51 on Monday, reflecting a wait-and-see stance.

Bitcoin continues to hover around $111K, crossing this mark up or down every day for the past seven days. Since the beginning of September, an upward line can be drawn through the local price lows, but BTC has gained about 3.6% during this time, more than the losses on 28 August alone.

News Background

The total volume of corporate Bitcoin reserves reached a record 840,000 BTC in August, but their growth rate and transaction volume fell to annual lows, according to CryptoQuant. This indicates a weakening of institutional demand.

The altcoin season has already begun, but only for those coins that large companies have included in their reserves, according to Bloomberg. Another potential driver of the alt season could be the approval of crypto ETF applications in the US. About 10 assets are expected from the SEC, including Dogecoin, Chainlink, Stellar, Bitcoin Cash, Avalanche, Litecoin, Shiba Inu, Polkadot, Solana and Hedera.

Stablecoins are gaining popularity because they offer businesses faster, cheaper and more reliable payments than traditional systems, said Stripe CEO Patrick Collison.

The Financial Times has learned of Tether's plans to buy gold. According to the publication's sources, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin has been discussing investing in the entire precious metal supply chain, which includes mining, processing, trading, and royalties. (FxPro)

News Flashback

September 4

Bitcoin is too cautious, XRP is more relaxed

Market Overview

The cryptocurrency market cap has not changed over the past day, remaining close to $3.81 trillion. On Wednesday, the market rose to $3.9T, but was unable to maintain its growth trajectory. Among the top coins, Ethereum has been the growth leader for over 24 hours, but its 1.4% rise is less than half of Wednesday’s gains.

Bitcoin is trading just above $110K, down 1.5% since the start of the day on Thursday. We believe the reason for the pullback is caution ahead of Friday's employment release, as BTC is the most sensitive to macroeconomic data among all cryptocurrencies. There may be many false signals within the $108K to $113K range, but a breakout from this consolidation can be seen as a more reliable signal of the trend direction for the coming days.

XRP escaped Thursday's general gloom, recovering fairly quickly to the day's opening levels after a weak start. This is an indicator of the internal strength of buyers, who are waiting for the risks of uncertainty to decrease, but are generally optimistic about tomorrow.

News Background

The pursuit of high returns from storing Ethereum carries serious risks for companies, warns SharpLink Gaming, itself the second-largest public holder of ETH by assets.

The queue to enter Ethereum staking has reached a two-year high, with an average waiting time of 14 days. The queue to exit staking has decreased by 20% after reaching a record high of 1 million ETH on 29 August.

According to The Block, the total volume of cryptocurrency trading on exchanges in August reached the levels seen at the beginning of the year.

The SEC and CFTC intend to coordinate the launch of spot crypto asset trading on regulated platforms, according to a joint statement from the agencies. The initiative aims to strengthen US leadership in blockchain technology.

The Solana community has approved the Alpenglow update, which will significantly speed up transaction finalisation and the operation of decentralised applications. According to MEXC forecasts, SOL could reach $250 by the end of the year.

The number of searches for meme tokens on Google has increased after several months of low activity. The indicator reached 57 points on a 100-point scale. This is significantly lower than the peak of 100 points recorded in January, which was fuelled by the hype surrounding the launch of the TRUMP token. (FxPro)

BTC

Market Cautious

News Flashback 36 hrs ago

The crypto market continues to send alarming signals

Market Overview

The cryptocurrency market capitalisation has fallen by 3.4% over the past seven days to $3.74 trillion, its lowest level in three and a half weeks.

News Flashback

Leading altcoins are once again attempting to pull the crypto market upwards

Market Overview

The crypto market capitalisation has increased by almost 2% to $3.86 trillion over the past 24 hours due to the traction of major altcoins such as Ethereum (+4%), XRP (+3%), Solana (+7.8%), and Dogecoin (+4.9%).

Crypto enthusiasts were expecting a different altcoin season, but it is still worth noting their outperformance relative to the first cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin gained 1% to $111K during the day after spending most of Tuesday forming the basis for a rebound on dips below $110K. This is an important indicator of interest in buying on dips, which probably encouraged more risk-tolerant altcoin buyers. The former is also lagging the stock market, where the S&P500 is on the verge of historic highs, and the Nasdaq100 is 1.8% below its historic high.

News Background

The Bitcoin derivatives market points to pessimistic sentiment, as market participants are actively buying put options.

New investors are selling Bitcoin at a loss. In this way, the market is getting rid of ‘weak hands’ and preparing a support base for future growth, notes analyst Crazzyblockk.

GLJ Research head Gordon Johnson said that BTC is at risk of a 65% collapse due to a reduction in dollar liquidity in the US financial system for the first time since 2022. Only the Fed’s abandonment of quantitative tightening (QT) and a return to new quantitative easing (QE) can remedy the situation.

According to Bitfinex, the altcoin season will not start until new cryptocurrency ETFs are approved. It is only expected to begin at the end of the year. The SEC is currently reviewing more than 70 applications to launch altcoin-based ETFs.

Citi warns that paying interest on stablecoin deposits could cause a massive outflow of deposits from the banking system. A similar situation was observed during the money market fund boom in the United States in the 1980s. (FxPro)

News

The reversal of the trend in crypto has been confirmed

Market Overview

The crypto market has been on a downward trend for the last 12 days, falling to $3.76 trillion on Tuesday morning and later stabilising at $3.79 trillion.

Capitalisation fell below the 50-day moving average and the area of recent lows, giving a technical signal of a change in the trend from growth to decline. The declines in this area over the past three months have been close to the bottom of local corrections.

The sentiment index remains fairly stable in neutral territory (48 versus 47 the day before). Declines in this area over the last three months have been close to the bottom of local corrections.

Bitcoin is trading near $110K, dropping to a low of $108.5K. Local attempts to stabilise in BTC are being replaced by even greater sell-offs.

News

S&P500’s buy-the-dip sentiment helped Bitcoin

The sell-off of Bitcoin following Congress's passage of a law regulating the circulation of stablecoins and the retreat of US stock indices from record highs allowed Bitcoin bears to push prices below the lower boundary of the $116k—$120k consolidation range. When it looked like a severe correction was coming, US stocks stepped in again. Investors bought up the S&P 500 dip, and Bitcoin immediately bounced back.

Changes in global risk appetite continue to be the main driver of cryptocurrency prices. July saw a series of record highs for the S&P 500, making it a successful month for Bitcoin. Meanwhile, Bitcoin-focused ETFs attracted $6 billion, the third-best result in the history of specialised exchange-traded funds. Ether ETFs were not far behind, with a record inflow of $5.4 billion.

The situation changed dramatically at the turn of July and August. Interest in digital assets began to cool. Coinbase's Bitcoin premium fell into the red for the first time since May, indicating a decline in demand from US investors. Open interest in Bitcoin and Ether futures contracts fell by 13% and 21%, respectively, compared to Bitcoin's record high. According to Coinglass, on the last day of July, $800 million in long positions across all cryptocurrencies were liquidated.

Speculators doubt the rally's continuation, while crypto treasuries are buying Bitcoin under any conditions. On pullbacks or at market prices, ‘Strategy’ acquired more than 21,000 coins worth $2.46 billion during the week of July 28th to August 3rd. This is the third-largest cryptocurrency purchase by Michael Saylor's company since records began. The average price is the second highest in history. As a result, Strategy's reserves have grown to more than $71 billion.

The future dynamics of Bitcoin will depend on the fate of US stock indices and capital flows into ETFs. If the S&P 500's successes are temporary, Bitcoin will be forced to undergo a deep correction. If its quotes remain below the middle of the previous consolidation range of $116k—$120k, the bears are in control. (FxPro)

News Flashback

Three blows to oil in three days

Oil has been under triple pressure since the end of last week, losing more than 7% per barrel of WTI since 31 July, reaching the important psychological level of $65.

The latest wave of oil sell-offs began with the realisation that US trade tariffs from August will be higher than initially expected, as higher tariffs are associated with an economic slowdown and weaker demand for energy. Fears of an economic slowdown intensified after the release of unexpectedly weak US employment data on Friday. Over the weekend, concerns were heightened by OPEC+'s increase in production quotas, which was reflected in the markets on Monday.

After its latest meeting, OPEC+ announced that it would increase production quotas for eight countries by 547,000 barrels per day starting in September.

Considering the quota increases since April, the entire voluntarily reduced volume of 2.2 million barrels per day will return to the market. This is a rather bold decision, given the growing fear that the global economy is slowing down.

Some link such steps by the cartel to the risks of supply disruptions due to potential sanctions from the US and the EU. In our opinion, it is also worth considering the cartel's intention to regain its market share from the US in this way.

Oil producers in the US are very sensitive to price, sharply cutting investment when prices fall. At the beginning of April, there were 489 oil rigs in operation, but according to data published on Friday, this number has fallen to 410. In the long term, a gradual increase in production efficiency should be considered, but at intervals of six months, it is unlikely that there will be any sharp progress. Therefore, we can expect some US production reduction and a gradual recovery in the share of traditional oil producers such as Saudi Arabia, Russia and the UAE.

The price of WTI crude oil, which rose to close to $70 at its peak last week, has returned to the lower end of the range since early June at $65. Closing the day below 66 will mark a failure below the 200- and 50-day moving averages, increasing the potential for further declines.

If OPEC+ really plans to increase its share of the oil market, it may not oppose further price declines. The intensification of negative trends in the global and US economies could bring the price back to this year's lows of $55 by the end of September and to the lower end of the downward corridor of $50 by the end of the year. However, further trends will depend heavily on the reaction of monetary authorities and oil producers. (FxPro)

Markets, Crypto and Culture

August 21, 2025

Sydney, Australia

Markets

ASX futures up 18 points or 0.2% to 8897

Australian dollar -0.3% to 64.35 US cents

Wall Street:
S&P 500 -0.2%
Dow Jones flat
Nasdaq -0.7%

Europe
Stoxx 50 -0.2%
FTSE +1.1%
DAX -0.6%
CAC -0.1%

Bitcoin +0.7% to $US114,376

Gold +1% to $US3348.46 per ounce
Oil +1.4% to $US63.21 a barrel
Brent crude oil +1.8% to $US66.95 a barrel
Iron ore -0.1% to $US101.00 per ton

10-year yield:
US 4.29%
Australia 4.29%
Germany 2.72%

News

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $114,261.69 USD +1.28%
Ethereum $4,332.84 USD +6.18%
Tether $1.00 USD +0.05%
XRP $2.95 USD +3.18%
BNB $869.18 USD +5.58%

News

August 19, 2025

Cryptocurrency market nervousness grows

Market Overview

The cryptocurrency market cap fell by another 0.4% to $3.87 trillion. The market is plunging below the former resistance level, raising speculators' fears of a possible major correction towards $3.6 trillion.

Bitcoin fell to $114.7k, rolling back to levels seen two weeks ago and below the medium-term trend line, which is a 50-day moving average. This dynamic reinforces fears of a deeper correction, which could affect the entire crypto market, potentially triggering a deeper correction to $100K, near the 200-day MA.

Ethereum rolled back to $4,200, losing more than 12% from its peak. The second-largest coin by capitalisation is seriously aiming to test the strength of the former resistance area near $4,100, which has been holding back price growth since March 2024. The ability to stay above this level will indicate a change in the market regime for this cryptocurrency, as the abundant capital inflows also suggest.

News Background

According to CoinShares, global investment in crypto funds rose more than sixfold last week to $3.748 billion, the highest inflow in the last four weeks. Investments in Bitcoin increased by $552 million, Ethereum jumped by $2.868 million, Solana grew by $177 million, XRP by $126 million, and Sui by $11 million.

According to Glassnode, the number of addresses with a balance of more than 10,000 BTC fell to an annual low, and the number of wallets with 1,000–10,000 BTC also decreased. This indicates that large holders are taking profits after reaching record highs.

According to Canary Capital, Bitcoin is 50% likely to reach $140,000–$150,000 by the end of 2025, but a bear market will come next year.

Solana became the first network to reach 107,540 transactions per second (TPS) during a stress test. The actual throughput of the blockchain is lower, at around 3,700 TPS, which is 59 times higher than that of the main Ethereum network. (FxPro)

News

S&P500’s buy-the-dip sentiment helped Bitcoin

News

Bitcoin tests support at 50-day MA

Market Picture

The crypto market rolled back at the end of last week following a reduction in risk appetite in the financial markets. However, on Sunday, sentiment changed with the return of active buyers near the total capitalisation of $3.60 trillion. At the time of writing, the market is at $3.73 trillion (+3.6%). Less than 10% of the top 100 coins show gains over 7 days, among which the largest are TRON (+2.2%) and TON (+4.5%).

The crypto market sentiment index fell to 53 by Sunday morning, a six-week low, but recovered to 64 on Monday, reflecting a resurgence of bullish sentiment. However, another impressive upward move will be needed to confirm a local victory for the bulls.

On Saturday and Sunday, Bitcoin received support from buyers on declines below $112K near the 50-day moving average - the fourth touch of this curve since April. On the “buy the dip” sentiment, the first cryptocurrency recovered to $115K on Monday morning. The rebound from support is a bullish signal for the next couple of days, but the fact that it has been tested frequently raises concerns for the medium term. News Background

According to SoSoValue, net outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US amounted to $812.3 million on August 1, the highest since February 25. As a result, the weekly outflow from BTC ETFs amounted to $643 million, a record high for the past 16 weeks.

The net outflow from spot Ethereum ETFs in the US on Friday amounted to $152.3 million. However, inflows in the previous days of the week managed to keep the indicator in positive territory (+$154.3 million). The positive trend has continued for 12 consecutive weeks.

Analyst Ali Martinez says that over the past two days, Bitcoin whales have bought 30,000 BTC. According to Santiment, over the past four months, whales with balances ranging from 10 to 10,000 BTC have accumulated 0.9% of the total coin supply.

According to The Block, trading volume on centralised crypto exchanges exceeded $1.7 trillion in July (the highest since February 2025), and trading volume on decentralised exchanges (DEX) also reached its highest level since January.

Galaxy Digital warned of risks in the public company sector, which accumulates cryptocurrencies by issuing shares. The model creates systemic vulnerability and could lead to a cascade collapse.

US SEC Chairman Paul Atkins announced Project Crypto. The project’s key objective is to establish clear rules for cryptocurrencies and turn the US into the “world’s crypto capital.” (FxPro)

News Flashback

Three blows to oil in three days

Oil has been under triple pressure since the end of last week, losing more than 7% per barrel of WTI since 31 July, reaching the important psychological level of $65.

After its latest meeting, OPEC+ announced that it would increase production quotas for eight countries by 547,000 barrels per day starting in September.

News Flashback

July 29

Ethereum continues attempt to climb above $4,000

Market Picture

The crypto market lost 1%, falling back to a capitalisation of $3.9 trillion. This was a natural pullback against the backdrop of the dollar's impressive strengthening the day before. However, on Tuesday, the bulls were back in charge, bringing the market back to a level above Monday's opening but not yet reaching its peak.

Bitcoin is trading near $118.7K, unable to break through the resistance at $120K. This indecision to break out of the range is likely to continue until the market sees the Fed's key rate decision on Wednesday evening.

Ethereum rose to $3,930 at the end of the day, fell back to $3,700 on Monday, where it found interest from new buyers and rose to $3,830 at the time of writing. The last seven days have seen a fairly sharp upward trend, and if this trend continues, the price will rise above 4,000 by the end of this week.

News Background

According to CoinShares, global investment inflows into crypto funds last week amounted to $1.908 billion. Investments in Ethereum increased by $1.595 billion, Solana by a significant $312 million, XRP by $190 million, and Sui by $8 million. Investments in Bitcoin decreased by $175 million.

Japan's Metaplanet announced the acquisition of 780 BTC ($92.5 million) at an average price of $118,600. The company's total reserves now amount to 17,132 BTC, worth over $2 billion.

According to Blockware, Bitcoin will no longer show ‘parabolic’ rallies or ‘devastating’ bear cycles, as institutional investors have changed the market dynamics and reduced volatility.

According to Strategic ETH Reserve, the volume of the second cryptocurrency on the balance sheets of public companies has reached 2.32 million ETH (~$9.11 billion) — 1.92% of the total Ethereum supply. Bitmine Immersion Tech, associated with Fundstrat founder Tom Lee, pursues the most aggressive strategy. The company has ~566,800 ETH ($2.23 billion) on its balance sheet.

BNB, the fifth-largest cryptocurrency by capitalisation, updated its historical high above $860 on Monday. Against this background, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao's estimated fortune exceeded $76 billion. According to Forbes, Zhao owns 64% of the BNB supply — about 89.1 million tokens. (FxPro)

News

Pop Culture News

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream Match Series

News

Cryptocurrency Movies
Documentaries

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)

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

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)

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

Gold, copper, & silver: How metals are moving this year

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

"Everything is a gamble" Greg Tingle, Media Man Group

"Bullish is a mindset"

News

Cryptocurrency Movies
Documentaries

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)

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

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)

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

Gold, copper, & silver: How metals are moving this year

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

"Everything is a gamble" Greg Tingle, Media Man Group

August 8, 2025

Price Movements: Bitcoin is currently trading around $116,563, up 2.05% in the last 24 hours, with a market cap of approximately $2.26 trillion.

It recently hit a record high of $123,153.22 but has since retraced slightly. Short-term volatility persists, with a 3.06% drop over the past week, though technical indicators like the 50-day moving average suggest potential bullish support.

Some analysts predict Bitcoin could reach $130,000–$150,000 in the coming months, driven by institutional demand, though others warn of short-term risks due to regulatory uncertainty and geopolitical tensions.

Institutional Adoption: Institutional interest continues to grow, with U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs seeing significant inflows, including $1.9 billion in early January 2025, led by BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin ETF.

Companies like CleanSpark reported a $1 billion Bitcoin treasury, and Metaplanet increased its holdings to over 17,500 BTC. PayPal has enabled Bitcoin and crypto payments for U.S. merchants, boosting mainstream adoption.Regulatory Developments:

The U.S. House of Representatives’ “Crypto Week” in July saw debates on crypto-friendly bills like the GENIUS Act, aimed at providing regulatory clarity for stablecoins and digital assets. However, the White House is reportedly preparing to crack down on banks accused of “debanking” crypto companies, which could impact the industry.

The SEC approved in-kind creations and redemptions for Bitcoin ETFs, potentially easing investor access.Market Sentiment and Predictions: The market shows mixed sentiment, with a Fear & Greed Index at 62 (Greed) and 53% green days in the last 30 days.

Optimistic forecasts from analysts like Cathie Wood (Ark Invest) predict Bitcoin could hit $1 million in five years, while others like Standard Chartered project $200,000 by year-end. However, concerns about a potential bubble persist due to high institutional buying and limited supply.

Global and Corporate Moves: El Salvador continues to acquire Bitcoin despite an IMF agreement to pause purchases. Grupo Murano announced a $1 billion Bitcoin investment to transform real estate, and JPMorgan Chase is exploring lending against Bitcoin holdings.

Meanwhile, Nigel Farage in the UK advocated for a Bitcoin reserve.

Other Notable Events:

Sheetz, a U.S. convenience store chain, now offers 50% off purchases paid with Bitcoin daily from 3 PM to 7 PM.

A developer-focused Bitcoin privacy tech conference is set for Latvia in August 2025, dubbed “Riga Bitcoin Week.

Crypto, Bitcoin, FinTech, Comms News

August 1, 2025

Crypto: A weak start to a difficult month

Market Picture

The crypto market lost 2.7% over the past 24 hours to $3.75 trillion, the level of a week earlier. As this was not the first day of decline, the biggest hit was to altcoins, with ETH losing 5.6% and XRP losing 6%, compared to a 3% loss for BTC.

The cryptocurrency sentiment index fell to 65, its lowest level since 8 July, after three weeks of extreme greed. Clearly, the inability to grow disappointed speculators and increased bearish sentiment.

Bitcoin is trading at $115K, falling below $114K at the most vulnerable time at the start of Asian trading. The first cryptocurrency has given up almost half of its gains from the lows at the start of the month to the peaks on 14 July. Heavy selling in the second half of the month is darkening the clouds, but it will take more than just fatigue and a lack of news to reverse the trend. Last month and August 2024 also saw a weak start, so this comes as no surprise.

News Background

Bitcoin rose 8.3% in July to $116,500, strengthening for the fourth consecutive month after a two-month decline. In terms of seasonality, August is considered one of the two most unfavourable months for BTC. Over the past 14 years, Bitcoin has ended the month with growth only five times and has declined nine times. For the last three years, Bitcoin has been unsuccessful. The average decline was 14.7%, while the average growth was 26%.

According to Strategic ETH Reserve, corporate Ethereum reserves exceeded $10 billion. Sixty-five companies hold 2.73 million ETH on their balance sheets, which is 2.26% of the second cryptocurrency's total supply.

Standard Chartered Bank expects large companies to accumulate Ethereum as a strategic asset and buy up to 10% of the cryptocurrency's total supply.

The American bank JPMorgan has announced an expansion of its cooperation with the Coinbase crypto exchange. The bank's customers will be allowed to buy cryptocurrencies using credit cards. (FxPro)

News

Blockchain News

Maldives Financial Hub: The Maldives has partnered with Dubai-based MBS Global Investments to create a blockchain and digital assets financial hub in Malé, valued at $8.8 billion, aiming to diversify its economy.

Bitcoin’s Market Surge: Bitcoin’s market cap hit $2.4 trillion, surpassing Amazon, silver, and Alphabet, driven by a July rally. It rose 11% in late April, nearing a two-month high of $94,000, fueled by potential U.S. tariff reductions and strong corporate earnings.

Ethereum’s Fusaka Upgrade: Ethereum’s upcoming Fusaka hard fork, expected in November, will focus on performance and security improvements without new user features.

Solana’s Capacity Boost: Solana plans to increase its block capacity from 60 million to 100 million compute units to enhance transaction throughput and reduce network congestion.

Corporate Blockchain Adoption: A Deloitte survey indicates 99% of CFOs at billion-dollar firms expect long-term crypto adoption, with nearly 25% planning integration within two years.

Stablecoin Developments: AllUnity’s EURAU stablecoin launched, but euro-denominated stablecoins remain a small fraction (0.2%) of the market despite 60% growth since late 2024. Amazon and Walmart’s stablecoin explorations raise privacy concerns.

Security and Hacks: A critical bug in SuperRare’s staking contract led to a $731,000 theft in RARE tokens, highlighting persistent vulnerabilities in blockchain systems.

U.S. Regulatory Moves: The SEC introduced new listing standards for crypto asset-based ETPs, and the White House released a crypto roadmap, though details on a U.S. Bitcoin reserve remain unclear.

Innovations and Partnerships: The Philippines launched a blockchain-based document validation system on Polygon, despite a network outage. Coinbase and JPMorgan partnered to expand crypto access for Chase clients. (Grok)

News

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $114,490.93 USD -3.55%
Ethereum $3,618.31 USD -6.51%
Tether $0.9996 USD -0.05%
XRP $2.93 USD -7.65%
BNB $768.48 USD -4.92%
Solana $168.08 USD -7.66%
USD Coin $1.00 USD +0.11%
Dogecoin $0.2045 USD -9.02%
TRON $0.3248 USD -0.27%
Cardano $0.7209 USD -8.51%
Wrapped Bitcoin $114,553.04 USD -3.46%

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

Cryptocurrency

“Bitcoin is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme.” – Naval Ravikant, former CEO of AngelList

"The crypto and blockchain model is most impressive. XRP has provided us with substantial return on investment" - Greg Tingle, Media Man Group

“We have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical framework that is free of politics and human error.“ – Tyler Winklevoss, co-CEO of Gemini

"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, Founder of McAfee Associates

“There are 3 eras of currency: Commodity based, politically based, and now, math-based.“ – Chris Dixon, Venture Capitalist at Andreesen Horowitz

“If you don't believe me or don't get it, I don't have time to try to convince you, sorry.” - Satoshi Nakomoto, Founder of Bitcoin

Cryptos: (Near Live)

BTC $117,250.66 USD -1.09%
Ethereum $3,111.50 USD +4.36%
Tether $0.9999 USD -0.23%
XRP $2.89 USD +0.33%
BNB $687.41 USD +0.41%
Solana $161.92 USD +0.68%
USD Coin $0.9994 USD -0.07%
Dogecoin $0.1968 USD +1.99%
TRON $0.301 USD -0.30%
Cardano $0.7372 USD +1.79%

Cryptocurrency News

Market Trends: The crypto market is showing volatility with positive momentum. Bitcoin is trading around $109,031.50, up 0.69%, while Ethereum is at $2,561.66, up 1.77%. Solana ($151.09, +2.45%) and other altcoins like Chainlink ($13.46, +1.79%) are also trending upward. The total crypto market cap is steady at $3.47 trillion.

Bitcoin Developments: Bitcoin treasury companies are gaining dominance, with public companies, including one linked to President Donald Trump, aggressively buying crypto amid a softening regulatory environment. Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows have reached $14.4 billion in 2025 through July 3. Bitcoin hit a $2 trillion valuation, rivaling major corporations like Apple.

Regulatory Updates:
The UAE denied claims that staking Toncoin (TON) could lead to golden visa eligibility, causing a 6% price drop after a 10% surge.

Hong Kong established the world’s first stablecoin regulatory regime, effective August 1.

Ripple and Circle are applying for U.S. national bank charters, signaling mainstream financial integration.

Emerging Projects:
BlockDAG raised $332 million in presale and is preparing for a global launch, making it a top-trending crypto.

Arbitrum (ARB) is gaining attention due to a Robinhood partnership for tokenized U.S. ETF trading.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is generating buzz in crypto forums as a new asset with high growth potential.

Scams and Losses: Investors lost nearly $2.5 billion to crypto scams and hacks in 2025 so far, highlighting ongoing security challenges.

Price Predictions: Analysts are bullish, with XRP potentially reaching $3–$3.50 due to restored investor trust post-SEC legal clarity. Some speculate XRP could hit $100 with Wall Street’s entry. Bitcoin and Solana are also projected for significant gains, with Bitcoin possibly reaching $230,000 and Solana targeting $4,390 based on technical patterns. (Grok)

News

Pop Culture News

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream Match Series

News

Cryptocurrency Movies

Documentaries

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)

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

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)

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

"Everything is a gamble" Greg Tingle, Media Man Group

Mining, Energy, Resources and Culture: Australia and World

July 7/8, 2025

Northern Star queried on communications as shares hammered

Shares in Northern Star Resources fell by as much as 10.6 per cent on Monday after the gold miner stated that its production costs would be higher for 2025-26, along with its capital development expenses. Northern Star's capital development costs for 2025-26 are now forecast to be as much as $2.2 billion, and analysts from Jefferies said that figure was around $1 billion more than they expected. For their part, Citi analysts said Northern Star needs to do a better job when it comes to keeping investors informed, while Northern Star's shares ended up 8.7 per cent down at $16.80, thereby giving up over $2.2 billion in value. (RMS)

News

South32 washes its hands of nickel amid dirty market change

South32 wil sell its Cerro Matoso nickel operation in Colombia to a company called CoreX. The sale followed a review by South32 in response to changes in the nickel market, which has been flooded in recent years by cheap nickel from Indonesia, which has been dubbed 'dirty nickel' by the Australian nickel sector because of Indonesia's lax environmental rules for mining and refining. South32 will book an $US130m impairment on the sale of Cerro Matoso, while CoreX was established by Turkish billionaire Robert Yuksel Yildirim in 2024. It will pay a "nominal consideration" for initially taking control of Cerro Matoso, but will make future payments of up to $US100 million. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Downgrade hits Coronado coal funding hopes

S&P has downgraded Coronado Global Resources' credit rating to 'CCC', which is line with rival credit ratings firm Fitch. The downgrade will make it harder for the coal miner to raise about $1bn in debt markets over the next two years. UBS analysts say Coronado may need to consider the sale of further assets if it cannot access debt at a reasonable price; it is already seeking a buyer for a stake in the Curragh coal mine in Queensland. Coronado and its peers have been hard hit by a sharp fall in the price of hard coking coal; it was fetching around $US183 per tonne earlier this month, compared with more than $US670 a tonne in March 2022. (RMS)

News

Mining News

Australia Coal Sector Challenges: Coronado Global Resources faces funding difficulties after a downgrade by S&P Ratings, needing nearly $1 billion amid a coal price slump. This follows the collapse of Australian Pacific Coal and issues at Bowen Coking Coal, highlighting broader industry struggles.

Western Australia Mining Reforms: The Mining Amendment Bill 2025 in Western Australia, effective September 1, 2025, transfers royalty administration to RevenueWA, streamlining processes under the Taxation Administration Act. It also allows more flexible submission timelines for exploration and mining lease applications.

South32 Divests Cerro Matoso: South32 is selling its Cerro Matoso nickel mine in Colombia to a CoreX Holding subsidiary, aligning with its strategy to focus on minerals critical for the energy transition.

Japan’s Deep Sea Mining Plans: Japan will begin deep-sea mining tests in 2026, aiming to secure critical minerals despite environmental concerns. The move has drawn criticism for potentially undermining international seabed regulations.

Antipa Minerals Funding: Antipa Minerals secured $40 million to accelerate exploration and development at its Minyari gold-copper project in Australia.

South Africa’s Mining Budget: South Africa allocated R2.86 billion for its 2025/26 mining sector, aiming to boost exploration and address economic challenges, despite a slight decline in export earnings.

Queensland Coal Miners’ Pay Rise: Around 2,200 coal miners in Central Queensland are set for an average $30,000 pay increase following a Fair Work Commission ruling against BHP, though the company warns of job risks.

Bitcoin Mining Developments: American Bitcoin raised $220 million to expand its mining operations, while Bhutan has emerged as a significant Bitcoin mining hub. (Grok)

News

Gold Mining News

Australia’s Gold Sector Thrives: Australian gold miners are reporting record results in 2025, driven by operational efficiencies and strategic acquisitions. Gold Road Resources increased output at its Gruyere mine to 72,980 ounces in the June 2025 quarter, though full-year production is expected to be at the lower end of 325,000–355,000 ounces. Northern Star Resources sold 444,000 ounces in the same quarter, totaling 1.6 million ounces for FY25, but faced a share price drop after a disappointing update from its Kalgoorlie hub. Alkane Resources reported $12.3 million in free cash flow, bolstered by its merger with Mandalay Resources, enhancing its position as a mid-tier gold producer.

Global Developments: Montage Gold Corp. in Canada appointed mining expert Jeremy Langford to its board, advancing its $1B+ Koné project in Côte d’Ivoire toward 2027 production. In Mexico, Mithril Silver and Gold expanded its Copalquin project, with high-grade gold-silver mineralization spanning 8 kilometers. Newmont plans to cut 10-15% of its workforce at the Merian mine in Suriname due to a 48% production decline since 2021. Russia’s government is considering nationalizing PJSC Yuzhuralzoloto, a major gold miner, amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Market Trends: Gold prices surged 32.3% since November 2024, hitting a record $3,500.05 per ounce in April 2025, driven by central bank buying and fiscal uncertainty. However, prices dipped recently due to strong U.S. jobs data reducing expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts. Gold’s potential classification as a critical mineral could reshape mining economics, boosting investment opportunities.

Other Notable Moves: Auric Mining secured a processing deal with Black Cat Syndicate for its Munda gold mine in Western Australia, aiming for faster gold production. Australian Mines entered a deal to earn into Brazil’s Boa Vista Gold Project, targeting high-grade deposits. Hamak Gold Limited, a UK-based explorer, adopted a Bitcoin treasury policy, boosting its shares by 6%.

Grok

Pop Culture News

Gold (2022) - Australian Survival Thriller

Director: Anthony Hayes

Cast: Zac Efron, Anthony Hayes, Susie Porter
Plot: Set in a dystopian near-future, two drifters discover a massive gold nugget in a desert. One stays to guard it while the other seeks excavation tools, facing harsh conditions, wild animals, and paranoia. The film explores greed and survival.

Reception: Mixed reviews (65% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.1/10 average). Efron’s performance is praised, but the plot has been criticized for inconsistencies, like the illogical decision to guard the gold in an isolated area.

Availability: Stream on Disney+, Hulu, or rent/buy on Fandango at Home.

Note: Filmed in South Australia, it faced real sandstorms, adding authenticity to its visuals.

Gold (2022) - Malayalam Comedy Thriller

Director: Alphonse Puthren

Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Nayanthara, Ajmal Ameer
Plot: Set over four days, the story follows Joshi, a mobile shop owner, whose life gets complicated after buying a car for a marriage alliance. It’s a quirky, experimental film with a mix of comedy and drama.

Reception: Mixed feedback. Some praised Puthren’s editing and style, calling it a fun, wacky one-time watch, while others found the storyline thin and joyless.
Availability: Released in theaters on December 1, 2022, and on OTT platforms by December 29, 2022.

Best Quotes Of The Day

Gold

"Gold is the money of kings." - Anonymous

"Gold is the universal language understood by all nations." - George Herbert

"Gold gives to the ugliest thing a certain charming air, for that without it were else a miserable affair." - Moliere

"The desire for gold is the most universal and deeply rooted commercial instinct of the human race." - Gerald M.

"Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold." - Leo Tolstoy

About Gold and Money:

"Money is gold, and nothing else." - Bullion by Post

"Because gold is honest money, it is disliked by dishonest men." - Bullion by Post

"I like gold because it is a stabilizer; it is an insurance policy." - Bullion by Post

"We have gold because we cannot trust government." - Bullion by Post

"Never trust money more than gold." - Bullion by Post

"Although gold and silver are not by nature money, money is by nature gold and silver." - Bullion by Post

News

Markets

Australian Dollar: $0.6494 USD (down $0.0062 USD)
Iron Ore Aug Spot Price (SGX): $95.25 USD (down $0.60 USD)
Oil Price (WTI): $67.92 USD (up $1.42 USD)
Gold Price: $3,337.00 USD (up $0.26 USD)
Copper: $5.0050 USD (down $0.0575 USD)
Bitcoin: $107,977.40 USD (down 0.83%)
Dow Jones: 44,406.36 (down 422.17 points)

Markets (updated)

Australian dollar -0.96% to 64.93 US cents

Wall Street:
S&P 500 -0.79%, Dow Jones -0.94%, Nasdaq -0.92%

Europe:
Stoxx 50 +1%, FTSE -0.19%, DAX +1.2%, CAC +0.35%

Bitcoin -0.59% to $US108,145

Spot gold +0.11% at $US3346.50 per ounce

US oil +1.54% to $US68.03 a barrel

Brent crude oil +1.96% to $US69.64 a barrel

Iron ore -1.02% at $US95.22 per tonne

10-year yield: US 4.38% Australia 4.18% Germany 2.64%

News

Gold News

Gold futures opened at $3,344.50 per ounce Monday, up 0.4% from last Thursday's close of $3,331.60. The gold price in July has remained above $3,300 after dipping below that threshold on June 30.

Investors are watching U.S. tariff policy developments as the 90-day pause on higher reciprocal tariffs expires this week. President Trump said he would inform countries shortly of the tariffs imposed on their U.S. exports. Rates will range from 10% to 70%. The president also referenced an effective date of August 1.

The price of gold futures has risen 7% since the president initially announced reciprocal tariff rates on April 2.

The opening price of gold futures on Monday is up 0.4% from last Thursday's close of $3,331.60 per ounce. Monday's opening price marks an increase of 2.4% over the past week, compared to the opening price of $3,265.90 on June 30. In the past month, the gold futures price has fallen 0.6% compared to the opening price of $3,364.30 on June 6, 2025. In the past year, gold was up 42% from the opening price of $2,354.90 on July 5, 2024.

Markets, Cryptos and Culture

June 30, 2025

ASX futures up 5 points/0.1% to 8,521
AUD -0.26% at US65.29¢
Bitcoin +0.83% to $US108,249
Dow +1.0% S&P +0.5% NAS +0.5%
Gold -1.8% to $US3,287.60 an ounce
Oil +0.1% at $US67.77 a barrel
Iron ore +1.4% at $US94.75 a ton

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $107,845.11 USD +0.65%
Ethereum $2,443.93 USD +0.58%
Tether $1.00 USD +0.61%
XRP $2.19 USD +0.48%
BNB $651.06 USD +0.75%
Solana $151.66 USD +0.98%
USD Coin $0.9995 USD +0.08%
Dogecoin $0.1647 USD +0.92%
TRON $0.2767 USD +1.31%
Cardano $0.5608 USD -0.45%
Wrapped Bitcoin $107,797.10 USD +0.68%

News

Bitcoin News

Price Movements: Bitcoin is trading at approximately $108,220, with a market cap of $2.15 trillion and a 24-hour trading volume of $10.41 billion, close to its highest monthly close ever, signalling bullish sentiment. It recently reclaimed $106,000 after dipping to $98,500, driven by optimism around a U.S.-brokered Israel-Iran ceasefire and expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts. Analysts project potential rallies to $120,000-$150,000 by year-end, with some long-term forecasts reaching $500,000 by 2030.

Geopolitical Impact: The ceasefire announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump boosted global market confidence, fuelling a crypto rally. Bitcoin rose 5%, alongside altcoins like Ethereum (9%), Solana (10%), and XRP (7%). However, geopolitical risks, like Middle East tensions, continue to influence volatility.

Institutional and State Adoption: Texas became the first U.S. state to fund a Bitcoin reserve with a $10 million purchase, following Governor Greg Abbott’s signing of Senate Bill 21. The Trump administration is also pushing for a national strategic crypto reserve, including Bitcoin, funded by seized assets. Additionally, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) added 245 BTC to its $63 billion holdings, with more purchases expected.

Regulatory Shifts: The U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to remove “reputational risk” from bank supervision, previously known as Operation Choke Point 2.0, is seen as a positive move for crypto custody services, potentially boosting institutional adoption.

Market Trends: Bitcoin whales are accumulating, with exchange deposits at decade lows, and a bull flag pattern suggests a potential breakout to $117,700. However, concerns linger about quantum computing advancements threatening Bitcoin’s cryptography and the environmental impact of mining operations.

Industry Developments: Vice President JD Vance, speaking at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference, called crypto a “movement,” signaling White House support. Meanwhile, U.S. investor Anthony Pompliano launched ProCap Financial, a $1 billion Bitcoin treasury company, and Texas-based firms are exploring AI-powered energy optimization for mining.

Risks and Scams: Crypto hacks hit a record high in 2025’s first half, and CoinMarketCap faced a scam exploit via malicious pop-ups. Additionally, unclaimed crypto from deceased users is a growing issue, with platforms lacking inheritance tools. (Grok)

News

Blockchain News

Digital Asset Funding: Digital Asset raised $135 million to scale its Canton Network, a permissionless layer-1 blockchain focused on institutional-grade compliance and privacy. The funding, backed by Goldman Sachs and Citadel, aims to accelerate onboarding real-world assets like bonds and alternative funds.

Stablecoin Blockchain Launch: Codex, a blockchain for stablecoins with $16 million in funding from Dragonfly Capital, Coinbase, and Circle Ventures, launched its mainnet. It focuses on bridging crypto and traditional finance, with native USDC support to enhance stablecoin adoption.

Fiserv’s Stablecoin Integration: Fintech giant Fiserv introduced a bank-friendly stablecoin, compatible with the Solana blockchain, leveraging Paxos and Circle infrastructure. This move aims to integrate blockchain-based payments into existing banking systems without additional fees.

Bitcoin Treasury Surge: Institutional Bitcoin adoption is growing, with The Blockchain Group in Paris raising $340 million for a corporate Bitcoin treasury, signaling a trend of firms using BTC to boost share value. Blockstream CEO Adam Back noted this could shift investor focus from altcoins.

US Legislative Push: The US House passed the Deploying American Blockchains Act of 2025 (HR 1664), directing the Secretary of Commerce to promote blockchain adoption and competitiveness, reinforcing US leadership in distributed ledger technologies.

XRP Ledger Advancements: Ripple’s XRP Ledger activated a permissioned decentralized exchange (DEX), blending compliance and decentralization to drive institutional blockchain adoption. Ripple also minted 13 million RLUSD, nearing a major stablecoin market milestone.

Regulatory Developments: Singapore’s new crypto rules mandate licensing by June 30, 2025, with non-compliant firms facing $200K fines or prison. Meanwhile, Vietnam legalized crypto under a new digital tech law, aiming for global tech leadership.

Innovative Blockchain Solutions: Nexus activated a testnet for 2.1 million users, rethinking blockchain infrastructure for AI integration. Algorand partnered with Paycode to bring blockchain-powered payments to underserved communities in Afghanistan, Ghana, and Zambia.

These updates reflect a strong push toward institutional adoption, stablecoin integration, and regulatory clarity in the blockchain space. For more details, platforms like Cointelegraph, The Block, or CoinGape offer comprehensive coverage. (Grok)

News

Gold News

Americans Cash Out on Gold Coins as Asian Investors Bulk Up

Americans who once snapped up gold bars and coins are offloading the assets while their Asian counterparts show no letup in bullion buying, a sign investors on opposite sides of the world have different outlooks on the global economy.

The divergence suggests US residents who stash bars and coins at home or in safe deposit boxes — akin to stock market day traders — are more at ease about US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, rising government debt and geopolitical tensions. And, they’re ready to cash in after the metal’s stunning rally over the past two years.

Known as retail investors, these Americans are bucking broader market trends in which more wealthy investors continue to aggressively buy the haven asset as do sovereign funds and central banks. Meanwhile, Asian gold buyers are eschewing jewelry for bars and coins.

In the US, “A lot of the retail investors tend to be Republican-leaning. And whatever we say about the policy of tariffs, they like the idea of how Trump’s doing,” said Philip Newman, managing director at research consultancy Metals Focus Ltd. “So from their point of view, there’s less reason to buy gold.”

The US market is so awash with bars and coins that some precious metals dealers have slashed their premiums to the lowest in six years to spur sales. And when investors sell, they’re now looking at paying dealers a fee to offload gold.

Bullion dealer Money Metals Exchange LLC currently charges buyers of one-ounce American Eagle gold coins $20 over spot prices, compared with $175 four years ago. And sellers now need to pay about $20 for the online exchange to take the metal, whereas in 2021 they would have received an extra $121 for selling.

The glut has led to a collapse in sales of newly minted bullion products, with the US Mint’s American Eagle gold coins — a proxy for retail demand — tumbling more than 70% in May from the prior year.

The demand for gold bars and coins has been falling for the past three years in North America and Western Europe while rising everywhere else in the world, with last year marking the biggest divergence on record in data going back to 2014, according to Metals Focus. That gap continued into the first quarter of 2025, driven predominately by the selloff in the US market, according to the consultancy.

Meanwhile, demand for bars and coins rose 3% in the Asia-Pacific region in the first quarter, with the Chinese market registering a 12% year-on-year increase, according to the latest data from the World Gold Council, a trade body representing gold miners. South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia all posted gains of more than 30%.

Initial worries of China and Asia getting hit the hardest by Trump’s tariffs led to “super strong” demand for gold in the region, said Kenny Hu, a commodity strategist at Citigroup Inc (C). Concerns about local currency depreciation also means gold remains the go-to asset for Asian investors who played a key role in the metal’s rally since 2024.

Investors in Southeast Asia lacking other investment options have started recognizing gold as a strategic asset, said Brian Lan, managing director of GoldSilver Central, a Singapore-based precious metals dealer.

“Southeast Asians who have memories of the war understand that gold is a form of insurance during periods of uncertainty,” he said.

In the US, profit taking is part of the equation given gold’s stunning climb — up 59% since the beginning of 2024 to $3,274.33 an ounce Friday. But Wall Street banks are split over whether the rally has ended. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. reaffirmed a $4,000-an-ounce forecast by next year and Morgan Stanley expects $3,800 by the end of this year, while Citigroup Inc. sees prices dipping below $3,000 next year.

“When there’s fear, they own more gold and less risk assets,” said Hu of Citigroup. “And now maybe they’re thinking things are actually fine. Tariffs are not that bad. Things will get negotiated out. Geopolitics eventually will de-escalate and US growth may be not that bad.” (AI News)

News

Cryptocurrency Movies

Documentaries
The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014) Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s early days and its potential to disrupt finance.

Banking on Bitcoin (2016) Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots, and impact on global financial systems through interviews with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.

Cryptopia: Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet (2020)

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

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

"Everything is a gamble" Greg Tingle, Media Man Group

"It's not that hard to find dirt on people, former journalist or not. Look for the gold in everyone. It's there when you look deep enough. Some people it shines immediately, others one needs to drill a little more" Greg Tingle, Media Man Group

Flashback

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $107,414.36 USD-0.25%
Ethereum $2,424.39 USD -0.60%
Tether $1.00 USD -0.04%
XRP $2.12 USD -3.32%
BNB $644.25 USD -0.61%
Solana $141.41 USD -2.13%
USD Coin $1.00 USD +0.02%
Dogecoin $0.161 USD -3.01%
TRON $0.2711 USD -0.80%
Cardano $0.557 USD -2.59%
Wrapped Bitcoin $107,341.94 USD -0.25%

News

Bitcoin News

Price and Market Trends: Bitcoin is trading around $95,000-$97,000, with recent volatility after hitting $100,000 in December 2024. Analysts predict a potential rally to $120,000 by Q3 2025, driven by institutional adoption and ETF inflows, though short-term corrections are expected due to profit-taking.

Mining Developments: Bitcoin’s hashrate dropped 15% in mid-June due to heatwaves spiking energy costs, leading to a 9% mining difficulty reduction, the largest since 2021. U.S. miners now control 31.6% of global hashrate, up 50% since April 2024. Chinese manufacturers are shifting production to the U.S. to bypass tariffs and sanctions.

Regulatory Updates: Norway’s planned ban on new crypto mining data centers starts autumn 2025 to prioritize energy allocation. France scrapped a study on using surplus energy for mining, citing climate goals. U.S. tax policies remain a hurdle, taxing mined coins immediately, pressuring miners to sell.

Institutional and ETF Growth: BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) saw $1 billion in inflows last week, pushing global Bitcoin ETF AUM to $110 billion. Institutional custody solutions, like Fidelity’s, are expanding, signaling mainstream adoption.

Technological Shifts: Bitcoin.?, a greener, quantum-resistant fork, is gaining attention as an alternative to Bitcoin’s energy-intensive mining, which emits 65 megatonnes of carbon yearly. Miners like MARA are integrating renewables, with MARA acquiring a Texas wind farm.

X Sentiment: Posts highlight Bitcoin’s 93% mined supply, fueling scarcity-driven bullishness. However, debates persist over energy consumption and regulatory risks. Some users speculate on Bitcoin’s role in a potential BRICS-backed currency shift, though unconfirmed.

Cryptocurrency News

The crypto market is on the verge of previous extremes

Market Picture

The crypto market cap increased by another 1% to $3.31 trillion, reaching the threshold of increased volatility. Just above that, in the $3.40–3.55 trillion range, is a turning point, which has activated sellers and prevented the market from consolidating higher.

The cryptocurrency sentiment index is at 74, just 1 point below the ‘extreme greed’ zone and in the range of the highs of the second half of May. At that time, the market capitalisation was at approximately the same level.

Since the end of Wednesday, Bitcoin has been testing the $108K mark, but it will sell off when it touches this level. Over the past couple of days, we have seen a smooth but steady intraday uptrend, accompanied by heavy buying from medium—and long-term investors. We see this as a sign of buying by professional market participants and link it to strengthening stocks, which increases the likelihood of reaching $110K or even $112K as early as this week.

News Background

Inflows into Bitcoin ETFs continue to influence the price of the first cryptocurrency, while companies' purchases for their Bitcoin reserves have virtually no impact, according to K33. Experts warn of likely high volatility in the crypto market due to Trump's upcoming budget bill and the 9 July tariff deadline.

According to The Block, the Bitcoin dominance index, which reflects its market share compared to other crypto assets, rose to 62% after falling to 59% in May. This raises questions about the onset of the altcoin season.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the US needs a regulatory framework for stablecoins. The GENIUS Act, passed by the Senate last week, is awaiting consideration in the House of Representatives.

Barclays, one of the UK's largest banks, has banned its customers from buying cryptocurrency with Barclaycard credit cards. The bank said that falling cryptocurrency prices could lead to debts that customers would be unable to repay.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the company could become the largest Bitcoin miner by the end of 2025. According to him, the company's goal is not commercial gain but protecting its assets. The company owns more than 100,000 BTC and wants to participate in securing the network to protect these investments. (FxPro)

News

Blockchain News

Institutional Adoption: Franklin Templeton’s CEO, Jenny Johnson, emphasized blockchain’s compelling advantages, predicting a rapid shift to digital asset technology in traditional finance. The firm launched a Bitcoin and Ether ETF and expanded its tokenized US government money market fund to Solana and Base blockchains.

Stablecoin Developments: The US Senate passed a stablecoin bill, establishing a regulatory framework for the first time, signaling a milestone for the crypto sector. Wyoming’s Stable Token Commission selected Aptos and Sei for its state-backed stablecoin pilot, WYST, pegged to the USD.

Corporate Investments: The Blockchain Group, a Paris-listed firm, acquired 182 BTC for $20M, bringing its total holdings to 1,653 BTC, valued at over $170M, with a reported 1,173% BTC yield in 2025. Everything Blockchain Inc. committed $10M to a multi-token crypto treasury, including SOL, XRP, SUI, TAO, and HYPE, aiming for $1M in annual staking rewards.

Regulatory Moves: Vietnam legalized crypto under a new digital technology law, aiming to position itself as a global tech leader. Meanwhile, Norway plans a temporary ban on new crypto mining data centers starting August 2025 to curb energy use.

Innovations and Partnerships: Coinbase introduced a stablecoin payment infrastructure for Shopify merchants to accept USDC. Project Eleven raised $6M to protect the Bitcoin blockchain from quantum computing threats with a quantum-safe cryptographic registry. Kaia joined the Japan Blockchain Association as the first Layer 1 blockchain, focusing on adoption via mini DApps on LINE.

Security and Fraud: Hackers, possibly linked to Israel, drained $90M from Iran’s largest crypto exchange, Nobitex, with funds transferred to addresses criticizing Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The US DOJ filed a $225.3M civil forfeiture complaint against a blockchain-based money laundering network tied to crypto investment fraud.

Market and IPO Activity: Plasma, a stablecoin-focused blockchain, raised $500M in a five-minute ICO, with 10 wallets securing 40% of tokens. MEXC’s COO highlighted a surge in crypto IPOs, with firms like Circle and Gemini capitalizing on regulatory clarity.

Gaming and Analytics: PENGU Game launched on the TON blockchain as part of Pudgy Penguins’ gaming strategy. Bubblemaps V2 also launched on TON, enhancing real-time token activity tracking.

These updates reflect blockchain’s growing integration into finance, regulatory progress, and ongoing challenges like security and energy concerns. (Grok)

News

Criminal use of stablecoins continues to rise: report

Most illegal activity happening on cryptocurrency ledgers now involves the tokens known as stablecoins, according to a report released on Thursday (Friday AEST) by an intergovernmental body that develops policies to protect the global financial system against money laundering and terrorist financing. The findings in the new report from the Financial Action Task Force land just as US lawmakers and businesses are pushing for the wider distribution of stablecoins, crypto tokens that are pegged to the US dollar or some other national currency. The task force, which brings together officials from most of the biggest countries in the world, found that a wide array of illicit actors — including terrorists, drug traffickers and North Korean hackers — have stepped up their use of stablecoins since the group’s last report on digital assets in 2024.The so-called “Genius Act” that was recently passed by the US Senate aims to normalise stablecoins by bringing them under a more standardised and rigorous regulatory regime than they have faced until now. This has led numerous companies to push forward with initiatives that would give consumers access to stablecoins and knit them into the traditional financial industry. The issuer of the USDC token, Circle Internet Group, went public in early June and its share price has risen more than sixfold since then. A company tied to President Donald Trump’s family, World Liberty Financial, has released its own stablecoin project.

Cryptos, Markets and Culture

"Don't Mention The War" ...

Crypto's Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $106,192.78 +1.00%
Ethereum $2,432.44 +1.05%
Tether $1.00 -0.05%
XRP $2.17 +0.56%
BNB $644.48 +0.41%
Solana $146.26 USD +0.26%
Dogecoin $0.1663 USD +0.11%

News

Bitcoin profiting on the returned demand for risk

Bitcoin has been on a rollercoaster ride. Firstly, quotes fell below the psychologically important round level of 100,000 in response to the United States' bombing Iran. Then, the cryptocurrency recorded one of the best daily rallies in 2025 thanks to Donald Trump's announcement of a ceasefire in the Middle East.

Along with the deterioration of global risk appetite amid the Israeli-Iranian conflict, fears about the growth of token supply put pressure on Bitcoin. Western sanctions are depriving the country of the opportunity to sell traditional assets. To attract resources, it may start selling cryptocurrency. Therefore, Tehran's reduction in oil exports increased the risks of a further decline in Bitcoin prices.

The markets believed in the end of the Twelve-Day War and returned to a positive outlook. The reduction in the number of daily transactions on the Bitcoin network from 600-700K in 2024 to 500K in 2025, with the average payment volume remaining unchanged at $7 billion, is good news. According to Glassnode, this indicates institutional investors' increased interest in digital assets.

Bitcoin is also supported by consistently high demand for Bitcoin-focused ETF products. Since their launch in January 2024, specialised exchange-traded funds have attracted more than $131 billion.

The turning point in the Israeli-Iranian conflict gives reason to expect a continuation of the rally in US stock indices. The return of the S&P 500 to record highs is strengthening global risk appetite and creating a tailwind for the first Crypto. Events in the Middle East have shown that Bitcoin has not become a hedge against turmoil, as its creators intended.

Nevertheless, the risky nature of cryptocurrency allows you to make good money on it during periods of market prosperity. How long will the current favourable period last? The answer will depend on the end of the war in the Middle East. It will also depend on Donald Trump's unwillingness to escalate trade conflicts. There is not much time left before the end of the 90-day tariff delay. Are the markets and the S&P 500 waiting for a new round of trade wars? (FxPro)

News

Crude Oil still caught in a bear hug

The price of a barrel of WTI fell to $64 at the start of trading on Tuesday, while Brent fell to $66.7 at its lowest point at the start of active trading in Europe. Retreating to levels seen before the latest conflict, the price recouped the ‘war premium’. This was how the markets reacted to Iran’s relatively restrained response and the subsequent reports of a truce with Israel.

The sharp decline in prices indicates the continuing dominance of bears in the market, where the Middle East conflict triggers a 20% price increase. Still, a moderate response and Trump’s tweet nullify the entire war premium.

Although it should be acknowledged that technically, Oil has broken through this year’s downward trend resistance, it has failed to develop its offensive. The sequence of lower local highs is generally in line with the trend that began in September 2023 and formed a downward channel.

The lower boundary of this corridor is now near $53 for WTI and will decline to $47 by the end of the year. For Brent, these levels are $56.5 and $50.50, respectively. However, this corridor is only valid based on currently known data. This is the main scenario for a time when subdued economic growth reduces energy demand, despite the OPEC+ declared market deficit.

If Israel and Iran return to the intensity of action we have seen in the last couple of weeks, it could break the trend that has formed in recent years. However, we still consider this scenario to be an alternative rather than a baseline.

Moreover, it cannot be ruled out that recent events will lead to an easing of sanctions imposed on Iran, allowing it to increase oil exports and further reduce its price. Even without sanctions, Iran has a compelling reason to try to increase its exports, spending the proceeds on rebuilding the country. (FxPro)

News

Bitcoin News

Bitcoin Price Surge Amid Ceasefire Optimism: Bitcoin reclaimed $106,000 following a ceasefire announcement between Israel and Iran by U.S. President Donald Trump, boosting global market confidence. The crypto market saw a broad rally, with Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and Cardano gaining up to 13%. Analysts suggest a dovish signal from Fed Chair Jerome Powell could push Bitcoin past its $107,700 resistance level.

Analysts Bullish on Bitcoin’s Future: Multiple analysts project Bitcoin reaching $120,000 this year, driven by factors like spot price resilience, central bank policies, energy market trends, and technical setups. Some even predict a cycle top of $330,000 based on historical indicators like the AVIV ratio.

Institutional Accumulation:
Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) added 245 BTC ($26 million) to its holdings, now totaling 592,345 BTC worth over $63 billion.

BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF holds 3.25% of BTC’s total supply, nearing $70 billion in assets, signaling strong institutional interest despite slowing retail inflows.

Bitcoin whales are accumulating during market dips, with a bull flag pattern pointing to a potential $117,700 target.

U.S. Policy Shifts:

The U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to remove “reputational risk” from bank supervision (previously known as Operation Choke Point 2.0) has fueled Bitcoin’s recovery by easing restrictions on crypto custody services.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Bitcoin “freedom” and said it’s “here to stay.”

Fed Chair Powell noted a “significant change in the tone” of the crypto industry, hinting at increased activity.

Trump Family Ventures:

Eric Trump announced “American Bitcoin,” a new Bitcoin mining venture with Hut 8, leveraging favorable U.S. energy policies.

Posts on X claim Trump’s Truth Social filed for Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs with the NYSE, though this remains unverified.

Market Volatility and Recovery: Bitcoin briefly dipped below $100,000 due to U.S.-Iran tensions but rebounded to $105,000-$106,000 as ceasefire hopes grew. The market saw $1 billion in liquidations during the dip, with 240,000 traders affected.

Bitcoin Treasury Company: Investor Anthony Pompliano launched ProCap Financial, a Bitcoin treasury firm with up to $1 billion in BTC on its balance sheet, following the trend of companies like Strategy.

Sentiment on X:

Bitcoin is hailed as a major technological disruption, listed among the most significant innovations of the past 1,000 years.

Posts counter the “bubble” narrative, emphasizing Bitcoin’s resilience and long-term potential.

RFK Jr. confirmed owning Bitcoin during a financial disclosure inquiry.

Market Context: Bitcoin is trading around $106,000, up from a recent low of $98,500. The market is reacting to geopolitical developments, Federal Reserve policies, and institutional moves. Analysts remain divided, with some seeing consolidation and others predicting a breakout to new all-time highs. (Grok)

News

June 25, 2025

Sydney, Australia

Markets

ASX 200 futures up 5 points/ 0.1% to 8540

AUD +0.5% to US64.90¢

Bitcoin +2.1% to $US106,042

Wall St:
Dow +1.2%
S&P +1.1%
Nasdaq 1.4%

VIX -2.35 to 17.48

Gold -1.3% to $US3323.67 an ounce
Brent oil -5.1% to $US67.82 a barrel
Iron ore -1.1% to $US92.85 a ton

10-year yield: US 4.29% Australia 4.15%

News

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'Media Services Of The Month' award

Media Man

UFC wins Media Man 'MMA Promotion Of The Month' award

WWE wins Media Man 'Wrestling Promotion Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: NXT, TNA Wrestling, AEW, NWA

All Elite Wrestling wins Media Man 'Challenger Brand Of The Month' award and 'Encouragement Award Of The Month'; WWE: John Cena and AEW: Claudio Castagnoli was the difference factor; AEW continues to gain stream! Cheer's to the renewed WWE - AEW friendly .. er, war?!

WSL wins Media Man 'Surfing Promotion/Brand Of The Month' award

Netflix wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: YouTube and MAX

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

"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

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

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 analyzes 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."

News

Gold holds decline as ceasefire saps haven demand

Gold held a decline as a shaky Iran-Israel ceasefire appeared to hold, reducing demand for haven assets. Bullion was near $US3330 an ounce, after closing down 1.3 per cent on Tuesday. The truce between Israel and Iran continued after US President Donald Trump lashed out at both sides for early breaches. Geopolitical uncertainties, along with Trump’s aggressive trade policy and central bank buying, have spurred a 27 per cent advance in gold this year. The rally has lost momentum over the last couple of months, however, with bullion mostly trading between $US3300 and $US3400 an ounce. Spot gold rose 0.2 per cent to $US3330.85 an ounce in Asian trading. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was flat. Silver was steady, while platinum and dipped.

News

Bonus

Gold by Spandau Ballet

Producers: Steve Jolley & Tony Swain

Music Video: Gold
https://youtube.com/watch?v=VQ4qrcHyYj4

[Verse 1]

Thank you for coming home
Sorry that the chairs are all worn
I left them here I could have sworn
These are my salad days
Slowly being eaten away
Just another play for today
Oh, but I'm proud of you, but I'm proud of you
Nothing left to make me feel small
Luck has left me standing so tall

[Chorus] Gold (gold)

Always believe in your soul
You've got the power to know
You're indestructible, always believing
You are gold (gold)
Glad that you're bound to return
There's something I could have learned
You're indestructible, always believing

[Verse 2]

After the rush has gone I hope you find a little more time Remember we were partners in crime
It's only two years ago
The man with the suit and the face
You knew that he was there on the case
Now he's in love with you, he's in love with you
And love is like a high prison wall
And you could leave me standing so tall

[Chorus]

Gold (gold) Always believe in your soul
You've got the power to know You're indestructible, always believing
You are gold (gold)
Glad that you're bound to return
Something I could have learned
You're indestructible, always believing

[Bridge]

Love is like a high prison wall
You could leave me standing so tall

[Chorus]

Gold (gold) Always believe in your soul

You got the power to know You're indestructible, always believing
You are gold (gold)
Glad that you're bound to return
Something I could have learned
You're indestructible, always believing (You are, gold)
Always believe in your soul You've got the power to know
You're indestructible, always believing 'Cause you are gold (gold)
I'm glad that you're bound to return
Something I could have learned
You're indestructible, always believing (gold)

[Verse 1]

[Chorus]

Gold (gold) Always believe in your soul
You've got the power to know
You're indestructible, always believing
You are gold (gold)
Glad that you're bound to return
There's something I could have learned
You're indestructible, always believing

[Verse 2]

After the rush has gone I hope you find a little more time
Remember we were partners in crime
It's only two years ago
The man with the suit and the face
You knew that he was there on the case
Now he's in love with you, he's in love with you
And love is like a high prison wall
And you could leave me standing so tall

Cryptocurrency, Markets and Culture Today

Cryptos:

Road to a $3.7 trillion Stablecoin market is full of obstacles

June 21, 2025

The passage of stablecoin legislation in the US Senate marks a huge leap forward for the potential mainstreaming of cryptocurrencies that track the US dollar one-to-one.

Yet there are still big problems to solve before many businesses can capitalise on the opportunities that are arising. Now, stablecoins are taking the leap from their original use as crypto-market poker chips to common mediums of exchange, offering merchants and consumers cheaper and more efficient payment systems.

Among the hurdles getting in the way of the hype: An uneven regulatory environment between major markets like the US and the European Union that threatens to create compliance risks, as well as gaps in know-your-customer standards that raise concerns about fraud and illicit activity. What’s more, the potential proliferation of competing stablecoins from issuers large and small could create complexity that stymies their adoption..

Gold News

Gold prices have been volatile recently, driven by geopolitical tensions and economic factors. Here's a summary of the latest developments based on available information:

Price Movements: Gold prices dipped to around $3,347 per ounce this week, marking a one-week low after a 1.2% drop on June 16, 2025, as investors took profits following a rally to an eight-week high near $3,400. Despite the decline, gold remains range-bound due to ongoing geopolitical and macroeconomic risks. Spot gold was reported at $3,390.59 on June 17, with U.S. gold futures settling at $3,406.9. Prices briefly surged past $3,400 due to Israel-Iran tensions but later eased as de-escalation hopes emerged.

Geopolitical Influence: The Israel-Iran conflict has significantly boosted safe-haven demand for gold. Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last week pushed prices up, with analysts noting a "political risk premium" driving the market. If tensions escalate further, gold could rise to $3,700 (Rs 108,100 in India), according to some forecasts. However, prices moderated as Trump signaled no imminent attack on Iran, reducing immediate fears.

Economic Factors: The U.S. Federal Reserve's recent decision to hold interest rates at 4.25%-4.50% and signal slower future rate cuts has pressured gold prices, as higher rates reduce the appeal of non-yielding assets like gold. Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s comments on expecting "meaningful inflation" also dampened optimism. Additionally, a stronger U.S. dollar capped gains, while softer U.S. inflation data and trade war concerns provided some support earlier this month.

Market Outlook: Analysts are mixed. Some, like Citi Research, predict a potential peak in Q3 2025, with prices possibly falling to $3,100-$3,500 due to weaker demand, particularly in jewelry (down 16% in 2025). Others see upside potential if geopolitical risks or tariff concerns intensify. Central banks are expected to buy 1,000 metric tons of gold in 2025, continuing a trend of diversifying reserves away from the U.S. dollar.

Regional Highlights: In Dubai, 24-karat gold hit Dh412.75 per gram ($112.84), nearing its all-time high of Dh420. In India, MCX gold futures reached Rs 1,01,708 per 10 grams on June 16 but later fell to Rs 98,722 by June 20, with a "sell on rise" strategy suggested due to the downtrend.

Other Developments: Central banks, particularly in Vietnam, are tightening gold transaction regulations to curb smuggling and tax evasion, which could impact local markets. Meanwhile, gold-backed securities like Amundi Physical Gold ETC issued 57,000 new units, reflecting sustained investor interest.

Gold’s trajectory depends on the interplay of Middle East tensions, U.S. monetary policy, and global trade dynamics. Investors are advised to monitor these factors closely, as volatility is likely to persist.

Note: Prices and forecasts are based on reports from June 13-21, 2025. Always verify with real-time data before making investment decisions. (Grok)

News

Markets

ASX futures down 20 points/ 0.2% to 8469

AUD -0.5% to US64.52¢

Bitcoin -0.8% to $US103,522

Wall St:
Dow +0.1%
S&P -0.2%
Nasdaq -0.5%

VIX -1.55 to 20.62

Gold -0.1% to $US3368.39 an ounce
Oil -2.1% to $US77.21 a barrel
Iron ore +1.1% to $US93.70 a tonne
10-year yield: US 4.38% Australia 4.18%

News

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $103,895.38 USD -1.97%
Ethereum $2,441.17 USD -4.33%
Tether $1.00 USD +0.19%
XRP $2.14 USD -1.21%
BNB $642.03 USD -0.93%
Solana $141.71 USD -3.72%
USD Coin $1.00 USD +0.19%
Dogecoin $0.164 USD -3.38%
TRON $0.2754 USD +0.82%
Cardano $0.5869 USD -2.31%
Wrapped Bitcoin $103,902.86 USD -1.66%

News

Bitcoin Games: News

Recent developments in Bitcoin gaming highlight growing integration with cryptocurrency and blockchain technology:

SaruTobi Approval: The Apple App Store approved the Bitcoin video game SaruTobi for in-app payments, a move celebrated as bullish for Bitcoin adoption in gaming.

Bitcoin Thunderbolt Trivia: At Bitcoin 2025 in Vegas, Bitcoin Thunderbolt launched the world’s first live Bitcoin trivia game, generating buzz for its innovative approach.

haSh Game Launch: Hashrate Hackers introduced "haSh," a Bitcoin-powered idle game where players earn real BTC rewards, backed by BlockwareTeam’s Mining-as-a-Service infrastructure with over $40K in BTC prizes.

http://Bitcoin.com Casino: Launched in May 2025, this Web3-focused platform offers a variety of games like poker and slots, featuring a metaverse-style multiplayer crash game called Bitcoin Arena. It emphasizes fast transactions and blockchain transparency.

JACKBIT Casino Expansion: JACKBIT partnered with top developers like Pragmatic Play and NetEnt to introduce high-RTP slots like Crypto Quest and Blockchain Bonanza, with progressive jackpots payable in Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Bety Casino Debut: http://Bety.com, a new Curacao-licensed crypto casino, launched with support for Bitcoin and other altcoins, offering slots, blackjack, roulette, and Hash and Crash games.

Dogecoin Gaming: PlaysOut plans to release 15 Dogecoin-themed mini-games in 2025, starting in August, expanding crypto gaming options.

Netflix’s House of Streams: Premiering June 18, 2025, in the UK and Ireland, this reality show features streamers competing for a 1 BTC prize, showcasing Bitcoin’s growing mainstream appeal.

These developments reflect a trend toward gamifying crypto and integrating it into entertainment, driven by blockchain’s transparency and fast transactions. However, crypto investments, including gaming rewards, carry high risks, and due diligence is advised. (Grok)

News

Gamification: Def

the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g. point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other areas of activity, typically as an online marketing technique to encourage engagement with a product or service.

"gamification is exciting because it promises to make the hard stuff in life fun"

the process of adding games or gamelike elements to something (such as a task) so as to encourage participation

gamify
'ga-m?-?fi
transitive verb
gamified; gamifying; gamifies

Easy-to-use Web- and mobile-based learning platforms … take the boredom out of long training sessions by gamifying the entire process. A training manual is replaced by an interactive game that allows participants to win awards and be acknowledged.—J. J. Rosen

Cryptos and Markets Today

June 18, 2025

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $104,579.40 USD -3.77%
Ethereum $2,522.84 USD -5.17%
Tether $1.00 USD +0.01%
XRP $2.18 USD -6.12%
BNB $648.56 USD -1.49%
Solana $148.85 USD -5.40%
USD Coin $1.00 USD -0.00%
Dogecoin $0.1698 USD -5.65%
TRON $0.2746 USD -2.01%
Cardano $0.616 USD -6.05%
Wrapped Bitcoin $104,501.43 USD -3.84%

News

Markets

ASX futures down 17 points/0.2% to 8528
Australian dollar -0.6% to 64.82 US cents
Wall Street:
S&P 500 -0.8%, Dow Jones -0.7%, NAS -0.9%
Europe:
Stoxx 50 -1%, FTSE -0.5%, DAX -1.1%, CAC -0.8%
Bitcoin -3.8% to $US104,457
Spot gold flat at $US3387.83 per ounce
US oil +5% to $US75.32 a barrel
Brent crude oil +5% to $US76.90 a barrel
Iron ore -1.2% to $US92.90 per ton
10-year yield: US 4.39% Australia 4.25% Germany 2.53%

News

Pop Culture News Flashback

The Swiss Conspiracy: Movie

The Swiss Conspiracy is a 1976 action-crime-drama film directed by Jack Arnold, known for his work in B-horror classics like The Incredible Shrinking Man.

It’s a West German-American co-production filmed entirely on location in Zurich and the Swiss Alps, giving it a picturesque backdrop that often overshadows its convoluted plot. The movie stars David Janssen as David Christopher, a former U.S. Treasury official turned security consultant, hired by a Zurich-based Swiss bank to investigate a blackmail scheme targeting five of its clients with secret numbered accounts.

The cast includes Senta Berger, John Ireland, John Saxon, Ray Milland, and Elke Sommer, with a mix of European and American actors adding an international flavor.

The plot revolves around the bank, led by president Hurtil (Milland), receiving anonymous threats to expose the identities of five clients unless it pays 10 million Swiss francs in uncut diamonds.

The blackmailed clients include a Chicago mobster (Saxon), a Texas businessman (Ireland), a Dutch financier (Curt Lowens), a Zurich resident (Berger), and a crooked arms dealer who’s killed early on after refusing to pay.

Christopher’s investigation uncovers a web of deceit, with the blackmailees potentially blackmailing each other. The Swiss Federal Police, led by Captain Hans Frey, complicate matters by suspecting Christopher himself. The story culminates in a dramatic showdown in the Alps, involving a diamond exchange and a surprise twist, though some critics found the resolution murky.

The film’s strengths lie in its vibrant Swiss scenery, lively jazz-funk score by Klaus Doldinger, and a cast that seems to enjoy the locale more than the script. Highlights include fast-paced action scenes, exotic sports cars, and Berger’s charismatic performance as a Ferrari-driving femme fatale.

However, it’s criticized for its slow pacing, talky investigation scenes, and a plot that demands close attention to follow—miss a minute, and you’re lost.

The production quality varies, with some noting grainy visuals and sloppy editing in certain DVD transfers, possibly due to its public domain status. John Saxon’s performance as the mobster is polarizing, with some calling it exaggerated, while others praise the film’s B-movie charm and 1970s Euro-thriller vibe.

It holds a 5.0/10 rating on IMDb, reflecting mixed reception.

Fans appreciate its suspense and setting, calling it an underrated gem, while detractors find it bland and poorly executed.

The movie is available to stream on platforms like Tubi, Hoopla, IndieFlix, and Prime Video (for rent or purchase) in the US and Canada. A 4K restored special edition from Film Masters includes extras like a commentary track, a visual essay, and a featurette on Jack Arnold’s career. (Grok)