Bulls
And Bears
Markets,
Cryptos And Culture
February
2, 2026
Sydney,
Australia to Wall Street, New York
"All
That Glitters" Edition
"Gold"
(Spandau Ballet)
"You Got the Silver" (The Rolling Stones)
"Goldfinger" (Shirley Bassey)
"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (The Wolf Of Wall
Street theme) Cannonball Adderley
"Stretch Your Face" (TOBACCO). Silicon
Valley theme
"Diamonds" (Rihanna)
"Falling Down" (1993). (James Newton Howard)
"Every 1's a Winner" (Hot Chocolate)
"Still Humble" (def rebel)
"Clubbed to Death". (The Matrix theme).
Kurayamino Mix. (Rob D)
Markets
ASX
futures down 60 points/0.7% to 8809
AUD +0.2% at US69.71¢
Bitcoin $78,107.72 -0.94%
Dow -0.4%
S&P -0.4%
Nasdaq -0.9%
Gold -8.9% to $US4894.23 an ounce
Silver 84.634 -31.16 -26.91%
Brent oil +0.1% at $US68.38 a barrel
Iron ore -0.9% at $US103.85 a ton
Numbers
Double Check
Australian
Dollar: $0.6949 USD (down $0.0076 USD) Iron Ore:
$103.55 USD (down $0.95 USD)
Iron Ore: $103.85 USD (down $0.93 USD)
Oil Price (WTI): $65.21 USD (down $0.26 USD)
Gold Price: $4,893.20 USD (down $405.49 USD)
Copper Price: $5.9670 USD (down $0.2165 USD)
Dow Jones: 48,892.47 (down 179.09 points)
News
ASX
set to fall as investors expect RBA to raise rates
Futures
pricing suggests that Australian equities will shed
about 0.7 per cent when the market opens on Monday,
following a negative lead from Wall Street. The
Reserve Bank's monetary policy board meeting on
Tuesday will be the key focus for local investors
in the coming week, with financial markets now pricing
in a 74 per cent chance of an interest rate rise.
Investors will also be closely watching movements
in the price of gold and silver; both precious metals
fell sharply on Friday, as the Trump administration
confirmed that it will nominate Kevin Warsh to succeed
Jerome Powell as the chairman of the Federal Reserve.
The S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.6 per cent to close at
8,869.1 points on Friday, although it gained 1.8
per cent in January. (RMS)
News
Crypto
News
Feb
2
The
cryptocurrency market is experiencing significant
downward pressure as of early February 2026. Bitcoin
(BTC) has seen sharp declines, trading around $77,000–$78,000
(down roughly 1.5–2% in the last 24 hours and
more over the past week), following a weekend sell-off
that triggered liquidations and erased recent gains.
This extends from highs earlier in the cycle, with
analysts warning of potential further downside,
possibly testing $75,000 or lower in a corrective
phase, amid cooling institutional demand and macro
factors like Fed policy speculation and commodity
sell-offs (e.g., silver).Major altcoins are also
hit hard: Ethereum (ETH) is down around 10% recently,
hovering near $2,300–$2 ,400.
XRP has dropped about 11%.
Other
assets like Solana, Litecoin, and Cardano are seeing
similar 9–12% declines in recent sessions.
Overall
crypto liquidations have exceeded $2.5 billion in
short periods, with leverage unwinds contributing
to the volatility. Bitcoin ETFs have recorded substantial
outflows (around $6 billion cited in reports), signaling
reduced institutional enthusiasm temporarily.
News
Miners
Energy/Resources
Australia
and World
Cracks
in Glencore, Rio merger plans
Rio
Tinto investors are contemplating a potential $340
billion merger with Glencore that is motivated by
a wish to own Glencore's copper assets. With financial
information firm S&P Global having recently
predicted that copper demand will jump from 28 million
tonnes last year to 42 million tonnes by 2040, big
mining companies like Rio and BHP are all trying
to get access to copper resources. Glencore has
pledged to almost double its copper production by
2035 to 1.6 million tonnes, but the discovery of
an ancient ceramic pot in a remote part of the Argentinian
Andes last year could potentially harm that forecast.
It was discovered at the site of a $US9.4 billion
($13.4 billion) copper mine known as El Pachon that
Glencore is hoping to develop, and it serves as
a timely reminder that mines such as it will need
to be approved, funded and built rapidly if Glencore
is to meet its targets. (RMS)
News
Rio,
Chinalco team up on $1.3b Brazil deal
Rio
Tinto and the Aluminium Corporation of China (Chinalco)
have acquired a 68.6 per cent stake in Companhia
Brasileira de Aluminio for almost $US902.1 million
($1.3 billion). The Brazilian company owns electricity
generators, bauxite mines, alumina refineries and
aluminium smelters, with Rio and Chinalco also partners
in Guinea's Simandou iron ore project. The deal
comes a week before Rio is due to consummate or
extend merger discussions with Glencore, whose aluminium
division includes bauxite mining and alumina refining
assets in Brazil. (RMS)
News
Glencore
courted Blair's key man
The
latest release of the Jeffrey Epstein files by the
US Department of Justice have revealed interesting
emails in the lead-up to Glencore's 2011 public
listing on the London and Hong Kong stock exchanges.
The emails show that ex-UK cabinet minister Peter
Mandelson touted his potential as a possible chairman
of Glencore to the mining company's then CEO Ivan
Glasenberg, and that Glasenberg appeared to lobby
for Mandelson to get the job. Mandelson did not
end up succeeding in his bid to become Glencore
chairman, but his lobbying firm Global Counsel reportedly
won lucrative work advising Glencore on international
political issues. (RMS)
News
Teammates
still kicking the big goals
Sierra
Nevada Gold was recently awarded an exploration
permits in Saudi Arabia, as was Australia's richest
person, Gina Rinehart. She has an estimated fortune
of about $46.3bn, while Sierra Nevada Gold has a
market capitalisation of just $16m. It is run by
former VFL champion Peter Moore, who won two Brownlow
medals during his career, along with playing in
four losing grand finals for Collingwood; he said
Sierra Nevada Gold's success in securing an exploration
permit indicated that the Saudis were not as worried
about a firm's bank balance as they were about its
expertise. (RMS)
News
Inside
WA Police's elite gold squad
Western
Australia is home to the world's only specialised
gold-stealing detection unit, although the Kalgoorlie-based
police section is more commonly referred to as "The
Gold Squad". Its $390,000 annual operating
expenses are funded by 15 gold mining companies
and the Perth Mint, with gold squad Detective Sergeant
Graham Baylor saying a lot of its work is intelligence-based.
At a current price of around $7,620 per ounce, stealing
even a small amount of gold can mean a big windfall
for thieves, so he says it is surprising that the
record price of gold has not led to a jump in gold-related
crime, (RMS)
News
Latimore
to hit Nasdaq with minerals venture
Billionaire
Brisbaned-based businessman Matt Latimore will list
his coal trading business M Resources on the US
Nasdaq after raising $US270 million ($386 million).
M Resources' main asset is Illawarra Metallurgical
Coal, which operates two mines south of Sydney,
while it also trades in materials such as graphite
and lithium. Latimore founded M Resources in 2011,
with its revenue rising from $1.3 billion in 2024
to $1.5 billion last year, boosting its profit by
almost 15 per cent to $109 million, while he expects
strong demand for metallurgical coal for decades
to come, with steel makers so far unable to find
a cost-effective lower carbon alternative. (RMS)
News
Kambalda's
future unclear on 60th anniversary of nickel discovery
It
was 60 years ago this week that nickel was discovered
on the edge of a salt lake at Kambalda in Western
Australia. However, the future of nickel mining
at Kambalda remains very uncertain, after the WA
nickel sector collapsed in 2024, with three underground
mines at Kambalda being among the casualties. More
than 1.6 million tonnes of nickel has been mined
from Kambalda over its history, while 24 nickel
mines have operated in the Kambalda district in
the past 60 years. Mining magnate Andrew Forrest
will have a big say in Kambalda's future prosperity,
with his private company Wyloo completed a $760
million takeover of Kambalda nickel miner Mincor
Resources in 2023, but barely six months later its
mines were shut. Dewatering operations are continuing
around the clock so the mines do not flood, enabling
a future restart, though Zoran Seat from Wyloo could
not say when that might be. (RMS)
News
Gas
crisis on horizon if no intervention
State
and federal energy ministers are assessing whether
to give new "last resort" powers to the
Australian Energy Market Operator in an attempt
to avoid gas supply shortfalls set to hit southern
states from 2028. Modelling undertaken by Acil Allen
has found wholesale spot gas prices would double
to over $20 a gigajoule across the east coast gas
market if no changes are made to current market
settings, but Australian Energy Producers, which
represents major oil and gas suppliers, said the
proposal to give AEMO new powers risks undermining
the objectives of the Gas Market Review. (RMS)
News
Roy
Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Outlet Of The
Month' award
Sky
News Australia wins Media Man 'News Company Of The
Month' award
The
Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newspaper
Of The Month' award
Netflix
wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of the Month'
award
WWE
wins Media Man 'Wrestling Promotion Of The Month'
award
Mack
Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Brand Of The Month'
award
Caterpillar
wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Company Of The Month'
award
RAM
wins Media Man 'Light Truck Of The Month' award
Gina
Rinehart wins Media Man 'Mining Disruptor Of The
Month' award
Jim's
Mowing wins Media Man 'Australian Business Of The
Month' award
News
Best
Quotes Of The Day
Media
Man
Cryptocurrency,
Finance and World
"Volatility
is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." -
Michael Saylor
"Bitcoin
is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and
tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme."
— Naval Ravikant
"We
have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical
framework that is free of politics and human error."
— Tyler Winklevoss
"You
can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere,
and the world will have to readjust. World governments
will have to readjust." — John McAfee
"Bitcoin
is the most important invention in the history of
the world since the Internet." — Roger
Ver
"Cryptocurrency
is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn
governments." — Charles Lee
"In
the future, national currencies will become obsolete.
Bitcoin will become the single global currency."
— Jack Dorsey
"The
future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in
payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng
Zhao
"Crypto
offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged."
— Elizabeth Stark
"The
new frontier of innovation is in decentralization.
Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott
"Digital
currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter
of how long before governments embrace it."
— Brad Garlinghouse
Pop
Culture
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking
The
Million Dollar Man vs IRS
Santa vs Grinch
Bulls vs Bears
Crypto King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
Chris Jericho vs Dirtsheets
NFL vs everyone
Zuffa vs MVP
Netflix vs World
Meta vs Australia
White Light vs Dark Matter
Lexis King vs NIL's (WWE NXT)
Volk vs Naysayers (UFC: Sydney, Australia)
Brock Lesnar vs Everyone! (WWE Royal Rumble)
Money Inc vs Right To Censor
Mad Men vs Queer Eye
Sky News Australia vs Woke Media
FOX vs The Hound
Polymarket vs Underground Bookies
January
27, 2026
ASX
200 futures up 52 points or 0.6 per cent to 8880
AUD
+0.4% to US69.18¢
Bitcoin +1.7% to $US87,815
Wall St:
Dow +0.8% S&P +0.6% Nasdaq +0.5%
VIX -0.26 to 15.83
Gold +1.1% to $US5043.71 an ounce
Brent oil -0.4% to $US65.61 a barrel
Iron ore -1% to $US103.55 a tonne
10-year yield: US 4.21% Australia 4.81%
Markets,
Cryptos and Culture
January
2026
Jan
27
Sydney,
Australia re-opens
to
Wall Street, New York
Media
Man's X Returns With A Bang
Gold
Glitters And Crypto's Start To Shine Edition
"Ruby
Tuesday" In Sin City Sydney
"Tuesday's Gone" Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Gold" Spandau Ballet
"Stretch Your Face" Silicon_Valley theme
(Tobacco. Composer)
"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"(Cannonball Adderley).
The Wolf of Wall Street theme
Markets
ASX
200 futures up 52 points/0.6% to 8880
AUD +0.4% to US69.18¢
BTC $88,344.02 +0.64%
Wall
St:
Dow +0.8%
S&P +0.6%
NAS +0.5%
VIX -0.26 to 15.83
Gold +1.1% to $US5043.71 oz
Oil -0.4% to $US65.61 a barrel
Iron -1% to $US103.55 a ton
10-year
yield: US 4.21% Aust 4.81%
Cryptos
The
crypto market rose due to dollar weakness
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap has fallen by 5% over the past
seven days. The decline resumed at the start of
the new week, with total capitalisation falling
to $2.9T amid slippage in an illiquid market. In
recent hours, however, positive momentum has prevailed,
bringing the market back to $2.97T due to the weakness
of the US dollar and global purchases of risky assets.
But even now, cryptocurrencies remain a lagging
class of risk-sensitive assets, falling short of
metals and the strongest global currencies.
Bitcoin
hit a low for the day near $86K, its lowest level
since December. After that, the market received
support from the weak dollar, which, like a tide,
lifted all boats at once. The technical bearish
picture remains relevant, despite the gains in recent
hours. BTC remains below its key moving average
lines and has not attempted to break through the
support of the last two months. News Background
Outflows
from spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US over the past shortened
week nearly offset the previous week's inflows,
reaching their highest level in almost 11 months.
According to SoSoValue, net outflows from spot BTC
ETFs amounted to $1.33 billion. Net weekly outflows
from spot Ethereum ETFs in the US exceeded $611
million.
Bitcoin
holders began to record net losses for the first
time since October 2023, signalling the asset's
entry into an ‘early bear market.’ Bitcoin
is now trading below the acquisition price of 75%
of the total supply, signalling growing pressure
from sellers, Glassnode notes.
The
main reason for BTC's weakness is large-scale sales
by long-term holders, rather than concerns about
quantum computing, according to Checkonchain.
Activity
on the Ethereum mainnet has exceeded that of layer
2 (L2) solutions since the Fusaka upgrade. Token
Terminal has called this trend a ‘return to
the mainnet.’ At the same time, there has been
an outflow of liquidity from ‘add-ons.’
The
adoption of cryptocurrencies by banks, large corporations
and investment companies is no longer an ‘optional
or peripheral’ process, notes auditing firm
PwC in its report on global cryptocurrency regulation
for 2026. ‘Institutional participation has
passed the point of no return.’
DAT
companies accumulating cryptocurrencies on their
balance sheets will face ‘severe consolidation’
in the coming year — only a few of the largest
players with Bitcoin and Ethereum on their balance
sheets will survive, warns Pantera Capital. (FxPro)
News
Interventions
spooked the dollar
Rumours
of coordinated intervention caused the USD index
to plummet.
The
risk of a new shutdown is putting pressure on the
greenback.
The
US dollar started in the last week of January with
a down gap amid investor fears of coordinated currency
intervention. Japan's Deputy Finance Minister Atsushi
Mimura said that the authorities would respond to
speculative actions on the Forex in close cooperation
with the US. In 1985, such cooperation ended in
a spectacular collapse of the USD. Will we see history
repeat itself?
Politics
is encroaching on the economy. Donald Trump intends
to use non-market methods to lower the key policy
rate by replacing the Fed chair and filling the
FOMC with doves. The US president has repeatedly
spoken out in favour of a weaker currency, which
would increase the competitiveness of American manufacturers.
Tokyo's interest in strengthening the yen to lower
import prices and slow inflation is being exploited
by Washington for its own purposes.
Countries
are forced to respond to the uncertainty of Donald
Trump's policies and the associated slowdown in
economic growth with fiscal stimulus measures. According
to Apollo Global Management estimates, government
support measures will accelerate GDP growth in the
US and Germany by 1 percentage point in 2026 and
in Japan by 0.5 percentage points. This leads to
an increase in public debt. The Germans can afford
this, which has a positive effect on the EURUSD.
Pressure
on the US dollar has intensified due to the growing
risks of another shutdown. Dissatisfied with the
shootings in Minneapolis, Democrats are not going
to vote for the government funding package without
serious changes to the national security system.
The government risks being sidelined again, which
will negatively affect GDP growth. The same goes
for the devastating winter storm, which could bring
hardship to nearly 200 million Americans. Already,
11,900 flights have been cancelled at airports from
Dallas to Boston, and about 900,000 consumers are
without power.
In
2025, the US economy managed to withstand tariffs
and the shutdown thanks to investments in artificial
intelligence, productivity growth and the wealth
effect. However, will it be resilient in 2026? If
not, the US dollar risks weakening.
Gold
was the main beneficiary of the fall in the USD
index. Its price rose by 17% so far this year and
is approaching $5,100 per ounce. (FxPro)
News
Jan
27
Gold
and silver mania lifts ASX to 3-month peak
The
Australian sharemarket climbed to a three-month
high on Tuesday as investors returned from the long
weekend to surging precious metal prices, looking
past the noise of shifting US trade policies.
President
Donald Trump said in a social media post that he
will increase tariffs on South Korean goods, including
autos, from 15 per cent to 25 per cent as he accused
the ally’s legislature of “not living
up” to its trade deal with Washington.
The
S&P/ASX 200 Index gained 85.3 points, or 1 per
cent, to 8945.40, rebounding from last week’s
0.5 per cent loss. If sustained, it would be the
index’s biggest one-day rise this year.
Of
the 11 sectors, nine were in the green, led by materials
and energy.BHP leapt 2.9 per cent, regaining its
position as Australia’s most valuable listed
company for the first time in 18 months, unseating
the Commonwealth Bank, which managed a modest 0.6
per cent gain.
Miners
led the charge as gold and silver set fresh records.
Bullion hit $US5100 an ounce, and silver topped
$US114 on Monday. As a result, Horizon Minerals
jumped nearly 8 per cent, Alkane Resources leapt
3.9 per cent, and Newmont rose 1.8 per cent.
Among
silver mines, Investigator Silver and Silver Mines
advanced 8.3 per cent each, while, Sun Silver pushed
up 6 per cent.Elsewhere, Rio Tinto gained 2.2 per
cent, and Capstone Copper was the biggest index
gainer, up 8 per cent.
In
the index-heavy financial area, all the big banks
were in the green, led by Macquarie Group, up 2
per cent. National Australia Bank rose 1.3 per cent.
Family
app Life360 and mining group Alcoa were the two
biggest laggards, down more than 8 per cent.
In
currencies, the Australian dollar climbed to US69.40¢,
nearing its strongest level in three years, on growing
expectations the Reserve Bank will lift the cash
rate next month.
Higher
borrowing costs would boost the appeal of Australian-denominated
assets such as government bonds.
Also
supporting the Aussie was a broadly weaker greenback
on fears of a partial US government shutdown this
week.
Republicans
and Democrats are at odds over funding for the Department
of Homeland Security after the fatal shooting of
a second US citizen by federal immigration officers
in Minnesota. (AFR) *full coverage via subscription
to The Australian Financial Review
News
Jan
27
Stocks
Shares
in DroneShield cratered 6 per cent despite doubling
revenue in the December quarter, from a year ago.
Iron
ore giant Fortescue Metals rose 1.3 per cent after
sweeping up all remaining shares of dual-listed
Alta Copper at $C1.40 ($1.47) per share, as the
mining giant expands into the red metal.
Wholesaler
company Metcash rallied 1.2 per cent following the
appointment of Bruce Sabatta as the new chief executive
of its food service and convenience business, from
next month.
Brazil-focused
explorer and producer Karoon Energy trimmed early
gains and was trading flat despite posting a lower
output in the December quarter, from the September
period.
Jewellery
retailer Michael Hill International jumped 4 per
cent after reporting a stronger half-year profit
than a year ago despite record gold prices.
Insurer
group AUB was placed on a trading halt after launching
a $400 million institutional placement to finance
a UK acquisition.
Santos
leapt 3.1 per cent on news it had finally shipped
its first liquefied natural gas cargo from a delayed
Barossa project in the Timor Sea.
Health
tech group Cyclopharm soared 18 per cent after its
lung imaging technology received a major endorsement
from America’s top medical professionals.
News
Numbers
Double Check
Australian
Dollar: $0.6918 USD (up $0.0080 USD)
Iron Ore Feb Spot Price: $103.55 USD (down $0.10
USD) Oil Price): $60.58 USD (up $1.25 USD)
Gold Price: $5,036.89 USD (up $117.01 USD)
Copper Price: $5.9240 USD (up $0.1240 USD)
Dow Jones: 49,446.27 (up 347.56 points on Friday's
close)
News/Profile
Wall
Street
Physical
Street and Landmark
Wall
Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial
District of Lower Manhattan.
Location:
It runs between Broadway and South Street, ending
at the East River.
Key
Landmarks: It is home to the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE) and Federal Hall National Memorial, where
George Washington was inaugurated.
History:
The name originates from a 17th-century defensive
wall built by Dutch settlers to protect New Amsterdam
from potential British or Native American attacks.
Financial
Industry Metonym
The
term is a metonym for the U.S. financial markets,
including stock exchanges, investment banks, and
brokerage firms.
Institutions:
Major firms associated with Wall Street include
JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley.
Current
Activity (January 2026):
As
of January 24, 2026, markets have seen volatility
following a week of "policy whiplash"
related to international tariff threats. Recent
trading shows the S&P 500 flat, while the Nasdaq
has risen 0.3% despite a 17% tumble in Intel stock.
Media
and Publications
The
Wall Street Journal: A premier business-focused
international newspaper headquartered in Midtown
Manhattan.
Pop
Culture: The street’s high-stakes culture has
been immortalized in films like Oliver Stone’s
Wall Street (1987) and Martin Scorsese’s The
Wolf of Wall Street (2013).
News
Best
Quotes Of The Day
Media
Man
Cryptocurrency,
Finance and World
"Volatility
is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." -
Michael Saylor
"Bitcoin
is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and
tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme."
— Naval Ravikant
"We
have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical
framework that is free of politics and human error."
— Tyler Winklevoss
"You
can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere,
and the world will have to readjust. World governments
will have to readjust." — John McAfee
"Bitcoin
is the most important invention in the history of
the world since the Internet." — Roger
Ver
"Cryptocurrency
is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn
governments." — Charles Lee
"In
the future, national currencies will become obsolete.
Bitcoin will become the single global currency."
— Jack Dorsey
"The
future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in
payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng
Zhao
"Crypto
offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged."
— Elizabeth Stark
"The
new frontier of innovation is in decentralization.
Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott
"Digital
currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter
of how long before governments embrace it."
— Brad Garlinghouse
Pop
Culture
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking
Santa
vs Grinch
Bulls
vs Bears
Crypto
King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens
vs NWO
Neo
vs Agent Smith
John
McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO
vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
Chris Jericho vs Dirtsheets
NFL vs everyone
Zuffa vs MVP
Netflix vs World
Meta vs Australia
White Light vs Dark Matter
News
Pop
Culture
It’s
All About the Money [”The Million Dollar Man”
Ted DiBiase]
By
Jimmy Hart & J.J. Maguire
Intro
(Money,
money, money, money, money...)
[Verse
1]
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
Everybody's got a price
Everybody's gonna pay
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
Because the Million Dollar Man...
Always get his way
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
[Verse
2]
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
Some might cost a little
Some might cost a lot
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
But I'm the Million Dollar Man...
And you will be bought
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
[Outro]
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
News/Profile
Flashback
Vinnie
Vegas was a professional wrestling persona used
by the actor and retired professional wrestler Kevin
Nash from 1992 to 1993 in World Championship Wrestling
(WCW). This gimmick was a wisecracking pseudo-mobster
character, inspired by Steve Martin's character
in the 1990 film My Blue Heaven.
Career
Overview
WCW
Debut: Kevin Nash was repackaged as Vinnie Vegas
on January 21, 1992, at the event Clash of the Champions
XVIII.
Stables
and Tag Teams: He was initially part of a stable
of large wrestlers called "A Half-Ton of Holy
Hell," managed by Harley Race. Later, he joined
the "Diamond Mine" stable led by Diamond
Dallas Page, forming a tag team known as the Vegas
Connection. Other stablemates included the future
Scott Hall (Diamond Studd) and Raven (Scotty Flamingo).
Departure
to WWF: The Vinnie Vegas character was not considered
successful due to a lack of character development
and inconsistent booking. Nash left WCW for the
World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in June
1993, where he achieved superstardom under the ring
name Diesel.
Later
Success: Nash later returned to WCW in 1996 and
was a founding member of the influential New World
Order (nWo) faction under his real name, Kevin Nash,
and the nickname "Big Sexy".
News/Profile
Flashback
Michael
Wall Street
"Michael
Wall Street" most commonly refers to Michael
Wallstreet, a ring name used by professional wrestler
Mike Rotunda (born 1958). It can also refer to Michael
Douglas, the actor famous for portraying the corporate
raider Gordon Gekko in the film Wall Street.
Professional
Wrestling (Mike Rotunda)
Mike
Rotunda adopted the persona of Michael Wallstreet
(and later V.K. Wallstreet) in World Championship
Wrestling (WCW) starting in 1990.
The
Gimmick: A wealthy "financial wizard"
from Lower Manhattan who used a computer (managed
by Alexandra York) to predict the length and outcome
of his matches.
Signature
Moves: His finishing move was often called the "Stock
Market Crash".
Notable
Teams: He is also well-known for his time in the
WWF as Irwin R. Schyster (I.R.S.), where he teamed
with Ted DiBiase to form Money Inc..
Legacy:
Rotunda was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class
of 2024 as part of The U.S. Express.
Film
and Finance (Michael Douglas)
Gordon
Gekko: Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for
Best Actor for his role as Gordon Gekko in the 1987
film Wall Street.
Cultural
Impact: The character became the archetypal symbol
of 1980s corporate greed, famous for the line "Greed,
for lack of a better word, is good".
Sequel:
Douglas reprised the role in the 2010 sequel, Wall
Street: Money Never Sleeps.
Current
Status (2026)
Mike
Rotunda: As of early 2026, Rotunda remains a respected
veteran in the wrestling industry. Recent reports
from late 2025 indicated he had been hospitalized
for a serious heart condition but was moved to a
rehabilitation center for recovery.
Michael
Douglas: He continues to be active in the entertainment
industry as an actor and producer.
Miners
Hancock
Prospecting
Hancock
Prospecting Pty Ltd is a privately owned Australian
company primarily involved in the mining of iron
ore and, increasingly, the agriculture sector. It
is led by Executive Chairwoman Gina Rinehart, Australia's
richest person.
Company
Overview
Founded:
25 November 1955 by Lang Hancock.
Headquarters: Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Ownership:
The company is privately held, with Gina Rinehart
owning the majority stake (76.6%).
Core
Business: Hancock Prospecting has evolved from purely
mineral exploration into a major producer, primarily
in iron ore and agriculture, and is considered one
of the most successful private mining companies
in the world.
Major
Projects and Investments
Hancock
Prospecting has a diverse portfolio of major projects
and strategic investments.
Roy
Hill: This is a mega integrated iron ore mine, rail,
and port project in the Pilbara region of Western
Australia, which is Australia's largest single iron
ore mine.
Hope
Downs: A significant iron ore project operated as
a 50/50 joint venture with Rio Tinto Iron Ore, which
includes four open-pit mines.
Atlas
Iron: Hancock Prospecting acquired Atlas Iron in
2018, which operates several iron ore mines including
Mount Webber, Sanjiv Ridge, and Miralga Creek.
Agriculture:
Through its agribusiness division, Hancock Prospecting
is Australia's second-largest producer of beef with
ownership interests in numerous cattle stations
and a majority stake in S. Kidman & Co. It is
also a 50% partner in the award-winning Bannister
Downs Dairy.
Critical
Minerals and Energy: The company has diversified
its investments into other strategic commodities
necessary for the "green transition",
including stakes in publicly traded companies involved
in:
Lithium:
Investments in Australian firms like Liontown Resources
and Azure Minerals, as well as Germany's Vulcan
Energy Resources.
Rare
Earths: Significant shareholdings in global rare
earths producers such as US-based MP Materials and
Australia's Lynas Rare Earths, as well as exploration-stage
companies.
Copper,
Coal, Oil and Gas: Exploration and production interests
in these commodities across Australia and internationally,
including projects in Ecuador, Canada, and the UK.
Pop
Culture Flashback
Heart
Of Gold
Song by Neil Young ? 1972
Lyrics
I
want to live
I want to give
I've been a miner
For a heart of gold
It's
these expressions
I never give
That keep me searching
For a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
Keep me searching
For a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
I've
been to Hollywood
I've been to Redwood
I crossed the ocean
For a heart of gold
I've
been in my mind
It's such a fine line
That keeps me searching
For a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
Keeps me searching
For a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
Keep me searching
For a heart of gold
You
keep me searching
And I'm growing old
Keep me searching
For a heart of gold
I've been a miner
For a heart of gold
Markets,
Cryptos And Culture
January
2026
Jan
22
Sydney
to New York
Mining
For Intel Edition
Deep
Dive Into Markets, Streaming And Mining!
Biz
And Culture!
ASX
200 futures up 52 points/0.6% to 8800
AUD +0.3% to US67.59¢
Bitcoin
$89,703.60 +0.96%
Wall St:
Dow +1.4%
S&P +1.5%
Nasdaq +1.6%
VIX -3.42 to 16.67
Gold +0.4% to $US4782.53 an ounce
Brent oil +0.5% to $US65.24 a barrel
Iron ore -0.6% to $US103.30 a tonne
10-year yield: US 4.25% Australia 4.78%
News
The
Lead Up
Jan
21
ASX
200 futures down 56 points/0.6% to 8732
AUD
+0.3% to US67.34¢
Bitcoin
$89,460.28 -3.32%
Wall
St:
Dow
-1.8%
S&P -2%
Nasdaq -2.3%
VIX +1.90 to 20.74
Gold +1.9% to $US4759.38 an ounce
Brent oil +0.7% to $US64.36 a barrel
Iron ore -0.4% to $US104.20 a tonne
10-year
yield:
US 4.29%
Australia 4.78%
News
Jan
21
Trump
jitters hit ASX as BHP, CBA sell off
The
Australian sharemarket lost ground on Tuesday, with
the S&P/ASX 200 shedding 0.7 per cent to close
at 8,815.9 points amid the Trump administration's
plans to impose tariffs on European nations that
oppose his plans for Greenland. BHP was down two
per cent at $47.78, the Commonwealth Bank fell 1.8
per cent to $150.48 and ARB Corporation ended the
session 12 per cent lower at $28.42. However, Bellevue
Gold rose five per cent to $1.78 and DroneShield
was up 4.2 per cent at $4.75. (RMS)
News
Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin
tumbles below $US90,000 Bitcoin slid to its lowest
level in more than a week, tracking a sharp sell-off
across global financial markets as investors continued
to de-risk amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.The
largest cryptocurrency fell below $US90,000 for
the first time since January 9, moving in tandem
with declines in equities, long-dated Treasuries
and Japanese bonds as volatility rippled through
debt markets.Small, less liquid tokens fell more,
with Ether dropping more than 7 per cent and Solana
slumping 5.3 per cent. Shares in crypto-linked stocks
also slumped. Coinbase Global fell more than 5 per
cent, while Bitcoin accumulator Strategy slumped
near 10 per cent earlier.“Bitcoin’s sharp
drop over the weekend mirrors a broader exodus from
risk assets in traditional macro markets due to
the White House’s threat of tariffs on European
nations as well as geopolitical frictions over Greenland,”
said Shiliang Tang, managing partner of Monarq Asset
Management. “Gold and Silver’s rally as
well as the dollar’s weakness all underscore
this narrative of capital fleeing to safety triggered
by aggressive US posturing.”
News
Gold
And Silver/Markets
Gold
rose past $US4700 an ounce to a record high, while
silver also reached an all-time peak, as the standoff
between the US and Europe over control of Greenland
showed no sign of de-escalation. Markets are waiting
for Europe’s response to Trump’s threat
to impose tariffs on eight European nations that
oppose his Greenland ambitions. The US Supreme Court
once again didn’t issue a ruling on Trump’s
country-specific tariffs.Elsewhere, a meltdown in
Japanese government debt rippled through global
bond markets, while a gauge of US dollar strength
fell by the most in over a month. The US threat
toward its NATO allies has rattled markets, adding
renewed impetus to a record-breaking rally that
lifted gold prices nearly 75 per cent over the past
12 months. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s
tax-cutting election pitch has highlighted the mounting
sovereign debts among developed economies worldwide.
High fiscal deficits have helped fuel bullion’s
gains through 2025, as investors bet on inflation
as the only path to solvency. A weaker dollar also
makes commodities more affordable for buyers in
other currencies. Investors are also watching for
developments from Davos, where Trump said he will
meet with several parties to discuss his plan to
take control of the Danish territory. French President
Emmanuel Macron intends to request activation of
the European Union’s anti-coercion instrument,
although German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he’s
trying to get him to tone down his response.
News
Trump,
Crypto, Fintech
Trump
family’s $10b fortune and crypto When Donald
Trump was sworn in for his second presidential term,
his trove of financial assets already differed from
when he first took the oath of office. As he returned
to power on a frigid day in January 2025, Trump
had a social media company, a crypto platform he’d
co-founded and even a new meme coin bearing his
name — departures from the real estate projects
and brand licensing deals that were long the main
remit of the Trump Organisation. One year on, the
universe of the Trump family’s wealth has expanded
even further, touching industries including firearms,
rare earth magnets, artificial intelligence and
prediction markets. But the most notable change
has been the growing concentration of the family’s
net worth in cryptocurrencies: The Trumps have generated
about $US1.4 billion ($2.1 billion) from crypto
projects that are new to his second term, a Bloomberg
analysis shows. These have gotten a boost from Trump’s
own policies, as he has signed crypto legislation
and appointed regulators who tossed out lawsuits
against the industry.Despite the new projects, the
family’s overall net worth looks remarkably
similar to last year at $US6.8 billion ($10.1 billion),
according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Even
as crypto made the Trumps richer, the gains were
offset by the plunging value of his social media
company, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp.
Its shares are down 66 per cent over the past 12
months, despite efforts to diversify into finance,
crypto and most recently, fusion power.The way the
Trumps’ wealth is distributed now — particularly
its concentration in virtual assets and public companies,
some of which didn’t exist when he left office
in 2021 — represents a sea change in how they’ll
earn money for years to come. (BB)
News
Australia:
Coal
Nation's
largest coal-fired power plant closure delayed by
two more years
Origin
Energy has agreed to extend the operating life of
its Eraring coal-fired power station for another
two years. The ageing plant was initially slated
to close in 2025, but Origin struck a deal with
the NSW government to keep Eraring operating until
2027. CEO Frank Calabria says the decision to further
extend Eraring's operational life until 2029 will
allow for more time to develop renewable energy
infrastructure. However, the decision has been criticised
by environmental groups such as the Nature Conservation
Council of NSW. (RMS)
News
Resources
And Energy: Australia
Standoff
with China buyer is hurting iron ore prices: BHP
BHP
has advised that its iron ore division achieved
an average realised price of $US84.71 per tonne
in the December quarter. This is four per cent higher
than the same period in 2024, although it represents
a large discount to the benchmark price. BHP is
continuing to hold talks with state-run iron ore
trader China Mineral Resources Group on annual contract
terms, and BHP has acknowledged that the long-running
dispute has affected the price it receives for the
iron ore it ships from the Pilbara. BHP has also
advised that the first stage of its Jansen potash
project in Canada is now expected to cost $US8.4bn
($12.5bn); this compares with a previous forecast
of between $US7bn and $US7.4bn. (RMS)
Rio
must buy Glencore whole: shareholders
Some
of Glencore's biggest shareholders have stated that
Rio Tinto must agree to buy the entire company rather
than merely its most desirable assets, such as its
copper and zinc mines. Rio Tinto is unlikely to
want to retain Glencore's coal assets if the proposed
merger goes ahead, given that it exited the sector
about eight years ago. However, some Glencore shareholders
have warned that they are unlikely to support Rio
Tinto's bid if it seeks to 'cherry-pick' the company's
assets. The investors also contend that Rio Tinto
will need to offer a takeover premium if its management
team led by CEO Simon Trott is to run the merged
group. (RMS)
News
Culture/Sports
Tennis
player play claim 'business, not greed'
The
prize pool for this year's Australian Open is a
record $111.5 million, with this year's men's and
women's winners to receive $4.15 million, a 19 percent
increase on last year. However, despite the increased
prize pool, tennis players still believe the AO
and the other grand slam events should be paying
them more prize money, arguing they should get a
bigger share of the enormous amount of revenue that
the events generate. Alex de Minaur claims players
are not being "greedy" in their push for
a bigger slice of event revenue, while Daniil Medvedev
says the players just want a percentage of revenue
similar to other sports. (RMS)
News
Heavy
Industry Awards
Mack
Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The
Month' award
Caterpillar
wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of
The Month' award
Bingo
Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of
The Month' award
Elders
wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award
Landman
wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award
(Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)
News
Gold
Movie
Gold
is a 2016 American epic crime drama film directed
by Stephen Gaghan and written by Patrick Massett
and John Zinman. The film stars Matthew McConaughey,
Édgar Ramírez, Bryce Dallas Howard,
Corey Stoll, Toby Kebbell, Craig T. Nelson, Stacy
Keach and Bruce Greenwood. The film is loosely based
on the true story of the 1997 Bre-X mining scandal,
when a massive gold deposit was supposedly discovered
in the jungles of Indonesia; however, for legal
reasons and to enhance the appeal of the film, character
names and story details were changed.
Trailer
Gold
(YouTube Movies and TV)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc0S96OZhi0
Gold
is the epic tale of one man's pursuit of the American
dream, to discover gold. Starring Oscar® winner
Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, Dallas Buyers
Club, The Wolf Of Wall Street) as Kenny Wells, a
modern day prospector desperate for a lucky break,
he teams up with a similarly eager geologist and
sets off on an amazing journey to find gold in the
uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Getting the gold
was hard, but keeping it would be even harder, sparking
an adventure through the most powerful boardrooms
of Wall Street. The film is inspired by a true story.
News
Streaming
Wars
The
"Streaming Wars" refers to the intense
competition among digital media platforms to dominate
the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) market by
capturing and retaining global audiences.
As
of early 2026, the landscape has shifted from a
period of rapid expansion into a phase of major
consolidation and a focus on profitability over
subscriber volume.
The
"Winner" and Current State (2026)
Netflix
Dominance: Industry analysts increasingly cite Netflix
as the victor. In January 2026, Netflix reported
18% year-over-year revenue growth and is currently
pursuing a high-stakes $83 billion all-cash acquisition
of Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming
assets (including HBO/Max).
The
"Big 3": Despite fierce competition, the
market is primarily dominated by Netflix, Amazon
Prime Video, and Disney+.
YouTube's
Rise: Some experts argue YouTube is the true winner
of the broader attention economy, surpassing traditional
streaming services in total viewership by pivoting
back to user-generated content.
Key
Strategies in 2026
Consolidation:
Smaller or struggling services are being shuttered
or merged. For example, Disney recently shut down
Hulu as a standalone service.
Monetization
Shifts: Platforms have moved away from "growth
at all costs" to strategies like password-sharing
crackdowns, ad-supported tiers, and price hikes.
Live
Sports & Events: Services are increasingly bidding
on live sports rights (e.g., Netflix hosting WWE's
Raw starting in 2025) to differentiate their offerings.
Bundling:
To combat "subscription fatigue," platforms
are forming strategic partnerships with telecommunications
companies and banks to offer bundled service hubs.
Consumer
Impact
Price
Hikes: Many consumers are canceling services due
to rising costs; over 40% of Americans cited price
as their primary reason for unsubscribing in late
2025.
Resurgence
of Piracy: Fragmented content and high costs have
led to a significant comeback for pirate sites,
which some users now find more comprehensive than
paid services.
"South
Park: The Streaming Wars": The term was popularized
in mainstream culture by a 2-part South Park special
released on Paramount+ in 2022, which satirized
the industry's aggressive competition.
News/Profile
Hancock
Prospecting Pty Ltd
Hancock
Prospecting Pty Ltd (HPPL) is a privately owned
Australian mineral exploration and agriculture company
headquartered in Perth, Western Australia. As of
2026, it is recognized as one of the most successful
private companies in Australian history.
Leadership
and Ownership
Executive
Chairwoman: Gina Rinehart AO, who has led the company
since 1992.
CEO:
Garry Korte.
Ownership:
The company is owned by Gina Rinehart (76.6%) and
the Hope Margaret Hancock Trust (23.4%).
Major
Mining Operations
The
company has transitioned from a prospecting firm
into a major global miner, with primary interests
in the Pilbara region:
Roy
Hill: A flagship mega-project and Australia’s
largest single iron ore mine, producing 60–70
million tonnes annually.
Hope
Downs: A 50/50 joint venture with Rio Tinto, comprising
four open-pit mines with a capacity of approximately
47Mtpa.
Atlas
Iron: Acquired in 2018, it operates the Mount Webber,
Sanjiv Ridge, and Miralga Creek mines.
Hancock
Iron Ore: A new entity formed in July 2025 to consolidate
Roy Hill and Atlas Iron operations.
Diversification
and Strategic Investments
Under
Rinehart’s leadership, the company has expanded
significantly into other sectors:
Agriculture:
Hancock is Australia's second-largest beef producer,
owning over 25 properties including the iconic S.
Kidman & Co. It also owns 50% of Bannister Downs
Dairy.
Critical
Minerals: Major stakes in lithium (Liontown Resources,
Azure Minerals, Vulcan Energy) and rare earths (Arafura
Rare Earths, MP Materials, Lynas Rare Earths).
Energy:
Significant interests in oil and gas through Warrego
Energy and Senex Energy.
International
Ventures: In January 2026, the company signed a
gold exploration license agreement with Saudi Arabia's
state-owned miner, Ma’aden.
Current
Events (January 2026)
Australia
Day Sponsorship: The company is the principal partner
for the 2026 Hancock Prospecting Australia Day celebrations
in Perth.
Helipad
Proposal: In December 2025, the City of Perth refused
the company's proposal to build a helipad at its
West Perth headquarters.
Financial
Performance: For the 2025 fiscal year, the company
reported a profit of AU$3.08 billion.
History
The
company was founded on November 25, 1955, by Lang
Hancock, who is credited with discovering the world's
largest iron ore deposit in 1952. When Gina Rinehart
took over following his death in 1992, the company
was in a precarious financial state with significant
debt.
News
Gold
(1974)
Gold
is a 1974 British action-thriller directed by Peter
R. Hunt, starring Roger Moore and Susannah York.
Based on the 1970 novel Gold Mine by Wilbur Smith,
the film is set in the South African goldfields
and follows a conspiracy by a global syndicate to
manipulate the price of gold by sabotaging a rich
mine.
Plot:
Rod Slater (Moore), a newly appointed general manager,
is manipulated by his boss, Manfred Steyner (Bradford
Dillman), into drilling through a protective barrier
into a subterranean lake. This is intended to flood
the mine, causing a global gold shortage and driving
up prices for a greedy cabal.
Production
Controversy: The film was controversially shot on
location in South Africa during the apartheid era.
This led to a "black ban" by British film
unions, though some crew members defied it to work
on the production.
James
Bond Connection: Many crew members were veterans
of the James Bond franchise, including director
Peter Hunt (On Her Majesty's Secret Service), editor
John Glen, and title designer Maurice Binder.
Accolades:
The film received an Academy Award nomination for
Best Original Song for "Wherever Love Takes
Me," composed by Elmer Bernstein and sung by
Maureen McGovern.
Cast
& Crew
Rod
Slater: Roger Moore
Terry
Steyner: Susannah York
Hurry
Hirschfeld: Ray Milland
Manfred
Steyner: Bradford Dillman
Farrell:
John Gielgud
Director:
Peter R. Hunt
Music:
Elmer Bernstein
Availability
in 2026
As
of 2026, the film is available through several formats
and platforms:
Streaming:
Accessible on Prime Video, Tubi, and Roku devices.
Physical
Media: High-definition restorations are available
on Blu-ray and DVD from Kino Lorber and 88 Films
News
Pop
Culture
"Gold"
(Spandau Ballet)
"Gold"
is a signature 1983 hit by the British New Romantic
band Spandau Ballet, written by Gary Kemp.
Lyrics
Thank
you for coming home I'm 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
Thank
you for coming home I'm 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
Gold
(gold)
Always
believe in your soul You've got the power to know
You're indestructible Always believe in
'Cause
you are
Gold
(gold)
Glad
that you're bound to return There's something I
could have learned You're indestructible Always
believin'
Oh
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
My
love is like a high prison wall But you could leave
me standing so tall
Gold
(gold)
Always
believe in your soul You've got the power to know
You're indestructible Always believe in 'Cause you
are
Gold
(gold)
Glad
that you're bound to return There's something I
could have learned You're indestructible Always
believin'
My
love is like a high prison wall And you could leave
me standing so tall
Gold
(gold)
Oh
always believe in your soul You've got the power
to know You're indestructible Always believe in
'Cause you are
Gold
(gold)
Glad
that you're bound to return Something I could have
learned You're indestructible Always believin'
Songwriter:
Gary James Kemp
Spandau
Ballet - Gold (HD Remastered)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntG50eXbBtc
Official
video of Spandau Ballet performing 'Gold' from their
1983 third album 'True'.
Gary
Kemp wrote both the music and lyrics; the song was
produced by the partnership of Steve Jolley and
Tony Swain. The music video was filmed on location
in Carmona, Spain and directed by Brian Duffy. The
video featured Sadie Frost as a gold-painted nymph,
in one of her earlier roles. Some parts of the music
video were also filmed in Leighton House, which
was also used in the video for "Golden Brown"
by The Stranglers.
Spandau
Ballet are one of Britain’s great iconic bands
having sold over 25 million records, scored numerous
multi-platinum albums and amassed 23 hit singles
across the globe since their humble beginnings as
a group of friends with dreams of stardom in the
late 1970s. It wasn’t long before they became
fully-fledged members of the iconic Blitz Club scene
and established themselves as one of the super-groups
of the 80s.
The
band's classic line-up features brothers Gary and
Martin Kemp on guitars, vocalist Tony Hadley, saxophonist
Steve Norman and drummer John Keeble.
Spandau
Ballet’s hits include Gold, True, To Cut A
Long Story Short, Through The Barricades and many
more.
News
The
Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newspaper
Of The Month' award
Roy
Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Business Of
The Month' award
Sky
News Australia wins Media Man 'Australian Media
Outlet Of The Month' award
News/Profile
Mad
Men
Mad
Men is a critically acclaimed American period drama
series created by Matthew Weiner that aired on AMC
from 2007 to 2015. Set primarily in the 1960s, the
show centers on the high-pressure world of Madison
Avenue advertising and the enigmatic personal and
professional life of Don Draper (Jon Hamm), a talented
creative director at the fictional Sterling Cooper
agency.
Core
Premise and Themes
The
series explores the "Golden Age" of advertising,
where image is everything and truth is often a secondary
concern. It serves as a historical tour of 1960s
America, depicting major cultural shifts including
the Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War, and the
changing roles of women in society.
Key
themes include:
Identity
and Secrets: Much of the plot revolves around characters—specifically
Don Draper—hiding their true pasts while creating
new personas.
Ambition
and Power: The series tracks the cutthroat competition
within the office and the rise of characters like
Peggy Olson from secretary to head copywriter.
Social
Change: It examines the sexism, racism, and shifting
moral codes of the era with high attention to historical
authenticity.
Main
Cast and Characters
Don
Draper (Jon Hamm): The mysterious, charismatic creative
lead whose hidden past haunts his professional success.
Peggy
Olson (Elisabeth Moss): A pioneering career woman
who starts as Don's secretary and eventually becomes
his intellectual equal.
Pete
Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser): An ambitious, entitled
young executive from a wealthy family who often
clashes with Don.
Betty
Draper/Francis (January Jones): Don’s wife,
who struggles with the stifling expectations of
being a 1960s suburban housewife.
Joan
Holloway/Harris (Christina Hendricks): The savvy
office manager who uses her intelligence and power
to navigate the firm's gender dynamics.
Roger
Sterling (John Slattery): A witty, hard-drinking
founding partner of the agency and Don's mentor-figure.
Accolades
and Legacy
Emmy
Awards: Mad Men was the first basic cable series
to win the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama
Series, a feat it accomplished for four consecutive
years (2008–2011).
Critical
Impact: It is widely regarded as one of the greatest
television dramas of all time, ranked 6th by TV
Guide and 7th by the Writers Guild of America on
their respective "best of" lists.
Visual
Style: The show is noted for its meticulous production
design and costume work, which revitalized interest
in mid-century modern aesthetics.
Where
to Watch
As
of early 2026, the series is available for streaming
on platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, and AMC+,
depending on your region.
Media
Man: Strong thumbs up. Must watch for media execs
and media/ad execs to be! Watch and learn (or unlearn)!!!
News
Silicon
Valley
Silicon
Valley refers primarily to a global center of high
technology and innovation in the southern San Francisco
Bay Area. It also commonly refers to the acclaimed
HBO comedy series that satirizes this culture.
Silicon
Valley
The
Region
Location:
Geographically, it encompasses Santa Clara County,
southeastern San Mateo County, and parts of the
East Bay, with San Jose serving as its largest city.
Origins: The name was coined in 1971 by journalist
Don Hoefler, referring to the high concentration
of silicon chip (semiconductor) manufacturers in
the Santa Clara Valley.
Economic
Impact: As of 2026, it remains the premier hub for
venture capital, receiving approximately one-third
to 40% of all U.S. venture investment.
Key
Companies: It is headquarters to global giants including
Apple (Cupertino), Google/Alphabet (Mountain View),
Meta (Menlo Park), Intel (Santa Clara), and Nvidia.
Current
Trends (2026): While still a dominant force, the
region faces challenges such as extreme wealth inequality
and a continued "wealth tax" flight where
some billionaires and companies relocate to states
like Texas.
The
Television Series
Premise:
A satirical comedy created by Mike Judge that follows
Richard Hendricks and his startup, Pied Piper, as
they navigate the absurdities of the tech industry.
Run:
The show aired on HBO for six seasons from 2014
to 2019, totaling 53 episodes.
Cast:
Stars included Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller,
Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr, and Zach Woods.
Markets,
Crypto and Culture
January
2026
Sin
City Sydney, Australia to Wall Street, New York
Mining,
Media and Intel
Digital
Bush Telegraph
Jan
12
ASX
futures up 12 points or 0.1%/8697
AUD flat at US66.94¢
Bitcoin $90,571.34 - 0.17%
Dow +0.5%
S&P +0.7%
Nasdaq +0.8%
Gold +0.7% to $US4509.50 an ounce
Brent oil +2.2% at $US63.34 a barrel
Iron ore +0.4% at $US108.30 a ton
Shares
Before
The Bell
Media
Man Favs
TKO
Group Holdings Inc $199.63 -2.46 -1.22%
Netflix Inc $89.44 -1.09 -1.21%
Paramount Skydance Corp $12.06 -0.21 -1.71%
Tesla Inc $445.01 +9.21 +2.11%
Microsoft Corp $479.28 +1.17 +0.24%
Alphabet Inc Class A $328.57 +3.13 +0.96%
News
Numbers
Double Check
Australian
Dollar: $0.6671 USD (down $0.0022 USD)
Iron Ore Feb Spot Price: $108.30 USD (up $0.05 USD)
Oil Price: $59.12 USD (up $0.90 USD)
Gold Price: $4,509.20 USD (up $52.48 USD)
Copper Price: $5.8905 USD (up 0.0990 USD)
Dow Jones: 49,504.07 (up 237.96 points)
News
Lead Up
Jan
10
ASX
200 futures up 29 points/0.3 per cent to 8714
AUD
-0.1% to US66.90¢
Bitcoin
$90,338.65 -0.95%
Wall
St:
Dow +0.5%
S&P +0.7%
Nasdaq +0.8%
VIX -0.97 to 14.48
Gold +0.6% to $US4506.19 an ounce
Brent oil +1.7% to $US63.02 a barrel
Iron ore +0.4% to $US108.30 a ton
10-year
yield:
US 4.17%
Australia 4.68%
News
Geopolitics
will destroy the euro
EURUSD
falls due to geopolitics and expectations of tariff
removal
Gold
returns to debasement trading
The
US dollar continued its advance on Forex thanks
to a new batch of strong macro statistics. Jobless
claims rose less than expected. Productivity rose
to a two-year high, and the US trade deficit unexpectedly
narrowed to its lowest level since 2009. Donald
Trump's plan to balance foreign trade with import
tariffs is working. However, the Supreme Court may
rule the tariffs illegal by the end of the week
on 9 January. The cancellation of import duties
would return funds to American companies and households,
which have largely absorbed the cost of tariffs
that previously weighed on economic growth. The
US economy has continued to expand, supported by
investment in artificial intelligence, rising productivity,
and the wealth effect created by record equity markets
that have boosted household prosperity. The return
of tariff revenues would effectively act as a fiscal
stimulus, increasing disposable income and corporate
cash flow. As a result, GDP growth and inflationary
pressures are likely to accelerate. This combination
will create another barrier to lowering the federal
funds rate. Stephen Miron's calls to cut it by 150
basis points in 2026 seem like a voice crying in
the wilderness. Most FOMC members understand perfectly
well what the return of money from tariffs could
lead to. The hawks will gain a strong trump card,
the pause in the monetary expansion cycle will be
prolonged, and the US dollar will benefit from this.
Rumours of additional sanctions against Russia are
putting pressure on the EURUSD. Diplomatic efforts
to bring peace to Ukraine are not yielding results,
and the continuation of the armed conflict will
continue to hold back the eurozone economy. Events
in Venezuela and talk of Greenland joining the US
are increasing geopolitical tensions. According
to ECB Vice-President Luis Guindos, this could hurt
business, and increased household savings will slow
GDP growth. Despite the strengthening of the US
dollar, gold has managed to counterattack. The precious
metal is able to benefit from the Supreme Court's
repeal of tariffs. The return of money will lead
to an increase in the US budget deficit and public
debt. These processes underlie debasement trading.
In 2025, it became one of the key drivers of the
65% rally in XAUUSD. (FxPro)
News
From
gold to crypto, fundies name their top trades for
2026
It’s
not all about gold in 2026 as investors reveal their
high-conviction plays across the ASX, commodities,
currencies and bitcoin.
Jan
7
Investors
have headed into the new year convinced that the
roaring bull market in safe havens like gold and
silver will not be the only game in town for making
money.
While
the record run for gold is expected to hold its
ground, fund managers and strategists say the road
map for financial markets will start to broaden
into slightly more adventurous territory.
After
12 months of the ASX struggling to keep pace with
its international peers and the stubborn weakness
in the Australian dollar, bitcoin is among the assets
tipped to make a comeback.
The
market is expected to shift its focus towards the
changing of the guard at the US Federal Reserve
and the path of global interest rates.
Against
this backdrop, here are some of the top trades that
professional investors have made across asset classes
for 2026.
Commodities
Geologist turned fund manager Rick Squire at Acorn
Capital says the multi-year rally in gold will continue,
but he is betting that producers of the yellow metal
and businesses with advanced development projects
like Golden Horse Minerals and Rox Resources will
be the biggest winners.
“The
best gains will come from developers or companies
starting up new operations,” he says. “Explorers
may also start to run, but that will be in late
2026 or later.”
Argonaut’s
David Franklyn is the most bullish on uranium as
major global economies look to nuclear energy as
a component of their base load power.
Perennial’s
resource specialist Sam Berridge agrees, adding
that uranium could be the next critical mineral
that the US backs as a means of spurring investment
in domestic supply.
“The
nuclear renaissance 2.0 accelerated materially into
the close of 2025,” Berridge says.
In
a more contrarian pick, Richard Morrow, who runs
the Lowell Resources Fund, believes oil will shrug
off concerns about oversupply and bounce back as
the US dollar continues to soften. Brent prices
lost 16 per cent last year because of a global supply
glut.
Stocks
While the broader sharemarket is tipped to grind
higher in 2026, Australian Ethical head of Australian
equities Nathan Parkin says some of the best opportunities
are in building materials, particularly companies
with meaningful US exposure such as Reece.
While
the stock declined into the back half of 2025, causing
it to slip out of the ASX 100, Parkin believes Reece’s
earnings have finally bottomed. “The propensity
for those earnings is to be sharply higher in the
next few years,” he says.
Parkin
also likes Reliance Worldwide, describing its focus
more on home repair and maintenance rather than
new builds that is still leveraged to a recovery
in building demand.
Aaron
Binsted of Lazard Asset Management, meanwhile, says
he has shifted his focus to more long-term bets
for 2026 and is betting on logistics and moving
away from the local tech sector.
His
top picks are New Zealand-based Mainfreight and
Freightways.
“As
the economy turns, we’re expecting those to
be good long-term earnings per share and dividend
growers,” Binsted says.
For
Morningstar director of equity research Johannes
Faul, the best opportunities are in the smaller
retailers – specifically fast food and footwear.
Faul says that stocks such as Domino’s Pizza
have been unfairly beaten down, creating attractive
entry points.
He’s
also backing Accent Group, the firm behind several
shoe retailers including Hype and Platypus. He says
the company’s recent share price slump is “overdone”
that has left the stock trading at a deep discount.
Foreign
exchange
Currency strategists are betting on a stronger Australian
dollar as the Reserve Bank of Australia keeps interest
rates high, while other central banks like in Europe
and the US look to cut.
Alvise
Marino of UBS favours the Aussie against the euro
as the German economy falters. He says Australia’s
lower debt and higher rates make it the safer bet.
“The Aussie is likely to retain an interest
rate advantage,” he adds.
The
strategist has forecast the euro to drop to $1.70
by late 2026, from $1.75 currently.
Westpac’s
Richard Franulovich and NAB’s Ray Attrill,
meanwhile, are backing the Aussie against the US
dollar. They expect a “diverging” rate
path with the Fed to cut the benchmark while the
RBA could look to hike.
Attrill
adds that a new and likely more “dovish”
head of the Fed when chairman Jerome Powell steps
down in May will provide an extra tailwind.
Cryptocurrency
In the world of digital assets, Merkle Tree Capital
chief investment officer Ryan McMillin is expecting
bitcoin to rebound later in the year as the Trump
administration “runs the economy hot”
heading into the midterm elections.
While
bond markets imply at least two US rate cuts in
2026, McMillin is expecting even more easing to
be priced once US President Donald Trump names the
new Fed chief.
“We
see 2026 as a year where market structure and macro
finally catch up with the underlying progress,”
he says. “Bitcoin to new all-time highs in
the second half … led by institutional flows
rather than retail leverage.”
Crypto
exchange giant Coinbase believes bitcoin will lead
a digital rally in the first half before smaller
alt-coins play catch up later in the year.
Global
head of institutional research David Duong notes
that there is $US7.5 trillion ($11.2 trillion) sitting
in US money market funds which will be partially
redeployed into crypto markets as the Fed cuts rates.
Citi
forecasts bitcoin will soar to a record $US143,000
this year, up from about $US93,747 currently, and
ethereum will climb to $US4304, up from $US3224,
driven by a rebound in demand for exchange-traded
funds.
Fixed
income
Matthew Wacher, Morningstar’s chief investment
officer for Asia-Pacific, likes Australian 10-year
government bonds. He argues that with yields of
about 4.8 per cent, the bonds offer a better balance
of reward and safety than riskier corporate loans
or US debt.
“The
safety of Aussie government bonds and such yields
are pretty attractive. They can give your portfolio
a lot of protection,” he says, noting they
currently offer the best “risk-adjusted”
returns for the year ahead.
Australia
is one of only nine countries with a top-notch triple-A
rating by the top three rating agencies.
In
addition to Australian government bonds, Tim Hext
at Pendal is also bullish on gilts, adding that
he likes how both Australia and the UK governments
are managing their budgets. “At the end of
the day, fiscal policy matters more than monetary
policy,” he says.
While
the United States and Germany continue to spend
freely, he says Australia and the UK are cutting
public spending or raising taxes. It’s for
this reason Hext is betting against US and German
government bonds and expects both to perform poorly
by comparison. (AFR) *Full article and coverage
via subscription to The Australian Financial Review
News
The
Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newspaper
Of The Month' award
News
Lead Up
24
Hours ago
Jan
9
ASX
200 futures up 26 points/0.3 per cent to 8716
AUD
-0.4% to US66.95¢
Bitcoin
$91,020.37 -0.34%
Wall
St:
Dow +0.5%
S&P -0.1%
Nasdaq -0.6%
VIX
+0.19 to 15.57
Gold
+0.1% to $US4459.27 an ounce
Brent oil +4.3% to $US62.55 a barrel
Iron ore -0.7% to $US108.25 a tonne
10-year yield: US 4.18% Australia 4.66%
News
Crypto
fails to find support for a breakout
Market
Overview
The
crypto market remained under pressure throughout
Wednesday and early trading on Thursday, losing
about 4% of its capitalisation to $3.08 trillion
over the day. The market once again confirmed its
cautious sentiment, retreating from the upper boundary
of the consolidation range of the last eight weeks.
The retreat of the stock markets created an unfavourable
backdrop, and cryptocurrencies were unable to move
from a rebound mode after the decline to a full-fledged
recovery.
Bitcoin
plunged below $90K on Thursday morning after bears
seized the initiative at the end of the day on 5
January. At its lowest point, BTC approached the
50-day moving average, above which it climbed at
the start of the year. The end of the week will
bring an answer to the question of whether this
curve has become a support level or whether we saw
a false breakout at the start of the year.
News
Background
Bitcoin
could reach a new all-time high this year, said
Bill Miller, investment director at Miller Value
Partners. According to him, major Wall Street players
are once again showing interest in the asset.
Institutional
investors are again buying more Bitcoin through
ETFs than miners are mining per day, notes analyst
Charles Edwards. On-chain demand is still weak,
but there are signs of a return of liquidity on
Binance.
The
main catalyst for Ethereum's growth in the new year
will be crypto neobanks, not speculative traders,
according to http://Ether.fi. Such platforms are
capable of attracting many more crypto users than
spot ETFs.
On
7 January, Ethereum developers implemented the Blob
Parameter-Only (BPO) fork on the main network, which
increases the BLOB object limit from 15 to 21. This
will allow more transactions to be processed simultaneously,
increasing the efficiency of the blockchain without
the direct risk of overload.
Ripple
has announced that it has no plans to go public,
despite Wall Street's $40 billion valuation. Ripple's
strong institutional support and overall treasury
size have virtually eliminated the need for additional
funding.
Privacy
is a critical feature necessary for the development
of global finance on the blockchain, which is why
it will become a major focus in the crypto industry
in 2026, according to a16z crypto. (FxPro)
News
Numbers
Double Check
Australian
Dollar: $0.6693 USD (down $0.0027 USD) Iron Ore:
$108.25 USD (down $0.75 USD)
Oil Price : $58.22 USD (up $2.02 USD)
Gold Price: $4,456.72 USD (down $0.58 USD)
Copper Price: $5.7915 USD (down 0.0565 USD)
Dow Jones: 49,235.09 (up 239.01 points)
Media
Man Favs
TKO
Group Holdings Inc $202.09 -0.85 -0.42%
Tesla
Inc $435.80 +4.39 +1.02%
Rio
Tinto Ltd $144.53 -8.10 -5.31% (ASX)
Netflix
Inc $90.53 -0.19 -0.21%
Porsche
Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany ADR $4.45
-0.020 -0.45%
Mercedes
Benz Group ADR $17.42 -0.11 - 0.63%
Volvo
ADR (Parent of Mack Trucks) $33.31 -0.100 -0.30%
Microsoft
Corp $478.11 -5.36 -1.11%
Wynn
Resorts Ltd $118.27 +1.90 +1.63%
MGM
Resorts International $35.15 +1.03 +3.03%
News
Australia
Jan
9
ASX
gains on tech and health; Ansell dives 6pc
The
Australian sharemarket posted a modest gain on Thursday,
with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.3 per cent to
close at 8,72.8 points. WiseTech Global was up 2.2
per cent at $68.28, CSL advanced 2.6 per cent to
$174.45 and Monadelphous Group finished 2.2 per
cent higher at $27.37. However, BHP fell 0.8 per
cent to end the session at $47.34, Beach Energy
was down 1.4 per cent at $1.07 and takeover target
BlueScope Steel shed 1.6 per cent to close at $29.40.
(RMS)
News
Employment
Hero settles with rival Seek
Human
resources technology company Employment Hero has
dropped its legal action against recruitment firm
Seek, which is both an investor in Employment Hero
and a rival. Employment Hero launched its action
after Seek cut off access to its application program
interface (API), which is a tool that permits companies
such as Employment Hero to directly post job ads
to Seek and to manage job candidate applications.
Employment Hero had claimed that Seek's action amounted
to anti-competitive conduct, but the two firms have
advised that the matter has been resolved. Employment
Hero's access to Seek's API will be permanently
reinstated, and a three-week hearing scheduled for
September will not go ahead. (RMS)
News
Nvidia's
platform to slash AI costs
Nvidia
CEO Jensen Huang has used the CES, the world's biggest
consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, to announce
the release of a new hardware platform. Known as
Rubin, it promises to reduce the cost of operating
large scale artificial intelligence models by 90
per cent, while Huang also announced that Nvidia
has entered into a partnership with Mercedes to
create the world's first ‘thinking' and
'reasoning' car; he says Nvidia's vision is that
every car and truck will be autonomous at some stage
in the future (RMS)
News
Sports
As
Aussies seal Ashes victory, economists hit Bazball
for six
England's
aggressive batting style known as 'Bazball' is under
renewed scrutiny after losing the 2025-26 Ashes
series 4-1. E61 Institute economists Adit Maitra
and Matthew Maltman have analysed England's performance
in Test matches since Bazball was introduced by
incoming team coach Brendon McCullum in 2022. They
found that England had initial success, winning
13 Tests during the first 18 months of the Bazball
era; the team lost four matches and just one resulted
in a draw. However, England's win rate has fallen
sharply since the 2023 Ashes series, as opposing
teams have adjusted their own playing style in response
to the Bazball tactics; it should also be noted
that England did not tour Australia or India - two
of the highest-rated Test nations - during the initial
phase of the Bazball era. (RMS)
News
Resources/Energy
Defence
demand tipped to boost copper stampede
S&P
Global has forecast that worldwide demand for copper
will top 42 million tonnes by 2040, compared with
28 million tonnes in 2025. However, the firm warns
that the demand-supply deficit could reach 10 million
by 2040 unless there is a big increase in copper
production. Carlos Pascual from S&P Global emphasises
that copper supply is now a national security issue,
given its importance to industries such as defence
and artificial intelligence, and the fact that copper
processing is now dominated by China. BHP, Rio Tinto
and Fortescue are amongst the big miners that are
ramping up their exposure to copper. (RMS)
News
'Like
a sauna': World's hottest location
While
40-degree temperatures in Victoria this week amounted
to a near record for that state, such temperatures
are commonplace in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
It is home to much of WA's $150 billion resources
sector, but extreme heat there is becoming a material
risk and is forcing mining companies to put in measures
to protect their assets and their workforces. Dee
Egan, who is a resident of the Pilbara town of Onslow,
which has endured 45-degree heat for the better
part of the past week, says living there feels like
you are in a sauna all day. (RMS)
News
Oil
stocks are cheap for a reason
Shares
in Woodside Energy, Santos and Beach Energy have
fallen in value by between eight per cent and 44
per cent over the last five years. In contrast,
shares in the world's biggest oil companies have
risen by up to 161 per cent over this period. Sharemarket
experts contend that there are a number of reasons
why Australian oil producers are trading at a discount;
they include government policy headwinds and the
fact that takeover bids are unlikely, as well as
company-specific issues. Meanwhile, analysts say
the Trump administation's military action in Venezuela
is likely to drive the crude oil price lower, while
rebuilding the nation's oil industry is expected
to take years. (RMS)
News
Jan
8
ASX
miner cheers Trump's 'involvement' in Greenland
Energy
Transition Minerals' MD Daniel Mamadou contends
that the potential for increased US involvement
in Greenland is a "positive", and that
it will benefit companies which operate in the Danish
self-governed territory. Energy Transition Minerals
is engaged in a long-running dispute with the Greenland
government over its Kvanefjeld rare earths project;
the deposit also contains uranium, and the government
banned uranium mining in 2021. Kvanefjeld is estimated
to contain up to one billion tonnes of rare earth
minerals, including terbium. Energy Transition Minerals'
share price rose 44.9 per cent to $0.145 on Wednesday.
(RMS)
News
Nickel
price offers respite for last few Australian mines
The
price of nickel has risen to $US18,785 per tonne
in London trading, which is its highest level since
October 2024. The rally follows Vale's decision
to suspend nickel production in Indonesia until
the nation's government approves its annual production
plan. Meanwhile, Fitch Ratings subsidiary BMI has
downgraded its nickel price forecast for 2026 due
to expectations that the global surplus will rise;
the firm now expects the nickel price to average
$US15,000 per tonne. However, BMI is upbeat about
the longer-term price outlook, contending that rising
demand for nickel will reduce the glut. (Roy Morgan
Summary)
News
The
Lead Up
January
8, 2026
Sydney,
Australia to Wall Street, New York
ASX
200 futures down 4 points/0.1%: 8680
AUD -0.2% to US67.27¢
BTC $91,005.03 -1.57%
Wall
St:
Dow -0.7% S&P -0.2% NAS +0.3%
VIX +0.24 to 14.99
Gold -0.8% to $US4457.23 an oz
Oil -0.9% to $US60.16 a b
Iron ore +2.4% to $US109.00 a ton
10-yr
yield:
US 4.13%
AUS 4.76%
News
lead Up
NYSE:
News
On
January 7, markets were mixed with some retreat
from records as momentum cooled, but no major downturn
reported.
Markets
showed strength early in 2026, driven by AI optimism,
chip sector gains, and positive sentiment around
technology.
Latest
Closes (January 6-7, 2026 session data)
Dow
Jones Industrial Average (DJIA): Closed at a record
49,462.08 (up ~0.99% on January 6), briefly surpassing
49,000 for the first time before minor pullback.
S&P
500: Closed at a record 6,944.82 (up ~0.62% on January
6), with intraday highs on January 7.
Nasdaq
Composite: ~23,547.17 (up ~0.65% on January 6).
NYSE
Composite Index: ~22,570.82 (up ~0.62% on January
6). Key Drivers:
Semiconductor
and AI-related stocks (e.g., Nvidia commentary at
CES 2026, memory/storage chipmakers hitting records).
Broader
market optimism despite geopolitical headlines (e.g.,
Venezuela developments affecting oil).
Early 2026 gains built on strong 2025 performance,
with chip indexes up significantly year-to-date.
(Grok)
News
Best
Quotes Of The Day
Media
Man
Cryptocurrency,
Finance and World
"Volatility
is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." -
Michael Saylor
"Bitcoin
is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and
tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme."
— Naval Ravikant
"We
have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical
framework that is free of politics and human error."
— Tyler Winklevoss
"You
can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere,
and the world will have to readjust. World governments
will have to readjust." — John McAfee
"Bitcoin
is the most important invention in the history of
the world since the Internet." — Roger
Ver
"Cryptocurrency
is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn
governments." — Charles Lee
"In
the future, national currencies will become obsolete.
Bitcoin will become the single global currency."
— Jack Dorsey
"The
future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in
payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng
Zhao
"Crypto
offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged."
— Elizabeth Stark
"The
new frontier of innovation is in decentralization.
Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott
"Digital
currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter
of how long before governments embrace it."
— Brad Garlinghouse
Pop
Culture
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking
Santa
vs Grinch
Bulls vs Bears
Crypto King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
Chris Jericho vs Dirtsheets
NFL vs everyone
Zuffa vs MVP
Netflix vs World
Meta vs Australia
Markets,
Crypto And Culture
January
2026
Jan
7
Sydney,
Australia
Mood:
Bullish
AUD
+0.3% to US67.34¢
Bitcoin $93,010.79 +1.21%
Wall
Street: By Mr Wolf
Dow
+1.1%
S&P +0.6%
Nasdaq +0.6%
VIX -0.19 to 14.71
Gold +0.7% to $US4481.38 an ounce
Brent oil -1.9% to $US60.61 a barrel
Iron ore +0.7% to $US106.55 a ton
10-year
yield:
US 4.17%
Australia 4.79%
News
Numbers/Data
Double Check
Australian
Dollar: $0.6730 USD (up $0.0015 USD)
Iron Ore: $106.55 USD (up $0.75 USD)
Oil Price: $56.89 USD (down $1.41 USD)
Gold Price: $4,484.96 USD (up $44.37 USD)
Copper Price: $6.0535 USD (up 0.0515 USD)
Dow Jones: 49,487.98 (up 510.80 points)
The
Lead Up
Jan
6
Sydney,
Australia to Wall Street, New York, USA
Bullish
Today
ASX
200 futures up 30 points/0.3 percent to 8746
AUD +0.3% to US67.17¢
Bitcoin
$94,149.31 +3.17%
Wall
St:
Dow
+1.4%
S&P +0.7%
Nasdaq +0.7%
VIX +0.46 to 14.97
Gold +2.6% to $US4445.21 an ounce
Brent oil +1.7% to $US61.77 a barrel
Iron ore +0.4% to $US105.80 a ton
10-year
yield:
US 4.16%
Australia 4.79%
News
Double
Check On Numbers
Australian
Dollar: $0.6715 USD (up $0.0029 USD) Iron Ore: $105.80
USD (up $0.40 USD) Oil Price: $58.30 USD (up $0.98
USD) Gold Price: $4,440.59 USD (up $108.23 USD)
Copper Price: $6.0020 USD (up 0.3040 USD) Dow Jones:
49,102.86 (up 720.47 points)
News
ASX
swings as mining rally offsets tech drop
The
Australian sharemarket posted a slight gain on Monday,
with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.0092 per cent
to close at 8,728.6 points. BHP was up 1.6 per cent
at $46.48, Paladin Energy advanced 7.1 per cent
to $10.85 and Northern Star Resources ended the
session 2.1 per cent higher at $24.95. However,
Beach Energy was down 2.1 per cent at $1.14 and
Zip Co fell 5.7 per cent to $3.16. (RMS)
News
Mining
Australia
Geologists
uncover Earth's largest iron ore deposit ever recorded,
worth $5.7 trillion
It
was previously thought that the Pilbara Craton's
iron ore bodies were formed at least two billion
years ago. However, new dating techniques applied
at key sites in the Hamersley Basin have concluded
that these ore bodies were formed between 1.4 and
1.1 billion years ago; the new age range has been
confirmed across multiple ore bodies in the region.
The research has also found that the Pilbara Craton
may contain about 55 billion metric tonnes of ore;
this would be worth more than $5.7trn based on the
current price of iron ore. (RMS)
News
Bullish
start to the year in crypto
Market
Overview
The
cryptocurrency market added 3.6% to its capitalisation
over the past seven days and approximately 0.6%
in 24 hours, reaching $3.14 trillion.
At
the start of trading on Monday, there was a slight
decline to $3.18 trillion, but a return to monthly
highs attracted local buyers. Active growth since
the beginning of the year has not only pushed the
market away from the ‘bottom’ where prices
had been hovering for two weeks prior, but also
ensured a break above the 50-day moving average,
which we have not seen in almost three months. In
the near term, we are closely monitoring the market’s
attempts to consolidate at $3.20T. An increase in
selling will confirm the shift to a bear market.
The ability to grow will indicate the end of a long
and relatively deep correction, setting the stage
for a rapid approach to highs above $4T. By default,
we are in favour of a bearish scenario until proven
otherwise.
Bitcoin
surpassed the $92K mark, marking its fifth consecutive
daily growth candle today and reaching its highest
level since December 12th. Last month, market participants
actively sold off the first cryptocurrency in the
$92–95K range, halting attempts to form a rebound
after the October-November sell-off. Has the market
changed during this time? It is unlikely that it
has become stronger, with no prospects for accelerated
economic growth or more dovish monetary policy sentiment.
News
Background
Retail
investors actively bought Bitcoin in the second
half of last year, while large players were passive
or took profits at October highs. Santiment calls
this dynamic alarming. At the same time, there has
been a decline in interest in the asset in the media
and on social networks.
In
December, large holders sold 20,000 BTC. However,
the volume of leveraged positions grew by $2.4 billion,
despite a 40% decline in trading activity, notes
analyst Crazzyblockk. The current market situation
does not signal that the bottom has been reached.
Long-term
Bitcoin holders have stopped selling for the first
time since July, according to VanEck. The current
sideways movement of Bitcoin against the backdrop
of record growth in gold and silver is comparable
to the ‘calm before the storm,’ which
is usually followed by a rally in the crypto market,
a Bull Theory analyst hopes.
According
to Lookonchain, an investor with $11 billion in
assets has opened long positions on futures for
the three leading cryptocurrencies worth $749 million.
In October, he correctly predicted the market crash.
In
the near future, Bitcoin and Ethereum are expected
to receive a significant influx of capital due to
the end of the rally in the precious metals market,
according to Garrett Jean, former CEO of the now-defunct
BitForex exchange.
According
to Etherscan, the Ethereum network set a new record
of 2.2 million transactions processed per day. Transaction
costs fell to historic lows ($0.17).
Bitcoin
has now turned 17. The anonymous creator of Bitcoin,
under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, launched the
network for the first cryptocurrency on January
3rd 2009. It was on this day that the very first
block in the network was created, known as the genesis
block, which contained 50 BTC. (FxPro)
News
Forex
runs to safe havens
Growing
political risks in Britain are putting pressure
on European currencies
Geopolitics
are reviving investor interest in gold The rise
in geopolitical risks against the backdrop of the
kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
by the US has increased demand for the US dollar
as a safe-haven currency. Coupled with expectations
of a prolonged pause in the Fed's monetary expansion
cycle and political turmoil in Europe, this has
allowed EURUSD bears to mount a counterattack and
push the pair below 1.17. The futures market estimates
the chances of a cut in the federal funds rate at
the January FOMC meeting at 17% and 48% at the March
meeting. The Fed intends to sit on the sidelines
until at least spring. This plays into the hands
of the US dollar. It is strengthening against major
world currencies amid a wide spread between US bonds
and their European and Asian counterparts. Moreover,
there are signs of trouble brewing in Europe. Keir
Starmer's approval rating has fallen to its lowest
level among all British prime ministers in the last
half-century. It is worse than that of Liz Truss,
who is known for her quick resignation due to turmoil
in the financial markets. As a result, the Labour
Party is discussing a change of leader. Keir Starmer
warns that his removal from power will plunge the
country into complete political chaos and open the
door to Nigel Farage, who is leading in the polls,
for a new prime minister. The rise in political
risks in Britain is putting pressure not only on
the pound but also on other European currencies.
Following GBPUSD, EURUSD is falling off a cliff.
Politics and geopolitics are forcing investors to
seek safe havens. The best option appears to be
gold, which shone in 2025. The precious metal managed
to rebound from local lows thanks to a spectacular
operation by US special forces in Venezuela. Investors
successfully bought up the dip in the XAUUSD pair.
However, the market may quickly come to the conclusion
that events in Latin America will have a muted impact
on both the global economy and oil. Venezuela, with
its production falling from 3.5 million bpd in the
1970s to 1 million bpd today, is only the 18th largest
producer of black gold in the world. If investors
decide that the regime change in Caracas will not
lead to turmoil, they will dump safe-haven assets.
At the same time, pressure on gold may come from
the strengthening of the US dollar amid a prolonged
pause in the Fed's cycle of monetary policy easing.
The Australian dollar appears to be the favourite
thanks to expectations of a key rate hike by the
Reserve Bank and the Chinese economy's adaptation
to US tariffs. (FxPro)
News
Media
Man Favs
Jan
5 towards Jan 6
TKO
$203.72 -3.11 -1.50%
Alphabet
Inc Class A $316.21 +1.06 +0.34%
Netflix
Inc $91.47 +0.48 +0.52%
Paramount
Skydance Corp $13.00 -0.19 -1.40%
Porsche
Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany ADR $4.57
-0.11 -2.35%
Mercedes
Benz Group ADR $17.68 -0.38 -2.10%
Formula
One Group Series A $90.10 +1.03 +1.16%
Caterpillar
Inc $616.86 +18.48 +3.09%
Volvo
ADR (Owner of Mack Trucks) $32.64 +0.30 +0.92%
Tesla
$451.67 +13.60 +3.10%
Microsoft
Corp $472.85 -0.090 -0.019%
Mineral
Resources Ltd $55.81 +0.37 +0.67% (ASX)
Rio
Tinto Ltd $149.59 +1.90 +1.29% (ASX)
BHP
Group Ltd $46.48 +0.72 +1.57% (ASX)
The
Lead Up
Jan
5
Sydney,
Australia
ASX
futures up 11 points/ 0.1%: 8718
AUD +0.3% at US66.93¢
Bitcoin $91,320.85 +0.79%
Dow +0.7% S&P +0.2%
NAS flat
Gold +0.3% to $US4332.29 an ounce
Brent oil -0.2% at $US60.75 a barrel
Iron ore +0.3% at $US105.40 a ton
News
Double
Check On Numbers
Australian
Dollar: $0.6686 USD (up $0.0016 USD)
Iron Ore: $105.40 USD (up $US1.40 USD)
Oil Price: $57.32 USD (down $0.10 USD)
Gold Price: $4,332.36 USD (up $6.92 USD)
Copper Price: $5.6980 USD (up 0.0040 USD)
Dow Jones: 48,382.39 (up 319.10 points)
News
Australia/ASX
ASX
to grind higher as rate talk dominates
Future
pricing on Friday night suggested that Australian
equities will gain around 0.1 per cent when the
market opens on Monday. Stephen Miller from GSFM
expects equity markets to 'grind' slightly higher
in 2026; he adds that there will eventually be a
correction, but contends that the US military operation
in Venezuela is unlikely to provide the catalyst
for a major pullback. Meanwhile, the upcoming release
of Australia's monthly CPI data for November will
be a key focus for local investors in the coming
week, and may influence the Reserve Bank's interest
rate decision in February. The S&P/ASX 200 rose
0.15 per cent to 8,727.8 points on Friday. (RMS)
News
Paspaley
family's hospitality pivot as pearling profits lose
their lustre
Filings
with the corporate regulator show profits at Pearl
Corporation of Australia were at $13.5 million in
the 12 months to 30 June, down from $27.8 million
a year earlier. The Pearl Corporation of Australia
is one of the major vehicles of the Paspaley family,
one of Australia's most noted pearling dynasties.
With an estimated fortune of $1.52 billion, the
family has been moving away from its historical
roots towards hotels and luxury cruising operations,
as pearl sales take a hit. (RMS/AFR)
News
Curious
case of Fortescue's copper target
Iron
ore miner Fortescue is set to acquire Alta Copper
in a deal worth more than $151 million, with Fortescue
having held a stake of almost 20 per cent in the
South American explorer for almost six years. By
the time it announced its bid for Alta in December,
Fortescue had lifted its stake to nearly 36 per
cent, while disclosures made by Alta to the Toronto
Stock Exchange in the last few days before Christmas
show that Fortescue had made three prior overtures
to acquire the company over the past four years.
(RMS)
News
Snapshot/Profile:
TKO Group
TKO
is a media and live event company that owns the
popular WWE and UFC brands. The company’s third-quarter
fiscal 2025 earnings report showed revenue of $1.12
billion, adjusted EBITDA of $360 million (with a
32% margin), and increased full-year guidance to
an upward range of $4.72 billion and $1.58 billion
for revenue and adjusted EBITDA, respectively.
It’s
no wonder TKO shares are up 53% so far this year
– and they could rise more. MoneyFlows data
shows how Big Money investors are betting heavily
on the stock.
TKO
Group Draws Institutional Interest
Institutional
volumes reveal plenty. In the last year, TKO has
enjoyed strong investor demand, which we believe
to be institutional support.
Plenty
of discretionary names are under accumulation right
now. But there’s a powerful fundamental story
happening with TKO Group.
TKO
Group Fundamental Analysis
Institutional
support and a healthy fundamental backdrop make
this company worth investigating. As you can see,
TKO has had strong sales growth:
1-year
sales growth rate (+67.4%)
3-year
sales growth rate (+38.3%)
Source:
FactSet
Also,
EPS is estimated to ramp higher this year by +155.8%.
Now
it makes sense why the stock has been generating
Big Money interest. TKO has a track record of strong
financial performance.
TKO
Group Price Prediction
The
TKO action isn’t new at all. Big Money buying
in the shares is signaling to take notice. Given
the historical gains in share price and strong fundamentals,
this stock could be worth a spot in a diversified
portfolio.
News
NYSE
The
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and broader US markets
are open today (Monday, January 5, 2026) for regular
trading hours (9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET).
This
is the second full trading week of the year, following
the New Year's holiday closure on January 1 and
the first trading session on January 2.
Recent
Market Performance
The
first trading day of 2026 (Friday, January 2) saw
mixed but mostly positive results:S&P 500: Closed
slightly higher (up ~0.19% to around 6,858), supported
by gains in semiconductors.
Dow
Jones Industrial Average: Ended higher, snapping
a prior losing streak, with boosts from chips (e.g.,
Nvidia, Intel) and industrials like Boeing.
Nasdaq
Composite: Closed nearly flat (down ~0.03%), despite
intraday gains in tech.
Advancers
outnumbered decliners on the NYSE, with semiconductor
stocks rallying (Philadelphia Semiconductor Index
up ~4%).
Notable
movers included furniture retailers (e.g., Wayfair
+6%, RH +8%) after delayed tariff hikes on certain
categories.
Key
Context and Outlook for 2026
2025
was a strong year: S&P 500 up ~16-17%, Nasdaq
~21%, Dow ~14% — marking three consecutive
years of double-digit gains.
Wall
Street analysts are optimistic for 2026, with average
S&P 500 year-end targets around 7,600–8,000
(implying 11–16% upside).
Expectations
include continued AI-driven growth, potential Fed
rate cuts (possibly more dovish under new leadership),
and moderate economic expansion.
Upcoming
catalysts: December jobs report (recently released
or imminent), Q4 earnings season starting mid-January
(e.g., JPMorgan on Jan. 13), and ongoing focus on
tariffs, inflation, and Fed policy.
News
The
Lead Up
Summary
and In-Depth Option
Media
Man Biz Watercooler
Jan
3
Sydney,
Australia to Wall Street, New York
AUD
+0.3% to US66.89¢
Bitcoin
+1.9% to $US89,854
Wall
St:
Dow +0.7%
S&P +0.2%
Nasdaq -0.04%
VIX -0.34 to 14.61
Gold -0.00% to $US4319.21 an ounce
Brent oil -0.1% to $US60.77 a barrel
Iron ore +0.3% to $US105.40 a ton
10-year yield: US 4.19% Australia 4.83%
News
Flashback
The
Lead Up
Media
Man Favs
Jan
2
TKO
$206.94 -2.06 -0.99%
Alphabet
Inc Class A $315.15 +2.15 +0.69%
Netflix
Inc $90.99 -2.77 -2.95%
Paramount
Skydance Corp $13.18 -0.22 -1.64%
Porsche
Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany ADR $4.68
+0.080 +1.74%
Mercedes
Benz Group ADR $18.06 +0.49 +2.79%
Formula
One Group Series A $89.07 -0.31 -0.35%
Caterpillar
Inc $598.41 +25.54 +4.46%
Volvo
ADR (Owner of Mack Trucks_ $32.34 +0.40 +1.25%
Tesla
$438.07 -11.65 -2.59%
Microsoft
Corp $472.94 -10.68 -2.21%
Mineral
Resources Ltd $55.44 +1.06 +1.95% (ASX)
Rio
Tinto Ltd $147.69 +0.87 +0.59% (ASX)
BHP
Group Ltd $45.76 +0.27 +0.59% (ASX)
News
NYSE
New
York Stock Exchange
The
NYSE floor was active on January 2, with traders
marking the start of trading in the new year
The
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) resumed trading on
January 2, 2026, after being closed on New Year's
Day (January 1). Markets kicked off the new year
on a positive note, snapping a four-day losing streak
from the end of 2025.Key Market Performance on January
2, 2026:The S&P 500 closed slightly higher,
supported by gains in semiconductor stocks.
The
Dow Jones Industrial Average ended higher, boosted
by names like Nvidia, Intel, and Boeing.
Chip
stocks led the rally, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor
Index up around 4%.
Overall,
U.S. markets started 2026 positively amid optimism
for continued tech-driven growth, though no "Santa
Claus rally" materialized at the end of 2025.
2025
Year-in-Review Highlights:
The
S&P 500 finished 2025 up 16.4%, marking its
third consecutive year of gains over 15%.
Tech
and AI-related stocks dominated performance in 2025.
Notable
Stock Movements and News:
Semiconductor
and AI-related shares (e.g., Nvidia, Applied Materials,
Western Digital) rallied strongly on January 2.
Tesla
shares dipped after Q4 deliveries missed estimates,
but analysts remain bullish on its autonomous and
robotics potential for 2026.
Software
stocks like Salesforce and CrowdStrike faced pressure.
Upcoming
Focus for 2026:
Investors
eye Federal Reserve policy, interest rate cuts,
and corporate earnings growth.
Expectations
for further market gains persist, with AI and tech
themes continuing to drive sentiment.
News
ASX
As
of January 3, 2026, the S&P/ASX 200 (commonly
referred to as the ASX 200) is trading around 8,729.60
points, up approximately 0.18% (+15.30 points) during
the session.
Market
Status: The ASX is open today (Saturday is not a
trading day; normal hours are Monday to Friday,
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM AEDT).
Recent
Performance:
Closed
2025 at approximately 8,714 points (December 31,
2025).
First
trading day of 2026 (likely January 2) saw modest
gains, with reports of the index closing or trading
around 8,728–8,730 points amid thin holiday
liquidity.
The
index tracks the performance of the 200 largest
companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange
by float-adjusted market capitalization, serving
as Australia's primary stock market benchmark.
News/Overview
Mag
7
These
companies collectively represent about one-third
of the S&P 500's market capitalization and have
significantly influenced broader market trends.
In
2025, performance diverged: Alphabet and Nvidia
were top performers (with Alphabet leading strongly
in Q4), while others like Amazon lagged (single-digit
gains). The group as a whole outperformed the average
S&P 500 stock but showed rotation toward AI-focused
names.Heading into 2026, analysts see continued
potential from AI investments, though risks include
high valuations, competition, and regulatory scrutiny.
There's also an ETF for equal-weight exposure: the
Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS).
The
Magnificent Seven (Mag 7) refers to a group of seven
leading U.S. tech stocks that have dominated market
performance in recent years, driven by innovation
in AI, cloud computing, e-commerce, and more.
As
of early 2026, the standard list remains:
Apple
(AAPL)
Microsoft (MSFT)
Alphabet (GOOGL/GOOG) (Google's parent)
Amazon (AMZN)
Meta Platforms (META) (Facebook's parent)
Nvidia (NVDA)
Tesla (TSLA)
News
Tech
Stock News
Major
Tech Stock Overview as of January 3, 2026
Markets
were closed on January 1, 2026 (New Year's Day),
and the first trading day was January 2, 2026 (a
Friday).
On
that day, major indices showed mixed performance
with a boost from semiconductor stocks:
S&P
500: Closed up 0.19% at approximately 6,858.
Nasdaq Composite: Closed down slightly at 23,236.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: Closed higher, snapping
a prior losing streak.
Tech
stocks, particularly chips, led gains amid ongoing
AI enthusiasm, while some software names pulled
back.
Key
"Magnificent Seven" Tech Stocks
These
are the leading large-cap tech companies (Apple,
Microsoft, Alphabet/Google, Amazon, Nvidia, Meta
Platforms, Tesla).
Exact
closing prices for January 2 aren't detailed in
reports, but highlights include:
Nvidia
(NVDA): Up ~1.5%, continuing strong momentum as
the AI leader.
Semiconductor-related
names like Micron and AMD rose significantly (Micron
+7%, AMD +3%), lifting the sector.
Overall,
tech remains a dominant theme entering 2026, with
analysts optimistic about AI-driven growth but noting
high valuations and potential for rotation to other
sectors.
Broader
Tech Sector Trends
AI
and chips are expected to drive gains in 2026, with
capex from Big Tech projected at massive levels.
Analysts'
top picks often include Nvidia, Microsoft, and others
from the Magnificent Seven.
Risks:
Elevated valuations and potential AI "bubble"
concerns
News
Bulls
And Bears def
Bull
and bear refer to market trends and investor sentiment:
a bull market signifies rising prices, optimism,
and growth (like a bull thrusting horns up), while
a bear market means falling prices, pessimism, and
contraction (like a bear swiping paws down), with
investors buying in bull markets and selling in
bear markets, influencing overall market direction.
News
The
Lead Up
Previous
ASX
futs down 33 pnts/0.4% to 8674
AUD +0.2% at US66.80¢
BTC $89,838.67 +1.90%
Dow +0.2%
S&P -0.2%
NAS -0.4%
Gold -0.1% to $US4314.82 an ounce
Brent oil -0.4% at $US60.62 a barrel
Iron ore +0.3% to $US105.40 a ton
News
Gold
And Silver
Gold
spot price is trading around $4,330–$4,350
per troy ounce, extending gains from a remarkable
2025 where it rose over 64% year-over-year, marking
its strongest annual performance in decades.Silver
spot price is around $72–$74 per troy ounce,
up significantly after surging more than 144% in
2025, driven by industrial demand and safe-haven
flows.
The
gold/silver ratio currently sits near 59–63,
meaning it takes about 60 ounces of silver to buy
one ounce of gold—lower than historical averages,
reflecting silver's stronger relative performance
lately.
News
Fun
Facts
Silicon
Valley
Silicon
Valley is home to iconic tech giants with sprawling
campuses:
Apple
Apple
Park (the "Spaceship" in Cupertino).
Google
(Alphabet)
Googleplex
in Mountain View.
Meta (Facebook) in Menlo Park.
Nvidia,
Intel, Cisco, and more.
News
Best
Quotes
Cryptocurrency,
Finance and World
"Volatility
is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." -
Michael Saylor
"Bitcoin
is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and
tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme."
— Naval Ravikant
"We
have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical
framework that is free of politics and human error."
— Tyler Winklevoss
"You
can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere,
and the world will have to readjust. World governments
will have to readjust." — John McAfee
"Bitcoin
is the most important invention in the history of
the world since the Internet." — Roger
Ver
"Cryptocurrency
is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn
governments." — Charles Lee
"In
the future, national currencies will become obsolete.
Bitcoin will become the single global currency."
— Jack Dorsey
"The
future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in
payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng
Zhao
"Crypto
offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged."
— Elizabeth Stark
"The
new frontier of innovation is in decentralization.
Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott
"Digital
currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter
of how long before governments embrace it."
— Brad Garlinghouse
Pop
Culture
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking
Santa
vs Grinch
Bulls
vs Bears
Crypto
King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens
vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
Chris Jericho vs Dirtsheets
NFL vs everyone
Zuffa vs MVP
Netflix vs World
Meta vs Australia
News
Lead Up
56
+ hours ago
News
Flashback
Media
Man Favs
TKO
$216.11 -1.33 -0.61%
Alphabet Inc Class A $313.56 +0.050 +0.016%
Netflix Inc $94.15 -0.32 -0.34%
Paramount Skydance Corp $13.50 -0.090 -0.66%
Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany
ADR $4.60 -0.040 +0.86%
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $17.54 +0.11 +0.63%
Markets/Cryptos/Biz/Culture
January
2, 2026
Bitcoin
Never Sleeps Edition
Santa
def Grinch
Sydney
to Wall Street, New York and Beyond
ASX
futures down 31 points/0.4% to 8676
AUD -0.1% at US66.66¢
Bitcoin $88,602.45 +0.87%
Dow closed
S&P closed
Nasdaq closed
Gold -0.5% to $US4319.37 oz
Brent -0.8% at $US60.85 a b
BNB
$861.70 -1.14%
XRP $1.8761 +1.93%
DOGE $0.1266 +6.96%
News
Pop
Culture
Santa
def Grinch
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking
Santa
vs Grinch
Bulls vs Bears
Crypto King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
News
Pop
Culture News
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group
Dream Match Series; Crack The Code!
Million
Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The
Streets Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation
Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr Cardona
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far!
Re-match! Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle
UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs NYC and Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
UFC Legal vs UFC Bad Egg Betting Disruptors
Bulls vs Bears
Logan Paul vs WWE babyfaces
Santa's Helper vs Grinch
John McAfee vs FBI + + +, Running .... Netflix Wins
again!
Killer Kross vs Matt Riddle - Shoot Fight/Wrestling
(MLW)! Holliday working web?! Most Marketable?!
VKM vs Numerous!
MLW vs The World
The Big Event vs US Promoters
Storm vs WWE Locker Room. Lash Legend on side!
NXT Gold Rush: Page & Green vs Hendry &
Hail
Baszler vs Itoh - HOG Superclash - Nov 15
MSG, NY winning with WWE and UFC in Nov
The Vision vs WWE Lockerroom
John Cena vs Dirty Dom
Miz vs Management
Jericho vs Internet Marks
Mr Gold vs Mr Fool's Gold
Neo vs Mr Smith
PBR vs Others. No Bull?!
Aus Gvt vs Big Tech
Banks vs Cryptos
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News
Best
Quotes
An
investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
— Benjamin Franklin
"Bottoms
in the investment world don't end with four-year
lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." —
Jim Rogers
Be
fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when
others are fearful." — Warren Buffett
Media
Man "Bullish is a mindset"
News
The
dollar may defy expectations
The
return of American exceptionalism will help the
greenback.
The yen will start the new year with interventions,
and the RBA with a rate hike. The US dollar ends
2025 with its worst performance in nearly a decade.
By mid-September, fears for the fate of the US economy
due to tariffs and expectations of Fed rate cuts
had caused the USD index to plummet to its lowest
level in 3.5 years. However, the greenback then
recovered thanks to large-scale investments in artificial
intelligence, GDP growth and capital inflows into
the stock market. At the end of the year, divergence
in monetary policy between the Fed and other central
banks caused the USD index to fall. Goldman Sachs
believes that the downward trend for the US dollar
will continue in 2026, albeit on a smaller scale.
The main drivers of the greenback's decline will
be accelerating economic growth abroad and lower
federal funds rates. The consensus forecast of major
Wall Street banks is for EURUSD to rise to 1.2 and
GBPUSD to 1.36 by the end of 2026. What could go
wrong? A Supreme Court ruling that the White House
tariffs are illegal would sow chaos in financial
markets and force investors to buy the US dollar
as a safe-haven asset. A big and beautiful tax cut
bill, coupled with investments in artificial intelligence,
will boost GDP and bring back the theme of American
exceptionalism to the markets. As a result, the
Fed will have less reason to ease monetary policy.
The federal funds rate will be cut only once in
2026, if at all. If the factors of divergence in
monetary policy and the narrowing gap in economic
growth between the US and the eurozone do not work,
investors' views on the fate of the US dollar will
change radically. History may play in favour of
the greenback. In 2017, Donald Trump's first year
as president, the USD index weakened significantly.
However, in 2018, it recovered some of its lost
ground. The yen will start 2026 under the sign of
intervention. The government is unhappy with the
USDJPY rally, and the Bank of Japan has failed to
break the bulls' back by raising the overnight rate
to its highest level since 1995. Either a rapid
continuation of the cycle of monetary restriction
or Tokyo's intervention in the Forex market is required.
The Australian dollar appears to be the favourite
thanks to expectations of a key rate hike by the
Reserve Bank and the Chinese economy's adaptation
to US tariffs. (FxPro)
News
Silver
stirs up the markets
Precious
metal sell-offs shake investors
Donald
Trump renews criticism of the Fed
While
major global currencies, led by the US dollar, are
recovering very slowly after Christmas, the precious
metals market has been rocked by a real thriller.
Silver and other assets in the sector have plummeted.
For XAGUSD, the fall was the largest since the beginning
of 2021. The trigger was an increase in CME margin
requirements for related futures contracts. This
forced speculators to take profits and triggered
a pullback. Silver saw a record rally in 2025. The
150% increase is significantly higher than that
of gold and other assets in the sector. At the same
time, the white metal is still far from the inflation-adjusted
price record set in 1980. To return to that level,
silver would have to cost $200 per ounce today.
ETF stocks have grown by 150 million ounces this
year, but are still far from the highs recorded
in 2021. The ratio to gold also has room to fall.
Speculators
have used these arguments to justify the need for
further purchases of XAGUSD. There is indeed serious
competition between the US, Europe and Asia in the
physical asset market. This is due to the risks
of Washington imposing tariffs on silver imports
after adding it to the list of critical minerals.
However, the silver rally looks too rapid and resembles
a bubble, and it is quite possible that it may have
burst. After the CME raised margin requirements
in February 2021, the white metal collapsed by 43%
over 18 months. Other assets in the sector are following
silver. Despite the post-Christmas sell-off, gold
is heading for its second-best performance in a
year in history. The first was in 1979. The XAUUSD
pullback does not look like a burst bubble. The
US economy risks slowing down in 2026, and the Fed
may accelerate the cycle of monetary policy easing,
especially under pressure from the White House.
Donald
Trump is back to his old ways. The US president
said he would gladly fire Jerome Powell as Fed chairman.
He said that Powell was too slow to cut interest
rates. At the same time, the US administration does
not rule out filing a lawsuit against the head of
the central bank for incompetence due to excessive
spending on renovating the Fed's headquarters. The
White House wants to make room in the FOMC for the
‘doves’. This increases the risks of a
weakening US dollar. (FxPro)
News
Dec
25
Precious
metals rewarded for success
The
US dollar is falling as a safe-haven asset amid
growing risk appetite
Gold is performing well, but other assets in the
sector are looking even better GDP growth of 4.3%
in the third quarter did not help the US dollar.
It would seem that the strength of the economy,
the rise in Treasury bond yields and the decline
in the likelihood of the Fed easing monetary policy
in March to less than 50% should have cooled the
hot heads of the EURUSD bulls. However, greed reigns
supreme in the financial markets. The S&P 500
closed at a record high, which had a negative impact
on the USD index. Donald Trump was encouraged by
the success of the US economy, citing tariffs as
the main reason. The president said that the new
Fed chairman would cut rates if the market was performing
well. Investors should be rewarded for their success.
Support from the White House is helping US stock
indices, improving global risk appetite and reducing
demand for the dollar as a safe-haven asset. In
such conditions, high-yield currencies feel most
at home. The British pound reached a three-month
high against the greenback, and the Australian dollar
reached a 14-month high. After the Reserve Bank
signalled the end of the monetary policy easing
cycle, the futures market began to price in expectations
of a cash rate hike in 2026. By Christmas, the start
date for monetary tightening had shifted to June,
which created a tailwind for AUDUSD. Investors in
a Bloomberg survey see the Bank of England's neutral
rate at 3.25% and estimate the chances of it falling
to 3% in 2026 as fifty-fifty. They are more dovish
than the BoE. At their December meeting, Andrew
Bailey and his colleagues opted for caution, which
supported GBPUSD. Meanwhile, gold has broken through
the psychologically important level of $4,500 per
ounce. JP Morgan forecasts XAUUSD to rise to 5,000
by the end of 2026 and estimates the scale of bullion
purchases by central banks and retail investors
at 585 tonnes per quarter. According to the bank,
every 100 tonnes above the base 350 tonnes leads
to a 2% increase in precious metal prices. Gold
has already gained more than 70% in value in 2025
and is heading for its best performance since 1979.
Other assets in the precious metals sector are growing
even faster. Prices for silver, platinum and palladium
have more than doubled this year. Along with strong
investment demand, fears about the introduction
of US import duties are playing into their hands.
(FxPro)
News
Biz
Culture News Lead Up
48
+ hours ago
News
Media
Man Favs
TKO
$216.11 -1.33 -0.61%
Alphabet Inc Class A $313.56 +0.050 +0.016%
Netflix Inc $94.15 -0.32 -0.34%
Paramount Skydance Corp $13.50 -0.090 -0.66%
Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany
ADR $4.60 -0.040 +0.86%
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $17.54 +0.11 +0.63%
News
Gold
Dec
24
Gold
passes $4500 for first time
Gold
has surpassed $US4500 an ounce for the first time
on escalating geopolitical tensions and prospects
for more US rate cuts. Spot gold rose1.5 per cent
to $US4504.59 an ounce at 10.38am AEDT, taking total
gains for the year past 70 per cent. This year is
shaping up to deliver the best return to gold investors
in over 40 years.Traders are betting the Federal
Reserve will follow three straight interest-rate
cuts by lowering the cost of borrowing again next
year, which would be a tailwind for non-yielding
precious metals. Gold’s haven appeal has also
been amplified in the last week by rising geopolitical
tensions, particularly in Venezuela, where the US
has blockaded oil tankers as it ratchets up pressure
on the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
Gold miners on the ASX were, however, mixed. Newmont
was down 0.5 per cent, Northern Star was up 0.9
per cent and Evolution Mining up by 1.2 per cent.
News
Market
Recap
January
2, 2026
Australian
Dollar: $0.6670 USD (unchanged) Iron Ore: Bid $104.00
USD (public holiday) Oil Price: $57.42 USD (unchanged
- public holiday) Gold Price: $2,659.37 USD (down
$3.16 USD) Copper Price: $4.0305 (down 0.0875 USD)
Bitcoin: $88,211.47 (up 1.07%) Dow Jones: 48,063.29
(down 303.77 points)
News
Jan
2
NYSE
Closed
TKO
Group Holdings Inc: $209.00 -5.17 -2.41%
News
Big
Bash sell-off will 'kill Test cricket'
Cricket
Australia is under growing criticism over a proposal
to privatise the eight Big Bash League teams. Former
Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings is amongst
those to have questioned the proposal; amongst other
things, he contends that Australian cricket does
not the influx of money that would come from selling
stakes in BBL teams. He is also concerned that privatisatiom
would be detrimental to Test cricket in Australia,
because the new investors would expect top players
to prioritise their BBL franchise rather than the
long form of the game. Test cricket is already under
scrutiny after two of the matches in the current
Ashes series were over in less than two days, including
the flagship Boxing Day Test at the MCG; the fifth
Test starts on Sunday at the SCG, with Australia
leading the series 3-1. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Venus
rising with Australian Open wildcard
Tennis
Australia director Craig Tiley has described Venus
Williams' return for the 2026 tournament as a "win
for fans and tennis". The winner of seven grand
slam titles has not played in the Australian Open
since 2021, and she has not competed internationally
since 2023; at the age of 45, Williams will be the
oldest woman to compete in the Australian Open during
the modern era. She has been granted a wildcard
to appear in both the Australian Open and the Hobart
International. However, Tennis Australia is yet
to announce whether Nick Kyrgios will be given a
wildcard for the Australian Open, which begins on
12 January. (RMS)
News
Australia/China
China
imposes beef quotas, now all eyes on Australia’s
EU trade deal
The
federal government will face growing pressure to
finalise a much-stalled free-trade agreement with
the European Union following China's move to introduce
import controls on beef. China has imposed a total
import quota of 2.69 million tonnes in 2026, which
will rise to 2.74 million tonnes next year; shipments
that exceed the quota will be subject to a 55 per
cent duty, in a move that is aimed at protecting
local producers. Australia's annual beef quota has
been set at 205,000 tonnes, and Trade Minister Don
Farrell says the federal government expect the nation's
status as a valued Free Trade Agreement partner
to be respected by China. Australia exported 216,050
tonnes of beef to China in 2024. (RMS)
News
Awards
Google
Finance wins Media Man 'Business News Website Of
The Month'; Runner-up: Yahoo! Finance
The
Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newspaper
Of The Year' award (2025)
Sky
News Australia wins Media Man 'Australian Based
News Outlet Of The Year' award
TKO
Group wins Media Man 'Entertainment Promoter Of
The Year' award
Netflix
wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Year' award
Mack
Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Brand Of The Year'
award
Caterpillar
wis Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Brand Of The Year'
award
X
and YouTube Tie for Media Man 'Platform Of The Year'
award
Markets,
Cryptos and Biz
December
2025
Dec
31
Sydney,
Australia to Wall St, New York
Digital
Bush Telegraph
Last
Day Of The Year Edition!
Markets
ASX
200 futures down 6 points/0.1% to 8701
AUD
+0.01% to US66.95¢
Bitcoin
$88,370.39 +1.37%
Wall
St:
Dow
-0.2%
S&P -0.1%
Nasdaq -0.2%
VIX +0.16 to 14.36
Gold +0.4% to $US4348.71 an ounce
Silver +8.2% to $US76.30/oz
Brent oil -0.03% to $US61.92 a barrel
Iron ore -0.1% to $US105.70 a tonne
10-year yield: US 4.12% Australia 4.74%
Cryptos
Bitcoin
$88,370.39 +1.37%
XRP $1.8738 +1.15%
BNB $860.21 +1.11%
Dogecoin $0.1229 +0.07%
Shares
Media
Man Favs
TKO
$214.17 -1.94 -0.90%
Alphabet
Inc Class A $313.85 +0.29 +0.092%
Netflix
Inc $93.78 -0.37 -0.39%
Paramount
Skydance Corp $13.51 +0.0100 +0.074%
Porsche
Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany ADR $4.64
+0.040 +0.87%
Mercedes
Benz Group ADR $17.67 +0.13 +0.74%
Volvo
ADR (Owner/Parent of Mack Trucks) $32.10 +0.13 Today
+0.42%
Formula
One Group Series A $89.26 +0.42 +0.47%
Microsoft
Corp $487.53 +0.43 +0.088%
Meta
Platforms Inc $666.01 +7.32 +1.11%
Madison
Square Garden Sports Corp $259.74 +1.79 +0.69%
Imax
Corp $37.24 -0.21 -0.56%
News
Corp Class A $26.39 +0.14 +0.53%
CoStar
Group Inc $67.86 +0.26 +0.38%
eBay
Inc $87.10 -0.64 -0.73%
PayPal
Holdings Inc $59.10 -0.39 -0.66%
Wynn
Resorts Ltd $120.33 -1.94 -1.59%
Rio
Tinto Ltd $146.77 -0.24 - 0.16% (ASX)
BHP
Group Ltd $60.92 +0.53 +0.88%
Hancock
& Gore Ltd $0.22
Mineral
Resources Ltd $54.33 -0.13%
Evolution
Mining Ltd $8.41 -0.34 -3.91%
Caterpillar
Inc $577.39 -1.22 -0.21%
Tesla
Inc $454.43 -5.21 -1.13%
Trump
Media & Technology Group Corp
$12.57 -0.59 -4.48%
Gold.com
Inc $33.45 +0.030 +0.090%
Amazon.com
Inc $232.53 +0.46 +0.20%
News Lead Up
12
+ Hours Ago
Dec
30
Sydney,
Australia to Wall St, New York
Digital
Bush Telegraph
Markets
ASX
200 futures pointing down 6 points/0.1% to 8711
AUD
-0.3% to US66.93¢
Bitcoin
$87,218.84 -0.73%
Wall
St:
Dow -0.5%
S&P -0.4%
Nasdaq -0.5%
VIX +0.59 to 14.19
Gold
-4.4% to $US4335.01 an ounce
Silver -6.8% to $US71.94/oz
Platinum -13.8% to $US2118.03/oz
Brent oil +1.8% to $US61.75 a barrel
Iron ore +1.3% to $US106.05 a tonne
10-year
yield: US 4.11% Australia 4.75%
Cryptos
Bitcoin
$87,218.84 -0.73%
XRP $1.8529 -0.70%
BNB $852.81 -0.71%
Dogecoin $0.1231 -0.64%
Stockmarket
US
Stock Market Overview (as of late December 2025)
The
US stock market is in a strong bull run heading
into the final days of 2025, with major indices
near all-time highs and on track for a robust year-end
close. Trading volume has been light post-holidays,
but sentiment remains positive amid resilient economic
growth, AI-driven gains, and expectations of a "Santa
Claus rally" (the seasonal uptrend in the last
five trading days of the year and first two of the
next).
Key
Index Levels (from the most recent close on December
26, 2025)
S&P
500 — Closed at approximately 6,930 (down slightly
that day but hit an intraday high near 6,946). Up
nearly 18% year-to-date, with the index eyeing the
psychological 7,000 milestone in the coming sessions.
Dow
Jones Industrial Average — Closed at around
48,711 (fractionally lower), up solidly for the
year.
Nasdaq
Composite — Closed near 23,593, up about 22%
YTD, led by tech and AI stocks
Markets
were closed on December 27 (weekend) and reopen
on December 29 for the last few trading days of
2025. Expect thin liquidity and potential for modest
moves as investors position for 2026.
Broader
Context
2025
has been a resilient year despite challenges like
early tariff impacts, AI spending concerns, and
Fed rate adjustments (benchmark now at 3.50%-3.75%).
Tech and AI names (e.g., Nvidia crossing $5T market
cap) have dominated, but there's been rotation into
cyclicals, materials, and foreign equities. Precious
metals like gold and silver are at historic highs
amid safe-haven demand.
Wall
Street forecasts for 2026 are bullish, with many
targeting S&P 500 levels between 7,100–8,100.
However, history suggests potential pullbacks after
strong years, so caution on overvaluation is advised.
(Grok)
News
Dec
24
Precious
metals rewarded for success
The
US dollar is falling as a safe-haven asset amid
growing risk appetite.
Gold
is performing well, but other assets in the sector
are looking even better.
GDP
growth of 4.3% in the third quarter did not help
the US dollar. It would seem that the strength of
the economy, the rise in Treasury bond yields and
the decline in the likelihood of the Fed easing
monetary policy in March to less than 50% should
have cooled the hot heads of the EURUSD bulls. However,
greed reigns supreme in the financial markets.
The
S&P 500 closed at a record high, which had a
negative impact on the USD index.
Donald
Trump was encouraged by the success of the US economy,
citing tariffs as the main reason. The president
said that the new Fed chairman would cut rates if
the market was performing well. Investors should
be rewarded for their success. Support from the
White House is helping US stock indices, improving
global risk appetite and reducing demand for the
dollar as a safe-haven asset. In such conditions,
high-yield currencies feel most at home.
The
British pound reached a three-month high against
the greenback, and the Australian dollar reached
a 14-month high. After the Reserve Bank signalled
the end of the monetary policy easing cycle, the
futures market began to price in expectations of
a cash rate hike in 2026.
By
Christmas, the start date for monetary tightening
had shifted to June, which created a tailwind for
AUDUSD.
Investors
in a Bloomberg survey see the Bank of England's
neutral rate at 3.25% and estimate the chances of
it falling to 3% in 2026 as fifty-fifty. They are
more dovish than the BoE. At their December meeting,
Andrew Bailey and his colleagues opted for caution,
which supported GBPUSD. Meanwhile, gold has broken
through the psychologically important level of $4,500
per ounce.
JP
Morgan forecasts XAUUSD to rise to 5,000 by the
end of 2026 and estimates the scale of bullion purchases
by central banks and retail investors at 585 tonnes
per quarter. According to the bank, every 100 tonnes
above the base 350 tonnes leads to a 2% increase
in precious metal prices.
Gold
has already gained more than 70% in value in 2025
and is heading for its best performance since 1979.
Other
assets in the precious metals sector are growing
even faster. Prices for silver, platinum and palladium
have more than doubled this year. Along with strong
investment demand, fears about the introduction
of US import duties are playing into their hands.
(FxPro)
News
Dec
29
A
confident Euro and a vulnerable Yen
Rapid
GDP growth in the eurozone has helped EURUSD.
USDJPY
risks rising to 164. Christmas week turned out to
be the worst for the US dollar since June. Falling
Treasury yields and new S&P 500 records caused
the USD index to retreat. The chances of the Fed
easing monetary policy in March rose above 50% again,
and there is active discussion in Forex about the
new Fed chair. Historically, central bank chiefs
have had a significant influence on the FOMC. Donald
Trump's man could bring down interest rates and
the greenback. However, the Fed is not a one-man
show. Decisions are made collectively based on incoming
data. The longer the pause in the monetary expansion
cycle lasts, the higher the chances of a correction
in the EURUSD to an upward trend. In this case,
the yield differential between US and German bonds
will remain wide. Money will flow from Europe to
the United States, strengthening the dollar. In
the medium term, monetary policy divergence and
a narrowing gap in GDP growth could play in favour
of the euro. Financial Times experts expect the
eurozone economy to expand by 1.2% in 2026 and 1.4%
in 2027. In 2025, it will grow by 1.4%, significantly
more than the 0.9% forecast at the end of 2024.
Faster economic growth in the currency bloc has
been one of the key drivers of the EURUSD's 13.5%
rally this year. Another trump card for the euro
has been the divergence in monetary policy. Financial
Times experts believe that the ECB's deposit rate
will remain at 2% until the end of 2026 and rise
to 2.25% in 2027. The futures market expects two
acts of monetary expansion from the Fed next year.
The narrowing of the spread between US and German
bond yields is a strong argument in favour of maintaining
the upward trend in EURUSD. Meanwhile, the number
of yen bears is growing after the Bank of Japan
failed to bring about a serious correction in USDJPY
by raising the overnight rate in December. BNP Paribas
forecasts the pair to rise to 160 by the end of
2026, while JP Morgan forecasts 164. The strengthening
of the greenback has caused gold to retreat from
record highs. The precious metal is heading for
its best annual performance since 1979. Since the
beginning of the year, it has risen by more than
70%, partly due to capital inflows into ETFs. The
reserves of the largest specialised exchange-traded
fund, SPDR Gold Shares, have increased by more than
20%.
News
Dec
29
Miners
and Metals
Nickel
price jumps as Indonesia signals big production
cut
Nickel
prices are at a seven-month high after Indonesia,
the world’s biggest producer, signalled plans
to cut supply of the metal in a Christmas gift for
struggling Australian miners who have been shuttering
projects.
The
rising prices came after Indonesian media reported
Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia had
confirmed plans for unspecified production cuts.
A group representing Indonesian nickel miners this
month said it expected Jakarta to enforce a 34 per
cent cut in volumes next year.
While
the size of the cuts has not been finalised, the
comments suggest the worst could be over for miners
after a two-and-a-half year period in which prices
for the metal were crushed by excess production
in Indonesia.
Nickel
was a fashionable commodity for investors between
2017 and 2022 on expectations that demand would
rise in line with the metal’s use in the batteries
used in electric vehicles. Prices reached $US30,000
a tonne in late 2022, but a wave of Indonesian supply
emerged in 2023 as new technology allowed low-grade
material to be cheaply processed into top quality
metal.
The
extra supply pushed nickel prices below $US20,000
since mid-2023, forcing Australian miners like BHP
and Panoramic Resources to mothball their Western
Australian mines, refineries and smelters.
The
price had slumped to $US14,110 a tonne at the London
Metal Exchange on December 16, but has rallied to
$US15,430 after reports of Indonesian production
cuts. The price had not been above $US15,400 since
May.
The
recovery could help BHP’s nickel assets just
14 months before a self-imposed deadline to decide
whether they should be permanently closed. BHP mothballed
the assets last year in the belief the supply surge
was a structural change to nickel markets, and not
merely a cyclical one.
BHP
announced at its August half-year results that it
would attempt to sell the assets, but finding a
buyer has proved difficult given the enormous rehabilitation
obligations attached to them. If a buyer cannot
be found, BHP will permanently shut the nickel division
in February 2027.
Another
potential winner from a nickel price recovery would
be businessman Duncan Saville, whose companies control
the mothballed Savannah mine in WA. The mine closures
have seen Australian exports slump from about 180,000
tonnes in 2017 to 81,000 tonnes this year.
The
Industry Department provided a gloomy outlook for
the sector in a report published on December 19,
predicting prices would stay low, and export volumes
would fall further as IGO Limited prepared for the
Nova-Bollinger nickel mine in WA to reach the end
of its working life.
Closure
of Nova would leave Glencore’s Murrin Murrin
operation as the last remaining major nickel mine
in the country.
Industry
Department economists predicted Australia will ship
just 49,000 tonnes of nickel in 2027; down 73 per
cent in a decade.
Batteries
account for about 16 per cent of global nickel demand,
with the stainless-steel sector still buying about
63 per cent of the world’s nickel.
Fitch
predicts nickel prices will average $US16,000 a
tonne in 2026.
Silver
continues to soar
Signs
of recovery in nickel prices come as silver prices
have soared. The precious metal was fetching $US28.83
an ounce on the final trading day of 2024, but soared
to a record high $US79.27 on Boxing Day 2025.
Financial
markets have traditionally used gold prices to determine
an appropriate price for silver, and the rally in
silver prices is partly linked to the earlier rally
in gold prices over the last 12 months.
Very
few mines are primarily focused on silver production,
with the metal typically occurring as a byproduct
at mines that are focused on copper, zinc or lead.
Australia’s biggest silver producers include
South32’s Cannington mine in Queensland, Glencore’s
Mount Isa hub and BHP’s Olympic Dam.
Iltani
Resources, an ASX-listed miner exploring for silver,
zinc, lead and indium near Herberton in Queensland,
is one producer that has seen its share price jump
more than 200 per cent alongside the silver rally.
“It
puts us in a really good position to hit 2026 with
a really aggressive drill program,” said Iltani
managing director Donald Garner. (AFR). *Full article
and coverage via The Australian Financial Review
News
VC/Sports
Biz/Tech News
Jake
& Logan Paul Announce $30M Venture Fund Backing
AI, Robotics Startups
Anti
Fund, co-founded by YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul
and entrepreneur Geoffrey Woo, closed its oversubscribed
$30 million Anti Fund I on December 3, bringing
the firm’s total assets under management to
more than $65 million. The firm named influencer
and WWE star Logan Paul as a general partner, marking
the first time the Paul brothers have become business
partners.
According
to a press release, the venture capital firm concentrates
its investments in artificial intelligence and robotics
companies. Anti Fund focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage
ventures, as well as select growth-stage industry
leaders. The portfolio includes OpenAI, Anduril,
Ramp, Cognition, Polymarket, Flock Safety, and Physical
Intelligence.
Investment
Strategy
Anti
Fund employs what it calls an “extreme barbell
strategy,” making first checks of $100,000
to $500,000 for 10% ownership in technical founders,
while also deploying $10 million or more in growth
investments into industry leaders.
The
fund’s limited partners include institutional
investors Aquarian Holdings and Autilus Partners,
as well as individual investors Marc Andreessen
and Chris Dixon. Focuspoint Private Capital Group
served as the exclusive placement agent for the
fund.
Founder
Background
Woo
holds a bachelor’s degree with honors and distinction
in computer science from Stanford and has co-authored
numerous U.S. patents and peer-reviewed scientific
papers.
Jake
Paul built his career as a professional boxer and
entrepreneur. Logan Paul founded PRIME, a beverage
brand, and performs as a professional wrestler.
“Jake,
what I realized is that he is essentially an avatar
of the American dream, and I think Logan, in a very
similar parallel sense, also represents that,”
Woo said in an interview with FOX Business.
“When
Jake named Anti Fund, I think we all share the same
belief, that the people that create the future are
the crazy ones that believe they can do it.”
Business
Philosophy
The
firm positions itself as founder-friendly, emphasizing
what it calls the intersection of capital and attention.
While capital remains a commodity, Anti Fund leverages
the Paul brothers’ cultural influence to source
founders and accelerate portfolio company growth.
Jake
Paul discussed his long-standing interest in venture
capital, noting he met with companies including
Google, Uber, and Twitter in Silicon Valley as a
teenager.“
Not
only are we investors, but we can disrupt Logan
with PRIME, me with W, Betr is always in the top
five in the App Store is absolutely crushing it,”
Paul told FOX.
“And
these are companies that we’ve incubated ourselves,
because if no one else is building it and we see
a hole in the market, we can hire the best teams
and grow and scale these companies in a major way.”
Anti
Fund has incubated and funded several of Jake Paul’s
business ventures, including W and Betr Media.
Rudy
Sahay, founder and managing partner of Aquarian
Holdings, said the fund closing “validates
the confidence investors have in their strategy”
and noted the firm “carved out a unique position
at the intersection of frontier technologies and
culture.”
Best Quotes
Cryptocurrency,
Finance and World
"Volatility
is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." -
Michael Saylor
"Bitcoin
is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and
tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme."
— Naval Ravikant
"We
have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical
framework that is free of politics and human error."
— Tyler Winklevoss
"You
can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere,
and the world will have to readjust. World governments
will have to readjust." — John McAfee
"Bitcoin
is the most important invention in the history of
the world since the Internet." — Roger
Ver
"Cryptocurrency
is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn
governments." — Charles Lee
"In
the future, national currencies will become obsolete.
Bitcoin will become the single global currency."
— Jack Dorsey
"The
future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in
payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng
Zhao
"Crypto
offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged."
— Elizabeth Stark
"The
new frontier of innovation is in decentralization.
Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott
"Digital
currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter
of how long before governments embrace it."
— Brad Garlinghouse
Pop
Culture
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking
Santa
vs Grinch
Bulls vs Bears
Crypto King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
News
Lead Up
12
+ hours ago
News
Media
Man Favs
TKO
$216.11 -1.33 -0.61%
Alphabet Inc Class A $313.56 +0.050 +0.016%
Netflix Inc $94.15 -0.32 -0.34%
Paramount Skydance Corp $13.50 -0.090 -0.66%
Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany
ADR $4.60 -0.040 +0.86%
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $17.54 +0.11 +0.63%
Markets,
Cryptos and Biz
December
2025
Dec
30
Sydney,
Australia to Wall St, New York
Digital
Bush Telegraph
Markets
ASX
200 futures pointing down 6 points/0.1% to 8711
AUD
-0.3% to US66.93¢
Bitcoin
$87,218.84 -0.73%
Wall
St:
Dow -0.5%
S&P -0.4%
Nasdaq -0.5%
VIX +0.59 to 14.19
Gold
-4.4% to $US4335.01 an ounce
Silver -6.8% to $US71.94/oz
Platinum -13.8% to $US2118.03/oz
Brent oil +1.8% to $US61.75 a barrel
Iron ore +1.3% to $US106.05 a tonne
10-year
yield: US 4.11% Australia 4.75%
Cryptos
Bitcoin
$87,218.84 -0.73%
XRP $1.8529 -0.70%
BNB $852.81 -0.71%
Dogecoin $0.1231 -0.64%
Stockmarket
US
Stock Market Overview (as of late December 2025)
The
US stock market is in a strong bull run heading
into the final days of 2025, with major indices
near all-time highs and on track for a robust year-end
close. Trading volume has been light post-holidays,
but sentiment remains positive amid resilient economic
growth, AI-driven gains, and expectations of a "Santa
Claus rally" (the seasonal uptrend in the last
five trading days of the year and first two of the
next).
Key
Index Levels (from the most recent close on December
26, 2025)
S&P
500 — Closed at approximately 6,930 (down slightly
that day but hit an intraday high near 6,946). Up
nearly 18% year-to-date, with the index eyeing the
psychological 7,000 milestone in the coming sessions.
Dow
Jones Industrial Average — Closed at around
48,711 (fractionally lower), up solidly for the
year.
Nasdaq
Composite — Closed near 23,593, up about 22%
YTD, led by tech and AI stocks
Markets
were closed on December 27 (weekend) and reopen
on December 29 for the last few trading days of
2025. Expect thin liquidity and potential for modest
moves as investors position for 2026.
Broader
Context
2025
has been a resilient year despite challenges like
early tariff impacts, AI spending concerns, and
Fed rate adjustments (benchmark now at 3.50%-3.75%).
Tech and AI names (e.g., Nvidia crossing $5T market
cap) have dominated, but there's been rotation into
cyclicals, materials, and foreign equities. Precious
metals like gold and silver are at historic highs
amid safe-haven demand.
Wall
Street forecasts for 2026 are bullish, with many
targeting S&P 500 levels between 7,100–8,100.
However, history suggests potential pullbacks after
strong years, so caution on overvaluation is advised.
(Grok)
News
Dec
24
Precious
metals rewarded for success
The
US dollar is falling as a safe-haven asset amid
growing risk appetite.
Gold
is performing well, but other assets in the sector
are looking even better.
GDP
growth of 4.3% in the third quarter did not help
the US dollar. It would seem that the strength of
the economy, the rise in Treasury bond yields and
the decline in the likelihood of the Fed easing
monetary policy in March to less than 50% should
have cooled the hot heads of the EURUSD bulls. However,
greed reigns supreme in the financial markets.
The
S&P 500 closed at a record high, which had a
negative impact on the USD index.
Donald
Trump was encouraged by the success of the US economy,
citing tariffs as the main reason. The president
said that the new Fed chairman would cut rates if
the market was performing well. Investors should
be rewarded for their success. Support from the
White House is helping US stock indices, improving
global risk appetite and reducing demand for the
dollar as a safe-haven asset. In such conditions,
high-yield currencies feel most at home.
The
British pound reached a three-month high against
the greenback, and the Australian dollar reached
a 14-month high. After the Reserve Bank signalled
the end of the monetary policy easing cycle, the
futures market began to price in expectations of
a cash rate hike in 2026.
By
Christmas, the start date for monetary tightening
had shifted to June, which created a tailwind for
AUDUSD.
Investors
in a Bloomberg survey see the Bank of England's
neutral rate at 3.25% and estimate the chances of
it falling to 3% in 2026 as fifty-fifty. They are
more dovish than the BoE. At their December meeting,
Andrew Bailey and his colleagues opted for caution,
which supported GBPUSD. Meanwhile, gold has broken
through the psychologically important level of $4,500
per ounce.
JP
Morgan forecasts XAUUSD to rise to 5,000 by the
end of 2026 and estimates the scale of bullion purchases
by central banks and retail investors at 585 tonnes
per quarter. According to the bank, every 100 tonnes
above the base 350 tonnes leads to a 2% increase
in precious metal prices.
Gold
has already gained more than 70% in value in 2025
and is heading for its best performance since 1979.
Other
assets in the precious metals sector are growing
even faster. Prices for silver, platinum and palladium
have more than doubled this year. Along with strong
investment demand, fears about the introduction
of US import duties are playing into their hands.
(FxPro)
News
Dec
29
A
confident Euro and a vulnerable Yen
Rapid GDP growth in the eurozone has helped EURUSD.
USDJPY
risks rising to 164. Christmas week turned out to
be the worst for the US dollar since June. Falling
Treasury yields and new S&P 500 records caused
the USD index to retreat. The chances of the Fed
easing monetary policy in March rose above 50% again,
and there is active discussion in Forex about the
new Fed chair. Historically, central bank chiefs
have had a significant influence on the FOMC. Donald
Trump's man could bring down interest rates and
the greenback. However, the Fed is not a one-man
show. Decisions are made collectively based on incoming
data. The longer the pause in the monetary expansion
cycle lasts, the higher the chances of a correction
in the EURUSD to an upward trend. In this case,
the yield differential between US and German bonds
will remain wide. Money will flow from Europe to
the United States, strengthening the dollar. In
the medium term, monetary policy divergence and
a narrowing gap in GDP growth could play in favour
of the euro. Financial Times experts expect the
eurozone economy to expand by 1.2% in 2026 and 1.4%
in 2027. In 2025, it will grow by 1.4%, significantly
more than the 0.9% forecast at the end of 2024.
Faster economic growth in the currency bloc has
been one of the key drivers of the EURUSD's 13.5%
rally this year. Another trump card for the euro
has been the divergence in monetary policy. Financial
Times experts believe that the ECB's deposit rate
will remain at 2% until the end of 2026 and rise
to 2.25% in 2027. The futures market expects two
acts of monetary expansion from the Fed next year.
The narrowing of the spread between US and German
bond yields is a strong argument in favour of maintaining
the upward trend in EURUSD. Meanwhile, the number
of yen bears is growing after the Bank of Japan
failed to bring about a serious correction in USDJPY
by raising the overnight rate in December. BNP Paribas
forecasts the pair to rise to 160 by the end of
2026, while JP Morgan forecasts 164. The strengthening
of the greenback has caused gold to retreat from
record highs. The precious metal is heading for
its best annual performance since 1979. Since the
beginning of the year, it has risen by more than
70%, partly due to capital inflows into ETFs. The
reserves of the largest specialised exchange-traded
fund, SPDR Gold Shares, have increased by more than
20%.
News
Dec
29
Miners
and Metals
Nickel
price jumps as Indonesia signals big production
cut
Nickel
prices are at a seven-month high after Indonesia,
the world’s biggest producer, signalled plans
to cut supply of the metal in a Christmas gift for
struggling Australian miners who have been shuttering
projects.
The
rising prices came after Indonesian media reported
Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia had
confirmed plans for unspecified production cuts.
A group representing Indonesian nickel miners this
month said it expected Jakarta to enforce a 34 per
cent cut in volumes next year.
While
the size of the cuts has not been finalised, the
comments suggest the worst could be over for miners
after a two-and-a-half year period in which prices
for the metal were crushed by excess production
in Indonesia.
Nickel
was a fashionable commodity for investors between
2017 and 2022 on expectations that demand would
rise in line with the metal’s use in the batteries
used in electric vehicles. Prices reached $US30,000
a tonne in late 2022, but a wave of Indonesian supply
emerged in 2023 as new technology allowed low-grade
material to be cheaply processed into top quality
metal.
The
extra supply pushed nickel prices below $US20,000
since mid-2023, forcing Australian miners like BHP
and Panoramic Resources to mothball their Western
Australian mines, refineries and smelters.
The
price had slumped to $US14,110 a tonne at the London
Metal Exchange on December 16, but has rallied to
$US15,430 after reports of Indonesian production
cuts. The price had not been above $US15,400 since
May.
The
recovery could help BHP’s nickel assets just
14 months before a self-imposed deadline to decide
whether they should be permanently closed. BHP mothballed
the assets last year in the belief the supply surge
was a structural change to nickel markets, and not
merely a cyclical one.
BHP
announced at its August half-year results that it
would attempt to sell the assets, but finding a
buyer has proved difficult given the enormous rehabilitation
obligations attached to them. If a buyer cannot
be found, BHP will permanently shut the nickel division
in February 2027.
Another
potential winner from a nickel price recovery would
be businessman Duncan Saville, whose companies control
the mothballed Savannah mine in WA. The mine closures
have seen Australian exports slump from about 180,000
tonnes in 2017 to 81,000 tonnes this year.
The
Industry Department provided a gloomy outlook for
the sector in a report published on December 19,
predicting prices would stay low, and export volumes
would fall further as IGO Limited prepared for the
Nova-Bollinger nickel mine in WA to reach the end
of its working life.
Closure
of Nova would leave Glencore’s Murrin Murrin
operation as the last remaining major nickel mine
in the country.
Industry
Department economists predicted Australia will ship
just 49,000 tonnes of nickel in 2027; down 73 per
cent in a decade.
Batteries
account for about 16 per cent of global nickel demand,
with the stainless-steel sector still buying about
63 per cent of the world’s nickel.
Fitch
predicts nickel prices will average $US16,000 a
tonne in 2026.
Silver
continues to soar
Signs
of recovery in nickel prices come as silver prices
have soared. The precious metal was fetching $US28.83
an ounce on the final trading day of 2024, but soared
to a record high $US79.27 on Boxing Day 2025.
Financial
markets have traditionally used gold prices to determine
an appropriate price for silver, and the rally in
silver prices is partly linked to the earlier rally
in gold prices over the last 12 months.
Very
few mines are primarily focused on silver production,
with the metal typically occurring as a byproduct
at mines that are focused on copper, zinc or lead.
Australia’s biggest silver producers include
South32’s Cannington mine in Queensland, Glencore’s
Mount Isa hub and BHP’s Olympic Dam.
Iltani
Resources, an ASX-listed miner exploring for silver,
zinc, lead and indium near Herberton in Queensland,
is one producer that has seen its share price jump
more than 200 per cent alongside the silver rally.
“It
puts us in a really good position to hit 2026 with
a really aggressive drill program,” said Iltani
managing director Donald Garner. (AFR). *Full article
and coverage via The Australian Financial Review
News
VC/Sports
Biz/Tech News
Jake
& Logan Paul Announce $30M Venture Fund Backing
AI, Robotics Startups
Anti
Fund, co-founded by YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul
and entrepreneur Geoffrey Woo, closed its oversubscribed
$30 million Anti Fund I on December 3, bringing
the firm’s total assets under management to
more than $65 million. The firm named influencer
and WWE star Logan Paul as a general partner, marking
the first time the Paul brothers have become business
partners.
According
to a press release, the venture capital firm concentrates
its investments in artificial intelligence and robotics
companies. Anti Fund focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage
ventures, as well as select growth-stage industry
leaders. The portfolio includes OpenAI, Anduril,
Ramp, Cognition, Polymarket, Flock Safety, and Physical
Intelligence.
Investment
Strategy
Anti
Fund employs what it calls an “extreme barbell
strategy,” making first checks of $100,000
to $500,000 for 10% ownership in technical founders,
while also deploying $10 million or more in growth
investments into industry leaders.
The
fund’s limited partners include institutional
investors Aquarian Holdings and Autilus Partners,
as well as individual investors Marc Andreessen
and Chris Dixon. Focuspoint Private Capital Group
served as the exclusive placement agent for the
fund.
Founder
Background
Woo holds a bachelor’s degree with honors and
distinction in computer science from Stanford and
has co-authored numerous U.S. patents and peer-reviewed
scientific papers.
Jake
Paul built his career as a professional boxer and
entrepreneur. Logan Paul founded PRIME, a beverage
brand, and performs as a professional wrestler.
“Jake,
what I realized is that he is essentially an avatar
of the American dream, and I think Logan, in a very
similar parallel sense, also represents that,”
Woo said in an interview with FOX Business.
“When
Jake named Anti Fund, I think we all share the same
belief, that the people that create the future are
the crazy ones that believe they can do it.”
Business
Philosophy
The firm positions itself as founder-friendly, emphasizing
what it calls the intersection of capital and attention.
While capital remains a commodity, Anti Fund leverages
the Paul brothers’ cultural influence to source
founders and accelerate portfolio company growth.
Jake
Paul discussed his long-standing interest in venture
capital, noting he met with companies including
Google, Uber, and Twitter in Silicon Valley as a
teenager.“
Not
only are we investors, but we can disrupt Logan
with PRIME, me with W, Betr is always in the top
five in the App Store is absolutely crushing it,”
Paul told FOX.
“And
these are companies that we’ve incubated ourselves,
because if no one else is building it and we see
a hole in the market, we can hire the best teams
and grow and scale these companies in a major way.”
Anti
Fund has incubated and funded several of Jake Paul’s
business ventures, including W and Betr Media.
Rudy
Sahay, founder and managing partner of Aquarian
Holdings, said the fund closing “validates
the confidence investors have in their strategy”
and noted the firm “carved out a unique position
at the intersection of frontier technologies and
culture.”
Best Quotes
Cryptocurrency,
Finance and World
"Volatility
is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." -
Michael Saylor
"Bitcoin
is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and
tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme."
— Naval Ravikant
"We
have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical
framework that is free of politics and human error."
— Tyler Winklevoss
"You
can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere,
and the world will have to readjust. World governments
will have to readjust." — John McAfee
"Bitcoin
is the most important invention in the history of
the world since the Internet." — Roger
Ver
"Cryptocurrency
is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn
governments." — Charles Lee
"In
the future, national currencies will become obsolete.
Bitcoin will become the single global currency."
— Jack Dorsey
"The
future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in
payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng
Zhao
"Crypto
offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged."
— Elizabeth Stark
"The
new frontier of innovation is in decentralization.
Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott
"Digital
currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter
of how long before governments embrace it."
— Brad Garlinghouse
Pop
Culture
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking
Santa
vs Grinch
Bulls vs Bears
Crypto King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
News
Media
Man Favs
TKO
$216.11 -1.33 -0.61%
Alphabet Inc Class A $313.56 +0.050 +0.016%
Netflix Inc $94.15 -0.32 -0.34%
Paramount Skydance Corp $13.50 -0.090 -0.66%
Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany
ADR $4.60 -0.040 +0.86%
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $17.54 +0.11 +0.63%
Markets,
Cryptos, Biz and Culture
Media
Man Group
All
That Glitters
Digital
Bush Telegraph - Australia to Hollywood and Silicon
Valley Edition; Media Watercooler
December
22, 2025
Sydney, Australia
December
21, 2025
Wall St, New York
Australian
Dollar: $0.6610 USD (down $0.0003 USD) Iron Ore:
$104.50 USD (down $US0.50)
Oil: $56.52 USD (up $0.51 USD)
Gold: $4,340.10 USD (up $9.48 USD)
Copper: $5.4835 USD (up $0.0610 USD)
Bitcoin: $88,482.84 +0.23%
Dow Jones: 48,134.89 (up 183.04 points)
BTC
88,851.95 +0.26%
BNB $861.43 +0.84%
Dogecoin $0.1320 +0.04%
Market
Favs
Closed
Today
TKO
$213.44 +1.81 +0.86%
Alphabet Inc Class A +$307.16 +4.70 +1.55%
Netflix Inc $94.39 +0.39 +0.41%
News
Trading
Schwab
CEO Rick Wurster draws a ‘bright line’
between investing and gambling
When
it comes to encouraging customers to invest for
the long haul or live in the fast lane, Rick Wurster
says he knows where his brokerage stands. And it
is not on the side of the guy dressed as a race-car
driver. Wurster, appointed Charles Schwab’s
CEO in January, has delivered higher profit this
year thanks to individual investors’ mounting
confidence in trading everything from stocks and
bonds to options and exchange-traded funds. An extended
rally has led some ordinary Americans into riskier,
more-volatile markets.
News
Las
Vegas
30
years, millions of lights and one big party at downtown
Las Vegas’s Fremont Street Experience
In
Vegas time, 30 years is long enough to feel like
forever. It’s a monumental chunk of time wherein
generations of locals and visitors may have no understanding
of what came before. That’s how long we’ve
had the Fremont Street Experience—the historic
casino-lined five-block pedestrian promenade Downtown,
covered mostly by the 1,375-foot LED-screen canopy
flashing Viva Vision shows every night—instead
of “Glitter Gulch,” what we called Fremont
Street when you could drive your car there. When
the canopy came to life, there was no Stratosphere
tower in Las Vegas, no Bellagio fountains, no faux
Eiffel Tower.
News
US
Congressman
urges Commodity Futures Trading Commission to review
Kalshi-CNN deal
Congressman
Abe Hamadeh has called on federal regulators to
review the partnership between news broadcaster
CNN and prediction market platform Kalshi, warning
that the deal posed risks to market integrity and
even national security. In a letter to Commodity
Futures Trading Commission Acting Chairwoman Caroline
D. Pham, Hamadeh requested details on how the regulator
is reviewing the partnership between Kalshi and
CNN. He argued that the arrangement creates a conflict
of interest as it allows a major news organization
to potentially profit from geopolitical events.
News
More
Intel
Dec
19
Central
banks did not scare the dollar
Central
banks prefer to pause
The
strengthening of the dollar prevented gold from
reaching a record high. Global central banks are
diverging in their policy paths. In the wake of
the Fed's decision, Britain and Mexico have lowered
rates, whereas the eurozone, Norway, and Sweden
have signalled a continued pause. The Bank of Japan
tightened its policy, raising the overnight rate
to its highest level since 1995 at 0.75%. Nevertheless,
the US dollar strengthened against major world currencies
on expectations of a prolonged pause in the process
of lowering the federal funds rate. The Bank of
England lowered the repo rate to 3.75% by five votes
to four. Andrew Bailey warned of limited room for
manoeuvre in the monetary expansion cycle in 2026.
As a result, the futures market reduced its expected
scale to 25 basis points. The pound initially strengthened,
but a reassessment of US inflation data brought
GBPUSD back down to earth. As expected, the ECB
raised its eurozone GDP forecasts to 1.4% in 2025
and 1.2% in 2026. The central bank expects inflation
to remain below target until 2028. Christine Lagarde
did not encourage the ‘hawks’ who had
previously discussed raising deposit rates. The
Frenchwoman repeated the mantra that the European
Central Bank is in a comfortable position. The EURUSD's
inability to break through resistance at 1.176 resulted
in a sell-off. The Bank of Japan raised its overnight
rate to 0.75%. This outcome of the December meeting
was predicted by all 50 Bloomberg experts. In this
regard, after the BoJ's verdict, a sell-off of the
yen began on the facts. Moreover, the Governing
Council did not signal a continuation of the cycle
of monetary tightening. The US dollar strengthened
against major world currencies as investors ignored
the slowdown in US core inflation to 2.6% in November.
This is the lowest level since the beginning of
2021. After the shutdown, the BLS is experiencing
problems with data. It will take time for confidence
in it to return. The market's reluctance to take
US consumer price statistics at face value played
a cruel joke on gold. The precious metal hit a new
local high but failed to reach a record high and
was forced to retreat due to the strengthening of
the US dollar. According to Goldman Sachs, structurally
high demand from central banks for bullion and cyclical
support from the Fed's rate cuts will continue to
create tailwinds for XAUUSD. (FxPro)
News
U.S/Tech/Search/A.I
News
Google
executive addresses calls to slow AI, highlights
security and energy focus
Executive
cites cybersecurity and energy as key areas where
AI growth can be beneficial
Google
executive Royal Hansen responded to some lawmakers'
calls to slow the development of artificial intelligence
(AI) in the U.S., emphasizing the need to develop
and use the technology responsibly rather than fall
behind other countries.
"It's
really… this idea of being responsible as we
invest in and develop AI because there's a lot of
upside to using AI well, whether it's in energy
production or healthcare or science."
"But
in cybersecurity," he continued, "it's
an area where we need to keep people safe, help
people learn to use AI well at the same time."
News
Dec
22
Australia
Dodgy
$60m crypto mining scheme shut
The
Federal Court last week ordered that NGS Crypto
and two linked companies be wound up, with the three
firms known collectively as the NGS digital mining
scheme. The ruling followed an Australian Securities
& Investments Commission investigation into
the dubious scheme, with ASIC reporting that over
450 people invested about $60 million with the NGS
companies over a period of six years. However, to
date, only around $US4.5 million ($6.7 million)
of that money has been traced. (RMS)
News
Dec
20
Show
hits pay dirt, and some real gold
The
Discovery Channel Australia will broadcast the 10th
season of Aussie Gold Hunter from 8 January. The
show was the highest-rating factual series across
Foxtel's channels from 2017 and 2022, while it has
an estimated global audience of 40 million people
in 140 countries. Seven teams of gold prospectors
will appear in the new season of Aussie Gold Hunters;
the program is produced by Perth-based Electric
Pictures, and executive producer Andrew Ogilvie
says much of its appeal lies in its depiction of
ordinary people finding gold - or not finding it.
(RMS)
News
Dec
22
New-age
'showman' stalking Hollywood
Netflix
and Paramount are battling for control of Warner
Bros Discovery, with Netflix's bid for much of Warner
Bros valued at $US72bn ($108.7bn). Some have claimed
that Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos is trying to destroy
Hollywood with its bid, but he has stated he views
it as a win for the entertainment industry. He promised
in a speech in Paris to keep films in theatres,
although he told a Time magazine event this year
that he views traditional filmgoing as being outmoded
for most people. Producer Greg Berlanti has stated
that Sarandos "has that old studio showman
flair", while US President Donald Trump has
spoken highly of him. (A.I Newsfeed)
News
Gold
Gold
prices surged over 65% this year, nearing $4,400
per ounce.
Rising
central bank buying and geopolitical risks are driving
gold demand and outlook.
It’s
hard to imagine gold having a better year in 2026
than it has this year.
The
precious metal is up more than 65% this year and
has been retesting highs set near Halloween, gaining
7.5% in the last month to get within sniffing distance
of $4,400 per ounce.
Markets
that achieve that kind of vertical lift — and
gold prices as measured by SPDR Gold Shares (GLD)
are up 33.7% annualized and roughly 140% cumulative
over the last three years — nearly always have
similarly scary pullbacks, so investors’ gold
nerves are on edge.
And
while gold has always been considered a hedge against
rising prices and inflation has proven persistent
and sticky, gold’s recent rise appears to have
little to do with inflation and more to do with
geopolitical risk, tariff concerns, a weakened dollar,
and more.
News
Dec
20
Sharemarket
caps weak year of returns amid blue-chip exodus
Australia's
benchmark S&P/ASX 200 is set to underperform
its global peers in calendar 2025. It is on track
to post a gain of about six per cent, compared with
8.4 per cent in 2024 and 11.4 per cent in 2023;
in contrast, the US and UK bourses are set to post
double-digit returns, while the Hang Seng Index
in Hong Kong has gained nearly 30 per cent. Tony
Sycamore from IG notes that the S&P/ASX 200's
performance would have been much worse if it had
not benefited from a rally by the resources sector,
which has gained about 25 per cent in the year to
date; this has been primarily due to a surge in
the price of gold. The S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.39
per cent to 8,621.4 points on Friday. (RMS)
News
Flashback
Markets,
Biz, News, Resources, Culture
December
19, 2025
Sydney, Australia
Australia
and World
S&P/ASX
200 8588.20 +0.37%
S&P 500 6778.28 +0.85%
NIKKEI 49001.50 -1.03%
FTSE 9837.77 +0.65%
AUD/USD66.15 +0.23%
GOLD 4331.30 +0.23%
BITCOIN $84,747.60 -1.52%
News
Markets
ASX
futures up 44 points/0.5% to 8627
Wall
Street:
S&P 500 +0.8%
Dow Jones: +0.1%
Nasdaq +1.2%
Europe:
Stoxx 50 +1.1%
FTSE +0.7%
DAX +1%
CAC +0.8%
Australian
dollar +0.1% to US66.12 cents
Bitcoin
$85,077.30 -0.99%
Gold
-0.3% to $US4325.33 per ounce
US
oil +0.1% to $US55.98 a barrel
Brent
crude oil +0.1% to $US59.71 a barrel
Iron
ore +1.3% to $US105.00 per ton
10-year
yield:
US 4.11%
Australia 4.74%
Germany 2.85%
News
Mining/Energy/Resources
Demand
headwinds may put brakes on iron ore's run
The
iron ore price has risen by about seven per cent
so far in 2025, but Vivek Dhar from the Commonwelth
Bank warns that oversupply concerns could soon see
the price of the steel input fall below $US100 per
tonne. He notes that demand headwinds are accelerating
in China, while shipments from the Simandou project
in Guinea have commenced. UBS in turn says factors
such as rising iron ore port inventories, pressure
on the steel sector and Simandou pose downside risks
to iron ore prices. Despite the bearish outlook,
the ASX 200 materials sector has gained 27 per cent
in the year to date. (RMS)
News
Iron
ore tipped to plunge into a bear market
Westpac
is particularly bearish about the outlook for the
iron ore price, forecasting that it will fall by
20 per cent to about $US83 per tonne by the end
of 2026. The pessimistic forecast comes amid ongoing
signs of a downturn in China's steel industry. Production
fell by 11 per cent year-on-year in November, declining
for a sixth consecutive month. In contrast, iron
ore imports into China reached a record high during
the first 11 months of calendar 2025, and inventories
at the nation's ports have reached their highest
level since March. (RMS)
News
US
miners take on Simandou play in Guinea
The
Rio Tinto-backed Simandou iron ore mine in Guinea
is currently the world's biggest mining project.
However, the Kon Kweni iron ore deposit in south-east
Guinea is estimated to be of higher quality. It
is owned by US-based Ivanhoe Atlantic, which has
proposed a $US1.8bn mine and rail project to produce
iron ore with 66.5 per cent purity. Ivanhoe Atlantic's
president and CEO Bronwyn Barnes says every ton
of iron ore produced at Kon Kweni will be reserved
solely for US and allied supply chains. The company
expects to start shipping ore in the first half
of 2027, while it has received preliminary approval
to list on the Australian sharemarket. (Roy Morgan
Summary)
News
Bitcoin
is holding, while Solana is on the edge
Market
Overview
The
crypto market capitalisation fell to $2.91T (-2.4%
for the day). The surge at the start of the US session
on Wednesday only fuelled the bears, who drove the
market down to $2.89T by the end of the day, retreating
only slightly from these lows. Under intense pressure,
the major old altcoins — Ethereum, XRP, and
Solana — retreated to multi-month lows, losing
about 4% over the past 24 hours.
Bitcoin
is trading near $87K, roughly where it was the day
before. A sharp jump in price above $90K hit a wall
of selling, and now just above this round level
is a significant short-term resistance line, which
was support until 14 December. However, it is also
difficult for the market to find reasons to go below
the $85K level, from which the price has been rebounding
since the beginning of the week. Additionally, it
is worth noting that BTC is trading significantly
above its late November lows of $80K, outperforming
major altcoins.
Solana's
price fell to $123, testing an important support
area from March 2024. Since its peak in September,
this seventh-largest altcoin has lost half of its
value. The technical rebound that began at the end
of November has ended, and if support at $120 fails,
the road down to $90 or even $70 will open up.
News
Background
Long-term
Bitcoin holders have almost completed their active
selling phase, according to K33 Research, which
anticipates a decrease in selling pressure. Over
the past two years, 20% of the supply has returned
to the market, and this process is almost complete.
Institutional
investors have begun buying Bitcoin at a rate faster
than miners can mine it, Capriole notes. For the
first time since November, demand from companies
has exceeded the inflow of new coins into the market
amid a more than 30% drop in the asset from its
October highs.
Strategy
bought 641 bitcoins daily in 2025, according to
Finbold Research. This allowed it to increase its
holdings by 223,800 BTC (a 50% increase) in less
than a year.
The
capacity of the Lightning Network (LN) micropayment
network has reached a historic high, thanks to technical
improvements and the implementation of the solution
by major exchanges. The growth of this indicator
is a sign of demand for faster and cheaper transactions.
(FxPro)
News
The
dollar's wings have been clipped
Christopher
Waller's dovish rhetoric halted the bears' attack
on EURUSD.
Slowing
British inflation caused the pound to fall, while
the Bank of Japan is preparing to raise rates.
Christopher
Waller's comments had as much of an impact on the
US dollar as the US labour market statistics. The
rise in unemployment to 4.6% and the acceleration
in average private sector employment over three
months from 13,000 in the summer to 75,000 in the
autumn forced investors to change their views. They
began to expect a prolonged pause in the monetary
expansion cycle and a reduction in the federal funds
rate to 3.75% in 2026. However, a senior FOMC official
thinks differently.
Christopher
Waller is one of the candidates for the position
of Fed chair. He believes that the neutral rate
is 2.75%, which is 100 basis points below current
levels. This is significantly lower than the forecasts
of the futures market. If the cost of borrowing
falls to this level, Treasury yields will decline
and the USD index will collapse. Moreover, the futures
market is confident that the ECB's monetary expansion
cycle is coming to an end. Investors are beginning
to price in expectations of a rise in deposit rates.
This is usually done when the risks of inflation
accelerating increase or monetary policy becomes
too loose. Neither of these conditions applies to
the eurozone. It is too early to talk about a new
trump card for EURUSD. On the contrary, weak data
on business activity in the currency bloc and German
business confidence from the IFO are disappointing
ECB hawks and putting pressure on the euro. The
regional currency appears too expensive. Japan has
a different problem. The yen appears too cheap for
a government fighting inflation. Therefore, Prime
Minister Sanae Takaichi will not stand in the way
of the Bank of Japan's intention to raise rates.
Investors are eagerly awaiting Kazuo Ueda's signals
about the regulator's actions in 2026. The BoJ is
expected to very slowly normalise monetary policy.
This fact supports the bulls on USDJPY. The slowdown
in British inflation from 3.6% to 3.2% in November
caused the pound to plummet. The futures market
is confident that by April, the repo rate will be
cut by 50 basis points to 3.5%. Investors doubt
that the Bank of England will take a hawkish stance
in December. They expect Andrew Bailey to signal
a continuation of the cycle of monetary policy easing.
(FxPro)
News
The
Lead Up
Dec
18
ASX
ends lower on oil stocks; miners rally
The
Australian sharemarket lost ground on Wednesday,
with the S&P/ASX 200 shedding 0.2 per cent to
close at 8,585.2 points. Woodside Energy was down
2.4 per cent at $23.40, GrainCorp fell 15.5 per
cent to $7.09 and DroneShield ended the session
12,1 per cent lower at $2.47. However, Liontown
Resources was up 11.8 per cent at $1.51 and Humm
Group rose 10.6 per cent to $0.73 in response to
a takeover bid.
News
Markets/Resources/Commodities
Dec
18
Australian
Dollar: $0.6600 USD (down $0.0030 USD) Iron Ore:
$103.60 USD (up $US1.15)
Oil Price: $56.13 USD (up $0.94 USD)
Gold Price: $4,339.35 USD (up $28.14 USD)
Copper Price: $5.4205 USD (up $0.0545 USD)
Bitcoin: $85,642.68 USD (down 2.38%)
Dow Jones: 47,974.02 (down 140.24 points)
News
Currency
Notes Under The Watercooler
Crypto
Winter Darwinism
Digital
asset treasuries were flying high earlier this year
until bitcoin's sudden October crash. Now many of
those companies are sitting on unrealized losses.
Over
180 public companies currently hold crypto on their
balance sheets, with roughly 100 of that total having
followed some version a the playbook that Strategy
co-founder Michael Saylor pioneered in 2020 by issuing
debt and equity to rapidly accumulate bitcoin.
Bitcoin's
more recent volatility has prompted a sell-off across
the digital asset treasury space.
Strategy's
stock has fallen roughly 40% since bitcoin's Oct.
10 liquidation.
Investors
have wrestled with Strategy's imitators even worse
over the past month. KindlyMD (NAKA) has dived 39%.
Eric Trump's American Bitcoin (ABTC) is down 60%.
Anthony Pompliano's ProCap Financial (BRR) has fell
65%.
Other
ether-holding treasury companies, like sports betting
company SharpLink Gaming (SBET) and computing firm
Bit Digital (BTBT), have seen their stocks tumble
about 40% over the past two months.
"Market
concerns on MSTR are overstated and there is no
realistic scenario which threatens the longevity
of MSTR," analyst Gautam Chhugani wrote in
a note on Dec. 1. "However, several MSTR copy-cats
may continue to trade at discount to their NAVs
without a clear path to raise long term capital."
Restructuring
and stronger players acquiring weaker ones are possibilities,
according to Will Owens, a research analyst for
Galaxy Digital.
"In
other words, treasury companies are about to enter
a Darwinian phase," Owens wrote earlier this
month.
Bet
with your head, not over it!
Best
Quotes Of The Day
Cryptocurrency,
Finance and World
"Volatility
is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." -
Michael Saylor
"Bitcoin
is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and
tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme."
— Naval Ravikant
"We
have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical
framework that is free of politics and human error."
— Tyler Winklevoss
"You
can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere,
and the world will have to readjust. World governments
will have to readjust." — John McAfee
"Bitcoin
is the most important invention in the history of
the world since the Internet." — Roger
Ver
"Cryptocurrency
is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn
governments." — Charles Lee
"In
the future, national currencies will become obsolete.
Bitcoin will become the single global currency."
— Jack Dorsey
"The
future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in
payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng
Zhao
"Crypto
offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged."
— Elizabeth Stark
"The
new frontier of innovation is in decentralization.
Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott
"Digital
currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter
of how long before governments embrace it."
— Brad Garlinghouse
Markets,
Cryptos and Pop Culture
Culture
In Biz Series Edition
December
To Remember
Dec
15
Sydney, Australia
Dec
14
Wall Street, New York Groove
Cryptos
Struggling; All That Glitters
TKO To Naysayers Again! Thank You Cena!
Road To Royal Rumble
World Streaming Wars
Crypto Wolf Of Wall Street Works Weekends And Xmas
Online Media vs Legacy Media: Disruptors
Media
Pop Culture Theme: "Another Brick In The Wall"
aka "We Don't Need No Education" (Pink
Floyd)
"Schools Out" (Alice Cooper)
Silicon Valley theme: "Stretch Your Face"
(Tobacco)
"The Social Network" (score album for
film)
"Hall of Fame" (The Script)
"Eight Days a Week" (The Beatles)
"The Wolf of Wall Street" ("Mercy,
Mercy, Mercy" (Cannonball Adderley)
"Friday On My Mind" (The Easybeats)
December
15, 2025
Sin
City Sydney, Australia
ASX
futures down 51 points/0.6%, to 8659
Wall
Street:
S&P
500 -1.1%
Dow Jones: -0.5%
Nasdaq -1.7%
Europe:
Stoxx
50 -0.6%
FTSE -0.6%
DAX -0.5%
CAC -0.2%
Australian
dollar at US66.43 cents
Bitcoin
$88,689.56 -1.83%
Gold
+0.5% to $US4299.63 per ounce
US oil -0.3% to $US57.44 a barrel
Brent crude -0.3% to $US61.12
Iron ore -1% to $US100.45 per ton
10-year
yield:
US 4.18% Australia
4.72% Germany 2.86%
Bitcoin
Bitcoin:
(Near Live) $88,689.56 -1.83%
News
Update: (Near Live)
News
New
York/Wall St via Mr Wolf!
December To Remember!
Dec
14
Before The Bell; Bells To Be Rung
NYC!
Cryptos
Today: (Near Live)
Cryptos
tarnished again!
Bitcoin
$88,689.56 -1.83%
Market
ups and downs! Mood: Medium: Still picking up a
little. Play the long game?! Hardcores keep dream,
as always!
Media
Man Favs:
(Near
Live)
Bells
Rung by Mr Wolf!
TKO hulks up Again! Going for submission on competitors?!
Christmas Grinch vs Santa.
Miners on hunt. Gamers full speed instead of socials.
Gaming Awards: Tomb Raider: Atlantis!
Tech heads and grapplers watch streaming wars!
NYSE Bell Ringers With Trees! Prep for new Season's
Beatings!
TKO kicks out again. Saturday Night's Main Event
aftermath heading to WWE RAW and Road To Royal Rumble
In UAE
Wall
St, New York
TKO
Group Holdings Inc $208.42 +4.12 +2.02%
NVIDIA Corp $208.42 +4.12 +2.02%
Formula One Group Series $86.41 -0.25 -0.29%
Alphabet Inc Class A $309.29 -3.14 -1.01%
News Corp Class A $26.22 +0.12 +0.46%
Netflix Inc $95.19 +1.10 +1.17%
Caterpillar Inc $597.89 -27.72 -4.43%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $10.65 -0.26
-2.38%
Tesla Inc $458.96 +12.09 +2.71%
Walt Disney Co $111.60 +0.14 +0.13%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $123.66 -1.19 -0.95%
Meta Platforms Inc $644.23 -8.48 -1.30%
Elders ADR $19.73 (US) (NYSE)
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $18.03 +0.12 +0.67%
Rio Tinto Ltd $96.29 +5.70 +6.29%
Paramount Skydance Corp $13.74 -0.38 -2.69%
Red Light Holland Corp $0.020 -0.00018 -0.87%
Volvo ADR (parent/owner of Muck Trucks) $31.94 -0.12
-0.37%
Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany
ADR $4.75 -0.030 -0.63%
Microsoft $478.53 -4.94 -1.02%
News
Global
Markets React to Central Bank Decisions and Policy
Outlooks
Stock
indices
The
Fed managed to please the American stock market
by easing its policy and forecasting an increase
in GDP from 1.8% to 2.3%, as well as a slowdown
in inflation from 3% to 2.5% in 2026, while also
discussing the positive impact of AI on productivity.
As a result, the S&P500 experienced its most
dramatic reaction to an FOMC meeting since March,
and the Russell 2000 set a new record. A strong
economy and inflation heading towards the 2% target
present a prime opportunity for stocks. Along with
increased productivity, this indicates that S&P500
companies may see growth in corporate earnings.
Historical episodes in which the Fed cut rates and
markets were near their peaks have shown higher
levels 12 months later in every case.
However,
expectations for the next rate cut have now shifted
to April, removing the indexes safety buffer. There
may be renewed talk of a tech giant bubble, as evidenced
by Oracle's shares plunging sharply after the company
reported disappointing earnings.
According
to Yardeni Research, investors should diversify
away from the "Magnificent Seven" and
seek opportunities in other issuers, as artificial
intelligence is transforming nearly every company
into a technology firm.
What
is ahead
The
key events of the third week of December will be
the release of US labour market data for October
and November, as well as central bank meetings.
The ECB, the Bank of England and the Bank of Japan
will have their say. Investors will also pay attention
to European business activity data for December.
Jerome
Powell says that FOMC officials have similar views
on the US economy but differ in their assessment
of its risks. Hawks are concerned about high inflation,
while doves are worried about the cooling labour
market. If employment figures disappoint, derivatives
will shift expectations of monetary policy easing
from April to March, and possibly even January.
This will weaken the dollar. On the other hand,
a pleasant surprise from non-farm payrolls will
allow the USD to recoup some of its losses. While
no changes are expected from the ECB, the Bank of
England is 90% likely to cut its repo rate to 3.75%.
However, the negative is already priced into the
pound, and in the event of hawkish comments, the
pound could strengthen. The fate of the yen will
depend on the outlook for the Bank of Japan's leadership.
Few doubt that the overnight rate will be raised,
but what next? (FxPro)
News
'I
love solving puzzles': How AFP's crypto sleuth tracks
ill-gotten gains
Abigail
Gibson is the Australian Federal Police's only cryptocurrency
forensic accountant, a role she has held since 2022,
after she first joined the AFP as a forensic accountant
in 2017. Gibson uses blockchains to look for clues
that might be able to connect individuals to money
laundering, scams or sales of illicit goods and
services on the dark web, and she says that "cryptocurrency
is a well-established method for criminals to attempt
to hide their wealth and transfer assets".
Her work includes aiding the AFP's Criminal Asset
Confiscation Taskforce, which has frozen $65 million
in cryptocurrency assets since July. (AFR)
News
Miners
lift ASX after Fed; Oracle hits tech
The
Australian sharemarket posted a small gain on Thursday,
with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.2 per cent to
close at 8,592. The resources sector was bolstered
by a rise in the gold price after the US Federal
Reserve's decision to reduce the cash rate for a
third time; Ramelius Resources advanced 6.7 per
cent to $3.81 and Rio Tinto was up 1.8 per cent
at $140.01. However, a sharp fall in Oracle's share
price weighed on local technology stocks, with WiseTech
Global shedding 2.2 per cent to end the session
at $70.99. (AFR/Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Flashback
Dec
11
Bitcoin
attempts to break the short uptrend
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap has been in a see-saw pattern
over the past three weeks, exhibiting a gentle uptrend
that has returned to the $3.08 trillion level during
a consolidation phase. With no clear trend, crypto
traders have reduced their activity in altcoins,
waiting for the trend to recover in the first cryptocurrency
and key stock indices.
Bitcoin
jumped to $94.5K on Wednesday evening in response
to the Fed's announcement of a bond-buying programme
and a key rate cut. But this link to stocks played
a cruel joke. The fall in Oracle shares dragged
the Nasdaq-100 to eight-day lows, and BTC rolled
back to $90K. The market is testing the strength
of the modest uptrend that has been forming since
21 November. A drop below $88K would break this
trend, bolster bearish sentiment and confirm the
end of the recovery rally.
News
Background
Public
and private companies have increased their Bitcoin
reserves by 448% since the beginning of the year
to 1.08 million BTC, according to Glassnode. The
corporate sector remains a key driver of demand
for digital gold.
ARK
Invest CEO Cathie Wood believes that large companies
buying cryptocurrency for long-term storage could
prevent BTC from falling 75-90% as it has in the
past.
Strategy
founder Michael Saylor announced the company's plans
to acquire as much Bitcoin as possible. Mayside
Partners believes that such plans are economically
unsound. This is not innovation, but cascading leverage
on speculative collateral — a model that has
failed time and time again.
The
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has called
on the US Senate to withdraw the cryptocurrency
bill on ‘responsible financial innovation,’
which will be considered next week. The organisation
pointed to the risks to pension savings and the
country's economy.
Twenty
One Capital, a big Bitcoin holder, has entered the
stock market. The company's shares fell 20% on their
first day of trading on the NYSE. The firm ranks
third among public holders of the first cryptocurrency
with 42,000 BTC (~$3.9 billion). (FxPro)
News
Crypto
market awaits the final battle of the year
Market
Overview
The
crypto market lost just over 1% in 24 hours to $3.08T,
falling back to the consolidation levels of late
November. Attempts to shake up the market at the
beginning of this month were unsuccessful for both
bulls and bears. Excluding this impulse, the market
has been treading water for almost two weeks, hovering
around the 23.6% correction rebound line from the
October-November decline. Such a shallow rebound
could be a sign of a strong bear market, but this
will only be confirmed if November's lows of $2.73T
are updated.
Bitcoin
is trading near $90K, having crossed this level
for the fifth consecutive day. An upward trend line
can be drawn through the lows of late November,
but BTC is now trading dangerously close to this
line. At the same time, horizontal resistance has
formed in the $92K area, bringing the positions
of bulls and bears closer together over time and
promising a decisive battle by the end of this week.
It could not only be the last significant battle
of the year but also determine the trend for the
coming months.
News
Background
Short
positions on Bitcoin have recorded their largest
outflow since March 2025, when the price of BTC
was near its lows. Investors likely believe that
the current surge in negative sentiment has bottomed
out, according to CoinShares.
According
to Glassnode, the reserves of long-term Bitcoin
holders fell to a cyclical low in November. This
marks the end of the spot sell-offs that have hindered
market growth throughout 2025.
Ethereum
exchange reserves have fallen to record lows, which
could signal an imminent supply crisis, according
to CryptoQuant. Since July 2025, the indicator has
fallen by about 20%.
The
largest American investment company, BlackRock,
has applied with the SEC to register an ETF that
will allow investors to earn income from staking
Ethereum without directly owning the cryptocurrency.
Strategy
has increased its weekly Bitcoin purchases to their
highest level since July. The company bought 10,624
BTC ($963 million) last week at an average price
of $90,615 per coin. Strategy now owns 660,624 BTC,
purchased for $49.3 billion at an average price
of $74,696 per Bitcoin. (FxPro)
News
Streaming
Wars: Netflix vs Paramount (for Warner Bros) aka
WBD. What's Up Doc?!
Paramount
makes hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
Dec
9
Paramount
Skydance has directly approached Warner Bros Discovery's
shareholders with a takeover offer; it has opted
to bypass the rival media group's board, contending
that Warner's directors have backed an "inferior
proposal". Paramount has proposed a cash offer
of $US30 per share, valuing its bid for the entire
company at about $US108bn. It is seeking to trump
Netflix's deal to acquire some of Warner's assets
for around $US83bn, which has been approved by the
boards of both companies. Warner has rejected Paramount's
claims that its sale process had favoured a single
bidder.
*Developing
news story "The Streaming Wars"
News
Australia
- USA Connection
World
Leaders Condemn Bondi Beach Attack
Many
Small Crypto Bears Sell Out; Tests Patience To Often;
Bulls Controlling Market For Long Haul
News
56
hours ago +
Developing
Story
The
crypto market tries to form an uptrend
Market
Overview
The
crypto market soared by almost 7% over the past
day, reaching a capitalisation of $3.15T and forming
a higher local peak compared to Sunday. The mood
on the crypto market was buoyed by moves from institutional
giants Vanguard and Bank of America to open access
to digital assets for their clients. Combined with
the fact that the low point on December 1st is higher
than the lows on November 21st, we are seeing a
series of vital signs of an upward trend forming.
However, a conservative view suggests that fluctuations
below $3.38T are a correction from the previous
decline.
Bitcoin
approached $94K on Wednesday morning, recovering
half of its losses from the sell-off between November
11th and 21st. Considering the entire decline from
its October peak, BTCUSD remains trading below $
98K as part of the correction. The $98-100K range
contains three psychologically significant levels:
the 50-day average, early November support, and
61.8% of the decline from the peak. Consolidation
above this level could convince buyers that crypto
winter has not arrived.
News
Background
Vanguard,
the world's second-largest investment company by
assets, will open access to crypto ETF trading for
its clients on December 2nd. The company had previously
stated that it would avoid Bitcoin funds because
cryptocurrency is an “immature asset class”
and does not fit with the company's philosophy.
Bank
of America, one of the largest banks in the United
States, has recommended that its institutional clients
allocate 1% to 4% of their portfolios to cryptocurrencies.
Previously, investors were unable to access cryptocurrencies
because advisors were prohibited from recommending
such instruments.
The
four-year cycle theory has ceased to work, so Bitcoin
has a chance to reach new highs in 2026, according
to Grayscale. Analysts believe there are already
some signs that Bitcoin has likely bottomed out.
News
(from Friday: Sydney)
ASX
up as tech stocks rally, WiseTech gains
The
Australian sharemarket posted a modest gain on Thursday,
with lower trading volumes ahead of Wall Street's
closure for Thanksgiving Day; the S&P/ASX 200
added 0.1 per cent to close at 8,617.3 points. WiseTech
Global was up 6.9 per cent at $69.72, Bellevue Gold
rose 3.2 per cent to $1.29 and Reece advanced four
per cent to $12.73. However, DroneShield was down
7.8 per cent at $2 and Santos fell 1.8 per cent
to end the session at $6.44. (RMS)
News
The
Dollar's new edge: from shield to sword
The
dollar is losing its safe-haven status. • The
scale of the Fed's rate cuts has been overestimated.
• The yen is the main favourite for 2026.
BoJ
may not raise rates until March. If the US dollar
was previously a shield, it is now turning into
a sword. (FxPro)
News
Pop
Culture News
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group
Dream Match Series; Crack The Code!
Million
Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The
Streets Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation
Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr Cardona
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far!
Re-match! Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle
UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs NYC and Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
UFC Legal vs UFC Bad Egg Betting Disruptors
Bulls vs Bears
Logan Paul vs WWE babyfaces
Santa's Helper vs Grinch
John McAfee vs FBI + + +, Running .... Netflix Wins
again!
Killer Kross vs Matt Riddle - Shoot Fight/Wrestling
(MLW)! Holliday working web?! Most Marketable?!
VKM vs Numerous!
MLW vs The World
The Big Event vs US Promoters
Storm vs WWE Locker Room. Lash Legend on side!
NXT Gold Rush: Page & Green vs Hendry &
Hail
Baszler vs Itoh - HOG Superclash - Nov 15
MSG, NY winning with WWE and UFC in Nov
The Vision vs WWE Lockerroom
John Cena vs Dirty Dom
Miz vs Management
Jericho vs Internet Marks
Mr Gold vs Mr Fool's Gold
Neo vs Mr Smith
PBR vs Others. No Bull?!
Aus Gvt vs Big Tech
Banks vs Cryptos
NVIDIA vs World
White House vs Wokes
Packer vs Devil D
Lucha Bros vs AAA Heels
WWE Black Scorpion/Masked Man vs Babyfaces
CM Punk vs The Hood
Starks vs Oba Femi - NXT Deadline
TNA Wrestling vs Dirtsheets
TKO vs Naysayers
John Cena vs Gunther: SNME
Chris Jericho and Mr X vs IWC
Mr Netflix vs Mr Paramount
Triple H vs (many) Washington Cena Fans!
News
Crypto
Movies/Docos
The
Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring
Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the
community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s
early days and its potential to disrupt finance.
Banking
on Bitcoin (2016)
Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots,
and impact on global financial systems through interviews
with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.
Cryptopia:
Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet
(2020)
Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives
into blockchain’s broader applications beyond
cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory
challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s
transformative potential.
Trust
Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated
by Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s
societal impact, from financial inclusion to voting
systems. A comprehensive look at real-world applications.
Bitcoin:
The End of Money as We Know It (2015)
Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin
as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized
financial systems. Features interviews with crypto
experts.
Deep
Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary
focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator,
Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role
in dark web transactions.
Bitconned
(2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing
how three individuals defrauded investors during
the 2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated
markets.
Feature
Films
Crypto
(2019)
A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth,
and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money
laundering agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency
in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal
but praise its entertainment value.
Silk
Road (2021)
A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation
of the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin.
It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and
drama.
Dope
(2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin
as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin
for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early
association with illicit activities.
Bonus
Mentions
Life
on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to
live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing
early adoption challenges.
Bitcoin
Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers
chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.
Notes
Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing
on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology,
and real-world implications. They’re great
for beginners and enthusiasts alike.
Feature
films often dramatize crypto’s association
with crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or
exaggerating for effect. They prioritize entertainment
over accuracy. For a deeper dive, check streaming
platforms like Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or
YouTube, where many of these are available.
News
Wall
Street (Movie)
Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is
a drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial
world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young
stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled
with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless
corporate raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed
is good,” drives the story as Bud is lured
into insider trading and unethical deals, compromising
his morals for wealth and power.
The
film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and
betrayal, with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko,
his father (Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.
Key
Details: Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie
Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin
Sheen (Carl Fox).
Runtime: 2h 6m.
Genre: Drama/Crime.
Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).
Awards:
Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Notable
Aspects:
Gekko’s
“Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting
1980s excess. Inspired by real-life figures like
Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken.
A
sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010),
continued the story.
Where
to Watch (as of 2025):
Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or
rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check
current availability).
Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.
News
Best
Quotes
An
investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
— Benjamin Franklin
"Bottoms
in the investment world don't end with four-year
lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." —
Jim Rogers
Be
fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when
others are fearful." — Warren Buffett
Media
Man "Bullish is a mindset"
Bullish
News
Bullish,
the Peter Thiel-backed cryptocurrency exchange,
and its upcoming IPO. Bullish is targeting a valuation
of up to $4.82 billion, aiming to raise nearly $990
million by offering 30 million shares priced between
$32 and $33 each on the NYSE under the ticker BLSH.
This is an increase from its earlier plan to raise
$629 million at a $4.23 billion valuation with 20.3
million shares at $28-$31 each. The company, which
owns CoinDesk and focuses on institutional crypto
trading, plans to convert a significant portion
of IPO proceeds into U.S. dollar stablecoins, capitalizing
on regulatory clarity from the Trump administration’s
GENIUS Act. Despite a $349 million loss in Q1 2025,
institutional interest from BlackRock and ARK (up
to $200 million) signals strong market confidence.
This IPO reflects growing optimism in the crypto
sector, though its success will hinge on Bullish’s
ability to manage volatility and prove profitability
as a regulated exchange.
Bulls
And Bears
World
News
Newswires,
Newsfeeds, PR News, News Media wires
X
News
Blog
Media
Man World Blog
Media
Man Group Market Feed
News,
Crypto, Markets, Biz, Politics, Media
March
13/14, 2025
Crypto:
just a bumpy downtrend
Market
picture
The
crypto market declined during the week to a total
capitalisation of $2.5 trillion, a third lower than
the peaks in December last year. However, towards
the end of the week, we could see attempts to stabilise
the market, with a rebound of $2.67 trillion.
Despite
the growth attempts, only if the market breaks above
its 200-day moving average will we be able to take
it as a signal of a return to growth. For now, the
market dynamics resemble no more than just a bumpy
downtrend.
The
story is similar in Bitcoin, where the bears are
regaining control of the market on bounces to the
$83,500 area. A 200-day moving average is near this
level.
Ethereum
is in a steep decline, having pulled back below
$1900. At its low point, it was below $1750. It
hasn't been this cheap since October 2023, losing
over half of its price since its peak in mid-December.
News
Background
Outflows
from spot bitcoin-ETFs in the US continue for the
seventh day in a row, with 19 trading sessions out
of 21 already.
CryptoQuant
calls the range of $75,000 - 78,000 as support,
which coincides with the lower boundary of the realised
price. If the quotes are fixed below this zone,
the $63,000 mark may become a benchmark.
Senator
Cynthia Lummis introduced an updated Bitcoin Act
bill in the US Senate that would allow the government
to store more than 1 million bitcoins as part of
a newly created crypto reserve. The US can buy 200,000
BTC each year for five years, reallocating funds
from the Fed and Treasury Department.
The
US SEC has extended the deadlines for several applications
to launch spot ETFs based on XRP, Solana, Litecoin
and Dogecoin. Bloomberg called the regulator's move
‘expected’ and in line with standard procedures.
(FxPro)
News
The
crypto bounces back from extreme fear
Market
picture
The
cryptocurrency market bounced 2% in the last 24
hours to $2.67 trillion. So far, the situation looks
like a small rebound after the collapse. We should
not talk about the beginning of recovery as long
as the market is below its 200-day moving average
of $2.83 trillion.
Sentiment
in the crypto market has shifted from dread to fear
at 34. The indicator was last higher more than three
weeks ago, indicating that now is a good time to
buy. However, it's worth paying attention to the
nervous stock market before considering investments
in more volatile cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin
was climbing above $83,000 on Tuesday, hitting resistance
in the form of the 200-day moving average. If a
long-term trend line is repurposed as resistance,
that's a worrisome bearish fact.
Ethereum
ended Tuesday with growth and was trading near $1900
at the start of Wednesday, but this is a timid rebound
within the steep peak the coin has been in since
February 24th and the broader downtrend of the past
three months.
News
Background
CryptoQuant
states a sharp drop in open interest in Bitcoin
and Ethereum futures, suggesting a ‘leverage
washout’ and a chance of market stabilisation.
The Kobeissi Letter admits a wave of short position
unwinding in risk assets after extreme fear levels
are reached.
Clearstream,
the post-trading arm of Deutsche Börse, will
offer cryptocurrency settlement and custody services
to institutional clients as early as next month,
starting with Bitcoin and Ethereum. It then plans
to add support for other cryptocurrencies and services
for staking, lending and brokerage.
Glassnode notes that Solana fell below its realised
price of $134 for the first time in three years.
The metrics show the average cost for investors
to purchase the coin.
According
to Arkham Intelligence, on 11 March, bankrupt exchange
Mt. Gox transferred 11,501 BTC (~$905 million) to
an unknown address. Mt. Gox-related addresses hold
a total of 35,915 BTC worth $2.89bn. (FxPro)
News
Gold
hits fresh record
March
14, 2025
Spot
gold hit a fresh record high on Friday after the
US threatened higher tariffs on the EU, adding to
growing concerns that levies could hamper economic
growth.Prices rose as high as $US2990.02. It came
after spot gold notched its biggest intraday gain
this year on Thursday, rising 1.9 per cent. US President
Donald Trump overnight threatened to impose 200
per cent tariffs on alcohol from the European Union,
after the block set a 50 per cent tariff on American
whisky.
News
Trump
crypto venture has talked to Binance about doing
business
March
14, 2025
World
Liberty Financial, one of the Trump family’s
crypto ventures, has discussed doing business with
the world’s largest digital-asset exchange,
Binance Holdings, according to four people with
knowledge of the talks.
The
exchange’s founder pleaded guilty to failing
to take required measures to prevent terrorists,
child abusers and entities in sanctioned nations
from using its services.
It’s
not clear what stage the discussions have reached
or whether they’ll result in any transactions
or ventures, said the people, who asked not to be
named because the talks are private.
Two
of the people who spoke said conversations have
included the possibility of Binance developing a
stablecoin – a dollar-backed cryptocurrency
– with World Liberty, which President Donald
Trump and his sons began promoting in September.
The Trumps receive three-quarters of World Liberty’s
net revenue, according to its founding documents.
In
addition, representatives of the Trump family have
held talks with Binance about taking a stake in
its US arm, Binance US, The Wall Street Journal
reported on Thursday (Friday AEDT), citing people
familiar with the matter. In a post on X, Binance
founder Changpeng Zhao said he has not held discussions
about a Binance US deal with anyone.
Zhao
pleaded guilty in 2023 to anti-money laundering
failures that allowed Binance to be used by criminal
groups and terrorist organisations, including Hamas.
Zhao,
known as “CZ”, was released from a halfway
house in Long Beach, California, in September after
serving a four-month sentence. Binance paid a $US4.3
billion fine. Zhao has been pushing for the Trump
administration to grant him a pardon, according
to the Wall Street Journal’s report.
Three
months after leaving the halfway house, Zhao met
with Steve Witkoff, a co-founder of World Liberty,
in Abu Dhabi at the Bitcoin MENA 2024 conference,
two of the people said. Witkoff is the president’s
Middle East envoy. He is slated to meet with Russian
President Vladimir Putin this week as part of the
Trump administration’s efforts to halt the
fighting that began when Russia invaded Ukraine
three years ago.
The
substance of Witkoff’s meeting with Zhao in
December is not clear. Talks between the crypto
companies they founded have taken place since then,
according to the four people with knowledge of the
matter.
Witkoff
did not immediately respond to a request for comment,
nor did a White House spokesperson. Witkoff has
said he’s in the process of divesting from
his crypto assets as well as his holdings in real
estate, transferring holdings to his sons to manage
potential conflicts of interest.
A
representative for Binance US declined to comment
on Thursday, and representatives for World Liberty
did not respond to requests for comment.
Zhao
is still Binance’s controlling shareholder,
with a net worth of $US36.9 billion ($58.7 billion),
according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He
stepped down as its chief executive officer in November
2023, when he pleaded guilty to failing to maintain
an anti-money laundering program.
Richard
Teng, who replaced Zhao, said in February that he
sees an opportunity for a “fresh reset and
a restart” under Trump, though he did not specify
any plans. (Full article and coverage via subscription
to The Australian Financial Review)
News
SEC
Proposes XRP as Key U.S. Financial Asset
The
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has
released a document titled 'Comprehensive Proposal:
XRP as a Strategic Financial Asset for the U.S.'
This proposal explores the potential for XRP to
become a key financial asset, discussing the replacement
of the SWIFT system, legal clarity for XRP, and
economic benefits like unlocking $1.5 trillion in
banking liquidity. Discussions are also underway
regarding whether XRP should be classified as a
commodity, similar to Ethereum, which could influence
its regulatory and market future.
News
Rumble's
Strategic Bitcoin Acquisition
March
13, 2025
Rumble,
a video platform and competitor to YouTube, has
announced the purchase of 188 Bitcoins for approximately
$17.1 million. This acquisition is part of Rumble's
strategy to integrate Bitcoin into its treasury
management, aiming to hedge against inflation and
participate in the growing trend of corporate cryptocurrency
adoption. The move reflects a broader acceptance
of Bitcoin as a legitimate financial asset among
companies.
March
11, 2025
Bitcoin
Plunge and U.S. Crypto Reserve Plan
Bitcoin
experienced a significant price drop, falling below
$80,000 after reaching a high of over $84,000. This
decline contributed to a market cap loss of $100
billion in the cryptocurrency sector. Concurrently,
the U.S. government has announced plans for a Strategic
Bitcoin Reserve, intended to hold cryptocurrency
forfeited through legal actions, sparking discussions
on market stability and government involvement in
crypto. (Grok)
News
US
confirms its critical minerals agenda as fallen
miner AVZ chases an improbable African prize
A
spokesman for the US State Department has confirmed
that the Trump administration is interested in entering
into a critical minerals partnership with the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC). DRC President Felix
Tshisekedi is said to want to strike a deal with
the US to help resolve a conflict with Rwanda-backed
M23 rebels, while any deal between the DRC and the
US could help Australian company AVZ Minerals. AVZ
is seeking to regain control of the Manono lithium
deposit, which it contends was illegally seized
from it by Chinese company Zijin, and it is understood
that the Trump administration would want to see
AVZ regain control of at least some part of Manono
as part of any deal with the DRC. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Markets
Australian
Dollar: $0.6282 USD (down $0.0035 USD)
Iron Ore Apr Spot Price (SGX): $102.20 USD (up $1.60
USD)
Oil: (WTI): $66.61 USD (down $1.09 USD)
Gold: $2,983.88 USD (up $52.14 USD)
Copper (CME): $4.9240 USD (up $0.0815 USD)
Bitcoin: $80,472.06 USD (down 2.82% in last 24 hours)
Dow Jones: 40,813.57 (down 537.35 points)
News
Roy
Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Company Of
The Month' award
News Media
Australia
Peter Dutton More Crypto Friendly And Switched On
Than Albanese (Media Man Group)
News
"Dutton
A Genuine Contender" (Sky News Australia)
Media
Man Int X
PRNEWS.IO
businesswire.com
PR
Newswire
crypto.com
The
Australian Financial Review. Subscribe for full
articles
Sky
News Australia
CollaboratorPro
NordVPN
NordPass
NordLocker
Cryptocurrency
News via Media Man and FxPro
September
18. 2024
The
crypto market gets a boost from stocks
Market
Picture
The
crypto market has gained 2.1% in the last 24 hours
to reach $2.08 trillion. The rise in the stock market
has brought buyers back to Bitcoin, which has positively
impacted cryptocurrencies. The sentiment index is
still in the fear zone, but at 45, it is already
close to neutral territory. This shows that it is
lagging stocks where sentiment has shifted to 'greed'.
Bitcoin
surpassed $60K, accelerating sharply at the start
of the US session. The price peaked at $61.3K before
retreating to $60.4K at the time of writing.
Despite
some pullback, bitcoin has broken above its 50-day
moving average, suggesting significant upside potential.
However, it isn't easy to rely on today's technical
picture ahead of the Fed's interest rate decision
on Wednesday evening. The next important level is
likely to be around the $64K, where the late August
high and the 200-day average are located.
News
Background
JPMorgan
sees bitcoin hash rate growth slowing as miner revenues
remain at historic lows. Meanwhile, US Bitcoin miners'
share of the network hash rate rose for the fifth
consecutive month to 26.7%, an all-time high.
MicroStrategy
will place $700 million in four-year unsecured convertible
notes to acquire additional bitcoins and fund general
corporate purposes.
According
to Arkham, the Bhutanese government's bitcoin holdings
amount to 13,036 BTC ($770 million), almost three
times El Salvador's reserves. The country has the
world's fourth-largest stockpile of BTCs, derived
from mining by a sovereign wealth fund.
The
crypto industry is no longer able to provide 'dopamine'
to either developers or traders. That is why it
is in crisis, said CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju.
According to him, the crypto industry is gradually
turning into a 'gambling den'.
Developers
Curve Finance and TON Foundation will create a platform
for trading stablecoins on the TON blockchain. The
new initiative will meet the growing demand for
stablecoins and increase the liquidity and popularity
of the network's Web3 ecosystem.
Markets
and Commodities
September
11, 2024
Australian
Dollar: $0.6650 USD (down $0.0010 USD)
Iron
Ore Oct Spot Price (SGX): $91.00 USD (down $1.35
USD)
Oil
Price (WTI): $66.31 USD (down $2.49 USD)
Gold
Price: $2,516.51 USD (up $11.13 USD
Copper
Price (CME): $4.1050 USD (down 0.0365 USD)
Bitcoin:
$57,669.72 USD (down 0.38% in last 24 hours)
Dow
Jones: 40,736.96 at 4.59pm NY time (down 92.63 points
on yesterday's close)
Market,
Commodities and Financial News
Snapshot
via Media Man
September
11, 2024
ASX
futures down 3 points or 0.04% to 7997 near 6am
AEST
AUD
-0.1% to 66.58 US cents
Bitcoin
+1.4% to $US57,885
Dow
-0.3%
S&P
+0.4%
Nasdaq
+0.8%
FTSE
-0.8%
DAX
-1.0%
CAC
-0.2%
Gold
+0.3% to $US2514.88 an ounce
Brent
oil -3.2% to $US69.52 a barrel
Iron
ore -0.8% to $US91.00 a tonne
Movie
Box Office (North America)
September
8, 2024
1.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - $110m
2.
Deadpool and Wolverine - $7.2m
3.
Reagan - $5.2m
4.
Alien: Romulus - $3.9m
5.
It Ends with Us - $3.8m
6.
The Forge - $2.9m
7.
Twisters - $2.3m
8.
Blink Twice - $2.2m
9.
Despicable Me 4 - $1.8m
10.
The Front Room - $1.7
others
...
Afraid
Inside
Out 2
Coraline
The
Crow
Trap
Stree
2
Borderlands
Harold
and the Purple Crayon
Cuckoo
Longlegs
The
Firing Squad
A
Quiet Place: Day One
Bad
Boys: Ride or Die
The
Fabulous Four
Fly
Me to the Moon
Raayan
Bad
Newz
MaXXXine
The
Bikeriders
Sound
of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot
Horizon:
An American Saga
The
Lion King
Kalki
2898 AD
Kinds
of Kindness
The
Garfield Movie
Kingdom
of the Planet of the Apes
Jatt
& Juliet 3
Blue
Lock Thee Movie - Episode Nagi
Daddio
Janet
Planet
The
Watchers
IF
The
Exorcism
Thelma
GHOST
Rite Here Rite Now
Furiosa:
A Mad Max Story
The
Fall Guy
The
Strangers: Chapter 1
The
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings
Haikyuu!!
The Dumpster Battle
In
a Violent Nature
Ezra
Sight
*
Correct at time of publication
Markets
And Commodities
August
20, 2024
Australian
Dollar: $0.6728 USD (up $0.0063 USD)
Iron
Ore Sep Spot Price (SGX): $95.00 USD (up $2.70 USD)
Oil
Price (WTI): $74.43 USD (down $2.22 USD)
Gold
Price: $2,504.11 USD (down $4.07 USD)
Copper
Price (CME): $4.1975 USD (up $0.0470 USD)
Bitcoin:
$59,144.75 USD (down 1.09% in last 24 hours)
Dow
Jones: 40,896.53 (up 236.77 points on Friday's close)
News
via Media Man and FxPro
August
16, 2024
Gold:
Third Time Lucky?
Gold
has been rising steadily since the end of last week
and is attempting to consolidate above $2470 per
troy ounce on the spot market for the third time
in the last 30 days. Gold has moved in tandem with
equities this month, but it is worth noting that
it fell less aggressively during the panic and outpaced
the rally.
So,
gold is riding on a global recovery in demand for
risk assets, but it has the fundamental support
in its arsenal that has pushed the price to repeated
all-time highs since March.
A
trend line can be drawn across the local lows of
May from which gold rallied in the early days of
August. Combined with local resistance at $2475,
this forms a bullish triangle with a high probability
of a breakout.
The
next upside target is $2500. This is the psychologically
important round level and the resistance line of
the uptrend drawn by the April, May and July highs.
As
far as more distant growth targets are concerned,
the $2800-2900 area is worth mentioning. The upper
boundary of this range is the 261.8% Fibonacci level
of growth from the September-October 2022 lows to
the April 2023 highs.
The
lower boundary of the range is formed by the 161.8%
level of the growth impulse from the October lows
to the April-May highs. This rally began with the
first signs of a shift in the Fed's monetary policy,
supported by tensions in the Middle East and the
desire of some central banks to diversify their
reserves away from the dollar.
News
Dollar
and risk appetite rise on upbeat data
Weak
macro data in early August triggered a simultaneous
sell-off in equities and the dollar on fears of
an economic meltdown. Over the past ten days, however,
several important statistical releases have changed
expectations.
Thursday's
retail sales and weekly jobless claims figures triggered
a simultaneous rise in the dollar and equities,
a rare and volatile phenomenon in US markets.
Retail
sales rose 1% in July, a decisive step higher after
three months of fluctuating around 0.2%. Excluding
autos, sales rose 0.4%, after gains of 0.8% and
0.3% in the previous two months. The nominal year-on-year
increase of 2.8% does not cover inflation (2.9%),
but it is not yet a nominal contraction as in the
recessions of 2008 and 2020.
The
weekly jobless claims data continues to be positive.
Initial claims fell by 7k after falling by 16k to
227k, the lowest level in five weeks. Almost exactly
a year ago, there was a similar spike in claims,
but it did not lead to a sustained rise in the number,
and the labour market has been surprisingly strong
for many months.
The
dollar has rallied on the back of these reports
as markets revise expectations for the pace of interest
rate cuts in the coming months. This move may be
an attempt by the dollar to reverse the downtrend
that has been in place since April and accelerated
in August.
The
positive reaction of stock indices in the short
term is understandable, as it calms fears of a recession.
In the longer term, however, higher bond yields
will limit the buying of equities.
News
US
inflation hardly justifies a 50 b.p. cut
August
15, 2024
The
US inflation report was in line with expectations,
showing a 0.1 percentage point slowdown in July
to 2.9% y/y for the headline measure and 3.2% y/y
for the core measure, which excludes food and energy.
Tuesday's
producer price data showed a marked slowdown in
the annual rate of growth, from 2.7% to 2.2% y/y
for the headline index and from 3.0% to 2.4% for
the core index. Just as importantly, the data came
in below average analyst estimates, triggering a
wave of dollar selling.
The
markets have been convinced for some time that the
Fed will begin a cycle of rate cuts in September.
The main speculation is for a move of 0.25 or 0.50
percentage points. At the time of writing, interest
rate futures are pricing in a 36% chance of a half-point
cut at once. However, these expectations have weakened
since 5 August due to reduced labour market concerns.
The inflation data alone does not provide a case
for a rate cut, let alone a 50-point cut in September
and a 100-point cut by the end of the year (the
most likely scenario, according to FedWatch estimates).
While inflation is on a downward trajectory, it's
been above the 2% target for three and a half years.
And it will take a prolonged period of below-target
price increases for the Fed to implement its "average
over the period" inflation strategy.
It
is also worth considering the impressive pullback
in oil and agricultural commodity prices to 4–6-year
lows. Their recovery from extreme lows is likely
to be a side effect of policy easing and could trigger
a new wave of price increases, as happened in the
1980s.
Only
the labour market is seen as a real reason for the
Fed to change policy, so mentioning its cooling
was an important point in the official FOMC commentary
on monetary policy. However, we believe that attention
should also be paid to indicators of consumer activity,
including Thursday's retail sales data, the stagnation
of which has become an important harbinger of the
global financial crisis.
Bitcoin
drops 10pc as rout deepens
August
5, 2024
Bitcoin
is under pressure from a bout of risk aversion in
global markets that saddled the largest digital
asset with its heftiest weekly loss since the collapse
of the FTX exchange in 2022.
The
original cryptocurrency sank more than 10 per cent
at one point before paring some of the decline to
trade at $US54,333 ($83,590). The token lost 13.1
per cent in the seven days through Sunday, the most
since the FTX bankruptcy period. Smaller tokens
such as ether and meme-crowd favourite dogecoin
also nursed heavy losses.
The
declines come as a global stock sell-off intensifies,
reflecting concerns about the economic outlook and
questions over whether heavy investment into artificial
intelligence will live up to the hype surrounding
the technology. Geopolitical tension is rising in
the Middle East, adding to investor skittishness.
Bitcoin
exchange traded funds in the US suffered their largest
outflows in about three months on August 2. The
digital asset has also tumbled through its 200-day
moving average price.
The
latter technical chart pattern “opens the way
for a deeper pullback” towards $54,000, Tony
Sycamore, market analyst at IG Australia, wrote
in a note.
Bitcoin
has been buffeted by a range of factors since hitting
a record of $US73,798 in March, including shifting
political fortunes in the US as pro-crypto Republican
Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent, Vice President
Kamala Harris – who has yet to detail a digital-asset
policy stance – lock horns in the presidential
race. (AI News, Wires)
Cryptocurrency
News via Media Man and FxPro
FxPro
PxPro:
News
Cryptocurrency
News via Media Man and FxPro
July
8, 2024
Crypto
Bargain-hunters are back
Market
picture
Bargain
hunters are showing themselves in full force in
crypto. Cryptocurrency market capitalisation rose
3.6% in 24 hours to $2.11 trillion, climbing back
to the top of the range of the past five days. It
will take the market to rise another 2% before we
can say that the bear attack has been repelled.
Until then, we can only talk about consolidation
after the sell-off.
Bitcoin
rebounded to $57.3K after a couple of dips to $54K,
sticking to its descending channel that has been
in force since March, but the price is very dangerously
stuck at the bottom of this corridor. This situation
makes us fear an acceleration of the sell-off with
a potential target in the $50-51K area, where the
crypto market was stagnant in February.
Ethereum
trades at $3050 and remains below the 200-day moving
average but has not given up trying to climb higher.
Here, ETH has a strong support line, which also
attracted buyers in April and May. More on the bulls'
side is that the RSI on daily timeframes rises from
oversold territory. These are promising technical
signals, but the sustained sell-off from the US
and German governments and the overhang of selling
from Mt Gox lenders is clearly undermining the confidence
of too many buyers.
News
background
According
to CoinShares, investments in crypto funds rose
by $441 million last week for the first time after
three weeks of outflows. Bitcoin investments increased
by $398 million, Solana by $16 million, Ethereum
by $10 million.
Recent
price declines, driven by potential selling pressure
from Mt Gox and the German government, were probably
seen as a buying opportunity. Inflows into BTC accounted
for only 90% of the total inflows, as investors
chose to invest in a much broader set of altcoins.
The most notable of these was Solana, which has
received $57 million in investments since the beginning
of the year, making it the most efficient altcoin
in terms of flows, CoinShares noted.
German
authorities continue to transfer Bitcoins to exchanges.
On 8 July, two 250 BTC transfers were made to Coinbase
and Bitstamp platforms. Transactions of 700 BTC
and 500 BTC followed to unidentified Arkham numbers.
The
Bitstamp exchange promised to distribute the payments
from Mt Gox "as soon as possible," despite
having a 60-day deadline. So far, only Japanese
BitBank and SBI VC Trade addresses have been distributed
coins. The three remaining recipients - Bitstamp,
Kraken and BitGo - are still awaiting their turn.
The trustee has 94,771 BTC (~$5.4bn) left to send.
Bitfinex
points out signs of a potential end to the market
correction. Short-term investor selling is potentially
close to exhaustion. Meanwhile, the funding rate
for perpetual BTC contracts has turned negative
for the first time since 1 May.
Sports
News Update
X's
Grok Helps Keep Online Publishers, Newsrooms Up
To Speed; Media Man
August
2, 2024
News
U.F.C.
Abu Dhabi Fight Card
The
UFC event in Abu Dhabi on August 3rd, 2024, is generating
significant discussion among fans and analysts.
The main event features Umar Nurmagomedov against
Cory Sandhagen, with Nurmagomedov being favored
by many. The card includes other notable fighters
like Deiveson Figueiredo, Marlon Vera, and Shara.
Predictions and betting odds are being shared across
social media, and Khabib Nurmagomedov is expected
to be in Umar's corner. The event is free to watch
on ABC Network, further enhancing its accessibility
and viewership. Tony Ferguson has expressed his
desire to continue fighting in the UFC, while other
fighters like Figueiredo and Vera are also generating
interest among fans. The event promises to be an
exciting showcase of talent and competition in the
world of mixed martial arts. (Grok)
News
UFC
Abu Dhabi Event
The
upcoming UFC event in Abu Dhabi on August 2, 2024,
is generating significant buzz, featuring a main
event between undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov and Cory
Sandhagen. The event is free to watch on ABC Network
and includes notable fighters such as Deiveson Figueiredo
and Marlon Vera. The card also features Tony Ferguson,
who has expressed his desire to continue fighting
in the UFC. The event is anticipated to be a major
one, with Khabib Nurmagomedov expected to be in
Umar's corner. Betting predictions and discussions
are prevalent across social media platforms, with
various analysts and fans sharing their insights
and picks for the fights.
News
Survivor
Series: WarGames in Vancouver
WWE
has announced that Survivor Series 2024 will be
held in Vancouver, Canada, marking the first WWE
pay-per-view event in the city since 1998. The event,
featuring the WarGames match format, is scheduled
for November 30 at Rogers Arena. This decision has
sparked excitement among wrestling fans and local
residents, with many expressing enthusiasm about
attending the event in Vancouver. (Grok)
News
SummerSlam
Predictions and Anticipation
WWE
SummerSlam 2024 is generating significant anticipation
among fans, with many expressing excitement and
making predictions about the outcomes of various
matches. Key discussions revolve around potential
returns of prominent wrestlers such as Roman Reigns
and The Rock, as well as the outcomes of matches
like Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa and Liv Morgan vs.
Rhea Ripley. The event is set to feature a variety
of matches that fans are eagerly awaiting, including
those involving LA Knight, Logan Paul, and Gunther.
The overall sentiment is one of excitement and speculation,
with fans looking forward to a thrilling event.
(Grok)
News
Rampage
Debuts for MxM & Private Party on AEW
All
Elite Wrestling (AEW) is gearing up for an exciting
lineup of events, including the highly anticipated
All In event scheduled for August 25, 2024. The
event is generating significant buzz among fans
and is anticipated to surpass the success of the
previous year's event. The card for All In features
high-stakes matches such as Bryan Danielson putting
his career on the line against Swerve, MJF facing
Will Ospreay, and a tag team grudge match involving
Darby Allin, FTR, and ROH Champion Sussex Co. Chicken
against formidable opponents. AEW is also promoting
other shows like AEW Dynamite and AEW Rampage, which
feature matches like Hangman Page vs. Darby Allin
and MxM Collection's debut against Private Party,
respectively. The promotion is leveraging various
platforms and media to engage with fans and build
anticipation for these events. (Grok)
News
Crawford
vs Madrimov: Pre-Fight Press Conference
Terence
Crawford and Israil Madrimov are set to face off
in a highly anticipated boxing match on August 3rd,
as part of the Riyadh Season Card. The event, which
will be available on PPV, has generated significant
buzz among boxing fans and media. The undercard
for the event is also noted for its quality, featuring
a heavyweight bout between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Jarrell
Miller, as well as other notable fights. The event
is expected to be a major draw, with fans eagerly
anticipating the outcome of the main event between
Crawford and Madrimov. (Grok)
News
TNA
Wrestling: Rascalz vs. Bailey, Seven & KUSHIDA
TNA
Wrestling's iMPACT episode on August 1, 2024, featured
a lineup of exciting matches and events. The show
included a TNA World Title match between Nic Nemeth
and Mustafa Ali, as well as the wedding of PCO and
Steph De Lander. Other matches included The Rascalz
in action against Mike Bailey, Trent Seven, and
KUSHIDA in a six-man tag team match, Frankie Kazarian
vs. Ryan Nemeth, and Jody Threat vs. Masha Slamovich.
The event was broadcasted on various platforms including
TNA+, AXS TV, DAZN, and YouTube, catering to a wide
audience. Fans and wrestling enthusiasts expressed
their anticipation and excitement for the event
across social media platforms. (Grok)
ROH
Ring
of Honor (ROH) is a professional wrestling promotion
recently acquired by Tony Khan, CEO of All Elite
Wrestling (AEW), Chief Football Strategy Officer
of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and GM/Sporting Director
of Fulham F.C. ROH has been holding events and television
tapings, with notable developments including Sammy
Guevara's return to help Dustin Rhodes against the
Dark Order at the July 28th tapings. The promotion
has been building new stars and continues to feature
high-profile matches and events. (Grok)
News
WWE
2K24 Online Stability Hotfix
WWE
2K24 released Patch 1.14 to address online stability
issues, which was automatically applied upon game
loading. The update aimed to fix problems with the
Pat McAfee Show Pack DLC for PS5 users, which was
resolved, allowing the pack to be downloaded. However,
the patch also caused issues with mods on PC, and
some users reported problems with Titantrons in
create an entrance and the unavailability of DLC
for PlayStation 5 users. Despite these issues, WWE
2K24 encouraged players to participate in a giveaway
for SummerSlam and provided a locker code for 7500
VC. (Grok)
Max
Verstappen's Potential Mercedes Move
Speculation
is rife about Max Verstappen potentially joining
Mercedes, fueled by recent high-profile departures
from Red Bull Racing. Despite the rumors, some fans
express skepticism about the likelihood of such
a move. The discussion also touches on the stability
of other drivers' positions within their teams,
with some questioning the rationale behind certain
team decisions. Additionally, there is discussion
about the performance comparison between Verstappen
and his teammate, Perez, at Red Bull Racing. (Grok)
News
Wheatley's
Move from Red Bull to Audi F1
Jonathan
Wheatley, the long-serving sporting director at
Red Bull Racing, is set to leave the team at the
end of the 2024 season to become the new team principal
of the Audi Formula 1 project. This move has been
confirmed by Red Bull and widely reported across
various Formula 1 news outlets. Audi has not officially
commented on Wheatley's appointment, and there are
indications that they were not expecting the announcement.
Wheatley's departure marks a significant change
in leadership for Red Bull and a notable acquisition
for Audi as it prepares to enter Formula 1. The
transition is expected to take place after the 2024
season, with Wheatley remaining in his current role
until then. (Grok)
News
WWE
NXT Great American Bash Week One
The
WWE NXT Great American Bash kicked off with a series
of exciting matches and events, including a WWE
Women's Tag Team Championship match where Alba Fyre
& Isla Dawn defended their titles against Jakara
Jackson & Lash Legend. Other highlights included
a NXT Women’s Championship match between Roxanne
Perez and Thea Hail, a live concert by Joe Hendry,
and a NXT Heritage Cup match between Tony D'Angelo
and Tavion Heights. Fans and commentators expressed
excitement and anticipation for the event, with
many rooting for their favorite wrestlers and speculating
on potential outcomes. (Grok)
News
NXT
Women's Championship: Roxanne Perez Retains
Roxanne
Perez successfully defended her NXT Women's Championship
against Thea Hail in a highly acclaimed match at
NXT GAB. The match was praised for its intensity
and the young ages of the competitors, with both
being under 23 years old. The event also featured
other notable matches, including Joe Hendry expressing
frustration with Gallus and a confirmed match between
Joe Hendry and Joe Coffey for the following week.
The overall event was well-received, highlighting
the talent and potential of the NXT roster. (Grok)
News
Bowlin
Graham's Pocono Win Secures Playoff Spot
Graham
Bowlin secured a spot in the 2024 eNASCAR Coca-Cola
iRacing Series playoffs with a win at Pocono Raceway.
Despite missing out on the playoffs, drivers from
Spire Motorsports expressed pride in their team's
efforts. Nick Ottinger also secured a playoff spot,
marking the seventh consecutive season Team Conti
has fielded at least one car in the post-season.
The playoff lineup includes Steven Wilson, Parker
White, Nick Ottinger, Graham Bowlin, Vicente Salas,
Bobby Zalenski, Tucker Minter, Garrett Lowe, Dylan
Duval, and Daniel Faulkingham. (Grok)
News
CM
Punk's Top 5 Wrestlers of All Time
During
an interview on ESPN's First Take, CM Punk named
his top-5 wrestlers of all time, which included
Harley Race, Terry Funk, Stone Cold Steve Austin,
Eddie Guerrero, and initially Ricky Steamboat, but
he later switched to Roddy Piper. This selection
sparked discussions among fans and commentators,
with some expressing surprise at the absence of
Bret Hart from the list. Punk also highlighted Stone
Cold Steve Austin as the biggest superstar in the
industry. The interview took place ahead of SummerSlam
2024, which is set to occur in a few days, generating
anticipation among wrestling fans. (Grok)
News
Cedric
Alexander's NXT Victory
Cedric
Alexander emerged victorious in a match against
Brooks Jensen on the WWE NXT show. The win was unexpected
by some fans and commentators, and it was celebrated
by many on social media. The event also featured
other matches and announcements, including a promo
by Pete Dunne about his upcoming match with Trick
Williams. (Grok)
News
UFC
Abu Dhabi Event
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to host
a highly anticipated event in Abu Dhabi this Saturday,
featuring a stacked card of fights. Notable fighters
on the card include Tony Ferguson, Cory Sandhagen,
and Mackenzie Dern. The event is free and open to
the public, with a live broadcast on various platforms.
Fans and analysts are discussing the matchups and
sharing their predictions and betting tips for the
fights. Cory Sandhagen is a key focus of the event,
with many fans and analysts predicting a strong
performance from him in his fight against Umar Nurmagomedov.
(Grok)
News
AEW
Returns and Criticisms
The
recent episode of AEW's Dynamite received mixed
reactions from fans and critics, sparking discussions
on various aspects of the show. Topics included
the return of a star after a five-month absence,
the company's approach to pushing certain talents,
and comparisons between AEW and WWE. Some fans expressed
disappointment in the show's content and booking
decisions, while others praised specific moments
and storylines. The discourse highlighted a range
of opinions and critiques regarding AEW's current
direction and its relationship with its audience
and competitors. (Grok)
News
AEW
Collision Viewership Drop Amid Summer Events
AEW
Collision viewership experienced a significant drop,
averaging 383,000 viewers with a 0.12 P18-49 rating,
marking a 19% decrease from the previous week. This
decline was attributed to tough competition from
the Olympics. Meanwhile, WWE's SummerSlam is generating
anticipation, with fans expressing mixed feelings
about the event and the potential outcomes for their
favorite wrestlers. (Grok)
News
Grok
Search: TNA Wrestling
Total
Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) is an American professional
wrestling promotion founded in 2002 by Jeff Jarrett
and Jerry Jarrett. It is currently owned by Anthem
Sports & Entertainment and is based in Nashville,
Tennessee. TNA was initially known as NWA: Total
Nonstop Action until 2004 when it rebranded to its
current name.
TNA
has been known for its innovative matches and storylines,
and it has featured many notable wrestlers such
as Kurt Angle, Sting, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and
Jeff Hardy. The promotion has also been praised
for its women's division, known as the Knockouts
Division, which features some of the top female
wrestlers in the world.
TNA
has faced a number of challenges over the years,
including changes in ownership and a decline in
viewership. However, the promotion has continued
to produce entertaining and innovative content,
and it remains a significant player in the world
of professional wrestling. (Grok)
News
Umar
vs Sandhagen for Title Shot
Umar
Nurmagomedov is set to face Cory Sandhagen at UFC
Abu Dhabi, with the winner potentially earning a
title shot against the victor of the Sean O'Malley
vs Merab Dvalishvili bout. The event also features
Tony Ferguson, who is looking to make a comeback.
The fight card is generating significant interest
and betting activity among fans and analysts. Additionally,
there are discussions about potential matchups for
Shakur Stevenson, including a verbal agreement for
a fight with William Zepeda, although no official
agreement has been reached yet. The event is also
notable for Khabib Nurmagomedov's involvement in
Umar's corner. (Grok)
News
Ruiz
vs Miller: Boxing Showdown in Riyadh
On
August 3, 2024, a significant boxing event is set
to take place featuring several high-profile matches.
The main event includes a face-off between Andy
Ruiz and Jarrell Miller, which has garnered significant
attention and anticipation. Other notable fights
on the card include a matchup between Isaac Pitbull
and Jose Valenzuela, which is expected to be a highlight
of the evening. Additionally, the event features
the return of Andy Cruz against Antonio Moran, adding
to the excitement. The event is part of the Riyadh
Season and will be broadcasted on ESPN Plus PPV.
(Grok)
News
Russell
Disqualified, Hamilton Wins Belgian GP
Lewis
Hamilton was declared the winner of the Belgian
Grand Prix after his teammate George Russell was
disqualified for having an underweight car. Russell
initially crossed the line first but was stripped
of his win due to the technical violation. Hamilton's
victory marked his second win in three races, sparking
discussions among fans and commentators about the
nature of his win and Russell's performance. The
disqualification also led to Oscar Piastri being
promoted to second place, and Charles Leclerc finishing
third for Ferrari. (Grok)
News
F1
Drivers Pole Positions and Race Outcomes Debate
In
recent Formula 1 races, Charles Leclerc has been
praised for his ability to secure pole positions
and maintain leads in a slower car, contrasting
with Lando Norris's performance in a faster car.
Max Verstappen has consistently performed well,
often starting from lower positions and finishing
higher, despite debates about the relative performance
of his car. The current season is highly competitive,
with several drivers from different teams closely
competing in points, highlighting the tight competition
in Formula 1. (Grok)
News
US
Women's Rugby Wins First Olympic Medal
The
United States women's rugby sevens team won their
first Olympic medal, a bronze, in a dramatic match
against Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The
victory was sealed by a last-minute try and conversion
by Alex Sedrick. Meanwhile, Simone Biles led the
United States to a dominant victory in the women's
gymnastics team final, securing her fifth career
Olympic gold medal and becoming the most decorated
U.S. Olympic gymnast in history with a total of
8 medals. (Grok)
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July
1, 2024
Buyers
failed to pick up on the crypto market
Market
picture
The
crypto market has been enjoying an influx of buyers
since Saturday, with a visible acceleration on Monday.
Over the past 24 hours, capitalisation has risen
3.6% to $2.33 trillion. Last week’s drop in
the crypto sentiment index to 30 (fear zone) reversed
the price twice, showing that the market is dominated
by a ‘buy the dip’ pattern.
Bitcoin
is trading near $63.3K, adding 5% since Saturday
morning and reaffirming the importance of support
at 61.8% of the Jan-March rally. From another perspective,
Bitcoin is adding and bouncing off the lower boundary
of the downward channel. Likely, the price is now
moving towards the upper boundary at $67K. However,
cautious buyers may prefer to wait for confirmation
with the price rising above $72-73K - the pivot
area of the last four months - which would be confirmation
of the start of a new impulsive wave of growth.
Bitcoin
ended June down 8.5% to $61.9K. In terms of seasonality,
July is considered quite successful for BTC, adding
eight times (22.3% on average) out of the last 13
and declining on five occasions (-7.8% on average).
News
background
In
terms of on-chain analysis, quotes have crossed
the realised price level of short-term holders at
$62,000, which historically can act as support during
corrections in bull markets.
According
to Arkham data, German authorities sent another
595 BTC worth ~$36.6 million to crypto exchanges
on 26 June. Authorities began actively moving the
cryptocurrency on 19 June, when some of it first
hit the Kraken and Bitstamp exchanges.
Bitwise
forecasts net inflows into spot ETH-ETFs in the
US of $15bn in the first 18 months. Bloomberg expects
trading in the new product to start on 2 July.
Solana
Foundation has launched tools that enable it to
turn any website or app into a gateway for cryptocurrency
payments and other blockchain transactions.
On
26 June, the Blast development team completed the
first phase of an airdrop, distributing 17 billion
BLAST tokens (17% of the total issuance). Blast
is an Ethereum-based layer 2 (L2) network that was
launched in November 2023 by Blur founder under
the pseudonym Pacman. In terms of blockchain value
locked (TVL), the Blast ecosystem is ranked sixth
in the DeFi Llama ranking with a value of $1.58bn.
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Donald
Trump to Headline Bitcoin 2024 Conference in Nashville
July
11, 2024
Former
President Donald Trump has been confirmed as a keynote
speaker at the upcoming Bitcoin 2024 conference
set to take place in Nashville, Tennessee.
This
news comes as a significant development for the
event, known for its major industry announcements
and influential speakers. The conference, which
has previously been hosted in Miami, has established
itself as a platform for groundbreaking news within
the cryptocurrency space.
Bitcoin
2021, the inaugural conference, made headlines when
El Salvador officially declared Bitcoin as legal
tender. The subsequent Bitcoin 2022 and Bitcoin
2023 conferences continued the trend of notable
moments, including a powerful speech by U.S. Presidential
candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in support of the
Bitcoin industry.
This
year, the shift of the conference location from
Miami to Nashville signifies its increasing prominence
on the global stage. With two former U.S. Presidential
candidates, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump,
slated to speak, Bitcoin 2024 is anticipated to
be a pivotal event that could potentially impact
the future trajectory of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency
policies in the United States.
Donald
Trump’s participation in the conference is
especially noteworthy considering his recent engagements
with the Bitcoin community. Earlier this year, Trump
met with prominent U.S. Bitcoin miners, including
representatives from CleanSpark, where he reiterated
his support for Bitcoin mining both domestically
and internationally. In a statement, Trump pledged
to prioritize the development of Bitcoin and crypto
initiatives in the United States and safeguard the
rights of the nation’s 50 million crypto holders
if re-elected as president.
As
Trump embarks on his presidential campaign, his
alignment with the Bitcoin industry stands in contrast
to the position of his potential rival, President
Joe Biden, who has shown less enthusiasm towards
the cryptocurrency sector. While Biden’s participation
in Bitcoin 2024 remains unconfirmed, the event could
underscore the divergent approaches of the two candidates
towards Bitcoin and its implications for U.S. policies.
For
additional details on the Bitcoin 2024 conference
and to secure a discounted ticket using a promotional
code, interested individuals can visit the official
event website. Bitcoin Magazine, a subsidiary of
BTC Inc, the organizer of the largest Bitcoin conference,
The Bitcoin Conference, will be overseeing the event.
Websites
Bitcoin
2024
https://b.tc/conference/2024
Bitcoin
Magazine
https://bitcoinmagazine.com
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