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January
2026
Updated
Just
Before The Bell!
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
The
Lead Up
Jan
2
Australian
Dollar: $0.6670 USD (unchanged)
Iron Ore: Bid $104.00 USD (public holiday)
Oil Price: $57.42 USD (unchanged - public holiday)
Dow Jones: 48,063.29 (down 303.77 points)
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
News
Lead Up
24
+ 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/Biz/Culture
January
2, 2026
Bitcoin
Never Sleeps Edition
Santa
def Grinch
Sydney
to Wall Street, New York and Beyond
ASX
futures down 31 points/0.4% to 8676
AUD -0.1% at US66.66¢
Bitcoin $88,602.45 +0.87%
Dow closed
S&P closed
Nasdaq closed
Gold -0.5% to $US4319.37 oz
Brent -0.8% at $US60.85 a b
BNB
$861.70 -1.14%
XRP $1.8761 +1.93%
DOGE $0.1266 +6.96%
News
Pop
Culture
Santa
def Grinch
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking
Santa
vs Grinch
Bulls vs Bears
Crypto King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
News
Pop
Culture News
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream
Match Series; Crack The Code!
Million
Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets
Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation
Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr Cardona
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far! Re-match!
Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle
UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs NYC and Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
UFC Legal vs UFC Bad Egg Betting Disruptors
Bulls vs Bears
Logan Paul vs WWE babyfaces
Santa's Helper vs Grinch
John McAfee vs FBI + + +, Running .... Netflix Wins
again!
Killer Kross vs Matt Riddle - Shoot Fight/Wrestling
(MLW)! Holliday working web?! Most Marketable?!
VKM vs Numerous!
MLW vs The World
The Big Event vs US Promoters
Storm vs WWE Locker Room. Lash Legend on side!
NXT Gold Rush: Page & Green vs Hendry & Hail
Baszler vs Itoh - HOG Superclash - Nov 15
MSG, NY winning with WWE and UFC in Nov
The Vision vs WWE Lockerroom
John Cena vs Dirty Dom
Miz vs Management
Jericho vs Internet Marks
Mr Gold vs Mr Fool's Gold
Neo vs Mr Smith
PBR vs Others. No Bull?!
Aus Gvt vs Big Tech
Banks vs Cryptos
NVIDIA vs World
White House vs Wokes
Packer vs Devil D
Lucha Bros vs AAA Heels
WWE Black Scorpion/Masked Man vs Babyfaces
CM Punk vs The Hood
Starks vs Oba Femi - NXT Deadline
TNA Wrestling vs Dirtsheets
TKO vs Naysayers
John Cena vs Gunther: SNME
Chris Jericho and Mr X vs IWC
Mr Netflix vs Mr Paramount
Triple H vs (many) Washington Cena Fans!
WWE vs Lucha LIbra AAA - Friendly TKO b2b
News
Best
Quotes
An
investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
— Benjamin Franklin
"Bottoms
in the investment world don't end with four-year lows;
they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim
Rogers
Be
fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when
others are fearful." — Warren Buffett
Media
Man "Bullish is a mindset"
News
The
dollar may defy expectations
The
return of American exceptionalism will help the greenback.
The yen will start the new year with interventions,
and the RBA with a rate hike. The US dollar ends 2025
with its worst performance in nearly a decade. By
mid-September, fears for the fate of the US economy
due to tariffs and expectations of Fed rate cuts had
caused the USD index to plummet to its lowest level
in 3.5 years. However, the greenback then recovered
thanks to large-scale investments in artificial intelligence,
GDP growth and capital inflows into the stock market.
At the end of the year, divergence in monetary policy
between the Fed and other central banks caused the
USD index to fall. Goldman Sachs believes that the
downward trend for the US dollar will continue in
2026, albeit on a smaller scale. The main drivers
of the greenback's decline will be accelerating economic
growth abroad and lower federal funds rates. The consensus
forecast of major Wall Street banks is for EURUSD
to rise to 1.2 and GBPUSD to 1.36 by the end of 2026.
What could go wrong? A Supreme Court ruling that the
White House tariffs are illegal would sow chaos in
financial markets and force investors to buy the US
dollar as a safe-haven asset. A big and beautiful
tax cut bill, coupled with investments in artificial
intelligence, will boost GDP and bring back the theme
of American exceptionalism to the markets. As a result,
the Fed will have less reason to ease monetary policy.
The federal funds rate will be cut only once in 2026,
if at all. If the factors of divergence in monetary
policy and the narrowing gap in economic growth between
the US and the eurozone do not work, investors' views
on the fate of the US dollar will change radically.
History may play in favour of the greenback. In 2017,
Donald Trump's first year as president, the USD index
weakened significantly. However, in 2018, it recovered
some of its lost ground. The yen will start 2026 under
the sign of intervention. The government is unhappy
with the USDJPY rally, and the Bank of Japan has failed
to break the bulls' back by raising the overnight
rate to its highest level since 1995. Either a rapid
continuation of the cycle of monetary restriction
or Tokyo's intervention in the Forex market is required.
The Australian dollar appears to be the favourite
thanks to expectations of a key rate hike by the Reserve
Bank and the Chinese economy's adaptation to US tariffs.
(FxPro)
News
Silver
stirs up the markets
Precious
metal sell-offs shake investors
Donald
Trump renews criticism of the Fed
While
major global currencies, led by the US dollar, are
recovering very slowly after Christmas, the precious
metals market has been rocked by a real thriller.
Silver and other assets in the sector have plummeted.
For XAGUSD, the fall was the largest since the beginning
of 2021. The trigger was an increase in CME margin
requirements for related futures contracts. This forced
speculators to take profits and triggered a pullback.
Silver saw a record rally in 2025. The 150% increase
is significantly higher than that of gold and other
assets in the sector. At the same time, the white
metal is still far from the inflation-adjusted price
record set in 1980. To return to that level, silver
would have to cost $200 per ounce today. ETF stocks
have grown by 150 million ounces this year, but are
still far from the highs recorded in 2021. The ratio
to gold also has room to fall.
Speculators
have used these arguments to justify the need for
further purchases of XAGUSD. There is indeed serious
competition between the US, Europe and Asia in the
physical asset market. This is due to the risks of
Washington imposing tariffs on silver imports after
adding it to the list of critical minerals. However,
the silver rally looks too rapid and resembles a bubble,
and it is quite possible that it may have burst. After
the CME raised margin requirements in February 2021,
the white metal collapsed by 43% over 18 months. Other
assets in the sector are following silver. Despite
the post-Christmas sell-off, gold is heading for its
second-best performance in a year in history. The
first was in 1979. The XAUUSD pullback does not look
like a burst bubble. The US economy risks slowing
down in 2026, and the Fed may accelerate the cycle
of monetary policy easing, especially under pressure
from the White House.
Donald
Trump is back to his old ways. The US president said
he would gladly fire Jerome Powell as Fed chairman.
He said that Powell was too slow to cut interest rates.
At the same time, the US administration does not rule
out filing a lawsuit against the head of the central
bank for incompetence due to excessive spending on
renovating the Fed's headquarters. The White House
wants to make room in the FOMC for the ‘doves’.
This increases the risks of a weakening US dollar.
(FxPro)
News
Dec
25
Precious
metals rewarded for success
The
US dollar is falling as a safe-haven asset amid growing
risk appetite
Gold is performing well, but other assets in the sector
are looking even better GDP growth of 4.3% in the
third quarter did not help the US dollar. It would
seem that the strength of the economy, the rise in
Treasury bond yields and the decline in the likelihood
of the Fed easing monetary policy in March to less
than 50% should have cooled the hot heads of the EURUSD
bulls. However, greed reigns supreme in the financial
markets. The S&P 500 closed at a record high,
which had a negative impact on the USD index. Donald
Trump was encouraged by the success of the US economy,
citing tariffs as the main reason. The president said
that the new Fed chairman would cut rates if the market
was performing well. Investors should be rewarded
for their success. Support from the White House is
helping US stock indices, improving global risk appetite
and reducing demand for the dollar as a safe-haven
asset. In such conditions, high-yield currencies feel
most at home. The British pound reached a three-month
high against the greenback, and the Australian dollar
reached a 14-month high. After the Reserve Bank signalled
the end of the monetary policy easing cycle, the futures
market began to price in expectations of a cash rate
hike in 2026. By Christmas, the start date for monetary
tightening had shifted to June, which created a tailwind
for AUDUSD. Investors in a Bloomberg survey see the
Bank of England's neutral rate at 3.25% and estimate
the chances of it falling to 3% in 2026 as fifty-fifty.
They are more dovish than the BoE. At their December
meeting, Andrew Bailey and his colleagues opted for
caution, which supported GBPUSD. Meanwhile, gold has
broken through the psychologically important level
of $4,500 per ounce. JP Morgan forecasts XAUUSD to
rise to 5,000 by the end of 2026 and estimates the
scale of bullion purchases by central banks and retail
investors at 585 tonnes per quarter. According to
the bank, every 100 tonnes above the base 350 tonnes
leads to a 2% increase in precious metal prices. Gold
has already gained more than 70% in value in 2025
and is heading for its best performance since 1979.
Other assets in the precious metals sector are growing
even faster. Prices for silver, platinum and palladium
have more than doubled this year. Along with strong
investment demand, fears about the introduction of
US import duties are playing into their hands. (FxPro)
News
Biz
Culture News Lead Up
48
+ hours ago
News
Media
Man Favs
TKO
$216.11 -1.33 -0.61%
Alphabet Inc Class A $313.56 +0.050 +0.016%
Netflix Inc $94.15 -0.32 -0.34%
Paramount Skydance Corp $13.50 -0.090 -0.66%
Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany
ADR $4.60 -0.040 +0.86%
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $17.54 +0.11 +0.63%
News
Gold
Dec
24
Gold
passes $4500 for first time
Gold
has surpassed $US4500 an ounce for the first time
on escalating geopolitical tensions and prospects
for more US rate cuts. Spot gold rose1.5 per cent
to $US4504.59 an ounce at 10.38am AEDT, taking total
gains for the year past 70 per cent. This year is
shaping up to deliver the best return to gold investors
in over 40 years.Traders are betting the Federal Reserve
will follow three straight interest-rate cuts by lowering
the cost of borrowing again next year, which would
be a tailwind for non-yielding precious metals. Gold’s
haven appeal has also been amplified in the last week
by rising geopolitical tensions, particularly in Venezuela,
where the US has blockaded oil tankers as it ratchets
up pressure on the government of President Nicolás
Maduro. Gold miners on the ASX were, however, mixed.
Newmont was down 0.5 per cent, Northern Star was up
0.9 per cent and Evolution Mining up by 1.2 per cent.
News
Market
Recap
January
2, 2026
Australian
Dollar: $0.6670 USD (unchanged) Iron Ore: Bid $104.00
USD (public holiday) Oil Price: $57.42 USD (unchanged
- public holiday) Gold Price: $2,659.37 USD (down
$3.16 USD) Copper Price: $4.0305 (down 0.0875 USD)
Bitcoin: $88,211.47 (up 1.07%) Dow Jones: 48,063.29
(down 303.77 points)
News
Jan
2
NYSE
Closed
TKO
Group Holdings Inc: $209.00 -5.17 -2.41%
News
Big
Bash sell-off will 'kill Test cricket'
Cricket
Australia is under growing criticism over a proposal
to privatise the eight Big Bash League teams. Former
Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings is amongst
those to have questioned the proposal; amongst other
things, he contends that Australian cricket does not
the influx of money that would come from selling stakes
in BBL teams. He is also concerned that privatisatiom
would be detrimental to Test cricket in Australia,
because the new investors would expect top players
to prioritise their BBL franchise rather than the
long form of the game. Test cricket is already under
scrutiny after two of the matches in the current Ashes
series were over in less than two days, including
the flagship Boxing Day Test at the MCG; the fifth
Test starts on Sunday at the SCG, with Australia leading
the series 3-1. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Venus
rising with Australian Open wildcard
Tennis
Australia director Craig Tiley has described Venus
Williams' return for the 2026 tournament as a "win
for fans and tennis". The winner of seven grand
slam titles has not played in the Australian Open
since 2021, and she has not competed internationally
since 2023; at the age of 45, Williams will be the
oldest woman to compete in the Australian Open during
the modern era. She has been granted a wildcard to
appear in both the Australian Open and the Hobart
International. However, Tennis Australia is yet to
announce whether Nick Kyrgios will be given a wildcard
for the Australian Open, which begins on 12 January.
(RMS)
News
Australia/China
China
imposes beef quotas, now all eyes on Australia’s
EU trade deal
The
federal government will face growing pressure to finalise
a much-stalled free-trade agreement with the European
Union following China's move to introduce import controls
on beef. China has imposed a total import quota of
2.69 million tonnes in 2026, which will rise to 2.74
million tonnes next year; shipments that exceed the
quota will be subject to a 55 per cent duty, in a
move that is aimed at protecting local producers.
Australia's annual beef quota has been set at 205,000
tonnes, and Trade Minister Don Farrell says the federal
government expect the nation's status as a valued
Free Trade Agreement partner to be respected by China.
Australia exported 216,050 tonnes of beef to China
in 2024. (RMS)
News
Awards
Google
Finance wins Media Man 'Business News Website Of The
Month'; Runner-up: Yahoo! Finance
The
Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newspaper
Of The Year' award (2025)
Sky
News Australia wins Media Man 'Australian Based News
Outlet Of The Year' award
TKO
Group wins Media Man 'Entertainment Promoter Of The
Year' award
Netflix
wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Year' award
Mack
Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Brand Of The Year' award
Caterpillar
wis Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Brand Of The Year'
award
X
and YouTube Tie for Media Man 'Platform Of The Year'
award
Markets,
Cryptos and Biz
December
2025
Dec
30
Sydney,
Australia to Wall St, New York
Digital
Bush Telegraph
Markets
ASX
200 futures pointing down 6 points/0.1% to 8711
AUD
-0.3% to US66.93¢
Bitcoin
$87,218.84 -0.73%
Wall
St:
Dow -0.5%
S&P -0.4%
Nasdaq -0.5%
VIX +0.59 to 14.19
Gold
-4.4% to $US4335.01 an ounce
Silver -6.8% to $US71.94/oz
Platinum -13.8% to $US2118.03/oz
Brent oil +1.8% to $US61.75 a barrel
Iron ore +1.3% to $US106.05 a tonne
10-year
yield: US 4.11% Australia 4.75%
Cryptos
Bitcoin
$87,218.84 -0.73%
XRP $1.8529 -0.70%
BNB $852.81 -0.71%
Dogecoin $0.1231 -0.64%
Stockmarket
US
Stock Market Overview (as of late December 2025)
The
US stock market is in a strong bull run heading into
the final days of 2025, with major indices near all-time
highs and on track for a robust year-end close. Trading
volume has been light post-holidays, but sentiment
remains positive amid resilient economic growth, AI-driven
gains, and expectations of a "Santa Claus rally"
(the seasonal uptrend in the last five trading days
of the year and first two of the next).
Key
Index Levels (from the most recent close on December
26, 2025)
S&P
500 — Closed at approximately 6,930 (down slightly
that day but hit an intraday high near 6,946). Up
nearly 18% year-to-date, with the index eyeing the
psychological 7,000 milestone in the coming sessions.
Dow
Jones Industrial Average — Closed at around 48,711
(fractionally lower), up solidly for the year.
Nasdaq
Composite — Closed near 23,593, up about 22%
YTD, led by tech and AI stocks
Markets
were closed on December 27 (weekend) and reopen on
December 29 for the last few trading days of 2025.
Expect thin liquidity and potential for modest moves
as investors position for 2026.
Broader
Context
2025
has been a resilient year despite challenges like
early tariff impacts, AI spending concerns, and Fed
rate adjustments (benchmark now at 3.50%-3.75%). Tech
and AI names (e.g., Nvidia crossing $5T market cap)
have dominated, but there's been rotation into cyclicals,
materials, and foreign equities. Precious metals like
gold and silver are at historic highs amid safe-haven
demand.
Wall
Street forecasts for 2026 are bullish, with many targeting
S&P 500 levels between 7,100–8,100. However,
history suggests potential pullbacks after strong
years, so caution on overvaluation is advised. (Grok)
News
Dec
24
Precious
metals rewarded for success
The
US dollar is falling as a safe-haven asset amid growing
risk appetite.
Gold
is performing well, but other assets in the sector
are looking even better.
GDP
growth of 4.3% in the third quarter did not help the
US dollar. It would seem that the strength of the
economy, the rise in Treasury bond yields and the
decline in the likelihood of the Fed easing monetary
policy in March to less than 50% should have cooled
the hot heads of the EURUSD bulls. However, greed
reigns supreme in the financial markets.
The
S&P 500 closed at a record high, which had a negative
impact on the USD index.
Donald
Trump was encouraged by the success of the US economy,
citing tariffs as the main reason. The president said
that the new Fed chairman would cut rates if the market
was performing well. Investors should be rewarded
for their success. Support from the White House is
helping US stock indices, improving global risk appetite
and reducing demand for the dollar as a safe-haven
asset. In such conditions, high-yield currencies feel
most at home.
The
British pound reached a three-month high against the
greenback, and the Australian dollar reached a 14-month
high. After the Reserve Bank signalled the end of
the monetary policy easing cycle, the futures market
began to price in expectations of a cash rate hike
in 2026.
By
Christmas, the start date for monetary tightening
had shifted to June, which created a tailwind for
AUDUSD.
Investors
in a Bloomberg survey see the Bank of England's neutral
rate at 3.25% and estimate the chances of it falling
to 3% in 2026 as fifty-fifty. They are more dovish
than the BoE. At their December meeting, Andrew Bailey
and his colleagues opted for caution, which supported
GBPUSD. Meanwhile, gold has broken through the psychologically
important level of $4,500 per ounce.
JP
Morgan forecasts XAUUSD to rise to 5,000 by the end
of 2026 and estimates the scale of bullion purchases
by central banks and retail investors at 585 tonnes
per quarter. According to the bank, every 100 tonnes
above the base 350 tonnes leads to a 2% increase in
precious metal prices.
Gold
has already gained more than 70% in value in 2025
and is heading for its best performance since 1979.
Other
assets in the precious metals sector are growing even
faster. Prices for silver, platinum and palladium
have more than doubled this year. Along with strong
investment demand, fears about the introduction of
US import duties are playing into their hands. (FxPro)
News
Dec
29
A
confident Euro and a vulnerable Yen
Rapid GDP growth in the eurozone has helped EURUSD.
USDJPY
risks rising to 164. Christmas week turned out to
be the worst for the US dollar since June. Falling
Treasury yields and new S&P 500 records caused
the USD index to retreat. The chances of the Fed easing
monetary policy in March rose above 50% again, and
there is active discussion in Forex about the new
Fed chair. Historically, central bank chiefs have
had a significant influence on the FOMC. Donald Trump's
man could bring down interest rates and the greenback.
However, the Fed is not a one-man show. Decisions
are made collectively based on incoming data. The
longer the pause in the monetary expansion cycle lasts,
the higher the chances of a correction in the EURUSD
to an upward trend. In this case, the yield differential
between US and German bonds will remain wide. Money
will flow from Europe to the United States, strengthening
the dollar. In the medium term, monetary policy divergence
and a narrowing gap in GDP growth could play in favour
of the euro. Financial Times experts expect the eurozone
economy to expand by 1.2% in 2026 and 1.4% in 2027.
In 2025, it will grow by 1.4%, significantly more
than the 0.9% forecast at the end of 2024. Faster
economic growth in the currency bloc has been one
of the key drivers of the EURUSD's 13.5% rally this
year. Another trump card for the euro has been the
divergence in monetary policy. Financial Times experts
believe that the ECB's deposit rate will remain at
2% until the end of 2026 and rise to 2.25% in 2027.
The futures market expects two acts of monetary expansion
from the Fed next year. The narrowing of the spread
between US and German bond yields is a strong argument
in favour of maintaining the upward trend in EURUSD.
Meanwhile, the number of yen bears is growing after
the Bank of Japan failed to bring about a serious
correction in USDJPY by raising the overnight rate
in December. BNP Paribas forecasts the pair to rise
to 160 by the end of 2026, while JP Morgan forecasts
164. The strengthening of the greenback has caused
gold to retreat from record highs. The precious metal
is heading for its best annual performance since 1979.
Since the beginning of the year, it has risen by more
than 70%, partly due to capital inflows into ETFs.
The reserves of the largest specialised exchange-traded
fund, SPDR Gold Shares, have increased by more than
20%.
News
Dec
29
Miners
and Metals
Nickel
price jumps as Indonesia signals big production cut
Nickel
prices are at a seven-month high after Indonesia,
the world’s biggest producer, signalled plans
to cut supply of the metal in a Christmas gift for
struggling Australian miners who have been shuttering
projects.
The
rising prices came after Indonesian media reported
Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia had confirmed
plans for unspecified production cuts. A group representing
Indonesian nickel miners this month said it expected
Jakarta to enforce a 34 per cent cut in volumes next
year.
While
the size of the cuts has not been finalised, the comments
suggest the worst could be over for miners after a
two-and-a-half year period in which prices for the
metal were crushed by excess production in Indonesia.
Nickel
was a fashionable commodity for investors between
2017 and 2022 on expectations that demand would rise
in line with the metal’s use in the batteries
used in electric vehicles. Prices reached $US30,000
a tonne in late 2022, but a wave of Indonesian supply
emerged in 2023 as new technology allowed low-grade
material to be cheaply processed into top quality
metal.
The
extra supply pushed nickel prices below $US20,000
since mid-2023, forcing Australian miners like BHP
and Panoramic Resources to mothball their Western
Australian mines, refineries and smelters.
The
price had slumped to $US14,110 a tonne at the London
Metal Exchange on December 16, but has rallied to
$US15,430 after reports of Indonesian production cuts.
The price had not been above $US15,400 since May.
The
recovery could help BHP’s nickel assets just
14 months before a self-imposed deadline to decide
whether they should be permanently closed. BHP mothballed
the assets last year in the belief the supply surge
was a structural change to nickel markets, and not
merely a cyclical one.
BHP
announced at its August half-year results that it
would attempt to sell the assets, but finding a buyer
has proved difficult given the enormous rehabilitation
obligations attached to them. If a buyer cannot be
found, BHP will permanently shut the nickel division
in February 2027.
Another
potential winner from a nickel price recovery would
be businessman Duncan Saville, whose companies control
the mothballed Savannah mine in WA. The mine closures
have seen Australian exports slump from about 180,000
tonnes in 2017 to 81,000 tonnes this year.
The
Industry Department provided a gloomy outlook for
the sector in a report published on December 19, predicting
prices would stay low, and export volumes would fall
further as IGO Limited prepared for the Nova-Bollinger
nickel mine in WA to reach the end of its working
life.
Closure
of Nova would leave Glencore’s Murrin Murrin
operation as the last remaining major nickel mine
in the country.
Industry
Department economists predicted Australia will ship
just 49,000 tonnes of nickel in 2027; down 73 per
cent in a decade.
Batteries
account for about 16 per cent of global nickel demand,
with the stainless-steel sector still buying about
63 per cent of the world’s nickel.
Fitch
predicts nickel prices will average $US16,000 a tonne
in 2026.
Silver
continues to soar
Signs
of recovery in nickel prices come as silver prices
have soared. The precious metal was fetching $US28.83
an ounce on the final trading day of 2024, but soared
to a record high $US79.27 on Boxing Day 2025.
Financial
markets have traditionally used gold prices to determine
an appropriate price for silver, and the rally in
silver prices is partly linked to the earlier rally
in gold prices over the last 12 months.
Very
few mines are primarily focused on silver production,
with the metal typically occurring as a byproduct
at mines that are focused on copper, zinc or lead.
Australia’s biggest silver producers include
South32’s Cannington mine in Queensland, Glencore’s
Mount Isa hub and BHP’s Olympic Dam.
Iltani
Resources, an ASX-listed miner exploring for silver,
zinc, lead and indium near Herberton in Queensland,
is one producer that has seen its share price jump
more than 200 per cent alongside the silver rally.
“It
puts us in a really good position to hit 2026 with
a really aggressive drill program,” said Iltani
managing director Donald Garner. (AFR). *Full article
and coverage via The Australian Financial Review
News
VC/Sports
Biz/Tech News
Jake
& Logan Paul Announce $30M Venture Fund Backing
AI, Robotics Startups
Anti
Fund, co-founded by YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul
and entrepreneur Geoffrey Woo, closed its oversubscribed
$30 million Anti Fund I on December 3, bringing the
firm’s total assets under management to more
than $65 million. The firm named influencer and WWE
star Logan Paul as a general partner, marking the
first time the Paul brothers have become business
partners.
According
to a press release, the venture capital firm concentrates
its investments in artificial intelligence and robotics
companies. Anti Fund focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage
ventures, as well as select growth-stage industry
leaders. The portfolio includes OpenAI, Anduril, Ramp,
Cognition, Polymarket, Flock Safety, and Physical
Intelligence.
Investment
Strategy
Anti
Fund employs what it calls an “extreme barbell
strategy,” making first checks of $100,000 to
$500,000 for 10% ownership in technical founders,
while also deploying $10 million or more in growth
investments into industry leaders.
The
fund’s limited partners include institutional
investors Aquarian Holdings and Autilus Partners,
as well as individual investors Marc Andreessen and
Chris Dixon. Focuspoint Private Capital Group served
as the exclusive placement agent for the fund.
Founder
Background
Woo holds a bachelor’s degree with honors and
distinction in computer science from Stanford and
has co-authored numerous U.S. patents and peer-reviewed
scientific papers.
Jake
Paul built his career as a professional boxer and
entrepreneur. Logan Paul founded PRIME, a beverage
brand, and performs as a professional wrestler.
“Jake,
what I realized is that he is essentially an avatar
of the American dream, and I think Logan, in a very
similar parallel sense, also represents that,”
Woo said in an interview with FOX Business.
“When
Jake named Anti Fund, I think we all share the same
belief, that the people that create the future are
the crazy ones that believe they can do it.”
Business
Philosophy
The firm positions itself as founder-friendly, emphasizing
what it calls the intersection of capital and attention.
While capital remains a commodity, Anti Fund leverages
the Paul brothers’ cultural influence to source
founders and accelerate portfolio company growth.
Jake
Paul discussed his long-standing interest in venture
capital, noting he met with companies including Google,
Uber, and Twitter in Silicon Valley as a teenager.“
Not
only are we investors, but we can disrupt Logan with
PRIME, me with W, Betr is always in the top five in
the App Store is absolutely crushing it,” Paul
told FOX.
“And
these are companies that we’ve incubated ourselves,
because if no one else is building it and we see a
hole in the market, we can hire the best teams and
grow and scale these companies in a major way.”
Anti
Fund has incubated and funded several of Jake Paul’s
business ventures, including W and Betr Media.
Rudy
Sahay, founder and managing partner of Aquarian Holdings,
said the fund closing “validates the confidence
investors have in their strategy” and noted the
firm “carved out a unique position at the intersection
of frontier technologies and culture.”
Best Quotes
Cryptocurrency,
Finance and World
"Volatility
is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." - Michael
Saylor
"Bitcoin
is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and
tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme."
— Naval Ravikant
"We
have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical
framework that is free of politics and human error."
— Tyler Winklevoss
"You
can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere,
and the world will have to readjust. World governments
will have to readjust." — John McAfee
"Bitcoin
is the most important invention in the history of
the world since the Internet." — Roger Ver
"Cryptocurrency
is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn
governments." — Charles Lee
"In
the future, national currencies will become obsolete.
Bitcoin will become the single global currency."
— Jack Dorsey
"The
future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in
payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng
Zhao
"Crypto
offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged."
— Elizabeth Stark
"The
new frontier of innovation is in decentralization.
Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott
"Digital
currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter
of how long before governments embrace it." —
Brad Garlinghouse
Pop
Culture
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking
Santa
vs Grinch
Bulls vs Bears
Crypto King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
News
Media
Man Favs
TKO
$216.11 -1.33 -0.61%
Alphabet Inc Class A $313.56 +0.050 +0.016%
Netflix Inc $94.15 -0.32 -0.34%
Paramount Skydance Corp $13.50 -0.090 -0.66%
Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany
ADR $4.60 -0.040 +0.86%
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $17.54 +0.11 +0.63%
Markets,
Cryptos, Biz and Culture
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"
Mining/Energy/Rare
Earths/Biz/Culture/Politics: Australia, U.S and World
News
November
2025
Markets
Nov
20
Australian
Dollar: $0.6470 USD (down 0.0050 USD)
Iron Ore: $104.10 USD (down $0.35 USD)
Oil: $59.40 USD (down $1.47 USD)
Gold: $4,078.16 USD (up $8.39 USD)
Copper: $5.0240 USD (up $0.0465 USD)
Bitcoin: $89,094.29 USD (down 4.18%)
Dow Jones: 46,152.05 (up 60.31 points)
Bitcoin:
(Near Live) $92,515.21 +0.05%
News
Miners
Mineral
Resources Ltd $49.88 +1.28 +2.64%
Rio
Tinto $85.65 +1.90 2.27% (U.S)
BHP
Group Ltd $53.47 -0.24 -0.45% (U.S)
Fortescue
Ltd $13.55 +0.45 +3.40% (U.S)
Evolution
Mining $11.43 +3.53% (Australia ASX)
Newmont
Corporation $87.51 +0.91 +1.05% (U.S)
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
Deep
yellow braces for showdown
Shares
in uranium miner Deep Yellow have fallen by more than
30 per cent since the resignation of long-serving
CEO John Borshoff on 20 October. The company's market
capitalisation rose from just $50m to about $2bn during
Borshoff's tenure, although it was actively targeted
by short sellers earlier in 2025. Deep Yellow will
hold its AGM today, and Paradice Investment Management
will lead a push by fund managers for the company
to encourage Borshoff to reverse his decision to leave.
Deep Yellow had advised in October that Borshoff will
remain at the company as an adviser until the end
of this month. (RMS)
News
Trade/Politics
Trump
and Saudi Crown Prince Unveil Nearly $1 Trillion U.S.
Investment Commitments
During
Oval Office talks, a White House dinner, and the U.S.-Saudi
Investment Forum, President Donald Trump and Saudi
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman elevated Saudi investment
pledges from $600 billion to nearly $1 trillion, targeting
infrastructure, AI, critical minerals, and nuclear
energy. Agreements totaled $270 billion, including
Saudi Aramco's $30 billion deals and Nvidia projects,
while defense pacts designated Saudi Arabia a major
non-NATO ally with F-35 jets and tanks. Trump also
pledged U.S. collaboration with Saudi Arabia, UAE,
and Egypt to end Sudan's atrocities at bin Salman's
request. (Grok)
News
Entertainment/Pop
Culture
Sarah's
Oil (2025)
The
remarkable true story of eleven year old Sarah Rector,
an African American girl born in Oklahoma Indian Territory
in the early 1900s, who believes there is oil beneath
the barren land she's allotted and whose faith is
proven right.
Sarah's
Oil is a 2025 American biographical drama film regarding
Sarah Rector, being directed, co-produced, and co-written
by Cyrus Nowrasteh. It is inspired by the 2014 book
Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl
in America by Tonya Bolden. It stars Zachary Levi,
Naya Desir-Johnson, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Garret
Dillahunt.
Released
theatrically by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer through Amazon
MGM Studios on November 7, 2025, Sarah's Oil received
generally positive reviews from critics.
News
Lithium
giant's forecast hikes mining stocks
Chinese
media outlet Cailian recently reported that Ganfeng
Lithium chairman Li Liangbin has forecast that demand
for lithium could rise by 30 per cent in 2026 and
boost the price of the battery metal to around 200,000
yuan ($43,000) per tonne. Li's comments at an industry
event have prompted a rally in the price of both lithium
and the share prices of lithium producers; indeed,
Australian lithium miners defied the downward trend
on Tuesday, which saw the local bourse shed 1.9 per
cent. (RMS)
News
Australian
Mining News
Recent
Developments (November 2025)
Market
Debuts and Conferences: Red Mountain Mining (ASX:
RMX) saw shares rise 36% on its OTCQB listing, highlighting
US-Australia critical minerals ties. The company presents
at the Virtual Investor Conference on November 19,
focusing on antimony and rare earths projects.
Tech
Advancements: Southern LiDAR's underground mapping
tech is gaining traction for safety and efficiency
in Australian mines.
Policy
and Investment: A global mining giant committed AU$35M
to NSW's zero-emissions steel demonstration plant,
amid debates on taxpayer funding versus competitiveness
against Chinese imports. Meanwhile, the Australian
Mines and Services Handbook 2026 booking rush signals
optimism.
Broader
Discussions: Social media buzz includes critiques
of environmental impacts (e.g., highway projects versus
mining) and state rivalries, with Western Australia's
mineral dominance contrasting Victoria's challenges.
News
Wyloo
bets on nickel future as part of critical minerals
boom
Wyloo's
financial accounts show that it booked a $377.6m profit
in 2024-25, after a massive impairment charge on its
nickel assets resulted in a $352.8m loss for the previous
financial year. The private company of Andrew and
Nicola Forrest is continuing to explore for nickel
near its mothballed mines in Western Australia, while
it is also considering the construction of a nickel
concentrator near Kambalda. Wyloo's CEO Luca Giacovazzi
stated in its latest annual report that its future
growth is likely to be on mining and selling nickel,
while this focus is expected to be expanded to include
rare earths. (RMS)
News
Lead Up
Nov
19
US
fears, Nvidia nerves wipe $60b from ASX
The
Australian sharemarket retreated on Tuesday, recording
its biggest one-day fall since the Trump administration's
'liberation day' tariffs in April; the S&P/ASX
200 shed 1.9 per cent to close at 8,469.1 points.
Tony Sycamore from IG says the local bourse was hit
by a "perfect storm", with investors awaiting
the release of Nvidia's latest financial results and
US jobs data for September. BHP was down 3.7 per cent
at $40.90, TechnologyOne ended the session 17.2 per
cent lower at $29.26 and DroneShield fell 5.8 per
cent to $2.45. Pilbara Minerals bucked the trend,
rising 3.3 per cent to close at $4.09. (RMS)
Nov
18
ASX
wipes out $60b in second-worst day this year
The
Australian sharemarket suffered its second-biggest
drop this year on Tuesday as investors erased $60
billion in value on growing anxiety about chip giant
Nvidia’s upcoming results and concerns that interest
rates in the US won’t fall soon. Losses accelerated
in afternoon trading with the S&P/ASX 200 Index
closing down 167.3 points, or 1.9 per cent, to 8469.1,
the lowest level since late June. It was the worst
session since US President Donald Trump unleashed
hefty tariffs early April.
Ownership
of 'Solar Energy Systems' is on the rise
(Roy
Morgan Summary)
New
data from Roy Morgan shows that 32% of Australian
households (more than 3.3 million) now have some form
of solar energy system, such as a solar hot water
system, a solar heated swimming pool or rooftop solar
panels with or without battery systems. These figures
include 27% of households with solar panels and 5%
with both solar panels and storage batteries. Western
Australians are leading the way in solar panel ownership
(37%) along with South Australian households (also
37%), followed by Queensland (33%). Households in
these States are more likely to have solar panels
than an average Australian household. Meawhile, households
in South Australia and the Northern Territory (Darwin
and Alice Springs) have a higher take-up of solar
batteries (9% and 7% of households, respectively)
compared to the national average (5%). While ownership
of solar power storage batteries is at a much lower
rate compared to solar panels, the federal government's
Cheaper Home Batteries Program is set to boost the
future take-up of storage batteries nationwide. (RMS)
Nov
15
Make
coal great again or China gets your data: Hanson
One
Nation leader Pauline Hanson will release details
of the party's energy policy during the last parliamentary
sitting week for 2025. However, Hanson contends that
amongst other things Australia must withdraw from
the Paris climate agreement and extend the operating
lives of the nation's existing fleet of coal-fired
power stations. Hansen has emphasised the importance
of coal-fired power generation to data centres in
Australia, warning that they will not be able to compete
with China. Hanson adds that it "frightens the
hell out of me" that China will dominate global
data storage due to its lower electricity prices,
which will be at least partly due to coal imported
from Australia. (RMS)
News
Former
Rio boss called to Mongolian probe
A
Mongolian parliamentary inquiry into cost blowouts
at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine was announced in September,
with public hearings due to be held between December
8 and 12. Slated to be one of the world's top-five
producers of copper by the end of the decade, the
Oyu Tolgoi mine cost almost $US1.7 billion more than
planned and took almost two years longer than expected
to build. Former Rio Tinto CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques
is one of close to 300 witnesses called to appear
before the inquiry, with Jacques having been CEO of
Rio from 2016 to 2020. (Roy Morgan Summary)
Nov
14
BHP
to learn class action fate for $72b Brazil dam disaster
The
UK's High Court will shortly issue a ruling on whether
BHP is legally for an iron ore tailings dam disaster
in Brazil which killed 19 people and caused massive
environmental damage in November 2015. The tailing
dam was owned by the Samarco joint venture between
BHP and iron ore rival Vale. Should BHP be found to
be legally liable, individual claimants' eligibility
for compensation and the size of any payouts will
be determined in the next stage of the long-running
case. BHP and Vale have already paid billions in compensation
to people who were affected by the disaster. (RMS)
News
Fresh
probe launched into MinRes, Ellison
It
has been revealed that the Australian Taxation Office
has launched a new investigation into Mineral Resources
and its billionaire founder Chris Ellison. News of
the investigation was revealed in a request sent by
the ATO to the Federal Court in October for access
to previously sealed documents that had been filed
in the unfair dismissal case brought by MinRes' former
procurement manager Steve Pigozzo in 2022. The new
investigation will focus on how MinRes and Ellison
calculated income and fringe benefit taxes, with the
revelation regarding the new probe coming as MinRes
prepares to hold its AGM next week, at which shareholders
will be asked to approve a lucrative share options
package for new chairman Malcolm Bundey. (Roy Morgan
Summary)
News
Rio
ends two-decade Serbia lithium mining dream as cost
cuts bite
Rio
Tinto has advised that its Jadar lithium project in
Serbia has put in 'care and maintenance' mode. The
company will cease undertaking environmental, heritage
and geological surveys at the site in the Jadar Valley,
four years after revealing plans to invest $US2.4bn
($3.7bn) on developing what it claimed would be the
biggest lithium mine in Europe. There is growing competition
for capital within Rio Tinto's lithium division, and
its $10bn deal to acquire Arcadium Lithium earlier
in 2025 added several mines that are already in production
to its lithium portfolio. (RMS)
News
American
activist claims IperionX more dud than minerals gem
Trading
in the shares of Australian-listed IperionX were halted
on Thursday, following the release of a report into
the company by New York hedge fund Spruce Point Capital
Management, which specialises in short-selling. With
the US-based IperionX seeking to develop titanium
extraction technology and having been backed by the
Trump administration as part of its bid to secure
domestic production of critical minerals, Spruce Point's
report sought to raise doubt about IperionX's prospects.
(RMS)
News
Biotech
gets $20m in critical minerals push
US-based
biotechnology firm Endolith has raised $US13.5m ($20.6m)
via its initial round of venture funding, while it
aims to raise an additional $3m in a second tranche.
The start-up is developing technology that can be
used to extract critical minerals such as copper from
low-grade ore and waste rock that would be unprofitable
to process using traditional methods. Endolith's technology
uses microbes and artifical intelligence, and the
company aims to commence real-world trials at a mine
site within 6-12 months. (RMS)
News
Oversupply
of oil could create glut of 4m barrels a day, says
energy watchdog
The
International Energy Agency has stated in its latest
monthly report that the world is producing more oil
than it needs, and that there could be a glut of 4m
excess barrels a day entering the market by 2026.
The IEA's warning has come in the same week that it
issued its latest energy outlook report, which included
a controversial scenario in which global oil demand
would continue to grow until 2050. It had dropped
the scenario in 2020 after it was accused of repeatedly
criticised for underestimating the growth of renewable
energy in its annual report, but returned the scenario
to its outlook this year after calls from the White
House to present a more optimistic view for the future
of oil. (RMS)
News
Lead Up
News
The
cryptocurrency market is stagnating, lagging its competitors
Market
Overview
The
cryptocurrency market capitalisation has changed little
over the past day, fluctuating around $3.5 trillion.
The cryptocurrency fear index has fallen to 15, its
lowest level since 4 March. Notably, the cryptocurrency
market has been left out of the recent rally in precious
metals and stock indices. If this is not an attempt
by whales to lock in profits from the rally since
April or even from the growth of the last two years,
then it is an alarming signal of deep-seated risk
aversion that is about to manifest itself in larger
markets.
Bitcoin
continues to struggle to remain within the bull market
on weekly timeframes, trying to stay above the 50-week
moving average. Last week's close was on the edge
and attempts to develop an offensive this week are
running into sell-offs, despite the favourable external
backdrop. The previous such transition occurred at
the end of 2021, and so far, everything aligns with
the 4-year halving cycles that many were quick to
dismiss.
News
Background
Over
the past three months, a clear break has occurred
in the correlation between Bitcoin and the stock market.
The S&P 500 stock index has risen 7% during this
time, while BTC has lost 15%. Judging by four years
of close correlation, it can be argued that Bitcoin
is currently undervalued, according to Santiment.
Jan3
founder Samson Mow attributes Bitcoin's decline to
a massive sell-off by investors who bought it over
the past 12 to 18 months. They are rushing to lock
in profits amid rumours of an imminent bearish trend
in the crypto market.
The
crypto market's growth phase is nearing its end, so
it is time for investors to consider locking in profits
and reducing the share of crypto assets in their portfolios,
according to Morgan Stanley, which cites a four-year
cycle that the cryptocurrency market has consistently
followed since 2009.
The
bitcoin mining industry is facing a difficult period
due to growing competition and declining profitability,
said MARA CEO Fred Thiel. According to him, only those
miners who have access to cheap energy or new business
models will survive.
According
to SoSoValue, spot Solana ETFs in the US have attracted
more than $350 million in 11 trading sessions. The
steady inflow of funds into new SOL ETFs came as a
surprise to the market. The results significantly
exceeded initial conservative forecasts, according
to LVRG Research.
Visa
has unveiled a pilot project called Visa Direct, which
allows US customers to make direct cross-border payments
in USDC stablecoin to recipients' wallets. The initiative
is aimed at content creators and freelancers.
The
crypto industry is entering a new phase of capital
raising. The launch of Coinbase's ICO platform is
expected to be a key event in this trend, according
to Bitwise. The exchange will select and launch one
verified project per month. (FxPro)
News
The
dollar emerging from the data fog
•
The US government shutdown is over.
• Central bank policy convergence helps EURUSD.
• Political scandal causes the pound to fall.
• Japan's currency interventions are ineffective
The
House of Representatives voted 222 to 209 to resume
government operations. The president immediately signed
the document. The record-long shutdown is over. This
fact promises that the Fed and investors will soon
begin to exit their positions. The president immediately
signed the document. The record-breaking shutdown
is over. This fact suggests that the Fed and investors
will quickly start to emerge from the fog once statistics
are published again, allowing them to make data-driven
decisions. But will they like what they see when the
picture becomes clearer?
Alternative
sources show a slowdown in the US GDP. The IMF forecasts
a decline in its growth rate from 2.8% to 2% in 2025.
The eurozone, on the other hand, is expected to accelerate
from 0.9% to 1.2%. At the same time, the Bank of France
plans to raise its estimates for the country, despite
the ongoing political turmoil. The narrowing divergence
in economic growth argues in favour of maintaining
the upward trend for EURUSD. The same can be said
about monetary policy. The ECB has most likely ended
its easing cycle, barring any major shocks. The federal
funds rate is likely to continue falling amid a cooling
US labour market and economy. The euro has advantages
over the dollar. However, in the short term, mixed
data could lead to mixed movements in EURUSD.
The
conflict on Downing Street has allowed GBPUSD bears
to launch a new attack. When Labour came to power
in Britain in 2024, the pound gained preference thanks
to hopes for political stability after constant ministerial
changes under the Conservatives. However, since then,
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's ratings have been falling.
Rumours of a plot to replace the leader have made
investors nervous and prompted them to sell sterling.
Doubts about the effectiveness of potential currency
interventions continue to push the USDJPY pair higher.
The current conditions differ from those of last year.
Back then, Tokyo intervened in the FOREX market before
raising the overnight rate. Now, Sanae Takaichi is
sticking to a policy of fiscal and monetary stimulus.
Any purchase of the yen will only have short-term
success. In addition, it will require the expenditure
of foreign exchange reserves. These are needed to
make the investments in the US economy promised to
Donald Trump. (FxPro)
News
Heavy
Industry Awards
Mack
Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month'
award
Caterpillar
wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The
Month' award
Bingo
Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The
Month' award
Elders
wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award
Landman
wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award
(Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)
News
Media
Google
Finance wins Media Man 'Business News Website Of The
Month' award; Runner-up: Yahoo! Finance
Netflix
wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Month' award;
YouTube and Paramount Plus are runner-ups! Strong
mention: Tubi
News
Pop
Culture News
Landman
(Paramount Plus)
Plot
Set
against the backdrop of the booming West Texas oilfields,
Landman follows Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton),
a crisis manager and landman for an independent oil
company. Tommy navigates cutthroat deals, family tensions,
and moral dilemmas while trying to keep his business
afloat. The story kicks off with an investigation
into a fatal accident involving an out-of-town lawyer,
weaving in elements of drug cartels.
Landman
is an American drama television series created by
Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace, inspired by
Wallace's podcast Boomtown. It explores the high-stakes
world of the oil industry in West Texas, blending
themes of fortune-seeking, corporate intrigue, and
personal drama amid roughnecks, billionaires, and
geopolitical shifts.
The
series premiered on Paramount+ on November 17, 2024,
and has been renewed for a second season.
Landman:
Season 2. Trailer (Paramount Plus)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=mhzQawESdqg
"You
think you understand how this business works, but
you don't." Things are heating up in the final
Landman trailer. Season 2 premieres November 16, 2025,
only on Paramount+.
"Death
and a Sunset"
November 16, 2025
"Sins
of the Father"
November 23, 2025
"Almost
a Home"
November 30, 2025
"Dancing
Rainbows"
December 7, 2025
"The
Pirate Dinner"
December 14, 2025
"Dark
Night of the Soul"
December 21, 2025
"Forever
Is an Instant"
December 28, 2025
"Handsome
Touched Me"
January 4, 2026
"Plans,
Tears and Sirens"
January 11, 2026
"Tragedy
and Flies"
January 18, 2026
News
Gold
Movie
Gold
is a 2016 American epic crime drama film directed
by Stephen Gaghan and written by Patrick Massett and
John Zinman. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Édgar
Ramírez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Corey Stoll,
Toby Kebbell, Craig T. Nelson, Stacy Keach and Bruce
Greenwood. The film is loosely based on the true story
of the 1997 Bre-X mining scandal, when a massive gold
deposit was supposedly discovered in the jungles of
Indonesia; however, for legal reasons and to enhance
the appeal of the film, character names and story
details were changed.
Trailer
Gold
(YouTube Movies and TV)
https://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
Best
Quotes
The
best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."
"You
are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig
to find it and make it real."
"Your
mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will
find something golden."
"Don't
die without mining the gold in your mind."
"We're
like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's
inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."
"If
you want to find gold, you've got to love the process
of digging."
"Even
if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to
dig."
"Develop
men the same way gold is mined"
"Don't
go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in
looking for the gold."
"A
prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"
"A
prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't
find much gold"
"The
world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not."
"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are
silver, these are gold."
"All
that is gold does not glitter."
"Gold
is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears
out"
"Gold
is the money of kings"
"Mining
is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit.
An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher
of a dead mule."
"Anyone
can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds
the gold."
"True
gold fears no fire."
"The
desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means
of freedom and benefit."
"Make
new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these
are gold."
"When
taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes
considered like cheap copper – so are people."
Media
Man
Roy
Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The
Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance
Markets,
Crypto and Culture
Bulls
Still Running Show; Cryptos Struggle, Medium Bull
Update: Round 1! Bloody Noses and Black Eyes Cont!
Red And Black Attack! All That Glitters. Bells Getting
Rung! Aussie - US Connection
November
17, 2025
Sin
City Sydney, Australia
ASX
futures down 17 points/0.2% to 8808
Wall
Street:
S&P 500 -0.1%
Dow Jones: -0.7%
Nasdaq +0.1%
Europe:
Stoxx 50 -0.9%
FTSE -1.1%
DAX -0.7%
CAC -0.8%
Australian
dollar: US65.33 cents
Bitcoin
-2% to $US93,961
Gold
-2.1% to $US4084.06 per ounce
Oil +2.4% to $US60.09 a barrel
Brent crude oil +2.2% to $US64.39 a barrel
Iron ore -0.3% to $US102.50 per ton
10-year
yield:
US 4.15%
Australia 4.43%
Germany 2.72%
News
Update: (Near Live)
Bitcoin:
$94,402.04 -1.29%
New
York/Wall St via Mr Wolf!
The November Man!
16 Nov
Cryptos
Today: (Near Live)
Moody:
Cryptos loosing shine again!
Bitcoin
$94,489.19 -1.20%
Ethereum $3,101.05 -2.17%
Tether $1.0020 -0.20%
Binance Coin $928.81 -0.38%
XRP $2.4118 $2.2324 -0.67%
Solana $138.10 -1.20%
TRON $0.2931 -0.60%
Dogecoin $0.1594 -2.53%
Cardano $0.4862 -3.57%
Market
scares! Mood: Still somber-like for many; picking
up for some in traditional sectors! Regaining smiles
in selected cases! Hardcores keep dream! Many bears
sell out!
Media
Man Favs:
(Near
Live). Bells Rung by Mr Wolf! TKO kicks out, winning
again today! Christmas Grinch Comes Early for some!
Live ticket sales a talking point. Santa gives little
for miners, gamers, some tech heads and grapplers!
Wall
St, New York
TKO
Group Holdings Inc $184.09 +1.45 +0.79%
NVIDIA Corp $190.17 +3.31 +1.77%
Formula One Group Series A $90.12 -1.58 -1.72%
Alphabet Inc Class A $276.41 -2.16 -0.78%
News Corp Class A $26.15 -0.12 -0.46%
Netflix Inc $1,112.17 -42.06 -3.64%
Caterpillar Inc $554.03 +0.48 +0.087%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $11.07 -0.96
-7.98%
Tesla Inc $404.35 +2.36 +0.59%
Walt Disney Co $105.80 -1.81 -1.68%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $120.73 -2.28 -1.85%
Meta Platforms Inc $609.46 -0.43 -0.071%
BHP Group Ltd (NYSE) $55.23 -0.72 -1.29% (NYSE)
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $17.17 -0.11 -0.64%
Elders ADR $19.73 (US)
Rio Tinto Ltd $87.00 +0.53 +0.61% (US)
Paramount Skydance Corp $15.68 +0.31 +2.02%
Red Light Holland Corp $0.024 +0.0012 +5.38%
News
Good
news for Crypto bargain hunters
Market
Overview
The
cryptocurrency market jumped 4.5% in the last 24 hours,
following reports of progress in ending the US government
shutdown and promises by the US president to distribute
$2,000 checks to families, with the funds received
from tariffs. The positive effect of this news has
been amplified by the fact that a more than 20% pullback
from the peak has fuelled greed. Among the top coins,
Ethereum (+5.8%) and XRP (+8%) are growing steadily,
outperforming Bitcoin, which is up 4.5%.
Bitcoin
surpassed the $106K mark, breaking out of the $99–$
104K consolidation zone, where it spent most of last
week. At the same time, the first cryptocurrency is
trading below its 50- and 200-day moving averages.
Moreover,
a death cross is forming there, as the first of these
averages is about to fall below the latter.
The
technical picture for Ethereum is more favourable,
as the bulls did not allow the coin to consolidate
below the 200-day MA and pushed it up on the latest
positive news. From current levels near $3,600, the
nearest target for buyers appears to be $4,000, which
promises to be an important signal of market health.
News
Background
Following
the market crash on October 10-11, whales sold 32,500
BTC, while small investors actively bought on the
dips. This is an alarming sign for Bitcoin, as historically,
prices tend to follow the direction of whales, according
to Santiment.
Bitcoin's
deleveraging phase is ‘largely complete’
after the sell-off. The first cryptocurrency could
rise to $170,000 over the next 6-12 months, according
to JPMorgan's forecast.
The
‘sluggish dynamics’ of the crypto market
are linked to the rebalancing of hodlers' portfolios.
This may have a negative impact in the short term,
but is beneficial in the medium and long term, said
Galaxy Digital founder Mike Novogratz.
ARK
Invest CEO Cathie Wood said she was forced to revise
her long-term forecast for Bitcoin for 2030 from $1.5
million to $1.2 million. She cited the rapid growth
of stablecoins, which are displacing BTC among investors
in emerging markets.
According
to a survey by the Alternative Investment Management
Association (AIMA) and PwC, 55% of traditional hedge
funds owned cryptocurrencies in 2025. Last year, the
figure was 47%.
Ripple
denied plans to hold an IPO. The company does not
intend to go public in the near future, following
the example of several participants in the cryptocurrency
industry. (FxPro)
News
Gold
stabilised at $4,000, but the upward trend has already
broken down Gold has stabilised around the $4,000
mark over the last ten days, ending the week at roughly
the same level as it started. Attempts by sellers
to push the price below $3,900 are meeting with impressive
buying interest.
This
is facilitated by the Supreme Court, which is considering
the illegality of US tariffs. If Donald Trump is defeated,
the money will have to be returned. As a result, the
budget deficit and public debt will increase, leading
to chaos in the financial markets. Concerns about
this are prompting investors to seek refuge in safe-haven
assets. However, this all appears to be an attempt
to play the old card, which can only delay the inevitable.
According
to estimates by the World Gold Council, central bank
purchases of bullion in 2025 are expected to amount
to 750-900 tonnes. In each of the previous three years,
the figure exceeded 1,000 tonnes. China's cancellation
of VAT credits for precious metal retailers will increase
prices for the jewellery industry and lead to a decline
in demand. ETF stocks are falling.
HSBC,
Bank of America and Societe Generale continue to stick
to their forecasts of $5,000 per ounce. However, the
gold rally has broken down. Selling on the rise is
becoming relevant. (FxPro)
News
Crypto
bulls fail to maintain momentum
Market
Overview
The
crypto market has gained 1% over the past 24 hours,
the first increase after four days of decline. The
market is stabilising at levels just above $3.4 trillion,
close to May's local highs. The situation currently
resembles a pause in the decline rather than a serious
reversal, due to somewhat cautious sentiment in the
stock markets and the strengthening of the dollar
since the second half of September. Ironically, this
reversal coincides with the resumption of the easing
cycle of monetary policy. The sentiment index has
emerged from the zone of extreme fear, which also
coincided with a market rebound. According to the
creators of such an index, now is the right time for
bulls. Still, traders should be cautious with such
an interpretation, as the previous rebound from extreme
fear was not long-lasting, and the market is now 5%
below the local low of 17 Oct, when sentiment last
recovered from extreme anxiety. Bitcoin is trading
near $103,000, pausing its rebound but remaining far
from its recent lows. The bulls managed to bring the
coin back above the 50-week moving average, but there
is still a lot of time left until the end of the week,
and for now, time is on the bears' side. On intraday
charts, it looks as if the rebound has run out of
steam and sellers are ready to seize the initiative
again.
News
Background
Cryptocurrencies
are under pressure from general risk aversion in global
markets. Among the factors are concerns about the
Fed's interest rate and the situation in the credit
sector, according to Hashdex. Wintermute attributes
the worst performance of cryptocurrencies among all
other asset classes to the redistribution of cash
flows to other markets. Short-term Bitcoin holders
continue to sell cryptocurrencies at a loss, using
any rebound as an opportunity to sell, notes analyst
Darkfost. However, accumulator addresses — wallets
that only buy and never sell — have acquired
a record 375,000 BTC over the past month. Amid the
asset's decline, French company Sequans Communications,
which accumulates Bitcoin, was forced to sell 970
BTC to partially repay its convertible debt. The company's
reserves fell from 3,234 to 2,264 BTC. Japanese company
Metaplanet, on the other hand, is raising funds to
purchase bitcoins. On 31 October, the company received
a $100 million loan secured by its reserves. Ripple
announced that it had raised $500 million in strategic
investments (with a valuation of $40 billion) from
major institutional players. Zcash (ZEC) could become
an alternative to Bitcoin among those who fear the
centralisation of BTC due to Wall Street and are concerned
about the tracking of on-chain transactions, according
to Galaxy Digital. Supporters of the private coin
refer to it as ‘encrypted Bitcoin’ and a
return to the principles of the cypherpunks. (FxPro)
Newsfeed
If
the 4-year cycles are still alive, BTC faces a pullback
to $70K
Market
Overview
The
crypto market continues its impressive decline, losing
another 2.4% over the past 24 hours. Having fallen
to a low of $3.3 trillion, the market is now at its
lowest point since early July. A steady move below
the 200-day moving average and a drop of more than
20% from its peak are sure signs of a bear market.
Perhaps crypto enthusiasts are confident that this
is a temporary decline, similar to the one seen in
March and April.
However,
we would prefer not to rule out the possibility of
another bear market starting in the coming years.
At a time when many have buried the 4-year cycles,
we still see that they have only lost amplitude but
have generally retained their influence. According
to these patterns, the market is close to or has already
passed its peak for the next couple of years, which
explains the intense selling pressure since Oct.
Bitcoin
fell to five-digit price levels overnight, touching
lows just below $99,000 twice. BTC traded steadily
below these levels from February to May. And then
there was a psychologically significant consolidation
period in December and January. The market is now
undergoing a critical test. Another step down will
open the way to the $60,000-$70,000 range. However,
there is a theoretical chance that BTC will quickly
rebound by the end of the week from the 50-week moving
average, which has served as a global support since
the first half of 2023.
News
Background
Early
investors continue to sell off cryptocurrency. Over
the past 30 days, long-term holders have sold 400,000
BTC — about 2% of the total supply of the asset,
according to WeRate. Additional pressure is coming
from continued outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs.
The
US government shutdown, now in its second month, is
also putting pressure on Bitcoin. Another factor is
the Coinbase premium, which remains in negative territory,
according to CryptoQuant. This indicates sustained
pressure from US sellers.
At
the same time, there has been a record outflow of
stablecoins from exchanges, indicating a shift of
capital from risky assets to safe-haven dollar instruments.
Demand for Bitcoin from institutional investors has
declined, according to Capriole. For the first time
in seven months, net purchases have fallen below the
daily issuance of the asset.
Bitcoin
has lost significant growth potential due to the influence
of large financial institutions and government structures,
according to Peter Thiel, the former PayPal CEO and
billionaire.
Strategy
intends to conduct its initial public offering on
the European stock market, issuing 3.5 million preferred
shares denominated in euros. The funds will be used
to purchase bitcoins and replenish working capital.
(FxPro)
News
Gold:
correction is not over yet
The
strengthening of the US dollar and higher Treasury
yields have brought the gold price back below $4000.
Yellow
metal is gradually losing its wild cards. It managed
to reach a record high thanks to devaluation trading,
expectations of aggressive monetary expansion by the
Fed, Donald Trump's threats of 100% tariffs against
China, geopolitics, pessimistic forecasts for the
global economy, and active purchases of bullion by
central banks.
However,
the White House is no longer attacking the Fed as
aggressively as before. The US and China have found
common ground. The Middle East conflict has been resolved,
and the global economy is proving resilient in the
face of tariffs. The Fed is cautious about lowering
rates, and central bank activity in the bullion market
is declining.
The
other two examples of similar velocity of gold rose
were 1979 and 2011. The experience of those years
shows that the surge and collapse were followed by
long periods of consolidation. In other words, after
a period of retreat from the top, the precious metal
will find its trading range and settle within it.
But for the weeks ahead, we continue to see more risks
of further decline. (FxPro)
News
Crypto
is on the verge of a bear market
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap has fallen to $3.47 trillion. This
is 4% lower than the previous day and 19% off from
the global peak set just four weeks ago. Sellers are
pushing cryptocurrencies into bear market territory
(unofficially, this occurs when there is a 20% decline
from the peak) in the hope that the sell-off will
be self-sustaining near this point. However, we are
also seeing signs of a similar accelerated sell-off
at the start of the week, following a lull from Friday
to Sun.
The
sentiment index has fallen to 21, the lowest level
since 9 April, indicating extreme fear. Last month,
entering this territory triggered a rebound, but the
market has already fallen below those levels. As we
previously suggested, the initial surge of extreme
fear levels is only the beginning of a prolonged period
of volatility in this territory. This period is also
characterised by an even more substantial decline
in altcoins compared to the first cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin
plummeted below $ 105K, shedding nearly 3% in the
past 24 hours. Excluding short-term slips last month,
BTC has not traded lower since June. By and large,
it is now testing levels that served as resistance
last December and Jan.
News
Background
According
to CoinShares, global investment in crypto funds declined
by $360 million last week, following inflows the week
before. Only investments in Bitcoin declined, by $946
million. Investments in altcoins increased, with notable
gains in Ethereum by $58 million, in Solana by $421
million, in XRP by $43 million, and in Sui by $9 million.
QCP
Capital recorded large transfers of Bitcoin to the
Kraken exchange by early investors. According to analysts,
the current consolidation resembles the period before
the breakthrough in 2024. Otherwise, it could signal
the beginning of a crypto winter.
Bitcoin
is not showing growth as early investors pass the
baton to long-term holders. The recovery of the first
cryptocurrency is only possible after the ETF and
Strategy resume large-scale purchases, according to
CryptoQuant.
Strategy
bought 397 bitcoins last week at an average price
of $114,771. Strategy now owns 641,205 BTC worth $47.49
billion at an average purchase price of $74,057 per
coin. The company's weekly BTC purchase volumes remain
close to record lows.
Another
record was set in October by the Ethereum network,
with stablecoin transactions reaching $2.8 trillion
last month. Circle's USDC was the leader, accounting
for $1.6 trillion of the total turnover. (FxPro)
News
Flashback
Oil
Holds Strong Despite Bearish Fundamentals
Weekly
data from the EIA noted that the US returned to record
oil production rates last week, supplying an average
of 13.6 million barrels per day to the market, according
to the latest EIA data. The trend towards increased
supply began in August, but producers have only now
returned to the peak levels recorded at the end of
last year. Despite a 5.5-million-barrel increase in
US commercial inventories over the past two weeks,
inventories stay at the lower end of the range seen
over the past decade, leaving considerable room for
growth. The same can be said for the strategic reserve,
which holds nearly 40% less oil than it did five years
ago, before the start of the active sell-off. It is
an interesting game in which, on the one hand, the
US (the largest oil producer) is increasing supplies,
while OPEC+ is increasing quotas on a monthly basis.
This extremely bearish combination of factors did
not cause oil prices to collapse; it was only because
of global trade in currency depreciation that caused
precious metals, stock indices, and cryptocurrencies
to rise. Oil prices have not peaked in recent weeks
.. To be cont .. (FxPro)
News
Gold
hits new highs due to political turmoil
Gold
is outside the realm of politics.
While
currencies and securities depend on the actions of
presidents and governments, precious metals do not.
Therefore, political turmoil forces investors to use
them as safe-haven assets.
The
impressive 52% rally in gold started in April with
the introduction of tariffs on America's Liberation
Day. It continued due to the US government shutdown,
the political crisis in France, and the change of
leadership in Japan. he rise of gold above 4,000 dollars
per ounce is not only the result of the weakness of
fiat currencies. There are tectonic shifts in the
structure of investment portfolios and fears of financial
crises due to government recklessness.
The
share of precious metals is growing both in speculators'
assets and in the gold and foreign exchange reserves
of central banks. The indicator has already exceeded
the share of the euro. According to Eurizon Capital,
if it equals the share of the US dollar, the price
per ounce will soar to 8,500 dollars. The Supreme
Court's abolition of tariffs will inflate the US budget
deficit. France does not intend to reduce it, and
Japan plans to increase bond issuance. All this creates
a tailwind for commodity assets. (FxPro)
News
Pop
Culture News
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream
Match Series; Crack The Code!
Million
Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets
Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation
Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr H
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far! Re-match!
Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
UFC Legal vs UFC Bad Egg Betting Disruptors
Bulls vs Bears
Logan Paul vs WWE babyfaces
Santa's Helper vs Grinch
John McAfee vs FBI + + +, Running .... Netflix Wins
again!
Killer Kross vs Matt Riddle - Shoot Fight/Wrestling
(MLW)!
VKM vs Numerous!
MLW vs The World
The Big Event vs US Promoters
Storm vs WWE Locker Room. Lash Legend on side!
NXT Gold Rush: Page & Green vs Hendry & Hail
Baszler vs Itoh - HOG Superclash - Nov 15
MSG, NY winning with WWE and UFC in Nov
News
Cryptocurrency
Movies
Docos
The
Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring
Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the
community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s
early days and its potential to disrupt finance.
Banking
on Bitcoin (2016)
Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots,
and impact on global financial systems through interviews
with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.
Cryptopia:
Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet
(2020)
Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives
into blockchain’s broader applications beyond
cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory
challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s
transformative potential.
Trust
Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated by
Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal
impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems.
A comprehensive look at real-world applications.
Bitcoin:
The End of Money as We Know It (2015)
Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin
as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized
financial systems. Features interviews with crypto
experts.
Deep
Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary
focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator,
Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in
dark web transactions.
Bitconned
(2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing
how three individuals defrauded investors during the
2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated
markets.
Feature
Films
Crypto
(2019)
A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth,
and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering
agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency
in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal
but praise its entertainment value.
Silk
Road (2021)
A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of
the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin.
It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and
drama.
Dope
(2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin
as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin
for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association
with illicit activities.
Bonus
Mentions
Life
on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to
live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early
adoption challenges.
Bitcoin
Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers
chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.
Notes
Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing
on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology,
and real-world implications. They’re great for
beginners and enthusiasts alike.
Feature
films often dramatize crypto’s association with
crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating
for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy.
For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like
Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many
of these are available.
News
Wall
Street (Movie)
Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is a
drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial
world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young
stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled
with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless corporate
raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,”
drives the story as Bud is lured into insider trading
and unethical deals, compromising his morals for wealth
and power.
The
film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal,
with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father
(Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.
Key
Details: Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie
Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin
Sheen (Carl Fox).
Runtime: 2h 6m.
Genre: Drama/Crime.
Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).
Awards:
Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Notable
Aspects:
Gekko’s
“Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting
1980s excess. Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan
Boesky and Michael Milken.
A
sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued
the story.
Where
to Watch (as of 2025):
Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or
rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current
availability).
Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.
News
Best
Quotes
An
investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
— Benjamin Franklin
"Bottoms
in the investment world don't end with four-year lows;
they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim
Rogers
Be
fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when
others are fearful." — Warren Buffett
Media
Man "Bullish is a mindset"
Markets,
Crypto and Culture
Super
Bulls Running Show; Cryptos Still Hurting; Medium
Bull Update: Round 5! Bloody Noses and Black Eyes!
Red And Black Attack! Black Friday! All That Glitters
... Elon Smiles Again!
November
10, 2025
Sin
City Sydney, Australia
Mad Monday!
ASX
futures up 23 points or 0.3% to 8794
Wall Street:
S&P 500 +0.1%
Dow Jones: +0.2%
Nasdaq -0.2%
Europe:
Stoxx 50 -0.8%
FTSE -0.6%
DAX -0.7%
CAC -0.2%
Australian
dollar at US64.88 cents
Bitcoin
+3% to $US104,999
Gold
+0.6% to $US4001.26 per ounce
Oil +0.5% to $US59.75 a barrel
Brent crude oil +0.4% to $US63.63 a barrel
Iron ore -2.4% to $US101.45 per ton
10-year
yield:
US 4.10%
Australia 4.35%
Germany 2.66%
News
Update: (Near Live)
Bitcoin:
$104,464.32 +2.11%
New
York/Wall St via Mr Wolf!
Cryptos
Today: (Near Live)
Moody:
Part Corrective agub! Mainly uphill. Salt Into The
Wound Again?! Or Salt Of The Earth. Red turns to green?
Bitcoin
$104,464.32 +2.11%
Ethereum $3,577.97 +5.00%
Tether $0.9999 -0.01%
Binance Coin $996.71 -0.13%
XRP $2.3401 +2.08%
Solana $165.15 +4.40%
TRON $0.2914 -0.16%
Dogecoin $0.1799 +2.26%
Cardano $0.5800 +2.27%
Market
part corrective! Mood: Still somber-like for many
but picking up! Upswing again! Suspicious! Regaining
smiles in selected cases! Hardcores keep the dream!
Media
Man Favs:
(Near
Live). Bells Rung by Mr Wolf! TKO kicks out and winning
again today! Christmas Grinch Comes Early for some!
Wall
St, New York
TKO
Group Holdings Inc $182.56 +1.59 +0.88%
NVIDIA Corp $188.15 +0.070 +0.037%
Formula One Group Series A $92.25 -1.46 -1.56%
Alphabet Inc Class A $278.83 -5.92 -2.08%
News Corp Class A $26.72 +1.64 +6.54%
Netflix Inc $1,103.66 +6.64 +0.61%
Caterpillar Inc $563.10 -6.68 -1.17%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $13.10 -0.23
-1.73%
Tesla Inc $429.52 -16.39 -3.68%
Walt Disney Co $110.74 +0.25 +0.23%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $126.14 +3.60 +2.94%
Meta Platforms Inc $621.71 +2.77 +0.45%
BHP Group Ltd (NYSE) $55.16 -0.45 - 0.81% (NYSE)
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $16.92 +0.22 +1.32%
Elders Ltd $6.69 -0.100 -1.47%
Rio Tinto Ltd $82.03 -2.012.39% (US)
News
Gold
stabilised at $4,000, but the upward trend has already
broken down
Gold
has stabilised around the $4,000 mark over the last
ten days, ending the week at roughly the same level
as it started. Attempts by sellers to push the price
below $3,900 are meeting with impressive buying interest.
This
is facilitated by the Supreme Court, which is considering
the illegality of US tariffs. If Donald Trump is defeated,
the money will have to be returned. As a result, the
budget deficit and public debt will increase, leading
to chaos in the financial markets. Concerns about
this are prompting investors to seek refuge in safe-haven
assets. However, this all appears to be an attempt
to play the old card, which can only delay the inevitable.
According
to estimates by the World Gold Council, central bank
purchases of bullion in 2025 are expected to amount
to 750-900 tonnes. In each of the previous three years,
the figure exceeded 1,000 tonnes. China's cancellation
of VAT credits for precious metal retailers will increase
prices for the jewellery industry and lead to a decline
in demand. ETF stocks are falling.
HSBC,
Bank of America and Societe Generale continue to stick
to their forecasts of $5,000 per ounce. However, the
gold rally has broken down. Selling on the rise is
becoming relevant. (FxPro)
News
Crypto
bulls fail to maintain momentum
Market
Overview
The
crypto market has gained 1% over the past 24 hours,
the first increase after four days of decline. The
market is stabilising at levels just above $3.4 trillion,
close to May's local highs. The situation currently
resembles a pause in the decline rather than a serious
reversal, due to somewhat cautious sentiment in the
stock markets and the strengthening of the dollar
since the second half of September. Ironically, this
reversal coincides with the resumption of the easing
cycle of monetary policy. The sentiment index has
emerged from the zone of extreme fear, which also
coincided with a market rebound. According to the
creators of such an index, now is the right time for
bulls. Still, traders should be cautious with such
an interpretation, as the previous rebound from extreme
fear was not long-lasting, and the market is now 5%
below the local low of 17 October, when sentiment
last recovered from extreme anxiety. Bitcoin is trading
near $103,000, pausing its rebound but remaining far
from its recent lows. The bulls managed to bring the
coin back above the 50-week moving average, but there
is still a lot of time left until the end of the week,
and for now, time is on the bears' side. On intraday
charts, it looks as if the rebound has run out of
steam and sellers are ready to seize the initiative
again.
News
Background
Cryptocurrencies
are under pressure from general risk aversion in global
markets. Among the factors are concerns about the
Fed's interest rate and the situation in the credit
sector, according to Hashdex. Wintermute attributes
the worst performance of cryptocurrencies among all
other asset classes to the redistribution of cash
flows to other markets. Short-term Bitcoin holders
continue to sell cryptocurrencies at a loss, using
any rebound as an opportunity to sell, notes analyst
Darkfost. However, accumulator addresses — wallets
that only buy and never sell — have acquired
a record 375,000 BTC over the past month. Amid the
asset's decline, French company Sequans Communications,
which accumulates Bitcoin, was forced to sell 970
BTC to partially repay its convertible debt. The company's
reserves fell from 3,234 to 2,264 BTC. Japanese company
Metaplanet, on the other hand, is raising funds to
purchase bitcoins. On 31 October, the company received
a $100 million loan secured by its reserves. Ripple
announced that it had raised $500 million in strategic
investments (with a valuation of $40 billion) from
major institutional players. Zcash (ZEC) could become
an alternative to Bitcoin among those who fear the
centralisation of BTC due to Wall Street and are concerned
about the tracking of on-chain transactions, according
to Galaxy Digital. Supporters of the private coin
refer to it as ‘encrypted Bitcoin’ and a
return to the principles of the cypherpunks. (FxPro)
Newsfeed
If
the 4-year cycles are still alive, BTC faces a pullback
to $70K
Market
Overview
The
crypto market continues its impressive decline, losing
another 2.4% over the past 24 hours. Having fallen
to a low of $3.3 trillion, the market is now at its
lowest point since early July. A steady move below
the 200-day moving average and a drop of more than
20% from its peak are sure signs of a bear market.
Perhaps crypto enthusiasts are confident that this
is a temporary decline, similar to the one seen in
March and April.
However,
we would prefer not to rule out the possibility of
another bear market starting in the coming years.
At a time when many have buried the 4-year cycles,
we still see that they have only lost amplitude but
have generally retained their influence. According
to these patterns, the market is close to or has already
passed its peak for the next couple of years, which
explains the intense selling pressure since October.
Bitcoin
fell to five-digit price levels overnight, touching
lows just below $99,000 twice. BTC traded steadily
below these levels from February to May. And then
there was a psychologically significant consolidation
period in December and January. The market is now
undergoing a critical test. Another step down will
open the way to the $60,000-$70,000 range. However,
there is a theoretical chance that BTC will quickly
rebound by the end of the week from the 50-week moving
average, which has served as a global support since
the first half of 2023.
News
Background
Early
investors continue to sell off cryptocurrency. Over
the past 30 days, long-term holders have sold 400,000
BTC — about 2% of the total supply of the asset,
according to WeRate. Additional pressure is coming
from continued outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs.
The
US government shutdown, now in its second month, is
also putting pressure on Bitcoin. Another factor is
the Coinbase premium, which remains in negative territory,
according to CryptoQuant. This indicates sustained
pressure from US sellers.
At
the same time, there has been a record outflow of
stablecoins from exchanges, indicating a shift of
capital from risky assets to safe-haven dollar instruments.
Demand for Bitcoin from institutional investors has
declined, according to Capriole. For the first time
in seven months, net purchases have fallen below the
daily issuance of the asset.
Bitcoin
has lost significant growth potential due to the influence
of large financial institutions and government structures,
according to Peter Thiel, the former PayPal CEO and
billionaire.
Strategy
intends to conduct its initial public offering on
the European stock market, issuing 3.5 million preferred
shares denominated in euros. The funds will be used
to purchase bitcoins and replenish working capital.
(FxPro)
News
Gold:
correction is not over yet
The
strengthening of the US dollar and higher Treasury
yields have brought the gold price back below $4000.
Yellow
metal is gradually losing its wild cards. It managed
to reach a record high thanks to devaluation trading,
expectations of aggressive monetary expansion by the
Fed, Donald Trump's threats of 100% tariffs against
China, geopolitics, pessimistic forecasts for the
global economy, and active purchases of bullion by
central banks.
However,
the White House is no longer attacking the Fed as
aggressively as before. The US and China have found
common ground. The Middle East conflict has been resolved,
and the global economy is proving resilient in the
face of tariffs. The Fed is cautious about lowering
rates, and central bank activity in the bullion market
is declining.
The
other two examples of similar velocity of gold rose
were 1979 and 2011. The experience of those years
shows that the surge and collapse were followed by
long periods of consolidation. In other words, after
a period of retreat from the top, the precious metal
will find its trading range and settle within it.
But for the weeks ahead, we continue to see more risks
of further decline. (FxPro)
News
Crypto
is on the verge of a bear market
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap has fallen to $3.47 trillion. This
is 4% lower than the previous day and 19% off from
the global peak set just four weeks ago. Sellers are
pushing cryptocurrencies into bear market territory
(unofficially, this occurs when there is a 20% decline
from the peak) in the hope that the sell-off will
be self-sustaining near this point. However, we are
also seeing signs of a similar accelerated sell-off
at the start of the week, following a lull from Friday
to Sunday.
The
sentiment index has fallen to 21, the lowest level
since 9 April, indicating extreme fear. Last month,
entering this territory triggered a rebound, but the
market has already fallen below those levels. As we
previously suggested, the initial surge of extreme
fear levels is only the beginning of a prolonged period
of volatility in this territory. This period is also
characterised by an even more substantial decline
in altcoins compared to the first cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin
plummeted below $ 105K, shedding nearly 3% in the
past 24 hours. Excluding short-term slips last month,
BTC has not traded lower since June. By and large,
it is now testing levels that served as resistance
last December and January.
News
Background
According
to CoinShares, global investment in crypto funds declined
by $360 million last week, following inflows the week
before. Only investments in Bitcoin declined, by $946
million. Investments in altcoins increased, with notable
gains in Ethereum by $58 million, in Solana by $421
million, in XRP by $43 million, and in Sui by $9 million.
QCP
Capital recorded large transfers of Bitcoin to the
Kraken exchange by early investors. According to analysts,
the current consolidation resembles the period before
the breakthrough in 2024. Otherwise, it could signal
the beginning of a crypto winter.
Bitcoin
is not showing growth as early investors pass the
baton to long-term holders. The recovery of the first
cryptocurrency is only possible after the ETF and
Strategy resume large-scale purchases, according to
CryptoQuant.
Strategy
bought 397 bitcoins last week at an average price
of $114,771. Strategy now owns 641,205 BTC worth $47.49
billion at an average purchase price of $74,057 per
coin. The company's weekly BTC purchase volumes remain
close to record lows.
Another
record was set in October by the Ethereum network,
with stablecoin transactions reaching $2.8 trillion
last month. Circle's USDC was the leader, accounting
for $1.6 trillion of the total turnover. (FxPro)
News
Flashback
Oil
Holds Strong Despite Bearish Fundamentals
Weekly
data from the EIA noted that the US returned to record
oil production rates last week, supplying an average
of 13.6 million barrels per day to the market, according
to the latest EIA data. The trend towards increased
supply began in August, but producers have only now
returned to the peak levels recorded at the end of
last year. Despite a 5.5-million-barrel increase in
US commercial inventories over the past two weeks,
inventories stay at the lower end of the range seen
over the past decade, leaving considerable room for
growth. The same can be said for the strategic reserve,
which holds nearly 40% less oil than it did five years
ago, before the start of the active sell-off. It is
an interesting game in which, on the one hand, the
US (the largest oil producer) is increasing supplies,
while OPEC+ is increasing quotas on a monthly basis.
This extremely bearish combination of factors did
not cause oil prices to collapse; it was only because
of global trade in currency depreciation that caused
precious metals, stock indices, and cryptocurrencies
to rise. Oil prices have not peaked in recent weeks
.. To be cont .. (FxPro)
News
Gold
hits new highs due to political turmoil
Gold
is outside the realm of politics.
While
currencies and securities depend on the actions of
presidents and governments, precious metals do not.
Therefore, political turmoil forces investors to use
them as safe-haven assets.
The
impressive 52% rally in gold started in April with
the introduction of tariffs on America's Liberation
Day. It continued due to the US government shutdown,
the political crisis in France, and the change of
leadership in Japan. he rise of gold above 4,000 dollars
per ounce is not only the result of the weakness of
fiat currencies. There are tectonic shifts in the
structure of investment portfolios and fears of financial
crises due to government recklessness.
The
share of precious metals is growing both in speculators'
assets and in the gold and foreign exchange reserves
of central banks. The indicator has already exceeded
the share of the euro. According to Eurizon Capital,
if it equals the share of the US dollar, the price
per ounce will soar to 8,500 dollars. The Supreme
Court's abolition of tariffs will inflate the US budget
deficit. France does not intend to reduce it, and
Japan plans to increase bond issuance. All this creates
a tailwind for commodity assets. (FxPro)
News
Pop
Culture News
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream
Match Series; Crack The Code!
Million
Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets
Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation
Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr H
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far! Re-match!
Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
UFC Legal vs UFC Bad Egg Betting Disruptors
Bulls vs Bears
Logan Paul vs WWE babyfaces
Santa's Helper vs Grinch
John McAfee vs FBI + + +, Running .... Netflix Wins
again!
Killer Kross vs Matt Riddle - Shoot Fight/Wrestling
(MLW)!
VKM vs Numerous!
MLW vs The World
The Big Event vs US Promoters
Storm vs WWE Locker Room. Lash Legend on side!
News
Cryptocurrency
Movies
Documentaries
The
Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring
Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the
community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s
early days and its potential to disrupt finance.
Banking
on Bitcoin (2016)
Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots,
and impact on global financial systems through interviews
with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.
Cryptopia:
Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet
(2020)
Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives
into blockchain’s broader applications beyond
cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory
challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s
transformative potential.
Trust
Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated by
Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal
impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems.
A comprehensive look at real-world applications.
Bitcoin:
The End of Money as We Know It (2015)
Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin
as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized
financial systems. Features interviews with crypto
experts.
Deep
Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary
focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator,
Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in
dark web transactions.
Bitconned
(2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing
how three individuals defrauded investors during the
2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated
markets.
Feature
Films
Crypto
(2019)
A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth,
and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering
agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency
in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal
but praise its entertainment value.
Silk
Road (2021)
A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of
the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin.
It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and
drama.
Dope
(2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin
as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin
for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association
with illicit activities.
Bonus
Mentions
Life
on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to
live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early
adoption challenges.
Bitcoin
Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers
chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.
Notes
Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing
on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology,
and real-world implications. They’re great for
beginners and enthusiasts alike.
Feature
films often dramatize crypto’s association with
crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating
for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy.
For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like
Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many
of these are available.
News
Wall
Street (Movie)
Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is a
drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial
world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young
stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled
with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless corporate
raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,”
drives the story as Bud is lured into insider trading
and unethical deals, compromising his morals for wealth
and power.
The
film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal,
with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father
(Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.
Key
Details: Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie
Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin
Sheen (Carl Fox).
Runtime: 2h 6m.
Genre: Drama/Crime.
Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).
Awards:
Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Notable
Aspects:
Gekko’s
“Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting
1980s excess. Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan
Boesky and Michael Milken.
A
sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued
the story.
Where
to Watch (as of 2025):
Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or
rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current
availability).
Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.
News
Best
Quotes
An
investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
— Benjamin Franklin
"Bottoms
in the investment world don't end with four-year lows;
they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim
Rogers
Be
fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when
others are fearful." — Warren Buffett
Media
Man "Bullish is a mindset"
Markets,
Crypto and Culture
Super
Bulls Running Show; Cryptos Still Hurting; Medium
Bull Update: Round 3! Bloody Noses and Black Eyes!
All That Glitters ... Elon Smiles Again?!
November
5, 2025
Sin
City Sydney, Australia
ASX
futures up 0.2% at 8832
Wall
Street:
S&P 500 -1.1%
Dow Jones: -0.5%
Nasdaq -2%
Europe:
Stoxx 50 -0.3%
FTSE +0.1%
DAX -0.8%
CAC -0.5%
Australian
dollar -0.8% at US64.86 cents
Bitcoin
-6% to $US100,548
Gold
-1.6% to $US3938.33 per ounce
Oil -1% to $US60.41 a barrel
Brent crude oil -0.8% to $US64.36 a barrel
Iron ore -1.3% to $US104.52 per ton
10-year
yield:
US 4.09%
Australia 4.34%
Germany 2.65%
News
Update: (Near Live)
Bitcoin:
$99,422.32 -7.19%
New
York/Wall St via Mr Wolf!
Cryptos
Today: (Near Live) Moody: Part Corrective! Downhill.
Salt Into The Wound Again?! Or Salt Of The Earth In
Metals Right Chess Move?! All That Glitters Not Digital
Gold?!
Bitcoin
$99,422.32 -7.19%
Ethereum $3,182.97 -12.75%
Tether $1.0002 flat
Binance Coin $903.69 -9.58%
XRP $2.1179 -10.08%
Solana $148.07 -11.98%
TRON $0.2817 -0.78%
Dogecoin $0.1558 -8.63%
Cardano $0.5009 -10.60%
Market
part corrective?! Mood: Still somber-like for many
but picking up! Suspicious! Regaining smiles in selected
cases! Hardcores keep the dream!
Media
Man Favs:
(Near
Live). Bells Rung by Mr Wolf!
Wall
St, New York
TKO
Group Holdings Inc $187.35 -0.36 -0.19%
NVIDIA Corp $198.69 -8.19 -3.96%
Formula One Group Series A $91.43 +0.80 +0.88%
Alphabet Inc Class A $277.54 -6.18 -2.18%
News Corp Class A $25.80 -0.19 -0.73%
Netflix Inc $1,092.96 -7.13 -0.65%
Caterpillar Inc $547.58 -23.01 -4.03%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $13.82
-0.70 -4.82%
Tesla Inc $444.26 -24.11 -5.15%
Walt Disney Co $111.47 -0.65 -0.58%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $121.34 -4.39 -3.49%
Meta Platforms Inc $627.32 -10.39 -1.63%
BHP Group Ltd (NYSE) $54.44 -1.71 -3.05%
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $16.06 -0.43 -2.58%
Elders Ltd $6.74 -0.055 -0.81%
Rio Tinto Ltd $125.91 -3.50 -2.70%
News
Gold:
correction is not over yet
The
strengthening of the US dollar and higher Treasury
yields have brought the gold price back below $4000.
Yellow
metal is gradually losing its wild cards. It managed
to reach a record high thanks to devaluation trading,
expectations of aggressive monetary expansion by the
Fed, Donald Trump's threats of 100% tariffs against
China, geopolitics, pessimistic forecasts for the
global economy, and active purchases of bullion by
central banks.
However,
the White House is no longer attacking the Fed as
aggressively as before. The US and China have found
common ground. The Middle East conflict has been resolved,
and the global economy is proving resilient in the
face of tariffs. The Fed is cautious about lowering
rates, and central bank activity in the bullion market
is declining.
The
other two examples of similar velocity of gold rose
were 1979 and 2011. The experience of those years
shows that the surge and collapse were followed by
long periods of consolidation. In other words, after
a period of retreat from the top, the precious metal
will find its trading range and settle within it.
But for the weeks ahead, we continue to see more risks
of further decline. (FxPro)
News
Crypto
is on the verge of a bear market
Market
Overview
The
crypto market cap has fallen to $3.47 trillion. This
is 4% lower than the previous day and 19% off from
the global peak set just four weeks ago. Sellers are
pushing cryptocurrencies into bear market territory
(unofficially, this occurs when there is a 20% decline
from the peak) in the hope that the sell-off will
be self-sustaining near this point. However, we are
also seeing signs of a similar accelerated sell-off
at the start of the week, following a lull from Friday
to Sunday.
The
sentiment index has fallen to 21, the lowest level
since 9 April, indicating extreme fear. Last month,
entering this territory triggered a rebound, but the
market has already fallen below those levels. As we
previously suggested, the initial surge of extreme
fear levels is only the beginning of a prolonged period
of volatility in this territory. This period is also
characterised by an even more substantial decline
in altcoins compared to the first cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin
plummeted below $ 105K, shedding nearly 3% in the
past 24 hours. Excluding short-term slips last month,
BTC has not traded lower since June. By and large,
it is now testing levels that served as resistance
last December and January.
News
Background
According
to CoinShares, global investment in crypto funds declined
by $360 million last week, following inflows the week
before. Only investments in Bitcoin declined, by $946
million. Investments in altcoins increased, with notable
gains in Ethereum by $58 million, in Solana by $421
million, in XRP by $43 million, and in Sui by $9 million.
QCP
Capital recorded large transfers of Bitcoin to the
Kraken exchange by early investors. According to analysts,
the current consolidation resembles the period before
the breakthrough in 2024. Otherwise, it could signal
the beginning of a crypto winter.
Bitcoin
is not showing growth as early investors pass the
baton to long-term holders. The recovery of the first
cryptocurrency is only possible after the ETF and
Strategy resume large-scale purchases, according to
CryptoQuant.
Strategy
bought 397 bitcoins last week at an average price
of $114,771. Strategy now owns 641,205 BTC worth $47.49
billion at an average purchase price of $74,057 per
coin. The company's weekly BTC purchase volumes remain
close to record lows.
Another
record was set in October by the Ethereum network,
with stablecoin transactions reaching $2.8 trillion
last month. Circle's USDC was the leader, accounting
for $1.6 trillion of the total turnover. (FxPro)
News
Flashback
Oil
Holds Strong Despite Bearish Fundamentals
Weekly
data from the EIA noted that the US returned to record
oil production rates last week, supplying an average
of 13.6 million barrels per day to the market, according
to the latest EIA data. The trend towards increased
supply began in August, but producers have only now
returned to the peak levels recorded at the end of
last year. Despite a 5.5-million-barrel increase in
US commercial inventories over the past two weeks,
inventories stay at the lower end of the range seen
over the past decade, leaving considerable room for
growth. The same can be said for the strategic reserve,
which holds nearly 40% less oil than it did five years
ago, before the start of the active sell-off. It is
an interesting game in which, on the one hand, the
US (the largest oil producer) is increasing supplies,
while OPEC+ is increasing quotas on a monthly basis.
This extremely bearish combination of factors did
not cause oil prices to collapse; it was only because
of global trade in currency depreciation that caused
precious metals, stock indices, and cryptocurrencies
to rise. Oil prices have not peaked in recent weeks
.. To be cont .. (FxPro)
News
Gold
hits new highs due to political turmoil
Gold
is outside the realm of politics.
While
currencies and securities depend on the actions of
presidents and governments, precious metals do not.
Therefore, political turmoil forces investors to use
them as safe-haven assets.
The
impressive 52% rally in gold started in April with
the introduction of tariffs on America's Liberation
Day. It continued due to the US government shutdown,
the political crisis in France, and the change of
leadership in Japan. he rise of gold above 4,000 dollars
per ounce is not only the result of the weakness of
fiat currencies. There are tectonic shifts in the
structure of investment portfolios and fears of financial
crises due to government recklessness.
The
share of precious metals is growing both in speculators'
assets and in the gold and foreign exchange reserves
of central banks. The indicator has already exceeded
the share of the euro. According to Eurizon Capital,
if it equals the share of the US dollar, the price
per ounce will soar to 8,500 dollars. The Supreme
Court's abolition of tariffs will inflate the US budget
deficit. France does not intend to reduce it, and
Japan plans to increase bond issuance. All this creates
a tailwind for commodity assets. (FxPro)
News
Politics
remains the main driver of FX
The
US government shutdown did not have a noticeable impact
on the dollar's performance last week. However, it
did help the stock market to grow slightly by strengthening
expectations of monetary policy easing. However, these
events pale in comparison to the change in Japan's
ruling elite and the resignation of the French prime
minister less than a day after the formation of the
government in terms of their impact on the currency
market. In Japan, Sanae Takaichi was chosen head of
the Liberal Democratic Party over the weekend and
is on track to become the country's first female prime
minister. This event caused the yen to fall 2% to
150.49 from Friday's level before correcting to 149.80
at the time of writing. Takaichi is considered a supporter
of aggressive government spending, structural reforms,
and soft monetary policy, echoing the basic principles
of Shinzo Abe. Overall, she has a more right-wing
approach to national policy and is also a supporter
of revising Japan's pacifist constitution. The market
reaction clearly shows that they are considering Takaichi
to be the new prime minister. If she does not change
her political views (and she has softened them recently
to win the party elections), we should be prepared
for a further weakening of the yen, which reached
its highest level since 1991 in the EURJPY pair, exceeding
176. However, the single currency is also facing uncertainty
today due to a new political crisis in France. Prime
Minister Lecornu, who had been trying to form a government
for a month, resigned the day after he finally presented
his new cabinet. His appointments drew criticism from
both left-wing and right-wing allies. The EURUSD fell
to 1.1650 at its lowest point on Monday, losing a
full cent against Friday's levels. Unlike Japan, where
a 2% drop in the JPY was accompanied by a 5% jump
in the Nikkei225 index, France's CAC40 lost more than
2% intraday, paring its losses to 1.2% towards the
end of the trading day in Europe. The EURUSD stopped
its climb in July and has been hovering around 1.1700
all this time, not least because of the political
crisis in France. Without it, the single currency
would have had a much better chance of exploiting
political divisions in the US to its advantage. It
would be an exaggeration to call the situation in
Japan and France a drama. Still, these events once
again emphasise that as soon as the dollar's throne
begin.
News
Pop
Culture News
Dream
Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream
Match Series; Crack The Code!
Million
Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets
Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation
Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr H
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far! Re-match!
Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
UFC Legal vs UFC Bad Egg Betting Disruptors
Bulls vs Bears
Logan Paul vs WWE babyfaces
Santa's Helper vs Grinch
News
Cryptocurrency
Movies
Documentaries
The
Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring
Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the
community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s
early days and its potential to disrupt finance.
Banking
on Bitcoin (2016)
Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots,
and impact on global financial systems through interviews
with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.
Cryptopia:
Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet
(2020)
Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives
into blockchain’s broader applications beyond
cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory
challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s
transformative potential.
Trust
Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated by
Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal
impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems.
A comprehensive look at real-world applications.
Bitcoin:
The End of Money as We Know It (2015)
Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin
as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized
financial systems. Features interviews with crypto
experts.
Deep
Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary
focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator,
Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in
dark web transactions.
Bitconned
(2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing
how three individuals defrauded investors during the
2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated
markets.
Feature
Films
Crypto
(2019)
A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth,
and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering
agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency
in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal
but praise its entertainment value.
Silk
Road (2021)
A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of
the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin.
It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and
drama.
Dope
(2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin
as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin
for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association
with illicit activities.
Bonus
Mentions
Life
on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to
live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early
adoption challenges.
Bitcoin
Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers
chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.
Notes
Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing
on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology,
and real-world implications. They’re great for
beginners and enthusiasts alike.
Feature
films often dramatize crypto’s association with
crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating
for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy.
For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like
Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many
of these are available.
News
Wall
Street (Movie)
Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is a
drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial
world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young
stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled
with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless corporate
raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,”
drives the story as Bud is lured into insider trading
and unethical deals, compromising his morals for wealth
and power.
The
film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal,
with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father
(Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.
Key
Details: Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie
Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin
Sheen (Carl Fox).
Runtime: 2h 6m.
Genre: Drama/Crime.
Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).
Awards:
Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Notable
Aspects:
Gekko’s
“Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting
1980s excess. Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan
Boesky and Michael Milken.
A
sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued
the story.
Where
to Watch (as of 2025):
Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or
rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current
availability).
Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.
News
Flashback
Gold,
copper, & silver:
How
metals are moving this year
Metal
futures have made some pretty dramatic moves lately
from safe haven gold to tariff sensitive copper. So
let's take a look at the longer term trends. I'm Jared
Blikre, host of Stocks in Translation. And I'm going
to start by charting some of the moves in Dr. Copper
because this is where we have the most zig and zags
over the last 25 years. So this goes back to the beginning
of the century and we can see right now, we're at
$5.51 per pound. That is a record high. But if we
go back to the beginning of the century, guess what?
Uh we had a little bit of a slump in the wake of the
dot com boom and then bust, but starting in 2003,
we saw a big rise there. And that was as China actually
joined the World Trade Organization or the WTO. That
lasted into the global financial crisis. Then we had
a pretty big bust in in Dr. Copper, and then we had
another rise. And that rise was due to unprecedented
stimulus, not only from the Chinese government, but
also from the United States government, QE was in
force, and then we saw kind of a strong dollar play.
That weighed on this metal all the way into the beginning
of 2016. The entire world, most of the world indices
went through a bear market in 2015, and then 2016,
we found the footing. And that was actually the year
that Trump won, began his first presidency. And from
there, we saw some zig and zags, and then we saw a
shock into the pandemic. A couple of, a couple of
years of deflation or a semi-deflation, disinflation,
that caught up with it in 2022, but then it was off
to the races again. And especially with the Trump
tariffs now on copper, threatening to be threatening
to be 50% on August 1st, we're seeing a lot of front
running in this trade. Now, I also want to show you
gold futures and I'm going to show you silver as well.
And they follow a very similar pattern. We're not
seeing the dramatic zig and zags that we did in copper,
but we did see the same pattern of China joining the
WTO, contributing to that huge rise in price to 1800,
almost $2,000 an ounce by the beginning of the global
financial crisis. So a little bit of a meltdown there.
But in 2016 into 2018, we saw a bit of a rise into
the pandemic, a little bit of a whipsaw there, and
consolidation over a few years. Again, that 2022 bare
market in US stocks that contributed to some deflation
and disinflation globally, supply chain chain shocks
came into force again, and then we saw this huge rise
beginning in late 2023, and we are now at 3353. We've
seen a high of as much as $3,500 per ounce. And gold
is kind of unique among the precious metals and also
the industrial metals, and this is because central
banks have been a huge determining force in their
buying of it. This is a bar chart that shows central
bank buying in tons going back all the way to 2010.
And what you notice here is the last three years,
2022, 2023, 2024, all of those had gold being bought
by central banks of in the amount of over 1,000 tons.
And so that's a pretty big dramatic increase from
the prior years. And this has to do with the ongoing
dedollarization in China, as well as Russia, but also
a host of other countries, even some in western and
eastern Europe. So this is a trend that we want to
follow. Uh, I want to close out here with silver,
and I'm going to just chart the price action. Again,
very similar chart to gold and copper in terms of
the big movements here. We saw a big price spike into
almost $50 per ounce, and that was just as the global
financial crisis was getting underway. And then the
QE area in 2011, that's when we saw that high. Then
we saw a dramatic, dramatic crash into 2016, kind
of found its footing, saw a big squeeze in the early
pandemic, 2020 was a great year for silver, but then
we saw a little bit of a fallout. And again, silver
is on the rise here at $38. It's still off of that
$50 record high, but it is increasing very quickly.
To round out the conversation, I want to just put
on a table here. I have all three medals and just
kind of grouping them together. I want to display
how they are moving with their specific patterns with
a trigger, and then to tell you which one of these
is featured in these specific criteria. So here, under
the pattern, we have acceleration. So that would be
an economic acceleration. The trigger would be liquidity.
And when that happens, we see all metals benefiting
from that. And then when there's a safe haven scare,
and that trigger would be a crisis of some sorts,
you're going to see gold and silver outperforming
the most, kind of leaving Dr. Copper behind. And then
here's a bearish one, industrial drags, that affects
copper disproportionately here, and the trigger there
is typically a stronger US dollar because the US dollar
surges when global global industrials tend to drag,
and that's because the US is the least dirty shirt
in the laundry basket of the world. And then finally
here, we have a policy shock. This will affect all
three medals, but especially copper and gold here.
Um, arguably, the biggest reason is tariffs and debt,
and we've seen both of those contribute to silver
rising. So we could put all three in that basket as
well. But when you put it all together, we have the
perfect explosive mix for all three of these metals,
including palladium and also platinum, which we didn't
get to have time for, but all of these are experiencing
huge thrust in 2025. And we'll have to see how these
tariffs play out, especially on Dr. Copper with respect
to that August 1st deadline. Remember, 50% there.
So tune into Stocks in Translation for more jargon
busting deep dives, new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays
on Yahoo Finances website, or wherever you find your
podcast. (Transcript from Yahoo! Finance podcast)
News
Best
Quotes
An
investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
— Benjamin Franklin
"Bottoms
in the investment world don't end with four-year lows;
they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim
Rogers
Be
fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when
others are fearful." — Warren Buffett
Media
Man "Bullish is a mindset"
Markets
and Cryptos
ASX
futures up 29 points/0.3% to 8625
AUD +0.1% at US65.23¢
BTC +0.9% to $US109,663
Dow +0.1%
S&P +0.4%
NAS +0.5%
Gold +0.2% to $US3332.66 an ounce
Oil -0.6% at $US66.61 a barrel
Iron ore -0.4% at $US94.35 a ton
Cryptos
Today: (Near Live)
Bitcoin
$109,602.86 USD +0.71%
Ethereum $2,760.81 USD +6.83%
Tether $1.00 USD-0.12%
XRP $2.29 USD -0.23%
BNB $669.38 USD +1.02%
Solana $163.85 USD +4.64%
USD Coin $0.9998 USD -0.01%
Dogecoin $0.1944 USD +3.77%
TRON $0.2908 USD +0.95%
Cardano $0.7079 USD +3.22%
Wrapped Bitcoin $109,668.98 USD +0.92%
News
Bitcoin
lags S&P; Ethereum is pumping up with new money
The paths of Bitcoin and US stock indices seem to
have diverged in June. The S&P 500 rose for several
consecutive trading sessions thanks to the de-escalation
of trade conflicts, the strength of the US economy
and positive corporate reporting. The first digital
coin came under pressure due to capital flowing to
Ether, doubts about the effectiveness of new stablecoins
legislation and conflicts of interest. Donald Trump's
family is becoming increasingly involved in the crypto
business. An affiliate company has announced the purchase
of Bitcoin through the issuance of securities, and
the president's sons intend to launch their own Bitcoin
ETF. As a result, digital assets are perceived as
Trump's personal interest.
Ether,
which has been in the shadows for a long time, is
now leaping forward. Over the past two weeks, Ethereum
ETFs have attracted $812 million, the biggest amount
since the beginning of this year.
Investors
are increasingly sceptical that new legislation on
stablecoins will protect them from fraudsters. Despite
stricter rules and regulations, Germany saw an 8%
increase in reports of suspicious activity involving
cryptocurrencies in 2024.
Dark
clouds were gathering over Bitcoin, but the Strategy
report catalysed a rebound. The company has been buying
digital assets through the issuance of securities
since 2020 and owns 582 thousand Bitcoins worth almost
$64 billion, with an average purchase price of around
$ 70 K. Strategy has many followers, fuelling demand
for crypto and allowing it to grow. As a result, the
correlation between BTCUSD and US stock indices began
to recover. Both Bitcoin and the S&P 500 are risky
assets. Therefore, the improvement in global risk
appetite against the backdrop of the resumption of
trade negotiations between the US and China supports
the cryptocurrency rally. The record high of around
$112K is within reach. Breaking this record will attract
new buyers to the market and contribute to the continuation
of the upward trend for Bitcoin. (FxPro)
News
Market
Trends: The crypto market is showing signs of recovery
after a volatile period. Bitcoin (BTC) is trading
near $100,000 following a 3% pullback, while Ethereum
(ETH) and XRP have seen declines of 8% and 5%, respectively,
after Circle’s IPO on June 5. Institutional inflows
and easing U.S. regulatory concerns are driving optimism,
with the total market cap at $3.3 trillion despite
tariff-related uncertainties.
Stablecoin
Developments: Societe Generale became the first major
bank to launch a dollar-pegged stablecoin, signaling
mainstream financial adoption. Circle, issuer of USDC,
saw its shares soar 168% post-IPO, boosting interest
in stablecoins for remittances and e-commerce. However,
regulators warn of potential market stability risks.
Bitcoin
Outlook: Analysts are bullish on Bitcoin, with predictions
suggesting a rally past its all-time high of $111,980
if it breaks $112,000 resistance. Arthur Hayes noted
that the Bank of Japan’s June meeting could trigger
a rally if quantitative easing resumes. Corporate
treasuries and spot ETFs for Solana and XRP are also
supporting bullish sentiment.
Regulatory
Moves: The UK is lifting its ban on retail investors
buying crypto exchange-traded notes (ETNs), aligning
with U.S. regulatory approaches. In the U.S., the
GENIUS Act for stablecoin regulation faces opposition
from Senator Josh Hawley, who fears it favors Big
Tech.
Security
Concerns: A wave of “crypto kidnappings”
targeting executives has raised alarms, with a notable
case in France involving Paymium’s CEO. Coinbase
reported a data breach exposing 70,000 customers’
personal information, increasing risks of extortion.
Other
Highlights: Gemini, run by the Winklevoss twins, has
filed for a U.S. IPO, capitalizing on market momentum.
India’s RBI maintains its strict crypto stance
despite Supreme Court pushback, while JPMorgan is
expanding crypto services for ETF financing. (Grok)
News
Cryptocurrency
Movies
Documentaries
The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014) Follows early
Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring Bitcoin’s
origins, its volatile rise, and the community behind
it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s early days
and its potential to disrupt finance.
Banking
on Bitcoin (2016) Examines Bitcoin’s history,
ideological roots, and impact on global financial
systems through interviews with pioneers and experts.
A solid primer for newcomers.
Cryptopia:
Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet
(2020)
Directed
by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives into blockchain’s
broader applications beyond cryptocurrency, addressing
scalability and regulatory challenges. Ideal for those
interested in blockchain’s transformative potential.
Trust
Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated by
Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal
impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems.
A comprehensive look at real-world applications.
Bitcoin:
The End of Money as We Know It (2015) Traces the history
of money and introduces Bitcoin as a decentralized
alternative, critiquing centralized financial systems.
Features interviews with crypto experts.
Deep
Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary
focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator,
Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in
dark web transactions.
Bitconned
(2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing
how three individuals defrauded investors during the
2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated
markets.
Feature
Films
Crypto (2019) A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp,
Luke Hemsworth, and Kurt Russell. It follows a young
anti-money laundering agent investigating corruption
and cryptocurrency in his hometown. Critics note its
exaggerated portrayal but praise its entertainment
value.
Silk
Road (2021) A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s
creation of the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace
using Bitcoin. It explores his rise and fall, blending
crime and drama.
Dope
(2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin
as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin
for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association
with illicit activities.
Bonus
Mentions
Life on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting
to live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing
early adoption challenges.
Bitcoin
Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers
chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.
Notes
Documentaries
are generally more educational, focusing on Bitcoin’s
history, blockchain technology, and real-world implications.
They’re great for beginners and enthusiasts alike.
Feature
films often dramatize crypto’s association with
crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating
for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy.
For
a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like Prime
Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many of
these are available.
Markets,
Business News, Biz Culture, Pop Culture awards
Australian
Edition
June
10, 2025
ASX
futures down 4 points/0.1% to 8555
Australian
dollar +0.4% to 65.16 US cents
Wall
Street:
S&P 500 +0.1%, Dow Jones flat, Nasdaq +0.3%
Europe:
Stoxx 50 -0.2%, FTSE -0.1%, DAX -0.5%, CAC -0.2%
Bitcoin
+2.4% to $US108,792
Spot
gold +0.5% to $US3325.27 per ounce
US
oil +1.3% to $US65.39 a barrel
Brent
crude oil +1% to $US67.12 a barrel
Iron
ore -0.9% to $US94.65 per tonne
10-year
yield: US 4.47% Australia 4.26% Germany 2.56%
News
Australia
Power
costs could doom Rio smelter
Located
north of Newcastle in NSW, the Tomago aluminium smelter
is the biggest producer of aluminium in Australia,
along with being the largest user of electricity in
the nation. It is majority owned by Rio Tinto, which
is said to be seeking billion of dollars in support
from the NSW and federal government to prevent it
from collapsing because of high electricity prices.
The discussions between Rio and the two governments
are understood be focusing on the structure of the
federal government's production tax credits and Tomago's
electricity contract for 2026 to 2029. (Roy Morgan
Summary)
News
High-price
hydrogen bombshell
The
federal government wants to develop a green hydrogen
export industry, but the current high cost of producing
green hydrogen represents a challenge to its goal.
InterContinental Energy, which is the co-owner of
two large green hydrogen projects in Western Australia,
has stated initial costs for delivering green hydrogen
from the two projects was estimated at between
$8 and $11 a kilogram, but MST Marquee analyst Saul
Kavonic states the cost of green hydrogen needs to
be below $2 a kilogram for it to be competitive with
other energy sources. (RMS)
Battery
subsidies to spark power struggle
The
federal government has set a target of sourcing 82
per cent of electricity from renewable sources by
2030, with its new household battery installations
subsidy scheme aimed at helping it meet that target.
The government will subsidise household battery installations
by up to 30 per cent from 1 July, with Jon Briskin
from Origin Energy noting that battery inquiries in
May were up 400 per cent on the previous month. The
scheme could also present a challenge for energy retailers,
which have traditionally operated household batteries
through what are known as virtual power plants. Critics
of the VPP model contend that VPP participants are
undercompensated and have little knowledge as to how
and when their battery is being used, but retailers
claim that participants are adequately rewarded. (RMS)
News
Advanced
AI suffers 'complete accuracy collapse' in face of
complex problems, study finds
Apple
researchers have concluded in a paper released over
the weekend that large reasoning models suffer 'complete
accuracy collapse' when faced with complex problems,
with LRMs being an advanced form of artificial intelligence.
US academic Gary Marcus, who has become a noted voice
of caution on the capabilities of AI systems, has
described the Apple paper as "pretty devastating",
while Andrew Rogoyski, of the Institute for People-Centred
AI at the University of Surrey, said the paper shows
the industry was "still feeling its way"
on artificial general intelligence (AGI), with AGI
being a theoretical stage of AI at which a system
is able to "match a human at carrying out any
intellectual task".
News
V'Landys
backs Tabcorp's McLachlan
Racing
NSW CEO Peter V'Landys says he supports Tabcorp's
plans to change how its pays pubs to host its betting
terminals, although the Australian Hotels Association
is against what Tabcorp and CEO Gillon McLachlan is
seeking to do. Tabcorp's plans would see thousands
of pubs no longer get paid for hosting its terminals,
while in return, it will commit to refurbishing hotel
facilities, investing in promotions and waiving subscription
fees to Sky Racing: Tabcorp's plans are set to take
effect from 1 July
News
Stars
to face big pay cuts in purge
The
big salaries of some high-profile Australian television
personalities are under scrutiny as networks seek
to offset a downturn in advertising revenue. The Seven
and Nine networks are believed to be planning to make
significant 'efficiencies' across their national newsrooms
in coming months. In some cases, popular TV personalities
are being paid six-figure salaries despite rarely
being seen on screen. A senior source at Nine has
indicated that networks will no longer keep people
on their books with nothing to do just so they will
not be poached by a rival network. (Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Media
Failing
Project officially gets axe
The
Ten Network has confirmed that long-running current
affairs panel show The Project will cease production
amid a decline in its ratings. The last edition of
the program will be broadcast on 27 June, nearly 16
years after it debuted as The 7pm Project in July
2009. Ten has advised that it will be replaced by
an hour-long national news, current affairs and insights
program in the 6pm timeslot; it will complement Ten's
evening news bulletin at 5pm and compete with the
news bulletins of Nine and Seven. The Project's current
hosts Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris and Hamish Macdonald
will leave Ten. (RMS)
News
Gen
Z lead shift to ad-backed 'free' streamers
Tubi
is a free ad-supported video-on-demand service, with
international MD David Salmon saying that younger
audiences are showing an increased preference for
such services over paid subscription services. Salmon
contends that Gen Z is increasingly favouring streaming
platforms that "help them find their next fandom",
and that Tubi has gone from 25 million to 97 million
monthly users over the past five years. Owned by Fox
Corporation, Tubi is currently available in Australia,
the US, the UK, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and Latin
America. (RMS)
News
Mining
Rio
ready to settle Mongolian lawsuit
Rio
Tinto is understood to be ready to settle a lawsuit
that has been led by Florida-based hedge fund Pentwater
Capital Management and was launched in 2022 by investors
in a company called Turquoise Hill. The lawsuit relates
to allegations that Rio withheld information about
cost blowouts and delays with its Oyu Tolgoi copper
mine project in Mongolia; Rio gained control of the
project and became its operator in 2012 by acquiring
a 50.7 per cent stake in a company later renamed Turquoise
Hill, with Rio acquiring the remainder of Turquoise
Hill for $US3.1bn in December 2022. News that Rio
is prepared to settle the lawsuit comes as it is looking
to appoint a successor to Jakob Stausholm as its CEO.
(RMS)
News
Rio
Tinto's departing CEO rejects talk of rift with chair
It
was announced on 22 May that Jakob Stausholm would
be stepping down as CEO of Rio Tinto, with the fact
that no successor was announced at the time prompting
talk that the decision was rushed and was due to tensions
between Stausholm and chairman Dominic Barton. However,
speaking on Friday at the official opening of Rio's
$2.4 billion Western Range iron ore joint venture
with Chinese firm Baowu in the Pilbara region, Stausholm
denied talk of any rift with Barton, while he said
it was possible that his successor could come from
within Rio's ranks. (RMS)
News
Fortescue
pushes for tax credit overhaul
Fortescue
intends to lobby the federal government to reform
the diesel fuel tax rebate scheme that sees the mining
sector claim back millions each year for diesel when
it is used on their private roads. Fortescue contends
the scheme serves as a disincentive for large mining
companies to switch from using diesel in their truck
fleets in the Pilbara region of Western Australia,
with Fortescue CEO Dino Otranto claiming the scheme
undermines the federal government's safeguard mechanism;
it wants a $50 million cap placed on the amount that
mining companies can claim back under the scheme.
(Roy Morgan Summary)
News
Pop
Culture News
Media
Man
Netflix
wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Month' award
The
Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newspaper
Of The Month' award
Roy
Morgan Research wins Media Man 'News Services Company
Of The Month'
WWE
wins 'Wrestling Promotion Of The Month' award
UFC
wins Media Man 'MMA Promotion Of The Month' award
Karrion
Kross wins Media Man 'Wrestler Of The Month' award
(Men's Division)
Stephanie
Vaquer wins Media Man 'Wrestler Of The Month' award
(Women's Division)
El
Grande Americano wins Media Man 'Luchador Of The Month'
award; Runner-ups: Dirty Dom and Vikingo
Porsche
wins Media Man 'Auto Brand Of The Month' award
Google
Pixel wins Media Man 'Tech Brand Of The Month' award
News
June
10, 2025
Media
News
On
the losing side of Wall Street was Warner Bros. Discovery,
which flipped from a big early gain to a loss of 3
per cent after saying it would split into two companies.
One will get Warner Bros. Television, HBO Max and
other studio brands, while the other will hold onto
CNN, TNT Sports and other entertainment, sports and
news television brands around the world, along with
some digital products.
Media Man Int
Business
News (Media Man Int) http://mediamanint.com/articles/business_news.html
Bitcoin
News (Media Man Int) http://mediamanint.com/bitcoin_news.html
Blockchain
News (Media Man Int) https://mediamanint.com/blockchain_news.html
Cryptocurrency
News (Media Man Int) http://mediamanint.com/cryptocurrency_news.html
Gold
Directory (Media Man Int) http://mediamanint.com/articles/gold_directory.html
Mining
Directory (Media Man Int) *in progress http://mediamanint.com/articles/mining_directory.html
Commodities
News (Media Man Int) *in progress http://mediamanint.com/commodities_news.html
News
Asia
Pacific Mega Gambling News Update, by Greg Tingle
- 9th April 2011
Newcastle
NSW War Pokie Laws...
New
poker machine restrictions proposed by Tasmanian independent
Andrew Wilkie will "annihilate" pubs and
clubs in the Hunter, leaving hundreds out of work,
ClubsNSW Newcastle councillor Jon Chin says. Clubs
Australia is launching a $20 million advertising campaign
on Monday in an attempt to prevent the introduction
of mandatory pre-commitment technology for all poker
machines. Banjo, a John "Singo" Singleton
company is behind the campaign. Mandatory pre-commitment
requires pokies users to commit to a spending limit
before they begin gambling. Once they reach that limit
they will be unable to gamble again until the following
day or longer, depending on what restrictions the
player sets for themselves. Chin said the cost of
implementing the new technology in the Hunter region
would surpass $100 million. This figure did not include
the 40% in revenue clubs would experience once the
restrictions were imposed, he said. "This means
Hunter clubs will lose another $100 million, making
it impossible for us to sustain our businesses,"
he said. Australian Hotels Association Hunter sub-branch
vice-president Bruce Woods said there was no evidence
to suggest the restrictions would discourage people
from gambling. "This won't help pathological
gamblers at all but it will lead to a loss of jobs,"
he said. "We support the clubs' campaign against
this, it will affect pubs just as much as clubs".
Online
Gaming Strong Growth In Asia...
Online
gaming industry has grown into a $US3 billion business
that provides a good standard of living to migrant
workers in Asia who play games all day and sometimes,
all night! Virtual currency is all the rage, it sometimes
gets sold to punters abroad for cash. A World Bank
study demonstrates an emerging industry in which firms
seeking to boost their brands' popularity pay low-skilled
workers overseas to become their Facebook fans or
Twitter followers. The study, Knowledge Map of the
Virtual Economy, is the World Bank's first in-depth
look at the impact of online gaming and social media
in the developing world. Vili Lehdonvirta, a co-author
of the report, advised that the bank should not pour
its money into the industry, because he said the deal
making violated some of the game publishers' terms
of service and was cheating. Known in the business
as "gold farming", the game-playing boomed
in the early 2000s with games like World of Warcraft
and has evolved considerably. Labourers in Asia spend
numerous hours each day advancing through levels of
an online game, picking up gold, swords and gems that
enhance a game player's status. Then gaming studios,
which employ the players, sell those virtual goods
to online retailers. Next step, the retailers sell
on those goods to more than 120 million players globally,
many of them in Europe and North America, who don't
want to play the games day and night to gather their
own. The bank's report indicates that online gaming
has a positive impact in Asia because 70% of the industry's
revenue remains in the gaming countries, with most
of that money going to the gaming studios. Compared
with the $US70 billion coffee market...in which only
a tiny fraction of the revenue remains in the bean-growing
countries...the gaming industry had a "much better
development impact", the report states. A report
survey checks out on a group of 26 players and studio
managers that offers a rough, yet rare demographic
look at their lives. Most of the players work out
of studios in China, in Beijing or Changsha, capital
of Hunan province. They earn an average wage of $US2.70
an hour, $US1 more than Beijing's minimum wage for
part-time factory work. "The larger point is
that online gaming is often viewed as exploitation,
Lehdonvirta said. "Certainly it's not a dream
career, but the players are not at sweatshop levels."
The gaming studios keep about 60% of the industry's
$US3 billion in revenue. Readers, would you like to
be a prize gather for the gaming studios on that level
of pay? Better not answer!
Samoan
Casino Proposal Has Social Concerns For Kiwi, Samoan
Locals...
All
these places have land based casinos - Las Vegas,
Monte Carlo, Macau, Melbourne and just maybe soon
- Apia in Samoa. Some business folks have earmarked
it as a future gambling destination, and Kiwi group,
the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand, is
advising against it, citing social harms of a casino
will outweigh any economical benefits that the Samoan
government will hope to achieve. In an admission of
the dangers of gambling, the proposed casino in Apia
will attempt to bar locals by only allowing the holders
of foreign passports to gamble. Problem #1... many
locals have duplicate passports, so getting in to
a casino for locals may not be that hard, and don't
even bring up the subject of fake ID. Will the region
get a land based casino? Stay tuned for updates.
Clubs
Australia War On Gillard Labor Government Re Pokie
Laws...
Clubs
Australia has declared "open warfare" on
the Gillard government, preparing a $20 million media
campaign to try to stop laws to limit how much punters
can spend on poker machines. Last year "Tasmanian
Devil" (MM satire) independent MP Andrew Wilkie
backed Labor to form a minority government in return
for a clampdown on the use of poker machines. Now,
the lobby that represents clubs and pubs is wrestling
and punching back, with a media blitz targeting Wilkie
and Prime Minister Julie Gillard. Both Wilkie and
Gillard are in big trouble in the popularity polls,
with Labor set to lose the next federal election,
following their NSW loss, where it was bloody and
crimson mass. Billboards, a website, beer coasters
and more It's war on nationwide. The campaign has
been criticised as misleading for claiming punters
will need a licence to gamble. Clubs Australia executive
director Anthony Ball rejects that. "What we
do know is that everyone who plays a poker machine
will need to register and obtain a card, and then
insert it into a poker machine and set a binding limit.
There needs to be player tracking, because how else
does the machine know what the player is doing? It
will have your private details and your gambling history
on it. Now if that's not a licence, I don't know what
is." Under Wilkie's master plan, gamblers would
have to nominate a dollar figure for how much they
are prepared to lose before they start gambling, a
scheme known as "mandatory pre-commitment".
Wilkie wants the law in place by 2014 and he has the
backing of South Australian independent Senator Nick
'Mr X' (MM satire) Xenophon. Senator Xenophon describes
the Clubs Australia campaign as a "joke".
"This industry is willing to spend $20 million
of tax-break money that they get from community clubs
- effectively taxpayers' monies, indirectly - to peddle
lies in terms of a campaign where they haven't even
seen what the final report will say. Whether it's
$20 million or $200 million, this mob can spend as
much as they like, but they can't spin that they are
causing enormous damage out in the community. There
are 300,000 Australians who either have a severe gambling
problem because of poker machines, or are already
showing the signs of one."
Proposed
Pokie Laws With Cost 10,000's of Aussie Jobs...
Clubs
Australia advise the changes will cost jobs. They
want it to be a voluntary scheme and have rejected
a government request to hold off on the ad war. "It
will cost jobs, for the simple reason that asking
Australians to sign on to this licence to gamble will
mean they'll do something else," Mr Ball said.
"They'll go and gamble online where none of these
controls exist, or they they'll go to the TAB - they
won't do it at the club.Even the proponent of this,
Andrew Wilkie, is saying that this will cost up to
40% of revenue."
It's all hot fodder in Aussie Parliament too. Liberal
Steve Ciobo sits on the joint committee on gambling
reform, which has been hearing arguments pro and con
against a mandatory pre-commitment scheme. "The
committee was charged by the Labor party with the
responsibility to look at a roll-out of pre-commitment,"
he said. "But Coalition members will be putting
in a dissenting report because the evidence is clear
that it's going to cost jobs, it's going to cost investment,
and I'm concerned based on the evidence that it will
make problem gambling potentially worse." The
committee is due to report in the next few weeks.
The states and territories have until the end of May
to decide if they will agree to the Wilkie-led reforms.
If they refuse, the Commonwealth believes it has the
power to introduce overriding legislation to impose
a national scheme. The pokie industry has shown the
willingness to wrestle all the way to the next election,
and perhaps even beyond. It's the lovers VS the haters.
Who will win, and when will the final victor emerge.
Stay tuned.
Sky
City Entertainment Group Stocks Fall From Sky...
Sky
City Entertainment Group, the casino and hotel operator,
fell 0.9% to $3.41 amid media reports that overseas
competitors were looking to hire the 500 staff made
redundant or on leave without pay due to the closure
of the Christchurch Casino. SkyCity owns a 50% stake
in the business.
Casino
Bouncer Thought Disabled Bloke Was Drunk...
A
South Australian man with deasiese cerebral palsy
says he was refused entry to the Adelaide Casino because
the bouncer thought he was drunk. Mark Thiele was
on a big night out with friends when he attempted
to enter the casino, but was refused by a bouncer
aka "gorilla". Thiele says the bouncer mistakenly
thought he was drunk, but the casino is sticking by
its decision. "I had said to the man that I wasn't
a drunk, I was crippled," said Thiele, talking
about his rejection on 7.30 South Australia. "He
had said to me he was convinced I was intoxicated
even though we said that I had only had a few drinks
earlier on in the evening. "So I can't see why
I was singled out and everybody else in my party wasn't.
There was no difference between any of us besides
the obvious. It's a mystery to me really." Last
month, he and his friends had walked to the casino
from the city's Hindley Street entertainment strip
a few blocks away. Thiele has trouble moving his body
and for him, walking distances is a big effort. His
mate Aaron Nettlebeck says the casino bouncer did
not understand. "Walking that sort of distance
does get very, very sweaty over that sort of short
period. It was a bit infuriating that it happened
like that after such a nice evening." Thiele
says he has not had a problem at venues until now.
"For the vast majority it's never been a problem.
Bouncers that I've come into contact with have been
understanding and even let me skip the line a few
times just to put me at ease," he said. "Obviously
it's a stamina thing that I can't walk these long
distances and stand in lines and all of these things."
He says he is considering lodging a complaint with
the commission or under South Australia's liquor laws.The
casino's general manager, David Christian, has offered
an apology of sorts. "It was certainly not our
intention that Mark would have felt discriminated
against and I'm sorry that he does feel that way,"
he said. But he is defending the actions of his staff.
"They believe that they made the right call.
I would believe that with the calibre we have and
the training we put into our security officers, and
the level of management that oversees it, that they
would be right most of the time."
New
Zealand Christchurch Casino Workers Hurting From Earthquake
Financial Aftershocks...
Financial
and emotional aftershocks are still be felt by the
casino sector after a series of earthquakes that rocked
the Asia Pacific - Japan and New Zealand region. Christchurch
Casino workers are feeling disappointed and even depressed
after having failed attempt to get a bigger redundancy
payday.In excess of 500 formally happy and motivated
casino employees were offered redundancy at the central
Christchurch casino last weekend, which was badly
damaged in the February 22 quake and has stayed closed
ever since the act of mother nature. Anyone who wants
to stay at the casino will be paid their holiday pay
as either a weekly amount or in a "lump sum".
Simply put, they will remain as employees of the land
based casino on leave without pay until the the gambling
den opens again. The SFWU (Service and Food Workers'
Union), which reps for 100 plus casino workers, has
a meeting with the casino's managers on Thursday.
SFWU strategic industry boss Len 'Razor' (MM tag)
Richards said workers were sombre but firm in their
desire about securing a more attractive redundancy
package. The union power that be were also asking
for continued pay for employees that choose to stay
on until the casino opens again. However, he advised
management was not prepared to increase the amount
of redundancy pay for staff, but did agree to request
for a government wage subsidy. Due to a private insurance
deal and policy in place, the land based casino has
not relied upon the $1.5 million government subsidy
available for quake-affected businesses. Richards
stated that the union has contacted earthquake recovery
minister Gerry Brownlee to request assistance to help
pay workers who remain employed. SkyCity, half owner
of the famous Christchurch Casino, has projected a
$130 million plus profit this year. It's not known
how much financially the quake cost Christchurch Casino
or SkyCity. Christchurch Casino top sheep er top dog...chief
executive Brett 'Ask Him' (MM satire) Anderson said
about 70% of employees have indicated they will stay
with the company rather than take the offered redundancy.
He said a number of employees are also being offered
jobs offshore. Anderson elaborated "I'm getting
phone calls from Australia looking for our people
and likewise all over New Zealand, and a few of them
have spread their wings. More than a few have gone
over to the Gold Coast. It's a lot warmer, it's a
lot more stable, you can swim in the sea, the pay
rates are better." Anderson said he still does
not know when the casino will reopen.Employees have
a deadline until Monday to decide whether they will
take the redundancy package or stay on. Yep, it's
the money or the box. Workers who have not contacted
the company by showdown at 5pm on Monday will be deemed
to have left their jobs and will be paid out a four-weeks-notice
payment, along with their annual leave entitlements.
Casino workers, did you get that. D Day is approaching.
A
Media Man spokesperson said "In the current global
economy anyone with a decent job should be grateful,
especially in the casino or gaming sector. Well done
to Christchurch Casino management for doing their
utmost to assist in their difficult times. Employers
will always want to ask for more... its in the nature.
Land based casinos generally remain popular around
the world so good staff will always be in demand."
Media
Man and Gambling911 wish all parties well with their
dealings, and hopefully some win - win - wins will
still be possible.
States
Probe Sports Betting Ads...
Aussie
states are uniting to consider a crackdown on an explosion
in advertising of sports betting, Victoria's Gaming
Minister says. Michael O'Brien last night revealed
the betting blitz on sport was being examined by the
Council of Australian Governments. "There is
growing concern at the extent to which is becoming
inseparable from the coverage of major sporting events.
Kids are being exposed to it constantly just by watching
the footy or cricket," he said.AFL chief executive
Andrew Demetriou said the league had expressed its
concerns to stadium managers. Goal posts, boundary
line fences and scoreboards at the MCG and Etihad
Stadium have been plastered with ads from bookmakers.
Demetriou said the alarm was raised during last year's
Brownlow Medal telecast. "There seemed to be
an enormous amount of (gambling) advertising after
each break," he told press. O'Brien said the
AFL, which enjoys lucrative sponsorship arrangements
with gambling giants, could take responsibility through
its media and stadium deals. "It may be that
there's an opportunity for this influence to be exercised
to ensure the promotion of sports betting isn't allowed
to detract from family-friendly objectives of (such)
sports," he said. This week, former Demon Daniel
Ward revealed in the the newspapers his battle with
gambling. "It's always in your face," he
said of the ads. "It's like being a drug addict
and an advert comes on saying, 'The first 50 people
to ring will get a free bag of marijuana'."
Hawkins
Former Ms Univervese Lookalike Kahili Blundell Wins
Ralph Swimwear Title At Star...
Sin
City Sydney babe Kahili Blundell has snatched the
Ralph Australian Swimwear Model of the Year comp.
The Crows Nest bikini super babe bested more than
2000 babes from all over Australia and Kiwi land to
grab the coveted title at Sin Sydney's Star City Casino
on Thurday. "I feel more than special right now,
I'm blown away and so honoured to be given this position,"
Blundell said. "I was expecting him to call another
number and I stood there thinking 27, is that me?
"It's also my boyfriend's birthday, but I realised
it was me and I was shivering." The 21-year-old
Jennifer Hawkins lookalike works as a personal assistant
and dabbles in makeup artistry in her spare time.
Blundell says modelling has been tough, slogging it
out for 3 years. "Since November I've been training
every week for this, thinking about it every night,"
she said. "I've been brought up to eat very healthy,
so I don't have too much trouble doing that, but I
definitely exercise a lot. I've been working very
hard so thank god it's all paid off." The comp
saw the 38 finalists strut their stuff in catwalk
parades. Sex bikinis were all the rage. A select group
of a bakers dozen were picked, then reigning champ
Emmi Moore handed over her sash and championship title
to Blundell. "I've been doing this for three
years now and this is exactly what I've been dreaming
and hoping for," Blundell said. "I'm open
to any opportunity and I love challenges. I've obviously
done well in the bikini field, so I might just continue
on this track for a little while." Burlesque
babe Sina King from Underbelly home Melbourne snatched
runner-up while second runner-up went to 21-year-old
writer - journo type Tiffany Baker from Fremantle
in Western Australia.
Australian
Boxer Katsidis To Fight Guerrero In MGM Grand Casino
Las Vegas Bloody Sunday...
Down
under's Australia's Michael Katsidis and his opponent
in Sunday's (AEST) interim lightweight world-title
fight at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Casino, America's Robert
"The Ghost" Guerrero, also have powerful
stories. Guerrero's world was crushed big time circa
2007 when his wife, Casey, was diagnosed with leukemia.
The Californian gave up boxing, giving up his world-title,
so he could be by Casey's side and stay close to their
young children as she underwent a bone-marrow transplant.
Things are now looking up for Guerrero. "Casey
has been cancer free for almost a year now,"
28-year-old Guerrero, the number one ranked lightweight
in the world and a former featherweight and super
featherweight champion, said. Last year Katsidis'
was having a dream run. The likable 30-year-old blokefrom
Toowoomba celebrated his first wedding anniversary
with wife Kumiko. He loved being a dad to their one-year-old
daughter Kalia and was preparing for the biggest bout
of his career, a world-title fight in Las Vegas against
Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez. Things quickly
went downhill when five weeks before the Marquez fight
he learned his 31-year-old brother, champion Australian
jockey (horse racing) Stathi Katsidis, had passed
away. Just days later Katsidis' longtime trainer,
Brendon Smith, received two more bad news calls. Smith's
nephew got paralysed from the chest down in an accident
and one of the trainer's former boxers passed away.
"We got it all within three weeks and just before
the Marquez fight," Smith said. Katsidis and
Smith made the call to keep training at their Thai
boxing camp and take on Marquez at the MGM Grand Casino,
a match that would be voted the Fight of the Year
after Katsidis floored Marquez to the mat in the third
round. Marquez guts and balls by getting up and pounding
Katsidis so badly ref Kenny Bayless ended the match
in the ninth round, giving Marquez a ninth round technical
knockout victory. On the eve of the Guerrero fight,
Katsidis and Smith, who kept quite before the Marquez
bout, finally opened up about their personal tragedies.
Katsidis did not sleep two days before the Marquez
fight. "He was emotionally spent before he got
in the ring and to do what he did under the circumstances
was incredible," Smith said. "I believe
if something doesn't kill you it only makes you stronger,"
Katsidis said. Guerrero has 22 knockouts in his 27
professional victories. "This is truly a fight
for boxing fans," Guerrero, who has a 28 win
(18 KO), one loss professional record, said. "You
are going to see two guys go at it and give it their
all." The winner of the match will be named the
interim World Boxing Association and World Boxing
Organisation lightweight champions. Promoter 'Golden
Boy' Oscar De La Hoya has named the MGM card "Action
Heroes", with another Mexican legend, Erik Morales,
fighting Argentina's exciting welterweight contender
Marcos Maidana and in another welterweight battle,
Brooklyn's Paulie Malignaggi VS Jose Miguel Cotto.
The matches will be broadcast live in Australia on
Sunday from 11am AEST by Main Event pay-per-view.
"For a boxing card, sounds like it will be value
for money for a bit of a change", said a Media
Man insider.
News
Australia
Day Special, by Greg Tingle - 26th January 2011
G'day
and Happy Australia Day everyone. Ok, we know some
of you punters, journos, high rollers - casino whales,
entertainment news junkies, politicians, insiders,
outsiders and legal eagles are from across the globe
are not Australia, nor have ever been down under,
but you get the idea. Did you know that some indigenous
Australia's call Australia Day 'Invasion Day'! That's
because most history books show that Captain James
Cook and his crew invaded Australia on this day in
1988. They are known by a new names including the
First Fleet, while some aborigines will always think
of them and murderous mongrels, who stole their land
and pride. It's easy for many of us to get the point
of the blackfellas (affectionate). Media
Man and Gambling911
with a bush tucker bag full of Australian gambling,
casino, poker, media and sports news. Fair winds...
Queensland
Banana Bender State: Pub Pokies And Online Pokies
Becoming More Popular?...
One
armed bandits are maintaining their popularity in
'The Sunshine State'. It's understand that punters
might have only a 1 in a million chance of winning
really big, lotto - millionaire style, but they just
keep coming back for more. Yep, throw another dime
in the pokie baby. Queenslanders "invested"
close to $2 billion last year as the punters passion
for the slots maintained its fever pace. The total
pokies expenditure of $1.81 billion was slightly down
on the previous year, it was the third year consecutively
the number exceeded $1.8 billion. We're also learned
that the 2008 figure of $1.83 billion was an all-time
record. Now, this is important - those numbers Do
Not take into account the rabid take up and roll our
of online poker or sports betting. You know, betting
over the global medium - the internet. Overall, Queenslanders
spent $7 million less on pokies than last year and
$28 million less than in 2008, but it still works
out at in excess of $150 million every month down
the slots August was the year's biggest month for
slot gamblers, who put close to $170 million in the
throats of the one armed bandits. August was also
the biggest month for gamblers in 2008, with more
than $173 million lost. Pokies remain by far the most
popular games for punters in Australia, bringing in
most of the estimated $17 billion spent on all forms
of gambling down under each year. Some insiders think
that the reduction in official spending was more a
sign of the increased popularity of internet and sports-based
gambling. Concentrating on pokie figures, it appears
Queenslanders gambled more at the height of the global
financial crisis two years ago than they did throughout
2010.
Tassie
'Devil' Gambling Tycoon Devilish Quotes...
David
Walsh from Tasmania was such a big hit with the readership
we thought we would dig up a few more of the red hot
'The Devil's' quotes, that are too good not to share.
First a refresher...Art and gambling do mix, at least
that's the experience of Brits Damian Aspinall, Phil
'Tuffers' Tufnell, Australian artist Gina Sinozich,
Media Man
(bodypaint and burlesque "fetish") and Tasmanian
gambling whale - tycoon, David 'Wicked' (satire) Walsh.
You will pick up on Dave's affectionate nickname by
us later. We like you David, ok mate. Tasmania's most
famous or infamous gambling figure, millionaire, David
Walsh yesterday gave us a peak into his art exhibit...the
biggest (and weirdest) private art gallery in Tasmania,
if not the Asia Pacific. The $110 million Museum of
Old and New Art is nestled on the banks of Hobart's
Derwent River.
Quotes
By The Tasmanian Devil!...
"FUCK
the art, let's rock'n'roll."
"I
think formal curation is a form of mental masturbation."
"I'm
not really that interested in a bunch of big names.
Most of the works are by people most people haven't
heard of and still won't have heard of because there's
no wall labels."
"I
don't want to lose control (or) something that ends
up looking like a pale version of the National Gallery
of Victoria".
"Subversive
adult Disneyland".
"Please
see reception if you are planning a pool party or
a ritualistic orgy."
"It's
the opportunity to mess with your head. I like the
idea of people having a couple of beers and looking
at the art, having a couple more and changing their
mind."
"Just
a privileged guy with a megaphone"
"It’s
like a rich man’s soap box. I’m standing
on my soapbox and I’m shouting my views like
they mean something."
"I’ll
take all the popular stuff out. And if you go to the
toilet two or three times we’ll recommend a good
urologist."
“My
brother once said about me that I’d rather be
outside a barrel pissing in than inside the barrel
pissing out. I’m anti this idea that we know
what we’re doing with certainty. I kinda think
that most things that are good happen to people largely
by accident, but then they start looking for explanations.
You see the views of rich, successful people on television,
and they tell you why they got rich and successful;
they don’t interview all the people who went
through the same process and didn’t. I think
most things are complete crap. I want to show that
you can be fortunate without believing that your fortune
was anything other than fortune."
"There
are so many things we do that we hide from. We hack
open cows and eat their guts but we compartmentalise
that away from our lives so we can pretend it’s
not happening. And on a larger, more important scale,
if each of us acted individually to say ‘OK,
we f…ed up the atmosphere, it is our personal
responsibility’, humanity would behave in a very
different way."
"One
of the things about having money is that … I
feel a bit of guilt and a level of privilege, and
it seems to be an obligation to do something, and
since art is what I’ve been doing....but it wasn’t
really like that. It was: I bought this small gallery,
bought a bigger one, and gradually it became something
of this scale. It’s become a lot more serious
endeavour than I intended it to be. There’s a
bit of thumbing my nose at the establishment and trying
to bypass academia, but mainly I just wanted it to
be a bit of fun. And it is. And it will be."
"The
gambling is all a computer thing that is going on
right now".
Website
Museum
of Old and New Art
Queensland:
Cairns Reef Hotel Casino Poised To Raise Big Bucks
For Flood Relief On Australia Day...
Punters,
let's all spare a thought for those who have been
attacked by the floods on Australia Day. Numerous
events are being planed around Australia, from 'Sound
Relief' to and initiative from the Cairns Reef Hotel
Casino 'Bring on the Sun' It will be one of the biggest
events on the Australia Day calendar for the city
and all funds raised will go to the Premier’s
Flood Relief Appeal. There's a good old fashioned
sausage sizzle, competitions and female performers
including the Marlins’ cheer squad. "The
whole idea is slanted towards the female performer,"
entertainment manager Bruce Stewart said. "We’ve
got an eclectic blend of female artists coming to
perform as well." Cazalys, El Mundo Tapas Bar
and the Marlin Coast Bowls Club will also host events
to raise money for flood victims. Cairns Regional
Council will hold events across the region, including
the ever-popular celebrations on the Esplanade. Mayor
Val Schier said the council was expecting a good attendance
as usual with residents keen to get outside and celebrate
our sunburnt country in the green and gold. "Even
last year when it poured, a huge number of people
came to the Aussie breakfast; we expect the same will
happen this year, rain, hail or shine. It is one of
those days where people can come together as a community
and help celebrate why it is great to be an Australian.
We live in a fantastic country and it is good for
people to get out and enjoy it." Pubs and clubs
will also get into the Aussie spirit with a number
of activities on offer. Paradise Palms Resort and
Country Club has a patriotic, fun-filled day planned
with activities that pay homage to Australia’s
heritage such as the much-anticipated pie-eating competition.
"Everybody is welcome to come along and have
some fun while tucking into our Aussie selection of
meat pies, icy beers, lamingtons and classic Australian
music by DJ Danny from Millennium Sounds," director
of sales and marketing Darlene Holdsworth said.
Events
Join
the celebrations
Paradise
Palms Resort and Country Club Australia Day celebrations
What’s on: Australian menu served from noon in
Restaurant 59, pie-eating and thong-throwing competitions
start at 1.30pm. Pies, icy beers, lamingtons and classic
Australian music on offer at the resort.
Time: 12pm. Entry free.
Bring on the Sun at Cairns Reef Hotel Casino
What’s on: Entertainment, sausage sizzle, raffles,
jumping castle and more with all proceeds going to
the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal.
Time: 2pm. Entry free.
Shane Warne And Poker Mates Get VIP Star Treatment
At Australian Open Tennis Sunday Night...
The
spinner got there at 8pm hoping to get star VIP treatment
for 14 of his closest mates. In the mix was was Joe
Hachem, who he had earlier caught up with at the launch
of the Aussie Millions Poker Tournament at Crown Casino.
Warne requested an escort (no, not that type silly)
when he arrived and posed mostly for photographs with
his sunglasses on. He also spent time in Andy Roddick's
player's box during his loss to Swissman Stanislas
Wawrinka. It been a big couple of days for "poker
her" for the legend, playing rendezvous with
Liz Hurley in LA. He is expected to play in the second
round of the poker tournament and could face off against
Gary Ablett Jr and Jeff Fenech tomorrow. Blett made
it through to the second round.
Australian Financial Review Goes Gaga For Lady Gaga;
Gets Facts Wrong (We Think)...
It
took us a few months of going through newspapers but
we finally found the AFR to make a slip up, and its
a doozy....An article reads "the complex will
have a few upmarket bars, including one on the roof,
and an events theatre to house live acts – think
Lady Gaga – as well as awards nights." With
Gaga's level of popularity she would require a much
larger venue than Star City. Earlier this year, she
- they played two concerts at the Sydney Entertainment
Centre, capacity 12,000 or thereabouts. Do the math.
Australia's
Kylie Minogue To Do The Colosseum At Caesars Palace
Las Vegas: Aphrodite Live...
Mark
is down Kylie fans the word over. She's doing Ceasers
Sunday May 22, 2011 8pm
Melbourne: Aussie Joker Comedian Performs At Packer's
Crown; Raises Cash For Flood Relief...
Melbourne
folks at Crown Casino recently enjoyed 'The Jokers
Comedy That Rocks' at Crown Casino. James Packer's
casino donated all proceeds from last Friday night’s
show to Queensland flood victims. Organiser William
Leitch has happy with the way things went and showcased
an evening with some of the city’s top stand-up
artists, including Brad Oakes, Christine Basil and
Greg Fleet. It's understood he got close to 150 people
to come along, and he may be invited back on upcoming
Friday nights.
Top 100 ASX Listed Companies Respond To Flood Cry
For Help; Gambling And Gaming Industry Steps Up; Mining
Firms and Banking Bastards Lead Charge...
1.
BHP Billiton: $1.3 million (in addition, matching
employee donations)
2.
CBA: $1.35 million
3.
Westpac: $1 million
4.
ANZ: $1 million
5.
NAB: $1 million
6.
News Corp: $500,000 and Blue Ribbon campaign
7.
Rio Tinto: $1 million ($700,000 to Premier Relief,
$300,000 to Emerald community)
8.
Wesfarmers: $7.5 million (plus $3.5 million from Coles
customers)
9.
Telstra Corp: up to $1 million by matching staff contributions
(so far $338,000; is also supplying phones and free
calls to people affected)
10.
Woolside Petroleum: $122,395 (corporate + employees)
11.
Woolworths: $6.9 million (matching customer donations
in Woolies, Big W, Dick Smith dollar for dollar)
14.
Fortescue Metals: Matching staff donations dollar
for dollar
15.
CSL: $250,000
16.
QBE Insurance: not releasing a statement
17.
Origin energy: $1 million
18.
Macquarie Group: $200,000 (combined staff and company
effort with fundraising activities continuing both
here and overseas)
19.
AXA Asia Pacific: No response
20.
Santos: $500,000 plus use of helicopters and vehicles
for clean up. Also $50,000 for flooding in WA
21.
Coal and Allied Industries: (see Rio Tinto)
22.
AMP: $250,000 + matching employee contributions to
WA flood appeal up to $250,000
23.
Suncorp Group: $100,000 (staff and customers have
donated $1.5million)
24.
Foster's Group: $500,000
25.
Brambles: No response
26.
Leighton Holdings: No response
27.
Orica: No response
28.
Oil Search: No response
29.
Stockland: Donated $250,000 to the Premier's flood
relief appeal, another $30,000 to the Mayoress Rockhampton
regional flood appeal and are matching employee donations
dollar for dollar
30.
Coca. Cola Amatil: No response
31.
Amcor: No response
32.
Westfield Retail Trust: No response
33.
IAG: No response
39.
Crown: Donation tins in Crown complexes and have committed
to matching all donations as well as staff contributions
52.
Tabcorp Holdings: $1 million
78.
Tatts Group: Going to run a dedicated lottery for
the Queensland flood appeal where all profits will
go to the Premier's Flood Appeal. They ran the same
thing in Victoria after the Black Saturday bushfires.
It will run on Wednesday 2 Feb in Queensland and is
expected to raise $200,000. In addition, another donation
will be made from the unclaimed prizes fund of an
as. yet undecided amount
79.
Fairfax Media: Matching staff donations
100.
Seek: Reported it had made a donation to the Premier's
Flood Appeal but chose not to disclose how much
Brisbane:
Flood Relief Money Gets Spend On Pokies, Vice - Piss
Up At Pubs...
It's
been reported in a number of Queensland newspapers
that the $1000 flood relief grants that went to many
good folks in Granville are being used to feed slots
and buy piss (beer) rather than food and necessities.
Two Maryborough publicans say that in some instances
the answer to that is yes, and they are disgusted.
One of the publicans was so incensed by the misuse
of flood relief money she telephoned Fairfax Media
to complain. "A man came in bragging about how
he’d got the $1000 payout because he told Centrelink
he was stuck in Granville – but he was here the
whole time. It makes me sick that people are openly
admitting they’ve got the money for nothing,
while there are people who’ve died or lost everything."
She said Centrelink should have screened the applications
more carefully to make sure only people who were genuinely
in need received the cash. Another pub owner said
his one armed bandits had not stopped buzzing since
the grants became available. "We were quiet during
the actual floods but this week’s been totally
different. The pokies and the bottle shop have been
going non-stop." Yeah, Aussie continue to love
a punt, rain, hail, shine or flood!
Aussie
Millions Game 8 Results...
The
London based chap took down the $1,100 8 game mixed
event title at Crown Casino in Melbourne adding AUD$23,800
to his almost $1.2 million in career tournament earnings.
He entered the final table as the short stack, but
managed to grind his way to victory and nudge away
Australia's Bruno Portaro for the victory. The event
marked Ashby's 8th final table appearance at the Aussie
Millions that includes a side-event win back in 2005
and a seventh-place finish in the main event in 2009.
Ashby also won his first WSOP bracelet this summer
in the $1,500 7 Card Stud event and went well in the
$10k H.O.R.S.E. for his biggest career score of $378,027.
The 2011 Aussie Millions $1,100 8-Game Mixed event
drew 68-players and paid the final 7.
Here
are the results:
1 Richard Ashby AUD$23,800
2 Bruno Portaro AUD$16,320
3 Casey Kastle AUD$10,880
4 Daniel Ospina AUD$6,800
5 Oliver Gill AUD$4,760
6 Dane Coltman AUD$3,400
7 Paul Ravesi AUD$2,040
Aussie
Main Event Day 1b: PartyPoker And Full Tilt Poker
Players Feel The Pain...
PartyGaming's
PartyPoker
and Full Tilt Poker's powers that be likely won't
be celebrating. Ok, they got news coverage and exposure,
but its because their players are out. Yep, history
maties. Full Tilt went well on Day 1a but Day 1b was
rooted. Many of the big name pros went down for the
count as locals stepped up. 209 players entered the
Crown Poker room but after 7 levels of play, 80 remained.
David Oppenheim, Annette Obrestad, Carlos Mortensen,
David Benyamine, Andrew Feldman, Steve Yea, Andy Bloch
and Gus Hansen were some of the Full Tilt players
who died. Other casualties included Luke Santo, Raj
Ramakrishnan, George Moussa, Michael Pedley, Graeme
Putt, Martin Comer, Dennis Huntly, Jamie Pickering,
Bruno Portaro, Casey Kastle, Ben Savage and Tim Marsters.
2005 World Champion Joe Hachem (tweeting he struggled
with jetlag following a recent trip to the PokerStars
Caribbean Adventure.) Defending champ, 2010 Aussie
Millions Main Event winner Tyron Krost (PartyGaming's
PartyPoker
pro went down too). A new champ will be crowned in
2011 with plenty of Aussies still in contention. The
field kicked off with Jeff Rossier in the lead with
154,900, closely followed by Michael Ottobra (143,400)
and Martin Drewe, After winning the Opening Event
last week and going deep in another event, Drewe is
now set in the chip leaders in the Main Event after
getting to 136,100. Jay “SEABEAST” Kinkade
did nicely with 128,700, Haibo Chu (113,900), Manny
Stavropoulos (85,600), Sorel Mizzi (74,400), Michael
Egan (61,100), Kent Hunter (56,400), Jeff Lisandro
(55,000), Eric Assadourian (50,300), Scott Montgomery
(49,200), Chris Ferguson (45,400), Lee Nelson (30,200),
Neil Channing (28,800), Roland de Wolfe (26,100),
Aleks Brkovic (24,600), Jackie Glazier (21,900), Grant
Levy (18,300), Gary Benson (10,500) and Mel Judah
(7,200) amongst those who will return on Day 2. The
3rd and final flight of the 2011 Aussie Millions Main
will commence Tuesday with another strong field and
a few big names expected. Even Van Marcus will front
up. Van, is your Red Ferrari safe this time mate?
We're looking for more good fodder to write about.
How about do a publicity stunt and make world wide
headlines ago. Maybe someone at Crown Casino - Crown
Limited might be open to it. Stanger things have happened...
like Ferrari's getting stolen on site, casino fights
and a man getting stuck in the Crown Casino kitchen
grease vacuum.
Aussie
Millions Event #9 Day 1b: Rossiter In Front...
It
was down to business with players investing AUD$10,600
to buy in all with the goal of becoming the 2011 Aussie
Millions Champion. 7 seven levels of play, and the
209-player field went to 80. Jeff Rossiter is in front
with 154,900. Martin Drewe, 2011 Aussie Millions Event
#1 winner with 136,100 - now 3rd on the leaderboard.
Australian Jay Kinkade is on 128,700, and European
Poker Tour mainstay Jeff Sarwer sits 5th with 120,500.
Randy "nanonoko" Lew has 110,000 and Gavin
Griffin 101,700 in 9th ninth and 10th place. Sorel
Mizzi, Jeffrey Lisandro, Eric Assadourian, Team Full
Tilt's Chris Ferguson, Full Tilt Poker Red Pros Scott
Montgomery and Roland de Wolfe, Neil Channing, and
Lee Nelson have also all made it to Wednesday's Day
2, but it was touch and go for some of them, testing
the skill VS luck debate. Full Tilt Poker $25,000
Shootout Invitational winner David Oppenheim, Annette
Obrestad, Carlos Mortensen, Andy Bloch, David Benyamine,
Andrew Feldman, Gus Hansen, Joe Hachem, and David
Steicke all had to say goodnight nurse. PartyGaming's
- PartyPoker
Tyron Krost was eliminated in a hand VS Gavin Griffin
where his Ace-Queen couldn't best Griffin's Aces.
The 3rd and final Day 1 flight commences Tuesday in
Melbourne, Australia at 12:30 p.m. local time.
Getting
board of poker yet? If so, try your luck er skill
at Baccarat or Craps. If your more into luck, check
out the slots like Cleopatra, Sinatra, Rambo, Goanna
Gold and The Terminator. Rumour goes PartyGaming
also have, or will soon get, a World
Poker Tour themed online slot game. We recommend
punters open an account with PartyCasino,
PartyGaming
and World
Poker Tour, just to have all based covered. Party
appears to still be the most popular online casino
brand in Australia despite big efforts by the likes
of 888. Marvel
slot games are forecast to be some of the most
popular of this year with Captain
America and Thor
tipped to hit Australia cinema's this year, with Spider-Man
also getting a remake. Whatever your casino game of
choice, good luck, and let us know how you go guys
and girls. Spin to win.
Take
the time to research and learn games before placing
down money
Media
Man, Casino
News Media and Gambling911
are website portals. Not casinos as such, however
are recognised as world leading websites that cover
the sector and act as central points to games, news,
reviews and more.
Readers...
er, punters, how did you like our report? Tell us
in the forum.
If
you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over
it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg
Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media
Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet
portal development company. Gaming is just one of
a dozen sectors covered
Articles
Media
Man Australia Founder And Director Buys Crown Limited
And Virgin Blue Shares - 12th October 2009
Aussie
Millions Winner Signs with Party Poker - 6th October
2009
Internet
Gambling Makes Push in Asia Pacific Region - 22nd
July 2009
Recession
creates billionaires
Virgin
king and Crown Casino king talk shop and Media Man
makes a play - 2nd April 2009
Australia's
Crown Casino and James Packer on the Upswing - 3rd
April 2009
Guide
to the best online casinos
More
iGaming Ads Banned in U.K.
James
and Erica Packer out in public again - 29th March
2009
AFL
slammed for free gambling vouchers - 2nd April 2009
Media
Man considering trade sale; open to advisors, director
says
Google
Follows the Money Trail to Gambling
Playtech
Success Story Continues - March 2009
William
Hill to Team Up With Playtech
CryptoLogic
Claims It Is Positioned for Profitability
News
Websites
Casino
News Media
Book Reviews
Business
Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur
Have
More Money Now : A Common Sense Approach to Financial
Management
Have
More Money NOW, by John "Bradshaw" Layfield
|
