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Saga Metals Corp. (‘SAGA’ or the ‘Company’) (TSXV: SAGA,OTC:SAGMF) (OTCQB: SAGMF) (FSE: 20H) a North American exploration company focused on critical mineral discovery, is pleased to announce SAGA’s geophysics team has confirmed a 3 km continuous magnetic anomaly in the Trapper zone that remains open in both directions along strike.

 

 

 

   Figure 1:    Radar Project’s Trapper Zone depicting a 3 km magnetic anomaly and oxide layering trend. The Trapper Trail (in black) will support a new diamond drilling program.  

 

  Michael Garagan, CGO & Director of SAGA, stated:   ‘Previous data from the regional aeromagnetic survey suggested two large anomalies existed within the Trapper zone, leading our teams to refer to the zone as north and south. Now, with the additional total magnetic intensity data, we can clearly see that we are dealing with one large, continuous anomaly, featuring our highest magnetic readings to date. This zone alone showcases a strike length and width comparable to those of notable other projects. The striking lateral continuity of the oxide layering in the Trapper Zone suggests that the layering is contiguous with the oxide layering identified in the Hawkeye Zone, adding further data to support a potential 20 km oxide layer strike.’  

 

 

 

   Figure 2:    Radar Project’s prospective oxide layering zone extends for an inferred 20 km strike length, as shown on a compilation of historical airborne geophysics as well as ground-based geophysics in the Hawkeye and Trapper zones completed by SAGA in the 2024/2025 field programs. SAGA has demonstrated    the reliability of the regional airborne magnetic surveys after ground-truthing and drilling    in the 2024 and 2025 field programs .

 

  Magnetic and VLF-EM Survey over the ‘Trapper Zone’  

 

A ground-based magnetic survey was conducted over both the northern and southern sections of the Trapper Zone during July 2025. The survey utilized two GSM-19 Magnetometers to collect magnetic-field and VLF-EM data (using VLF Transmitter Cutler).

 

The survey used a grid of N-S lines, spaced 50 m apart, with observations made at stations spaced 20 m apart along the lines. The tightly gridded stations map a distinct NW trend of magnetic highs that correlates well with the exposures of oxide layering.

 

In a similar fashion to the Hawkeye zone, SAGA’s geophysics team reports strong magnetic responses within the Trapper zone, requiring recalibration of the geophysical instruments. While readings exceeded 74,000 nT in the Hawkeye zone, at the Trapper zone, they observed responses as high as 115,498 nT over the northern Trapper zone and over 113,000 nT over the southern Trapper zone. In some cases, the instruments reached the maximum level of detection (120,000 nt).

 

 

 

   Figure 3:    A screenshot of the Magnetometer GSM-19 geophysical instrument recording 115,498 nT over the Tapper zone.  

 

  Trapper Zone Excavator Trenching – Confirmation in Bedrock of Magnetite Layering  

 

Early in this summer season, SAGA completed a 4 km access trail along the core of the Trapper zone, providing necessary access for future drill programs and exploration activities.

 

SAGA’s field team began follow-up of the Trapper zone magnetic responses in July. Gladiator Drilling’s 25-tonne excavator opened three trenches perpendicular to the inferred strike, exposing cumulate layers of semi-massive to massive vanadiferous titanomagnetite (‘VTM’) mineralization over a total of 504m 2 (5,425ft 2 ). See Figure 1. This strong confirmation of the magnetic responses is presently in its early stages and will require additional trenching and diamond drilling to delineate the dimensions of the gabbronorite/magnetite layering.

 

The Trapper zone is now confirmed as a similar occurrence to the Hawkeye zone, based on the early results of ground geophysical surveys and trenching. Taken together with the geophysical surveys and winter 2025 drilling results at the Hawkeye zone, the exploration potential of the 20 km long arcuate response of the regional aeromagnetic is confirmed. See Figure 2.

 

The high-definition details of the Trapper zone ground magnetic anomalies indicate multiple layers of the strongest magnetic layering and define additional detail to the regional magnetic responses. The pattern of magnetic anomalies indicates that the design of the next drilling and sampling phases should consider both the early geometry of the Dykes River Intrusive Complex and a later phase of open folding.

 

 

 

   Figure 4.1:    25-tonne excavator completing a trench in the Trapper zone over the oxide layering trend.

 

 

 

 

   Figure 4.2:    25-tonne excavator completing a trench in the Trapper zone over the oxide layering trend.  

 

  About the Radar Titanium Project  

 

Located just 10 km from Cartwright, Labrador, the 24,175-hectare Radar Titanium Project is supported by existing infrastructure, including road access, a deep-water port, an airstrip, and nearby hydroelectric power. The property completely encompasses the Dykes River Intrusive Complex, a previously underexplored layered mafic body.

 

With a large oxide layering thickness, a near-monomineralic vanadiferous titanomagnetite (‘VTM’) composition, and extensive mineral tenures, the Radar Titanium Project shows the potential to become a globally significant VTM project.

 

 

 

   Figure 5:    Radar Property map, depicting aeromagnetic anomalies, oxide layering and the site of the 2025 drill program. The Property is well serviced by road access and is conveniently located near the town of Cartwright, Labrador. A compilation of historical aeromagnetic anomalies is shown. SAGA has demonstrated    the reliability of the regional airborne magnetic surveys after ground-truthing and drilling    in the 2024 and 2025 field programs.  

 

  Michael Garagan, CGO & Director of SAGA continued:   ‘These geophysical findings further validate the importance of the team’s estimate that a 15,000-meter drill program can get us to our maiden drill-indicated mineral resource. With simple homogenous geochemistry, large oxide layers, seasoned experts supporting our technical analysis, upgraded infrastructure within the Trapper zone and strong provincial support through the JEA program we can fast track development and create meaningful value to shareholders in the near term at the Radar project.’  

 

  Continued Government Support  

 

SAGA’s Letter of Intent was approved under the JEA 2025 program as a Critical Minerals Primary Exploration Target, recognizing the Property’s alignment with provincial and federal priorities to secure domestic supplies of key metals. With up to $143,949 in non-dilutive funding already approved, this support continues to offset exploration costs while advancing shareholder value.

 

  Investor Relations Agreements  

    

In addition, SAGA has engaged Think Ink Marketing Data & Email Services (‘ Think Ink ‘) to provide corporate awareness and digital marketing services.

 

Think Ink will leverage its expertise in native and display advertising, video content distribution, social media coverage, and targeted email marketing to enhance the Company’s digital presence and expand market awareness. The Company has budgeted up to USD $100,000 (the ‘ Compensation ‘) for the 3-month agreement. The Compensation is payable in monthly installments. Either party may terminate the agreement with thirty (30) days’ written notice, and any portion of the Compensation already paid that remains unspent or uncommitted as of the effective date of termination shall be returned to the Company.

 

Compensation to Think Ink does not include any securities of the Company, and Think Ink does not hold any interest, directly or indirectly, in the Company. Think Ink is at arm’s length to the Company and has no relationship with the Company outside of this engagement.

 

Think Ink Data & Email Services, Inc., is a California-based marketing firm established in 1991 that provides its customers with a complete range of marketing services that span both digital and direct mail venues. With its digital services ranging from data appending, email marketing and pay-per-click online banner and native ads, Think Ink helps its clients to reach a network of potential investors.

 

For further information about Think Ink Marketing, please contact: Claire Stevens, 310-760-2616, 3308 W. Warner Ave, Santa Ana CA 92704, Email claire@thinkinkmarketing.com .

 

  Qualified Person  

 

Paul J. McGuigan, P. Geo., is an Independent Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information related to the Radar Ti-V-Fe Project disclosed in this news release.

 

  About Saga Metals Corp.  

 

 Saga Metals Corp. is a North American mining company focused on the exploration and discovery of a diversified suite of critical minerals that support the global transition to green energy. The Radar Titanium Project comprises 24,175 hectares and entirely encloses the Dykes River intrusive complex, mapped at 160 km² on the surface near Cartwright, Labrador. Exploration to date, including a 2,200m drill program, has confirmed a large and mineralized layered mafic intrusion hosting vanadiferous titanomagnetite (VTM) with strong grades of titanium and vanadium.

 

The Double Mer Uranium Project, also in Labrador, covers 25,600 hectares featuring uranium radiometrics that highlight an 18km east-west trend, with a confirmed 14km section producing samples as high as 0.428% U 3 O 8 and uranium uranophane was identified in several areas of highest radiometric response (2024 Double Mer Technical Report).

 

Additionally, SAGA owns the Legacy Lithium Property in Quebec’s Eeyou Istchee James Bay region. This project, developed in partnership with Rio Tinto, has been expanded through the acquisition of the Amirault Lithium Project. Together, these properties cover 65,849 hectares and share significant geological continuity with other major players in the area, including Rio Tinto, Winsome Resources, Azimut Exploration, and Loyal Metals.

 

With a portfolio that spans key minerals crucial to the green energy transition, SAGA is strategically positioned to play an essential role in the clean energy future.

 

  On Behalf of the Board of Directors  

 

  Mike Stier, Chief Executive Officer  

 

For more information, contact:

 

Rob Guzman, Investor Relations
Saga Metals Corp.
Tel: +1 (844) 724-2638
Email: rob@sagametals.com
www.sagametals.com

 

  Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.  

 

  Cautionary Disclaimer  

 

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as ‘will’, ‘may’, ‘should’, ‘anticipates’, ‘expects’, ‘believes’, and similar expressions or the negative of these words or other comparable terminology. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the exploration of the Company’s Radar Project. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, environmental risks, limitations on insurance coverage, inherent risks and uncertainties involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, particularly given the early-stage nature of the Company’s assets, and the risks detailed in the Company’s continuous disclosure filings with securities regulations from time to time, available under its SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements only as expressly required by applicable law.

 

Figures accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9841a97a-ca11-4546-abdf-5ffbe2d0f64b   
  https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ea884fb4-3534-4d7d-a25a-d3e60557865e   
  https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d30f8014-8d62-4f3c-82af-40d98cd92058   
  https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ed7d7ce9-e2bb-42e3-9eb9-5794cb058e48   
  https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/39a28fc2-3a8b-4c82-b07d-8a1850438944   
  https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9d067be1-0dfb-4ab3-bfaf-ed934cc0e0ee  

 

   

 

 

News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia

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NextSource Materials Inc.  (TSX:NEXT)(OTCQB:NSRCF) (NextSource or the Company) and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC), Japan’s largest chemical company and a leading supplier of anode active material (AAM) to original automotive equipment manufacturers (OEMs), have entered into a binding, multi-year offtake agreement (the Offtake Agreement). Under the terms of the Offtake Agreement, NextSource and MCC have partnered to supply AAM to a major OEM for the North American EV market. NextSource will produce and supply intermediate AAM to MCC’s Japan plant where MCC will produce final AAM for the OEM’s EV battery cell manufacturing facilities in North America.

Highlights

     

  • Multi-year offtake agreement signed with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation for supply of c. 9,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of anode active material
  • Partnering with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation to supply major OEM manufacturer anode active material for its North American electric vehicle (EV) market
  • Accelerates development of NextSource’s Battery Anode Facility in the Middle East
  • Significant milestone towards achieving vertical integration by 2027

This Offtake Agreement represents a major milestone for NextSource in its strategy to become one of very few vertically integrated graphite producers outside of China. The Company is now prioritizing the development of a large-scale Battery Anode Facility (BAF) in the Middle East to meet the volume capacities required for MCC and has identified several prospective sites in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These locations offer streamlined permitting processes, robust infrastructure, and strategic proximity to other OEMs, enabling the Company to accelerate its timeline and meet growing demand for high-value graphite anode active material.

Hanré Rossouw, President and CEO of NextSource, stated,

‘We are excited to have entered into a partnership with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation through a binding offtake agreement for the production of active anode material in the Middle East, leveraging high-quality graphite feedstock from our Molo mine in Madagascar. This partnership underscores our commitment to delivering sustainable, high-performance anode materials to meet the growing demand from OEM and battery manufacturers. By integrating world-class resource supply with advanced processing capabilities, we are building a resilient and scalable solution that supports global electrification efforts.’

Through the phased development of its BAFs, NextSource is establishing a significant downstream value-added business capable of large-scale production of coated, spheronized, and purified graphite (CSPG). These facilities will serve as a secure, transparent, and fully traceable source of supply for battery and OEM customers, entirely decoupled from existing Asian supply chains, and a critical alternative for US Government-compliant supply chains.In July 2025, the U.S. imposed a substantial 160% total tariff on anode-grade graphite imports from China, combining a 93.5% anti-dumping duty with additional countervailing measures.

More than 95% of the anode (negative) side of EV batteries is made from graphite, making it the most critical raw material of all battery metals (Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, July 2025). In parallel, NextSource has begun preparations to expand its Molo mine operations to ensure sufficient and secure graphite feedstock supply to support the Offtake Agreement with MCC.

Today’s announcement also underpins NextSource’s engagement with strategic financing partners where it is in advanced discussions regarding assistance in funding construction of both the large-scale BAF and Molo mine expansion.

Offtake Agreement Terms

The Offtake Agreement designates NextSource as the sole supplier of c. 9,000 tpa of intermediate AAM to MCC for a multi-year term from the commencement of production of the Company’s BAF.

This Agreement is further underpinned by a rigorous qualification process. Through close technical collaboration between NextSource and MCC to supply AAM from high-quality SuperFlake® graphite concentrate, the qualification process will be finalized in 2026 through the installation of BAF processing equipment, of which approximately half has already been purchased and awaiting installation. SuperFlake® anode active material will be processed by MCC in Japan and supplied to its OEM customer’s cell manufacturing facility in North America, with full-scale ramp-up from 2027.

The pricing formula negotiated with MCC is based on an agreed upon price formula that comprises both a fixed and variable price component which underpins the economics of the project and secures capacity for the offtaker.

The Offtake Agreement is subject to conditions precedent and contains standard termination rights, which are customary for an Offtake Agreement of this nature.

Offtake Capacity Requirements Underpin NextSource’s Growth Strategy

Through close technical collaboration, qualification AAM from NextSource, using SuperFlake® graphite from Molo Phase 1 as feedstock, has been provided to and evaluated by MCC for the OEM’s battery manufacturer, confirming compliance with its specific anode quality and performance requirements.

The Company has begun preparations for an industry-scale Molo Phase 2 expansion, which is expected to benefit from larger economies of scale, while continuing to qualifying its graphite products and servicing existing key customers through Phase 1 campaign production.

The completion of the technical and economic studies for both the mine and a UAE-based BAF will inform the final investment decisions, including capital requirements and detailed financing plans. The significant potential of an expanded Molo Phase 2 and large-scale BAF in the Middle East offer a strong foundation for growth by securing further offtake agreements for SuperFlake® AAM.

About Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation is a 100%-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation. Mitsubishi Chemical Group aims to be a ‘Green Specialty Company’ committed to solving social problems and to delivering impressive results to customers with the power of materials, under its Purpose that ‘We lead with innovative solutions to achieve KAITEKI, the well-being of people and the planet.’ Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market (Code: 4188).

For further information, please visit the company website: https://www.mcgc.com/english/

About NextSource Materials Inc.

NextSource Materials Inc. is a battery materials development company based in Toronto, Canada that is intent on becoming a vertically integrated global supplier of battery materials through the mining and value-added processing of graphite and other minerals.

The Company’s Molo graphite project in Madagascar is one of the largest known and highest-quality graphite resources globally, and the only one with SuperFlake® graphite. The Molo mine has begun production, with Phase 1 mine operations currently being optimized.

The Company is also developing a significant downstream graphite value-add business through the staged rollout of Battery Anode Facilities capable of large-scale production of coated, spheronized and purified graphite for direct delivery to battery and automotive customers, outside of existing Asian supply chains, in a fully transparent and traceable manner.

NextSource Materials is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol ‘NEXT’ and on the OTCQB under the symbol ‘NSRCF’.

For further information about NextSource, please visit our website at nextsourcematerials.com

Investors may contact: Brent Nykoliation, Executive Vice President +1.416.364.4911 brent@nextsourcematerials.com

Cautionary Note

This press release contains statements that may constitute ‘forward-looking information’ or ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. Forward looking statements and information are frequently characterized by words such as ‘plan’, ‘expect’, ‘project’, ‘intend’, ‘believe’, ‘anticipate’, ‘estimate’, ‘potential’, ‘possible’ and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions ‘may’, ‘will’, ‘could’, or ‘should’ occur. Forward-looking statements include any statements regarding, among others, timing of commissioning and achievement of nameplate capacity, including the processing plant, process improvements and mine plant adjustments as well as production estimates, and financing and timing thereof, the rollout of Battery Anode Facilities including the capabilities and the timing thereof, and achievement of offtake agreements and required financing, and any conditions precedent as part of an offtake agreement. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and assumptions that involve a number of risks, which could cause actual results to vary and, in some instances, to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company and described in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur or, if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive there from. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on what management believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with them. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release.

Source

Click here to connect with NextSource Materials Inc. (TSX:NEXT)(OTCQB:NSRCF) to receive an Investor Presentation

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Investor Insight

Asra Minerals is an emerging gold explorer with a compelling investment case as it focuses on strategic expansion and development of high-grade resources across its Leonora gold project in Western Australia.

Overview

Asra Minerals (ASX:ASR) is unlocking the potential of its portfolio of existing resources and underexplored prospects within Western Australia’s renowned Leonora Goldfields. The company controls one of the largest and most prospective land positions in the district, strategically surrounded by high-profile gold producers such as Genesis Minerals’ (ASX:GMD) with its 8.9 million oz (Moz) Leonora Operations; Vault Minerals (ASX:VAU), which operates the 1.9 Moz Darlot mine and 4.1 Moz King of the Hills mine; and Northern Star (ASX:NST), which operates the 4.2 Moz Thunderbox mine.

With existing JORC 2012 resources of 200,000 oz gold and a clear strategy to reach 500,000 oz in the near-term, Asra Minerals is leveraging its 936 sq km Leonora landholding in one of Australia’s most prolific gold belts. Asra’s tenements span 75 km of strike length, including two primary zones – Leonora North and Leonora South – each with resource-stage projects, brownfields upside and newly identified high-priority drill targets.

A strategic reset in late 2024 led to a new CEO, technical team and drilling strategy aimed squarely at resource growth and project consolidation. With global unrest supporting sustained high gold prices and WA’s regulatory stability, Asra’s ground – historically underexplored and fragmented – is now primed for discovery, growth and value creation.

Company Highlights

  • District-Scale Gold Project in Tier-One Jurisdiction: 936 sq km landholding in WA’s Leonora region, proximal to more than 15 Moz of gold resources across neighboring major mines.
  • JORC Resource of 200 koz at 1.8 g/t gold: Existing resource includes high-grade shallow mineralization at Orion, Sapphire, Mt Stirling and Stirling Well.
  • Aggressive Growth Strategy: Targeting >500 koz resource base in 2025 through near-resource and greenfield drilling.
  • Ongoing Exploration: Systematic exploration underway across the portfolio with multiple high-priority targets identified for further follow-up.
  • New High-impact Leadership: Rebuilt management and technical team in late 2024, including renowned gold discoverers behind Gruyere (6.2 Moz) and Raleigh (1 Moz).
  • Undervalued Opportunity: With a ~$10 million market cap, Asra offers substantial re-rating potential amid rising gold prices and renewed institutional interest.

Key Project

Leonora Gold Project

Asra Minerals’ flagship Leonora gold project spans more than 936 sq km in Western Australia’s prolific Eastern Goldfields. The asset is subdivided into the Leonora North and Leonora South project areas. The region hosts multiple world-class gold operations, including Genesis Minerals’ Leonora operations, Vault Minerals’ King of the Hills, and Northern Star’s Thunderbox mine, all within trucking distance. Asra’s tenements lie along the highly prospective granite-greenstone contacts and major fault systems such as the Ursus Fault, known for controlling high-grade orogenic gold mineralization.

Leonora South

The Leonora South project is 549 sq km with eight granted mining leases, located within the historic Kookynie goldfields. This area is host to numerous high-grade deposits, including Genesis Minerals’ Ulysses Hub (~2 Moz gold). Asra is focused on the Sapphire and Orion open pit deposits, which together comprise a JORC 2012 inferred resource of 48,014 oz grading at 2.2 grams per ton (g/t) gold. High-grade intercepts include standout results such as 166 g/t gold over 6 m from 135 m, including 248.8 g/t gold over 4 m (Sapphire), and 46.4 g/t gold over 4 m from 3 m (Orion), demonstrating a potential for bonanza-grade extensions at depth.

Diamond drilling completed in Q4/2024 confirmed down-dip continuity of high-grade gold zones approximately 30 to 50 m below historical intercepts, with assays such as 47.95 g/t gold over 1 m from 115.2 m, 23.12 g/t gold over 1 m from 148.7 m, and 23.97 g/t gold over 0.8 m from 161.2 m. A new 1,300 m RC and diamond-tail drilling program commenced in Q2/2025 to test these high-priority targets, aiming to significantly increase the resource base. The mineralized quartz veins at Sapphire and Orion trend east-northeast and dip steeply – 50 to 80 degrees – southwards and remain open at depth and along strike.

Exploration across Leonora South has identified 21 high-priority targets, of which 15 have never been drill tested. These were derived from detailed 2025 airborne magnetics, structural reinterpretation and geochemical mapping. Planned work includes follow-up aircore and RC drilling to expand the mineralized footprint, including at Gladstone and Jessop Creek, with approvals already received from the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.

Leonora North

Situated 40 km northeast of Leonora and just 5 km from Vault’s King of the Hills mine, Leonora North is a brownfields gold asset with significant exploration and expansion potential. The area lies within the Eastern Goldfields Superterrane of the Yilgarn Craton and is hosted along the structurally controlled Ursus Fault Zone, a major gold-bearing shear corridor. The project contains multiple zones with a total JORC 2012 resource of 152,000 oz grading at 1.7 g/t gold, including:

  • Mt Stirling–Viserion Deposit: 2.16 Mt @ 1.6 g/t gold for 111,000 oz (inferred), plus 391,000 t @ 2.1 g/t for 26,000 oz (indicated).
  • Stirling Well: 198,000 t @ 2.3 g/t gold for 15,000 oz (inferred).

The Mt Stirling resource remains open along strike and at depth, with high-grade shoots identified to the north. The flat-lying Stirling Well orebody has potential for parallel lodes and deeper extensions into mafic host rocks. A major aeromagnetic and litho-structural reinterpretation, completed in December 2024, identified +20 high-priority gold targets across the northern strike extensions. Several of these are situated adjacent to the historically mined Diorite King Mine, which reportedly produced at high grades. The untested 12 km Ursus Fault corridor remains a key focus, with ~9 km still unexplored.

Importantly, Asra secured 100 percent ownership of the Mt Cutmore prospect in May 2025, consolidating a highly strategic zone within the Mt Stirling region. This acquisition covers multiple live and pending tenements, and enhances Asra’s ability to deploy a focused drilling campaign across the Leonora North project area. Drill permits have been secured, and both AC and RC programs are planned for H2/2025 to evaluate new geophysical anomalies, follow up on known mineralization, and grow the current resource base.

Management Team

Paul Stephen – Managing Director

A seasoned mining executive, Paul Stephen has held various executive and directorship roles across ASX and LSE-listed companies prior to joining Asra. He was a co-founder and executive director of Crusader Resources, where he was instrumental in the discovery, development and operation of the Posse Iron Ore mine in Brazil. During his tenure, he oversaw the delineation of over 2.6 million ounces of gold, significantly contributing to Crusader’s market capitalization exceeding AU$160 million.

Paul Summers – Non-executive Chair

Paul Summers has been a legal practitioner since 1985, and founded his own firm, Summers Legal in 1989. He has been Asra’s counsel for more than 10 years and has provided extensive advice and service during the recent takeover of Cascade Resources. Summers is currently lead counsel – commercial, corporate and property of Summers Legal and is familiar with the company’s affairs, projects and strategy.

Mathew Longworth – Non-executive Director

Mathew Longworth is a geologist with over 35 years’ experience in large projects, exploration and discoveries in Australia, Greenland, Africa, South America and the Pacific. He is currently chairman of Ardea Resources and Greenfields Exploration, and non-executive chairman of Northam Resources. As a director and chairman, he has guided companies through challenging corporate times including IPO listings, takeovers, major capital raisings, 249D notices and joint venture negotiations while maximizing value for shareholders.

Leonard Math – Non-executive Director, Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary

Leonard Math is a chartered accountant with more than 15 years of resource industry experience. He was an auditor at Deloitte and is experienced with public company responsibilities including ASX and ASIC compliance, control and implementation of corporate governance, statutory financial reporting and shareholder relations. He previously held company secretary and directorship roles for a number of ASX listed companies.

Ziggy Lubieniecki – Technical Consultant

Ziggy Lubieniecki is a highly experienced geologist with over three decades of expertise spanning exploration, mining, management, property acquisition and company listings. His previous senior roles include chief mine geologist at Plutonic, exploration manager at Australian Platinum Mines, and executive director at Gold Road Resources. Along with a successful exploration track record, Lubieniecki is credited for the discovery of the 6.2 Moz Gruyere gold deposit.

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The gold standard. Today, the term denotes something that is the highest level of quality in its category.

Gold, with all its luster, has been sought after, fought over and prized for thousands of years. It’s been used as a sacred adornment and has projected the wealth and status of monarchs and nobility. And ever since the ancient Lydians minted the first gold coins around 550 BCE, the yellow metal has played an important role in the monetary system.

Over the millennia, gold has never lost its appeal, and by the end of the 19th century it had become a crucial component of how nations interacted with each other economically.

While it fell out of favor for fiat currencies in the middle of the 20th century, the idea that gold could once again underpin the global economy has never disappeared. So what exactly is the gold standard? What is the history the gold standard, and could it be revived again today? We explore this all below.

In this article

    What is the gold standard?

    The gold standard is a monetary system where a currency’s value is pegged directly to gold and the currency can be exchanged for gold at that ratio, giving the currency intrinsic value. For example, a country could set a standard in which $1,000 is equal to 1 ounce of gold, and citizens could then exchange their currency for physical gold.

    Some countries have also employed silver standards or double standards, which see a currency backed by either silver or by both gold and silver.

    Why did the world establish a gold standard?

    Copper, silver, gold and alloys like electrum have been the foundation of trade and currency for thousands of years, and while they each command value among investors and collectors today, their weight is a major problem.

    To deal with this, paper money in the form of promissory notes was created, with the earliest uses being little more than IOUs. It wasn’t until seventh century China that trade guilds began to issue receipts-of-deposit that eliminated the need for merchants to carry large quantities of coins for wholesale transactions.

    These notes weren’t meant for widespread use, but their development eventually led a group of merchants to create a more formal system in Szechuan in the 10th century. Each was printed using anti-counterfeiting techniques and affixed with a seal from the issuing bank. Whoever held the banknote could have it converted back into metal at any time.

    Because these notes were lighter than their metallic counterparts, they became popular among traders along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East. Eventually, the notion of printed money found its way back to Europe via travelers like Marco Polo and William of Rubruck who moved along the route in the 13th century.

    However, the concept of paper money didn’t catch on in Europe for another 400 years, when Sweden issued the first banknotes in 1661. These notes were redeemable for quantities of coins from banks, meaning that merchants no longer had to carry large amounts of copper and silver, which were heavy and easy to steal.

    Despite initial skepticism, the notes proved to be popular, and the idea spread across the continent. That said, it wasn’t entirely smooth sailing. Over time, issuers realized that not all bank notes would be redeemed, and began to print notes beyond the value of the metal they held in reserve. Sweden’s paper money quickly lost its value, and the country’s government ultimately decided to pay back and withdraw the notes in 1664.

    Outside of Sweden, a lack of regulation around who could issue notes meant that states, cities, trade organizations and anyone with a press was able to print money. As a result, counterfeits were made by unscrupulous people. This undermined confidence in paper money and contributed to high inflation rates.

    It wasn’t until England passed the Bank Charter Act of 1844 that a modern-style central bank began to appear, with strict regulations around which entities could print paper money. The act restricted commercial banks’ ability to issue notes, giving that power to the Bank of England, and required new notes issued by the Bank of England to be backed at a rate of “three pounds seventeen shillings and ninepence per ounce of standard gold.”

    Even as this world power moved toward a gold-backed system, other nations remained on bimetallic systems, setting a ratio between gold and silver to allow for interoperability that was stabilized by France. In the US, this ratio was set at 15:1 silver to gold by the Coinage Act of 1792, and was later updated to 16:1 when the act was amended in 1834.

    Interestingly, gold rushes in California in 1849 and Australia in 1851 flooded the markets with gold, causing a 30 percent increase in wholesale prices and altering the ratio between the metals in France.

    The tipping point came in 1871, when Germany, following its victory over France in the Franco-Prussian war, made the switch from a silver currency system to a currency backed solely by gold. This was considered a preemptive move to avoid being excluded from fixed-rate systems that had formed between industrialized nations.

    By 1900, gold-backed currencies had become the standard for most of the world apart from a handful of exclusions, including China and some nations in Central America.

    What are the advantages and disadvantages of the gold standard?

    In theory, the international gold standard provided an inherent mechanism for stability in the financial system, as trade imbalances would be self-correcting. This was called the price-specie flow mechanism by economist David Hume.

    To illustrate, when a country had a surplus trade balance, the gold value of trade flowing out of the country would exceed the trade value of imports. Conversely, a deficit trade balance would have the opposite effect. This would cause inflation in countries with rising money supply and deflation in countries with decreasing money supply.

    This rising and falling would subsequently cause trade with countries with high inflation to decrease due to high prices and trade with countries experiencing deflation to rise to take advantage of lower prices, bringing them back into balance.

    While the gold standard provided relative stability to the global financial market in the long term it was far from perfect, as individual economies had reduced control over their own economic struggles. This was evidenced by the Panic of 1907 in the US, which began when two bankers tried and failed to corner the stock of United Copper. Their failure resulted in distrust of their banks and associates, ultimately sending panic through the markets and causing runs on banks and trusts.

    This took place at a time when the effects of rising interest rates in Europe led to gold ceasing to move into the United States. This was compounded by the lack of an American central bank or lender of last resort, and with inflexibility under the gold standard, the US was left without a way to expand its monetary supply. This near collapse of the US financial system led to the eventual creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913, establishing an authority over US monetary policy.

    The gold standard was further challenged in 1914 with the start of the First World War when major nations suspended the convertibility of domestic bank notes into gold and suspended the movement of gold over borders.

    Born of necessity, this move provided greater flexibility for central banks to increase monetary supply without the limitation of physical holdings, ensuring war efforts could continue to be funded.

    Even though these measures were meant to be temporary, they led to considerable chaos through the post-war period as nations worked to decrease high inflation caused by excess money supply while trying to return to the gold standard. Countries were left with limited choices: deflation or devaluation.

    Britain chose deflation and returned to pre-war parity defining one pound sterling equal to 123.274 grains of gold. This had the effect of overvaluing the pound, which caused outflows in the gold supply. France, on the other hand, chose to devalue the Franc, which ultimately caused inflows of gold into its reserves.

    For its response, the US chose to sterilize inflows of gold. The US paid a higher price than other countries, but instead of expanding monetary supply to match the influx, it maintained inventories and stabilized domestic pricing.

    Despite US efforts to maintain its economy in the interwar period, global mass deflation provided a catalyst for the end of the gold standard as unemployment began to rise, ultimately triggering the Great Depression. This period marked the beginning of the end of the classical gold standard, and in 1931 Japan and the United Kingdom dropped the connection to gold, followed by the United States in 1933.

    When did the gold standard end?

    Against the backdrop of the Second World War, representatives from 44 nations met in the US in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in July of 1944. Discussions centered around the creation of a system that would provide efficient foreign exchange to create a more stable global economic system than what had arisen between the World Wars and ultimately caused the implosion of the global economy.

    Plans for a new global economic system took years to develop, with competing ideas from famed economist James Maynard Keynes and Harry Dexter White, chief international economist for the US Treasury Department. Keynes proposed a grand vision to build an international central bank with its own reserve currency, while White suggested the establishment of a lending fund with the US Dollar as the reserve currency.

    The agreement chose elements from both proposals but leaned in favor of White’s suggestion. It declared the US dollar would be pegged to the value of gold at US$35 per ounce. Additionally, the other 44 states who signed on to the accord would have their currencies pegged to the value of the US dollar with diversions of only 1 percent being permitted.

    This system helped to minimize volatility of exchange rates and facilitated international trade.

    To aid the functioning of the agreement, it also established two critical institutions: the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which would monitor exchange rates and provide support when needed, and the World Bank, which was originally established to manage funds and provide loans and assistance to nations to rebuild after WW2.

    However, when the nations met in December 1945, only 29 had come to sign the agreement; the Soviet Union was notably absent. The USSR’s rejection of Bretton Woods marked a milestone in a developing rift that led to the Cold War.

    In his election speech in February 1946, less than two months after the signing of Bretton Woods, Joseph Stalin blamed World War 2 on capitalism. “Marxists have more than once stated that the capitalist system of world economy … does not proceed smoothly and evenly, but through crises and catastrophic wars,” he said.

    Less than a month later Winston Churchill gave his famed Sinews of Peace speech in Fulton, Missouri, in which he stated, “From Stettin in the Baltic, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent.”

    Bretton Woods policies came into full effect in 1958 with mixed results, and the US dollar struggled to maintain parity with gold throughout much of the 1960s in part due to increased domestic and military spending.

    In 1971, under orders of US President Richard Nixon, the convertibility of the dollar into gold was suspended as the dollar became overvalued and the amount of gold in reserves was no longer sufficient to cover the monetary supply. There were attempts to revive the system, but by 1973 Bretton Woods collapsed and national currencies once again floated against each other.

    Following the end of the agreement, the IMF allowed members to choose whichever exchange arrangement, allowing them to float against each other or a basket of currencies. However, members were prohibited from pegging their currencies to gold.

    The gold standard today

    The subsequent years following the collapse of Bretton Woods have seen the dominance of the United States in the global financial system. Though no longer tied to gold, it remains the world’s reserve currency.

    Being tied to gold provided the economy with relative stability from inflationary pressures, but it also restricted the overall monetary supply and made it more difficult for borrowers to pay back loans.

    Under the current system, central banks work to ensure that inflation remains in a range that can stimulate growth in the economy but not let it get to the point where it’s out of control and the cost of goods rises more quickly than wages.

    Proponents of a gold standard today will point at the runaway inflation of the early 1980s and following the COVID-19 pandemic reasons why a gold standard is better for the overall economy and reduced volatility.

    However, the lack of inflation under the gold standard was a criticism levelled by opponents. This was a particular issue in the late 1800s, when deflation was happening at a rate of 1 to 2 percent per year in the US. This resulted in loans becoming more costly, a problem in particular for the country’s farmers who relied on them to buy land and equipment.

    Will we return to the gold standard?

    Some analysts such as Jim Rickards believe in the return of the gold standard and have suggested that the BRICS nations are in the process of creating a new gold-backed currency, as evidenced by bulk purchases of gold by the Chinese central bank.

    With regards to a return to a global or US gold standard, this also seems incredibly unlikely and ill-advised.

    The total value of monetary supply of the world’s four largest central banks — the United States, European Union, Japan and China — sat at approximately US$95 trillion as of June 2025. The World Gold Council estimated that above-ground gold stocks stand at 216,265 metric tons as of the end of 2024.

    At a gold spot price of US$3,000, which gold has held above for much of 2025, that gold would be worth just under US$23 trillion, far less than those central banks hold. Additionally, 45 percent of the world’s gold is in the form of gold jewelry and just 14 percent, or about US$4 trillion, is in central bank holdings.

    The US encountered problems with an insufficient supply of gold before the collapse of Bretton Woods. Going further back, reducing through devaluation or deflation wreaked havoc in the global post-war economy of the 1920s.

    With greater wealth and far more money supply today, the economy would face far more headwinds and more disastrous potential should there be a shift back towards a gold standard.

    To move to a gold-backed currency, a country would have to have enough physical gold in reserve to support its monetary supply. There isn’t enough gold in the world.

    Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

    This post appeared first on investingnews.com

    Bitcoin, the most well-known cryptocurrency, paved the way for the cryptocurrency asset class.

    Now the cryptocurrency of choice, its meteoric rise has been unlike any other commodity, resource or asset. Bitcoin’s price rose more than 1,200 percent from March 2020 to reach US$69,044 on November 10, 2021.

    The coin showcased its famous volatility in the following year, falling as low as US$15,787 by November 2022 amid economic uncertainty and a wave of negative media coverage.

    Bitcoin started 2024 just below US$45,000 and made substantial gains in remainder of the year. Following Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the US presidential election, Bitcoin soared to US$103,697 on December 4, 2024.

    The first quarter of 2025 saw the price of Bitcoin decline by more than 25 percent to a low for the year of US$75,004 in early April. Since then, rising institutional demand and an emerging industry-friendly US regulatory environment have poured rocket fuel into the digital assets value.

    Bitcoin reached its new all-time high price of US$123,153.22 before pulling back to close at US$119,839.70 on July 14, 2025.

    For frequent updates on the biggest news of the crypto sector, check out our Crypto Market Recap, with updates multiple times per week.

    Where did Bitcoin start, and what has spurred its price movements since its launch? Read on to find out.

    In this article

      What is Bitcoin and who invented it?

      Created as a response to the 2008 financial crisis, the concept of Bitcoin was first introduced in a nine-page white paper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” on October 31, 2008, on a platform called Metzdowd.

      The manifesto was penned by a notoriously elusive person (or persons) who used the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. The author(s) laid out a compelling argument and groundwork for a new type of cyber-currency that would revolutionize the monetary system.

      Cryptographically secured, Bitcoin was designed to be transparent and resistant to censorship, using the power of blockchain technology to create an immutable ledger preventing double-spending. The true allure for Bitcoin’s early adopters was in its potential to wrestle power away from banks and financial institutes and give it to the masses.

      This was especially enticing as the fallout from the 2008 financial collapse ricocheted internationally. Described as the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, US$7.4 billion in value was erased from the US stock market in 11 months, while the global economy shrank by an estimated US$2 trillion.

      On January 3, 2009, the Genesis Block was established, marking the beginning of Bitcoin’s blockchain, onto which all additional blocks have been added. The Genesis Block contained the first 50 Bitcoins ever created and a simple message: “The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on the brink of second bailout for banks.”

      Many believe the message hints at Bitcoin’s mission, as it references an article in The London Times that criticized the British government’s inadequate response to the financial crisis of 2007 to 2008, particularly the government’s inability to provide effective relief and support to the struggling economy.

      What was Bitcoin’s starting price?

      When Bitcoin started trading in 2009, its starting price was a minuscule US$0.0009.

      On January 12, 2009, Nakamoto made the first Bitcoin transaction when they sent 10 Bitcoins to Hal Finney, a computer scientist and early Bitcoin enthusiast, marking a crucial milestone in the cryptocurrency’s development and adoption.

      News of the cryptocurrency continued to spread around the Internet, but its value did not rise above US$0 until October 12, 2009, when a Finnish software developer sent 5,050 Bitcoins to New Liberty Standard for US$5.02 via PayPal Holdings (NASDAQ:PYPL), thereby establishing both the value of Bitcoin and New Liberty Standard as a Bitcoin exchange.

      The first time Bitcoin was used to make a purchase was on May 22, 2010, when a programmer in Florida named Laszlo Hanyecz offered anyone who would bring him a pizza 10,000 Bitcoin in exchange. Someone accepted the offer and ordered Hanyecz two Papa John’s pizzas for US$25. The 10,000 Bitcoin pizza order essentially set Bitcoin’s price in 2010 at around US$0.0025.

      Bitcoin’s price finally broke through the US$1 mark in 2011, and moved as high as US$29.60 that year. However, in 2012 Bitcoin pulled back and remained relatively muted.

      Bitcoin’s price saw its first significant growth in earnest in 2013, the year it broke through both US$100 and US$1,000. It climbed all the way to US$1,242 in December 2013.

      From that peak, Bitcoin’s price began to fall, and it spent most of 2015 in the US$200 range, but it turned around in December 2015 and began to climb again, ending the year at around US$430.

      Bitcoin price chart from August 2011 to December 31, 2015.

      Chart via TradingEconomics.com.

      When did the Bitcoin price start to grow?

      January 1, 2016, marked the beginning of Bitcoin’s sustained price rise. It started the year at US$433 and ended it at US$989 — a 128 percent value increase in 12 months.

      That year, several contributing factors led to Bitcoin’s rise in mainstream popularity. The stock market experienced one of its worst first weeks ever in 2016, and investors began turning to Bitcoin as a “safe-haven” stock amidst economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

      2016 also saw the Brexit referendum in the UK in June and the election of Donald Trump to the White House in November, both events that coincided with a bump in Bitcoin’s price.

      Bitcoin continued its ascent, while various industries continued to take an interest in blockchain technology, particularly technology and finance. In February, a group of investors that included IBM (NYSE:IBM) and Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) invested US$60 million in a New York firm developing blockchain technology for financial services, Dig Asset Holdings. Bitcoin was trading at US$368.12 on February 2, down a bit from January, but two months later it was US$418.

      In May the price of Bitcoin experienced a significant price increase, rising by 21 percent to US$539 at the end of the month. Its price went higher into June, peaking at US$764 on June 18. After that, it fell sharply and spent the summer in the high US$600 range. It dropped to US$517 on August 1 and started its climb all over again.

      Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Bank of America Merrill Lynch partnered for a finance transacting endeavor in September. Not much price movement was observed, but Bitcoin remained on a steady upward trajectory after that. In October, Ripple partnered with 12 banks in a trial that used its native digital currency token XRP to facilitate cross-border payments. Institutional investment bolstered investor confidence, and Bitcoin went from US$629 to US$736 between October 20 and November 20.

      Bitcoin’s popularity continued into 2017, and it rose from US$1,035.24 in January to US$18,940.57 in December. Futures contracts began trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in December 2017, and Bitcoin began to be more widely perceived as a legitimate investment rather than a passing fad. FOMO flooded the market. What ensued was a frenzy of media coverage featuring celebrity endorsements and initial coin offerings (ICOs) that spilled into 2018.

      Regulators began to take notice and issued warnings and guidelines meant to protect investors and mitigate risks associated with digital assets, which only seemed to make people want them more.

      Through it all, Bitcoin remained the “gold standard” of cryptocurrencies, yet its price was subject to extreme volatility. At the beginning of 2019, it was around US$3,800, it reached nearly US$13,000 in June, but by December 2019 Bitcoin was trading at around US$7,2000.

      Bitcoin price chart from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2019.

      Chart via TradingEconomics.com.

      What factors led to Bitcoin’s rise in the early 2020s?

      2020 proved a testing ground for the digital coin’s ability to weather financial upheaval. Starting the year at US$6,950.56, a widespread selloff in March triggered by the pandemic brought its value to US$4,841.67 — a 30 percent decline.

      The low created a buying opportunity that helped Bitcoin regain its losses by May. The rally continued throughout 2020, and the digital asset ended the year at US$29,402.64, a 323 percent year-over-year increase and a 507 percent rise from its March drop.

      By comparison, gold, one of the best-performing commodities of 2020, added 38 percent to its value from the low in March through December, setting what was then an all-time high of US$2,060 per ounce in August.

      Bitcoin’s ascent continued in 2021, rallying to an all-time high of US$68,649.05 in November, a 98.82 percent increase from January. Much of the growth in 2021 was attributed to risk-on investor appetite.

      Increased money printing in response to the pandemic also benefited Bitcoin, as investors with more capital looked to diversify their portfolios. The success of the world’s first cryptocurrency amid the market ups and downs of 2020 and 2021 led to more interest and investment in other coins and digital assets as well. For example, 2021 saw the rise of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), unique crypto assets that are stored, sold and traded digitally using blockchain technology.

      Almost immediately following its record close above US$69,000 in November 2021, Bitcoin’s value began to fall once again. Market uncertainty weighed especially heavily on Bitcoin in 2022. During the second quarter of that year, values dived below US$20,000 for the first time since December 2020.

      On May 7, 2022, Curve Whale Watching posted the first sign that confidence in Terra Luna, a cryptocurrency pegged to the US dollar, was waning after 85 million of its stablecoin UST exchanged for less than the 1:1 ratio it was supposed to maintain. This triggered a massive sell-off that brought Luna’s value down 99.7 percent and eventually resulted in the Terra tokens ceasing to be traded on major crypto exchanges.

      Terra’s collapse had a domino effect on the industry as investors’ faith in crypto crumbled. In July, the Celsius network, a platform where users could deposit crypto into digital wallets to accrue interest, halted all transfers due to “extreme market conditions”, driving down the price of Bitcoin even further to US$19,047, a 60 percent decline from January 2022. In July, Celsius filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

      However, the biggest shake-up to the industry came in November when CoinDesk published findings that cryptocurrency trading firm Alameda Research led by Sam Bankman-Fried had borrowed billions of dollars of customer funds from crypto exchange and sister company FTX. Over a third of Alameda’s assets were tied up in FTT, the native cryptocurrency of FTX.

      Once this news broke, investors withdrew their funds en masse, causing a liquidity crunch that collapsed FTX. Bankman-Fried was later arrested and sentenced to 25 years in federal prison on counts of money laundering, wire fraud and securities fraud.

      Although Bitcoin was never implicated, the fallout of the FTX scandal led to a crisis of confidence across the sector and increased scrutiny from regulators and law enforcement. By the end of 2022, prices for Bitcoin had moved even lower to settle below US$17,000.

      Bitcoin price chart from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022.

      Chart via TradingEconomics.com.

      Bitcoin’s powerful performance cannot be understated as evidenced by its price performance in the later half of 2023 and so far in 2024.

      Concerns with the banking system led the price of Bitcoin to rally in March 2023 to US$28,211 by March 21 after the failure of multiple US banks alarmed investors.

      In Q2 2023, Bitcoin continued its ascent, stabilizing above US$25,000 even as the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) filed lawsuits against Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN), along with Binance and its founder Changpeng Zhao.

      Although it looked like bad news for the sector, Bitcoin stayed steady, holding above US$25,000. This was supported by BlackRock (NYSE:BLK), the world’s largest asset manager, filing for a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund with the SEC on June 15.

      Bitcoin’s price jumped above US$30,000 on June 21, 2023, and on July 3, 2023, the crypto hit its highest price since May 2022 at US$31,500. It held above US$30,000 for nearly a month before dropping just below on July 16, 2023. By September 11, 2023, prices had slid further to US$25,150.

      Heading into the final months of the year, the Bitcoin price benefited from increased institutional investment on the prospect of the SEC approving a bevy of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds by early 2024. In mid-November the price for the popular cryptocurrency was trading up at US$37,885, and by the end of the year that figure had risen further to US$42,228 per BTC.

      2024 Bitcoin price performance

      Bitcoin price chart from January 1, 2024, to November 6, 2024.

      Chart via TradingEconomics.com.

      Once the SEC’s approval of 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs hit the wires, the price per coin jumped again to US$46,620 on January 10, 2024. These investment vehicles were a major driving force behind the more than 42 percent rise in value for Bitcoin in February; it reached US$61,113 on the last day of the month.

      On March 4, Bitcoin surged almost 8 percent in 24 hours to trade at US$67,758, less than 2 percent away from its previous record, and on March 11 it hit a new milestone, surpassing the US$72,000 mark. Three days later, on March 14, Bitcoin reached its highest-ever recorded price of US$73,737.94, surpassing the market cap of silver.

      Bitcoin often surges leading up to the halving events, which is when Bitcoin rewards are halved for miners. The most recent came in April when the reward for completing a block was cut from 6.25 to 3.125 Bitcoin.

      Several sources cited the 2024 halving as one of the forces that drove the price of Bitcoin to its newest high.

      The halving occurred at around 8:10 p.m. EDT on a Friday, and Bitcoin’s price remained stable within the US$63,000 to US$65,000 range over the ensuing weekend. On April 22, the Monday following the halving, it was slightly above US$66,000.

      While Bitcoin’s price stayed relatively stable, the cryptocurrency’s trading volume experienced significant fluctuations through that weekend, with a 45 percent increase from April 19 to April 20 followed by a 68 percent decline on April 21. Between April 30 and May 3, it fell as low as US$56,903 following the Federal Reserve’s April policy meeting, which did not produce a rate cut.

      Reports that the SEC was moving to approve spot Ether ETFs in May sent the price of Bitcoin climbing again alongside that of Ether, the native token of the Ethereum blockchain, which serves as the foundation for these ETFs. Bitcoin passed US$71,000 for the second time ever at 8:00 p.m. EDT on May 20, days before the SEC approved spot Ether ETFs on May 23.

      Bitcoin hovered between US$67,000 and US$69,000 for the remainder of the month and into the middle of June. It fell back below US$67,000 on June 13 and moved lower the next day when the Federal Reserve opted to delay lowering interest rates once again.

      Losses picked up speed through late June and continued in July, with analysts pointing to uncertainty over post-election regulations, Germany’s sell-off of seized Bitcoin assets and concerns about the impact of the defunct trading platform Mt. Gox on the token market. Bitcoin dropped to a two-month low of US$55,880 on July 8, but quickly recovered most of its losses after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s congressional testimony on July 9 that signaled rate cuts may not be far off.

      As crypto gains wider acceptance and accessibility, with more traditional financial institutions and products incorporating digital assets, the type of risk that Bitcoin represents has evolved. Bitcoin was primarily seen as a highly speculative alternative investment. Now, with expanding institutional interest, it is increasingly seen as a ”risk-on” asset – meaning its price movements are influenced by market sentiment, investor confidence and broader economic conditions.

      A rise in Bitcoin’s price ensued after the July 13 assassination attempt of US presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has been actively endorsing the crypto industry for support. Bitcoin rose from US$57,899 to US$66,690 in the week following the incident as the odds of a Trump victory were seen to improve, highlighting the impact of regulatory uncertainty on the market. However, Bitcoin’s price didn’t experience any significant pullbacks in the week after current US President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on July 21 and current Vice President Kamala Harris took over as the new nominee.

      Other significant developments affecting Bitcoin during the summer included the underwhelming performance of spot Ether ETFs, fears of a US government Bitcoin sell-off, Trump’s proposed national Bitcoin stockpile and Trump’s declining chances of winning the election as support for Harris snowballs.

      Bitcoin experienced a tumultuous August, with its price plummeting alongside other digital assets and the stock market on August 5th. Several factors triggered this sell-off, including weaker-than-expected economic data on August 2 and an unexpected interest rate hike in Japan. These events sparked panic in Asian markets, leading investors to liquidate high-risk assets like Bitcoin.

      Despite a brief recovery, Bitcoin continued to fluctuate throughout August, dropping to US$58,430 on the weekend of August 10 and 11, and experiencing further price swings between US$60,700 and US$56,700. While positive inflation data boosted the stock market, Bitcoin struggled to break past a US$60,000 ceiling.

      A brief rally on August 23rd, prompted by the Federal Reserve’s signal to begin lowering interest rates, was quickly followed by another price drop. This pattern of rallies and subsequent declines persisted for the remainder of August and most of September. Bitcoin ended the month at just above US$64,540.

      During the lead up to the 2024 US presidential election had a notable affect on Bitcoin’s price movements, with the Republican party generally seen as more ‘crypto-friendly’ than the Democrats. On October 28, PolyMarket, bettors favored Trump with a 66.1 percent probability of winning compared to Harris’ 33.8 percent. This translated into a 7 percent gain in a little over 24 hours on October 29 to flirt with the previous all-time high, coming in at US$73,295.

      A few days later on November 3, Trump’s lead would seemingly narrow with the gap closing to 55 percent for Trump and 44.3 percent for Harris. The Bitcoin price responded by dropping to US$67,874 on November 4.

      Bitcoin set a then high price on November 6, 2024, when it reached US$76,243 per BTC at 4:00 p.m. EST. This price came after the 45th US President Donald Trump made a stunning political comeback to become the 47th US President. His retaking of the presidency was heralded as hugely positive for the cryptocurrency market.

      “We have a #Bitcoin President,” Michael Saylor, founder of Bitcoin development company Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR), posted on X.

      Bitcoin crossed the US$100,000 threshold for the first time on December 4, rising as high as US$103,697.

      What was the highest price for Bitcoin?

      Bitcoin set a new all-time high price on July 14, 2025, when it reached US$123,153.22 per BTC at 07:38 a.m. GMT. Reuters reported that the Bitcoin price has rallied more than 60 percent since the US election in early November.

      This latest record high price came as US lawmakers announced key ‘Crypto Week’ bills, and President Trump signaled support for the GENIUS Act, which is expected to create a clear framework for banks and enterprises to issue digital currencies.

      The crypto market has found a friend in the Trump administration thus far. Since it began, US regulators have been more inclined to make policy changes that loosen regulations for crypto investing.

      What is Bitcoin at today?

      As of August 4, 2025, Bitcoin is trading around the US$115,000 level after spending the prior few weeks holding above US$110,000.

      Earlier in 2025, Bitcoin demonstrated its volatile nature when the price of the cryptocurrency fell to as low as US$75,000 per coin by April 9. This represented a key buying opportunity as crypto buffs were anticipating further strength in the market under Trump.

      Soon after, the price of Bitcoin was once again on a steady upward path and breached the US$100,000 level on May 8.

      FAQs for investing in Bitcoin

      What is a blockchain?

      A blockchain is a digitized and decentralized public ledger of all cryptocurrency transactions.

      Blockchains are constantly growing as completed blocks are recorded and added in chronological order. The mechanism by which digital currencies are mined, blockchain has become a popular investment space as the technology is increasingly being implemented in business processes across a variety of industries. These include banking, cybersecurity, networking, supply chain management, the Internet of Things, online music, healthcare and insurance.

      Is Peter Todd Satoshi Nakamoto?

      Canadian software developer Peter Todd has denied he is Satoshi Nakamoto, a claim made by the documentary ‘Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery,’ which aired on October 8, based on circumstantial evidence such as posts on an early Bitcoin forum and correspondence between Todd and Hal Finney, who received the first Bitcoin from Satoshi.

      Aired on HBO, the film by Cullen Hoback features interviews with people involved in Bitcoin’s creation and suggests that Todd could be the elusive Satoshi Nakamoto who wrote the 2008 white paper that led to Bitcoin’s launch. Reddit posts dating back to 2015 have also suggested that Todd could be Satoshi.

      Todd has continuously denied the claim, most recently to multiple media outlets, including CoinDesk and Bloomberg.

      How to buy Bitcoin?

      Bitcoin can be purchased through a variety of crypto exchange platforms and peer-to-peer crypto trading apps, and then held in a digital wallet. These include Coinbase Global, CoinSmart Financial Inc (OTC Pink:CONMF, NEO:SMRT), BlockFi, Binance and Gemini.

      What is the Bitcoin halving?

      Unlike traditional currencies that can increase circulation through printing, the number of Bitcoins is finite. This limit is a core function of Bitcoin’s algorithm and was designed to offset inflation by maintaining scarcity. There are 21 million in existence, of which 19,787,175 are in circulation as of August 8. This means there are 1,212,825 still unmined.

      A new Bitcoin is created when a Bitcoin miner uses highly specialized software to complete a block of transaction verifications on the Bitcoin blockchain. Roughly 900 Bitcoins are currently mined per day; however, after 210,000 blocks are completed, a Bitcoin protocol called a halving automatically reduces the number of new coins issued by half. Halving not only counteracts inflation but also supports the cryptocurrency’s value by ensuring that its price will increase if demand remains the same.

      Halvings have occurred every four years since 2012, with the most recent happening on April 19, 2024. The next halving is expected to occur in 2028.

      Bitcoin’s halving has significant implications for the cryptocurrency’s mining activity and supply because of how Bitcoin mining works. Currently, miners are paid 3.125 Bitcoin for every block they complete. After the next halving, the pay rate will lower to 1.5625 Bitcoin for every completed block for the next four years.

      What is Coinbase?

      Coinbase Global is a secure online cryptocurrency exchange that makes it easy for investors to buy, sell, transfer and store cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

      How does crypto affect the banking industry?

      Cryptocurrencies are an alternative to traditional banking, and tend to attract people interested in assets that are outside mainstream systems. According to data from Statista, 53 percent of crypto owners are between the ages of 18 and 34, showing that the industry is drawing younger generations who may be interested in decentralized digital options.

      Privacy is a key draw for cryptocurrency owners, as is the fact that they are separated from third parties such as central banks. Additionally, crypto transactions, including purchases, sales and transfers, are often quick and have fewer associated fees than transactions going through the banking system in the typical manner.

      That said, banks are starting to notice how popular cryptocurrencies are. As Bitcoin and its compatriots become increasingly mainstream, many banks have begun to invest in cryptocurrencies and blockchain companies themselves.

      Is Bitcoin a good investment anymore?

      While Bitcoin has reached new heights in 2025, one of its well-known features is its volatility. Investors who are more accepting of risk could look to the cryptocurrency space as there historically has been money to be made, and Bitcoin is regaining value after plummeting in 2022. However, there is also historically money to be lost, and investors who prefer to take smaller risks should look towards other avenues.

      For more information on investing in Bitcoin right now, check out our article Is Now a Good Time to Buy Bitcoin?

      Who has the most invested in Bitcoin?

      Satoshi Nakomoto, the mysterious founder of Bitcoin, is believed to also be the biggest holder of the coin. Analysis into early Bitcoin wallets has revealed that Nakamoto likely owns over 1 million of the nearly 19.5 million Bitcoins in existence.

      Does Elon Musk own Bitcoin?

      Tesla and Twitter CEO Elon Musk’s association with both Bitcoin and the meme coin Dogecoin is well known, and both his tweets and Tesla’s actions have influenced the cryptocurrencies’ trajectories over the years.

      While it is unknown just how much he owns, Musk has disclosed that he personally has holdings of Bitcoin and Dogecoin, as well as Ether. It was revealed in September 2023 that Musk may be funding Dogecoin on the quiet, according to Forbes.

      As for Tesla, the company purchased US$1.5 billion of Bitcoin in 2021, but sold 75 percent of that the next year. As of July 2025, the EV maker’s Bitcoin holdings were estimated at 11,509 Bitcoin, the eigth-largest bitcoin holdings for a publicly traded company. In a January 2024 post on his social media platform X, Musk said “I still own a bunch of Dogecoin, and SpaceX owns a bunch of Bitcoin.’

      Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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      The uranium market stumbled into Q2 2025, after spot prices dipped to an 18 month low of US$63.50 per pound in March amid abundant secondary supply and cautious utility contracting.

      By June, however, prices had rebounded into the US$70 range on renewed US policy support and heightened geopolitical tensions. While the spot market remains volatile, long-term prices have held steady at US$80 level.

      Yet utility demand still lags. Just 25 million pounds were contracted by mid-year, putting 2025 on track to fall well short of the 160 million pounds booked in 2023.

      “It’s a pressure cooker,” said Oceanwall’s Ben Finegold, pointing to a widening disconnect between term prices and utility participation. With global supply still covering only 80 to 90 percent of annual reactor needs and inventories thinning, market watchers warn a sharp contracting surge is inevitable.

      Compounding the urgency are ambitious global buildout plans, including 69 reactors under construction and a US proposal to quadruple nuclear capacity by 2050.

      As the supply-demand gap grows, uranium investors are watching closely for a return of utility buying and a possible inflection point for the sector.

      Amid this opaque landscape, several Canadian uranium companies registered significant gains so far in 2025. Below are the best-performing Canadian uranium stocks by share price performance. All data was obtained on July 30, 2025, using TradingView’s stock screener. Companies on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market caps above C$10 million at the time were considered.

      Read on to learn about the top Canadian uranium stocks in 2025, including what factors have been moving their share prices.

      1. Purepoint Uranium (TSXV:PTU)

      Year-to-date gain: 109 percent
      Market cap: C$31.69 million
      Share price: C$0.46

      Exploration company Purepoint Uranium has an extensive uranium portfolio including six joint ventures and five wholly owned projects, all located in Canada’s Athabasca Basin.

      In a January statement, Purepoint announced it had strengthened its relationship with IsoEnergy (TSX:ISO) when the latter exercised its put option under the framework of a previously announced joint-venture agreement, transferring 10 percent of its stake to Purepoint in exchange for 4 million shares.

      The now 50/50 joint venture will explore 10 uranium projects across 98,000 hectares in Saskatchewan’s Eastern Athabasca Basin, including the Dorado project.

      Purepoint shares jumped from C$0.265 on July 7 to C$0.465 on July 9 after the release of initial drill results from Dorado. According to the July 8 statement, drilling at the Q48 target “confirm(ed) the zone as a significant uranium-bearing structure.”

      Continuing to trend higher, shares reached a year-to-date high of C$0.52 on July 23. The move coincided with an additional drill result release from the discovery, now dubbed the Nova Discovery target area.

      “PG25-07A has successfully extended the Nova Discovery zone by 70 metres and delivered our strongest intercept to date, both in intensity and thickness based on radioactivity,’ Purepoint President and CEO Chris Frostad said.

      2. District Metals (TSXV:DMX)

      Year-to-date gains: 104.9 percent
      Market cap: C$139.38 million
      Share price: C$0.83

      District Metals is an energy metals and polymetallic exploration and development company with a portfolio of seven assets in Sweden, including four uranium projects: Viken, Ardnasvarre, Sågtjärn and Nianfors. Currently, District is focused on its Viken uranium-vanadium project, which the company says hosts the world’s largest undeveloped uranium deposit.

      The company’s share price began trending upwards in mid-May following news of a fully subscribed C$6 million private placement.

      Some noteworthy announcements since then include the completion of a helicopter-borne mobile magnetotellurics survey at the Viken property in late June, with results expected later in Q3.

      Also in June, the company commended Sweden’s Ministry of Climate and Enterprise for submitting a proposal to lift the country’s longstanding ban on uranium mining. The referral recommends allowing uranium extraction under the Minerals Act and permitting exploration and processing applications under set conditions.

      Shares of District Metals rose to a year-to-date high of C$1.01 on July 24, two days after the announcement of a high-resolution drone-based radiometric and magnetic survey across its Ardnasvarre, Sågtjärn and Nianfors projects, which are largely covered by thin glacial overburden and have never been subject to detailed geophysical surveying.

      According to the company, the drone will fly low and with tight line spacing, allowing detection of subtle anomalies that traditional surveys may have missed.

      3. Energy Fuels (TSX:EFR)

      Year-to-date gain: 70.21 percent
      Market cap: C$2.83 billion
      Share price: C$12.80

      US-based uranium producer Energy Fuels has a large portfolio of conventional and in-situ recovery (ISR) projects across the Western United States, including Pinyon Plain in Arizona, a top national producer.

      Additionally, Energy Fuels owns and operates the White Mesa mill, the only fully licensed and operating conventional uranium mill in the US. The company is progressing heavy rare earth oxide processing at the plant as well.

      In line with US efforts to bolster domestic uranium output, Energy Fuels has been ramping up Pinyon Plain. In May, a record of approximately 260,000 pounds of U3O8 was mined at the site, up 71 percent over the prior month.

      A subsequent press release tallied Q2 2025 output from Pinyon Plain at 638,700 pounds of uranium, which it said exceeded estimates due to the high uranium grades, which averaged 2.23 percent in Q2 and 3.51 percent in June.

      Company shares reached a year-to-date high of C$13.80 on July 27. The stock bump followed the successful commencement of pilot scale heavy rare earth production at its White Mesa mill on July 17.

      4. Stallion Uranium (TSXV:STUD)

      Year-to-date gain: 56.67 percent
      Market cap: C$10.72 million
      Share price: C$0.23

      Uranium junior Stallion Uranium holds a 2,870 square kilometer land package on the western side of Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin, including a joint venture with Atha Energy (TSXV:SASK,OTCQB:SASKF) for the largest contiguous project in the region. The company’s primary focus is the Coyote target at the project.

      Stallion’s share price shot upwards on July 8 after it announced a technology data acquisition agreement for Matchstick TI, an intelligent geological target identification platform with 77 percent accuracy. Stallion plans to use the technology to enhance its exploration efforts.

      On July 14, the company reported the results of a 3D inversion of ground gravity data over the Coyote target, part of its joint venture with Atha Energy.

      ‘The inversion modelling at Coyote has delineated a laterally extensive and coherent gravity low, spatially coincident with a structurally complex corridor exhibiting attributes characteristic of fertile uranium-bearing systems within the Athabasca Basin,” Stallion Uranium CEO Matthew Schwab said.

      Three days later, the company announced it settled its outstanding debt with Atha Energy, issuing 802,809 common shares at a deemed price of C$0.135 per share.

      Stallion’s shares registered a year-to-date high of C$0.25 on July 18.

      Stallion released results from an electromagnetic survey on July 21 that further refined the Coyote target area.

      5. Cameco (TSX:CCO)

      Year-to-date gain: 45.96 percent
      Market cap: C$47.21 billion
      Share price: C$108.10

      Sector major Cameco is a leading global uranium producer headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The company supplies uranium fuel for nuclear energy generation and holds significant assets across the nuclear fuel cycle, including 49 percent interests in Westinghouse Electric Company (NYSE:BBU) and Global Laser Enrichment.

      In the Athabasca Basin, Cameco’s portfolio includes a majority interest in the Cigar Lake mine, the world’s top-producing uranium mine. The company also fully owns the McArthur River mine, another major high-grade deposit in the same region. Additionally, Cameco operates the Key Lake mill, which processes ore from both Cigar Lake and McArthur River.

      Globally, Cameco owns the Crow Butte ISR operation in Nebraska and the Smith Ranch-Highland ISR operation in Wyoming. Both are currently in care and maintenance. In Kazakhstan, Cameco holds a 40 percent interest in the Inkai joint venture, a producing ISR uranium operation developed in partnership with state-owned Kazatomprom.

      On June 6, Cameco announced an expected US$170 million increase in its 49 percent equity share of Westinghouse Electric Company’s adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) for Q2 and full year 2025. The projected gain is linked to Westinghouse’s involvement in building two nuclear reactors at the Dukovany power plant in the Czech Republic.

      In its Q2 2025 results, released July 31, the company reported net earnings of C$321 million, adjusted net earnings of C$308 million and adjusted EBITDA of C$673 million — all significantly higher year-over-year in part because of the aforementioned share of Westinghouse’s EBITDA.

      In its uranium segment, Cameco’s production totaled 4.6 million pounds, down from 7.1 million pounds in Q2 2024, due to planned maintenance at the Key Lake mill. However, its adjusted EBITDA for the segment increased by 43 percent year-over-year to C$352 million.

      Cameco’s share price reached a year-to-date high of C$109.10 on July 25.

      FAQs for investing in uranium

      What is uranium used for?

      Uranium is primarily used for the production of nuclear energy, a form of clean energy created in nuclear power plants. In fact, 99 percent of uranium is used for this purpose. As of 2022, there were 439 active nuclear reactors, as per the International Atomic Energy Agency. Last year, 8 percent of US power came from nuclear energy.

      The commodity is also used in the defense industry as a component of nuclear weaponry, among other uses. However, there are safeguards in effect to keep this to a minimum. To create weapons-grade uranium, the material has to be enriched significantly — above 90 percent — to the point that to achieve just 5.6 kilograms of weapons-grade uranium, it would require 1 metric ton of uranium pre-enrichment.

      Because of this necessity, uranium enrichment facilities are closely monitored under international agreements. Uranium used for nuclear power production only needs to be enriched to 5 percent; nuclear enrichment facilities need special licenses to enrich above that point for uses such as research at 20 percent enrichment.

      The metal is also used in the medical field for applications such as transmission electron microscopy. Before uranium was discovered to be radioactive, it was used to impart a yellow color to ceramic glazes and glass.

      Where is uranium found?

      The country with the greatest uranium reserves by far is Australia — the island nation holds 28 percent of the world’s uranium reserves. Rounding out the top three are Kazakhstan with 15 percent and Canada with 9 percent.

      Although Australia has the highest reserves, it holds uranium as a low priority and is only fourth overall for production. All its uranium output is exported, with none used for domestic nuclear energy production.

      Kazakhstan is the world’s largest producer of the metal, with production of 21,227 metric tons in 2022. The country’s national uranium company, Kazatomprom, is the world’s largest producer.

      Canada’s uranium reserves are found primarily in its Athabasca Basin, and the region is a top producer of the metal as well.

      Why should I buy uranium stocks?

      Investors should always do their own due diligence when looking at any commodity so that they can decide whether it fits into their investment plans. With that being said, many experts are convinced that uranium has entered into a significant bull market, meaning that uranium stocks could be a good buy.

      A slew of factors have led to this bull market. While the uranium industry spent the last decade or so in a downturn following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, discourse has been building around the metal’s use as a source of clean energy, which is important for countries looking to reach climate goals. Nations are now prioritizing a mix of clean energies such as solar and wind energy alongside nuclear. Significantly, in August 2022, Japan announced it is looking into restarting its idled nuclear power plants and commissioning new ones.

      Uranium prices are very important to uranium miners, as in recent years levels have not been high enough for production to be economic. However, in 2024, prices spiked from the US$58 in August 2023 to a high of US$106 per pound U3O8 in February 2024. They have since consolidated at around US$70, meaning this could be a buying point for those looking to get into the sector.

      Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

      This post appeared first on investingnews.com

       

        NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES  

       

      Stallion Uranium Corp. (the ‘ Company ‘ or ‘ Stallion ‘) ( TSX-V: STUD; OTCQB: STLNF; FSE: FE0 ) is pleased to announce that it has arranged a non-brokered private placement (the ‘ Offering ‘) of up to a combined aggregate of 60,000,000 flow-through (‘ FT Units ‘) and non-flow through (‘ NFT Units ‘) units at a price of $0.20 per NFT Unit and FT Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $12,000,000. The Offering is expected to close in multiple tranches, the first of which is anticipated to close on or before August 15, 2025. The Company anticipates that, upon completion of the Offering, a new Control Person (as defined below), Mr. Matthew Mason (‘ Mr. Mason ‘), will be created though Mr. Mason’s anticipated purchase of 15,000,000 FT Units. Mr. Mason’s subscription is subject to obtaining requisite approval from the disinterested shareholders of the Company (as further described below) and the TSX Venture Exchange (the ‘ TSXV ‘).

       

      Each FT Unit will consist of one flow-through common share of the Company as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) (a ‘ FT Share ‘) and one FT Share purchase warrant (each a ‘ FT Warrant ‘). Each FT Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional FT Share in the capital of the Company (a ‘ FT Warrant Share ‘) at a price of $0.26 per FT Warrant Share for a period of 60 months from the closing of the Offering.

       

      Each NFT Unit will consist of one non-flow-through common share in the capital of the Company (a ‘ NFT Share ‘) and one share purchase warrant (a ‘ NFT Warrant ‘). Each NFT Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional non-flow-through common share in the capital of the Company (a ‘ NFT Warrant Share ‘) at a price of $0.26 per NFT Warrant Share for a period of 60 months from the closing of the Offering.

       

      Finder’s fees may be payable in connection with the completion of the Offering in accordance with TSXV policies. In connection with the Offering, the Company has entered into an Advisory Agreement with Canaccord Genuity Corp. (the ‘ Advisor ‘), pursuant to which the Advisor shall provide financial advisory, consulting, and support services in connection with the Offering (the ‘ Advisory Services ‘). In consideration for the Advisory Services, subject to the approval of the TSXV, the Company will pay the Advisor a work fee equal to $150,000 (the ‘ Fee ‘). The Fee shall be payable in units at the terms matching those of the NFT Units in the Offering. The Fee Units and the underlying securities issued to the Advisor will be subject to a four month and one day hold period in accordance with Canadian securities laws.

       

      The gross proceeds raised from the issuance of the FT Units will be used by the Company to incur exploration expenditures on the Company’s resource claims in the province of Saskatchewan and will constitute ‘Canadian exploration expenses’ as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada). The net proceeds raised from the issuance of the NFT Units will be used by the Company for exploration and development activities of its Athabasca Basin properties and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

       

      Closing of the Offering is subject to a number of conditions, including receipt of all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals, including the TSXV. Policy 4.1 of the TSXV Corporate Finance Manual requires disinterested shareholder approval where a transaction creates a shareholder that holds or controls 20% or more of an issuer’s shares (a ‘ Control Person ‘). The Company anticipates that Mr. Mason’s purchase of FT Units under the Offering will create a new Control Person pursuant to Policy 4.1. To fulfil the requirements of Policy 4.1, the Company intends to seek approval of disinterested shareholders holding or controlling more than 50% of its common shares of the Company to approve the creation of the new Control Person by written consent resolution. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation.

       

      Insiders of the Company will participate in the Offering. Any such participation will be considered a ‘related party transaction’ as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (‘ MI 61-101 ‘). The Offering is expected to be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101, as neither the fair market value of any securities issued to such insiders nor the consideration that will be paid by such persons will exceed 25% of the Company’s market capitalization.

       

        This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the ‘U.S. Securities Act’) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.  

       

        About Stallion Uranium Corp.:  

       

       Stallion Uranium is working to ‘Fuel the Future with Uranium’ through the exploration of roughly 1,700 sq/km in the Athabasca Basin, home to the largest high-grade uranium deposits in the world. The company, with JV partner Atha Energy holds the largest contiguous project in the Western Athabasca Basin adjacent to multiple high-grade discovery zones.

       

      Our leadership and advisory teams are comprised of uranium and precious metals exploration experts with the capital markets experience and the technical talent for acquiring and exploring early-stage properties. For more information visit stallionuranium.com .

       

        On Behalf of the Board of Stallion Uranium Corp.:  

       

      Matthew Schwab
      CEO and Director

       

        Corporate Office:  
      700 – 838 West Hastings Street,
      Vancouver, British Columbia,
      V6C 0A6

       

      T: 604-551-2360
      info@stallionuranium.com  

       

        Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.  

       

        This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, ‘forward-looking statements’) that relate to the Company’s current expectations and views of future events. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as ‘will likely result’, ‘are expected to’, ‘expects’, ‘will continue’, ‘is anticipated’, ‘anticipates’, ‘believes’, ‘estimated’, ‘intends’, ‘plans’, ‘forecast’, ‘projection’, ‘strategy’, ‘objective’ and ‘outlook’) are not historical facts and may be forward-looking statements and may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this material change report should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date they are made.  

       

        Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them or assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements contained in this presentation are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement .

       

         

       

       

      News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia

      This post appeared first on investingnews.com

      Questcorp Mining Inc. (CSE: QQQ,OTC:QQCMF) (OTCQB: QQCMF) (FSE: D910) (the ‘Company’ or ‘Questcorp’) is pleased to announce that drilling has commenced on its La Union Project in northwest Sonora, Mexico. This work is being carried out by property vendor and operator Riverside Resources Inc. (TSXV: RRI).

      Highlights

      • Initial drill program is designed to expand known zones of mineralization, test new targets, and explore areas surrounding multiple historical mine workings within the 25 km² project area.
      • Drill program will consist of + 1,500m of diamond core drilling across six holes, each averaging 250m in depth.
      • Drilling to test the carbonate-hosted replacement deposit (CRD) style of mineralization, with gold associated with mantos, chimneys, and along structural zones.
      • Angled drill holes are aimed at cutting perpendicular to stratigraphic targets and some structural targets which is typical in CRD systems
      • Structural features may have served as mineralizing conduits and are key targets in the current drill program.

      The recent exploration work over the past three months by Riverside has improved the understanding of the structural geology and stratigraphy in the Sierra El Viejo, the mountain range immediately to the west of La Union Project. The La Union district lies along the flanks of this range, where these updated interpretations help guide current exploration efforts. The exploration target focus is for a large potential gold discovery that expands from previous smaller scale mine operations on the property. The drill program will begin to test the new concepts and expand past previous mining.

      Saf Dhillon, President & CEO states, ‘Questcorp is proud to be working with John-Mark and his whole team at Riverside in what is a historic moment in the development of this property. The La Union Project has had work conducted on it for decades, including the production of 50,000 ounces of gold itself but, it has never had a drill bit pierce the ground until now!’

      Earlier this year, Questcorp entered into a definitive option agreement with Riverside’s wholly owned subsidiary, RRM Exploracion, S.A.P.I. DE C.V. to acquire a 100% interest in the La Union Project. As part of the agreement, Questcorp issued shares to Riverside, making Riverside a shareholder and aligning both parties’ interests in the Project’s success. With funding provided by Questcorp, an initial C$1,000,000 exploration program is now underway. This marks the first phase of a larger, C$5,500,000 work commitment, contingent on exploration results and Questcorp’s continued participation.

      The Drill Program Targets include more than four different areas, beginning with this early-stage stratigraphic and orientation phase of drilling exploration aimed at evaluating the scale of alteration and indications of a mineralized system. This will be the first drilling ever conducted on most of the targets, despite past mining having occurred in the majority of these areas. The initial program will consist of one to three holes per area, primarily for orientation purposes. Follow-up drilling is planned and can be expanded based on initial results, which will help verify the stratigraphy, lithologies, and structural features allowing for improved modeling and next-stage discovery targeting. The four areas are listed below:

      • Union Main Mine Area – The program will use angled drill holes to test limestone and other carbonate stratigraphic hosts within the Clemente Formation, with the potential to reach the underlying Caborca Formation. These units are considered the primary hosts for replacement-style mineralization.
      • North Union Mine Area – The initial focus of the program will be on testing structural interpretations. Additional drilling is anticipated following this first phase, as results will help guide future drill testing of areas with past mining activity and various structural orientations.
      • Cobre Mine Area – The Clemente Formation is the primary host unit, and structural features combined with areas of past mining provide multiple target zones. Drilling will begin with an initial stratigraphic test hole to help orient around the thickness of the host unit and extend into the lower Caborca Formation, which is also a favorable host for CRD-style mineralization.
      • Central Union Area – Structural targets, as possible mineralization feeder zones, are a key focus in this past mining manto area. There are extensive additional target zones in the area, and this initial orientation drilling will provide vectoring for the next stage of drilling and further study of the Clemente Formation, and possibly into the Caborca Formation as currently interpreted.

      General Overview of La Union Project

      The Project is summarized in a recently published NI 43-101 Technical Report available under Questcorp’s SEDAR+ profile (www.sedarplus.ca). Riverside initially acquired the Project and subsequently consolidated additional inlier mineral claims, building a strong land position. Riverside then advanced the Project through surface access agreements and drill permitting, making it a turn-key exploration opportunity for Questcorp.

      The Project was originally identified through Riverside’s exploration work in the western Sonora Gold Belt, conducted in collaboration with AngloGold Ashanti Limited, Centerra Gold Inc., and Hochschild Mining Plc. Earlier research by Riverside Founder John-Mark Staude also contributed to recognizing the district’s potential. Initial work by members of the Riverside team, drawing on more than two decades of geological compilation and analysis, further confirmed the region as highly prospective.

      At the Project, historical mining by the Penoles Mining Company targeted chimney and manto-style replacement bodies within the upper oxide zones. As a result, the underlying sulfide zones represent immediate and compelling drill targets for further exploration.

      The Project features favorable limestone host rocks, an extensive alteration footprint, and multiple small-scale historical workings, with mineralization styles similar to those at the Hermosa Project in southern Arizona. At Hermosa, South32 is advancing mine development following its acquisition of the project from Arizona Mining. On 15 February 2024, South32’s board approved a US $2.16 billion capital investment to develop the Taylor zinc-lead-silver deposit, representing the largest private mining investment in Southern Arizona’s history. The project is now considered one of the most significant undeveloped base-metal assets in the United States.

      At the La Union Project, immediate drill targets offer the potential for significant-scale discoveries. La Union is well positioned for near-term exploration success, with targets that include both oxide and deeper sulfide mineralization.

      Figure 1. Geologic map with the tenure of the Union internal concession shown in pink. Manto and chimney type CRD targets are shown as red polygons. All mineral tenures on this map comprise the La Union project. The drill program will focus on the Union Mine and areas north of the Union Mine with the initial drill work.

      To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
      https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10197/261433_a2ed3d4fb471dade_001full.jpg

      Figure 2. Cross section looking west with conceptual drill targets and schematic drillhole traces. Assays from Riverside’s sampling of rock dump materials from the two mine areas are labeled in black. Red areas are interpreted as manto and chimney target bodies that are now well defined and drill ready. Assays shown on figures 1 and 2 have been previously released and disclosed as summarized below the geochemical QA/QC and in published NI 43-101 Report that Questcorp published 2025 on Sedar+.

      To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
      https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10197/261433_a2ed3d4fb471dade_002full.jpg

      The La Union Project

      The La Union Project is a carbonate replacement deposit (‘CRD’) project hosted by Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks (limestones, dolomites, and siliciclastic sediments) overlying crystalline Paleoproterozoic rocks of the Caborca Terrane. The structural setting features high-angle normal faults and low-to-medium-angle thrust faults that sometimes served as mineralization conduits. Mineralization occurs as polymetallic veins, replacement zones (mantos, chimneys), and shear zones with high-grade metal content, as shown in highlight grades of 59.4 grams per metric tonne (g/t) gold, 833 g/t silver, 11% zinc, 5.5% lead, 2.2% copper, along with significant hematite and manganese oxides, consistent with a CRD model (see the technical report entitled ‘NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Union Project, State of Sonora, Mexico’ dated effective May 6, 2025 available under Questcorp’s SEDAR+ profile). These targets also demonstrate intriguing potential for large gold discoveries potentially above an even larger porphyry Cu district potential as the Company’s target concept at this time.

      Questcorp cautions investors that grab samples are selective by nature and not necessarily indicative of similar mineralization on the property.

      The technical and scientific information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by R. Tim Henneberry, P. Geo (BC), a director of the Company and a ‘qualified person’ under National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

      About Questcorp Mining Inc.

      Questcorp Mining Inc. is engaged in the business of the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in North America, with the objective of locating and developing economic precious and base metals properties of merit. The Company holds an option to acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to mineral claims totaling 1,168.09 hectares comprising the North Island Copper Property, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, subject to a royalty obligation. The Company also holds an option to acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to mineral claims totaling 2,520.2 hectares comprising the La Union Project located in Sonora, Mexico, subject to a royalty obligation.

      Contact Information

      Questcorp Mining Corp.

      Saf Dhillon, President & CEO

      Email: saf@questcorpmining.ca
      Telephone: (604) 484-3031

      This news release includes certain ‘forward-looking statements’ under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to Riverside’s arrangements with geophysical contractors to undertake orientation surveys and follow up detailed survey to confirm and enhance the drill targets. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include but are not limited to: the ability of Riverside to secure geophysical contractors to undertake orientation surveys and follow up detailed survey to confirm and enhance the drill targets as contemplated or at all, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain capital markets; and delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that the geophysical surveys will be completed as contemplated or at all and that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

      To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/261433

      News Provided by Newsfile via QuoteMedia

      This post appeared first on investingnews.com

      Amazon is laying off roughly 110 employees in its Wondery podcast division and the head of the group is leaving as part of a broader reshuffling of the company’s audio unit.

      In a Monday note to staffers, Steve Boom, Amazon’s vice president of audio, Twitch and games, said the company is consolidating some Wondery units under its Audible audiobook and podcasting division. Wondery CEO Jen Sargent is also stepping down from her role, Boom said.

      “These changes will not only better align our teams as they work to take advantage of the strategic opportunities ahead but, even more crucially, will ensure we have the right structure in place to deliver the very best experience to creators, customers and advertisers,” Boom wrote in the memo, which was viewed by CNBC. “Unfortunately, these changes also include some role reductions, and we have notified those employees this morning.”

      Bloomberg was first to report on the job cuts.

      The move comes nearly five years after Amazon acquired Wondery as part of a push to expand its catalog of original audio content. The podcasting company made a name for itself with hit shows like “Dirty John” and “Dr. Death.”

      More recently, Wondery signed several lucrative licensing deals with Jason and Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast, along with Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert.”

      Amazon is streamlining “how Wondery further integrates” into the company by separating the teams that oversee its narrative podcasts from those developing “creator-led shows,” Boom wrote.

      The narrative podcasting unit will consolidate under Audible, and creator-led content will move to a new unit within Boom’s organization in Amazon called “creator services,” he wrote.

      Amazon’s audio pursuits face a heightened challenge from the growing popularity of video podcasts on Alphabet’s YouTube, which now hosts an increasing number of shows.

      Video shows require different discovery, growth and monetization strategies than “audio-first, narrative series,” Boom wrote in the memo to Amazon staffers.

      “The podcast landscape has evolved significantly over the past few years,” Boom said.

      This post appeared first on NBC NEWS