Redator

Drilling at First Majestic Silver’s (TSX, NYSE: AG) San Dimas mine in Mexico shows potential for extending high-grade veins and has cut a new structure called Coronado in the West Block, results released late Monday show. The latest drilling returned two standout intercepts that could support near-mine growth. At the Elia vein, hole ELI25X-1 cut 3.57 metres grading 15.93 grams gold per tonne and 1,112 grams silver from 273.6 metres downhole. In the newly-discovered Coronado structure in the West Block, drilling intersected 2.12 metres grading 2.59 grams gold and 327 grams silver starting at 752.6 metres. The intercepts are characteristic of San Dimas’ low-sulphidation narrow-vein system of high-grade shoots in quartz veins. “These new results confirm our view that San Dimas has significant growth opportunities and remains a cornerstone asset for our long-term growth strategy,” CEO Keith Neumeyer said in a release. The 112,000-metre drill program at the mine, located 125 km northeast of Mazatlán, in Durango state, is targeting new veins. It’s also designed to expand resources and upgrade inferred material to indicated near current development headings. The focus is on targets that can move into short- and medium-term mine plans. At the same time, the company is exploring district-scale areas to test parallel structures like Coronado. San Dimas is a critical asset for First Majestic and is important to precious metals streamers, such as Wheaton Precious Metals (TSX, NYSE, LSE: WPM) , with whom it has a long-term agreement tied to its mine output. Discoveries and converting inferred resources to indicated at veins near active sites help maintain life-of-mine production profiles under those agreements. First Majestic shares fell 2.7% or C33¢ by mid-Tuesday in Toronto to C$11.81 ($8.52), but shares are still up 50% over the past 12-months. It has a market capitalization of C$5.8 billion ($4.2bn). Narrow-veined San Dimas has been in continuous production for more than 100 years. Its relatively narrow veins can stretch laterally but are mined at metre-scale widths, according to company documents. It has used underground cut-and-fill and selective long-hole stoping. This is fed by closely spaced underground drilling from drifts. So, the short strike lengths in these reported assays are common and not a problem if continuity is proven. Economics hinge on grade, vein predictability and strict dilution control – development metres per ounce matter as much as headline intercepts. The caveat is variability: veins pinch and swell, so step-outs must show consistent thickness and grade before tonnes make the plan. First Majestic is regarded as a specialist in this style, tailoring mining, backfill and sequencing to squeeze value from narrow, complex structures, according to industry insiders. San Dimas is forecast to produce 9.9 – 10.5 million oz. silver-equivalent this year, comprising 4.9 – 5.2 million oz. silver and 53 – 57,000 oz. gold at cash cost of $14.11 – $14.56 per silver-equivalent oz. and all-in sustaining cost of $18.38 – $19.10 per ounce. The project hosts proven and probable reserves of 3.2 million tonnes at 245 grams silver and 2.84 grams gold per tonne for 25.5 million oz. silver and 294,000 oz. gold, or 51.2 million oz. silver-equivalent metal. More upside First Majestic noted that, beyond Elia and Coronado, step-out and infill holes showed mineralization along the Sinaloa–Elia trend and at Roberta. Drilling up-dip of old stopes found narrow but high-grade intervals. This suggests more testing is needed, the company said. Work at Santa Teresa indicates the vein system remains open along strike and at depth, leaving room for follow-up drilling in the current program. What to watch next is whether follow-up step-outs along Coronado can show continuity and thickness over meaningful distances. Additional results from Roberta and Santa Teresa will indicate how quickly new ounces can be scheduled into the mine plan.

Log in to today's North American session Market wrap for August 19 After the consecutive days of White House invitations of key leaders, Markets start to price in a much higher chance of at least a truce which could be evolving to a longer-standing peace in Eastern Europe. And the pricing in is coming for the right reasons: The White House just announced that Putin accepts to meet Zelenskyy in person. The rest will be to see when and where the meeting will take place. Some compromise will have to be found, but in any case, this is progress towards the resolution of the most deadly conflict in Europe since the World War 2 – with around 500,000 deaths. In other markets, the Spanish Government yields have been rising tremendously since 12:30 PM ET – The particular reasons why are yet to be discovered, but in the meantime, some sources indicate that it may be due to some problem with droughts and wildfires, but yields don't rise just on that. Read More: Silver (XAG) and other metals fall as Markets price-in ease in Ukraine WarCross-Assets Daily Performance Cross-Asset Daily Performance, August 19, 2025 – Source: TradingView The US Dollar and related assets such as US Bonds caught a bid in today's session as the United States and Donald Trump have regained some credibility after the successful meetings with the EU leaders and Putin. This comes at the cost of Tech-related assets and Metals that had performed so well in the past few months. A picture of today's performance for major currencies Currency Performance, August 19 – Source: OANDA Labs Consistent with the mean-reversion from yearly flows seen in Markets today, the JPY is surprisingly the strongest of majors today. The US Dollar is of course a winner as profit-taking continues in other currencies. Let's see if this turns into the beginning of a new trend. You can check our latest article on the US Dollar right here. A look at Economic data releasing in tonight and tomorrow's sessions For all market-moving economic releases and events, see the MarketPulse Economic Calendar. The week really starts now in terms of Economic data after nothing new today (except for the geopolitical news). The evening session is fairly full with Japan's trade data followed by the New Zealand Rate Decision (with a cut highly expected). Tomorrow will also be packed, between the Jackson Hole Symposium starting. In terms of economic data, the overnight data begins at 2:00 A.M. with German PPI and UK Inflation. A few FED Speeches are expected towards the afternoon and the (not-too-market moving) FOMC minutes are releasing at 14:00 P.M. The Jackson Hole Symposium starts tomorrow evening but most of the action is from Thursday to Saturday! Safe Trades! Opinions are the authors'; not necessarily that of OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc. or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. The provided publication is for informational and educational purposes only. If you would like to reproduce or redistribute any of the content found on MarketPulse, an award winning forex, commodities and global indices analysis and news site service produced by OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc., please refer to the MarketPulse Terms of Use. Visit https://www.marketpulse.com/ to find out more about the beat of the global markets. © 2025 OANDA Business Information & Services Inc.

Ontario-based armoured vehicle manufacturer Roshel and Swedish steel producer Swebor announced Tuesday a signed agreement to establish Canada’s first facility dedicated to production of ballistic-grade steel. Ballistic steel is a special type of lightweight, hardened steel that protects against blasts or bullets. The signing took place in Sweden during a visit by Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly, whose aim is to attract investment in tariff-hit sectors and build up the country’s defense industrial base. The deal, Roshel said, will leverage Swedish expertise and Canadian natural resources and production capacity to address a significant production gap in terms of strategic industrial capability, sovereignty, and national defence readiness. The project value is estimated at C$100 million ($72.2 million) and will be executed in several stages, Roshel CEO Roman Shimono told Bloomberg. “We are delighted to be bringing advanced manufacturing in Canada, which will leverage Canadian mined iron ore, and our domestic steel production to produce ballistic steel,” Shimonov said in a news release. “This project goes beyond steel – it is about establishing industrial sovereignty. By bringing ballistic steel production to Canada, we are reducing a critical dependency, protecting our supply chain, and laying the groundwork for long-term resilience in the defence and manufacturing sectors.” By establishing a new segment within the steel manufacturing industry, it will foster long-term employment, support supplier networks, and encourage innovation across related industries, Roshel said. Although other forms of steel manufacturing exist in Canada, this project, will be the first fully dedicated to ballistic-grade production, the company said, adding that it combines advanced technologies and has strategic importance for the national defence industrial base. “This new partnership between Roshel and Swebor to produce ballistic-grade steel showcases Canada’s world-renowned capabilities—from mined iron ore to domestic steel production to advanced manufacturing,” Minister Joly said. “It’s creating good-paying jobs and reinforcing our economic security. At this pivotal moment of global transformation, we’re working hand-in-hand with industry and European partners to build a stronger, more resilient economy,” Joly said.

The South African Krugerrand didn’t just enter the gold market in 1967: it created the modern bullion coin industry. By 1980, this coin commanded 90% of the global gold coin market. Today, the Krugerrand maintains its dominance through unmatched global liquidity and recognition. This article examines the technical specifications, investment advantages, and historical significance that keep the Krugerrand competitive in an increasingly crowded bullion market. What Is a Krugerrand? Before exploring its investment potential, here are the basics of what makes a Krugerrand. For additional insights into the fascinating history of the Krugerrand coin, watch this expert discussion from South African numismatic specialists. Historical Origins South Africa created the Krugerrand in 1967 to solve its very specific problem of marketing the country’s abundant gold reserves to private investors. At the time, South Africa produced 70% of the world’s gold, but private gold ownership was heavily restricted in most countries, and investors had limited options beyond bars and ingots. The solution was ingenious: create a coin with legal tender status that governments couldn’t easily ban, unlike gold bars which were often prohibited for private ownership. The South African government, working with Rand Refinery and the South African Mint, designed the Krugerrand as the world’s first modern bullion coin. It was legal tender that could be easily bought, sold, and transported without the regulatory hurdles facing other gold investments. This timing proved perfect, as countries were abandoning the gold standard, where currencies were backed by gold reserves. This left individual investors seeking new ways to own gold directly rather than through government-backed paper money. Design Significance The Krugerrand’s visual design was carefully planned to represent South African identity while ensuring global recognition. The coin’s name itself combines “Kruger” (honoring Paul Kruger, the former president of the South African Republic from 1883 to 1900) with “rand” (South Africa’s currency unit). Kruger’s portrait on the obverse aims to represent South African heritage and political independence, while the reverse features a pronking springbok, South Africa’s national animal. Image: A black and white historical portrait of Paul Kruger Source: Kapstadt.de The coin’s designer, Coert Steynberg, wasn’t starting from scratch with the springbok – he had already used this imagery on earlier South African coins, including the five shillings and 50 cents pieces. By adapting this familiar national symbol for the bilingual (English and Afrikaans) Krugerrand coin, it gained instant recognition both domestically and internationally. Manufacturing Process The Krugerrand’s manufacturing required several innovative decisions that would influence bullion coin production worldwide. Most importantly, the decision to use 22-karat gold (91.67% pure gold with 8.33% copper) was revolutionary for its time. While pure gold was traditional for bullion, the Krugerrand’s copper alloy made it significantly more durable than pure gold coins, which scratch and dent easily during handling and transport. The copper content also gave the Krugerrand its distinctive orange-reddish hue, making it instantly recognizable. To maintain exactly one troy ounce of pure gold content despite the alloy metals, manufacturers made the total weight slightly higher at 33.93 grams. This approach prioritized practicality without sacrificing the gold content that determines Krugerrand coin value for investors. Global Impact The Krugerrand’s success fundamentally changed the precious metals industry. By 1980, it accounted for 90% of global gold coin sales, proving there was massive demand for accessible gold investment vehicles. This success inspired other nations to create their own bullion coins: Canada’s Gold Maple Leaf (1979), China’s Gold Panda (1982), America’s Gold Eagle (1986), and Britain’s Britannia (1987). Each borrowed elements from the Krugerrand model: legal tender status, fractional sizes, and investor-friendly marketing. The Krugerrand’s pioneering role helped establish the modern bullion coin market, which has continued evolving alongside broader changes in global gold markets over recent decades. Even today, with dozens of competing bullion coins available, the Krugerrand’s first-mover advantage and widespread recognition keep it among the most liquid gold investments worldwide. South African Krugerrand Specifications and Technical Details The Krugerrand’s precise specifications have remained consistent since 1967, ensuring reliability for investors and dealers worldwide. Physical Characteristics The standard one-ounce Krugerrand measures 32.77mm in diameter and 2.84mm thick, with a total weight of 33.93 grams. The coin’s copper content makes it heavier and more durable than pure gold coins, while also creating the distinctive orange-gold color that sets Krugerrands apart from other bullion coins. The edge features 160 fine ridges – called reeded serrations – that help prevent counterfeiting and provide texture for handling. Proof versions have 220 serrations for enhanced detail. The matte finish of the Krugerrand coin helps conceal minor handling marks that would be more visible on highly polished coins. Gold Content Breakdown Each Krugerrand contains exactly one troy ounce (31.1 grams) of pure gold within a 22-karat gold alloy composition of 91.67% gold and 8.33% copper. To accommodate the copper while maintaining the full ounce of pure gold, the total coin weight increases to 33.93 grams. Manufacturing Standards The Krugerrand’s reputation for reliability stems from the South African Mint’s rigorous manufacturing standards, established over decades of precious metals production. The process begins with the Rand Refinery, one of the world’s largest gold refineries, which supplies gold that undergoes extensive purity testing before reaching the mint. During production, the South African Mint implements multiple quality control checkpoints, including precise weight verification and gold content analysis for every batch. This systematic approach ensures each South African Krugerrand meets exact specifications, which is crucial for maintaining investor confidence and global acceptance. Size Variations Beyond the standard one-ounce coin, the gold Krugerrand is available in fractional sizes. The half-ounce weighs 16.97 grams (15.55 grams pure gold), the quarter-ounce weighs 8.48 grams (7.78 grams pure gold), and the tenth-ounce weighs 3.39 grams (3.11 grams pure gold). All fractional sizes maintain the same 22-karat composition and proportional design scaling. Image: A gold Krugerrand coin reverse showing a leaping springbok Source: NGC Understanding Krugerrand Variations Not all Krugerrands are created equal. Understanding the different types helps investors determine Krugerrand gold coin value today and make informed choices. Standard vs. Proof Versions Production Differences Standard bullion Krugerrands are struck once using regular dies in a mass production process focused on efficiency and metal content accuracy. Proof Krugerrands undergo a completely different manufacturing approach: they’re struck multiple times with specially polished dies that create mirror-like surfaces. The proof production process involves polishing both the coin blanks and the dies to achieve a frosted design against a mirror-smooth background, requiring significantly more time and labor per coin. Since 1995, proof Krugerrands have come with original presentation boxes and certificates of authenticity, adding to their premium positioning. Visual Distinctions The most obvious difference between standard and proof versions lies in surface finish. Bullion coins have a standard matte appearance designed for handling and stacking, while proof coins feature highly reflective, mirror-like surfaces with frosted design elements that create a dramatic visual contrast. Another way to distinguish them is by counting edge serrations: bullion Krugerrands have exactly 160 reeded edges, while proof versions have 220 serrations. Image: A 1967 proof Krugerrand in a PCGS graded holder with distinctive mirror-like finish and 220 edge serrations. Source: PCGS Mintage Numbers Proof Krugerrands are produced in strictly limited annual quantities, typically ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands depending on the year and denomination. These small production runs create natural scarcity that appeals to collectors. In contrast, bullion Krugerrand production fluctuates dramatically based on global gold investment demand, with annual mintages ranging from as low as 24,000 in quiet years to over six million during peak demand periods like the late 1970s. This production flexibility means bullion coins from high-mintage years trade closer to gold spot price, while low-mintage years can command slight premiums even among bullion versions. Fractional Krugerrands Introduction Timeline Fractional Krugerrands were introduced in 1980 in three sizes: half-ounce, quarter-ounce, and tenth-ounce denominations. This expansion aimed to make gold ownership accessible to investors who found the full ounce financially challenging. The smallest tenth-ounce size proved especially popular for gift-giving and as an affordable entry point into gold investing. Due to their accessibility, fractional sizes often achieved substantial mintages, with the tenth-ounce frequently recording some of the highest production numbers in given years. All three fractional sizes helped democratize gold ownership during a period when precious metals investing was gaining mainstream appeal. Technical Specifications As mentioned previously, fractional Krugerrands maintain precise proportional weights (the half-ounce at 16.97 grams total, quarter-ounce at 8.48 grams, and tenth-ounce at 3.39 grams), while preserving the exact 22-karat gold-to-copper ratio of the original. This consistency ensures that all sizes share the same durability and distinctive orange hue that makes Krugerrands instantly recognizable. Unlike some coin series where fractional versions compromise on composition, Krugerrands maintain identical characteristics regardless of size, ensuring consistent Krugerrand value today across all denominations. Design Adaptations All fractional sizes feature identical designs to the one-ounce coin, with careful scaling to preserve detail clarity even on the smallest 1/10-ounce version. The South African Mint’s precision scaling techniques ensure that Paul Kruger’s portrait and the springbok design remain sharp and recognizable across all denominations. Krugerrand Investment Potential in 2025 The Krugerrand’s investment appeal in 2025 mainly comes down to proven liquidity advantages versus the practical costs of physical ownership. Advantages Global Liquidity and Recognition The Krugerrand’s 58-year track record has created unmatched worldwide recognition among precious metals dealers. Unlike newer bullion coins that may require verification or face regional acceptance issues, Krugerrands can be bought and sold easily in virtually any gold market globally. This liquidity advantage becomes particularly valuable during economic uncertainty when quick asset conversion may be necessary. Privacy and Regulatory Benefits A key advantage of owning physical Krugerrands is the privacy they provide compared to other gold investment options. Physical Krugerrand purchases below certain thresholds typically don’t trigger government reporting requirements in most jurisdictions, unlike gold ETFs or mining stocks that automatically generate tax documents and paper trails. This allows investors to build gold positions privately without the regulatory paperwork that accompanies many financial instruments. Proven Inflation Protection Historical data shows Krugerrands have successfully preserved purchasing power during inflationary periods. From 1970 to 1980, when U.S. inflation averaged over 7% annually, gold prices rose from $35 to over $800 per ounce – a gain that far outpaced inflation and protected investors’ real wealth. Krugerrands, containing one full ounce of gold, delivered these same protective returns to holders. As a physical investment, the gold Krugerrand provides direct exposure to gold’s inflation-hedging properties without the management fees or tracking errors that can affect gold-based financial products. For more details on why gold serves as an ideal portfolio complement and its performance compared to traditional investments, explore Blanchard’s gold investment insights. Considerations Storage and Security Requirements Physical ownership requires secure storage solutions, whether through safe deposit boxes, home safes, or professional vault services. Insurance and security add ongoing costs that don’t exist with other gold investments like ETFs, making storage planning crucial for larger collections. Market Timing and Premium Cycles Premium levels fluctuate based on global demand, political uncertainty, and supply constraints. Buying during high-premium periods can reduce returns, making market awareness crucial for optimal entry and exit timing. How to Buy and Sell Krugerrands Krugerrands are available through various channels, with established precious metals dealers offering the most reliable combination of authenticity guarantees and competitive pricing. These dealers provide proper documentation and buyback policies, while online auction sites and unverified sellers present higher counterfeit risks. Authentication Essentials Authentic Krugerrands have specific specifications: 33.93 grams weight, 32.77mm diameter, and the correct edge serrations (160 for bullion, 220 for proof). The distinctive orange-gold color from copper alloy should appear consistent throughout. Professional dealers can verify authenticity using precision scales and testing equipment. Image Description: A 1983 Krugerrand on digital scale showing 33.03 grams, demonstrating underweight coin that may indicate wear or authenticity concerns. Source: Reddit Selling Strategy Krugerrands maintain strong global liquidity, making them relatively straightforward to sell when needed. Local coin shops, precious metals dealers, and established online platforms all provide viable selling options. Market timing during periods of high Krugerrand price appreciation or increased uncertainty can help maximize returns. Professional Advantage Blanchard’s decades of experience in precious metals ensures authenticity verification, competitive pricing, and reliable access to both buying and selling markets. With established relationships throughout the industry and comprehensive market knowledge, Blanchard offers investors the confidence that comes from working with a trusted precious metals specialist. Conclusion The Krugerrand’s enduring success stems from practical advantages that remain relevant in 2025: unmatched global liquidity, proven durability through its 22-karat gold composition, and a 58-year track record of market acceptance. Its distinctive design featuring Paul Kruger and the springbok, combined with specific technical specifications like weight and edge serrations, makes authentication straightforward for investors. For modern portfolios, Krugerrands offer direct gold exposure without the complexities of ETFs or mining stocks, while maintaining the privacy and inflation protection that physical precious metals provide. Whether in standard one-ounce or fractional sizes, Krugerrands continue to represent one of the most liquid and widely recognized gold investments available. Explore Blanchard’s selection of authentic Krugerrands and other world gold coins and discover how these iconic coins can strengthen your precious metals portfolio. FAQs 1. How much is a Krugerrand worth today? Krugerrand value fluctuates daily based on gold spot prices plus a small premium for the coin itself. You can track current gold spot prices to understand the base value of your Krugerrand’s gold content. For the most accurate pricing, contact Blanchard directly. 2. How much does a Krugerrand weigh? A standard one-ounce Krugerrand weighs exactly 33.93 grams total, containing 31.1 grams of pure gold. The additional weight comes from copper alloy that makes the coin more durable. Fractional sizes maintain proportional weights: half-ounce at 16.97 grams, quarter-ounce at 8.48 grams, and tenth-ounce at 3.39 grams. Verifying these precise weights helps confirm authenticity. 3. What factors affect Krugerrand value? Krugerrand values are primarily driven by gold spot prices, which fluctuate based on economic conditions, inflation expectations, and global demand. Additional factors include the coin’s condition, size, whether it’s bullion or proof, and current market premiums. Rarer years or special editions may command higher premiums, while standard bullion versions typically trade closest to gold content value. The post Krugerrand: Why This Coin Still Matters in 2025 appeared first on Blanchard and Company.

In a groundbreaking move, BTCS has unveiled plans to distribute the world’s first blockchain dividend to its investors and pay out shareholders with Ethereum. By delivering shareholder rewards directly on-chain, the company is signaling a future where blockchain-native payouts could become the norm across the global financial sector. The Long-Term Signal For Institutional Crypto Adoption Nasdaq-listed BTCS Inc. has announced a landmark move in traditional finance and crypto integration to become the first publicly traded company in the world to issue dividends in Ethereum. According to the announcement on X, the company revealed that it will pay shareholders a one-time blockchain dividend or “Bividend” of $0.05 per share in ETH, breaking away from the traditional cash dividend model and signaling its deep commitment to blockchain adoption. BTCS is going further to reward loyalty and empower long-term holders, offering a one-time $0.35 per share ETH loyalty payment. Eligible shareholders who transfer their shares to book-entry form with the company’s transfer agent and hold them through January 26, 2026, will unlock this additional benefit. Combined, the bividend and loyalty shareholders could receive $0.40 per share in ETH, which is significantly designed as a reward and structural defense against short-selling. “These payments are designed to reward our long-term shareholders and empower them to take control of their investment by reducing the ability of their shares to be lent to predatory short-sellers,” BTCS stated. BTCS Inc. is excited to make history in the financial landscape with this key strategic move. The company frames this move as more than just a dividend, but also a statement of trust, loyalty, and shared vision for BTCS’s future. Bitmine Ethereum Hoard Signals Long-Term Institutional Confidence While BTCS Inc. is becoming the first publicly traded company in the world to issue a dividend in ETH, Bitmine Immersion Technologies (BMNR), a leading treasury company, has cemented its place in history to become the largest ETH treasury holder in the world and the second-largest crypto treasury globally. Marty Chargin, a market expert on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), highlighted that the treasury company disclosed that its crypto holdings now exceed $6.612 billion, led by a staggering 1,523,373 ETH, which is valued at $4,326 ETH each. According to Bloomberg data, BMNR also holds 192 Bitcoin in addition to its ETH stack, signaling a diversified strategy. The firm’s crypto strategy is substantial, with ETH being the company’s core bet. This positions BMNR Bitmine directly behind Michael Saylor’s Strategy (MSTR), which holds an industry-defining 628,946 BTC valued at $74 billion.

Bitcoin’s next major leg higher may depend less on halving lore and more on personnel politics in Washington. In an August 18 market note on X, economist and crypto analyst Alex Krüger argued that the cycle’s duration will be set by the Federal Reserve’s leadership change—specifically, who President Trump nominates to replace Jerome Powell—rather than by any fixed four-year pattern. “I have a high degree of confidence this cycle is not over because I am expecting changes in the Fed to bring on considerably more dovish monetary policy, which is not priced in at the moment; this would start to get priced in once Trump announces his nominee to replace Powell,” Krüger wrote. Bitcoin Bull Run Depends On New Fed Chair Krüger dismissed worries that a pullback from record highs marks the top, calling it “remarkable how every time you get a correction from new highs so many people start to fret about the cycle top. Over and over again.” He reiterated his longstanding critique of the halving-cycle orthodoxy: “The concept of a 4 year cycle in 2025 is misplaced; [it] died two cycles ago, and 2021 was a coincidence, as it was macro driven.” In his view, the last cycle ended because the Fed turned “ultra-hawkish in January 2022,” not because of any endogenous Bitcoin dynamic. The nomination clock is visible. Powell’s current four-year term as chair ends on May 15, 2026, and reporting over the past two weeks indicates the White House has narrowed a shortlist to “three or four” names, with an announcement potentially coming sooner than expected. Candidates floated in mainstream coverage include former Fed governor Kevin Warsh and NEC Director Kevin Hassett among others, underscoring the market’s focus on how dovish—or not—the next chair might be. In the nearer term, the policy calendar still drives the tape. Powell’s final Jackson Hole appearance, scheduled during the Aug. 21–23 symposium, is widely framed as a tone-setting moment before the September FOMC. Consensus coverage flags the risk that Powell leans hawkish to preserve optionality, even as rates markets handicap a cut next month; Krüger leans “slightly bearish into it as a hawkish speech (to reduce the odds of a September cut) makes sense, for the Fed to retain optionality and not let the market push itself into a corner.” Technically, Bitcoin has cooled after printing fresh all-time highs in mid-July and again last week. Traders are watching the previous $112,000 high as initial downside cushion, with the psychologically critical $100,000 level, the overhead reference remains the $122,000–$124,000 zone of recent peaks. Krüger also highlights that “BTC is having a very hard time going up sans leverage without triggers,” a point echoed by derivatives signals showing compressed risk appetite. Derivatives and volatility gauges corroborate the “low-vol, slow ascent” regime he describes. Implied volatility on BTC options (DVOL/BVIV) has sat near two-year lows, and open interest on institutional venues remains off July highs, signaling a more measured stance from levered players into Jackson Hole. Krüger also observed that futures basis had eased alongside the pullback—a classic sign of froth leaking out—while options markets show a renewed bid for downside protection on dips. The macro through-line is straightforward: if the Fed chair nomination tilts dovish, markets will begin discounting a looser stance well before the first policy move, extending the cycle; if the candidate (and subsequent guidance) skews restrictive, the liquidity impulse that powered Bitcoin’s post-ETF advance will fade at the margin. For now, the immediate catalysts are stacked—Powell at Jackson Hole, followed by PCE, NFP, CPI and PPI into September’s FOMC—while price trades between well-defined levels with volatility suppressed. As Krüger put it, bull markets “don’t end because of valuations or over-extension; the end needs a major trigger.” In 2025, that trigger may well be a name. At press time, BTC traded at $115,683.

Precious metals are having a rough day – As a matter of fact, most of the outperforming asset classes since April or even beginning 2025 are seeing strong profit-taking flows. The dynamics of this year were evolving on outflows from the US Dollar into a fast-evolving Tech-sector and everything linked to it, comprising Cryptocurrencies (which also promise to offer an edge against fiat, US Dollar influences). Another one of the themes was a de-globalization trend, with participants betting heavily on precious metals to bypass a more divided global trade. This had led to a great performance of Gold, also dragging other metals higher like Platinum and the subject of today's analysis: Silver. A look at the daily performance in Metals, August 19, 2025 – Source: TradingView Metals are down about 1% on average in today's session, with Gold holding a bit better than the others (still down around 0.40%). Read More: The US Dollar (DXY) pauses at 98.00 as markets await clarity – What's next? Silver Daily Chart Silver Daily Chart, August 19, 2025 – Source: TradingView Silver is evolving in an upward channel since mid-2024 as Markets started to account for the gradual pricing of interest rate cuts around global central banks. Inflation calmed and with rate projections going down, the conditions for a rally led by Gold were ideal. Particularly in a world where Participants start to look for edges, metals had found what they needed to rise, with Silver then evolving in a strong rising channel taking it to 13 year highs. But looking at where we are right now, it seems that profit-taking is happening around the highs of that channel after some spikes. A few weeks of lack of concrete upward progress with upgrading US reputation and lesser tensions lead to some natural correction in prices – Silver is currently down 1.86% on the session and forming a Head and Shoulders. If it had to materialize, a measured move target would take the metal to its 200-Day moving average between $32 to $32.5. This is of course a bit far compared to where we are right now, but looking at higher timeframes allows to give out projections (which can always go very different). However, still take a look at reactions to the 50-Day MA (yellow line) acting as immediate support (37.30) Silver 4H Chart Silver 4H Chart, August 19, 2025 – Source: TradingView Silver caught a stray in today's trading, looking at the past 4H red bar closing at its lows. Arriving at the key 37.50 Pivot Zone, Markets are now showing an indecision doji as prices become oversold on the current timeframe. It will now be key to spot if sellers have enough strength to push prices below. The Pivot will be highly key to the upcoming price action. Levels to watch for Silver (XAG) trading: Resistance Levels: 4H MA 50 acting as immediate resistance ($38.06)Resistance $38 to $38.502025 High resistance between $39 to $39.502025 Highs 39.50Support Levels: Low of Pivot Zone and 50-Day MA, Immediate support (daily lows $37.20)Support 36.20 to $36.70Support 2 35.40 to 35.75Silver 1H Chart Silver 1H Chart, August 19, 2025 – Source: TradingView Looking even closer shows another smaller Head And Shoulders pattern (Mini H&S on the chart), with the target showing it to go towards the Support 1 Zone. The 1H RSI is way into oversold territory however, so it would be curious to see what Market players do from here – Consolidation has the highest technical probability from what I see. Some key global PMI data is expected to release, therefore price action may just consolidate in the meantime. Safe Trades! Opinions are the authors'; not necessarily that of OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc. or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. The provided publication is for informational and educational purposes only. If you would like to reproduce or redistribute any of the content found on MarketPulse, an award winning forex, commodities and global indices analysis and news site service produced by OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc., please refer to the MarketPulse Terms of Use. Visit https://www.marketpulse.com/ to find out more about the beat of the global markets. © 2025 OANDA Business Information & Services Inc.

Justin Bons, the founder and CIO of Cyber Capital, has issued a stark warning about Bitcoin’s (BTC) future, predicting that the world’s largest cryptocurrency could collapse in the coming years. The crypto founder has cited Bitcoin’s declining security model and shrinking block rewards as some of the indicators of this seemingly inevitable crash. Bitcoin Forecasted To Collapse Within 7-11 Years This week, the crypto community was shaken by a striking prediction from Bons, who warned that Bitcoin could face a catastrophic collapse within the next decade. According to an X social media post released by the Cyber Capital founder, the foundations of Bitcoin’s security model are fundamentally broken, and the decline of mining revenue will eventually leave the network increasingly vulnerable to attacks. Bons projected that Bitcoin’s downfall could occur precisely between 7 and 11 years, when the block rewards diminish to levels that can no longer sustain miner incentives. His reasoning is rooted in the economics of the Bitcoin protocol, which relies on a declining block subsidy over time. By 11 years from now, the reward is expected to fall to just 0.39 BTC per block, translating to roughly $2.3 billion annually at current prices. This figure, the crypto founder argues, is nowhere near enough to protect Bitcoin’s multi-trillion-dollar market capitalization. Bons also shared two charts to reinforce his claims. The first shows mining revenue in sharp decline relative to previous years, demonstrating Bitcoin’s reliance on subsidy rather than transaction fees. The second chart reveals how the annual security budget as a percentage of market cap has fallen consistently over the years, shrinking from over 8% in 2015 to barely above 1% in 2025. The Cyber Capital CIO also pointed out that while other chains like Ethereum have successfully transitioned toward greater fee-based security, Bitcoin has failed to adapt, leaving its miners increasingly dependent on dwindling rewards. According to his post, the consequences of this are dire. As mining becomes unprofitable, he predicts that the network’s security could simultaneously decline, opening the door to censorship, 51% attacks, and eventual chain splits. If core developers respond by raising the supply cap beyond 21 million, Bons forecasts that this could fracture the community and destroy Bitcoin’s narrative of digital scarcity. He warned that relying on a system that demands perpetual price doubling to maintain its security forever is nothing short of “madness.” Community Pushes Back Against BTC Crash Claims Unsurprisingly, Bon’s foreboding forecast has sparked intense debate and contrasting views throughout the crypto community. Many members pushed back, acknowledging the concerns about a shrinking security budget but challenging the inevitability of a Bitcoin collapse. Some argued that BTC has historically adapted to challenges and that transaction fees, along with scaling solutions, could still provide sustainable long-term security. Others suggested alternative mechanisms, such as MEV capture, sidechain fees, or even institutional miners operating at a loss to keep the network alive. One community member raised the possibility of emergency measures like tail emissions or block size increases, citing Monero’s ongoing debate about similar solutions. Bons conceded that a tail emission might keep the chain alive but insisted it would come at the cost of Bitcoin’s core value proposition, which is fixed scarcity. In his view, such a compromise would leave BTC unable to compete against more adaptive blockchains.

Tudor Gold (TSXV: TUD) has applied for a permit for the underground exploration of the Treaty Creek gold-copper project in northwest British Columbia. The application was made with the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. The company plans to develop a ramp to access the high-grade SC-1 zone and others. The ramp will speed up underground definition drilling by providing year-round access. The SC-1 gold zone was first identified by Tudor in early 2024 based on 2022 and 2023 drilling with the discovery hole (GS-22-134) intersecting 25.5 meters grading 9.66 g/t gold, 1.23 g/t silver and 0.24% copper. Tudor holds a 60% interest in the Treaty Creek project, located 75 km north of Stewart, BC. The property borders the KSM copper-gold-molybdenum project wholly owned by Seabridge Gold (TSX:SEA.TO; NYSE: SA) to the southwest and the Brucejack gold mine that began production in 2023 and is owned by Newmont (TSX:NGT.TO; NYSE:NEM). The past-producing Eskay Creek gold mine lies 12 km to the west. Treaty Creek indicated resource contains 27.9 million oz. of gold equivalent in 730.2 million tonnes. It grades 0.92 g/t gold, 5.48 g/t silver and 0.18% copper. The inferred resource contains 6.03 million oz. of gold equivalent in 149.6 million tonnes. The grade is 1.01 g/t gold, 6.02 g/t silver and 0.15% copper. The resources include both open pit and underground material. They were estimated using a base case above 0.7 g/t gold equivalent for the pit and 0.75 g/t gold equivalent for underground mineralization. Definition drilling within the current resource will test the 300 horizon, the CS-600 and the DS-5 domains within the Goldstorm deposit to upgrade resources to the measured and indicated category. Tudor considers the Eureka, Calm Before the Storm (CBS) and Perfect Storm zones to be early-stage to advanced-stage exploration targets.

SUI is showing signs of strength as it defends the $3.50–$3.60 support zone, carving out a rounded bottom formation. With bullish momentum slowly building, the altcoin eyes a potential 13% breakout toward $4.60 if the setup holds. SUI Holds Firm At $3.60: Signs Of Early Recovery Emerge According to a recent X post, analyst Gemxbt shared his perspective on SUI’s 1-hour chart, pointing to signs of a potential recovery after the market found footing at the $3.60 support level. According to Gemxbt, the price has managed to stabilize, currently consolidating around $3.64, which suggests that buyers are beginning to show interest after the recent dip. Gemxbt further highlighted the moving averages, noting that the 5MA has crossed above the 10MA, a signal often associated with the early stages of bullish momentum. Adding to the technical picture, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has settled around the neutral 50 zone, reflecting a balance between buying and selling pressure. This signals that the market has yet to tilt decisively in favor of the bulls or bears, leaving room for volatility as traders wait for direction. Finally, he noted that the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) had recently shown a bullish crossover, another encouraging sign of upward momentum. However, he cautioned that volume remains low, which makes it premature to call this a confirmed trend reversal. For now, the setup looks constructive, but further confirmation is needed before declaring that a stronger rally is underway. Rounded Bottom Formation Strengthens At $3.50–$3.55 Zone In his recent 4-hour chart analysis posted on X, Ascend.sui drew attention to SUI’s current price structure, noting that the token is shaping a rounded bottom around the $3.50–$3.55 zone. This level has historically acted as a strong demand area, making it a critical foundation for any bullish momentum to build from. He explained that if this base continues to hold, it could serve as the launchpad for a significant upside move. Based on his projections, a recovery of more than 13% is possible, bringing its price near the $4.60 mark by late August, roughly within the next six days. Ascend.sui also emphasized the strength of the bullish setup, describing it as a “stealthy formation” that could catch traders off guard. Still, he cautioned that confirmation is key. For the pattern to fully validate, SUI would need to reclaim the $3.70 level with conviction. Once that level is cleared, the breakout thesis gains stronger credibility, opening the path toward higher price targets.

Anglo American Plc’s (LON: AAL) efforts to streamline its business have hit a major roadblock after Peabody Energy Corp. (NYSE: BTU) scrapped a $3.8 billion deal to acquire its Australian steelmaking coal assets. The deal collapsed after a fire at Anglo’s Moranbah North mine in Queensland, which Peabody argued constituted a “material adverse change” (MAC), a contractual clause that allowed it to withdraw. Anglo strongly disputes that interpretation and said Tuesday it will initiate arbitration to claim damages for wrongful termination. The blaze, triggered by high gas levels in April, halted operations at Moranbah North, one of the most valuable mines included in the package. Peabody maintains that the incident had long-term material impacts and attempted to renegotiate terms. When talks failed, the company pulled out, also canceling plans to on-sell one of Anglo’s mines to an Indonesian buyer. Anglo countered that there was no lasting damage to equipment or infrastructure, and that progress was being made toward restarting the mine. Chief Executive Duncan Wanblad said he was “very disappointed” by Peabody’s decision but stressed that other bidders had shown strong interest in the assets during the sales process. Setback for Anglo’s restructuring plan The withdrawal is a blow to Anglo’s broader restructuring, which aims to simplify the company and sharpen its focus on copper and iron ore. In recent months, the miner has already spun off its platinum group metals unit and is actively seeking a buyer for its struggling De Beers diamond division. The coking coal sale was supposed to be the most straightforward part of Anglo’s divestment strategy. Investors had seen the deal as a milestone, both in bringing in cash and demonstrating momentum after Anglo rejected a $49 billion takeover bid from BHP Group last year. Instead, Anglo will now face a lengthy arbitration process, with analysts suggesting a resolution may not come until 2026. In the meantime, the company will need to restart the sales process against a backdrop of weaker coal prices than when the original deal was struck. For St. Louis–based Peabody, the acquisition was meant to boost its exposure to metallurgical coal, which is vital for steelmaking. Still, analysts had flagged the valuation as aggressive, with the $3.8 billion price tag nearly double Peabody’s own market capitalization at the time of signing. “Each side is confident in its own position from a legal perspective,” Jefferies analysts said this month, noting that a protracted arbitration could weigh on both companies’ share prices. Market reaction Shares of Peabody initially jumped more than 6% in premarket U.S. trading before reversing to -2.8% by mid-morning in New York. Anglo’s stock traded up 1.8% in London after the announcement, though still below earlier levels. Wanblad reiterated Anglo’s confidence that a new buyer could be found, but any replacement deal would likely stretch into next year and face tougher market conditions. (With files from Reuters and Bloomberg)

First Quantum Minerals Ltd. has commissioned a long-awaited $1.25 billion expansion at its Kansanshi copper mine in Zambia, delivering the country’s largest copper investment in nearly a decade at a pivotal time for both the miner and the host nation. The S3 project, first proposed in 2012, includes a new processing plant that nearly doubles Kansanshi’s ore-milling capacity, expands smelter throughput by about 25%, and develops a new open pit. Commissioning of the expansion begins Tuesday, three years after securing board approval, as reported by Bloomberg. Once Africa’s biggest copper mine, Kansanshi is set to produce an average 250,000 tonnes of copper annually through 2044, up from 171,000 tonnes in 2024. The expansion will bolster Zambia’s mining industry as President Hakainde Hichilema seeks to more than triple national copper output by the early 2030s. Strategic lifeline after Panama setback For First Quantum, the Zambian expansion provides much-needed production growth following 2023’s closure of the $10 billion Cobre Panamá mine, which had been the Canadian miner’s flagship operation. The shutdown, ordered by Panama’s Supreme Court, has cost the company roughly $20 million per month in care and maintenance expenses. With Cobre Panamá offline, Zambia now accounts for more than 90% of First Quantum’s output through Kansanshi and its nearby Sentinel mine. Together, these operations contribute more than half of Zambia’s total copper production, reinforcing the country’s reliance on the red metal for over 70% of export earnings. First Quantum adds $714M to debt To stabilize its balance sheet, First Quantum has raised $714 million through an upsized bond offering, pricing senior notes due 2029 at 8.625%. The financing, which exceeded the initially planned $650 million, will be used for debt repayment and general corporate purposes, bringing the company’s outstanding notes to about $7.8 billion. This follows a $1 billion gold stream deal with Royal Gold earlier this month, monetizing Kansanshi’s by-product gold output while preserving its copper focus. The company said its priority is maintaining financial flexibility across its portfolio as it navigates political and regulatory challenges, particularly in Panama. Despite global headwinds, First Quantum’s Zambian mines remain profitable. Kansanshi produced 171,000 tonnes of copper and 105,103 ounces of gold in 2024, marking its highest gold output since 2022. Sentinel added another 231,000 tonnes of copper, bringing consolidated production to 431,000 tonnes. In the fourth quarter alone, Kansanshi delivered 48,000 tonnes of copper and nearly 30,000 ounces of gold, reinforcing its role as the cornerstone of the company’s African portfolio. Competitive landscape First Quantum’s investment comes as competitors also bet on Zambia’s copper future. Barrick Gold Corp. is investing $2 billion to expand its Lumwana copper mine, also in the mineral-rich North-Western Province.

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) quietly amassed more than 3% of all Bitcoin in existence. If this isn’t enough proof of the increase in institutional demand for BTC, corporate heavyweights Strategy and Metaplanet added more BTC ▲0.18% to their treasuries amid sharp price swings. As of 15 August 2025, BlackRock holds over 740,000 BTC through IBIT – 3.72% of Bitcoin’s total supply. This makes BlackRock one of the largest single pools of Bitcoin exposure globally, second only to Satoshi Nakamoto’s estimated 1:1 million BTC. Let’s talk about competitors. Fidelity’s FBTC and Grayscale’s GBTC are at $24.7 billion and $22.18 billion respectively. Meanwhile, BlackRock’s IBIT stands steady at $80 billion. Meanwhile, BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) is in focus. The ETF which launched in July 2024 has already surpassed $10 billion in AUM. During the recent highs, BlackRock increased its exposure to Ethereum by $500 million. BlackRock recently disposed 490 BTC worth $68.7 million and increased its Ethereum position by 17%. Can BlackRock’s BTC-to-ETH tilt be a reflection of the changes in the institutional approach to crypto? DISCOVER: 9+ Best High-Risk, High-Reward Crypto to Buy in August 2025 Key Takeaways BlackRock recently disposed 490 BTC worth $68.7 million and increased its Ethereum position by 17%. BlackRock’s over 3% stake via IBIT is a powerful statement. BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF launched in early 2024 and rapidly scaled, reflecting strong demand for a regulated, low‑friction BTC vehicle among wealth platforms and treasury allocators. The post BlackRock’s Bitcoin Stash Hits 3.7% of Total Supply: Continues Adding Ethereum appeared first on 99Bitcoins.

GBPUSD is holding around the 1.3500 handle ahead of key UK inflation data due out tomorrow. Cable has traded in a 50-pip range today, between lows around the 1.3480 handle and a daily high thus far of around 1.3530. The British Pound may well be gaining support ahead of the UK CPI release tomorrow where many are expecting an uptick in inflation. UK CPI to Come in Hot? Traders are keeping an eye on UK inflation data coming out tomorrow. Even though household energy bills have dropped, July's inflation (CPI) is expected to rise slightly due to higher food prices. Service inflation might also increase a bit, partly because hotel prices went up temporarily during Oasis concerts. This makes the inflation figure harder to predict, and the Bank of England is likely to view it cautiously. Experts expect it to rise to 3.7% YoY, marking the third month in a row of increasing inflation. However, if inflation rises more than expected, it could lead to hawkish repricing of a potential rate cut in November which could provide sterling with a boost and see GBP/USD rise even further. For all market-moving economic releases and events, see the MarketPulse Economic Calendar. (click to enlarge) FOMC Minutes and Jackson Hole to Drive the US Dollar Looking at the US Dollar, a brief rally yesterday has stalled and leaves the US Dollar index vulnerable to further downside. The FOMC meeting tomorrow is unlikely to have a massive impact on the US dollar but might give more insights into Federal Reserve policymakers thoughts heading toward the September meeting. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested the Fed might cut rates by 0.5% at the next meeting. However, strong consumer spending and higher inflation pressures make most Federal Reserve members hesitant to support such a big move in September without solid evidence. Markets will wait to hear more from Jerome Powell at Jackson Hole this coming weekend. Powell has a tough decision ahead. Financial markets are fully expecting a rate cut in September. Will he challenge that expectation? The Fed prefers to stay flexible, especially with another jobs and an inflation report coming soon. But signaling flexibility now would mean guessing the data, which Powell likely wants to avoid. Plus, even if he wanted to, it might be hard to change the market's belief in a September cut. The bigger debate among investors seems to be about what happens after September. For now though, the fundamentals do support further GBP strength. A catalyst may be needed to kick the pair back into gear and time will tell if this week will deliver such an event. Technical Analysis - GBP/USD GBP/USD failed to break the swing high at 1.3584 during its v-shaped recovery from August 1 lows. Since then though the pair has edged its way lower toward the 1.3500 handle. At present the pair is looking like it may finally break below the psychological level but faces significant support to the downside not to mention the fundamental factors in play as well. The period 14-RSI is approaching the 50 level with a break or bounce of the neutral level signalling momentum and could lead to more volatility and clarity moving forward. For now the choppiness is likely to continue heading into the inflation print tomorrow. The question is will the inflation release lead to a sustained move in either direction? Immediate support rests at the 1.3378 handle before the 1.32500 handle comes into focus. A move higher from here faces resistance at 1.3584 before the 1.3680 and 1.3788 handles become areas of interest. GBP/USD Daily Chart, August 14, 2025 Source:TradingView.com Client Sentiment Data - Mixed Looking at OANDA client sentiment data and market participants are Short on GBP/USD with 52% of traders net-short. I prefer to take a contrarian view toward crowd sentiment, however the figure shows the indecision currently in Cable. Hopefully the data this week can provide a shot in the arm for the pair. Follow Zain on Twitter/X for Additional Market News and Insights @zvawda Opinions are the authors'; not necessarily that of OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc. or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. The provided publication is for informational and educational purposes only. If you would like to reproduce or redistribute any of the content found on MarketPulse, an award winning forex, commodities and global indices analysis and news site service produced by OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc., please refer to the MarketPulse Terms of Use. Visit https://www.marketpulse.com/ to find out more about the beat of the global markets. © 2025 OANDA Business Information & Services Inc.

XRP has just dropped below $3, but the market may not be as bearish as it looks. The price fell into the 0.382 Fibonacci retracement level at $2.96, a significant support zone. The wick to $2.94, which matched the 0.618 subwave target, quickly reversed and reclaimed $2.96. This fast recovery is classic behavior often seen when a market finds its bottom. According to market analyst Casi Trades, the current setup could open the door for XRP to stabilize and possibly aim for higher targets, with levels like $4.80 already on the radar. XRP Holds Strong At $2.96 Support XRP’s latest price action delivered exactly what technical analysts were waiting for. Adding even more weight to the case for a bottom is the Relative Strength Index (RSI). The RSI printed bullish divergence on both the 15-minute and the 1-hour charts. While prices were falling, the RSI showed higher lows, signaling momentum was shifting in favor of buyers. Combined with the clear 5-wave downward move on the chart, Casi Trades believes this confirms that XRP has completed its correction phase. Related Reading: Dogecoin Eyes 1,000% Increase To Reach $2.55 ATH This Cycle The analyst explained that the drop into $2.96, followed by an immediate bounce, shows that the market “was hunting for a bottom, and XRP delivered.” The combination of Fibonacci levels, divergence signals, and clean wave structure makes this support zone one of the most important in the current cycle. Bullish Outlook And Upside Targets Now that XRP has hit and held the $2.96 support, traders focus on the next phase. Casi Trades noted that XRP may linger around this level or retest it again, but its holding is already a positive sign. The market analyst expects large-cap cryptocurrencies, including XRP, to lead the next wave of gains. With support confirmed, attention is now shifting to upside targets. The most critical one mentioned is $4.80, but the analyst believes the momentum could carry XRP even higher if conditions remain favorable. This bullish outlook is fueled not just by XRP’s chart but also by broader market conditions. Large caps tend to move together when sentiment improves, and XRP holding its ground at $2.96 is a signal of strength. “From these support lows across the market, I expect things to turn exciting and bullish,” Casi Trades commented. If the impulsive upside resumes, XRP’s recovery from this support zone could mark the beginning of a strong upward leg. For now, all eyes remain on the $2.96 level. As long as XRP holds above it, the case for a bullish rally stays strong. The market setup points to higher prices, whether it takes off immediately or after a brief consolidation. With the potential for a run toward $4.80 and beyond, XRP’s sharp drop may have just set the stage for its next big move.

Drilling by Intrepid Metals (TSXV: INTR) in the Earp zone at its Corral copper project in southeast Arizona has returned highlights of 16.3 metres grading 1.68% copper and 0.67 gram gold per tonne. Shares rose. That result, from 15 metres depth in hole CC25_036, included 8.3 grams silver and was part of a larger intercept of 42.5 metres at 0.96% copper, 0.28 gram gold and 5.1 grams silver, the company reported Tuesday. Another highlight, hole CC25_035, returned 65.4 metres at 0.25% copper, 0.07 gram gold and 2.4 grams silver from 18.5 metres depth, including 18.9 metres grading 0.46% copper, 0.12 gram gold and 2.9 grams silver. Corral is about 350 km southeast of Phoenix. “The first drill results of 2025 from the Holliday and Earp zones continue to deliver strong outcomes, building on the momentum from last year,” Intrepid CEO Ken Engquist said in a release. “Positioned northwest of Ringo, these results help define the true size of the corridor, filling in key gaps along the 3.5-kilometre trend and reinforcing our confidence in the scale and potential of this mineralized system.” Historic copper hub The pre-resource, advanced exploration Corral project sits in a district where copper mining dates back to the late 1800s. More than 50,000 metres of historical drilling has been conducted in its mining district and Corral lies about 30 km from the former Bisbee copper camp, where mining produced more than 3 million tonnes of copper until the 1970s. It’s also near the former, bustling mining town of Tombstone. Intrepid shares gained 2% to C$0.51 apiece on Tuesday morning in Toronto, for a market capitalization of about C$40 million. The stock has traded in a 12-month range of C$0.33 to C$0.65. Holliday hits Other significant intersections reported Tuesday, in the Holliday zone, include hole CC25_033 that cut 44.5 metres grading 0.74% copper, 0.2 gram gold and 35 grams silver from 153 metres depth, including 21.6 metres at 1.47% copper, 0.36 gram gold and 64.6 grams silver. In addition, hole CC25_032 returned 97.8 metres at 0.21% copper, 0.26 gram gold and 5.8 grams silver from 3.1 metres depth, including 48.2 metres grading 0.34% copper, 0.32 gram gold and 6.7 grams silver. The highlight holes are among 14 drilled at the Ringo, Holliday and Earp zones as part of a second-stage 5,000-metre program that started in April. A total of 3,696 metres have been drilled so far this year. The company drilled 5,000 metres at Corral in a first-stage program last year.

According to CoinShares’ latest Digital Asset Fund Flows Weekly Report, inflows into crypto-products were $3.75 billion last week, the fourth-largest on record. Unsurprisingly, Ethereum was the standout after attracting the majority of capital with record-breaking inflows. Solana and XRP also experienced impressive demand, resulting in both cryptocurrencies receiving inflows exceeding 10% of the year-to-date total flows. Ethereum’s Record-Breaking Numbers Ethereum witnessed the most activity last week since the 2021 bull run that took many crypto investors by surprise. In terms of crypto-based products, Ethereum managed to displace Bitcoin’s supremacy last week by leading with $2.87 billion in inflows, representing 77% of the total $3.75 billion. This performance brought its year-to-date inflows to $11.094 billion, which is about 29% of total Ethereum assets under management. The intensity of institutional demand had an immediate impact on Ethereum’s market price action. Notably, the Ethereum price surged to $4,776 last week, its highest level since the 2021 bull market. In terms of geographical location, most of the inflows came from the United States, with $3.725 billion in inflows, more than 99% of the total. This concentration was mostly by iShares ETFs. Smaller but meaningful contributions came from Canada with $33.7 million, Hong Kong with $20.9 million, and Australia with $12.1 million. On the other hand, Brazil and Sweden posted outflows of $10.6 million and $49.9 million, respectively. Although Bitcoin also managed to push to a new all-time price high of $124,128 last week, the leading cryptocurrency took a step back in institutional inflows. Bitcoin brought in $552 million last week. Although its year-to-date inflows are larger in absolute terms at $21.08 billion, they represent only 11.6% of its total assets under management (AuM), compared to Ethereum’s 29%. XRP And Solana Join The Party Although Ethereum captured most of the inflows, both Solana and XRP also attracted notable inflows that show the altcoins are gaining strength among institutional investors, despite the absence of spot crypto ETFs for these assets in the US market. Solana-based products recorded $176.5 million, bringing its monthly flows to $199.2 million and its year-to-date figure to $1.05 billion. Effectively, this means that Solana-based products witnessed 89% of their total monthly inflow and 16.8% of their year-to-date inflow last week. XRP witnessed about $125.9 million worth of inflows last week, boosting its monthly total to $148.1 million and its 2025 total to $1.238 billion. As such, XRP-based products also witnessed 85% of their total monthly inflow and 10% of their year-to-date inflow last week. Sui, Cardano, Chainlink, and Short Bitcoin products also witnessed $11.3, $0.8 million, $1.2 million, and $4 million in inflows, respectively, last week. The only major exception was Litecoin, which diverged from the broader trend and recorded net outflows of $400,000.

Analysts at UBS have lifted their gold price targets for next year in anticipation of higher safe-haven demand from persistent US macroeconomic risks and de-dollarization trends. During the March quarter, the Swiss bank now sees gold averaging $3,600 an ounce — $100 higher than its previous forecast for the period as well as its current forecast for year-end 2025. For June and September 2026, gold prices are expected to rise even further, averaging $3,700 an ounce for both periods. UBS says the revised gold forecasts reflect its expectations of robust demand from exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and central banks, coupled with a global shift towards bullion as the preferred reserve asset to the US dollar. “We see US macro-related risks, questions over Fed independence, worries about fiscal sustainability, and geopolitics underpinning de-dollarization trends and more central bank buying,” UBS analysts wrote in a note. “In our view, these factors will drive gold prices even higher.” The same factors have driven gold to unprecedented levels this year, including a record high of $3,500 in April, as demand for the safe-haven metal spiked during the ongoing global trade war. Central banks, in particular, have continued to accumulate gold and are tracking towards another year of 1,000 tonnes in purchases despite rising prices, which have increased nearly 28% to date. Click on chart for live prices. “Central bank purchases should stay strong, albeit slightly below last year’s near-record purchases. We, therefore, now forecast global gold demand to increase by 3% to 4,760 million tonnes in 2025, which would mark the highest level since 2011,” UBS says. This increase, the bank adds, would reinforce gold’s position as a leading asset in 2025. Earlier this month, Citi raised its short-term outlook on gold, with a target price of between $3,300 and $3,600 an ounce over the next three months on tariff-related inflation concerns.

There is ongoing profit-taking after very decent earnings for Tech companies, but the Dow Jones is opening strong. Very extended levels for the Nasdaq that had been making consistent new all-time highs in the past few months is leading to some selling in the Index. With the Nasdaq to Dow Jones ratio (mentioned in a US Index analysis in July) hanging around 2, there is some mean reversion flows buying the Dow Jones and selling the Nasdaq in the waiting of further geopolitical and rate outlook clarity. US Indices performance, August 19, 2025 – Source: TradingView Spot how the Nasdaq opened lower while the Dow is up. This rebalancing is still running. Read More: The US Dollar (DXY) pauses at 98.00 as markets await clarity – What's next?A look at the Dow Jones to Nasdaq ratio Dow Jones vs Nasdaq, August 19, 2025 – Source: TradingView The pace at which the Nasdaq outperformed the Dow has made some form of acceleration in the past few weeks but now, the ratio has formed a bottom. Let's see if this turns out to be a bigger trend or just a profit-taking phenomenon. I invite you to take a look at the piece I wrote on this in early July. The ratio kept on decreasing since but markets rarely just revert and usually show some form of deceleration before like we are seeing on the chart. Dow Jones Technical AnalysisDow Jones Daily Chart Dow Jones Daily Chart, August 19, 2025 – Source: TradingView The Dow reached a new all-time high on Friday at 45,283 (on its CFD, actual index at 45,203) before the usual week-end risk flows slowed the buying down. The Price action is still choppy on the daily timeframe, however attaining a new record at this point could be the start of a renewed uptrend as the balance is tilting upwards Let's have a closer look to see what are the technicals for potential new all-time highs. Dow Jones 4H Chart Dow Jones 4H Chart, August 19, 2025 – Source: TradingView The ongoing buying is very strong, particularly compared to the strong selling in the Nasdaq (you can access our most recent analysis on the tech-focused index right here) Some small selling is happening at the 45,200 handle but looking at the present course of action, only a major headline will prevent reaching the most recent ATH today. The rest will be to see if buyers are strong enough to breach decisively the level or not. Levels to place on your Dow Charts: Resistance Levels Support Levels Safe Trades! Opinions are the authors'; not necessarily that of OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc. or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. The provided publication is for informational and educational purposes only. If you would like to reproduce or redistribute any of the content found on MarketPulse, an award winning forex, commodities and global indices analysis and news site service produced by OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc., please refer to the MarketPulse Terms of Use. Visit https://www.marketpulse.com/ to find out more about the beat of the global markets. © 2025 OANDA Business Information & Services Inc.

Bitcoin eased back this week after a fresh peak, but a loud bullish pitch is making rounds. According to market updates, the coin hit about $124,390 before slipping to $114,158 and then nudging up to $115,285 at press time. Based on reports from a chart-focused analyst who goes by AO, Bitcoin may be tracing a pattern like gold’s, and that pattern could point to a rise toward $600,000 — a jump of roughly 420% from current levels. Analyst Sees Gold Pattern AO’s view rests on chart shapes. He compares Bitcoin’s recent wedge and ascending triangle to the way gold moved over the last decade. According to AO, Bitcoin’s consolidation around $115,000 could be the base for a large breakout. AO’s scenario includes what he calls “missing legs,” and he puts a possible run above half a million dollars by 2026 if the pattern completes the way he expects. Reports have mentioned similar geometric comparisons from other watchers, though few attach a precise price target like $600,000. Market Scale If Target Hits Based on those numbers, a $600,000 price tag would imply market value in the ballpark of approximately $12 trillion. That figure would push Bitcoin past many big tech names and place it closer to gold’s valuation than where it stands now. According to the same reports, that is the idea being used to argue Bitcoin’s case as a major store of value. The math behind the headline number is simple, and the size of the move — about 420% from roughly $115,000 — is what makes the claim dramatic. Bull Case Backed By Some Big Names Institutional voices add fuel to the talk. Strategy’s Michael Saylor, who has been one of Bitcoin’s most consistent backers, continues to argue that the asset will outshine traditional stores of value as more companies adopt it for their balance sheets. Ark Invest’s Cathie Wood has projected that Bitcoin could eventually climb to the $1 million mark, underscoring the growing confidence among high-profile investors. Meanwhile, Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego has also voiced his view that Bitcoin could surpass gold’s roughly $22 trillion valuation in time. Signals That Could Change The Story Not everyone treats the pattern call as a forecast. Some analysts warn that matching a chart shape to gold doesn’t prove the same outcome will follow. The two assets have different buyers, liquidity and use cases, and a huge lift to $600,000 would likely need long-term, large flows into Bitcoin — for example, big institutional allocations or permanent reserve moves — not just a short-term momentum spike. Regulation, interest rates and market shocks are other real factors that could alter any plan. Featured image from ETF Stream, chart from TradingView

The crypto market slid into the week in a holding pattern, with price action grinding sideways and positioning increasingly tethered to one catalyst: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium. “The only big, big event is going to be this,” said analyst Josh Olszewicz in his August 18 Macro Monday stream. “Everybody’s going to be watching this, talking about this, analyzing this… What Jay says [on Friday]” will likely swing rate expectations and risk sentiment. The symposium runs August 21–23, 2025 in Wyoming, under the theme “Labor Markets in Transition: Demographics, Productivity, and Macroeconomic Policy,” a backdrop almost tailor-made for clarifying the Fed’s path into autumn. Will JPow Jolt The Crypto Market? Olszewicz framed the setup as seasonally and structurally tricky for crypto. Commitment of Traders (COT) positioning on CME shows commercials—the cohort he views as “normally right for any market historically”—not convincingly long, while basis trades remain attractive and open interest has crept higher across CME futures and options, including on Solana. That mix, he argued, limits upside follow-through in the absence of a macro spark. “It’s going to be harder to push higher based on what we’ve seen historically and based on this futures positioning data,” he said, adding that “when commercials are long, price tends to do better.” Flows underscore the crosscurrent. He tallied “almost a $4 billion” net week for crypto ETPs globally—most of it in the US—with Ethereum notching “an all-time high weekly flow,” while Bitcoin’s intake looked “modest” by comparison and Solana and XRP showed a pickup. Yet he cautioned that even healthy fund flows do not erase tactically heavy positioning and the lack of a clear macro impulse ahead of Powell. MicroStrategy’s equity policy change, which allows at-the-market issuance below a 2.5× mNAV premium, has also become a talking point in the pre-Jackson Hole chop. Olszewicz noted that MSTR’s BTC accumulation “has slowed down quite a bit,” and that the share’s mNAV premium is being actively arbitraged by traders “short MSTR, long spot [BTC],” further muting momentum when the underlying coin is directionless. In his view, “when the underlying is momentumless, there’s no reason to seek leverage,” which helps explain why MSTR “is going to have a harder time doing well” until either BTC trends or corporate accumulation re-accelerates. Technically, he described the near-term as “a giant, giant nothing burger.” For Bitcoin, he pointed to a $120,000–$122,000 zone as the threshold for a cleaner long setup, and for MicroStrategy he flagged “anything above $410, and it’s go time,” while conceding that the stock’s momentum is “slipping away quicker and quicker.” Across crypto equities, he saw little that was “screaming” long: exchanges and brokerages looked momentumless on his cloud models; miners’ recent strength owed more to AI/HPC stories than to crypto beta; and even the prominent ETH-linked equities that surged since spring now show “record volumes” but a “more neutral” low-timeframe picture. “There’s no reason to force trades when they’re not there,” he said. How Will Financial Markets React? The macro guardrails he’ll watch into Powell’s speech are familiar to crypto traders. On the US dollar index, he wants continued “chop neutral” and firmly below the daily cloud—“you don’t want this above 99, 100”—because a resurgent DXY “would be very careful with longs on BTC.” On rates, the 10-year Treasury “durably below 4.25” would be a tailwind, while “above 5% everybody’s in trouble.” He also flagged plumbing dynamics: the drawdown of reverse repos toward zero and the concurrent refill of the Treasury General Account—flows that could net out, but that, at the extremes, might nudge the Fed toward a policy response if liquidity strains emerged. All roads, however, lead back to Powell. As of Tuesday, broader markets were leaning toward a September rate cut, with futures-implied tools like CME’s FedWatch reflecting a high probability of a 25 bps move. “We’re seeing 83% for a cut at the next meeting,” Olszewicz said of the market’s starting point, adding that if expectations “shift towards no cut, I’d expect the markets to be very angry,” whereas a surprise 50 bps “is probably unlikely” but would be greeted “in a bullish, happy way.” For now, Olszewicz is content to wait. “I would love to just wait to see what this looks like in October. I’m not expecting anything in September,” he said, consistent with his view that crypto’s Q3 seasonality is a headwind and that meaningful trend signals often re-emerge in Q4. Between now and then, the Chair’s tone on inflation progress, labor-market cooling, and the possibility of pre-emptive easing will determine whether this week’s “nothing burger” becomes the base for a new leg higher—or a reminder that macro still has the final say at the top of crypto’s risk cascade. And with Jackson Hole’s explicit focus on labor markets this year, Powell’s framing may do more than nudge September probabilities; it could reset how investors think about the entire path of policy into 2026. At press time, the total crypto market cap stood at $3.84 trillion.

The morning NA session follows a quasi-dead European overnight trading. This tends to happen when a lack of data adds to the Summer trading when volumes are typically subdued. The Dollar Index had been in the middle of many headwinds, as per usual. After a stellar July followed by and N-shaped (for nope) downward spiral in the beginning of August, it has been difficult to spot where the Greenback is heading. Forex volatility tends to calm during summers and lack of decisive trends exacerbate this rangebound trading – When the path is unclear, rangebound trading is typical (particularly in currencies.) With Markets awaiting more developments after the White House gathered heads from Russia, Ukraine and the EU, the Dollar is forming a temporary bottom around the 98.00 Handle. This region had already formed the post-Liberation day bottom (quickly broken in May). The White House meetings went well and the US will now attempt to create a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting. Donald Trump, the author of the Art of the Deal, is an unpredictable leader but one sure thing, he is a monster negotiator, and this is giving back some confidence in the US. In our most recent DXY analysis, we mentioned an expectation of a more balanced Dollar as a lack of continuation upwards and a not-broken bottom show indecision. Let's see if this indecision shall continue, at least to the technical side. Read More: Russia-Ukraine Talks, Nikkei Retreats, FTSE 100 Eyes Gains. Canadian Inflation Ahead Dollar Index (DXY) Technical AnalysisDollar Index Daily Chart Dollar Index Daily Chart, August 19, 2025 – Source: TradingView The US Dollar is holding its low-sloped ascending channel in a 5 day consolidation around the 98.00 handle. The post-CPI data had created a new offer for the US Dollar as Markets rushed to price the September cut to 97% before the surprising PPI data changed the course of action. With the future US inflation expectations rising considerably, the fundamental background for the Dollar (like its rate outlook) is more uncertain. The Daily RSI is way into the Neutral territory and the Daily doji is an indecision one. All of this is also happening right around the 50-Day MA (currently at 98.065). Let's have a closer look to spot what breakout points could be in play when the action picks up again. Dollar Index 2H Chart Such indecisive price action doesn’t warrant analysis across many timeframes – it is better in this environment to look at where we see the most. Dollar Index 2H Chart, August 19, 2025 – Source: TradingView The Dollar Index is stuck between the 97.60 Support and the 98.50 Resistance Zones. With the Price action rebounding from the lows of the Daily upward Channel supplemented by the 2H MA 50 acting as support, it seems that the preferred path would be to the upside. If things were so sure however, the Dollar would have risen already to test the following resistance zone. Typically, in this environment, it is good to look at the highs (98.30) and lows of the session (97.94) to see where if the action breaks out from there. To the upside, look at the 2H MA 200 currently at 98.515. To the downside, look at the 97.60 Support Zone, then the 97.15 July upward pivot. Levels to place on your DXY Charts: Resistance Levels 98.50 Pivot Zone now resistance (confluence with 2H MA 200)Resistance 99.20 to 99.40Main 100.00 to 100.50 ResistanceSupport Levels 2H MA 50 (97.94)97.60 SupportJuly Pivot before run-higher 97.15 Safe Trades! Opinions are the authors'; not necessarily that of OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc. or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. The provided publication is for informational and educational purposes only. If you would like to reproduce or redistribute any of the content found on MarketPulse, an award winning forex, commodities and global indices analysis and news site service produced by OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc., please refer to the MarketPulse Terms of Use. Visit https://www.marketpulse.com/ to find out more about the beat of the global markets. © 2025 OANDA Business Information & Services Inc.

Up to $2 billion in long positions face liquidation amid this Ethereum price crash. These positions would get liquidated if ETH drops to $4,200. Meanwhile, the ongoing wave of sell-offs puts the largest altcoin by market cap at risk of dropping to this level. $2 Billion In Liquidations On The Horizon Amid Ethereum Price Crash Coinglass data shows that $2 billion in ETH long positions are at risk of being wiped out on exchanges if the Ethereum price drops to $4,200. The liquidation heatmap shows that there is a massive cluster waiting to be triggered. Therefore, further declines to the downside could trigger a wave of forced selling even as traders rush to close their positions. However, a positive for the Ethereum price is the fact that more traders are currently short than long. As such, market makers could hunt for liquidity at higher levels up to $4,500, where $2.8 billion in short positions could be wiped out if ETH reaches there. Market commentator Zerohedge also highlighted how the net ETH shorts are at new highs on the CME. Based on this, he remarked that these short traders are “generously providing liquidity into the new all time highs.” Notably, these shorts were at new highs back when ETH broke above $4,000 earlier this month. Meanwhile, ETH continues to see massive demand from the Ethereum treasury companies. The largest ETH treasury company, BitMine, yesterday announced that over the past week, it increased its ETH holdings by $1.7 billion to $6.6 billion. In the process, it added over 373,000 coins, increasing the total from 1.15 million to 1.52 million coins. Such purchases put massive buying pressure on ETH, which is bullish for the Ethereum price. Sell Pressure From ETFs And Whales It is worth noting that the Ethereum price is currently facing selling pressure from the ETH ETFs and some whales, which can be bearish for the altcoin in the near term. SoSo Value data shows that these funds recorded a net outflow of $196.62 million on August 18. BlackRock’s ETHA, the largest ETH ETF, saw a net outflow of $87.16 million. This marked the second consecutive daily net outflows for the Ethereum ETFs. These funds had recorded an outflow of $59.34 million on August 15. Meanwhile, on-chain analytics platform Lookonchain revealed that whales like Longling Capital are offloading ETH. Longling Capital sold 5,000 ETH today, locking in profits. A whale that has been dormant for a year has also begun selling and has sold 3,075 ETH so far. At the time of writing, the Ethereum price is trading at around $4,230, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Today, the crypto market holds steady with a total cap just shy of $4 trillion, a marginal 0.2% daily rise with BNB, XRP, and ADA leading. Bitcoin maintains dominance at 58% for now, but it is still under 60%, which is good for the altcoin market. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana edge up slightly, signaling that crypto could bounce soon after the current long dip from last week. (BTC.D) DISCOVER: Next 1000X Crypto: 10+ Crypto Tokens That Can Hit 1000x in 2025 XRP Leading Crypto Gainers After Breaching ATH Weeks Ago Bitcoin trades flat at $115K level, holding just a few percents of it’s all time high(ATH). Ethereum climbs slightly to 0.2% to $4,300 amid its ETF activity, while Solana bumps a bit to $181. XRP leads with a 1.7% crypto increase to above $3. Ripple’s jump is likely fueled by Nasdaq’s futures ETF launch and Brazil’s spot ETF approval. This builds on the crypto legal wins, which saw XRP breach its ATH weeks ago. XRPPriceMarket CapXRP$179.30B24h7d30d1yAll time BNB rises with the same 1.7% number as XRP to $845, following its Maxwell crypto upgrade that cut block times to 0.75 seconds. The upgrade has also boosted throughput by 49%, which has helped the BSC capacity. But that’s not all for the Binance coin; Nano Labs’ $500 million accumulation is also hinting at BNB ETF speculation, which draws speculators to the coin. Binance CoinPriceMarket CapBNB$124.66B24h7d30d1yAll time ADA, on the other hand, bumps by3,2% to $0.93, marking a 20% gain in 7 days. Cardano pumps are likely supported by its rebounds from the 50-day SMA. ADA is now eyeing $0.94 resistance. Ethereum and it upgrades position the chain for $5,000 target, a target that will likely happens this year. Well it’s Ethereum. Bitcoin, though, with its dominance and market stability, has helped the crypto market to reach this high $4 billion total market cap.. XRP efficiency and its legality, BNB crypto exchange integration, and ADA growth are displaying their strengths in a consolidating market. Solana competes as an Ethereum alternative, but the focus remains on these gainers for targeted exposure. DISCOVER: Best Meme Coin ICOs to Invest in 2025 Join The 99Bitcoins News Discord Here For The Latest Market Updates 1 hour ago Bitcoin Treasuries Are Buying the Bitcoin Dip: Bull Run Resuming Soon? By Akiyama Felix Bitcoin dip action in August 2025 highlights a split: corporate treasuries are stacking sats on every pullback, while US spot ETFs see heavy outflows, shaking retail confidence. Despite August’s historic average 11.4% Bitcoin decline, institutions remain committed, with firms like Strategy and Prataxis Holdings executing billion-dollar strategies to increase reserves, positioning BTC as an inflation hedge and store of value. BitcoinPriceMarket CapBTC$2.30T24h7d30d1yAll time Read the full story here. The post [LIVE] XRP, BNB, ADA Top Crypto Gainers: Altcoin Trio Pumps Despite Market Setback appeared first on 99Bitcoins.

THORChain is one of the largest DeFi platforms and a leader in cross-chain token swapping. Despite commanding hundreds of millions in market cap and enabling weekly trading of millions worth of assets, its native token, RUNE, has faced it tough. After a spectacular end to 2024, RUNE USD came under immense selling pressure. Prices not only reversed gains from most of Q4 2024 but also fell below 2024 lows, sinking to September 2023 levels. (Source: TradingView RUNEUSDT) DISCOVER: Top Solana Meme Coins to Buy in 2025 RUNE Crypto Down 93% From All-Time Highs: Will Buyers Make a Comeback? Based on Coingecko data, RUNE ▼-0.25% crypto is down 93% from its all-time high of around $21. However, for early investors, the token is up an impressive 155x, rising from an all-time low of $0.008513 in late September 2019. Although prices are stable at current rates, RUNE USD remains bearish from a top-down perspective. While there was an attempt to push higher in early May 2025, the upside momentum faded. For this reason, chartists view the local resistance at around $2.5 as a critical level that buyers must break to sustain upward momentum. Conversely, local support levels are at approximately $1.3 and $0.90. THORChainPriceMarket CapRUNE$462.13M24h7d30d1yAll time A drop below the April 2025 low could trigger further sell-offs, possibly extending losses from Q1 2025 to below 2023 lows. Such a drop could devastate holders and spark panic, accelerating the downturn that might slow down capital inflow to some of the best meme coin ICOs. DISCOVER: The 12+ Hottest Crypto Presales to Buy Right Now THORChain Proposes a Marketing Fund, Forgoes RUNE Crypto Burning THORChain developers are well aware of the stakes, which is why they have proposed creating a Marketing Fund via ADR021. RUNE holders will vote on the proposal, and if it passes, it will introduce key changes to aggressively market RUNE and THORChain in crypto and traditional media channels. According to the proposal, 5% of protocol revenue previously allocated to RUNE burning will be redirected to a marketing fund. There is no discounting the possibility of RUNE recovering from this trade-off. THORChain has been rebuilding trust, and in May 2025, for example, they released TCY, addressing THORFi’s liabilities without minting more RUNE. Days after TCY’s distribution, RUNE USD prices rose, gaining over 60% in May 2025 alone. There are also plans to integrate more blockchains, powering some of the best cryptos to buy, including Tron, TON, and the XRP Ledger. The goal is to diversify trading activity, aligning with the rising total value locked (TVL), which currently stands at over $80 million. (Source: DefiLlama) DISCOVER: 9+ Best High-Risk, High-Reward Crypto to Buy in 2025 RUNE Crypto Down But Not Out, THORChain Proposes A Marketing Fund RUNE crypto down 93% from all-time highs RUNE USD trending sideways after H1 2025 dump THORChain proposes a marketing fund via ADR021 Will marketing efforts drive RUNE above $2? The post THORChain Forgoes Burning for Marketing: Will RUNE USD Break $2? appeared first on 99Bitcoins.