Wide Open Agriculture (WOA:AU) has announced Pre-Feasibility Study Launched for 10,000pta WA Facility
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Wide Open Agriculture (WOA:AU) has announced Pre-Feasibility Study Launched for 10,000pta WA Facility
Download the PDF here.
Oversupply and trade concerns were the most impactful factors in the graphite market through the first half of 2025.
China’s control of much of the market also came into focus as the US launched an investigation into the security of numerous supply chains including anodes which are key end use for graphite.
Heading into 2025, the graphite market was expected to see continued divergence between China and ex-China regions. The split was further hampered by a glut in the market.
As such prices for graphite fell by 10-20 percent in 2024, as noted in an International Energy Agency report.
Analysts anticipated domestic Chinese prices to remain low, while US and European benchmarks were forecasted to climb as supply shifts away from China create tighter markets.
While excess inventory and high supply levels were forecasted to keep prices under pressure in the first half of 2025, analysts aren’t ruling out a moderate recovery in the second half as inventories normalize, though competition from synthetic graphite could limit gains.
Caught in the cross hairs of tariff troubles between US and China, graphite prices fell to their lowest levels since 2018, according to Fastmarkets.
In January, The US Department of Commerce officially launched anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations into imports of active anode material from China, following petitions filed by the American Active Anode Material Producers (AAMP) in mid-December 2024.
These probes stem from concerns that Chinese producers are unfairly undercutting domestic manufacturers through subsidized or dumped pricing.
“The new antidumping and countervailing duty investigation on active anode imports from China demonstrates that the anode production is the most challenging part of the battery supply chain for the US to compete with China,” wrote Fastmarkets Georgi Georgiev in a February report.
He added: “The existing 25 percent tariff has had limited impact on anode imports from China, demonstrating that currently Chinese anode makers remain the cornerstone of global anode supply chains.”
In May, the Department of Commerce issued an affirmative preliminary finding in its countervailing duty probe, identifying subsidy rates as high as 721 percent for some producers, while others faced rates near 6.55 percent.
In the related anti-dumping investigation, a July 17 preliminary determination confirmed dumping, and a provisional 93.5 percent duty was imposed.
If both Commerce and the US International Trade Commission deliver final affirmative decisions, steep duties could be imposed as soon as fall 2025 and remain in place for at least five years.
Despite natural graphite mined supply growing year over year from 2020’s 966,000 metric tons to 1,600,000 metric tons in 2024, concerns abound about future supply.
“Rare earth elements appear to be sufficiently supplied in 2035 based on the project pipeline. However, supply concentration for rare earths and graphite remains a key vulnerability,” a recent IEA report read.
The energy oversight agency expects graphite demand to double between now and 2040, driven by an uptick in eclectic vehicle demand.
To ensure ample supply is available, the IEA recommends broad growth outside of China up and down the supply chain.
“Diversification is the watchword for energy security, but the critical minerals world has moved in the opposite direction in recent years, particularly in refining and processing. Between 2020 and 2024, growth in refined material production was heavily concentrated among the leading suppliers,” it read.
Refining capacity for critical minerals has become increasingly concentrated, with graphite among the most affected. By 2024, the top three refining nations controlled an average of 86 percent of global output for key energy minerals, up from about 82 percent in 2020.
In graphite’s case, China dominates the sector, accounting for nearly all recent supply growth, a trend mirrored by Indonesia in nickel and China again in cobalt and rare earths.Despite China’s stronghold of the market, the IEA sees that weakening over the next decade.
“There is some diversification emerging in the mining of lithium, graphite and rare earth elements. The share of mined lithium supply from the top three producers is set to fall below 70 percent by 2035, down from over 75 percent in 2024,” the IEA states. “ Graphite and rare earth elements also see some improvement as new mining suppliers emerge over the next decade – Madagascar and Mozambique for graphite and Australia for rare earths.”
While mine supply diversification is a positive first step, growth in refinement and processing capacity is unlikely to see the same ex-China growth trends.
The IEA expects refining capacity for critical minerals to remain heavily concentrated well into the next decade, with graphite among the most tightly controlled.
Although some diversification is emerging for lithium and select minerals, China’s dominance shows little sign of waning. By 2035, the country is projected to supply roughly 80 percent of the world’s battery-grade graphite, alongside similar market shares in rare earths, and more than 60 percent of refined lithium and cobalt.
To counter China’s control the US is moving aggressively to curb reliance on Chinese graphite anodes, which account for more than 95 percent of global anode output.
Since June 2024, tariffs on Chinese synthetic graphite anodes have risen from zero to 160 percent — including the existing 25 percent Section 301 tariff and additional levies. North American producers have petitioned for duties as high as 920 percent.
Chinese producers initially absorbed much of the cost of early tariffs, but analysts expect they will pass more of the recent increases on to buyers.
US automakers and battery makers are bracing for higher costs, with trade data showing that all US graphite anode imports for the EV sector came from China in 2024.
China has responded with its own 84 percent import tariff on US petroleum coke and needle coke. While China has reduced reliance on US supply, it still sources about 30 percent of each from American producers, meaning higher costs for Chinese synthetic graphite and downstream anode products.
“US electric vehicle and battery producers have battled in recent years to keep US imports of graphite anodes from China tariff-free, but their efforts have proved futile over the past nine months and the trade status of graphite anodes has shifted dramatically,” Amy Bennett, principal consultant of metals and mining at Fastmarkets wrote in a May market report.
Global demand for battery-grade graphite is projected to surge by 600 percent over the next decade as the energy transition and electric vehicle (EV) adoption accelerate.
Yet, at today’s depressed prices, developing new supply outside China remains economically unviable — a challenge that’s fueling a looming supply crunch.
The US, which mines no natural graphite, was entirely dependent on imports to meet domestic demand in 2024, according to the US Geological Survey, leaving it and other non-China markets in a vulnerable position.
History offers a cautionary precedent: in 2010, rare earth prices spiked tenfold after China restricted exports.
Should a similar disruption hit lithium, nickel or graphite, prices could surge five to ten times, pushing average global battery pack costs up by 20 to 50 percent, the IEA warns.
Such a jump would erode EV affordability, slow adoption and threaten the pace of the clean energy transition.
Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Questcorp Mining Inc. (CSE: QQQ,OTC:QQCMF) (OTCQB: QQCMF) (FSE: D910) (the ‘Company’ or ‘Questcorp’) is pleased to announce they have completed 25% of the planned drilling program on its La Union Project in northwest Sonora, Mexico. This work is being carried out by property vendor and operator Riverside Resources Inc. (TSXV: RRI).
Highlights
Questcorp is capitalizing on the recent exploration work over the past three months by Riverside that improved the understanding of the structural geology and stratigraphy that is guiding current exploration efforts at La Union. The exploration target focus is for a large potential gold discovery that expands from previous smaller scale mine operations on the property. The drill program will begin to test the new concepts and expand past previous mining.
Saf Dhillon, President & CEO states, ‘Questcorp is pleased with the progress being made at this first ever drill program at La Union. The Riverside team has been able to work throughout these hot summers months to enable the successful completion of this Maiden drill.
Earlier this year, Questcorp entered into a definitive option agreement with Riverside’s wholly owned subsidiary, RRM Exploracion, S.A.P.I. DE C.V. to acquire a 100% interest in the La Union Project. As part of the agreement, Questcorp issued shares to Riverside, making Riverside a shareholder and aligning both parties’ interests in the Project’s success. With funding provided by Questcorp, an initial C$1,000,000 exploration program is now underway. This marks the first phase of a larger, C$5,500,000 work commitment, contingent on exploration results and Questcorp’s continued participation.
The Drill Program Targets include more than four different areas, beginning with this early-stage stratigraphic and orientation phase of drilling exploration aimed at evaluating the scale of alteration and indications of a mineralized system. This will be the first drilling ever conducted on most of the targets, despite past mining having occurred in the majority of these areas. The initial program will consist of one to three holes per area, primarily for orientation purposes. Follow-up drilling is planned and can be expanded based on initial results, which will help verify the stratigraphy, lithologies, and structural features allowing for improved modeling and next-stage discovery targeting. The four areas are listed below:
General Overview of La Union Project
The Project is summarized in a recently published NI 43-101 Technical Report available under Questcorp’s SEDAR+ profile (www.sedarplus.ca). Riverside initially acquired the Project and subsequently consolidated additional inlier mineral claims, building a strong land position. Riverside then advanced the Project through surface access agreements and drill permitting, making it a turn-key exploration opportunity for Questcorp.
The Project was originally identified through Riverside’s exploration work in the western Sonora Gold Belt, conducted in collaboration with AngloGold Ashanti Limited, Centerra Gold Inc., and Hochschild Mining Plc. Earlier research by Riverside Founder John-Mark Staude also contributed to recognizing the district’s potential. Initial work by members of the Riverside team, drawing on more than two decades of geological compilation and analysis, further confirmed the region as highly prospective.
At the Project, historical mining by the Penoles Mining Company targeted chimney and manto-style replacement bodies within the upper oxide zones. As a result, the underlying sulfide zones represent immediate and compelling drill targets for further exploration.
At the La Union Project, immediate drill targets offer the potential for significant-scale discoveries. La Union is well positioned for near-term exploration success, with targets that include both oxide and deeper sulfide mineralization.
The La Union Project
The La Union Project is a carbonate replacement deposit (‘CRD’) project hosted by Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks (limestones, dolomites, and siliciclastic sediments) overlying crystalline Paleoproterozoic rocks of the Caborca Terrane. The structural setting features high-angle normal faults and low-to-medium-angle thrust faults that sometimes served as mineralization conduits. Mineralization occurs as polymetallic veins, replacement zones (mantos, chimneys), and shear zones with high-grade metal content, as shown in highlight grades of 59.4 grams per metric tonne (g/t) gold, 833 g/t silver, 11% zinc, 5.5% lead, 2.2% copper, along with significant hematite and manganese oxides, consistent with a CRD model (see the technical report entitled ‘NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Union Project, State of Sonora, Mexico’ dated effective May 6, 2025 available under Questcorp’s SEDAR+ profile). These targets also demonstrate intriguing potential for large gold discoveries potentially above an even larger porphyry Cu district potential as the Company’s target concept at this time.
Questcorp cautions investors that grab samples are selective by nature and not necessarily indicative of similar mineralization on the property.
The technical and scientific information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by R. Tim Henneberry, P. Geo (BC), a director of the Company and a ‘qualified person’ under National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Questcorp Mining Inc.
Questcorp Mining Inc. is engaged in the business of the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in North America, with the objective of locating and developing economic precious and base metals properties of merit. The Company holds an option to acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to mineral claims totaling 1,168.09 hectares comprising the North Island Copper Property, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, subject to a royalty obligation. The Company also holds an option to acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to mineral claims totaling 2,520.2 hectares comprising the La Union Project located in Sonora, Mexico, subject to a royalty obligation.
Contact Information
Questcorp Mining Corp.
Saf Dhillon, President & CEO
Email: saf@questcorpmining.ca
Telephone: (604) 484-3031
This news release includes certain ‘forward-looking statements’ under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to Riverside’s arrangements with geophysical contractors to undertake orientation surveys and follow up detailed survey to confirm and enhance the drill targets. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include but are not limited to: the ability of Riverside to secure geophysical contractors to undertake orientation surveys and follow up detailed survey to confirm and enhance the drill targets as contemplated or at all, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain capital markets; and delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that the geophysical surveys will be completed as contemplated or at all and that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/262984
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(TheNewswire)
Vancouver, British Columbia TheNewswire – August 18th, 2025 Prismo Metals Inc. (the ‘ Company ‘) (CSE: PRIZ,OTC:PMOMF) (OTCQB: PMOMF) is pleased to announce that its has engaged Windfall Geotek Inc. to apply its proprietary Windfall AI System to integrate and analyze geophysical data, topography data and drill hole data at Prismo’s Hot Breccia copper project located in Arizona.
Dr. Craig Gibson, Chief Exploration Officer of Prismo Metals commented: ‘The Hot Breccia Project should be an ideal place to apply the Windfall AI System. It lies in the world-famous Arizona copper belt, between several very well understood world-class copper mines including Christmas, Morenci, Ray and Resolution. (Figure 1) Hot Breccia shows many features in common with these neighboring systems, most prominently a swarm of porphyry dikes and series of breccia pipes containing numerous fragments of well copper-mineralized rocks mixed with fragments of volcanic and sedimentary derived from considerable depth.’
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Figure 1. Location of the Hot Breccia Project in the Arizona Copper Belt.
Gord Aldcorn, President of Prismo said: ‘Prismo remains committed to advancing its Hot Breccia copper project, located in the heart of the Arizona copper belt. The engagement of Windfall Geotek is consistent with that commitment. Their work will provide valuable information as we continue to hold discussions with potential strategic partners present in the district or wanting to gain a foothold in the district. The goal remains to conduct a minimum of 5,000 meters of drilling. Results from the Windfall Geotek study are expected to be received by the beginning of September.’
Windfall Geotek, located in Montreal, Canada, is a mining and technology services company and a leader in the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for mineral exploration since 2005. The Windfall AI System is a state-of-the-art computerized analysis method that uses the latest Artificial Intelligence (Machine Learning) and pattern recognition algorithms to analyze large digital exploration data sets and produce exploration targets.
Historical drilling was carried out at Hot Breccia in the mid to late 1970’s by a Rio Tinto subsidiary intersected high-grade copper mineralization at depths ranging from 640 to 830 meters below the surface in several holes that targeted one of the magnetic highs, believed to be caused by the magnetite skarn that was cut in the holes and that occurs in xenoliths in cross cutting dikes exposed at the surface. Prismo believes those intercepts cut the periphery of the upper portion of a large mineralized system as interpreted from our exploration program. Historical drill holes cut high grade skarn mineralization including 23 meters with 0.54% Cu at 640 meters depth (hole OC-1), 18 m with 1.4% Cu and 4.65% Zn at 830 meters depth (hole OCC-7), and 7.6 m with 1.73% Cu and 0.11% Zn at 703 meters and 4.6 meters with 1.4% Cu and 0.88% Zn at 716 meters (OCC-8).
Mineralization occurs within a several hundred-meter-thick altered zone hosted in favorable Paleozoic carbonate rocks that underly a sequence of Cretaceous andesitic volcanic rocks. These carbonates are the same rocks that host the high-grade copper mineralization at Freeport’s nearly Christmas mine.
The historic drilling intersected a blind mineralized intrusion associated with the skarn mineralization, providing an immediate drill target that is believed to be the source of the mineralization at Hot Breccia (Figure 2). Several magnetic highs in the region surrounding the proposed intrusion may also indicated buried skarn mineralization and provide additional exploration targets.
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Figure 2. Schematic cross section at Hot Breccia showing updated interpretation after Barrett (1974).
Notes:
(1) Barrett, Larry Frank (1972): Igneous Intrusions and Associated Mineralization in the Saddle Mountain Mining District Pinal County, Arizona. Unpublished Masters’ Thesis, University of Utah.
(2) Barrett, Larry Frank (1974): Diamond drill hole OC-1, O’Carroll Canyon, Pinal County, Arizona, unpublished internal report, Bear Creek Mining.
About Hot Breccia
The Hot Breccia property consists of 1,420 hectares in 227 contiguous mining claims located in the world class Arizona Copper Belt between several very well understood world-class copper mines including Morenci, Ray and Resolution (Figure 1). Hot Breccia shows many features in common with these neighboring systems, most prominently a swarm of porphyry dikes and series of breccia pipes containing numerous fragments of well copper-mineralized rocks mixed with fragments of volcanic and sedimentary derived from considerable depth. Prismo performed a ZTEM survey last year that identified a very large conductive anomaly directly beneath the breccia outcrops.
Sampling at the project has shown the presence of copper mineralization associated with polylithic breccia pipes that transported fragments of strongly mineralized carbonate rocks to the surface from depths believed to be 400-1,000 meters. Drilling deep holes is necessary to tap into the source of these mineralized fragments found at surface.
Assay results from historic drill holes are unverified as the core has been destroyed, but information has been gathered from memos, photos and drill logs that contain some, but not all, of the assay results and descriptions. Technical information from adjacent or nearby properties does not mean nor does it imply that Prismo will obtain similar results from its own properties.
Data on previous drilling and geophysics is historical in nature and has not been verified, is not compliant with NI 43-101 standards and should not be relied upon; the Company is using the information only as a guide to aid in exploration planning.
QA/QC
Dr. Craig Gibson, PhD., CPG., a Qualified Person as defined by NI-43-01 regulations and Chief Exploration Officer and a director of the Company, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosures in this news release.
About Prismo Metals Inc.
Prismo (CSE: PRIZ,OTC:PMOMF) is a mining exploration company focused on advancing its Hot Breccia copper project in Arizona and its Palos Verdes silver project in Mexico.
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Prismo Metals Inc.
1100 – 1111 Melville St., Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 3V6
Phone: (416) 361-0737
Contact:
Alain Lambert, Chief Executive Officer alambert@cpvcgroup.com
Gordon Aldcorn, President gordon.aldcorn@prismometals.com
About Windfall Geotek
Windfall Geotek Inc. (CSE: WIN, OTCQB: WINKF) is an Artificial Intelligence company with over 20 years of experience developing its proprietary AI and Data Mining Technologies for mineral exploration and other applications. The company combines geophysical, geological, drillhole, and surface data to identify high-probability targets. Windfall has contributed to numerous discoveries and continues to innovate, including in landmine detection applications. Learn more at: https://windfallgeotek.com
For further information, please contact:
Michel Fontaine
Founder, President & CEO
Telephone: 514-994-5843
Email: michel@windfallgeotek.com
Website: www.windfallgeotek.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as ‘intends’ or ‘anticipates’, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘should’, ‘would’ or ‘occur’. This information and these statements, referred to herein as ‘forward‐looking statements’, are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding discussions of future plans, estimates and forecasts and statements as to management’s expectations and intentions with respect to, among other things: the timing, costs and results of drilling at Hot Breccia.
These forward‐looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties, and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things: delays in obtaining or failure to obtain appropriate funding to finance the exploration program at Hot Breccia.
In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that: the ability to raise capital to fund the drilling campaign at Hot Breccia and the timing of such drilling campaign.
Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor.
Copyright (c) 2025 TheNewswire – All rights reserved.
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Prismo Metals presents a compelling investment opportunity with its strategic focus on high-grade precious and base metal exploration in Mexico and Arizona, leveraging advanced technology and maximizing shareholder value through targeted asset development.
Mexico’s Sinaloa state hosts several prolific silver and gold mines, including McEwen Mining’s (TSX:MUX) El Gallo Complex, Americas Gold and Silver’s (TSX:USA) Cosalá operations and Kootenay Silver’s (TSXV:KTN) Copalito silver-gold project. Between 2012 and 2019, gold production at the El Gallo mine alone totaled 295,000 ounces (oz) and silver production peaked at 142,000 oz. At the Panuco project, Vizsla Silver (TSXV:VZLA) has an indicated resource of 9.5 million tons at grades of 289 g/t silver, 2.41 g/t gold, 0.27 percent lead and 0.84 percent zinc for 155.8 Moz silver equivalent.
Prismo Metals (CSE:PRIZ,OTCQB:PMOMF, FSE:7KU) has made a strategic move to join the list of successful explorers in this region. The company’s leadership team has decades of experience in the Mexican precious metals industry. Director, president, CEO and co-founder Dr. Craig Gibson has been an exploration consultant since 1998 and a director of Beyond Minerals (CSE:BY) Garibaldi Resources (TSXV:GGI).
Prismo Metals has three current exploration projects: Palos Verdes, Los Pavitos and Hot Breccia. The Palos Verdes property covers 22.77 hectares within the historic Panuco-Copala silver-gold district in Sinaloa, well-known for its numerous veins with historical production. While much of the district has been consolidated by Vizsla Resources, the Palos Verdes project is located near the district’s under-explored northeastern limit.
On January 9, 2023, Vizsla Resources acquired aright of first refusal to purchase the Palos Verdes project through a strategic investment agreement with Prismo Metals. Vizsla’s strategic investment consists of a cash payment of $500,000 and the issuance of one million common shares of Vizsla to Prismo. Pursuant to the strategic investment, the two companies formed a technical committee for district-scale exploration of the Panuco silver-gold district consisting of Drs. Gibson and Megaw along with Dr. Jesus Velador, vice president of exploration for Vizsla.
Prismo Metals’ Palos Verdes property includes 700 meters of strike length along the Palos Verdes vein, which has been explored for 250 meters with findings yielding as much as 6.7 grams per ton (g/t) gold and 544 g/t silver from surface and underground sampling. A second vein system may be reflected in a northwest striking alteration zone, offering an additional high-grade exploration target on the property.
In May 2019, the company and ProDeMin entered an option agreement in which Prismo may acquire a 75-percent interest in the Palos Verdes property, and later entered into an agreement to acquire the remaining 25 percent of the property from the original owner. The company conducted a 2,100-meter drill program at Palos Verdes in 2022, designed to test the Palos Verdes vein and a structural intersection with a second vein at depths where it is believed that potential for a large ore shoot is present, similar to the drilling accomplished by Vizsla Silver on their adjacent land package.
Prismo conducted a 15 hole, 2,923-meter drilling program at Palos Verdes in 2023, with the best result being 11,520 silver equivalent (102 g/t gold and 3,100 g/t silver) over 0.5 meters downhole. An alteration study and rock chip sampling program were also conducted and provide evidence that additional mineralization may occur in previously unexplored areas.
The Los Pavitos project is located in the Alamos region of southern Sonora, a well-mineralized area that hosts several active exploration and mining projects. The project consists of one concession covering 5,289 hectares. Early sampling and reconnaissance work has been carried out by previous companies, including Minera Cascabel, and show the presence of high-grade gold assays in at least two target areas.
In 2022 Prismo Metals signed a formal access agreement with Francisco Villa Ejido, the surface owner of the Los Pavitos Project to allow for exploration work and drilling, and completed a mapping, sampling and trenching program in 2023. Thus work paved the way for a first ever drill program at the project in 2023, consisting of 2,370 meters in 25 holes with excellent results.
Prismo acquired the right to earn a 75 percent interest in the Hot Breccia property in early 2023. Hot Breccia lies in the heart of the world-class Arizona copper belt and has historical drilling indicating the potential for a large copper mineralized system.
An airborne Z‐tipper axis electromagnetic (ZTEM) geophysical survey was completed at Hot Breccia. Prismo received assay results for the first batch of samples taken at the project indicating the presence of not only copper mineralization but also gold mineralization associated with gossanous veins and shear zones.
In 2025, Prismo Metals has signed option agreements to acquire100 percent of the historic Silver King and Ripsey mines in Arizona’s prolific Copper Belt, near its flagship Hot Breccia project. Silver King, discovered in 1875, produced nearly 6 million ounces of silver at grades up to 61 oz/t, with later sampling returning up to 644 oz/t silver and 15 g/t gold, indicating high-grade potential and possible antimony mineralization. The Ripsey mine, located 20 kilometers west of Hot Breccia, is an historic gold-silver-copper producer with sampling up to 15.85 g/t gold and 276 g/t silver, yet remains untested by modern exploration.
The Hot Breccia project is Prismo’s latest acquisition located in the heart of the great Arizona Copper Belt, USA and is located 40 km south of the Resolution deposit and 35 km north of the San Manuel / Kalamazoo deposit and is just a few kilometers from the Hayden Smelter. The Hot Breccia property has the same productive geologic units that host high-grade copper skarn mineralization at the adjacent, past-producing Christmas Mine owned by Freeport. Prismo has the option to earn a 75-percent interest in the Hot Breccia project from Infinitum Copper (TSXV:INFI).
The company completed an airborne Z‐tipper axis electromagnetic (ZTEM) geophysical survey at Hot Breccia in 2023 and received assay results for a first batch of samples taken at the project. The results indicate the presence of not only copper mineralization, but also gold mineralization associated with gossanous veins and shear zones. The ZTEM survey identified a priority drill target in a conductive anomaly at depth.
Following the success of the 2023 ZTEM survey, Prismo received permit approval from the Bureau of Land Management for 10 drill pads to allow for drilling to test the prospective stratigraphy below the cover volcanic rock over a wide area. Assay results for samples taken in February 2024 include 5.69 percent copper, 0.24 g/t gold and 32.8 g/t silver.
Earlier in 2024, Prismo Metals engaged Exploration Technologies (ExploreTech) from San Diego, California to apply xFlare, their artificial intelligence (AI)-optimized drill planning solution, to its Hot Breccia project where a number of features suggest well mineralized Arizona-style copper porphyry lies at depth. Prismo is currently planning an initial 5,000 meter drill program at Hot Breccia.
The company’s Palos Verdes property is located in Southern Sinaloa, roughly 65 kilometers northeast of Mazatlán. The Palos Verdes concession covers 22.77 hectares and is situated within the historic Panuco-Copala mining district, the largest silver producer in Sinaloa.
Mapping and sampling were conducted over the property by ProDeMin. The Palos Verdes vein crops out for about 750 meters along strike and yielded as much as 4.15 g/t gold and 732.7 g/t silver. Before the turn of the century, a 70-meter tunnel was driven along the Palos Verdes vein near the bottom of the Palos Verdes arroyo; a sample of the vein in this adit yielded 6.7 g/t gold and 544 g/t silver. In 2018, ProDeMin completed a diamond drilling program on the property. Notable drill results included 3.75 g/t gold and 1,098 g/t silver for 2.3 meters and 8.42 g/t gold and 2,336 g/t silver for 0.8 meters.
The company has undertaken several drill campaigns at the project, and a total of about 6,052 meters have been drilled in 33 holes to date, including five holes drilled by ProDeMin in 2018. Results indicate the presence of a near-surface high-grade ore shoot in the Palos Verdes vein similar to mineralization in the resources defined by Vizsla Silver in the southwestern portion of the district.
The company, in conjunction with its strategic partner Vizsla Silver (TSXV:VZLA), has planned an expanded drill program with new holes to be drilled from Vizsla Silver’s concessions adjacent to the Palos Verdes concession, targeting the proposed extension of the Palos Verdes ore shoot at depth and a possible extension along strike to the northwest. Prismo Metals is planning on initiating this drill program in August, 2024.
The company’s Los Pavitos project is located in the Alamos region of Southern Sonora, a well-mineralized area that hosts multiple active exploration and mining projects. Los Pavitos consists of one concession covering 5,289 hectares. Early sampling and reconnaissance work has been carried out by previous companies, including Minera Cascabel. The property’s numerous mines and prospect pits indicate historical interest.
Prismo conducted a reconnaissance surface mapping and sampling at the project in 2022 and early 2023. This program consisted of about 1,500 samples and identified 5 main gold and silver mineralized target areas within several kilometer-scale structural zones. A follow up trenching program consisted of 698 meters in 25 trenches with almost 350 samples taken. A first ever drill program at the project was conducted in 2023, with 2,370 meters completed in 25 holes.
High-grade gold assays were encountered at the Santa Cruz target, with 10.2 g/t gold over 6.6 meters in drill hole LP-SC-23-02. A second gold zone was intersected at Las Auras, with 3.58 g/t gold over 1.15 meters within 3.65 meters carrying 2.33 g/t gold and 87.6 g/t silver.
Gordon Aldcorn brings over 20 years of experience in capital markets and junior public company development. Over the past five years, he has focused on the corporate management of copper and gold exploration projects, with a strong track record of advancing early-stage assets. Committed to responsible mineral exploration and long-term stakeholder engagement, Aldcorn now leads Prismo Metals through a pivotal growth phase, advancing its high-potential projects in Mexico and Arizona, including the flagship Hot Breccia copper project and the Palos Verdes silver project.
Alain Lambert, who co-founded Prismo in 2018, is a lawyer by training and has over 35 years of experience in financing and advising small and medium-sized companies operating in various industries including technology, manufacturing, and the natural resources sector. He has been involved in private and public financings totaling more than $1 billion. He has an extensive network of investors, investment bankers, analysts, and investor relations professionals. Lambert acts as an advisor to public and private companies regarding financings, mergers and acquisitions plans, debt structuring as well as going-public transactions. Throughout his career, Lambert has served as a director and member of the audit committee and governance committee of small and medium-sized private and public companies. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B.) from the University of Montréal and a diploma of collegial studies, specializing in administration from the College Jean-de-Brébeuf in Montréal, Québec.
Dr. Craig Gibson has extensive experience in the minerals industry. He received his BS (1984) in earth sciences from the University of Arizona and MS (1987) and PhD (1992) in economic geology and geochemistry from the Mackay School of Mines, University of Nevada, Reno. He co-founded Prospeccion y Desarrollo Minero del Norte, S.A. de CV (ProDeMin) based in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2009. ProDeMin is a consulting firm providing a broad spectrum of exploration-related services to the mining industry and has been involved in several major precious metal discoveries in Mexico. Gibson is also a director of Garibaldi Resources, a Vancouver-based junior exploration company; a certified professional geologist of the American Association of Professional Geologists; and a qualified person under NI 43-101.
Carmelo Marrelli is the principal of the Marrelli Group, comprising Marrelli Support Services Inc., DSA Corporate Services Inc., DSA Filing Services Limited, Marrelli Press Release Services Limited, Marrelli Escrow Services Inc. and Marrelli Trust Company Limited. The Marrelli Group has delivered accounting, corporate secretarial and regulatory compliance services to listed companies on various exchanges for over twenty years. Marrelli is a chartered professional accountant (CPA, CA, CGA), and a member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, a professional body that certifies corporate secretaries. He received a bachelor of commerce degree from the University of Toronto. Marrelli acts as the chief financial officer to several issuers on the TSX, TSX Venture Exchange and CSE, as well as non-listed companies, and as a director of select issuers.
Martin Dupuis has over 25 years of experience covering all stages of a project’s life, from exploration through feasibility and engineering studies, construction, mine expansion and operations. Dupuis serves as Vizsla Silver’s chief operating officer. He was instrumental in the oversight and delivery of the company’s maiden resource estimate. Before joining Vizsla Silver, Dupuis was director of geology for Pan American Silver, technical services manager for Aurico Gold, and chief geologist at several other operations.
Jorge Rafael Gallardo-Romero has been a consultant geologist of Cascabel since March 1992. He also acts as Mexico exploration manager of Gainey Capital (since January 2015) and of Minera Goldzone SA de CV (since March 2011). Gallardo-Romero graduated from the University of Sonora with a degree in Geology in 1984.
Maria Yeomans Otero is a geologist who graduated from Universidad de Sonora, Mexico, in 1986, with master’s studies in business administration at the same university. She has been a part of the team at Cascabel since 1992 and is now the office manager. She speaks English fluently and has extensive experience in the administration, legal and commercial relations related to mining.
Louis Doyle has over 30 years of experience focused primarily on capital markets and public companies. Since 2016, he has also provided consulting services to private companies seeking listing on Canadian exchanges. Since January 2016, Doyle has been the executive director of Québec Bourse. Between October 1999 and December 2015, he was the vice-president, Montréal of the TSX Venture Exchange. As such, he was responsible for business development and listing activities in the provinces of Québec and Atlantic Canada. During his tenure, he acted as chairman of the TSX Venture listing committee and was a member of the policy committee. Doyle also led the nationwide TSX Venture mentorship program and further acted regularly as a speaker and advisor at conferences and workshops. He also holds directorship roles with two other publicly traded companies. Doyle was granted 150,000 incentive stock options exercisable at $0.165 per share before June 26, 2027. Also, three other directors were each granted 50,000 incentive stock options, exercisable at $0.165 per share before June 26, 2027.
Dr. Peter Megaw is best known as co-founder of MAG Silver and Minaurum Gold. He and his team are credited with MAG Silver’s Juanicipio discovery in the famous Fresnillo District and Excellon Resources’ Platosa mine. He received his doctorate from the University of Arizona and has more than 35 years of experience exploring silver and gold in Mexico. Megaw is a certified professional geologist by the American Institute of Professional Geologists and an Arizona Registered Professional Geologist. He is the author of numerous scientific publications on ore deposits and is a frequent speaker at academic and international exploration conferences. He was awarded the 2017 Thayer Lindsley Award for the 2003 discovery of the Juanicipio silver deposit in the Fresnillo District, ultimately leading to a further 600 million ounces being identified in the immediate area. Megaw also received the Society of Mining Engineers 2012 Robert M. Dreyer Award for excellence in applied economic geology.
Anteros Metals offers investors exposure to a diversified portfolio of critical and base metal projects in Newfoundland and Labrador, advanced through a proprietary, data-driven exploration approach. By combining high-probability targeting with assets at multiple stages of development, the company reduces exploration risk, accelerates discovery timelines, and positions itself to benefit from the rising demand for metals essential to the global energy transition.
Anteros Metals (CSE:ANT) is a Canadian junior exploration company focused on discovering and advancing high-value mineral deposits across Newfoundland and Labrador. The company’s 100 percent owned portfolio spans 2,775 hectares and hosts nine commodities, including copper, cobalt, nickel, manganese, zinc, and other metals critical to clean energy technologies and industrial growth. Five of these are designated as critical minerals by the Canadian government, underscoring the strategic importance of Anteros’ asset base.
At the core of Anteros’ strategy is the use of proprietary data science techniques to integrate historical exploration records with modern geoscientific data. This approach enables the company to identify the most prospective targets before committing to extensive fieldwork, reducing costs, shortening timelines and increasing the probability of discovery. The portfolio is deliberately balanced across the exploration cycle – from early-stage prospecting at Hopedale to advanced exploration at Knob Lake – ensuring a continuous pipeline of projects that can move toward development while maintaining investor exposure to new discovery potential.
Anteros’ operations benefit from Newfoundland and Labrador’s long history of mineral production, a supportive regulatory framework and established infrastructure. The company’s focus on high-grade, infrastructure-accessible deposits provides strong economic leverage, while its experienced leadership team, with over a century of combined exploration, mining, and financial expertise, is well equipped to execute on its growth strategy. By combining technological innovation with geological expertise, Anteros Metals is positioned to deliver long-term shareholder value through discovery, development, and strategic partnerships.
Located within the Western Labrador Trough, just 2.5 km south of Schefferville, Québec, Knob Lake is Anteros’ flagship advanced exploration project. This superior-type iron deposit is hosted in the Sokoman Formation, a geological unit well known for high-grade direct shipping ore (DSO) potential, often exceeding 60 percent iron.
Historical work includes 2,746 metres of diamond drilling, which delineated a resource estimate of 5.08 million tonnes grading 54.7 percent iron (measured and indicated) and 643,800 tonnes grading 51.5 percent iron (inferred)1. Although this estimate is historical in nature, it underscores the scale and quality of the deposit, which remains open along strike and at depth.
The property’s proximity to Tata Steel’s Timmins mine and other past-producing operations, along with direct rail, road and port access, gives it excellent development potential. Recent digital modelling and geophysical surveys have further refined high-grade targets, paving the way for future resource expansion and economic evaluation.
¹This historical mineral resource estimate is from a Technical Report entitled Technical Report: Schefferville Area Phase I DSO Iron Projects Resource Update, Western Labrador – NE Québec, Canada by Maxime Dupéré dated June 27, 2014 and is filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). The Technical Report was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101), NI 43-101F1, and with CIM standards and Mineral Resource best practices. The independent QP believed project data was suitable for mineral resource estimation at that time. The stated resource uses an iron cut-off grade of 50%, and grades were not capped. An independent Qualified Person will be required to compile and validate historic Property data, model the data, and estimate the mineral resource to obtain a current mineral resource. It is envisaged that this will involve open pit optimization. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource. Anteros Metals Incorporated is not treating the historical estimate as a current mineral resource.
Situated 40 kilometres southeast of Buchans in the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt, Havens Steady is within a proven volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) district renowned for its polymetallic potential. The property is road accessible and has been the focus of 8,048 metres of historical drilling, which identified long intersections of continuous mineralization, including 97.7 metres grading 9.2 g/t silver, 0.33 percent lead, 1.57 percent zinc, and 0.04 percent copper and 68 metres grading 11.8 g/t silver, 0.55 percent lead, 1.45 percent zinc, and 0.09 percent copper.
In 2025, Anteros’ exploration program significantly advanced the project with a series of high-impact discoveries. Boulder prospecting of a historic copper-in-soil approximately located approximately 200 metres along strike from the modelled deposit returned assays as high as 0.22 g/t gold, 21.3 g/t silver, and 2.17 percent copper while sampled outcrops in the main zone returned assays as high as 1.56 percent Pb, 9.60 percent Zn, 0.15 percent Cu, 45 g/t Ag, and 0.37 g/t Au.
Channel sampling of broad mineralized surface outcrop commenced in July. Collectively, these results confirm the grade and expansion potential of the deposit and highlight Havens Steady as a prime candidate for follow-up drilling aimed at defining a large, high-grade VMS system.
Strickland lies in the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt, a region with prolific epithermal gold and VMS deposits. The property features seven mineralized zones with a combined strike length exceeding 2 km. The mineralization is hosted within submarine felsic volcanic units, providing predictable horizons for efficient exploration.
Historical drilling of 7,857 meters has delineated zones with significant grades, including a historical mineral inventory of 260,000 tons at 195 g/t silver and 5.25 percent lead-zinc in the Main Zone². Historical assays from quartz veins report gold grades up to 17.9 g/t gold, emphasizing the property’s epithermal gold potential.
Proximity to the mining infrastructure of the Hope Brook gold deposit bodes well for potential synergies of Strickland. Proposed exploration activities include advanced geophysical surveys, trenching and targeted drilling to define and expand the resource base.
²The resource inventories described are considered ‘historical’ in nature as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and do not conform to CIM Resource Classification Definitions. The historical estimate was reported by D.R. Prince in a 1981 Falconbridge Nickel Mines Ltd. report entitled “Summary of Work Performed from 1977 to 1980 on the Strickland-Porter Fee Simple Property, Newfoundland”. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates of the Strickland Deposit as current mineral resources. As a result, Anteros Metals Incorporated is not treating these historical estimates as current mineral resource estimates, but believes that these historic results provide an indication of the potential of the property and are relevant from a continuing exploration perspective.
In Labrador, the Hopedale property spans 20 sq km and is located 80 km south of the world-class Voisey’s Bay mine. The project targets magmatic nickel-copper-cobalt mineralization along the Churchill-Nain Suture Zone, a structure known for hosting globally significant deposits.
The property is underlain by troctolitic rocks intruded by northeast-trending gabbro dykes, a geological setting highly favourable for disseminated nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide mineralization. Historical stream sediment sampling revealed anomalous nickel, copper and cobalt values in proximity to untested electromagnetic conductors, suggesting strong potential for new discoveries. As a greenfield project, Hopedale represents a high-potential critical minerals opportunity, with upcoming exploration focusing on high-resolution geophysics to identify priority drill targets.
A seasoned professional with 17 years of experience in mining and capital markets, Trumbull Fisher has successfully led multiple resource companies and brings a wealth of expertise in project generation and financing. Fisher has grown both private and public resource companies in roles as chairman, president, board member and advisor. Fisher holds a BA from Carlton University.
With over 35 years in corporate finance, Alan Rootenberg’s extensive knowledge ensures Anteros maintains its strong financial foundation. Rootenberg holds a CPA, CA designation and has extensive experience in mineral and oil and gas exploration, serving as chief executive officer, chief financial officer and director to publicly listed companies.
Wesley Keats has 22 years of experience in the metals industry, having worked privately and for major and junior mining companies across seven countries. A fourth-generation prospector in Newfoundland, he is a partner of Planet X and VP of Exploration at Anteros. Keats is a co-recipient of the PDAC Bill Dennis Award for significant prospecting success.
Bill Kennedy is a second-generation prospector with 12 years of experience in exploration-centric business operations and development in Newfoundland and Labrador, and has over 20 years of experience in information technologies. Blending his passion for tech and mining, Kennedy continues to pioneer data science systems for mineral target vectorization.
Chris Morrison has experience in the operation of multiple corporations, mining sector marketing and communications, and capital markets. Morrison is the marketing manager for Planet X Exploration and multiple public client companies, and the principal of SJ AV Studio – a digital multimedia audio/visual production facility focused on mining sector press and marketing material curation and distribution.
Emily Halle is co-founder, geologist, and managing director at Halle Geological Services. She holds degrees in commerce and geology, is a certified PMP, and has over 20 years of mineral exploration experience. She serves on the board of the Mining Association of Nova Scotia and is a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists.
Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Friday (August 15) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.
Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ethereum and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.
Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$116,999, a 0.8 percent decline in 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$116,956, while its highest was US$118,192.
Bitcoin price performance, August 15, 2025.
Chart via TradingView.
Bitcoin surged to a new all-time high of US$124,533 on Thursday (August 14), driven by increased institutional interest and expectations that the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates.
However, the rally was short-lived, as the price fell as low as US$117,263 early on Friday.
The decline was attributed to hotter-than-expected US producer price index data for July, which dampened investor optimism about a rate reduction. Additionally, comments from US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent revealed that the country holds less Bitcoin in reserve than previously thought, further unsettling the market.
Ethereum (ETH) experienced one of its most successful weeks of the year, with on-chain data further underscoring this bullish trend. Daily active addresses, stablecoin transfer volume and daily transactions all reached record highs this week. Additionally, decentralized exchange volume hit its highest point since 2022.
As of Friday’s close, ETH was priced at US$4,391.13, a 3.3 percent decline over 24 hours. Its lowest valuation on Friday was US$4,381.31, and its highest was US$4,614.81.
Ethereum-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have seen an unprecedented surge in investor demand, attracting almost US$3 billion in net inflows over the past week. According to SoSoValue data, this amount is more than five times the US$562 million that flowed into Bitcoin ETFs during the same period.
The spike coincides with a rapid increase in Ethereum holdings by crypto treasury firms — their exposure has climbed from US$600 million to US$11 billion in just six weeks. It also follows the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approval of in-kind creations and redemptions for spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. The change makes the funds more cost efficient and attractive to institutional investors.
ETF Store President Nate Geraci said in a post on X that three of the four largest single-day inflows for Ethereum ETFs since their inception occurred this week alone. Prices for the cryptocurrency have rallied nearly 19 percent over the past seven days, coming within reach of their 2021 all-time high of US$4,878.
Galaxy Digital (NASDAQ:GLXY) has secured a US$1.4 billion term loan facility to accelerate the development of its Helios artificial intelligence (AI) data center campus in Texas.
The loan, announced on Friday, will cover approximately 80 percent of the construction costs for the project’s first phase, with Galaxy Digital contributing US$350 million in equity. According to an SEC filing, the loan is secured by all assets of Galaxy Helios I, a subsidiary of Galaxy Digital, and is set to mature on August 15, 2028.
The capital infusion will fund the expansion of the Helios AI datacenter, enabling it to deliver power for AI workloads under a long-term agreement with GPU cloud provider CoreWeave (NASDAQ:CRWV), commencing in early 2026.
Galaxy Digital also announced the expansion of a power capacity deal with CoreWeave to 800 megawatts for AI and high-performance computing operations at its Helios campus, projecting over US$1 billion in annual revenue from this deal, or US$15 billion over 15 years. The Helios data center is expected to reach a 3.5 gigawatt capacity when fully developed, with 2.7 gigawatts available for other clients after the CoreWeave agreement.
On Thursday, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the seizure of over US$2.8 million in cryptocurrency, as well as cash and other assets, as part of a criminal case against an alleged ransomware operator.
Ianis Aleksandrovich Antropenko, the alleged operator, faces charges of conspiring to commit computer fraud and abuse, as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering.
On Thursday, the DOJ unsealed six warrants, authorizing the seizure of US$2.8 million in cryptocurrency from a wallet controlled by Antropenko, along with US$70,000 in cash and a luxury vehicle.
According to the notice, these assets are believed to be the proceeds of ransomware activity, or involved in laundering those proceeds. The laundered assets were disguised through various methods, including the use of ChipMixer, a cryptocurrency mixing service that was shut down in a coordinated international operation in 2023.
Antropenko also laundered cryptocurrency by converting it to cash and making structured cash deposits.
Michael Saylor, executive chairman of Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR), is pursuing a high-risk plan to finance further Bitcoin purchases through perpetual preferred stock offerings.
The new securities — nicknamed “Stretch” — do not mature, lack voting rights and can skip dividends under certain conditions, giving the issuer flexibility while raising investor concerns about risk.
This marks a departure from the company’s earlier reliance on common stock sales and convertible bonds to fund what is now a US$75 billion Bitcoin treasury. Saylor aims to retire billions in outstanding debt and replace it with preferred equity, which he says could theoretically scale to US$100 billion or more in capital raised.
The model hinges on investor appetite for yield backed indirectly by Bitcoin’s performance, while avoiding the dilution impact of issuing more common stock.
In a notice on Friday, the US Federal Reserve Board said it will sunset a program created in August 2023 to supervise certain activities related to crypto assets and distributed ledger technology.
The Fed said it will return to monitoring activity through the normal supervisory process.
“Since the Board started its program to supervise certain crypto and fintech activities in banks, the Board has strengthened its understanding of those activities, related risks, and bank risk management practices,” it said.
“As a result, the Board is integrating that knowledge and the supervision of those activities back into the standard supervisory process and is rescinding its 2023 supervisory letter creating the program.”
Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has introduced new custody rules for licensed virtual asset trading platforms, setting stricter benchmarks for how client assets must be stored and secured.
The updated framework includes specific requirements for cold wallet usage, senior management accountability and real-time cyber threat monitoring, alongside rules for using third-party wallet providers.
These measures follow an SFC review earlier this year that identified security and operational gaps among some licensed exchanges. The regulator says the changes are part of its ASPIRe strategy, a five point plan to address liquidity fragmentation, regulatory arbitrage and volatility, while expanding regulated product offerings.
The policy also aims to position Hong Kong as a safer, more structured alternative to other Asian crypto hubs, notably Singapore, which has imposed tighter limits on retail trading.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Tech stocks led Wall Street to a second consecutive week of gains as a series of data releases reignited optimism about a September interest rate cut from the US Federal Reserve.
A strong consumer price index report was the catalyst, renewing anticipation that the Fed will lower rates when it meets next month. While Thursday’s (August 14) less optimistic producer price index report caused a momentary pause, the tech sector’s resilience — or defiance — mitigated losses and kept momentum alive.
Here’s a look at the key moments that shaped the tech sector this week.
On Monday (August 11), the Washington Post reported on a deal between the US government and tech giants NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) (NASDAQ:AMD). It stipulates that the tech companies must surrender 15 percent of revenue from Chinese sales of NVIDIA’s H20 chips and AMD’s MI308 chips.
Anonymous sources told the news outlet that this condition was imposed as a prerequisite for granting the companies export licenses to sell their products in China. The move that has prompted legal concerns among trade experts who say the fee could be construed as an unconstitutional trade tax.
“To call this unusual or unprecedented would be a staggering understatement,” Stephen Olson, a former US trade negotiator, told Bloomberg. “What we are seeing is in effect the monetization of US trade policy in which US companies must pay the US government for permission to export.”
AMD, NVIDIA and Intel performance, August 12 to 15, 2025.
Chart via Google Finance.
Meanwhile, shares of Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) rose as much as 4.6 percent on Tuesday (August 12) following a ‘candid and constructive’ meeting between CEO Lip-Bu Tan and US President Donald Trump on Monday.
The meeting came after Trump called for Tan’s removal last week.
According to a separate Bloomberg article, the US government is considering taking a stake in the chipmaker to help it establish a planned factory hub in Ohio; the company once promised it would be the world’s largest chipmaking facility. Tan has not confirmed or denied the report, but discussions are said to be ongoing. Sources told Bloomberg the government is considering using funds from the Biden administration’s Chips Act to fund the stake.
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) shares rose as much as 1.3 percent on Wednesday (August 13) after the commerce company announced plans to significantly expand its grocery services.
On Wednesday, the company said its same-day delivery service will now include fresh groceries, including produce, meat and dairy, in over 1,000 cities, with plans to expand into more than 2,300 by the end of the year.
The service is included in Amazon Prime memberships for orders over US$25. Smaller orders and orders from non-members will require fees of US$2.99 and US$12.99, respectively.
Artificial intelligence (AI) data center operator CoreWeave (NASDAQ:CRWV) reported mixed Q2 results on Tuesday, with revenue more than doubling year-on-year to US$1.2 billion, beating estimates of US$1.08 billion, and a revenue backlog of US$30.1 billion. However, the growth came at a high cost. The company reported a record US$2.9 billion in capital expenditures for the quarter, and operating expenses jumped by 276 percent to US$1.19 billion.
CoreWeave performance, August 12 to 15, 2025.
Chart via Google Finance.
The company also reported losses of US$291 million, larger than the US$190.6 million analysts had estimated.
Shares of CoreWeave opened more than 10 percent lower on Wednesday and declined throughout the week, closing at US$99.97 on Friday (August 15) compared to Monday’s opening price of US$134.80.
AI startup Perplexity made a US$34.5 billion bid for Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) web browser, Chrome, in a move to secure its future in the AI search market. Perplexity told the Wall Street Journal that the unsolicited offer would be funded with the help of outside investors. The company’s advance comes as Google faces a potential divestiture following an antitrust trial that found it had illegally monopolized online search and search advertising.
OpenAI has also expressed interest in acquiring Chrome.
On Thursday, Business Insider reported that Perplexity is preparing for another round of funding, which would mark its sixth fundraiser in 18 months. The company is reportedly seeking a post-money valuation of US$20 billion. This comes barely one month after the startup achieved a US$18 billion valuation.
The rapid succession of these events underscores the intense, high-stakes competition among AI startups to secure foundational assets and challenge established tech giants.
Canadian AI startup Cohere secured US$500 million in fresh funding on Thursday from a group of investors that included NVIDIA and AMD, bringing its valuation to US$6.8 billion. The company also onboarded former executives from Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META).
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares climbed as high as 1.7 percent on Wednesday after Bloomberg reported on the company’s planned expansion into robotics, home security and smart displays.
The new products are aimed at strengthening Apple’s product ecosystem, which has paled in comparison to offerings from tech rivals like Amazon and Meta.
Apple performance, August 12 to 15, 2025.
Chart via Google Finance.
Some of the new devices slated for future release include a tabletop virtual companion robot, a long-planned advanced Siri model with a visual personality, a smart speaker with display capabilities and home security cameras.
Apple finished the week at US$231.59, a 1.7 percent gain from Monday.
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Playboy plans to relocate its global headquarters from Los Angeles to Miami Beach and open a Playboy club there.
The Miami Beach headquarters at the top of a luxury office building will include studios to support Playboy’s “growing creator network” and the club will have a restaurant as well as a members-only section inspired by the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles, the company said Thursday in a statement.
“Miami Beach is among the most dynamic and culturally influential cities in the country, making it the ideal home for Playboy’s next chapter,” Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy Inc., said in the statement.
The first Playboy Magazine was published in 1953, featuring Marilyn Monroe on the cover and in a “Sweetheart of the Month” color nude photo inside.
The first Playboy Club opened in 1960 in Chicago, which was the headquarters of the company at the time, and the company opened up clubs around the world.
In 2020, Playboy ceased publishing its monthly print magazine, sticking instead with online content.
Asra Minerals is an emerging gold explorer with a compelling investment case as it focuses on strategic expansion and development of high-grade resources across its Leonora gold project in Western Australia.
Asra Minerals (ASX:ASR) is unlocking the potential of its portfolio of existing resources and underexplored prospects within Western Australia’s renowned Leonora Goldfields. The company controls one of the largest and most prospective land positions in the district, strategically surrounded by high-profile gold producers such as Genesis Minerals’ (ASX:GMD) with its 8.9 million oz (Moz) Leonora Operations; Vault Minerals (ASX:VAU), which operates the 1.9 Moz Darlot mine and 4.1 Moz King of the Hills mine; and Northern Star (ASX:NST), which operates the 4.2 Moz Thunderbox mine.
With existing JORC 2012 resources of 200,000 oz gold and a clear strategy to reach 500,000 oz in the near-term, Asra Minerals is leveraging its 936 sq km Leonora landholding in one of Australia’s most prolific gold belts. Asra’s tenements span 75 km of strike length, including two primary zones – Leonora North and Leonora South – each with resource-stage projects, brownfields upside and newly identified high-priority drill targets.
A strategic reset in late 2024 led to a new CEO, technical team and drilling strategy aimed squarely at resource growth and project consolidation. With global unrest supporting sustained high gold prices and WA’s regulatory stability, Asra’s ground – historically underexplored and fragmented – is now primed for discovery, growth and value creation.
Asra Minerals’ flagship Leonora gold project spans more than 936 sq km in Western Australia’s prolific Eastern Goldfields. The asset is subdivided into the Leonora North and Leonora South project areas. The region hosts multiple world-class gold operations, including Genesis Minerals’ Leonora operations, Vault Minerals’ King of the Hills, and Northern Star’s Thunderbox mine, all within trucking distance. Asra’s tenements lie along the highly prospective granite-greenstone contacts and major fault systems such as the Ursus Fault, known for controlling high-grade orogenic gold mineralization.
The Leonora South project is 549 sq km with eight granted mining leases, located within the historic Kookynie goldfields. This area is host to numerous high-grade deposits, including Genesis Minerals’ Ulysses Hub (~2 Moz gold). Asra is focused on the Sapphire and Orion open pit deposits, which together comprise a JORC 2012 inferred resource of 48,014 oz grading at 2.2 grams per ton (g/t) gold. High-grade intercepts include standout results such as 166 g/t gold over 6 m from 135 m, including 248.8 g/t gold over 4 m (Sapphire), and 46.4 g/t gold over 4 m from 3 m (Orion), demonstrating a potential for bonanza-grade extensions at depth.
Diamond drilling completed in Q4/2024 confirmed down-dip continuity of high-grade gold zones approximately 30 to 50 m below historical intercepts, with assays such as 47.95 g/t gold over 1 m from 115.2 m, 23.12 g/t gold over 1 m from 148.7 m, and 23.97 g/t gold over 0.8 m from 161.2 m. A new 1,300 m RC and diamond-tail drilling program commenced in Q2/2025 to test these high-priority targets, aiming to significantly increase the resource base. The mineralized quartz veins at Sapphire and Orion trend east-northeast and dip steeply – 50 to 80 degrees – southwards and remain open at depth and along strike.
Exploration across Leonora South has identified 21 high-priority targets, of which 15 have never been drill tested. These were derived from detailed 2025 airborne magnetics, structural reinterpretation and geochemical mapping. Planned work includes follow-up aircore and RC drilling to expand the mineralized footprint, including at Gladstone and Jessop Creek, with approvals already received from the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.
Situated 40 km northeast of Leonora and just 5 km from Vault’s King of the Hills mine, Leonora North is a brownfields gold asset with significant exploration and expansion potential. The area lies within the Eastern Goldfields Superterrane of the Yilgarn Craton and is hosted along the structurally controlled Ursus Fault Zone, a major gold-bearing shear corridor. The project contains multiple zones with a total JORC 2012 resource of 152,000 oz grading at 1.7 g/t gold, including:
The Mt Stirling resource remains open along strike and at depth, with high-grade shoots identified to the north. The flat-lying Stirling Well orebody has potential for parallel lodes and deeper extensions into mafic host rocks. A major aeromagnetic and litho-structural reinterpretation, completed in December 2024, identified +20 high-priority gold targets across the northern strike extensions. Several of these are situated adjacent to the historically mined Diorite King Mine, which reportedly produced at high grades. The untested 12 km Ursus Fault corridor remains a key focus, with ~9 km still unexplored.
Importantly, Asra secured 100 percent ownership of the Mt Cutmore prospect in May 2025, consolidating a highly strategic zone within the Mt Stirling region. This acquisition covers multiple live and pending tenements, and enhances Asra’s ability to deploy a focused drilling campaign across the Leonora North project area. Drill permits have been secured, and both AC and RC programs are planned for H2/2025 to evaluate new geophysical anomalies, follow up on known mineralization, and grow the current resource base.
A seasoned mining executive, Paul Stephen has held various executive and directorship roles across ASX and LSE-listed companies prior to joining Asra. He was a co-founder and executive director of Crusader Resources, where he was instrumental in the discovery, development and operation of the Posse Iron Ore mine in Brazil. During his tenure, he oversaw the delineation of over 2.6 million ounces of gold, significantly contributing to Crusader’s market capitalization exceeding AU$160 million.
Paul Summers has been a legal practitioner since 1985, and founded his own firm, Summers Legal in 1989. He has been Asra’s counsel for more than 10 years and has provided extensive advice and service during the recent takeover of Cascade Resources. Summers is currently lead counsel – commercial, corporate and property of Summers Legal and is familiar with the company’s affairs, projects and strategy.
Mathew Longworth is a geologist with over 35 years’ experience in large projects, exploration and discoveries in Australia, Greenland, Africa, South America and the Pacific. He is currently chairman of Ardea Resources and Greenfields Exploration, and non-executive chairman of Northam Resources. As a director and chairman, he has guided companies through challenging corporate times including IPO listings, takeovers, major capital raisings, 249D notices and joint venture negotiations while maximizing value for shareholders.
Leonard Math is a chartered accountant with more than 15 years of resource industry experience. He was an auditor at Deloitte and is experienced with public company responsibilities including ASX and ASIC compliance, control and implementation of corporate governance, statutory financial reporting and shareholder relations. He previously held company secretary and directorship roles for a number of ASX listed companies.
Ziggy Lubieniecki is a highly experienced geologist with over three decades of expertise spanning exploration, mining, management, property acquisition and company listings. His previous senior roles include chief mine geologist at Plutonic, exploration manager at Australian Platinum Mines, and executive director at Gold Road Resources. Along with a successful exploration track record, Lubieniecki is credited for the discovery of the 6.2 Moz Gruyere gold deposit.