The price of bitcoin continues to dance. It dropped to $90K this Monday before rallying back to $101K by Friday. Can we blame this week’s price volatility on global warming? Eight U.S. states are now in the running to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve. So far, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Ohio, Alabama, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and North Dakota have filed bills to make the legislation state law. Who will be the first to make it official? Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis has demanded that FDIC Chair Marty Gruenberg immediately stop any destruction or tampering with documents related to the FDIC’s digital asset…

Donald Trump’s team may have been batting around the idea of a gradual ratcheting up of import tariffs on much of the world, but bankers who finance the companies in his firing line are in a frenzy nonetheless. As the president-elect’s inauguration looms next week, some European businesses in threatened industries have accelerated borrowing plans to get ahead of any punitive measures. Others are being grilled by lenders on how they’ll be impacted by as-yet undisclosed tariffs. Private credit funds, who make loans to riskier midsized companies, are being questioned by investors about their exposure to vulnerable borrowers.

Rio Tinto Group and Glencore Plc have held early stage talks about combining their businesses to create a behemoth to rival longstanding industry titan BHP Group. The discussions took place as recently as late last year but are not currently active, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. Rio Tinto is the world’s second-biggest miner, with a market value of about $104 billion as trading got underway in London on Friday, while Glencore was valued at about $56 billion. BHP is worth about $126 billion.

There’s a potentially major shakeup brewing in the mining industry… Mining giants Rio Tinto and Glencore are exploring a potential $160 billion merger that could reshape the global metals landscape. The deal would create a copper powerhouse to rival industry leader BHP, though significant hurdles still remain. READ MORE “2025 might be the last year to buy gold under $3,000” That’s the spicy take from Alan Hibbard during his recent Bloomberg Television interview.  Catch his full analysis on what could drive gold’s next big move — and the only two factors he believes could hold it back. Alan’s interview is…

“Gold continues to be one of the most important reserve assets globally, as evidenced by the significant purchases of gold by central banks in recent years.” – Hungarian central bank, September 2024 As we enter the final stretch of 2024 with the international gold price having made continual new highs during the last 8 months, it’s encouraging to see that central banks, on a collective basis, are still large net buyers of physical gold for their monetary gold reserves. According to the World Gold Council’s just released Gold Demand Trend (GDT) report for the third quarter 2024, central banks (and…

Penny Production Costs in 2025: Current Trends Show Prices  Could Approach 3.5 Cents Per Penny! Have you ever thought about what pennies are made of?  At first glance, it may seem like a minor coin, almost negligible in value. However, the cost to produce each penny actually exceeds its face value, which has led to debates about whether keeping the penny in circulation is worth it. Understanding the economics behind coin production offers fascinating insights—not only into the penny itself but also into the true value of metals in our currency system. In 2024, the cost of producing a single…

Image credit: www.npr.org With less than two months until his inauguration on 20 January 2025, US president-elect Donald Trump is ramping up the rhetoric on tariff threats to unprecedented levels – even by his own “all guns blazing” standards. In the space of less than two weeks, Trump has lost no time in firing off import tariff threats against China, Canada, Mexico, and all nine member countries of BRICS (a grouping which represents 45% of the world’s population). In doing so, Trump is rekindling fears of global trade wars and creating global economic uncertainty. This global economic uncertainty coupled with…

NBA championship rings are symbols of unparalleled achievement in professional basketball. Designed with exquisite craftsmanship, these rings often feature precious metals like gold. If you’ve ever wondered about the gold content of NBA championship rings and their worth, you’re not alone. For a deeper understanding of gold’s role in various industries, visit BullionStar’s Gold University.Image Credit: ebay.com.au/str/goatsports23m We’ll uncover the fascinating gold content of these rings, explore their value, and compare them to traditional gold investments. Additionally, we’ll delve into whether the gold used is solid or plated and how the value of the materials stacks up against the ring’s production…