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Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Wednesday (July 2) 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 and Ethereum price update

Bitcoin (BTC) is priced at US$109,452, up by four percent in the last 24 hours, and its highest valuation of the day. The day’s range for the cryptocurrency brought a low of US$107,542.

Bitcoin price performance, July 2, 2025.

Bitcoin price performance, July 2, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Bitcoin’s price gain was driven by a calming in Middle East tensions and growing optimism after the US Federal Reserve signaled a dovish tilt; both factors boosted investor risk appetite. Additionally, continued inflows into US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and favorable regulation expectations helped sustain upward momentum.

Ethereum (ETH) is priced at US$2,584.30, up by 7.5 percent over the past 24 hours and its highest valuation of the day. Its lowest valuation on Wednesday was US$2,446.41.

Altcoin price update

  • Solana (SOL) was priced at US$152.55, up by five percent over 24 hours. Its highest valuation as of Wednesday was US$153.39, and its lowest was US$148.29.
  • XRP was trading for US$2.18, up by 4.9 percent in 24 hours. The cryptocurrency’s lowest valuation was US$2.15 and its highest was US$2.27.
  • Sui (SUI) is trading at US$2.92, showing an increaseof 9.3 percent over the past 24 hours and its highest valuation on Wednesday. Its lowest valuation was US$2.76.
  • Cardano (ADA) is priced at US$0.5932, up by 10.6 percent in the last 24 hours, and its highest valuation of the day. Its lowest valuation as of Wednesday was US$0.5605.

Today’s crypto news to know

Judge permits billion-dollar lawsuit against Tether

A US bankruptcy judge is allowing a US$40 billion lawsuit against stablecoin issuer Tether to proceed, according to court documents filed in New York on Monday (June 30). The lawsuit was launched by crypto lender Celsius, which accused Tether of improperly liquidating nearly 40,000 Bitcoin from its platform in June 2022.

Tether attempted to dismiss claims, arguing that the liquidation was to cover Celsius’s US$812 million debt when Bitcoin prices plummeted. Tether also claimed that US courts lacked authority over Tether’s non-US operations, a claim the judge disagreed with, and maintains that Celsius had directed the liquidation.

Coinbase buys Liquifi in undisclosed deal

Coinbase has acquired Liquifi, a startup that builds token management platforms for crypto projects, continuing its busy M&A streak in 2025. Liquifi, backed in its 2022 seed round by Dragonfly and investors like Balaji Srinivasan, helps projects track token vesting, manage crypto cap tables, and handle tax requirements. Coinbase declined to disclose the purchase price, but said Liquifi will help streamline token launches and distribution. This puts Coinbase closer to an “end-to-end” model, similar to Binance’s launchpad, which supports crypto creation from early stages.

Liquifi has been locked in a legal fight with competitor Toku over alleged business document theft, claims which it denies, and Coinbase said it will stand by Liquifi’s defense.

The deal follows other Coinbase acquisitions this year, including Spindl, Iron Fish’s team and the company’s record-breaking US$2.9 billion Deribit buy.

SEC considers streamlining ETF listings

The US Securities and Exchange Commission is reportedly considering a change to its listing structure that would allow ETF issuers to submit a Form S-1, the initial listing registration filing, without having to first file a Form 19b-4.

This is according to crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett, who added that she was told issuers would only need to wait 75 days before listing their tokens if they met the criteria for a general listing standard, the details of which are still unknown but could involve criteria like market capitalization, liquidity and trading volume.

Tech billionaires launch crypto-focused bank Erebor

A group of prominent tech investors, including Anduril’s Palmer Luckey, Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, are backing a new US-based crypto bank called Erebor, as per the Financial Times.

Erebor has applied for a national banking charter and plans to serve technology-driven sectors like artificial intelligence, defense and crypto, as well as individuals working in these fields.

The digital-only bank will be headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with an additional office in New York.

Erebor intends to hold stablecoins on its balance sheet, offering a stable value backed by reserves. The bank is led by Owen Rapaport and Jacob Hirshman, a former Circle adviser.

Erebor’s mission is to address the gap left by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, which had been a critical channel for startups and venture investors until its 2023 failure.

AllUnity to launch Euro stablecoin

Germany’s financial watchdog, BaFin, has granted regulatory approval to Deutsche Bank and its asset management arm, DWS, for their joint venture, AllUnity. They will launch a euro stablecoin called EURAU, pegged 1:1 to the euro.

The approval allows AllUnity to launch its stablecoin in compliance with new MiCA regulations. The stablecoin aims to facilitate secure, transparent and compliant digital payments for institutions and businesses across Europe.

In other news out of Europe, the European Central Bank said it plans to test a new system using blockchain technology by late 2026 to settle payments in euros. This initiative, called Pontes, is part of a two-track approach that will connect modern blockchain platforms with the eurozone’s existing payment systems.

China considers stablecoins to reinforce cross-border payment strategy

Policy advisors in China are pressing Beijing to explore stablecoins for cross-border payments, even as the country’s broad crypto ban remains in place, Bloomberg reported.

People’s Bank of China (PBOC) Governor Pan Gongsheng noted that stablecoins could make international finance more resilient to geopolitical disruptions, a view echoed by other senior officials.

Former PBOC governor Zhou Xiaochuan suggested dollar-linked stablecoins might even accelerate dollarization, while others see a case for yuan-backed coins to support China’s long-term currency goals.

The momentum comes after the US Senate passed a stablecoin bill in June, advancing President Donald Trump’s digital currency agenda. Stablecoin supply is projected to reach US$3.7 trillion by 2030, driven by cheaper, faster settlement options compared to traditional banking.

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.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Walker Lane Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:WLR, FRA: 6YL) (the ‘Company’ or ‘Walker Lane’) is pleased to announce that is has received results from Coeur Silvertip Holdings Ltd. (‘Coeur’) on field geophysical and geological studies completed in late 2024 on the Silverknife Property, British Columbia. Coeur contracted Expert Geophysics Limited (‘Expert’) and Precision Geophysics (‘Precision’) to complete the airborne geophysical surveys, and 39627 Yukon Inc. to complete geological mapping of the Silverknife Property and an initial geochemical survey of the northern portion of the property.

This work was completed by Coeur as a part of the option agreement for the Silverknife Property with Walker Lane. The four-year option agreement provides for $3.55 million in work expenditures and $500,000 in property payments by Coeur to earn a 75% interest in the Silverknife Property which is immediately adjacent to Coeur’s Silvertip Mine claims.

The primary results of these work efforts are:

  • The geological map of the property is now significantly revised and better defines the location of prospective lithological units;
  • The geophysical surveys served to:
    • Define the presence of complex fault structures;
    • Present additional conductivity data;
    • Identify a potential new prospective zone in the northeastern section of the property; and
    • Enhance the continued prospectivity of the Tootsee River North, Silverknife Central and Silverknife South zones of exploration prospectivity.

Kevin Brewer, President and CEO of Walker Lane noted, ‘We are very pleased with that the geological mapping and airborne geophysics has clearly served to better define and confirm the zones of exploration prospectivity. This work identified key structural features such as faults which are known in the region to be controls and loci of mineralization. Other features such the presence of fugitive calcite in outcrops typically demonstrates that you are in close proximity toa potential carbonate replacement deposit (‘CRD’). The four prospective areas on the Silverknife property are both significant and of substantial areal extent and present valid drill targets for future exploration efforts. The property has been subjected to limited drilling confined primarily to the Silverknife Prospect that in itself remains open for further expansion along strike and at depth. Given the propensity of potential mineralization in such close proximity to the Silvertip deposit, one of the world’s largest and highest grade CRD deposits, finding this much prospectivity is a very exciting development. There clearly is a great amount of work to be completed at Silverknife. We look forward to Coeur’s continued commitment to explore Silverknife, which may include some drilling.’

Precision Geophysics – Airborne High Resolution Gradient Magnetic and Radiometric Survey Results

When magnetic and radiometric data are integrated into a single-pass airborne geophysical survey, they provide complimentary information that serve as a robust geophysical framework. The magnetic and radiometric data collected by Precision was useful in mapping lithology, structure and alteration features present on the Silverknife Property. The Total Magnetic Intensity (‘TMI’) data (see Figure 1) indicated the potential existence of three main lineaments within the Silverknife Property. In the instance of Silverknife, the lineaments express underlying geological structures such as faults. Faults are important as they present corridors for the migration of mineralizing fluids. Two lineaments, northeasterly and northwesterly trending are prominent throughout the property area. The third lineament is a more northerly feature that occurs in the area of the Silverknife Property. The most prominent structural feature identified from the TMI data, was a northeasterly trending structure known as the SVT NE Fault, which is a major regional fault that transects the central portion of the Silverknife Property. In this area, the SVT NE Fault and the secondary lineaments appear to be in a cross-cutting relationship which are often prime target areas for mineralization, and are considered highly prospective as the coincide with historical soil geochemical anomalies in the Silverknife Central Zone. Geological mapping has also indicated the presence of Atan and Kechika Group limestones in this area which are favorable rock units to host carbonate replacement deposits. The Silvertip mine is characterized as a carbonate replacement deposit. In addition, the potential of additional structures throughout the Silverknife Central Zone to the western boundary of the Silverknife claims presents numerous targets for drilling and expansion of mineralization identified in the Silverknife Property, and this area is yet to be drilled.

Total Magnetic Intensity survey with geological and structural interpretation by Symonds (2024). Note the potential cross cutting fault structures in the central portion of the property (after Precision, 2024).

Figure 1: Total Magnetic Intensity survey with geological and structural interpretation by Symonds (2024). Note the potential cross cutting fault structures in the central portion of the property (after Precision, 2024).

The Precision TMI data also indicated a near-north trending fault that cuts the McDame Limestones and Tapioca Group in the Silverknife South Zone. The TMI data was complimented by Residual Magnetic Intensity (‘RMI’) and Reduced to Magnetic Pole (‘RTP’) that also showed the same structural lineaments.

In-line gradient (‘ILG’) and horizontal gradient showed the same structure features as the TMI data (see Figures 2a and 2b).

In Line gradient survey (ILG) with lineament interpretation in the Silverknife region (After Precision, 2024).

Figure 2a: In Line gradient survey (ILG) with lineament interpretation in the Silverknife region (After Precision, 2024).

Horizontal Gradient (HG) with lineament interpretation in the Silverknife region (After Precision, 2024).

Figure 2b: Horizontal Gradient (HG) with lineament interpretation in the Silverknife region (After Precision, 2024).

However, they also showed the potential for more complex faulting along the southern and northern contacts of the Cassiar batholith that could represent block faulting in the metasediments. In addition, this data showed the presence of a north-oriented structure in the northeastern most portion of the Silverknife Property, that presented a new area of exploration prospectivity previously undetected.

Calculated Vertical Gradient (‘CVG’) data (see Figure 3) presented a distinct continuum of structures extending from south of the Silverknife Property into the Silverknife South Zone.

Calculated Vertical Gradient (CVG) with lineament interpretation of the Silverknife region (after Precision, 2024).

Figure 3: Calculated Vertical Gradient (CVG) with lineament interpretation of the Silverknife region (after Precision, 2024).

The radiometric data serves to delineate the extent and potential contacts of different lithological rock units. Areas of high potassium were noted to occur in the Tootsee River North and the Northeastern zones. The significance of this data is not yet determined.

Expert Geophysics Helicopter-Borne Electromagnetic and Magnetic Survey Results

Electromagnetic and magnetic surveys were carried out to:

  • Provide data to aid in mapping bedrock structures and lithologies, including possible alteration and mineralization zones;
  • Provide observations of apparent conductivity corresponding to different frequencies;
  • Inverting EM data to obtain the distribution of resistivity with depth; and
  • Collecting VLF-EM and magnetic data to study properties of the bedrock units.

The electromagnetic survey verified information from the data in Precision’s surveys but also identified new information (see Figures 4a and 4b). A conductivity low south-southeast of the Silverknife Property suggests the presence of a near surface intrusive in that area. This is important because an intrusive provides a potential heat source and driver for mineralizing fluids into the overlying sediments which comprise of limestones and sandstone which are good hosts for CRD mineralization. The survey also indicated a conductivity high in the northeastern zone further strengthening exploration interest in that area.

Electromagnetic apparent conductivity at 49 Hz in the Silverknife region. Note the anomaly in the northeastern part of the property (After EGL, 2024).

Figure 4a: Electromagnetic apparent conductivity at 49 Hz in the Silverknife region. Note the anomaly in the northeastern part of the property (After EGL, 2024).

Electromagnetic apparent conductivity at 1067 Hz in the Silverknife region (After EGL, 2024).

Figure 4b: Electromagnetic apparent conductivity at 1067 Hz in the Silverknife region (After EGL, 2024).

Several axes of high conductivity/low resistivity were found to transect the Silverknife Property and are coincident with interpreted fault structures (see Figure 5). This relationship is important as mineralization within the Rancheria Silver District is often associated with faults and may also be correlated with the axes of a conductivity anomaly.

Three conductive axes occur in the (i) Tootsee River North Zone; (ii) the Silverknife Central Zone; and (iii) coincident with the regional SVT NE Fault structure that transects the central portion of the property. This last axis extends from outside of the Silverknife claim block and thence east-northeasterly across the entire claim block. This therefore represents the potential for a major fault structure with the geophysical signatures of silver rich CRD being that of high conductivity and low resistivity. Additional resistivity data enabled the development of a three-dimensional lithographic model suggesting the orientation and extent of the rock units within the Silverknife Property. This information is expected to significantly aid the planning of future drill programs.

VLF-EM data served to further verify other datasets as to the possible extent and location of fault structures within the Silverknife Property.

Axes of conductive and resistivity anomalies in the frequency range of 165-267 Hz plotted on a Total Magnetic Intensity color grid (After EGL, 2024).

Figure 5: Axes of conductive and resistivity anomalies in the frequency range of 165-267 Hz plotted on a Total Magnetic Intensity color grid (After EGL, 2024).

Geological Mapping

An updated geological map (see Figure 6) has been constructed from field mapping, drill data, and geophysical surveys. The extent of prospective units to host CRD mineralization has been found to be considerable. More specifically, the highly prospective McDame limestone occurs in both the Tootsee River North Zone and the Silverknife South Zone. Other prospective units in the central part of the property including the Atan and Kechika Group limestones occur within the central portion of the property which is now assumed to be of significant prospectivity from previous known CRD mineralization, and positive geochemical and geophysical signatures.

Summary

This recent geophysical work in combination with property mapping and previous geophysical data has contributed significantly to the understanding of the geology of the Silverknife Property. It has also contributed significantly to better defining targets for CRD mineralization and assisting to pinpoint targets for extensive drill campaigns.

Geology Map of the Silverknife Property (After Symonds, 2024)

Figure   6   :   Geology Map of the Silverknife Property (After Symonds, 2024)

Clarification of Nevada Transactions

The Company wishes to clarify that in its June 9, 2025 Press release all payments to be made to the optionors are to be made in US Dollars, the floor price for the shares that may be used to make property payments is also in US dollars at $0.21 USD, and the maximum number of common shares that could be issued by property are as follows:

  • Tule Canyon: 952,381
  • Cambridge: 500,000
  • Silver Mountain: 500,000

for a total number of common shares that could be issued to be 1,952,381 for the life of the agreements.

Qualified Person

Kevin Brewer, a registered professional geoscientist, is the Company’s President and CEO, and Qualified Person (as defined by National Instrument 43-101). He has given his approval of the technical information reported herein. The Company is committed to meeting the highest standards of integrity, transparency and consistency in reporting technical content, including geological reporting, geophysical investigations, environmental and baseline studies, engineering studies, metallurgical testing, assaying and all other technical data.

About Walker Lane Resources Ltd.

Walker Lane Resources Ltd. is a growth-stage exploration company focused on the exploration of high-grade gold, silver and polymetallic deposits in the Walker Lane Gold Trend District in Nevada and the Rancheria Silver District in Yukon/B.C. and other property assets in Yukon. The Company intends to initiate exploration programs to advance the drill-ready Tule Canyon (Walker Lane, Nevada) and Amy (Rancheria Silver, B.C.) projects to resource definition stage through proposed drilling campaigns that the Company desires to undertake in the near future.

On behalf of the Board:
‘Kevin Brewer’
Kevin Brewer, President, CEO and Director
Walker Lane Resources Ltd.

For Further Information and Investor Inquiries:

Kevin Brewer, P. Geo., MBA, B.Sc. (Hons), Dip. Mine Eng.
President, CEO and Director
Tel: (709) 327 8013
kbrewer80@hotmail.com
Suite 1600-409 Granville St.,
Vancouver, BC, V6C 1T2

Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and related figures, contain certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements as defined in applicable securities laws (collectively referred to as forward-looking statements). These statements relate to future events or our future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words ‘anticipate’, ‘plans’, ‘continue’, ‘estimate’, ‘expect’, ‘may’, ‘will’, ‘project’, ‘predict’, ‘potential’, ‘should’, ‘believe’ ‘targeted’, ‘can’, ‘anticipates’, ‘intends’, ‘likely’, ‘should’, ‘could’ or grammatical variations thereof and similar expressions is intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date of this presentation. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning: our strategy and priorities including certain statements included in this presentation are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding the Tule Canyon, Cambridge, Silver Mountain, and Shamrock Properties in Nevada (USA), and its properties including Silverknife and Amy properties in British Columbia, the Silver Hart, Blue Heaven and Logjam properties in Yukon all of which now comprise the mineral property assets of WLR. WLR has assumed other assets of CMC Metals Ltd. including common share holdings of North Bay Resources Inc. and all conditions and agreements pertaining to the sale of the Bishop mill gold processing facility and remains subject to the condition of the option of the Silverknife Property with Coeur Silvertip Holdings Ltd. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current beliefs and are based on information currently available to the Company and assumptions the Company believes are reasonable. The Company has made various assumptions, including, among others, that: the historical information related to the Company’s properties is reliable; the Company’s operations are not disrupted or delayed by unusual geological or technical problems; the Company has the ability to explore the Company’s properties; the Company will be able to raise any necessary additional capital on reasonable terms to execute its business plan; the Company’s current corporate activities will proceed as expected; general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner; and budgeted costs and expenditures are and will continue to be accurate.

Actual results and developments may differ materially from results and developments discussed in the forward-looking statements as they are subject to a number of significant risks and uncertainties, including: public health threats; fluctuations in metals prices, price of consumed commodities and currency markets; future profitability of mining operations; access to personnel; results of exploration and development activities, accuracy of technical information; risks related to ownership of properties; risks related to mining operations; risks related to mineral resource figures being estimates based on interpretations and assumptions which may result in less mineral production under actual conditions than is currently anticipated; the interpretation of drilling results and other geological data; receipt, maintenance and security of permits and mineral property titles; environmental and other regulatory risks; changes in operating expenses; changes in general market and industry conditions; changes in legal or regulatory requirements; other risk factors set out in this presentation; and other risk factors set out in the Company’s public disclosure documents. Although the Company has attempted to identify significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other risks that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are beyond the Company’s control. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements, and there can be no assurances that the actual results or developments will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences or benefits to, or effect on, the Company.

The information contained in this presentation is derived from management of the Company and otherwise from publicly available information and does not purport to contain all of the information that an investor may desire to have in evaluating the Company. The information has not been independently verified, may prove to be imprecise, and is subject to material updating, revision and further amendment. While management is not aware of any misstatements regarding any industry data presented herein, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made or given by or on behalf of the Company as to the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the information or opinions contained in this presentation and no responsibility or liability is accepted by any person for such information or opinions. The forward-looking statements and information in this presentation speak only as of the date of this presentation and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, prospective investors should not read forward-looking information as guarantees of future performance or results and should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Nothing in this presentation is, or should be relied upon as, a promise or representation as to the future. To the extent any forward-looking statement in this presentation constitutes ‘future-oriented financial information’ or ‘financial outlooks’ within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, such information is being provided to demonstrate the anticipated market penetration and the reader is cautioned that this information may not be appropriate for any other purpose and the reader should not place undue reliance on such future-oriented financial information and financial outlooks. Future-oriented financial information and financial outlooks, as with forward-looking statements generally, are, without limitation, based on the assumptions and subject to the risks set out above. The Company’s actual financial position and results of operations may differ materially from management’s current expectations and, as a result, the Company’s revenue and expenses. The Company’s financial projections were not prepared with a view toward compliance with published guidelines of International Financial Reporting Standards and have not been examined, reviewed or compiled by the Company’s accountants or auditors. The Company’s financial projections represent management’s estimates as of the dates indicated thereon.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8de562ce-2820-45c5-8612-27b9ec496811

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6c5e486b-a52d-490c-ba47-66cff1ca79a2

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6574c00c-1175-4c7d-ab9a-51a12f6db274

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b7501fed-b45b-4caa-9664-4a5e3191b7d5

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/982e982d-805c-4790-91f9-9df1cec52427

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/16d091e6-fe3b-4948-a4a4-83158f225c31

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ead9ce30-67cd-4842-a938-e38ee2a022ea

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/72c5171c-735e-47b9-a41e-07da3352448c

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Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ:HOOD) rolled out a bold new push into tokenized equities on Monday (June 30), announcing the launch of commission-free stock tokens for EU customers.

The Menlo Park-based brokerage said the tokens will trade 24 hours a day, five days a week, via a partnership with blockchain firm Arbitrum. Robinhood also revealed plans to expand the service to “thousands” of stock tokens by the end of the year and to eventually develop its own blockchain to enable full 24/7 trading.

Robinhood surged nearly 13 percent to an all-time high of US$93.63 on Monday after the announcement.

“Tokenization is going to open the door to a massive trading revolution,” Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said at the company’s keynote event, held in Cannes, France.

In a significant first, Robinhood also introduced tokenized shares linked to private companies — specifically Sam Altman’s OpenAI and Elon Musk’s SpaceX — which will be made available exclusively to EU customers.

To mark the launch, Robinhood is offering 5 euros worth of OpenAI and SpaceX stock tokens to every eligible EU user who joins the platform by July 7. Altogether, the company has earmarked US$1 million worth of OpenAI tokens and US$500,000 worth of SpaceX tokens for the incentive program.

Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood’s general manager and senior vice president of crypto, said the move reflects a desire to break open traditionally exclusive investment opportunities.

“We wanted to make sure we were giving access,” he said in Cannes.

“What we discussed on stage was how to address the inequality between people who have historically had access to these kinds of companies and everyone else. That’s the really exciting part: Now everyone will be able to get it.”

He added: “The goal with tokenization is to let anyone participate in this economy.”

Access to private equity has historically been limited to institutional or ultra-wealthy investors, but the EU’s more flexible regulatory environment allowed Robinhood to move quickly.

The tokenized shares will be distributed directly into users’ Robinhood custody wallets and support dividend payments, the company said, promising the same ownership and rights as traditional shares.

Robinhood’s effort reflects growing enthusiasm around so-called tokenized equities, which merge the advantages of traditional finance with blockchain-powered flexibility and low costs.

The model allows round-the-clock trading, fractional ownership, and lower barriers to entry.

Still, regulatory uncertainties cloud the future of tokenized equities, especially in the United States, where definitions around securities and investor protection rules remain unresolved.

Robinhood execs made clear that US customers should not expect to see similar private equity tokens anytime soon. The company is lobbying for more open frameworks to let retail US users participate in private equity markets.

For now, Robinhood will continue rolling out tokenized assets in the EU and expand to other jurisdictions as rules evolve.

Robinhood also announced crypto perpetual futures for its EU users, as well as the launch of crypto staking for US customers.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Rescuers were searching Thursday for 38 people missing in rough seas overnight after a ferry sank near Indonesia’s resort island of Bali.

Another four people died and 23 have been rescued, according to the Surabaya Search and Rescue Agency.

The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank almost half an hour after leaving East Java’s Ketapang port late Wednesday, the National Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement. It was bound for Bali’s Gilimanuk port, a 50-kilometer (30-mile) trip.

The ferry carried 53 passengers, 12 crew members and 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks, it said.

Many of those rescued were initially unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours, said Banyuwangi police chief Rama Samtama Putra.

Nine boats, including two tug boats and two inflatable boats, have been searching for the missing people, battling waves up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) high in the overnight darkness.

Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are often used as transport and safety regulations can lapse.

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Bangladesh’s ousted and self-exiled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to six months in prison by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal on Wednesday in a contempt of court case, a top prosecutor said.

Hasina has been facing multiple cases since she fled to India after deadly student-led protests in August, but it was the first time the former leader was sentenced in one of them.

Shakil Akand Bulbul, a leader of the Awami League party’s banned student wing Chhatra League, was also sentenced to two months in prison in the same case, Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam told reporters. The party had been led by Hasina for years.

A three-member ICT tribunal, led by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, delivered the verdict in their absence, noting that the sentences will take effect upon arrest or surrender, the prosecutor added.

The contempt charges stem from a leaked phone recording where Hasina was allegedly heard saying, “there are 227 cases against me, so I now have a licence to kill 227 people.”

A forensic report by a government investigative agency later confirmed the audio’s authenticity.

The ICT was originally set up in 2010 by Hasina’s own government to try 1971 war crimes.

Bangladesh’s interim administration, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, pledged to hold leaders, including Hasina, accountable for rights abuses and corruption, including the crackdown on the student-led uprising last July that toppled Hasina’s regime.

The tribunal has so far issued three arrest warrants for Hasina, including charges of crimes against humanity linked to the July violence. Hasina’s Awami League party remains banned while trials continue against the party and its former leaders.

Supporters of Hasina dismiss the charges as politically motivated, but the interim government insists the trials are crucial for restoring accountability and rebuilding trust in Bangladesh’s democratic institutions.

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President Donald Trump’s Justice Department filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court on Wednesday, seeking to overturn lower court rulings that blocked the administration from firing three Biden-appointed regulators.

The emergency appeal asks the High Court to allow the Trump administration to fire three members of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a five-member independent regulatory board that sets standards and oversees safety for thousands of consumer products. The appeal comes after the Supreme Court, in May, granted a separate emergency appeal request from the Trump administration pertaining to the firing of two Biden-appointed agency officials from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).  

‘It’s outrageous that we must once again seek Supreme Court intervention because rogue leftist judges in lower courts continue to defy the high court’s clear rulings,’ said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields. 

‘The Supreme Court decisively upheld the president’s constitutional authority to fire and remove executive officers exercising his power, yet this ongoing assault by activist judges undermines that victory,’ he continued. ‘President Trump remains committed to fulfilling the American people’s mandate by effectively leading the executive branch, despite these relentless obstructions.’

Mary Boyle, Alexander Hoehn-Saric and Richard Trumka Jr. were appointed to serve seven-year terms on the independent government agency by former President Joe Biden. Their positions have historically been protected from retribution, as they can only be terminated for neglect or malfeasance.

After Trump attempted to fire the three Democratic regulators, they sued, arguing the president sought to remove them without due cause. Eventually, a federal judge in Maryland agreed with them, and this week an appeals court upheld that ruling. 

However, according to the emergency appeal from the Trump administration, submitted to the High Court on Wednesday morning, the three regulators in question have shown ‘hostility to the President’s agenda’ and taken actions that have ‘thrown the agency into chaos.’

The emergency appeal to the Supreme Court added that ‘none of this should be possible’ after the High Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration’s decision to fire two executive branch labor relations officials.

‘None of this should be possible after Wilcox, which squarely controls this case. Like the NLRB and MSPB in Wilcox, the CPSC exercises ‘considerable executive power,’ 145 S. Ct. at 1415—for instance, by issuing rules, adjudicating administrative proceedings, issuing subpoenas, bringing enforcement suits seeking civil penalties, and (with the concurrence of the Attorney General) even prosecuting criminal cases,’ Solicitor General John Sauer wrote in the emergency appeal to the Supreme Court.

The request, according to Politico, will go to Chief Justice John Roberts, who is in charge of emergency appeals stemming from the appeals court that upheld the previous Maryland court ruling blocking the Trump administration’s firings.

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Market volatility, Chinese control, supply chain risk mitigation and financing emerged as some of the most prevalent themes at the 2025 Fastmarket’s Lithium Supply Battery Raw Materials (LBRM) conference in Las Vegas.

The event, which is in its 17th year, drew a crowd of roughly 1000 delegates, industry experts and analysts, to discuss the current landscape and future projections of the battery materials sector.

During his opening remarks, Fastmarkets CEO Raju Daswani highlighted the growth and maturation the battery raw materials sector has experienced.

“We meet here at an extraordinary moment, the global lithium and battery materials industry is no longer a niche … It is now central to energy security, to industrial policy and to geopolitical strategy,” he said.

Daswani then went on to set the tone for the conference by posing four key questions about the current market designed to guide attendees’ thinking throughout the event.

  1. Decoupling vs. Interdependence: Can the US and China truly decouple their lithium and battery supply chains, or will market realities force continued interdependence?
  2. Technology Leadership Race: Who will lead battery innovation?
  3. Price Sustainability: How sustainable is the current lithium price environment?
  4. Hidden Supply Chain Risks: What proactive steps can the industry take to address emerging risks like permitting delays, power constraints, community opposition, water limitations, talent shortages, and geopolitical instability in critical mining regions?

These questions framed the agenda for the four day event while also underscoring some of the key challenges and strategic considerations facing the global lithium and battery raw materials industry.

Robust growth projections

China’s dominance in the battery metals space was a central theme at the conference and explored via a variety of angels including supply and demand dynamics, growth projections and collaboration.

At the “Lithium Market Outlook 2025–2035: Navigating Demand Across EVs, Storage, and Strategic Sectors” presentation, Paul Lusty, head of battery raw materials at Fastmarkets painted a bullish picture for the future of lithium prices, despite the current challenges the market is facing.

We’re facing headwinds, no doubt, and we’re also seeing quite a lot of negative or bearish sentiment widespread in the market, and I think at times, it’s amplified by voices that really overlooked the phenomenal levels of demand that we’re seeing in many aspects of the market,” he said.

Although prices have floundered since 2022, the Fastmarkets team is projecting a 12 percent CAGR through to 2035.

“The long term outcome looks incredibly bullish and very compelling, the fundamentals are really still very strong, and these are anchored in some very powerful, mega trends that we see developing within the global economy.”

These trends include the urgent drive for climate change mitigation, the once in a generational shift in the global energy system, and the rise of energy intensive technologies such as artificial intelligence.

China’s place in western supply

As Daswani noted in his opening remarks China’s role in the battery metal sector was a recurring topic at the conference, with several speakers and panelists weighing in.

In one of the most compelling panels “Decoding the China Playbook’, panelists recounted the country’s nearly two decade long strategy to develop a robust, vertically integrated supply chain.

Iggy Tan, chairman of Lithium Universe (ASX:LU7,OTCPink:LUVSF), told the crowd China’s dominance in the battery metals sector began with a national goal of lowering vehicle emissions in the cities.

“(The) strategy was to reduce pollution in the cities, and that started the battery revolution,” he said of the nation’s switch to electric scooters and cars.

Additionally, the decision was further supported by a long term mandate.

“With the 15 year plan, government regulations, incentives, and investment started to flow according to the plan,” said Tan. “One of the downsides with Western economies is that (the government) changes every four years, whereas in China, the plan is just updated, and you can make long term investments in this area.”

As Joe Lowry, president of Global Lithium (ASX:GL1,OTCPink:GBLRF) and widely considered ‘Mr. Lithium’, added the battery supply chain in China, was further strengthened in 2003 when then president Hu Jintao selected the battery industry among his 10 Champion Industries.

Over the two decades since the Asian nation has invested heavily up and down the supply chain.

“If it was a TV show, it would be Survivor. China, outplayed, outwitted, and outlasted their competition,” said Lowry.

Financing the future

As with most cyclical commodities once lithium prices began to fall financing and investment also declined. Although the long term demand outlook is poised to benefit from battery sector expansion and energy storage system growth, the current glut in the market has created a challenge for Western companies.

This was reiterated by SC Insights Founder and Managing Director Andy Leyland, who used a colour coded chart to explain the discrepancy.

Leyland noted that at current low lithium prices (around US$7,000 per ton), companies are not making final investment decisions (FIDs) for new lithium projects.

Additionally over the past 12 months, hardly any FIDs have been happening in the industry. This is because at such low price levels, most projects are not financially viable.

Producers are cutting back on capital expenditures and are unable to justify new investments. The low prices make it economically challenging for companies to move forward with new lithium production projects, effectively freezing new developments in the sector.

This sentiment was echoed at the “Unlocking Funding: Bridging the Liquidity Gap and the Battery Market” panel, where YJ Lee, director and co-fund manager at Arcane Capital Advisers offered advice for junior miners.

“There’s very little financing available. So the junior miners … have to really cut the corporate costs, keep that as low as possible. But the operations must go on. They must continue drilling. They must continue developing. Because the next up cycle, I believe, is just around the corner.”

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

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Former President George W. Bush joined up with former President Barack Obama and U2 singer Bono to comfort United States Agency for International Development employees Monday, while also taking shots at President Donald Trump and his administration for shuttering the agency plagued by accusations of fraud and abuse. 

‘Gutting USAID is a travesty, and it’s a tragedy,’ Obama said in a video that was shown to departing USAID employees Monday, according to the Associated Press. ‘Because it’s some of the most important work happening anywhere in the world.’ 

Obama summed up the decision to shutter the agency as ‘a colossal mistake,’ and added that ‘sooner or later, leaders on both sides of the aisle will realize how much you are needed.’

Bush, Obama and Bono spoke to departing USAID employees Monday in a videoconference as the agency officially was shuttered following the Trump administration’s reporting that it was overrun with alleged corruption and mismanagement. The videoconference did not include members of the media, with the Associated Press reviewing and reporting on clips of the conference later that day.

USAID is an independent U.S. agency that was established under the Kennedy administration to administer economic aid to foreign nations. It was one of the first agencies investigated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in early February for alleged mismanagement and government overspending, with DOGE’s then-leader Elon Musk slamming the agency as ‘a viper’s nest of radical-left marxists who hate America.’ 

USAID officially was absorbed by the State Department Tuesday. 

Bush, who overwhelmingly has shied away from publicly criticizing Trump, lamented in his recorded message to the staffers that the end of USAID marks an end to his administration’s work rolling out an AIDS and HIV program that is credited with saving 25 million people nationwide.

‘You’ve showed the great strength of America through your work — and that is your good heart,’’ Bush told USAID staffers, according to the Associated Press. ‘Is it in our national interests that 25 million people who would have died now live? I think it is, and so do you.’ 

Bono of U2 fame recited a poem he wrote reflecting on USAID’s closure and his claims that millions around the world will likely now die, according to the Associated Press. 

‘They called you crooks. When you were the best of us,’ Bono said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Obama’s and Bush’s respective offices Wednesday morning for additional comment, but did not receive responses. 

Other longtime Trump foes, such as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, thanked foreign service officers for their work before USAID’s closure. 

‘In all my years of service, I found that foreign service officers and development professionals were among the most dedicated public servants I encountered,’ Clinton posted to X Tuesday. ‘Their work saves lives and makes the world safer. Today, and every day, I stand with them.’

Obama and Bush overwhelmingly have remained tight-lipped on their views of Trump under his second administration, with both former presidents attending Trump’s inauguration and not weighing in on the majority of Trump’s policies. Obama has taken issue with Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill,’ which is clearing its final hurdles to passage and will fund Trump’s agenda on social media, while Bush has consistently shied away from public rebukes of Trump in recent history. 

Bono previously has claimed that cuts to USAID would kill hundreds of thousands of people, and had slammed Trump in 2016 as ‘potentially the worst idea that ever happened to America.’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was serving as acting administrator of USAID, announced the State Department absorbed USAID’s foreign assistance programs Tuesday after decades of failing to ensure the programs it funded actually supported America’s interests. 

‘Beyond creating a globe-spanning NGO industrial complex at taxpayer expense, USAID has little to show since the end of the Cold War,’ Rubio wrote in his announcement. ‘Development objectives have rarely been met, instability has often worsened, and anti-American sentiment has only grown.’  

‘This era of government-sanctioned inefficiency has officially come to an end,’ he continued. ‘Under the Trump Administration, we will finally have a foreign funding mission in America that prioritizes our national interests. As of July 1st, USAID will officially cease to implement foreign assistance. Foreign assistance programs that align with administration policies—and which advance American interests—will be administered by the State Department, where they will be delivered with more accountability, strategy, and efficiency.’

The shuttering comes after DOGE gutted USAID as part of Trump’s effort to remove waste, fraud and abuse from the federal government earlier in 2025. 

Trump repeatedly had touted DOGE’s work uncovering fraud and mismanagement within the federal government, including in his March address before Congress celebrating that DOGE identified $22 billion in government ‘waste,’ including at USAID.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio slams USAID

‘Forty-five million dollars for diversity, equity and inclusion scholarships in Burma,’ Trump said as he rattled off various examples of federal waste. ‘Forty million to improve the social and economic inclusion of sedentary migrants. Nobody knows what that is. Eight million to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of. Sixty million dollars for indigenous peoples and Afro-Colombian empowerment in Central America. Sixty million. Eight million for making mice transgender.’

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President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda temporarily ground to a halt in the House of Representatives Wednesday afternoon.

Plans for an early afternoon vote to begin debate on Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ slipped away as both conservative concerns and weather delays led to issues in passing two procedural votes ahead of the critical measure.

It’s not clear if the key vote will proceed today at this point. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., one of the bill’s biggest critics, told reporters a vote was still ‘possible.’

‘No, not yet,’ he said when asked if he was getting what he needed from the White House to support the measure. ‘But the evening is so young.’

House GOP leaders had hoped to vote to begin debate on the vast tax and immigration bill, a maneuver known as a ‘rule vote,’ with the goal of teeing up a vote on the legislation’s final passage by late Wednesday or early Thursday at the latest.

The president has directed Republicans to get a bill to his desk for a signature by the Fourth of July, though he’s suggested in some recent comments he would not mind a delay of a few days.

The rule vote was meant to be the third in an early afternoon series of three votes. As of early evening Wednesday, that vote is still being held open, and the House floor is effectively paralyzed.

Lawmakers who expected a vote were told to return to their offices to await further instructions.

Multiple House Freedom Caucus members who left a meeting next to the House floor declined to comment on what they discussed, but several have made clear in recent days that they have serious issues with the Senate’s version of Trump’s agenda bill.

The mammoth piece of legislation includes Trump’s agenda on taxes, the border, energy, defense and the national debt.

Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought was seen briefly entering and exiting the room where the fiscal hawks were gathered.

He said little to reporters other than announcing they were ‘making good progress’ on his way out of the room.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, suggested that conservatives were speaking with the Trump administration about how Republicans could make up for what they saw as deficiencies in the current version of the bill.

Fiscal hawks were angered by last-minute moves made to placate Senate GOP moderates who were uneasy about the bill’s near-immediate phase-out of most green energy tax subsidies in former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

They’ve also argued the Senate’s bill would add more to the federal deficit than the House’s earlier version, though Senate Republicans have pushed back.

‘We were not happy with what the Senate produced. We thought there was a path forward as of late last week, even though I had concerns in public about them. But then they jammed it through at the last minute in a way that, you know, we’re not overly excited about,’ Roy said. ‘So, now we’re trying to understand what our options are from this point.’

Other representatives, like Keith Self, R-Texas, and Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., declined to comment about the meeting to reporters.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who is not a member of the Freedom Caucus but had some concerns about the bill, told reporters when leaving the meeting, ‘I’m just waiting to see what’s going on honestly. Everybody’s just discussing what’s going on and trying to get to some [resolution].’

Burchett told reporters earlier he was leaning in favor of voting to debate the bill.

But Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can afford just three defections to still pass the bill along party lines.

‘We’re going to get there tonight,’ Johnson told reporters.

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