Comms News

The Blockchain

Cryptocurrency News

Markets, Cryptos and Culture

January 2026

Jan 27

Sydney, Australia re-opens

to Wall Street, New York

Media Man's X Returns With A Bang

Gold Glitters And Crypto's Start To Shine Edition

"Ruby Tuesday" In Sin City Sydney
"Tuesday's Gone" Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Gold" Spandau Ballet
"Stretch Your Face" Silicon_Valley theme (Tobacco. Composer)
"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"(Cannonball Adderley). The Wolf of Wall Street theme

Markets

ASX 200 futures up 52 points/0.6% to 8880
AUD +0.4% to US69.18¢
BTC $88,344.02 +0.64%

Wall St:
Dow +0.8%
S&P +0.6%
NAS +0.5%
VIX -0.26 to 15.83
Gold +1.1% to $US5043.71 oz
Oil -0.4% to $US65.61 a barrel
Iron -1% to $US103.55 a ton

10-year yield: US 4.21% Aust 4.81%

Cryptos

The crypto market rose due to dollar weakness

Market Overview

The crypto market cap has fallen by 5% over the past seven days. The decline resumed at the start of the new week, with total capitalisation falling to $2.9T amid slippage in an illiquid market. In recent hours, however, positive momentum has prevailed, bringing the market back to $2.97T due to the weakness of the US dollar and global purchases of risky assets. But even now, cryptocurrencies remain a lagging class of risk-sensitive assets, falling short of metals and the strongest global currencies.

Bitcoin hit a low for the day near $86K, its lowest level since December. After that, the market received support from the weak dollar, which, like a tide, lifted all boats at once. The technical bearish picture remains relevant, despite the gains in recent hours. BTC remains below its key moving average lines and has not attempted to break through the support of the last two months. News Background

Outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US over the past shortened week nearly offset the previous week's inflows, reaching their highest level in almost 11 months. According to SoSoValue, net outflows from spot BTC ETFs amounted to $1.33 billion. Net weekly outflows from spot Ethereum ETFs in the US exceeded $611 million.

Bitcoin holders began to record net losses for the first time since October 2023, signalling the asset's entry into an ‘early bear market.’ Bitcoin is now trading below the acquisition price of 75% of the total supply, signalling growing pressure from sellers, Glassnode notes.

The main reason for BTC's weakness is large-scale sales by long-term holders, rather than concerns about quantum computing, according to Checkonchain.

Activity on the Ethereum mainnet has exceeded that of layer 2 (L2) solutions since the Fusaka upgrade. Token Terminal has called this trend a ‘return to the mainnet.’ At the same time, there has been an outflow of liquidity from ‘add-ons.’

The adoption of cryptocurrencies by banks, large corporations and investment companies is no longer an ‘optional or peripheral’ process, notes auditing firm PwC in its report on global cryptocurrency regulation for 2026. ‘Institutional participation has passed the point of no return.’

DAT companies accumulating cryptocurrencies on their balance sheets will face ‘severe consolidation’ in the coming year — only a few of the largest players with Bitcoin and Ethereum on their balance sheets will survive, warns Pantera Capital. (FxPro)

News

Interventions spooked the dollar

Rumours of coordinated intervention caused the USD index to plummet.

The risk of a new shutdown is putting pressure on the greenback.

The US dollar started in the last week of January with a down gap amid investor fears of coordinated currency intervention. Japan's Deputy Finance Minister Atsushi Mimura said that the authorities would respond to speculative actions on the Forex in close cooperation with the US. In 1985, such cooperation ended in a spectacular collapse of the USD. Will we see history repeat itself?

Politics is encroaching on the economy. Donald Trump intends to use non-market methods to lower the key policy rate by replacing the Fed chair and filling the FOMC with doves. The US president has repeatedly spoken out in favour of a weaker currency, which would increase the competitiveness of American manufacturers. Tokyo's interest in strengthening the yen to lower import prices and slow inflation is being exploited by Washington for its own purposes.

Countries are forced to respond to the uncertainty of Donald Trump's policies and the associated slowdown in economic growth with fiscal stimulus measures. According to Apollo Global Management estimates, government support measures will accelerate GDP growth in the US and Germany by 1 percentage point in 2026 and in Japan by 0.5 percentage points. This leads to an increase in public debt. The Germans can afford this, which has a positive effect on the EURUSD.

Pressure on the US dollar has intensified due to the growing risks of another shutdown. Dissatisfied with the shootings in Minneapolis, Democrats are not going to vote for the government funding package without serious changes to the national security system. The government risks being sidelined again, which will negatively affect GDP growth. The same goes for the devastating winter storm, which could bring hardship to nearly 200 million Americans. Already, 11,900 flights have been cancelled at airports from Dallas to Boston, and about 900,000 consumers are without power.

In 2025, the US economy managed to withstand tariffs and the shutdown thanks to investments in artificial intelligence, productivity growth and the wealth effect. However, will it be resilient in 2026? If not, the US dollar risks weakening.

Gold was the main beneficiary of the fall in the USD index. Its price rose by 17% so far this year and is approaching $5,100 per ounce. (FxPro)

News

Jan 27

Gold and silver mania lifts ASX to 3-month peak

The Australian sharemarket climbed to a three-month high on Tuesday as investors returned from the long weekend to surging precious metal prices, looking past the noise of shifting US trade policies.

President Donald Trump said in a social media post that he will increase tariffs on South Korean goods, including autos, from 15 per cent to 25 per cent as he accused the ally’s legislature of “not living up” to its trade deal with Washington.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index gained 85.3 points, or 1 per cent, to 8945.40, rebounding from last week’s 0.5 per cent loss. If sustained, it would be the index’s biggest one-day rise this year.

Of the 11 sectors, nine were in the green, led by materials and energy.BHP leapt 2.9 per cent, regaining its position as Australia’s most valuable listed company for the first time in 18 months, unseating the Commonwealth Bank, which managed a modest 0.6 per cent gain.

Miners led the charge as gold and silver set fresh records. Bullion hit $US5100 an ounce, and silver topped $US114 on Monday. As a result, Horizon Minerals jumped nearly 8 per cent, Alkane Resources leapt 3.9 per cent, and Newmont rose 1.8 per cent.

Among silver mines, Investigator Silver and Silver Mines advanced 8.3 per cent each, while, Sun Silver pushed up 6 per cent.Elsewhere, Rio Tinto gained 2.2 per cent, and Capstone Copper was the biggest index gainer, up 8 per cent.

In the index-heavy financial area, all the big banks were in the green, led by Macquarie Group, up 2 per cent. National Australia Bank rose 1.3 per cent.

Family app Life360 and mining group Alcoa were the two biggest laggards, down more than 8 per cent.

In currencies, the Australian dollar climbed to US69.40¢, nearing its strongest level in three years, on growing expectations the Reserve Bank will lift the cash rate next month.

Higher borrowing costs would boost the appeal of Australian-denominated assets such as government bonds.

Also supporting the Aussie was a broadly weaker greenback on fears of a partial US government shutdown this week.

Republicans and Democrats are at odds over funding for the Department of Homeland Security after the fatal shooting of a second US citizen by federal immigration officers in Minnesota. (AFR) *full coverage via subscription to The Australian Financial Review

News

Jan 27

Stocks

Shares in DroneShield cratered 6 per cent despite doubling revenue in the December quarter, from a year ago.

Iron ore giant Fortescue Metals rose 1.3 per cent after sweeping up all remaining shares of dual-listed Alta Copper at $C1.40 ($1.47) per share, as the mining giant expands into the red metal.

Wholesaler company Metcash rallied 1.2 per cent following the appointment of Bruce Sabatta as the new chief executive of its food service and convenience business, from next month.

Brazil-focused explorer and producer Karoon Energy trimmed early gains and was trading flat despite posting a lower output in the December quarter, from the September period.

Jewellery retailer Michael Hill International jumped 4 per cent after reporting a stronger half-year profit than a year ago despite record gold prices.

Insurer group AUB was placed on a trading halt after launching a $400 million institutional placement to finance a UK acquisition.

Santos leapt 3.1 per cent on news it had finally shipped its first liquefied natural gas cargo from a delayed Barossa project in the Timor Sea.

Health tech group Cyclopharm soared 18 per cent after its lung imaging technology received a major endorsement from America’s top medical professionals.

News

Numbers Double Check

Australian Dollar: $0.6918 USD (up $0.0080 USD)
Iron Ore Feb Spot Price: $103.55 USD (down $0.10 USD) Oil Price): $60.58 USD (up $1.25 USD)
Gold Price: $5,036.89 USD (up $117.01 USD)
Copper Price: $5.9240 USD (up $0.1240 USD)
Dow Jones: 49,446.27 (up 347.56 points on Friday's close)

News/Profile

Wall Street

Physical Street and Landmark

Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan.

Location: It runs between Broadway and South Street, ending at the East River.

Key Landmarks: It is home to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Federal Hall National Memorial, where George Washington was inaugurated.

History: The name originates from a 17th-century defensive wall built by Dutch settlers to protect New Amsterdam from potential British or Native American attacks.

Financial Industry Metonym

The term is a metonym for the U.S. financial markets, including stock exchanges, investment banks, and brokerage firms.

Institutions: Major firms associated with Wall Street include JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley.

Current Activity (January 2026):

As of January 24, 2026, markets have seen volatility following a week of "policy whiplash" related to international tariff threats. Recent trading shows the S&P 500 flat, while the Nasdaq has risen 0.3% despite a 17% tumble in Intel stock.

Media and Publications

The Wall Street Journal: A premier business-focused international newspaper headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.

Pop Culture: The street’s high-stakes culture has been immortalized in films like Oliver Stone’s Wall Street (1987) and Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street (2013).

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

Media Man

Cryptocurrency, Finance and World

"Volatility is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." - Michael Saylor

"Bitcoin is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme." — Naval Ravikant

"We have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical framework that is free of politics and human error." — Tyler Winklevoss

"You can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere, and the world will have to readjust. World governments will have to readjust." — John McAfee

"Bitcoin is the most important invention in the history of the world since the Internet." — Roger Ver

"Cryptocurrency is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn governments." — Charles Lee

"In the future, national currencies will become obsolete. Bitcoin will become the single global currency." — Jack Dorsey

"The future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng Zhao

"Crypto offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged." — Elizabeth Stark

"The new frontier of innovation is in decentralization. Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott

"Digital currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter of how long before governments embrace it." — Brad Garlinghouse

Pop Culture

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking

Santa vs Grinch

Bulls vs Bears

Crypto King vs Mr World Bank

Citizens vs NWO

Neo vs Agent Smith

John McAfee vs You Know Who!

TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
Chris Jericho vs Dirtsheets
NFL vs everyone
Zuffa vs MVP
Netflix vs World
Meta vs Australia
White Light vs Dark Matter

News

Pop Culture

It’s All About the Money [”The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase]

By Jimmy Hart & J.J. Maguire

Intro

(Money, money, money, money, money...)

[Verse 1]
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
Everybody's got a price
Everybody's gonna pay
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
Because the Million Dollar Man...
Always get his way
(Money, money, money, money, money...)

[Verse 2]
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
Some might cost a little
Some might cost a lot
(Money, money, money, money, money...)
But I'm the Million Dollar Man...
And you will be bought
(Money, money, money, money, money...)

[Outro]
(Money, money, money, money, money...)

News/Profile Flashback

Vinnie Vegas was a professional wrestling persona used by the actor and retired professional wrestler Kevin Nash from 1992 to 1993 in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). This gimmick was a wisecracking pseudo-mobster character, inspired by Steve Martin's character in the 1990 film My Blue Heaven.

Career Overview

WCW Debut: Kevin Nash was repackaged as Vinnie Vegas on January 21, 1992, at the event Clash of the Champions XVIII.

Stables and Tag Teams: He was initially part of a stable of large wrestlers called "A Half-Ton of Holy Hell," managed by Harley Race. Later, he joined the "Diamond Mine" stable led by Diamond Dallas Page, forming a tag team known as the Vegas Connection. Other stablemates included the future Scott Hall (Diamond Studd) and Raven (Scotty Flamingo).

Departure to WWF: The Vinnie Vegas character was not considered successful due to a lack of character development and inconsistent booking. Nash left WCW for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in June 1993, where he achieved superstardom under the ring name Diesel.

Later Success: Nash later returned to WCW in 1996 and was a founding member of the influential New World Order (nWo) faction under his real name, Kevin Nash, and the nickname "Big Sexy".

News/Profile Flashback

Michael Wall Street

"Michael Wall Street" most commonly refers to Michael Wallstreet, a ring name used by professional wrestler Mike Rotunda (born 1958). It can also refer to Michael Douglas, the actor famous for portraying the corporate raider Gordon Gekko in the film Wall Street.

Professional Wrestling (Mike Rotunda)

Mike Rotunda adopted the persona of Michael Wallstreet (and later V.K. Wallstreet) in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) starting in 1990.

The Gimmick: A wealthy "financial wizard" from Lower Manhattan who used a computer (managed by Alexandra York) to predict the length and outcome of his matches.

Signature Moves: His finishing move was often called the "Stock Market Crash".

Notable Teams: He is also well-known for his time in the WWF as Irwin R. Schyster (I.R.S.), where he teamed with Ted DiBiase to form Money Inc..

Legacy: Rotunda was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024 as part of The U.S. Express.

Film and Finance (Michael Douglas)

Gordon Gekko: Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Gordon Gekko in the 1987 film Wall Street.

Cultural Impact: The character became the archetypal symbol of 1980s corporate greed, famous for the line "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good".

Sequel: Douglas reprised the role in the 2010 sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

Current Status (2026)

Mike Rotunda: As of early 2026, Rotunda remains a respected veteran in the wrestling industry. Recent reports from late 2025 indicated he had been hospitalized for a serious heart condition but was moved to a rehabilitation center for recovery.

Michael Douglas: He continues to be active in the entertainment industry as an actor and producer.

Miners

Hancock Prospecting

Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd is a privately owned Australian company primarily involved in the mining of iron ore and, increasingly, the agriculture sector. It is led by Executive Chairwoman Gina Rinehart, Australia's richest person.

Company Overview

Founded: 25 November 1955 by Lang Hancock.
Headquarters: Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

Ownership: The company is privately held, with Gina Rinehart owning the majority stake (76.6%).

Core Business: Hancock Prospecting has evolved from purely mineral exploration into a major producer, primarily in iron ore and agriculture, and is considered one of the most successful private mining companies in the world.

Major Projects and Investments

Hancock Prospecting has a diverse portfolio of major projects and strategic investments.

Roy Hill: This is a mega integrated iron ore mine, rail, and port project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, which is Australia's largest single iron ore mine.

Hope Downs: A significant iron ore project operated as a 50/50 joint venture with Rio Tinto Iron Ore, which includes four open-pit mines.

Atlas Iron: Hancock Prospecting acquired Atlas Iron in 2018, which operates several iron ore mines including Mount Webber, Sanjiv Ridge, and Miralga Creek.

Agriculture: Through its agribusiness division, Hancock Prospecting is Australia's second-largest producer of beef with ownership interests in numerous cattle stations and a majority stake in S. Kidman & Co. It is also a 50% partner in the award-winning Bannister Downs Dairy.

Critical Minerals and Energy: The company has diversified its investments into other strategic commodities necessary for the "green transition", including stakes in publicly traded companies involved in:

Lithium: Investments in Australian firms like Liontown Resources and Azure Minerals, as well as Germany's Vulcan Energy Resources.

Rare Earths: Significant shareholdings in global rare earths producers such as US-based MP Materials and Australia's Lynas Rare Earths, as well as exploration-stage companies.

Copper, Coal, Oil and Gas: Exploration and production interests in these commodities across Australia and internationally, including projects in Ecuador, Canada, and the UK.

Pop Culture Flashback

Heart Of Gold
Song by Neil Young ? 1972

Lyrics

I want to live
I want to give
I've been a miner
For a heart of gold

It's these expressions
I never give
That keep me searching
For a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
Keep me searching
For a heart of gold
And I'm getting old

I've been to Hollywood
I've been to Redwood
I crossed the ocean
For a heart of gold

I've been in my mind
It's such a fine line
That keeps me searching
For a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
Keeps me searching
For a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
Keep me searching
For a heart of gold

You keep me searching
And I'm growing old
Keep me searching
For a heart of gold
I've been a miner
For a heart of gold

Markets, Cryptos, Culture And Brands

Alpha TKO Edition

Survivor Series Market: WarGames (pop culture reference); Monday Friendly Biz Wars

December 2, 2025
Sydney, Australia

December 1
(New York)

ASX futures up 18 points/0.2% to 8601

Wall Street:
S&P 500 -0.4%
Dow Jones: -0.7%
Nasdaq -0.4%

Europe:
Stoxx 50 flat
FTSE -0.2%
DAX -1%
CAC -0.3%

Australian dollar: US65.43 cents

Bitcoin

Gold +2% to $US4231.90 per ounce
Oil +1.5% to $US59.41 a barrel
Brent crude oil +1.4% to $US63.22 a barrel
Iron ore +1.6% to $US103.85 per ton

10-year yield:
US 4.09%
Australia 4.55%
Germany 2.75%

News

Crypto: Winter began with a sell-off

Market Overview

The crypto market took a painful hit at the start of trading on Monday, marking the beginning of winter and the new month with a 5% drop in 24 hours and a return below $3 trillion.

This seems to be part of the Bears' plan to create the most emotional pressure, as the beginning of the month is considered an emotional precursor for the weeks to come. The market also slipped during the period of lowest liquidity, which added drama in the form of a downward swing. Still, before the start of active trading in Europe, the market is showing signs of stabilisation and rebound.

Bitcoin fell to $85.5K on the strategy day but rebounded to $86.7K at the time of writing. Technically, a bearish picture is emerging, with the first cryptocurrency falling sharply after four days of consolidation at the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement line. Strictly speaking, we can only say that a quick rebound did not happen, but the signal for a decline to $64K (161.8%) will only be given on a drop below $80.5K.

Bitcoin fell 17.5% in November to $91.3K, marking the first decline in three years and defying the seasonal trend of one of the best months of the year. From a seasonal perspective, December is considered a relatively successful month for BTC with an average 8.7% increase. Over the past 14 years, Bitcoin has ended the month with growth on seven occasions. The average increase was 29.7%, and the average decline was 12.3%.

News Background

The inflow into the recently launched Solana ETFs in the US has continued for five consecutive weeks. Investors have poured more than $108 million into SOL ETFs in a week and nearly $620 million since the funds launched on October 28th. Inflows into spot XRP ETFs launched on 14 November in the US exceeded $666 million.

CryptoQuant points to several key on-chain indicators that are creating fertile ground for Bitcoin's resumption of growth. One of the most significant signals is the reduction of leverage.

Bitcoin is still in the ‘high risk zone.’ Still, the situation is stabilising: selling pressure is easing, and spot demand is ‘finally beginning to shift the balance of power,’ according to Bitcoin Vector.

To continue its growth, Bitcoin needs to overcome ‘clusters of large buyer supply’ in the $93,000-96,000 and $100,000-108,000 ranges, according to Glassnode.

Bitwise points out that the last time such an ‘asymmetrical ratio’ of risk and potential return was observed in Bitcoin was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when BTC fell below $4,000. (FxPro)

News

The euro is betting on divergence

• ECB rates are in the right place while German inflation is accelerating.

• The Bank of Japan may raise rates in December & capital flight will pressure the pound.

Attempts by the US dollar to counterattack are being thwarted. The euro is rising due to accelerating German inflation, the pound is rising following the debt market's approval of Rachel Reeves' draft budget, and the yen is growing in anticipation of a rate hike by the Bank of Japan in December. Donald Trump's comments on the selection of a new Fed chair, as well as expectations for speeches by Jerome Powell and Michelle Bowman, are weighing on the dollar.

Christine Lagarde said that the ECB's interest rates are at the right level. With inflation under control, the European Central Bank is well-positioned. Indeed, there are risks of both acceleration and deceleration in consumer prices. The former includes Germany's fiscal stimulus and rising expectations of higher industrial and service prices. The latter include the strong euro, lower energy prices and imports from China.

The acceleration of inflation in Germany to 2.6% in November is reinforcing the ECB's caution. The central bank has most likely ended its cycle of rate cuts. There are scenarios in which the deposit rate will rise. The federal funds rate, on the other hand, risks falling significantly. The divergence in monetary policy creates an excellent opportunity for the EURUSD to resume its upward trend. However, to start with, the bulls need to hold on to 1.16.

Meanwhile, the yen strengthened thanks to Kazuo Ueda's hawkish speech. He stated that the Bank of Japan would weigh all the pros and cons of raising the overnight rate. At the same time, any increase should be seen as an adjustment to the ultra-soft monetary policy. On these words, the probability of a rate hike in December rose to 76%, allowing bears to develop a decline in USDJPY.

The pound is trying to stabilise after the presentation of the draft budget. According to Eurizon SLJ Capital, the pound will fall against the euro, yen, and Swiss franc amid capital flight by the wealthy following tax increases. (FxPro)

News

Cryptos

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $86,488.39 - 5.16%
Ethereum $2,790.39 - 7.67%
Tether $1.0001 +0.01%
Binance Coin $822.49 -7.48%
XRP $2.0292 -7.41%
Solana $125.89 -8.18%
TRON $0.2781 -1.48%
Dogecoin $0.1352 -9.22%
Cardano $0.3825 -9.77%

News

Wall Street via Mr Wolf

Media Man Favs:

(Near Live)

Bells Rung by Mr Wolf! TKO kicks out. Comeback! Christmas Grinch Comes Early for some! Santa gives little for miners, gamers, some tech heads and grapplers!

Wall St, New York

TKO Group Holdings Inc $193.98 +0.090 +0.046%
NVIDIA Corp $179.92 +2.92 +1.65%
Formula One Group Series $86.79 -1.09 -1.25%
Alphabet Inc Class A $314.89 -5.29 -1.65%
News Corp Class A $25.52 -0.16 -0.62%
Netflix Inc $109.13 +1.56 +1.45%
Caterpillar Inc $568.06 -7.70 -1.34%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $10.95 -0.59
-5 .11%
Tesla Inc $430.14 -0.030 -0.0070%
Walt Disney Co $106.77 +2.30 +2.20%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $132.77 +4.09 +3.18%
Meta Platforms Inc $640.87 -7.08 -1.09%
Paramount Skydance Corp $15.71 -0.31 -1.94%
Elders ADR $19.73 (US) (NYSE)
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $17.09 +0.24 +1.42%
Rio Tinto Ltd $84 (US)
Warner Bros. Discovery Inc $23.87 -0.13 -0.54%
Red Light Holland Corp $0.019 +0.00050 +2.70%

News

Spotlight

Wynn

Analysts at Goldman Sachs just added Wynn to its conviction buy list. The firm is confident with Wynn’s “Wynn Al Marjan in the UAE in 1Q27, plus WYNN’s best-in-class Las Vegas assets, leverage to a higher-income consumers, a strong 2026 Las Vegas event calendar, and an improving backdrop in Macau should drive transformative upside at WYNN,” as quoted by CNBC.

Nvidia

Analysts at Morgan Stanley just reiterated an overweight rating on Nvidia, with a $250 price target. The firm says NVDA will maintain a dominant market share and that threats are becoming overstated.

“We continue to see NVIDIA maintaining dominant market share, as threats are becoming overstated, though we aren’t sure exactly what will turn sentiment around,” they said, as quoted by CNBC. “Customers’ biggest anxiety for the next 12 months is their ability to procure enough NVIDIA product generally, and Vera Rubin specifically.”

Alphabet

Analysts at Guggenheim say Alphabet could run even higher. The firm raised its price target on GOOG to $375 from $330 with a buy rating.

The firm is confident in Alphabet because of strong cloud backlog growth, which is being supported by enterprise AI demand. It’s also confidence with Google Gemini’s rise as a leading AI platform with rapidly growing adoption metrics, as noted by CNBC.

News

Polymarket Partnership Could Be a Game Changer for TKO Group Holdings (TKO)

Nov 17

(In Case You Missed It)

Polymarket/UFC/TKO

Polymarket recently announced a multi-year partnership making it the Official and Exclusive Prediction Market Partner for UFC and Zuffa Boxing, introducing real-time fan prediction metrics directly into UFC broadcasts and social media experiences.

This collaboration marks the first time major sports organizations have integrated prediction market technology into the live fan experience, creating new ways for audiences to interact and for TKO's sports brands to differentiate themselves.

We'll explore how this innovative fan engagement initiative could strengthen TKO Group Holdings' investment narrative by deepening audience connection and content value.

What Is TKO Group Holdings' Investment Narrative?

To see the value in TKO Group Holdings as a shareholder, you really have to believe in its ability to keep building out top sports entertainment brands like UFC and WWE into global, multi-platform franchises. A lot of the story is about continuing to grow earnings and revenue faster than the overall market, attract loyal audiences, and evolve with changes in media rights, streaming, and digital fan engagement. Recent announcements, such as the multi-year partnership with Polymarket, reflect TKO’s push to unlock new monetization avenues and deepen fan involvement.

However, it’s unlikely this news will materially change the core short-term catalysts, which are still dominated by performance in key international deals, broadcast partnerships, and the rollout of new events. The biggest risks remain legal challenges, compression of media rights value, and questions about board experience. The new fan engagement efforts add differentiation, but don’t directly reduce these core risks for now. On the flip side, investors should pay close attention to ongoing legal proceedings against TKO and UFC.

TKO Group Holdings' shares have been on the rise but are still potentially undervalued by 15%.

Ten retail investors in the Simply Wall St Community produced fair value estimates for TKO ranging from US$63.92 to a very large US$37,618.47. While community views can be widely split, ongoing legal challenges remain a topic several market participants keep circling back to as a concern for TKO’s future performance. Explore these diverse perspectives and see how the risks and opportunities stack up.

News

Best Quotes

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." — Benjamin Franklin

"Bottoms in the investment world don't end with four-year lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim Rogers

Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful." — Warren Buffett

Media Man "Bullish is a mindset"

News, Markets, Biz, Politics, Mining, Media, Marketing, Culture: Australia and World

December 2025

December 1

Markets

Australian Dollar: $0.6540 USD (up 0.0011 USD)
Iron Ore: $105.40 USD (down $1.30 USD)
Oil: $58.55 USD (down $0.55 USD)
Gold: $4,219.23 USD (up $61.79 USD)
Copper: $5.2780 USD (up $0.1155 USD)
Bitcoin: $87,321.17 -3.98%
Dow Jones: 47,716.42 (up 289.30 points)

News

ASX tipped for solid start ahead of GDP data

Futures pricing suggests that Australian equities will gain about 0.1 per cent when the market opens on Monday, following a positive lead from Wall Street. The release of GDP data for the September quarter is set to be a key focus for local investors in the coming week, as they seek guidance on the outlook for official interest rates. Inflation data released last week has heightened speculation that the next rate move may be up rather than down. The S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.37 per cent to close at 8,614.1 points on Friday, and it fell by three per cent in November. (RMS)

News

Nov 28

Gold may have doubled, but miners a gamble

Factors such as its 'safe haven' staus and record buying by central banks have seen the price of gold rise by more than 50 per cent so far in 2025. The share prices of Australian-listed gold producers have also rallied during 2025, and some have posted solid returns over the last decade. However, analysis shows that just 100 of the 172 listed gold miners in 2015 are still in business now. Meanwhile, about 40 per cent of the survivors have posted a negative return over the last 10 years. (RMS)

News

'Bloodbath': Black Friday deals pose a dilemma for small business

Australians are expected to spend nearly $7bn over the four days of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, and up to $39bn over the month of November. Indeed, Black Friday has evolved to essentially become a one-month sales event, and there is a growing expectation among consumers that every store will offer big discounts. However, Black Friday is challenging for many small businesses, which simply cannot match the deep discounts of large retailers. This is highlighted by research from the Council of Small Business Organisations; it found that 60 per cent of small business owners do not pay themselves at least occasionally, while 25 per cent have used their personal savings to stay afloat. (RMS)

News

Australia's Most Trusted and Distrusted Brands + The Retail Landscape

Join Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine to discover Australia's most Trusted and Distrusted brands; how traditional retail brands are being impacted by Temu, Shein, and AliExpress; how the dramatic shift to low prices is affecting discount department stores like Kmart and Big W; whether Amazon has finally become the digital category killer, impacting Myer, JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman; whether Coles and Woolworths are finally showing real signs of reputational recovery; and whether the retail sector seeing a rise in distrust amid all the upheaval. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Media and Marketing

Sport keeps TV afloat as Seven pips Nine

The Seven Network has become Australia's top-rating commercial free-to-air broadcaster for a fifth consecutive year. Seven's national audience share across the 2025 rating year was 41.6 per cent, ahead of the Nine Network on 40.5 per cent. Seven's total audience share across all five free-to-air networks was 29.4 per cent, followed by Nine (28.7 per cent), the ABC (21.5 per cent), Ten (12.6 per cent) and SBS (7.7 per cent). Nine's live coverage of the NRL Grand Final was the highest-rating program for the year, with a record 4.56 million viewers; the AFL Grand Final attracted a total audience of 4.18 million. (RMS)

News

The Age misses mark on AFL deal

A spokesman for DAZN says the UK-based sports-focused streaming company "categorically refutes" a recent media report which suggested that it could seek to renegotiate Foxtel's current seven-year AFL broadcasting rights deal. The Age reported last week that unnamed sources had claimed that DAZN believes it is paying too much for the AFL rights. Foxtel was acquired by DAZN earlier in 2025, in a deal that is said to have been worth about $3.4bn. (RMS)

News

News media eyes $600m yearly boost

Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok and Apple are estimated to have had combined revenue of $41bn in Australia during fiscal 2024. They could potentially pay local news publishers about $610m a year via the federal government's News Bargaining Incentive, which will penalise technology companies that fail to secure content deals with the nation's news publishers; based on the revenue of the 'big five', the financial penalty for not striking such deals could be around $920m a year. The NBI would apply to all digital platforms that operate "significant" social media or search services, even if they do not feature any news content. (RMS)

News

Magazine stable faces carve-up

Private equity firm Mercury Capital still hopes to sell the whole of Are Media to a single buyer. However, sources at Are have said there is speculation within the publisher that several potential suitors have expressed interest in selectively buying some magazine titles, and shunning the less profitable ones. Mining magnate Andrew Forrest is said to have been approached about buying the flagship Australian Women's Weekly via his family company, Tattarang, which already owns the RM Williams magazine. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

AI threat slashes billions from classifieds giants

Jarden analyst Tom Beadle has downplayed the risks that online classified advertising groups are facing due to the growing use of artificial intelligence platforms. He contends that AI companies are unlikely to develop a 'killer application' that will disrupt the business of Real Estate Dotcom Dot Au http://realestate.com.au owner REA Group in the near term. However, REA Group's market capitalisation has fallen by nearly $9bn since August, while CAR Group - which owns Car Sales http://carsales.com.au - has shed 16 per cent of its value. Nevertheless, there are fears that AI platforms will be increasingly used to directly search for jobs, homes or cars. (RMS)

News

Nov 28

Free entry gets museum record-breaking visitors

Analysis of the annual reports of museums in Australia shows that consumers continued to embrace the nation's cultural institutions in 2024-25. Museums Victoria had the highest patronage, with 1.93 million visitors during the financial year; however, this was 13 per cent lower than previously. Meanwhile, Western Australia Museum was the nation's second-most-visited museum, with visits to its three sites rising by 21 per cent year-on-year to 1.2 million. WA Museum chair Sheila McHale notes that visitor numbers were boosted by the state government's decision to waive entry fees during the 2024-25 summer. (RMS)

News

Mining/Resources/Energy

Nov 28

Inside the battle for BHP's future

There is growing speculation that BHP's CEO Mike Henry is preparing to step down after six years in the role. However, BHP's merger talks with Anglo American last week showed that Henry is still deeply engaged in high-stakes strategic endeavours, rather than easing into retirement. Potential internal candidates to succeed Henry when he eventually steps down include Geraldine Slattery, Rag Udd, Vandita Pant and Catherine Raw. Meanwhile, some BHP directors believe that the resources group should simplify its commodities portfolio by exiting the coal sector and focusing on copper; indeed, analysis shows that both BHP and Rio Tinto have underperformed those of pure-play copper mines in recent years. (RMS)

News

Nov 28

Bitcoin stalled at a critical resistance

Market Overview

The crypto market cap corrected by 0.4% to $3.10T, pausing the cautious rebound from last Friday. Yet we can’t talk about the rebound running out of steam, as there was strong growth the day before. But we do not see any increase in optimism, as just about one in seven coins has gained in the last 24 hours, compared to a decline for most.

The sentiment index rose to 25, the threshold for exiting the territory of extreme fear, despite the latest round of weakness. The index’s dynamics are likely to attract buyers who were eager to enter the market but were waiting for a discount after the highs were set in early October.

Bitcoin has fallen below $ 91K, stabilising near the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement level of the decline since November 11th. The area near $90K was significant for the market about a year ago, serving as support for the correction after the growth momentum in early November. There is some risk that it will now act as resistance, reinforcing the bearish signal of a possible end to the rebound. A rise above $95K would signal a victory for the bulls and a return to a bull market, while a decline below $87K could open the way to $80K, driving the market into a depression.

News Background

Kronos Research describes the current dynamics as a classic rebound from oversold conditions. The market has cleared out excess long positions, creating room for growth, according to Presto Research.

Futures and options data point to a return of bullish sentiment. The market is ‘ready for growth’ after speculative longs were closed over the past two weeks, according to GSR.

According to CryptoQuant, in November, the Binance crypto exchange increased its stablecoin reserves to a record $51.1 billion. The growth of this indicator can be seen as a positive factor for the crypto market.

The potential exclusion of Strategy from the S&P 500 index and continued outflows from spot crypto ETFs could bring back bearish sentiment and trigger sell-offs, warns QCP Capital.

Bolivia will include cryptocurrencies and stablecoins in its national financial system to modernise it.

Cryptocurrencies will be allowed to be used as a means of payment, savings accounts, credit products and loans. The authorities’ decision is a result of the country’s challenging economic situation. (FxPro)

News

Heavy Industry News

Mack Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Caterpillar wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Bingo Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The Month' award

Elders wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award

Landman wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award (Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)

Jim's Mowing wins Media Man 'Franchise Of The Month' award

News

Pop Culture Flashback

Citizen Kane (1941)

Directed by Orson Welles | Written by Orson Welles & Herman J. Mankiewicz | Cinematography by Gregg Toland

Why it’s considered one of the greatest films ever made:

Revolutionary storytelling: Non-linear structure jumping through multiple perspectives and timelines — decades before it became common.

Iconic moments/lines:

“Rosebud…”

The campaign speech with the giant Kane poster

The slow push-in on young Charlie playing in the snow as his future is decided

“Old age… it’s the only disease, Mr. Thompson, that you don’t look forward to being cured of.” (Bernstein)

News

Salt of the Earth (1954

Mexican workers at a zinc mine call a general strike. It is only through the solidarity of the workers, and importantly the indomitable resolve of their wives, mothers, and daughters, that they eventually triumph.

Best Quotes

The best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."

"You are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig to find it and make it real."

"Your mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will find something golden."

"Don't die without mining the gold in your mind."

"We're like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."

"If you want to find gold, you've got to love the process of digging."

"Even if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to dig."

"Develop men the same way gold is mined"

"Don't go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in looking for the gold."

"A prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"

"A prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't find much gold"

"The world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not." "Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"All that is gold does not glitter."

"Gold is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears out"

"Gold is the money of kings"

"Mining is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit. An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher of a dead mule."

"Anyone can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds the gold."

"True gold fears no fire."

"The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit."

"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"When taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes considered like cheap copper – so are people."

Media Man

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance

Markets, Crypto and Culture

Cryptos Struggle again, Medium Bull Update: Round 1! Bloody Noses and Black Eyes Cont! Red And Black Attack! All That Glitters. Bells To Be Rung! Aussie - US Connection

November 24, 2025

Sin City Sydney, Australia
Mad Monday Aussie

ASX futures up 92 points/1.1% to 8519

Wall Street:
S&P 500 +1%
Dow Jones: +1.1%
Nasdaq +0.9%
Europe: Stoxx 50 -1%
FTSE +0.1%
DAX -0.8%
CAC flat

Australian dollar at US64.59 cents

Bitcoin +3.3% to $US87,532

Gold -0.3% to $US4065.14
Oil -1.6% to $US58.06 a barrel
Brent crude oil -1.3% to $US62.56 a barrel
Iron ore +0.3% to $US104.25 per ton

10-year yield:
US 4.06%
Australia 4.46%
Germany 2.70%

Bitcoin: (Near Live) $87,749.31 +3.95%

News Update: (Near Live)

News

New York/Wall St via Mr Wolf!
The November Man!
23 Nov
NYC!

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Moody: Cryptos lost shine!

Bitcoin $87,749.31 +3.95%
Ethereum $2,833.20 +3.10%
Tether $1.0005 +0.06%
Binance Coin $853.96 +2.91%
XRP $2.0762 +6.95%
Solana $133.00 +4.96%
TRON $0.2755 +0.52%
Dogecoin $0.1470 +4.85%
Cardano $0.4158 +3.49%

Market scares! Mood: Medium:; Picking up for some in traditional sectors! Hardcores keep dream! Many bears selling out!

Media Man Favs:

(Near Live)

Bells Rung by Mr Wolf! TKO kicks out. Comeback! Christmas Grinch Comes Early for some! Santa gives little for miners, gamers, some tech heads and grapplers!

Wall St, New York

TKO Group Holdings Inc $178.17 +1.680.95%
NVIDIA Corp $178.88 -1.76 -0.97%
Formula One Group Series A $85.18 -0.72 -0.84%
Alphabet Inc Class A $299.66 +10.21 +3.53%
News Corp Class A $25.69 +0.89 +3.59%
Netflix Inc $104.31 -1.36 -1.29%
Caterpillar Inc $550.43 +4.30 +0.79%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $10.33
-0.020 -0.19%
Tesla Inc $391.09 -3.96 -1.00%
Walt Disney Co $104.28 +1.58 +1.54%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $119.60 +2.46 +2.10%
Meta Platforms Inc $594.25 +5.03 +0.85%
Elders ADR $19.73 (US) 53.08 +0.50 +0.95% (NYSE)
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $16.45 +0.32 +1.98%
Elders ADR $19.73 (US)
Rio Tinto Ltd $84.00 -1.00 - 1.18% (US)
Paramount Skydance Corp $15.89 +0.21 +1.34%
Red Light Holland Corp $0.018 -0.0013 -6.84%

News

The Dollar's new edge: from shield to sword

• The dollar is losing its safe-haven status. • The scale of the Fed's rate cuts has been overestimated. • The yen is the main favourite for 2026. • BoJ may not raise rates until March. If the US dollar was previously a shield, it is now turning into a sword. (FxPro)

News

Crypto market accelerates decline

Market Overview

The crypto market is experiencing a sharp decline, losing another 4% over the past 24 hours and falling back to $3.07 trillion, its lowest level since early May. The decline is accelerating relative to the trend observed since 10 October. At this stage, the market is being dragged down by major coins — Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP — which are losing more than 5%, while some altcoins remain in the shadows. It is unlikely that this should be considered a sign of strength for coins such as Monero (+2.7%), Tron (-1.8%) or Bitcoin Cash (-2.4%). It would be more accurate to say that the bears have not yet reached them.

Bitcoin fell below $90K, trading at its lowest levels since the end of April. As expected, the dip below the 50-week moving average at the end of last week triggered sellers, confirming the breakdown of the bullish trend that had lasted for the previous two years. Now, the working scenario appears to be a chance for BTC to dip to its 200-week moving average. In 2022, this path took 9 weeks, and over 30 weeks to form the bottom.

Ethereum fell below $3,000, following Bitcoin, which rolled back below its 50-week moving average. In this case, the 200-week average (approximately $2,300) will deter sellers, and we are considering a decline to $1,700 as a working pessimistic scenario.

News Background

According to CoinShares, global investment in crypto funds declined by $2.036 billion last week, marking the third consecutive week of outflows. Investments in Bitcoin fell by $1.378 billion, in Ethereum by $689 million, in XRP by $16 million, and in Solana by $8 million. Investments in Sui rose by $6 million, in Litecoin by $3 million, and in ETFs with multiple crypto assets by $31 million.

The fall of Bitcoin from its record highs in October was triggered by the capitulation of short-term holders, rather than the distribution of coins by long-term investors, according to XWIN Research.

Ethereum is entering a Supercycle phase like the one that brought Bitcoin a hundredfold increase since 2017, said BitMine CEO Tom Lee. In his opinion, the market decline is attributed to issues with several large market makers attempting to provoke liquidations in Bitcoin.

The inflow of stablecoins to Binance reached $9 billion in 30 days. The indicator is close to historical peaks, which previously preceded strong market movements, notes CryptoOnchain analyst. In his opinion, capital in standby mode can quickly change the market dynamics in favour of the ‘bulls’.

Strategy's business model is entirely dependent on funds buying its shares and is built on ‘fraud,’ said Peter Schiff, a well-known cryptocurrency critic and gold advocate. Since July, Strategy's shares have fallen by more than 50%, and recently, its capitalisation has fallen below the value of its assets. (FxPro)

News

The crypto is set for a short-term rebound, not a full recovery

Market Overview

The crypto market cap has lost 9.5% over the past seven days. The decline took place on weekdays last week, with the level stabilising around $3.25 trillion over the weekend. Among altcoins, the standout is the unsinkable Zcash at $700, nearing its highs, and weak Solana and Ethereum, which have lost 45% and 40% from their August and September highs, respectively.

The crypto sentiment index recorded values of 10 on Saturday and Sunday, marking a return to the lows of late February this year. Although this was a good point to buy on the rebound in the following days, the downward trend continued for almost a month and a half. Market dynamics since the beginning of October have been reminiscent of those seen at the end of January. This is good news for short-term buyers but may cause medium-term buyers to stay on the sidelines for a while.

Bitcoin slipped below $93K during illiquid trading early in the day, but found impressive buyer interest there, rising to $95.6K. Whether this is a short-term rebound or the beginning of a recovery can only be determined after it consolidates above $100,000. There is a high chance that the strategy of selling on rebounds will remain prevalent.

News Background

Outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US continue for the third week in a row. According to SoSoValue, net outflows from spot BTC ETFs totalled $1.11 billion last week, slightly lower than the previous week's outflows, resulting in a total inflow of $58.85 billion into these products since January 2024.

Net outflows from spot Ethereum ETFs in the US continue for the second week in a row, amounting to $728.6 million. The cumulative net inflow since the launch of ETFs in July 2024 has fallen to $13.13 billion.

Inflows into the recently launched Solana spot ETFs in the US have continued for the third consecutive week, totalling $382.1 million. However, during this time, the price has fallen by a third, reinforcing the idea that entering traditional financial markets does not necessarily promise price growth.

Long-term Ethereum holders have increased their sales to 45,000 ETH per day, the highest level since February 2021, according to Glassnode. Long-term Bitcoin holders are also actively selling their holdings. According to CryptoQuant, they have dumped 815,000 BTC on the market over the past month.

Miner Bitfarms has announced a gradual phase-out of Bitcoin mining and a transition to developing infrastructure for artificial intelligence. The company reported a net loss of $46 million in its third-quarter report. (FxPro)

News

Gold stabilised at $4,000, but the upward trend has already broken down Gold has stabilised around the $4,000 mark over the last ten days, ending the week at roughly the same level as it started. Attempts by sellers to push the price below $3,900 are meeting with impressive buying interest.

This is facilitated by the Supreme Court, which is considering the illegality of US tariffs. If Donald Trump is defeated, the money will have to be returned. As a result, the budget deficit and public debt will increase, leading to chaos in the financial markets. Concerns about this are prompting investors to seek refuge in safe-haven assets. However, this all appears to be an attempt to play the old card, which can only delay the inevitable.

According to estimates by the World Gold Council, central bank purchases of bullion in 2025 are expected to amount to 750-900 tonnes. In each of the previous three years, the figure exceeded 1,000 tonnes. China's cancellation of VAT credits for precious metal retailers will increase prices for the jewellery industry and lead to a decline in demand. ETF stocks are falling.

HSBC, Bank of America and Societe Generale continue to stick to their forecasts of $5,000 per ounce. However, the gold rally has broken down. Selling on the rise is becoming relevant. (FxPro)

News

Crypto bulls fail to maintain momentum

Market Overview

The crypto market has gained 1% over the past 24 hours, the first increase after four days of decline. The market is stabilising at levels just above $3.4 trillion, close to May's local highs. The situation currently resembles a pause in the decline rather than a serious reversal, due to somewhat cautious sentiment in the stock markets and the strengthening of the dollar since the second half of September. Ironically, this reversal coincides with the resumption of the easing cycle of monetary policy. The sentiment index has emerged from the zone of extreme fear, which also coincided with a market rebound. According to the creators of such an index, now is the right time for bulls. Still, traders should be cautious with such an interpretation, as the previous rebound from extreme fear was not long-lasting, and the market is now 5% below the local low of 17 Oct, when sentiment last recovered from extreme anxiety. Bitcoin is trading near $103,000, pausing its rebound but remaining far from its recent lows. The bulls managed to bring the coin back above the 50-week moving average, but there is still a lot of time left until the end of the week, and for now, time is on the bears' side. On intraday charts, it looks as if the rebound has run out of steam and sellers are ready to seize the initiative again.

News Background

Cryptocurrencies are under pressure from general risk aversion in global markets. Among the factors are concerns about the Fed's interest rate and the situation in the credit sector, according to Hashdex. Wintermute attributes the worst performance of cryptocurrencies among all other asset classes to the redistribution of cash flows to other markets. Short-term Bitcoin holders continue to sell cryptocurrencies at a loss, using any rebound as an opportunity to sell, notes analyst Darkfost. However, accumulator addresses — wallets that only buy and never sell — have acquired a record 375,000 BTC over the past month. Amid the asset's decline, French company Sequans Communications, which accumulates Bitcoin, was forced to sell 970 BTC to partially repay its convertible debt. The company's reserves fell from 3,234 to 2,264 BTC. Japanese company Metaplanet, on the other hand, is raising funds to purchase bitcoins. On 31 October, the company received a $100 million loan secured by its reserves. Ripple announced that it had raised $500 million in strategic investments (with a valuation of $40 billion) from major institutional players. Zcash (ZEC) could become an alternative to Bitcoin among those who fear the centralisation of BTC due to Wall Street and are concerned about the tracking of on-chain transactions, according to Galaxy Digital. Supporters of the private coin refer to it as ‘encrypted Bitcoin’ and a return to the principles of the cypherpunks. (FxPro)

News Lead Up

Price Movements and Market Outlook

Spot Gold Dips Slightly: Gold traded at $4,068.70 per troy ounce on November 17, down 0.36% from the previous day. This extends a two-day losing streak amid fading bets for a December Fed rate cut, with the probability dropping below 50%. However, the metal remains up 55.75% year-over-year, supported by broader safe-haven demand.

Recent Rally: Prices surged nearly 3% earlier in the week to a two-week high, driven by soft U.S. economic indicators that bolstered rate-cut hopes and lifted non-yielding assets like gold.

Forecast: Analysts see potential upside if gold sustains above $4,100, targeting $4,140–$4,145, and possibly $4,200. A break below $4,000 could accelerate declines toward $3,900. A weaker USD and softer risk sentiment are keeping a floor under prices, amid concerns over the ongoing U.S. government shutdown impacting economic momentum.

Global Demand and Regional Updates

India and China Cooling: Physical demand in India stayed subdued due to volatile prices, leading to steep discounts for the first time in seven weeks post-festivals. In China, a state bank halted new retail gold accounts after tax exemptions were tweaked, likely curbing demand in the world's top consumer market. Premiums rose in other Asian hubs as global rates eased.

Investment Trends: First-time gold investing hit its strongest levels since the Global Financial Crisis, per recent surveys, signaling renewed interest amid uncertainty.

Buzz on X (Recent Posts) Social discussions highlight gold's role as a hedge against crypto volatility and inflation: Users are buying gold amid Bitcoin's dip into the $80Ks, viewing it as a tangible alternative to "digital tulips."

News

Gold: correction is not over yet

The strengthening of the US dollar and higher Treasury yields have brought the gold price back below $4000.

Yellow metal is gradually losing its wild cards. It managed to reach a record high thanks to devaluation trading, expectations of aggressive monetary expansion by the Fed, Donald Trump's threats of 100% tariffs against China, geopolitics, pessimistic forecasts for the global economy, and active purchases of bullion by central banks.

However, the White House is no longer attacking the Fed as aggressively as before. The US and China have found common ground. The Middle East conflict has been resolved, and the global economy is proving resilient in the face of tariffs. The Fed is cautious about lowering rates, and central bank activity in the bullion market is declining.

The other two examples of similar velocity of gold rose were 1979 and 2011. The experience of those years shows that the surge and collapse were followed by long periods of consolidation. In other words, after a period of retreat from the top, the precious metal will find its trading range and settle within it. But for the weeks ahead, we continue to see more risks of further decline. (FxPro)

News Flashback

Oil Holds Strong Despite Bearish Fundamentals

Weekly data from the EIA noted that the US returned to record oil production rates last week, supplying an average of 13.6 million barrels per day to the market, according to the latest EIA data. The trend towards increased supply began in August, but producers have only now returned to the peak levels recorded at the end of last year. Despite a 5.5-million-barrel increase in US commercial inventories over the past two weeks, inventories stay at the lower end of the range seen over the past decade, leaving considerable room for growth. The same can be said for the strategic reserve, which holds nearly 40% less oil than it did five years ago, before the start of the active sell-off. It is an interesting game in which, on the one hand, the US (the largest oil producer) is increasing supplies, while OPEC+ is increasing quotas on a monthly basis. This extremely bearish combination of factors did not cause oil prices to collapse; it was only because of global trade in currency depreciation that caused precious metals, stock indices, and cryptocurrencies to rise. Oil prices have not peaked in recent weeks .. To be cont .. (FxPro)

News

Gold hits new highs due to political turmoil

Gold is outside the realm of politics.

While currencies and securities depend on the actions of presidents and governments, precious metals do not. Therefore, political turmoil forces investors to use them as safe-haven assets.

The impressive 52% rally in gold started in April with the introduction of tariffs on America's Liberation Day. It continued due to the US government shutdown, the political crisis in France, and the change of leadership in Japan. he rise of gold above 4,000 dollars per ounce is not only the result of the weakness of fiat currencies. There are tectonic shifts in the structure of investment portfolios and fears of financial crises due to government recklessness.

The share of precious metals is growing both in speculators' assets and in the gold and foreign exchange reserves of central banks. The indicator has already exceeded the share of the euro. According to Eurizon Capital, if it equals the share of the US dollar, the price per ounce will soar to 8,500 dollars. The Supreme Court's abolition of tariffs will inflate the US budget deficit. France does not intend to reduce it, and Japan plans to increase bond issuance. All this creates a tailwind for commodity assets. (FxPro)

News

Pop Culture News

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream Match Series; Crack The Code!

Million Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr H
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far! Re-match! Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs NYC and Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
UFC Legal vs UFC Bad Egg Betting Disruptors
Bulls vs Bears
Logan Paul vs WWE babyfaces
Santa's Helper vs Grinch
John McAfee vs FBI + + +, Running .... Netflix Wins again!
Killer Kross vs Matt Riddle - Shoot Fight/Wrestling (MLW)!
VKM vs Numerous!
MLW vs The World
The Big Event vs US Promoters
Storm vs WWE Locker Room. Lash Legend on side!
NXT Gold Rush: Page & Green vs Hendry & Hail
Baszler vs Itoh - HOG Superclash - Nov 15
MSG, NY winning with WWE and UFC in Nov
The Vision vs WWE Lockerroom
John Cena vs Dirty Dom
Miz vs Management
Jericho vs Internet Marks
Mr Gold vs Mr Fool's Gold
Neo vs Mr Smith
PBR vs Others. No Bull?!
Aus Gvt vs Big Tech
Banks vs Cryptos
NVIDIA vs World
White House vs Wokes
Packer vs Devil D
Lucha Bros vs AAA Heels

News

Cryptocurrency Movies
Docos

The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s early days and its potential to disrupt finance.

Banking on Bitcoin (2016)
Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots, and impact on global financial systems through interviews with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.

Cryptopia: Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet (2020)
Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives into blockchain’s broader applications beyond cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s transformative potential.

Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated by Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems. A comprehensive look at real-world applications.

Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It (2015)
Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized financial systems. Features interviews with crypto experts.

Deep Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator, Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in dark web transactions.

Bitconned (2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing how three individuals defrauded investors during the 2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated markets.

Feature Films

Crypto (2019)
A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth, and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal but praise its entertainment value.

Silk Road (2021)
A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin. It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and drama.

Dope (2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association with illicit activities.

Bonus Mentions

Life on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early adoption challenges.

Bitcoin Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.

Notes Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology, and real-world implications. They’re great for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

Feature films often dramatize crypto’s association with crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy. For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many of these are available.

News

Wall Street (Movie)
Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is a drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless corporate raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,” drives the story as Bud is lured into insider trading and unethical deals, compromising his morals for wealth and power.

The film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal, with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father (Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.

Key Details: Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin Sheen (Carl Fox).
Runtime: 2h 6m.
Genre: Drama/Crime.
Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).

Awards: Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Notable Aspects:

Gekko’s “Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting 1980s excess. Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken.

A sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued the story.

Where to Watch (as of 2025):
Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current availability).
Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.

News

Best Quotes

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." — Benjamin Franklin

"Bottoms in the investment world don't end with four-year lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim Rogers

Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful." — Warren Buffett

Media Man "Bullish is a mindset"

Markets, Crypto and Culture

Running Of The Bulls To Normal; Cryptos Hurting; All That Glitters ...

October 15/16, 2025

Sin City Sydney, Australia

ASX futures up 5 points/0.1%, at 9024

Wall Street:
S&P 500 +0.4%
Dow Jones: flat
Nasdaq +0.7%

Europe: Stoxx 50 +1%
FTSE -0.3%
DAX -0.2%
CAC +2%

Australian dollar: US65.06 cents

Bitcoin -1.6% to $US111,106

Gold +1.5% to $US4227.10 per ounce

Oil +0.1% to $US58.78 a barrel

Brent crude oil +0.1% to $US62.45 a barrel

Iron ore -0.3% to $US104.90 per ton

10-year yield:
US 4.03%
Australia 4.21%
Germany 2.57%

News Update: (Near Live)

Bitcoin:

New York/Wall St

Cryptos Today: (Near Live) Mood: Corrective! Salt Into The Wound In Checkers?! Or Salt Of The Earth In Metals Right Chess Move?! All That Glitters Not Digital Gold?!

Bitcoin $111,291.65 -1.77%
Ethereum $3,980.33 -3.44%
Tether $1.0005 -0.03%
Binance Coin $1,161.17 -3.98%
XRP $2.4129 -3.48%
Solana $194.13 -3.71%
TRON $0.3194 +0.85%
Dogecoin -$0.1961 -4.15%
Cardano $0.6677 -4.14%

Market corrective. Mood: Somber-like for many! Suspicious! Regaining smiles! Hardcores keep the dream!

Media Man Favs:

October 15, 2025 (Near Live)
Wall St, New York

TKO Group Holdings Inc $191.21 +1.18 +0.62%
NVIDIA Corp $179.83 -0.18 -0.099%
Formula One Group Series C $103.57 -0.15 -0.14%
Alphabet Inc Class A $251.03 +5.58 +2.27%
News Corp Class A $26.57 -0.070 -0.26%
Netflix Inc $1,203.29 -12.06 -0.99%
Caterpillar Inc $534.05 +6.58 +1.25%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $16.27
-0.010 -0.061%
Tesla Inc $435.15 +5.91 +1.38%
Walt Disney Co $111.71 +0.54 +0.49%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $118.07 +1.96 +1.69%
Meta Platforms Inc $717.55 +8.90 +1.26%
BHP Group Ltd $43.54
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $15.15 +0.040 +0.26%
Elders Ltd $7.50
Rio Tinto Ltd $129.69

News

The dollar prefers to stay within the range for now

The US dollar turned downward at the end of the day on Tuesday and continues to move downward in the first half of Wednesday. The dollar is being weighed down by the recovery of positive momentum in the stock markets. Pressure on the dollar can also be linked to Powell's latest comments yesterday evening. The Fed chairman confirmed the path to further rate cuts and said asset sales from the balance sheet could be halted soon, ending the quantitative tightening phase. To be cont ..

(FxPro)

News

The US stock market rebound may falter

US stock index futures are rising after a disastrous Friday, when Trump's aggressive response to China's tariffs shook the markets. The US president's announcements were carefully timed, with the most aggressive measures (additional 100% tariffs on Chinese goods) announced after the market closed.

Over the weekend, US and Chinese leaders appeared to reach out to each other, offering opportunities for further discussion and a deal. Market sentiment was close to extreme fear, with the Fear and Greed Index falling to 29 on Friday and recovering to 30 on Monday. These are the lowest values since the end of April, when the market was recovering from the “liberation day” effect on Trump's tariffs. In the last couple of years, this index has entered the extreme fear zone before we saw a reversal in the indices. This means that bears may exert another round of pressure on the markets. It is easy to link this to further toughening of mutual rhetoric between China and the US, albeit with the possibility of dialogue remaining open. In other words, in this case, it is worth talking about a decrease in the intensity of mutual recriminations, but not about a reversal in relations. From this, we can conclude that the risks that caused the markets to collapse on Friday remain. We also note that the S&P 500 is trading at a significant distance from its 200-week moving average, near which the market has ended its declines over the past 14 years since 2011, touching it or turning around within 2-5% of it. This contrasts sharply with the current situation, where the S&P 500 is almost 25% above this line. If we talk about a correction within a bull market, then the target for bears seems to be the 6100–6150 range, where the 50-week moving average and last winter's highs are concentrated. Movement in this direction looks like a viable strategy for the final quarter of the year, unless there is a real reversal in the rapprochement between China and the US, which we highly doubt. In addition, seasonal factors are also temporarily on the side of the bears, given the more than 40% growth from the lows of the year in early April, the suppressed volatility of the last month and a half, and the tendency to look for new patterns in the markets in the final months of the year. If that's not enough, add to this the fact that the economy is beginning to feel the effects of tariff wars and a deteriorating labour market, and AI is no longer a novelty. In these conditions, it will be increasingly difficult for traders to find reasons for local purchases. (FxPro)

News

Crypto market recovers from tariff shock

Market Overview

The crypto market capitalisation stood at $3.9 trillion on Monday, up 4.4% from the previous day but down 6% from pre-Friday crash levels. On Friday, the US stock market saw its biggest drop since April but recovered some of its losses on Monday. Since Sunday, the crypto market has been attempting to rebound after a sell-off that began as an emotional reaction to tariff initiatives by China and the US but escalated into massive margin calls and stop orders being triggered.

The sentiment index stood at 38 (fear) on Monday morning, down from 24 (extreme fear) the day before. The level of sentiment we saw over the weekend was last seen in April under similar circumstances — when tough trade tariffs were announced.

Bitcoin approached $115K on Monday, while Ethereum exceeded $4,200. Cryptocurrencies are recovering after Friday's sharp decline. The movement on Friday and in the early hours of Saturday swept the ‘weak hands’ out of the market, taking the price of BTC below the 50—and 200-day moving averages and below the August and September lows.

Such sweeping liquidations often set the bottom of the market, but it may take time for the wounds to heal. In 2020, 2021 and 2024, it took a couple of weeks for the rally to start, although the market did not rewrite the lows. But in 2022, the turnaround to growth after the crash began after about six months. Relying on these statistics is encouraging for bargain hunters in crypto. Still, it would be too hasty to say that the recovery will be just as quick and will begin immediately.

News Background

Wall Street crashed on Friday after US President Donald Trump escalated the trade conflict with China following Beijing's tightening of restrictions on trade in rare earth metals, Reuters reports. Cryptocurrencies and stock indices fell sharply on Friday. Some softening of tone from Trump and Xi has led to the probability of 100% tariffs against China by 1 November being estimated at 8% on Polymarket, down from 26% at the end of Friday. Santiment notes that bitcoin remains extremely sensitive to risk appetite and behaves more like a risky asset than a safe haven.

The Kobeissi Letter notes that the collapse of cryptocurrencies on 11 October will not have long-term fundamental consequences and was caused by a combination of technical factors. The market crash triggered a record cascade of liquidations worth $19.3 billion. Analyst Frank Fetter, citing technical indicators, said the cryptocurrency market is still far from overbought, which means there is still potential for the rally to continue.

News Flashback

Oil Holds Strong Despite Bearish Fundamentals

Weekly data from the EIA noted that the US returned to record oil production rates last week, supplying an average of 13.6 million barrels per day to the market, according to the latest EIA data. The trend towards increased supply began in August, but producers have only now returned to the peak levels recorded at the end of last year. Despite a 5.5-million-barrel increase in US commercial inventories over the past two weeks, inventories stay at the lower end of the range seen over the past decade, leaving considerable room for growth. The same can be said for the strategic reserve, which holds nearly 40% less oil than it did five years ago, before the start of the active sell-off. It is an interesting game in which, on the one hand, the US (the largest oil producer) is increasing supplies, while OPEC+ is increasing quotas on a monthly basis. This extremely bearish combination of factors did not cause oil prices to collapse; it was only because of global trade in currency depreciation that caused precious metals, stock indices, and cryptocurrencies to rise. Oil prices have not peaked in recent weeks .. To be cont .. (FxPro)

News

Gold hits new highs due to political turmoil

Gold is outside the realm of politics.

While currencies and securities depend on the actions of presidents and governments, precious metals do not. Therefore, political turmoil forces investors to use them as safe-haven assets.

The impressive 52% rally in gold started in April with the introduction of tariffs on America's Liberation Day. It continued due to the US government shutdown, the political crisis in France, and the change of leadership in Japan. he rise of gold above 4,000 dollars per ounce is not only the result of the weakness of fiat currencies. There are tectonic shifts in the structure of investment portfolios and fears of financial crises due to government recklessness.

The share of precious metals is growing both in speculators' assets and in the gold and foreign exchange reserves of central banks. The indicator has already exceeded the share of the euro. According to Eurizon Capital, if it equals the share of the US dollar, the price per ounce will soar to 8,500 dollars. The Supreme Court's abolition of tariffs will inflate the US budget deficit. France does not intend to reduce it, and Japan plans to increase bond issuance. All this creates a tailwind for commodity assets. (FxPro)

News

Politics remains the main driver of FX

The US government shutdown did not have a noticeable impact on the dollar's performance last week. However, it did help the stock market to grow slightly by strengthening expectations of monetary policy easing. However, these events pale in comparison to the change in Japan's ruling elite and the resignation of the French prime minister less than a day after the formation of the government in terms of their impact on the currency market. In Japan, Sanae Takaichi was chosen head of the Liberal Democratic Party over the weekend and is on track to become the country's first female prime minister. This event caused the yen to fall 2% to 150.49 from Friday's level before correcting to 149.80 at the time of writing. Takaichi is considered a supporter of aggressive government spending, structural reforms, and soft monetary policy, echoing the basic principles of Shinzo Abe. Overall, she has a more right-wing approach to national policy and is also a supporter of revising Japan's pacifist constitution. The market reaction clearly shows that they are considering Takaichi to be the new prime minister. If she does not change her political views (and she has softened them recently to win the party elections), we should be prepared for a further weakening of the yen, which reached its highest level since 1991 in the EURJPY pair, exceeding 176. However, the single currency is also facing uncertainty today due to a new political crisis in France. Prime Minister Lecornu, who had been trying to form a government for a month, resigned the day after he finally presented his new cabinet. His appointments drew criticism from both left-wing and right-wing allies. The EURUSD fell to 1.1650 at its lowest point on Monday, losing a full cent against Friday's levels. Unlike Japan, where a 2% drop in the JPY was accompanied by a 5% jump in the Nikkei225 index, France's CAC40 lost more than 2% intraday, paring its losses to 1.2% towards the end of the trading day in Europe. The EURUSD stopped its climb in July and has been hovering around 1.1700 all this time, not least because of the political crisis in France. Without it, the single currency would have had a much better chance of exploiting political divisions in the US to its advantage. It would be an exaggeration to call the situation in Japan and France a drama. Still, these events once again emphasise that as soon as the dollar's throne begin.

News

Pop Culture News

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream Match Series; Crack The Code!

Million Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr H
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far! Re-match! Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
Bulls vs Bears

News

Cryptocurrency Movies
Documentaries

The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s early days and its potential to disrupt finance.

Banking on Bitcoin (2016)
Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots, and impact on global financial systems through interviews with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.

Cryptopia: Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet (2020)
Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives into blockchain’s broader applications beyond cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s transformative potential.

Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated by Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems. A comprehensive look at real-world applications.

Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It (2015)
Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized financial systems. Features interviews with crypto experts.

Deep Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator, Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in dark web transactions.

Bitconned (2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing how three individuals defrauded investors during the 2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated markets.

Feature Films

Crypto (2019)
A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth, and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal but praise its entertainment value.

Silk Road (2021)
A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin. It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and drama.

Dope (2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association with illicit activities.

Bonus Mentions

Life on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early adoption challenges.

Bitcoin Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.

Notes Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology, and real-world implications. They’re great for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

Feature films often dramatize crypto’s association with crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy. For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many of these are available.

News

Wall Street (Movie)
Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is a drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless corporate raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,” drives the story as Bud is lured into insider trading and unethical deals, compromising his morals for wealth and power.

The film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal, with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father (Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.

Key Details: Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin Sheen (Carl Fox).
Runtime: 2h 6m.
Genre: Drama/Crime.
Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).

Awards: Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Notable Aspects:

Gekko’s “Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting 1980s excess. Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken.

A sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued the story.

Where to Watch (as of 2025):
Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current availability).
Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.

News Flashback

Gold, copper, & silver:

How metals are moving this year

Metal futures have made some pretty dramatic moves lately from safe haven gold to tariff sensitive copper. So let's take a look at the longer term trends. I'm Jared Blikre, host of Stocks in Translation. And I'm going to start by charting some of the moves in Dr. Copper because this is where we have the most zig and zags over the last 25 years. So this goes back to the beginning of the century and we can see right now, we're at $5.51 per pound. That is a record high. But if we go back to the beginning of the century, guess what? Uh we had a little bit of a slump in the wake of the dot com boom and then bust, but starting in 2003, we saw a big rise there. And that was as China actually joined the World Trade Organization or the WTO. That lasted into the global financial crisis. Then we had a pretty big bust in in Dr. Copper, and then we had another rise. And that rise was due to unprecedented stimulus, not only from the Chinese government, but also from the United States government, QE was in force, and then we saw kind of a strong dollar play. That weighed on this metal all the way into the beginning of 2016. The entire world, most of the world indices went through a bear market in 2015, and then 2016, we found the footing. And that was actually the year that Trump won, began his first presidency. And from there, we saw some zig and zags, and then we saw a shock into the pandemic. A couple of, a couple of years of deflation or a semi-deflation, disinflation, that caught up with it in 2022, but then it was off to the races again. And especially with the Trump tariffs now on copper, threatening to be threatening to be 50% on August 1st, we're seeing a lot of front running in this trade. Now, I also want to show you gold futures and I'm going to show you silver as well. And they follow a very similar pattern. We're not seeing the dramatic zig and zags that we did in copper, but we did see the same pattern of China joining the WTO, contributing to that huge rise in price to 1800, almost $2,000 an ounce by the beginning of the global financial crisis. So a little bit of a meltdown there. But in 2016 into 2018, we saw a bit of a rise into the pandemic, a little bit of a whipsaw there, and consolidation over a few years. Again, that 2022 bare market in US stocks that contributed to some deflation and disinflation globally, supply chain chain shocks came into force again, and then we saw this huge rise beginning in late 2023, and we are now at 3353. We've seen a high of as much as $3,500 per ounce. And gold is kind of unique among the precious metals and also the industrial metals, and this is because central banks have been a huge determining force in their buying of it. This is a bar chart that shows central bank buying in tons going back all the way to 2010. And what you notice here is the last three years, 2022, 2023, 2024, all of those had gold being bought by central banks of in the amount of over 1,000 tons. And so that's a pretty big dramatic increase from the prior years. And this has to do with the ongoing dedollarization in China, as well as Russia, but also a host of other countries, even some in western and eastern Europe. So this is a trend that we want to follow. Uh, I want to close out here with silver, and I'm going to just chart the price action. Again, very similar chart to gold and copper in terms of the big movements here. We saw a big price spike into almost $50 per ounce, and that was just as the global financial crisis was getting underway. And then the QE area in 2011, that's when we saw that high. Then we saw a dramatic, dramatic crash into 2016, kind of found its footing, saw a big squeeze in the early pandemic, 2020 was a great year for silver, but then we saw a little bit of a fallout. And again, silver is on the rise here at $38. It's still off of that $50 record high, but it is increasing very quickly. To round out the conversation, I want to just put on a table here. I have all three medals and just kind of grouping them together. I want to display how they are moving with their specific patterns with a trigger, and then to tell you which one of these is featured in these specific criteria. So here, under the pattern, we have acceleration. So that would be an economic acceleration. The trigger would be liquidity. And when that happens, we see all metals benefiting from that. And then when there's a safe haven scare, and that trigger would be a crisis of some sorts, you're going to see gold and silver outperforming the most, kind of leaving Dr. Copper behind. And then here's a bearish one, industrial drags, that affects copper disproportionately here, and the trigger there is typically a stronger US dollar because the US dollar surges when global global industrials tend to drag, and that's because the US is the least dirty shirt in the laundry basket of the world. And then finally here, we have a policy shock. This will affect all three medals, but especially copper and gold here. Um, arguably, the biggest reason is tariffs and debt, and we've seen both of those contribute to silver rising. So we could put all three in that basket as well. But when you put it all together, we have the perfect explosive mix for all three of these metals, including palladium and also platinum, which we didn't get to have time for, but all of these are experiencing huge thrust in 2025. And we'll have to see how these tariffs play out, especially on Dr. Copper with respect to that August 1st deadline. Remember, 50% there. So tune into Stocks in Translation for more jargon busting deep dives, new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays on Yahoo Finances website, or wherever you find your podcast. (Transcript from Yahoo! Finance podcast)

News

Best Quotes

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." — Benjamin Franklin

"Bottoms in the investment world don't end with four-year lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim Rogers

Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful." — Warren Buffett

Media Man "Bullish is a mindset"

Media/Marketing/Comms/Brands/News/Culture/
Streaming/Events: Australia and World

October 2025

WWE

Roman Reigns Returns To WWE

Brock Lesnar Returns To WWE

Women's Division On Fire: Ripley, Asuka, Stratton, IYO SKY

Western Australia Preps For Crown Jewel Perth: Oct 11
Rhodes vs Rollins
John Cena vs AJ Styles
Stephanie Vaquer vs Tiffany Stratton
Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky vs The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane)

WWE SmackDown - Heritage Bank Center. Cincinnati, Ohio. Cody Rhodes, Orton, The Vision and more.

Rhodes and Orton vs The Brons/Vision: Oct 3

NXT Showdown
NXT vs TNA Wrestling
October 7, 2025
Orlando, Florida

News

Oct 2

Southern Cross chair says merger with Seven has 'strong support'

The proposed merger between Seven West Media and Southern Cross Media Group has been criticised by some shareholders of the latter. They are concerned about the proposal to issue nearly 100 per cent of its shares to finance the acquisition of Seven West without putting the deal to its own shareholders. Sandon Capital MD Gabriel Radzyminski will seek a change to Southern Cross's constitution that would prevent the group from issuing more than 25 per cent of new shares without a shareholder vote; Sandon has an 11.3 per cent stake in the media group. However, Southern Cross chairman Heith Mackay-Cruise says there is strong support for the deal amongst its major shareholders. (RMS)

News

MMA
UFC 320
Ankalaev vs Pereira 2
October 4, 2025
T-Mobile Arena
Paradise, Nevada

News

NRL Grand Final
Sunday October 5
Melbourne Storm vs Brisbane Broncos
Accor Arena, Sydney, Australia

News

Oct 2

NRL poised to pip AFL for largest grand final broadcast audience for first time in a decade

The Seven Network's coverage of the 2025 AFL grand final is currently Australia's most-watched TV program in the year-to-date, boasting an average audience of 4.08 million people. However, the NRL's two preliminary finals had a combined average audience of 5.2 million, which is 35 per cent higher year-on-year. Some TV industry insiders believe that the NRL grand final on the Nine Network will attract a larger audience than the AFL's premiership showdown; this would be for the first time since 2015. The last grand final showdown between the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm in 2006 attracted an average audience of nearly four million. (RMS)

News

Media merger to counter big tech

The proposed merger between Seven West Media and Southern Cross Media Group is forecast to generate annual pre-tax cost synergies of up to $30m. The merger will combine Seven's linear TV and digital broadcast platforms with Southern Cross's radio stations; Seven also owns print and digital newspapers. Seven West's shareholders are expected to vote on the deal later this year or in early 2026; if approved, Southern Cross will emerge with a 50.1 per cent stake in the combined entity. Seven's CEO Jeff Howard will take on the role in the merged group, while Seven chairman Kerry Stokes will step down in favour of Southern Cross counterpart Heith Mackay-Cruise. Southern Cross CEO John Kelly has indicated that he has also held merger talks with Nine Entertainment in recent months. (RMS)

News

Don't team up: NRL chief to Nine, Foxtel

The National Rugby League's current $1.7m broadcasting rights deal with Foxtel and Nine Entertainment ends in 2027, and the league will commence negotiations for the next deal later this year.

The Australian Rugby League Commission's chairman Peter V'landys expects the new deal to be worth much more, noting that there has been strong growth in TV audiences for NRL matches. He adds that live sport is crucial to the future of free-to-air TV, given the audience shift to streaming platforms.

V'Landys has also cautioned Nine and Foxtel against making a joint bid, warning that the NRL will take the rights elsewhere if they attempt to collude. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Netflix Top 5: Current

Wayward
House Of Guinness
Black Rabbit
Wednesday
Adolescence

News Flashback

September 2025

September 22 (US) and 23 (Australia)

WWE RAW On Netflix

Jey Uso Going To The Dark Side?! Inner Heel!

Asuka The Heel; May Take Australian Rhea Ripley And Saine Souls?! Saine under the Asuka Kabuki Spell! Ripley attacked post match by Japanese Kabuki Triad-like faction!

John Cena def by Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza!

WWE RAW On Road To Crown Jewel Perth; Wrestlepalooza Fallout!

Dirty Dominik Mysterio, New Double Champ Spying Whole WWE/TKO Group For More Gold!

Logan Paul Has Focus On WWE Gold And International Tours Including Australia and Saudi including WrestleMania and numerous PLE's (Premium Live Events)

WWE Powers That Be Continue To Mention Some Non-WWE Signed Talent Including Chris Jericho

Some Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide Talent May Appear On Upcoming RAW's, SmackDown's And PLE's!

News

Young Australians drive use of captions for films, videos and TV shows

Research from Roy Morgan shows that 43% of Australians now prefer to watch films, videos and TV shows with captions or subtitles on, while 13% prefer their news and entertainment in a language other than English. Analysis by age shows a that majority of Australians under 35 say they prefer to watch films, videos and TV shows with the subtitles or captions on (54% aged under 25 and 58% aged 25-34), as do 48% of those aged 35-49. Meanwhile, just over a quarter of 50-64yr olds (28%) and 65+ (30%) prefer to watch such content with the subtitles or captions on. Younger Australians are also more likely than their older counterparts to prefer their news and entertainment in a language other than English. This new Roy Morgan dataset was developed in partnership with the Media Federation of Australia's DE&I Advisory Council. A nationwide cross-section of 14,969 Australian aged 14+ were interviewed between April and June 2025. (RMS)

News

After trashing big tech for years, Murdochs eye TikTok US stake

US President Donald Trump has stated that a group of "American patriots" could potentially buy the US operations of short-video platform TikTok. He named Lachlan and Rupert Murdoch as likely investors in TikTok, as well as IT pioneers Michael Dell and Larry Ellison. Sources have indicated that the Murdoch family would most likely invest in TikTok via Fox Corporation. However, the Murdochs' media outlooks in Australia have been frequent critics of TikTok - and social media platforms in general - in recent years. Amongst other things, they lobbied for reforms that led to the introduction of the News Media Bargaining Code. (RMS)

News

Atlassian in blockbuster $1.5b AI deal

Computer software company Atlassian has made its second big acquisition this month, paying $US1 billion ($1.5 billion) to buy US software firm DX. Atlassian's purchase of DX comes after it bought The Browser company for $US610 million, with Atlassian co-founder and chief executive Mike Cannon-Brooke saying the purchase of DX will help its customers understand if they are making the right AI investments. For his part, Atlassian chief technology officer Rajeev Rajan notes many of DX's current customers are also Atlasssian clients. (RMS)

News

Starlink ups plans to 44,988 satellites

SpaceX has filed a formal application to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to launch thousands of extra satellites into very low Earth orbit (VLEO). The scheme will take some time to implement but suggests that Starlink would then be able to manage greater coverage of its direct-to-consumer connectivity. Starlink already has about 650 ‘direct-to-cell- satellites in orbit.

The application covers a slew of new orbits, between 326 kms and 335 kms and much lower than the existing Starlink fleet. The application also covers usage of new – to Starlink – transmission frequencies. Those frequencies include those which Starlink acquired from EchoStar earlier in September.

“This new system of up to 15,000 satellites will provide ubiquitous connectivity to ordinary mobile handsets and a range of other devices and user terminals,” the company wrote in its filing.

The request is over and above existing filings which total up to 29,988 satellites and covers a maximum – says SpaceX – of an extra 15,000 satellites, and taking the total envisioned of 44,988 satellites.

This filing attachment contains information describing SpaceX’s non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite system and use of spectrum for Mobile-Satellite Service (MSS), as required under Part 25 of the Commission’s rules.1 SpaceX proposes to provide MSS service internationally.

The SpaceX request typically lists up to 5,760 satellites for each orbital plane. SpaceX says the frequencies and satellites will be used in partnership with terrestrial operators to augment high-capacity terrestrial 5G networks.

Observers say these very low orbits mean that the satellites are subject to some atmospheric drag. While the atmosphere is extremely thin at altitudes of around 330 kms, it still impacts satellites at these heights. Consequently, the fleet will need to be replaced more frequently as the satellites decay in orbit.

Expert observers suggest that the extra fleet, when fully in position will need an average of 3,100 replacements to be launched annually.

Last November, the FCC cleared SpaceX to orbit some Starlink satellites as low as 340 kms in orbit, so long as the company coordinates with NASA. The company’s new application requests to orbit the next-generation cellular Starlink satellites ever closer to Earth, from between 326 kms to 335km, which would likely help reduce their latency when connecting to phones below.

News

Netflix: Top 3 (World)

1. Wednesday: Season 2
28.2 million views

The Addams Family spin-off returns with Part 2, topping the English TV list and driving massive buzz for its gothic mystery and Jenna Ortega's performance. It's a major highlight for September releases.

2. My Life With the Walter Boys: Season 2
10.9 million views

This teen romance drama sees fans divided between love interests, maintaining strong viewership from its first season.

3. Hostage: Limited Series
5.5 million views

A tense thriller that's emerged as a sleeper hit this month, praised for its pacing and plot twists in WIRED's best shows roundup. Scary good. Not for kids.

News

Foxtel 'thriving' under DAZN

Foxtel Group's CEO Patrick Delany says the pay-TV group is is more committed than ever to serving the Australian market under new parent company DAZN. Delany says the global sports-focused streaming group bought Foxtel due to its current strategy of continuing to grow through streaming while maintaining its traditional pay-TV service; DAZN finalised the acquisition of Foxtel in April. Meanwhile, Delany says there are compelling reasons for the NRL to renew its broadcasting rights deal with Foxtel. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Lachlan's win means his mates Down Under can breathe easily

Andrew Bolt is perhaps the News Corp Australia employee most relieved that Lachlan Murdoch has won the succession battle regarding control of the Murdoch family media empire. Bolt had stated last year that he would quit if James Murdoch and the other siblings of Lachlan Murdoch involved in the battle had won control of the empire. Lachlan Murdoch is also a big supporter of News Corp Australia boss Michael Miller, who retains his role despite ongoing rumblings that Sky News boss Paul Whittaker is after his job, while Daily Telegraph editor Ben English is said to be Lachlan Murdoch's favourite editor. (RMS)

News

Paramount/Warner deal could buck merger trend (RMS)

Peter Supino from Wolfe Research estimates that a merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery would generate initial cost synergies of about $US3bn. He says it would create the world's biggest film and TV studio and one of the top five streaming video companies. Shares in both companies have rallied in response to media reports that Paramount is preparing an all-cash takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery. The merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media was completed in August. (RMS)

News

September 12, 2025

Fox's path now clear, says Lachlan

Fox Corporation's executive chairman and CEO Lachlan Murdoch says the deal to resolve a long-running family trust dispute will ensure clarity about the media company's future strategy. The $US3.3bn deal will give Lachlan Murdoch full control of the family's stakes in both Fox and News Corporation. Murdoch says the deal with his siblings will allow Fox to continue on the path that it set in 2019 when the Murdoch family sold its entertainment assets to Disney. He notes that Fox's revenue has increased by $US5bn since the sale to Disney. (RMS)

News

September 10

Siblings paid to exit Murdoch media empire

Sources have indicated that the Murdoch family has settled the long-running dispute over future control over its media empire in a deal worth $US3.3bn ($5bn). Rupert Murdoch's eldest son Lachlan is set to assume full control of the family's stakes in News Corp and Fox Corporation, ending the dispute with his siblings. Prudence MacLeod, Elisabeth Murdoch and James Murdoch will each receive $US1.1bn, while they have also agreed to sell all of their shares in the two companies over the next six months. The family trust that was at the centre of the legal dispute between the Murdochs will be dissolved as part of the deal. (RMS)

News

September 8

News

Meta tries diplomacy as ban looms

The federal government is set to reveal further details of its age-limits policy for social media in coming weeks. This includes the 'reasonable steps' that technology group will have to take in blocking people under the age of 16 from accessing their platforms. Meta executives Antigone Davis and Dustin Ho recently visited Australia to hold talks with the government regarding the looming age restrictions. Other social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok have launched advertising campaigns in recent weeks to promote the educational value of their platforms. (RMS)

News

Kayo, Binge remain key pillars of Foxtel

Foxtel Group executive Mark Frain has emphasised that the pay-TV company remains committed to the Binge streaming service under its new owner, the sports-focused DAZN. The CEO of Foxtel Media says the entertainment-focused Binge is a key part of the group's future plans; he argues that Binge provides DAZN with an opportunity to bolster and complement sport. Meanwhile, Frain expects demand for Kayo Sports to continue growing amongst both from advertisers and subscribers. Foxtel will hold its 2006 'upfronts' event ths week. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Antitrust suit against Fox News dismissed

US District Court judge Aileen Cannon has ruled in favour of Fox News in an antitrust case launched by cable news rival Newsmax. The latter had alleged that Fox News had used its market power to coerce distributors into unfair terms that bar them from carrying its competitors' broadcasts. Cannon essentially found that the complaint against Fox News had been poorly drafted, but she ruled that Newsmax can lodge a revised complaint by 11 September. (RMS)

News

Netflix: October 2025

Movies

A House of Dynamite (Oct 24): A political thriller directed by Kathryn Bigelow, starring Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, and others. It centers on a nuclear threat to the U.S., touted as a potential Best Picture nominee.

The Woman in Cabin 10 (Oct 10): A psychological thriller starring Keira Knightley as a journalist uncovering a mystery on a luxury yacht, based on Ruth Ware’s novel.

Steve (Oct 3): Cillian Murphy stars as a headteacher at a reform school facing personal and professional struggles, based on Max Porter’s novella Shy.

About My Father (2023, Oct 1): A comedy with Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro, focusing on a clash between an Italian father and his fiancée’s family.

Blue Crush (2002, Oct 1): A sports drama starring Kate Bosworth about a woman pursuing her dream of becoming a pro surfer.

Casper (1995, Oct 1): A family-friendly supernatural comedy with Christina Ricci about a kind-hearted ghost.

Elysium (2013, Oct 1): A sci-fi action film by Neill Blomkamp starring Matt Damon, exploring class struggles between Earth and a luxurious space station.

Hacksaw Ridge (2016, Oct 1): Mel Gibson’s WWII drama about medic Desmond Doss, starring Andrew Garfield.

Dirty Dancing (1987, Oct 1): The iconic romantic dance film with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.

Austin Powers Trilogy (Oct 1): All three films (International Man of Mystery, The Spy Who Shagged Me, Goldmember) bring Mike Myers’ comedic spy antics.

Series

Nobody Wants This Season 2 (Oct 23): The rom-com starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody returns, following Joanne and Noah’s chaotic relationship.

The Diplomat Season 3 (Oct 16): Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell navigate political intrigue, with Bradley Whitford joining as the First Gentleman.

The Witcher Season 4 (Oct 30): Liam Hemsworth takes over as Geralt of Rivia, adapting the final novels of Andrzej Sapkowski’s series. A Rats special may accompany it.

Love Is Blind Season 9 (Oct 1): Set in Denver, this reality dating show explores love without physical attraction.

Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Oct 3): Ryan Murphy’s anthology series continues with Charlie Hunnam as the infamous serial killer Ed Gein, joined by Laurie Metcalf and Addison Rae.

Splinter Cell: Deathwatch (TBD): An animated espionage series based on the video game, following Sam Fisher.

The Resurrected (TBD): A Taiwanese series about two mothers resurrecting a criminal to avenge their daughters.

Genie, Make a Wish Season 1 (Oct 1): A Korean rom-com starring Kim Woo Bin as a genie and Bae Suzy as a stoic woman.

Dudes Season 1 (Oct 1): A German comedy spinoff of Alpha Males.

The New Force Season 1 (Oct 1): A Swedish drama about Stockholm’s first female police officers.

Documentaries

Victoria Beckham (Oct 9): A three-part series tracing her journey from Spice Girls fame to fashion mogul.

The Perfect Neighbor (Oct 17): A Sundance award-winning documentary on the 2023 Ajike Owens murder and Florida’s stand-your-ground laws.

Starting 5 Season 2 (Oct 16): Follows NBA stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kevin Durant during the 2024-2025 season.

Who Killed the Montreal Expos? (Oct 21): Explores the demise of the Canadian baseball team.

The White House Effect (Oct 1): Examines climate policy under George H.W. Bush and its lasting impact.

Rockstar: Duki From the End of the World (Oct 1): An Argentine documentary on trap star Duki.

Specials and Animation

Dr. Seuss’s Horton! (Oct 1): An animated adaptation from Brown Bag Films.

Ranma 1/2 Season 2 (Oct 1): Weekly anime episodes continue the classic series.

Rurouni Kenshin Season 2 (Oct 1): A Japanese anime about a samurai seeking redemption.

Six Kings Slam 2025 (Oct 15): A live tennis showcase featuring top players.

Matt McCusker: A Humble Offering (Oct 1): A stand-up comedy special.

News Flashback

Netflix: September 2025

Highlights include:

Wednesday Season 2, Part 2 (Sept. 3): The second half of the season continues with four episodes, following Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) at Nevermore Academy as she faces new mysteries and threats, including her Season 1 rival Tyler’s Hyde form.

Black Rabbit (Sept. 18): A limited series starring Jude Law as a restaurateur and Jason Bateman as his brother, diving into New York’s criminal underworld.

Alice in Borderland Season 3 (Sept. 25): The Japanese thriller returns with new death games and challenges for Arisu and Usagi.

House of Guinness (Sept. 25): A new drama series exploring the family behind the iconic brewery.

aka Charlie Sheen (Sept. 10): A two-part documentary offering an unfiltered look at Charlie Sheen’s life and career.

Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford (Sept. 13): A live boxing event with a behind-the-scenes series, Countdown: Canelo v Crawford (Sept. 4). *just hit. Record breaking viewership/audience!

Love Is Blind: Brazil Season 5 and Love Is Blind: France (Sept. 10): New seasons of the reality dating franchise.

Next Gen Chef (Sept. 17): A culinary competition featuring 21 chefs under 30 at the Culinary Institute of America.

Pokémon Concierge Season 1, Part 2 (Sept. 4) and Pokémon Horizons Season 2 – The Search for Laqua Part 4 (Sept. 26): Animated series for fans of the franchise.

Dr. Seuss’s Red Fish, Blue Fish (Sept. 8): An animated preschool series based on the classic book.

The Wrong Paris (Sept. 12): A rom-com featuring Miranda Cosgrove as a woman who joins a dating show, expecting France but landing in Texas.

Inspector Zende (Sept. 5): A Bollywood drama about a serial killer evading capture in Mumbai.

Love Con Revenge (Sept. 5): A documentary series following victims of romance scams seeking justice.

Licensed Movies (Sept. 1):

Classics like:

8 Mile (RT: 96%)
The Amazing Spider-Man 1 & 2
Boyz n the Hood (RT: 96%)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (RT: 99%)
La La Land
Shrek series
Billy Madison
Willy Wonka (original)
The Expendables (1 to 4). Carry over from August
Against The Ropes (has returned)
The Legend Of Baron To'A (just hit)

WWE RAW
WWE SmackDown (numerous international markets. Not US)
WWE NXT

News

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Google Finance wins Media Man 'Business News Website Of The Month' award

Runner-ups: Yahoo! Finance, The Australian Financial Review, FOX Business and Sky News Australia

Yahoo! Finance Sports Report wins Media Man 'Sports Business Podcast Of The Month' award

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Netflix wins Media Man 'Brand Of The Month'; Runner-up: MAX

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Prime wins Media Man 'Beverage Of The Month' award

Claudio's Cafe wins Media Man 'Coffee Brand Of The Month' award; Runner-up: Nespresso

Cryptocurrency News, Fintech, Blockchain, Media

September 29, 2025

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $114,160.79 +1.91%
Ethereum $4,222.43 +2.12%
Tether $1.0005 -0.02%
XRP $2.8938 +1.08%
Solana $214.06 +2.03%
TRON $0.3372 +0.45%
Dogecoin $0.2369 +0.18%

News

September 29, 2025

Crypto market attempts to form a double bottom

Market Overview

The crypto market has been gaining since the start of the day on Friday, adding 3.5% during this time to $3.85 trillion, but still 1.3% below the level of a week earlier.

The rebound is coming from roughly the same levels as in early September. Once again, altcoins are recovering stronger than BTC. Such outperformance in the early stages of recovery often indicates the future winners of the race, which in this case are altcoins.

The sentiment index fell to 28 on Friday but recovered to 50 by Monday. The approach to the extreme fear zone seems to have activated optimists, who began to buy back the drawdown. However, cautious traders will likely prefer to wait for the results of the 50-day moving average test, which is currently passing through $3.92 trillion.

At the end of last week, Bitcoin found support at 109,000. It was bought at roughly the same levels as the end of August and even slightly higher, which is positive for the bulls. On the other hand, September's local high is lower than the previous one, which generally indicates a decrease in volatility and a stronger movement towards a breakout beyond the $108-118K range. Movements within the range can give many false short-term signals.

News Background

Santiment has recorded a surge in mentions of “buy on dip,” which may indicate the likelihood of an imminent rebound. In addition, whales continue to accumulate BTC, and the supply of Bitcoin on exchanges is declining.

However, Glassnode warns of a continued correction, given growing selling pressure from long-term holders and declining institutional demand for ETFs. The first Ethereum ETF with a staking feature from REX Shares and Osprey Funds has launched in the US. Investors will receive monthly payments for supporting the ETH network. Applications from BlackRock and Fidelity are still being reviewed by the SEC.

Ethereum has begun to show signs that a local bottom has likely been reached, notes analyst Mikybull Crypto. The RSI oscillator on daily charts has fallen to its lowest levels since April, when ETH was trading around $1,400.

According to the Wall Street Journal, US regulators are investigating cases of potential insider trading involving companies that accumulate cryptocurrencies in their reserves. The SEC and FINRA have already sent inquiries to a number of companies.

Rating agency Moody's warns that the rapid expansion of cryptocurrencies’ use in developing countries, including stablecoins, poses risks to monetary sovereignty and financial stability. (FxPro)

News

September 25, 2025

The crypto market is digging deeper

Market Overview

The crypto market capitalisation has fallen to a nearly three-week low of $3.83 trillion, falling deeper below its 50-day moving average. However, similar declines at the end of June and the end of August only encouraged buyers. On Thursday morning, Bitcoin wiped out the previous day's gains, while major altcoins, Ethereum, and Solana, have been declining for the fifth trading session in a row.

The sentiment index at 44 barely touches the fear zone, preventing us from talking about a full-fledged reversal in sentiment. Nevertheless, we are once again turning our attention to crypto as an early indicator of risk appetite. Altcoins, as well as small currencies of developed countries, have been losing ground since the Fed cut rates a week ago, and key US indices have joined them since Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Bitcoin unsuccessfully attempted to storm the 50-day moving average. Earlier, BTCUSD fell out of the upward channel that had been forming since early September. These are all signs of a deeper dive ahead, potentially into the $104-107K range.

News Background

Bitcoin's implied volatility has fallen to its lowest level since 2023. Blockchain data points to a “calm before the storm,” according to XWIN Research. The last time this happened, it was followed by explosive growth.

CoinW also calls the situation “the calm before the storm.” Negative funding rates, seasonal trends, and inflows into institutional ETFs tip the odds in favour of growth. According to CoinGlass, Bitcoin has strengthened in October in 10 of the last 12 years.

If US inflation turns out to be moderate, the Fed's rate will be further reduced, and the amount of liquidity in the market will increase. According to QCP Capital, this factor will be the main driver of Bitcoin's growth in October.
However, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon believes that the Fed is unlikely to cut its key rate. He sees factors that are more likely to cause inflation to rise than fall.

SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci confirmed his previous forecast that Bitcoin will reach its target of $150,000 by the end of the year. In his opinion, November-December is the most favourable period for buying BTC.

Pantera Capital CEO Dan Morehead said BRICS countries, including Russia and China, view Bitcoin as a tool for de-dollarisation. In his opinion, these countries will prepare to create state Bitcoin reserves and their own Bitcoin ETFs. (FxPro)

News

Blockchain News

1. SWIFT Announces Blockchain-Based Overhaul for Global Payments

The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), which handles millions of daily transactions, is integrating a blockchain-based ledger into its infrastructure. This move aims to enhance interoperability and speed, with top global banks collaborating on the project.

In response to rising stablecoin competition, SWIFT's update could accelerate tokenized asset adoption. Industry experts see this as a pivotal step toward hybrid traditional-fintech systems.

Related buzz: Qatar National Bank (QNB) has adopted JPMorgan's blockchain platform for instant USD payments in the Middle East, building on its prior Ripple partnership for cross-border efficiency.

2. Institutional Momentum:

BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF Expansion and Treasury PlaysBlackRock filed for a Bitcoin Premium Income ETF, extending its dominance beyond the $87 billion iShares Bitcoin Trust. This signals growing mainstream interest in yield-generating crypto products.

Anthony Scaramucci-backed Hivemind Capital launched a $550 million fund to acquire digital tokens on the Avalanche blockchain—the first of its kind for on-chain treasuries.

However, institutional Bitcoin acquisitions have slowed sharply, with treasuries scaling back amid market volatility. Analysts predict a potential cycle dip mirroring 2017, with $200K BTC targets if liquidity holds.

3. Regulatory and Government Advances

Nasdaq proposed rule changes to tokenize equity securities and exchange-traded products, potentially unlocking billions in on-chain capital markets.

The SEC is drafting an "innovation exemption" to fast-track digital asset product approvals, while U.S. lawmakers push to include crypto in retirement plans.

Stablecoin legislation is also advancing in Congress.

Globally, Kyrgyzstan plans to migrate government services on-chain by 2028, and the Philippines is exploring blockchain post-corruption protests.

Fnality, a blockchain payment firm, raised $136M from major banks for real-time settlements.

4. Tech Innovations and Ecosystem GrowthAmadeus Protocol unveiled the world's first "thinking blockchain," converting mining power into AI intelligence via unique Proof-of-Work (uPoW).

Solana developers are debating removing block limits after the Alpenglow upgrade to boost capacity for high-performance validators.

Layer-1 blockchains are solidifying as crypto's backbone, with tokenized assets and stablecoin rules testing their scalability.

AGII launched optimization engines for reliable blockchain automation in Web3.

In gaming and RWAs:

OFA Group's real-estate tokenization platform with Blockchain App Factory, and AAA's document-authentication pilot using Integra Ledger.

5. Market Sentiment and Warnings

Bitcoin's upward grind continues, but analysts flag 10-20% pullbacks and a possible financial crash by late September tied to global M2 liquidity.

XRP ETF speculation is heating up, with bearish trader bets amid approval rumors.

Broader trends: Korea Blockchain Week (through Sep 28) featured exchange partnerships and regulatory updates. Decentralized apps like Bitchat surged in Madagascar during protests.

News Flashback

September 24, 2025

BTC Calm Breaks as Bulls Face Resistance

Digital assets have been hit by one of the biggest sell-offs since the beginning of the year. According to Coinglass, 1.5 billion dollars in long positions were liquidated at the start of this week. Bitcoin fell from its monthly highs due to a revision of market views on the fate of the federal funds rate, the strengthening of the US dollar, and concerns about a decline in demand.

Corporations have accumulated $116 billion worth of Bitcoin and have become serious players in the market. The fall in their shares, coupled with Nasdaq's requirement for shareholder approval of new issues, has created real panic. If these financial institutions find it difficult to raise funds through securities issues, demand for digital assets will fall, and prices will also drop.

Optimists believe that this is not the case. There are also specialised exchange-traded funds and the resumption of the Fed's monetary policy easing cycle is likely to increase demand for Bitcoin ETFs. The outflow of capital from money market funds will also play a role. Reserves increased to a whopping $7.7 trillion in 2025. The average yield was 4.1%, which is significantly higher than the average 0.6% on bank deposits. As the federal funds rate declines, yields will fall, and money will flow into other ETFs, including those related to cryptocurrency.

Investors believe that over time, the link between US stock indices and Bitcoin will be restored. However, while US stocks have such an important growth driver as artificial intelligence technology, Bitcoin does not. Companies from the S&P 500, especially tech giants, regularly report positive corporate reports. Interest in cryptocurrency purchases by corporations, on the contrary, is falling.

The cryptocurrency market is prone to extremes. The highest derivative bets are concentrated at the 95,000 and 140,000 levels. This means that after a long period of calm, investors are expecting to see a real storm. Much will depend on the ability of Bitcoin bulls to overcome important resistance levels at 113,500 and 115,000. If they succeed, there will be a chance to restore the uptrend. Failure will increase the risks of a Bitcoin correction. (FxPro)

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

Cryptocurrency

“Bitcoin is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme.” – Naval Ravikant, former CEO of AngelList

“We have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical framework that is free of politics and human error.“ – Tyler Winklevoss, co-CEO of Gemini

"You can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere, and the world will have to readjust. World governments will have to readjust." —John McAfee, Founder of McAfee Associates

“There are 3 eras of currency: Commodity based, politically based, and now, math-based.“ – Chris Dixon, Venture Capitalist at Andreesen Horowitz

“As the value goes up, heads start to swivel and skeptics begin to soften. Starting a new currency is easy, anyone can do it. The trick is getting people to accept it because it is their use that gives the “money” value.“ - Adam B. Levine, CEO of Tokenly

“Trading Bitcoin is like trading Apple, Amazon, Google, or Facebook a decade ago. The more you obsess over timing the market, the more mistakes you make. They were all technology networks that were dominant & destined to grow.” - Michael Saylor, Former CEO of MicroStrategy

"Whereas most technologies tend to automate workers on the periphery doing menial tasks, blockchains automate away the center. Instead of putting the taxi driver out of a job, blockchain puts Uber out of a job and lets the taxi drivers work with the customer directly." - Vitalik Buterin, Co-Founder of Ethereum

"The Latin American countries where you have this combination of inflation or hyperinflation cycles – deflation as well – and then you have very high friction for financial transactions, a high percentage of people who are unbanked, cryptocurrencies make total sense." – Fred Thiel, CEO of Thiel Advisors & Marathon Digital Holdings

“…we know gold is a $12 trillion asset, bitcoin’s about a 10th of gold. Could they be half of gold? At one point, Sure, it could … And at some point, it will be larger than gold… that money is finding its way to Gen Z and Millennials, and they feel much more comfortable with digital gold than old clunky gold.” - Mike Novogratz, CEO of Galaxy Digital

“If you don't believe me or don't get it, I don't have time to try to convince you, sorry.” - Satoshi Nakomoto, Founder of Bitcoin

Markets via Media Man Group

Magnificent 7

Most Recent Market Trades

September 4, 2025

New York, USA

Netflix $1,253.93 +27.75 +2.26%

NVIDIA Corp $170.80 +0.17 +0.10%

Microsoft Corp $507.37 +2.01 +0.40%

http://Amazon.com Inc $235.04 +9.05 +4.00%

Meta Platforms Inc $747.53 +10.48 +1.42%

Alphabet Inc Class A $231.03 +0.37 +0.16%

Bonus

TKO Group $190.11 +3.51 +1.88%

*correct at time of publication

News

Magnificent 7

Lead Up

Most Recent Market Trades

September 2, 2025

New York, USA

Netflix $1,214.11 +5.86 +0.48%

NVIDIA Corp $170.74 -3.37 -1.94%

Microsoft Corp $505.12 -1.57 -0.31%

Amazon dotcom $225.34 -3.66 -1.60%

Meta Platforms Inc $735.11 -3.59 -0.49%

Alphabet Inc Class A $211.35 -1.560.73%

Bonus

TKO Group $185.35 -4.21 -2.22%

*correct at time of publication

News

Lead Up ...

Magnificent 7

Netflix $207.14 -1.35 -0.65%

NVIDIA Corp $181.77 +1.96 +1.09%

Microsoft Corp $502.04 -2.22 -0.44%

Amazon Dotcom Inc $228.71 +0.77 +0.34%

Meta Platforms Inc $754.10 +0.80 +0.11%

Alphabet Inc Class A $207.14 -1.35 -0.65%

Bonus

TKO Group $185.16 +1.44 0.78%

*correct at time of publication

News

Magnificent 7

Lead Up

Most Recent Market Trades

Netflix $1,204.65 -1.56 -0.13%

NVIDIA Corp $177.99 +3.01 +1.72%

Microsoft Corp $507.23 +2.99 +0.59%

Amazon Dotcom Inc $228.84 +6.89 +3.10%

Meta Platforms Inc $754.79 +15.69 +2.12%

Alphabet Inc Class A $206.09 +6.34 +3.17%

Bonus

TKO Group $186.17 +2.06 1.12%

*correct at time of publication

News Flashback/Lead Up To Current

Magnificent 7

August 4, 2025

Most Recent Market Trades

Netflix $1,158.60 -0.80 0.069%

NVIDIA Corp $173.72 -4.15 2.33%

Microsoft Corp $524.11 -9.39 1.76%

Amazon Inc $214.75 -19.36 8.27%

Meta Platforms Inc $750.01 -23.43 3.03%

Alphabet Inc Class A $189.13 -2.77 1.44%

Bonus

TKO Group $165.61 -2.40 -1.43%

News Flashback

July 2025

Published July 24, 2025:
(Sydney, Australia)

Netflix $1,176.78 -13.30 1.12%

NVIDIA Corp $170.78 +3.75 2.25%

Microsoft Corp $505.87 +0.60 0.12%

Amazon $228.29 +0.82 0.36%

Meta Platforms Inc $713.58 +8.77 1.24%

Alphabet Inc Class A $190.23 -1.11 0.58%

*correct at time of publication

News

Flashback/Lead Up To Current!

Published July 22, 2025:
(Sydney, Australia)

Netflix $1,233.27 +24.03 1.99%

NVIDIA Corp $171.38 -1.03 0.60%

Microsoft Corp $510.06 +0.0100 0.0020%

Amazon Inc $229.37 +3.24 1.43%

Meta Platforms Inc $712.97 +8.69 1.23%

Alphabet Inc Class A $190.10 +5.04 2.72%

News

August 2, 2025

Market regime change: Microsoft weakening whilst Alphabet strengthens Nvidia and OpenAI have become synonymous with the AI revolution, each offering its own breakthrough solutions. This has made Nvidia the most valuable company on the market. OpenAI remains private for now. However, the old guard of IT giants, such as Microsoft and Alphabet, are not standing on the sidelines of the AI race, although they are conducting it in different ways, which is affecting their shares differently.

Microsoft owns a stake in OpenAI, giving it access to the latest developments, but integrates them into its own programmes, including chatbots.

For a long time, betting on Microsoft was an indirect bet on OpenAI with their well-known ChatGPT. This approach paid off earlier this year, as the share price recovered faster than many competitors after the April slump. From its lows at the start of April to its highs at the end of July, the stock soared 55%, already making its way to historic highs since the beginning of June.

For a long time, Alphabet shares lagged their competitor in terms of share price growth over the past five years. They were also weaker in their recovery after the April correction, adding 40% to their lows before peaking at the end of July.

However, since August, the markets have clearly shifted into a different mode, with MSFT falling 7.5% against GOOG's 13% growth. This divergence began even before the release of GPT-5, the latest model, which faced widespread criticism from users, forcing the company to revert to GPT-4, originally announced over two years ago. Negative sentiment was also fuelled by comments from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who acknowledged that the market is currently in a bubble due to inflated expectations.

Google Gemini is steadily developing and gradually gaining consumer support due to its convenient integration into the company's extensive ecosystem. This aspiration resonates with investors. It seems that market participants are seeking to diversify their bets on AI agents, creating demand for Alphabet shares at the expense of Microsoft.

September marks the end of the financial year in the US, and investors often use August and September to switch to new trends or restart existing ones. September is historically the worst month for stock indices, but it can also be a good entry point during a downturn.

It is only important to understand whether we are seeing the start of a trend reversal or a temporary correction. Signals of this should be sought in MSFT's dynamics. Technically, with the stock trading at $506, it remains within a corrective pattern as long as it stays above the $450–$470 range. The upper bound aligns with last year's peak and the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement of the rally from the April lows to the July highs, while the lower boundary corresponds to the 200-day moving average. A break below this level would signal a deeper trend reversal.

GOOG shares are close to local overbought conditions, as the RSI on daily timeframes is approaching 75, near which the shares have experienced local corrections over the past six years. Therefore, there is a high chance that both shares will soon experience increased selling pressure; the only question is how deep this correction will be.

Markets via Media Man Group

Magnificent 7

Current

Most Recent Market Trades

Netflix $1,204.65 -1.56 -0.13%

NVIDIA Corp $177.99 +3.01 +1.72%

Microsoft Corp $507.23 +2.99 +0.59%

Amazon.com Inc $228.84 +6.89 +3.10%

Meta Platforms Inc $754.79 +15.69 +2.12%

Alphabet Inc Class A $206.09 +6.34 +3.17%

Bonus

TKO Group $186.17 +2.06 1.12%

*correct at time of publication

News Flashback/Lead Up To Current

Magnificent 7

August 4, 2025

Most Recent Market Trades

Netflix $1,158.60 -0.80 0.069%

NVIDIA Corp $173.72 -4.15 2.33%

Microsoft Corp $524.11 -9.39 1.76%

Amazon Inc $214.75 -19.36 8.27%

Meta Platforms Inc $750.01 -23.43 3.03%

Alphabet Inc Class A $189.13 -2.77 1.44%

Bonus

TKO Group $165.61 -2.40 -1.43%

Business Profile News

Hitwise Australia

Hitwise Australia was a division of Hitwise, a company founded in Melbourne in 1997 by Adrian Giles and Andrew Barlow. It provided consumer insights and competitive benchmarking data, helping businesses understand online consumer behavior, track website traffic, and optimize marketing strategies across channels like search, social media, and email. The company offered tools for audience segmentation, search insights, and market share analysis, serving clients like Best Western and Condé Nast.

Hitwise was acquired by Experian in 2007 for $240 million and later by Connexity in 2015 for a combined $47 million deal. It ceased operations in February 2020 due to "data delivery issues" and events outside its control, with Australian operations shutting down specifically due to these challenges. Clients had access to the platform until March 19, 2020, with historical data available until January 28, 2020. The closure followed the shutdown of a key data partner, Jumpshot, impacting its ability to provide services. (Grok)

Media Man Web Tips

SEO News via Media Man: Ways to Improve your Site’s Ranking (SEO)

Ways to Improve your Site’s Ranking (SEO)

New strategies for Search Engine Optimization

What is SEO?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an essential digital marketing practice that plays a vital role in making your website visible to both visitors and search engine crawlers. The primary objective of SEO is to optimize relevant and authoritative content to assist visitors in finding solutions to their queries efficiently.

The ultimate aim of SEO is to create high-quality and informative content that increases the volume of traffic that your website receives daily. Optimizing your website involves creating and expanding your content to ensure that search engines will choose your site over its competitors.

The focus of SEO is to perfect the quality and quantity of your webpage to make sure that your website has an edge over others. Therefore, SEO plays an essential role in driving traffic to your website, which is crucial for the visibility and success of your online Business.

1. Publish Relevant, Authoritative Content

This article provides valuable suggestions on how to improve search engine optimization (SEO) and enhance website ranking on search engine results. Creating quality content that caters to the user’s needs is the driving factor of SEO marketing, and the article emphasizes that there is no substitute for great content.

The article further provides guidance on identifying appropriate keyword phrases for each authoritative content page and making use of them strategically throughout the content. Creating distinct web pages for each distinct targeted keyword phrase is advisable to enhance ranking.

The article suggests using keywords in headings, subheadings, URLs, and titles, and stressing the importance of readability and user-friendliness of the content. Using emphasis tags and strategically linking to relevant sources is also encouraged. By following these valuable suggestions, users can create SEO-friendly content that benefits the readers while improving their website’s overall ranking.

2. Update Your Content Regularly

Maintaining updated content is crucial to improve your website’s relevancy, and it is a crucial factor that search engines prioritize as well. We highly recommend scheduling regular content audits, for instance, on a semesterly basis, to update your webpages and blog posts accordingly.

Writing additional content frequently on your departmental news blog can enhance your search engine rankings by incorporating relevant keyword phrases. Brief blog posts can also be helpful if they offer specific updates related to your targeted topics.

Moreover, interlinking your related CMS webpages and blog posts can provide readers with a better understanding of your website’s content and additional information on the subject. Thus, keep your website updated and relevant to improve your visitor’s user experience and attract more traffic to your site.

3. Metadata

Website designers use metadata to provide information about a website’s content. When creating a webpage, a space between the “head” tags is reserved for metadata.

If you use a CMS website they have already filled in the metadata. However, as your content changes, it is important to review and update the metadata.

Title Metadata

Title metadata is the most important because it determines the page title that appears at the top of a browser window and in search engine results. For those with a CMS website, the web team has automated this process based on your page title. Therefore, it is essential to use well-thought-out page titles that include keyword phrases.

Description Metadata

Description metadata is a brief and interesting summary of what your website contains. It’s like a store’s attractive display that encourages people to visit. Usually, it should be two sentences long. Search engines may or may not use this summary, but it’s good to have it in case they do.

Keyword Metadata

Keyword metadata is not very helpful in improving your search engine ranking. However, it’s useful to include some of your important keywords in the metadata. You should select a few phrases with one to four words each and add three to seven of them. For example, “computer science degree” or "pop culture agency" are good keyword phrases to use.

4. Have a Link-worthy Site

Making your website popular involves efforts in developing valuable content and enhancing its search results. To achieve this, you must focus on creating informative and unbiased content that caters to the readers’ interests and queries.

Furthermore, your website might earn a backlink from other websites if it provides good value to the readers. This can improve its search engine ranking immensely, which can bring in more visitors. It is also crucial to incorporate descriptive hyperlinks in the text as opposed to generic “click here” links.

This helps in giving proper context to people who use screen readers and makes it easier for search engines to crawl your website. You can lift your website SEO performance by using appropriate keywords in your content and developing internal links. These techniques can help you build a better online presence and increase your website’s popularity.

5. Use ALT Tags

Want search engines to find your website and to make it more accessible for people who use text-only browsers or screen readers? Simply put, use alt tags to describe your media content, like images and videos, with alternative text descriptions.

These descriptions act as labels for search engines and help them identify your page better. They also provide context for those who cannot view the media directly. By making your website more accessible and searchable, you can improve its overall user experience.

News

New strategies for Search Engine Optimization

New areas of digital marketing are as changeable and require so much adaption and new-thinking as the world of SEO. Search Engine Optimization has come a long way from its beginnings in the 1990s, and the technologies deciding what is “good SEO” or not changes from year to year.

That’s why tech companies are launching new strategies aimed at long-term goals in both data-driven and relations-based SEO all over the world, by implementing tactics from both traditional PR and modern SEO and link-building.

Below, we will discuss the nature of SEO, how SEO is changing, and why choosing an agency will be the key to your SEO success.

Best SEO practices:

Find your customers with data-driven market analysis

Find authoritative marketing partners using data-driven PR

Reach your customers with high quality outreach and credible link-building

What is SEO?

In order to discuss the ways in which SEO works, it’s important to understand the basic principles on which the concept is built. SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimization, and is an umbrella term for processes in which users optimize their websites in order to rank higher on search engines such as Google whenever customers search for keywords relevant to their website.

By optimizing the various aspects of a website, SEO aims to improve its ranking on search engine result pages (SERPs), thereby increasing the quantity and quality of traffic. In layman’s terms, it helps more people to find your website by increasing its digital visibility.

Why is SEO important?

There’s an old SEO joke that goes like this: A man asks a detective “Where’s the best place to hide a body?” The detective answers “Why, on the second page of Google, of course!”. In other words, ranking on the first page of Google is the key to getting traffic and therefore sales or viewings on your webpage, as few people bother to look past the first results page.

In fact, the first spot on Google is ten times more likely to get a click than results number ten, and the top three results receive over half of all clicks. That’s why the goal of every SEO strategist is to get a website into the top ten search results on Google, and preferably in the top three.

That’s why SEO marketing lives on, despite some people saying that SEO is dead. The answer is: it’s more alive than ever. It just doesn’t fit into the mold of the quick-results culture of the modern world, but it is still effective.

The evolution of SEO

SEO as a term first came into use in 1997, despite the first website being published in 1991. The coin was termed John Audette of Multimedia Marketing Group early that year, and so the hunt for the top of the search engine results pages began.

In the beginning, there were several competing names for the concept, including search engine ranking, website promotion, etc. The strongest competitor was the term “search engine marketing”, which was originally pitched as a successor to SEO. But ultimately, search engine optimization proved to be the most steadfast and all-encompassing term, while SEM is used to describe concepts like paid search marketing and advertising.

Google’s rise to power

In the 2000s, Google grew to become the search engine giant we know it as today. Soon enough, the organization was able to survive on its own. At that time, they also launched effective web crawlers and PageRank algorithms, which changed the SEO game.

Google began measuring both on-page and off-page content to decide SERP listings, forcing SEO to expand their work sphere and link-building took off as a popular tactic. Around the same time, Google also introduced PageRank scores, a website score between 1-10, which was an early version of today’s Domain Authority.

These measures were broken down further with the introduction of Google Analytics and the Google Webmaster Tools (Search Console) in 2006. Later major updates, such as Panda and Penguin in 2011 and 2012 respectively, were put in place to sort out poor quality SEO work and reward those with quality websites.

To this day, Google continues to release core and minor updates that impact the way that SEO can work. The platform has grown to be such a reputable platform that in 2022 it was estimated that Google accounted for more than 85 percent of the search engine usage, which is why it’s the platform that most SEO strategies focus on today.

The big three: Local, social, mobile

There have been three major changes in the way that people search the web, that has not been a result of search engine updates. The first of these came in the mid-2000s, when there was an adaptation toward geographical searches, which birthed local SEO. This meant that people were now searching for businesses near them, such as restaurants or car washes, media, gaming and sports agents, thus increasing the need for separate local search engine strategies. This development also resulted in the advancement of end-user data, including search history and personalized interests.

Fast-forward another decade into the 2010s, and a whole new set of searching and web-using emerged. Rather than just using the universal search-functions, users were now turning to medias such as YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social medias for news and knowledge. Most importantly for SEO, these networks became revolutionary in building brand awareness. As such, the old term of search engine marketing (SEM) became ever more important on these platforms.

As users started to bring their lives and entertainment from the big screens, such as laptops or TVs, they also began to use search engines straight from their mobile phones. This third change in user patterns led to mobile searching overtaking desktop searches in 2015, and added mobile adaptability to the list of SEO tools.

The 2020s, AI, and the future of SEO

We’ve finally arrived at our current time. The 2020s have brought with it a continued increase in digital usage and SEO is perhaps more important than ever. One of the biggest challenges the world of SEO stands before today is generative AI. Chat GPT, X including Grok, the free global access to generative AI as a search function, was released in the winter of 2022/2023, and has garnered instant attraction from both customers and competitors, including Google. It is still unclear what impact generative AI will have on SEO practices such as keywords analysis, although it is already affecting the quality of content on the web.

New strategies for new challenges

As new SEO directives arrive from Google’s updates, they also require new strategies. However, some companies have decided to create new strategies with a focus on longevity. Among new strategies are both traditional link-building and outreach including, in combination with inspiration from the traditional PR marketing sphere.

The other two strategies that they’ve developed are strongly data-driven market research and PR. The market research is a process in which the company can help customers who want to scale globally to find the best geographical place for them to start their SEO journey, based on SEO factors such as demand and competition.

The market-driven PR can build on that market research or stand alone, as a new way of reaching new marketing partners in international business circles. From these new partners, it is then possible to continue with link-building as well as traditional PR strategies. This is a unique way of piercing niche markets across the globe to attract potential customers.

How does SEO work?

Now that we’ve seen the evolution of SEO it’s time to get to the real question: what is SEO marketing actually, and how does it actually work? In order to understand how SEO works, it’s important to understand these two things: what Google wants and what the customers want. Only by doing so will you understand how you should optimize your web page.

What Google wants

One of the reasons why Google rose to such immense heights early on was due to the founders’ initiative to implement RankPage, or clear guidelines for how to rank content on their platform. Initially, the program worked by ranking content dependent on the link structure of the website, that built the foundation for the modern link building strategies. Simply put, links to the webpage acted as votes of confidence for the webpage.

Today, this concept has developed into the E-E-A-T formula, where Google ranks content based on Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These measures are interpreted by what the site’s link building looks like, such as what EEAT websites include links back to their landing page. They then ensure that the webpage produces reliable and accurate information, and are most likely to answer their customers’ questions.

Ultimately, the reason why Google wants to prioritize high quality content is because happy Google customers are more likely to return to Google for more information, and therefore generating income for the search engine.

So, how does Google find and rank the webpages? They do this through three stages: crawling, indexing, and serving results.

Crawling means that Google sends “bots” or computer programs to scan through large chunks of the internet to find new or updated pages. They can only find it by going through a link.

Googles then sorts through and organizes the content and puts it in the huge Google Index – a database for webpages.

Lastly, Google serves the results by how relevant they are to the customer queries.

What the customer wants

Broadly speaking, there are three types of searches that customers make, and they can be described as Do-Know-Go. Whenever we search the internet, we either want to do something (such as make a purchase or visit a tourist attraction), know something, or go somewhere. These three types of searches can be further broken down, but these are the basic concepts.

These three prompts can help you optimize your content so that you are answering the demand of the people. By realizing what your customer wants, you can provide SEO-optimized content which is relevant and fresh, which Google will reward you for.

SEO components, or how to do SEO

So how does a webpage get to that top of the search engine results page? While there is no quick fix, SEO provides a long-term strategy which aims at doing just that. SEO incorporates several different tactics in this long-term strategy, in which there are three main components:

Technical SEO

On-page SEO

Off-page SEO

Technical SEO refers to optimization on your webpage. This can for example mean implementing site maps so that Google can crawl the page more easily, increasing the website speed, or making the site mobile adaptable.

On-page SEO refers to edits to the content that is already on the webpage, rather than the technicalities behind it. This can for example include keyword optimizing headings, producing SEO-optimized blog posts, URL and picture optimization, and adding meta titles and descriptions.

Off-page SEO, on the other hand, is part of the link-building strategy. The focus here lies on building credibility and brand awareness by for example writing guests posts and linking to your webpage on other, reputable sources. The key here is to create backlinks, which give authority and endorsement to your website, and thus giving Google a sign that you are a credible source too.

To get good results, it’s important to implement all of the tactics above in a combined effort to get Google’s attention. However, these general descriptions are only scraping the top of the iceberg of SEO. Beneath these lay a whole science of various methods and strategies to rank at the top of the results page.

Link-building

The on-page and off-stage SEO practices can also be called SEO link-building. That’s because they both refer to building a link-system which Google will reward, whether it’s by driving links to your website from other credible sources or creating a seamless link-flow internally on your webpage.

Links to and on your website act as votes of trust, credibility and authority, which is why they are a crucial part of your SEO strategy. However, the links need to be carefully and thoughtfully crafted so that they maintain the right level of relevance and credibility, which can be done through producing high quality SEO content.

SEO content

For both on-page and off-page work, SEO content plays a huge role. As mentioned earlier, Google ranks webpages depending on both their link-building and how credible, authoritative, and expert their content is. However, these two factors are not as separate as one might think: with high quality content, it is also easier to build a good SEO link-building network.

Often when we discuss SEO content, we tend to think of texts of lesser quality that are packed with poor quality links. However, due to Google’s updates, such as Penguin, poor content is continually being phased out. That means individuals and agencies are having to spend more time recruiting better writers and spending more time on content.

As we discussed earlier, SEO content needs to be adapted to both the demands from the customer (a.k.a. the searching person) and Google. That means texts need to be relevant, authoritative, credible, and high quality. These texts also need to be SEO optimized using meta-data, such as titles and descriptions, and keywords in the headings in order for Google’s crawlers to pick up better on the relevancy factor.

That being said, the research and preparation for both good and bad content remains the same – all SEO content needs proper keyword research.

Keyword research

Finding the right keywords will not only make you more competitive as an SEO user, but will also help you understand your audience better. That’s because keywords are clues to who your audience is. For example, the keywords “how to ski” and “ski maintenance” could technically be placed in the same text contextually, but they imply that we’re dealing with skiers of different skill levels.

The keywords are both guides for the link-building process and the content. When building links, it’s important that both the link, the placement, and the publishing website are relevant in the context in order for Google’s crawlers to give it a credible ranking.

There are several tools on the market for finding the best keywords, and there are also a ton of metrics for understanding how good a keyword is and what the chances are of breaking into the competition for that specific keyword. Common metrics include keyword difficulty, traffic potential, cost-per-click, etcetera.

Brand awareness

Ultimately, what these various tactics aim to do is to bring brand awareness to your website. People are twice as likely to purchase from a brand they recognize. An American study found that 75 percent of shoppers tend to go for known retailers, and nearly 70 percent do the same when deciding what search result to click on.

Doing SEO: alone or SEO agency?

As you can tell, there is a lot of information and knowledge that goes into producing and completing good SEO strategies. If you are considering adapting some SEO strategies, you may be wondering whether you should do it all on your own or hire an agency.

Without sugar-coating it, doing SEO alone is a lot of hard work. First and foremost, you got to have basic understandings of both SEO tools, Google Analytics, and good writing skills. Then you need good networking skills and a sense of price bargaining to get your links out to credible sources. On top of this, you need to stay up to date with all the latest developments within Google updates, market changes, and new technologies such as generative AI which can impact your SEO strategies. All of this can be both time consuming and costly.

If it feels overwhelming, there are a ton of SEO agencies on the market that are ready to help. Some of them focus solely on SEO content production, whereas others focus solely on technical SEO or solely on SEO link-building.

Some agencies offer entire packages, where staying SEO updated, building and optimizing webpages, link-building, content production, and publishing is included. Together with the new data-driven strategies and tactics, Media Man Group offers services that are great for both those who are somewhat new as to those who are already familiar and wanting to grow beyond.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about SEO

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is a digital marketing form that focuses on creating digital visibility on search engines such as Google by improving websites’ rankings in the search results.

What is the difference between SEO and SEM?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and works with creating organic ranking improvements on platforms like Google. SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing and focuses on paid promotions and marketing on platforms like Google.

How long does SEO take?

Good SEO typically takes between 4 months to a year to see good results. However, it’s crucial to understand that SEO is a long-term strategy, that is never really finished. If you are lucky enough to rank at 1 on Google, the job doesn’t stop there: then you want to maintain that spot by continuing your SEO work.

Why do you need SEO?

SEO helps to build brand awareness, which is key in gaining credibility amongst both Google and potential customers. That’s why SEO is worth it, even if it is a long game.

Media Man

The Media Man Group is primarily and online news, media and sports management firm and website portal developer. By default Media Man developed many effective SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) techniques and strategies since their launch in 2001. SEO helped elevate Media Man websites into Hitwise "Top 10" status (entertainment - personalities) category. Media Man also offers a range of media and convergent media services including article copy, PR (public relations), text link based campaigns, product placement and endorsement, buzz marketing (via websites and social media) and brand building. The company is best known for insightful media analysis, specalising in pop culture/entertainment, streaming and subscriber television including PPV (Pay-Per-View), PLE, pro wrestling aka sports entertainment coverage, MMA (mixed martial arts), and commentary and coverage on an array of trending topics, with strong focus on X (formerlly Twitter), Alphabet (Google, YouTube, Blogger etc) and new and emerging technology and news platforms and developments. MM is both organic search and AI search friendly. Media Man is often referenced in both mainstream, niche and alternative news media stories. The company motto remains "Putting Your Name Out There".

Websites

Media Man
www.mediaman.com.au

Media Man Int
www.mediamanint.com

#Agency #Search #PopCulture #SEO #Authority #Expert #Experts #NewsMedia #Creative #Niche #Agent #PR #AI #GregTingle #trend #buzz #media #mediaman #mediamanint

Markets, Crypto and Culture

August 21, 2025

Sydney, Australia

Markets

ASX futures up 18 points or 0.2% to 8897

Australian dollar -0.3% to 64.35 US cents

Wall Street:
S&P 500 -0.2%
Dow Jones flat
Nasdaq -0.7%

Europe
Stoxx 50 -0.2%
FTSE +1.1%
DAX -0.6%
CAC -0.1%

Bitcoin +0.7% to $US114,376

Gold +1% to $US3348.46 per ounce
Oil +1.4% to $US63.21 a barrel
Brent crude oil +1.8% to $US66.95 a barrel
Iron ore -0.1% to $US101.00 per ton

10-year yield:
US 4.29%
Australia 4.29%
Germany 2.72%

News

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $114,261.69 USD +1.28%
Ethereum $4,332.84 USD +6.18%
Tether $1.00 USD +0.05%
XRP $2.95 USD +3.18%
BNB $869.18 USD +5.58%

News

August 19, 2025

Cryptocurrency market nervousness grows

Market Overview

The cryptocurrency market cap fell by another 0.4% to $3.87 trillion. The market is plunging below the former resistance level, raising speculators' fears of a possible major correction towards $3.6 trillion.

Bitcoin fell to $114.7k, rolling back to levels seen two weeks ago and below the medium-term trend line, which is a 50-day moving average. This dynamic reinforces fears of a deeper correction, which could affect the entire crypto market, potentially triggering a deeper correction to $100K, near the 200-day MA.

Ethereum rolled back to $4,200, losing more than 12% from its peak. The second-largest coin by capitalisation is seriously aiming to test the strength of the former resistance area near $4,100, which has been holding back price growth since March 2024. The ability to stay above this level will indicate a change in the market regime for this cryptocurrency, as the abundant capital inflows also suggest.

News Background

According to CoinShares, global investment in crypto funds rose more than sixfold last week to $3.748 billion, the highest inflow in the last four weeks. Investments in Bitcoin increased by $552 million, Ethereum jumped by $2.868 million, Solana grew by $177 million, XRP by $126 million, and Sui by $11 million.

According to Glassnode, the number of addresses with a balance of more than 10,000 BTC fell to an annual low, and the number of wallets with 1,000–10,000 BTC also decreased. This indicates that large holders are taking profits after reaching record highs.

According to Canary Capital, Bitcoin is 50% likely to reach $140,000–$150,000 by the end of 2025, but a bear market will come next year.

Solana became the first network to reach 107,540 transactions per second (TPS) during a stress test. The actual throughput of the blockchain is lower, at around 3,700 TPS, which is 59 times higher than that of the main Ethereum network. (FxPro)

News

S&P500’s buy-the-dip sentiment helped Bitcoin

The sell-off of Bitcoin following Congress's passage of a law regulating the circulation of stablecoins and the retreat of US stock indices from record highs allowed Bitcoin bears to push prices below the lower boundary of the $116k—$120k consolidation range. When it looked like a severe correction was coming, US stocks stepped in again. Investors bought up the S&P 500 dip, and Bitcoin immediately bounced back.

Changes in global risk appetite continue to be the main driver of cryptocurrency prices. July saw a series of record highs for the S&P 500, making it a successful month for Bitcoin. Meanwhile, Bitcoin-focused ETFs attracted $6 billion, the third-best result in the history of specialised exchange-traded funds. Ether ETFs were not far behind, with a record inflow of $5.4 billion.

The situation changed dramatically at the turn of July and August. Interest in digital assets began to cool. Coinbase's Bitcoin premium fell into the red for the first time since May, indicating a decline in demand from US investors. Open interest in Bitcoin and Ether futures contracts fell by 13% and 21%, respectively, compared to Bitcoin's record high. According to Coinglass, on the last day of July, $800 million in long positions across all cryptocurrencies were liquidated.

Speculators doubt the rally's continuation, while crypto treasuries are buying Bitcoin under any conditions. On pullbacks or at market prices, ‘Strategy’ acquired more than 21,000 coins worth $2.46 billion during the week of July 28th to August 3rd. This is the third-largest cryptocurrency purchase by Michael Saylor's company since records began. The average price is the second highest in history. As a result, Strategy's reserves have grown to more than $71 billion.

The future dynamics of Bitcoin will depend on the fate of US stock indices and capital flows into ETFs. If the S&P 500's successes are temporary, Bitcoin will be forced to undergo a deep correction. If its quotes remain below the middle of the previous consolidation range of $116k—$120k, the bears are in control.

News

Bitcoin tests support at 50-day MA

Market Picture

The crypto market rolled back at the end of last week following a reduction in risk appetite in the financial markets. However, on Sunday, sentiment changed with the return of active buyers near the total capitalisation of $3.60 trillion. At the time of writing, the market is at $3.73 trillion (+3.6%). Less than 10% of the top 100 coins show gains over 7 days, among which the largest are TRON (+2.2%) and TON (+4.5%).

The crypto market sentiment index fell to 53 by Sunday morning, a six-week low, but recovered to 64 on Monday, reflecting a resurgence of bullish sentiment. However, another impressive upward move will be needed to confirm a local victory for the bulls.

On Saturday and Sunday, Bitcoin received support from buyers on declines below $112K near the 50-day moving average - the fourth touch of this curve since April. On the “buy the dip” sentiment, the first cryptocurrency recovered to $115K on Monday morning. The rebound from support is a bullish signal for the next couple of days, but the fact that it has been tested frequently raises concerns for the medium term. News Background

According to SoSoValue, net outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US amounted to $812.3 million on August 1, the highest since February 25. As a result, the weekly outflow from BTC ETFs amounted to $643 million, a record high for the past 16 weeks.

The net outflow from spot Ethereum ETFs in the US on Friday amounted to $152.3 million. However, inflows in the previous days of the week managed to keep the indicator in positive territory (+$154.3 million). The positive trend has continued for 12 consecutive weeks.

Analyst Ali Martinez says that over the past two days, Bitcoin whales have bought 30,000 BTC. According to Santiment, over the past four months, whales with balances ranging from 10 to 10,000 BTC have accumulated 0.9% of the total coin supply.

According to The Block, trading volume on centralised crypto exchanges exceeded $1.7 trillion in July (the highest since February 2025), and trading volume on decentralised exchanges (DEX) also reached its highest level since January.

Galaxy Digital warned of risks in the public company sector, which accumulates cryptocurrencies by issuing shares. The model creates systemic vulnerability and could lead to a cascade collapse.

US SEC Chairman Paul Atkins announced Project Crypto. The project’s key objective is to establish clear rules for cryptocurrencies and turn the US into the “world’s crypto capital.” (FxPro)

News Flashback

Three blows to oil in three days

Oil has been under triple pressure since the end of last week, losing more than 7% per barrel of WTI since 31 July, reaching the important psychological level of $65.

The latest wave of oil sell-offs began with the realisation that US trade tariffs from August will be higher than initially expected, as higher tariffs are associated with an economic slowdown and weaker demand for energy. Fears of an economic slowdown intensified after the release of unexpectedly weak US employment data on Friday. Over the weekend, concerns were heightened by OPEC+'s increase in production quotas, which was reflected in the markets on Monday.

After its latest meeting, OPEC+ announced that it would increase production quotas for eight countries by 547,000 barrels per day starting in September.

Considering the quota increases since April, the entire voluntarily reduced volume of 2.2 million barrels per day will return to the market. This is a rather bold decision, given the growing fear that the global economy is slowing down.

Some link such steps by the cartel to the risks of supply disruptions due to potential sanctions from the US and the EU. In our opinion, it is also worth considering the cartel's intention to regain its market share from the US in this way.

Oil producers in the US are very sensitive to price, sharply cutting investment when prices fall. At the beginning of April, there were 489 oil rigs in operation, but according to data published on Friday, this number has fallen to 410. In the long term, a gradual increase in production efficiency should be considered, but at intervals of six months, it is unlikely that there will be any sharp progress. Therefore, we can expect some US production reduction and a gradual recovery in the share of traditional oil producers such as Saudi Arabia, Russia and the UAE.

The price of WTI crude oil, which rose to close to $70 at its peak last week, has returned to the lower end of the range since early June at $65. Closing the day below 66 will mark a failure below the 200- and 50-day moving averages, increasing the potential for further declines.

If OPEC+ really plans to increase its share of the oil market, it may not oppose further price declines. The intensification of negative trends in the global and US economies could bring the price back to this year's lows of $55 by the end of September and to the lower end of the downward corridor of $50 by the end of the year. However, further trends will depend heavily on the reaction of monetary authorities and oil producers. (FxPro)

News Flashback

July 29

Ethereum continues attempt to climb above $4,000

Market Picture

The crypto market lost 1%, falling back to a capitalisation of $3.9 trillion. This was a natural pullback against the backdrop of the dollar's impressive strengthening the day before. However, on Tuesday, the bulls were back in charge, bringing the market back to a level above Monday's opening but not yet reaching its peak.

Bitcoin is trading near $118.7K, unable to break through the resistance at $120K. This indecision to break out of the range is likely to continue until the market sees the Fed's key rate decision on Wednesday evening.

Ethereum rose to $3,930 at the end of the day, fell back to $3,700 on Monday, where it found interest from new buyers and rose to $3,830 at the time of writing. The last seven days have seen a fairly sharp upward trend, and if this trend continues, the price will rise above 4,000 by the end of this week.

News Background

According to CoinShares, global investment inflows into crypto funds last week amounted to $1.908 billion. Investments in Ethereum increased by $1.595 billion, Solana by a significant $312 million, XRP by $190 million, and Sui by $8 million. Investments in Bitcoin decreased by $175 million.

Japan's Metaplanet announced the acquisition of 780 BTC ($92.5 million) at an average price of $118,600. The company's total reserves now amount to 17,132 BTC, worth over $2 billion.

According to Blockware, Bitcoin will no longer show ‘parabolic’ rallies or ‘devastating’ bear cycles, as institutional investors have changed the market dynamics and reduced volatility.

According to Strategic ETH Reserve, the volume of the second cryptocurrency on the balance sheets of public companies has reached 2.32 million ETH (~$9.11 billion) — 1.92% of the total Ethereum supply. Bitmine Immersion Tech, associated with Fundstrat founder Tom Lee, pursues the most aggressive strategy. The company has ~566,800 ETH ($2.23 billion) on its balance sheet.

BNB, the fifth-largest cryptocurrency by capitalisation, updated its historical high above $860 on Monday. Against this background, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao's estimated fortune exceeded $76 billion. According to Forbes, Zhao owns 64% of the BNB supply — about 89.1 million tokens. (FxPro)

News

Pop Culture News

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream Match Series

Million Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets Stipulation
Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation
Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr H

News

Cryptocurrency Movies
Documentaries

The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014) Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s early days and its potential to disrupt finance.

Banking on Bitcoin (2016) Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots, and impact on global financial systems through interviews with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.

Cryptopia: Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet (2020)

Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives into blockchain’s broader applications beyond cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s transformative potential.

Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated by Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems. A comprehensive look at real-world applications.

Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It (2015) Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized financial systems. Features interviews with crypto experts.

Deep Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator, Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in dark web transactions.

Bitconned (2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing how three individuals defrauded investors during the 2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated markets.

Feature Films

Crypto (2019) A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth, and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal but praise its entertainment value.

Silk Road (2021) A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin. It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and drama.

Dope (2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association with illicit activities.

Bonus Mentions

Life on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early adoption challenges.

Bitcoin Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.

Notes

Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology, and real-world implications. They’re great for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

Feature films often dramatize crypto’s association with crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy.

For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many of these are available.

News

Wall Street (Movie)

Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is a drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless corporate raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,” drives the story as Bud is lured into insider trading and unethical deals, compromising his morals for wealth and power. The film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal, with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father (Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.

Key Details:

Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin Sheen (Carl Fox). Runtime: 2h 6m. Genre: Drama/Crime. Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).

Awards: Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Notable Aspects:

Gekko’s “Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting 1980s excess.

Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken.

A sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued the story.

Where to Watch (as of 2025):

Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current availability). Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.

News

Gold, copper, & silver: How metals are moving this year

Metal futures have made some pretty dramatic moves lately from safe haven gold to tariff sensitive copper. So let's take a look at the longer term trends. I'm Jared Blikre, host of Stocks in Translation. And I'm going to start by charting some of the moves in Dr. Copper because this is where we have the most zig and zags over the last 25 years. So this goes back to the beginning of the century and we can see right now, we're at $5.51 per pound. That is a record high. But if we go back to the beginning of the century, guess what? Uh we had a little bit of a slump in the wake of the dot com boom and then bust, but starting in 2003, we saw a big rise there. And that was as China actually joined the World Trade Organization or the WTO. That lasted into the global financial crisis. Then we had a pretty big bust in in Dr. Copper, and then we had another rise. And that rise was due to unprecedented stimulus, not only from the Chinese government, but also from the United States government, QE was in force, and then we saw kind of a strong dollar play. That weighed on this metal all the way into the beginning of 2016. The entire world, most of the world indices went through a bear market in 2015, and then 2016, we found the footing. And that was actually the year that Trump won, began his first presidency. And from there, we saw some zig and zags, and then we saw a shock into the pandemic. A couple of, a couple of years of deflation or a semi-deflation, disinflation, that caught up with it in 2022, but then it was off to the races again. And especially with the Trump tariffs now on copper, threatening to be threatening to be 50% on August 1st, we're seeing a lot of front running in this trade. Now, I also want to show you gold futures and I'm going to show you silver as well. And they follow a very similar pattern. We're not seeing the dramatic zig and zags that we did in copper, but we did see the same pattern of China joining the WTO, contributing to that huge rise in price to 1800, almost $2,000 an ounce by the beginning of the global financial crisis. So a little bit of a meltdown there. But in 2016 into 2018, we saw a bit of a rise into the pandemic, a little bit of a whipsaw there, and consolidation over a few years. Again, that 2022 bare market in US stocks that contributed to some deflation and disinflation globally, supply chain chain shocks came into force again, and then we saw this huge rise beginning in late 2023, and we are now at 3353. We've seen a high of as much as $3,500 per ounce. And gold is kind of unique among the precious metals and also the industrial metals, and this is because central banks have been a huge determining force in their buying of it. This is a bar chart that shows central bank buying in tons going back all the way to 2010. And what you notice here is the last three years, 2022, 2023, 2024, all of those had gold being bought by central banks of in the amount of over 1,000 tons. And so that's a pretty big dramatic increase from the prior years. And this has to do with the ongoing dedollarization in China, as well as Russia, but also a host of other countries, even some in western and eastern Europe. So this is a trend that we want to follow. Uh, I want to close out here with silver, and I'm going to just chart the price action. Again, very similar chart to gold and copper in terms of the big movements here. We saw a big price spike into almost $50 per ounce, and that was just as the global financial crisis was getting underway. And then the QE area in 2011, that's when we saw that high. Then we saw a dramatic, dramatic crash into 2016, kind of found its footing, saw a big squeeze in the early pandemic, 2020 was a great year for silver, but then we saw a little bit of a fallout. And again, silver is on the rise here at $38. It's still off of that $50 record high, but it is increasing very quickly. To round out the conversation, I want to just put on a table here. I have all three medals and just kind of grouping them together. I want to display how they are moving with their specific patterns with a trigger, and then to tell you which one of these is featured in these specific criteria. So here, under the pattern, we have acceleration. So that would be an economic acceleration. The trigger would be liquidity. And when that happens, we see all metals benefiting from that. And then when there's a safe haven scare, and that trigger would be a crisis of some sorts, you're going to see gold and silver outperforming the most, kind of leaving Dr. Copper behind. And then here's a bearish one, industrial drags, that affects copper disproportionately here, and the trigger there is typically a stronger US dollar because the US dollar surges when global global industrials tend to drag, and that's because the US is the least dirty shirt in the laundry basket of the world. And then finally here, we have a policy shock. This will affect all three medals, but especially copper and gold here. Um, arguably, the biggest reason is tariffs and debt, and we've seen both of those contribute to silver rising. So we could put all three in that basket as well. But when you put it all together, we have the perfect explosive mix for all three of these metals, including palladium and also platinum, which we didn't get to have time for, but all of these are experiencing huge thrust in 2025. And we'll have to see how these tariffs play out, especially on Dr. Copper with respect to that August 1st deadline. Remember, 50% there. So tune into Stocks in Translation for more jargon busting deep dives, new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays on Yahoo Finances website, or wherever you find your podcast. (Transcript from Yahoo! Finance podcast)

News

Best Quotes

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." — Benjamin Franklin

"Bottoms in the investment world don't end with four-year lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim Rogers

Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful." — Warren Buffett

Media Man

"Everything is a gamble" Greg Tingle, Media Man Group

"Bullish is a mindset"

Cryptocurrency News

Cryptos (Near live)

Bitcoin $109,704.32 USD +2.504%
ETH $2,558.37 USD +1.27%
Tether $0.9999 USD -0.11%
XRP $2.39 USD +1.66%
BNB $673.18 USD +3.52%
Solana $173.67 USD +3.43%
USD Coin $164.36 USD -0.05%
Dogecoin $0.2364 USD +4.67%
Cardano $0.7729 USD +3.94%
TRON $0.2678 USD -0.57%
Wrapped Bitcoin $109,317.98 USD +2.46%

News

Bitcoin close to the top

Market Picture

Market capitalisation has risen 2% in the last 24 hours to $3.37 trillion, 8.5% below January's all-time peaks. However, Bitcoin buyers are showing more confidence, trading above the $107k area (+2.9%). Ethereum and many other altcoins saw stronger intraday gains but still have a lot to recover after retreating significantly following the broader market pullback after Trump’s inauguration.

Bitcoin is forming its fourth consecutive daily growth candle. Bulls continue their attempts to secure a foothold above the $107K level. While the first cryptocurrency has briefly reached higher levels, it has yet to establish a sustained hold above them.

Last week, there was a stabilisation around $103k, which now looks like a foundation for further growth. The realistic near-term target for the bulls looks to be the area of $113K, which would be an extension to 161.8% of the growth impulse from early May and the subsequent mini correction at the beginning of last week.

Bitcoin's upward move is gradually waking up altcoins, although they still have considerable room to rise to previous highs, making them increasingly attractive to retail traders. The trend of a weakening dollar can also be seen as a breeding ground for growth.

News Background

On-chain signals and market data for Bitcoin remain constructive. Buying sentiment continues to support further growth, indicating that it may not yet be time to cash in, according to CryptoQuant.

Strategy bought an additional 7,390 BTC ($764.9 million) last week at an average price of $103,498 per coin. The company now owns 576,230 BTC bought at an average price of $69,726. The total investment is valued at $40.18 billion.

Major players via options have bet on Ethereum's significant growth, said CoinDesk analyst Omkar Godbole. The strategy will yield the biggest profits if ETH rises to $6,000 or higher by 26 December.

The Binance exchange has filed a motion to dismiss FTX's $1.76 bn lawsuit. The company's lawyers called the claims ‘legally untenable’ and asked for the case to be dismissed.

According to Fortune, Circle's IPO may not take place as the USDC issuer is in talks with Coinbase and Ripple to sell the business for at least $5bn. (FxPro)

News

Cryptocurrency News

Bitcoin Price Surge: Bitcoin has risen from $94,000 to over $106,000 in May, a 13% increase, driven by strong institutional interest and ETF inflows ($3.3 billion this month). Analysts predict it could hit $110,000 by month's end, with some forecasting $220,000-$250,000 by year-end due to regulatory tailwinds and reduced volatility.

Regulatory Developments: The U.S. Senate advanced the GENIUS Act on May 20 with a 66-32 vote, aiming to regulate stablecoins and establish a federal framework for digital currencies. A final vote is pending post the May 26 holiday. Texas may become the second U.S. state to allow a Bitcoin reserve if SB 21 is signed, following New Hampshire’s lead.

XRP Momentum: XRP briefly overtook Tether as the third-largest cryptocurrency. Its price surged 15% in 2025, trading at $2.40, with South Korean investors driving demand. The launch of XRP futures ETFs by CME Group on May 19 is seen as a pivotal moment. Predictions suggest XRP could reach $3-$20 by 2030.

Cybersecurity Concerns: Coinbase reported a cyberattack costing $180-$400 million, affecting a small subset of users’ data. Bybit faced a $1.5 billion heist in February, the largest ever. In France, crypto-related kidnappings targeting wealthy investors have raised alarms.

Institutional Adoption: Blackstone disclosed holding 23,094 shares of the iShares Bitcoin Trust, marking its first public bitcoin position. JPMorgan, Ondo, and Chainlink announced a $100 billion blockchain platform for tokenizing real-world assets.

Market Trends: The crypto market cap rose 1.2% to $3.46 trillion, with $124 billion in trading volume. However, concerns about overconfidence and potential corrections persist. Galaxy’s Nasdaq listing ($GLXY) has sparked enthusiasm, with potential to rival other crypto stocks. (Grok)

News

Blockchain News

Regulatory Moves in the U.S.: The U.S. Senate advanced the GENIUS Act, a bipartisan bill to regulate stablecoins, with new consumer protections and limits on tech companies issuing them. This follows a previous Democratic block, signaling growing acceptance of blockchain’s role in finance, though concerns about oversight and corruption persist.

Coinbase Joins S&P 500: Crypto exchange Coinbase was added to the S&P 500, a milestone for the crypto industry, though it faced a cyberattack compromising customer data, with remediation costs estimated at $180–400 million.

New Hampshire’s Crypto Push: New Hampshire became the first U.S. state to allow its treasury to invest in cryptocurrency. Proposed bills aim to prevent discrimination against digital assets and establish blockchain-specific legal frameworks, though their fate remains uncertain.

Cardano Embezzlement Allegations: Cardano faces claims of $600 million in ADA embezzlement. Founder Charles Hoskinson promised an audit to restore trust, potentially setting a precedent for blockchain self-governance.

Ripple and XRP Developments: Ripple warned XRP holders about scams amid a market uptick. XRP is expanding into multichain interoperability with Cosmos and EVM sidechains, positioning it as a key player in blockchain connectivity.

Chainlink and Stablecoin Integration: World Liberty Financial’s USD1 stablecoin, backed by U.S. treasuries, hit $2 billion in market cap and is now cross-chain with Chainlink’s CCIP, enabling secure transfers across Ethereum and BNB Chain.

Security Concerns: French crypto entrepreneurs, including Paymium’s CEO, face rising targeted attacks, prompting enhanced security measures. Global threats to crypto executives are increasing, with organized crime targeting digital wealth.

Blockchain in Gaming: Blockchain gaming saw a 10% drop in user activity in April, but the ecosystem is maturing. Mainstream companies like Ubisoft and Sega are experimenting with NFTs and play-to-earn mechanics.

JP Morgan’s Blockchain Milestone: JP Morgan used Ondo and Chainlink for its first public blockchain deal, a historic step for institutional crypto adoption.

Ethereum Node Storage Solution: Vitalik Buterin proposed a local-first design to reduce Ethereum node storage requirements from 1.3TB, aiming to lower barriers for users. (Grok)

News

XRP News

Latest XRP News Summary (as of May 22, 2025)

Price Movement: XRP is currently trading around $2.31-$2.55, experiencing a 4% weekly drop but holding key support levels. Analysts suggest a potential rebound to $3.40, with some optimistic predictions targeting $11.34 by year-end or even $123 based on historical patterns, though short-term forecasts indicate limited gains until October 2025. A critical support level is at $2.30; a drop below could lead to a crash to $2.00.

SEC Lawsuit Developments: Ripple and the SEC are nearing a settlement in their long-standing legal battle, with the SEC filing a motion to lift the injunction on XRP sales to institutional investors and reduce a $125 million penalty. A recent court ruling on May 18 rejected the SEC’s request for an indicative ruling, but Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer downplayed it as procedural. The outcome could clear the path for XRP-spot ETF approval, a significant bullish catalyst.

XRP Futures and ETF Speculation: The CME Group launched cash-settled XRP futures on May 19, boosting institutional interest and speculation about spot ETF approvals. Firms like 21Shares, Bitwise, and Grayscale have filed for XRP ETFs, with Polymarket bettors giving an 83% chance of approval. However, BlackRock’s silence and a recent court decision have delayed ETF momentum, causing some bearish pressure.

Technological Advancements: Ripple is integrating XRP with Cosmos and developing EVM sidechains for better blockchain interoperability. Its custody service now supports shared MPC wallets, and the XRP Ledger is seeing growth in tokenization and DeFi, with rising Total Value Locked (TVL). StraitsX launched a Singapore-dollar stablecoin (XSGD) on the XRP Ledger, enhancing its utility.

Market Sentiment and Political Support: XRP sentiment remains mixed but leans bullish due to legal optimism and endorsements, notably from President Donald Trump, who suggested XRP as a potential strategic reserve currency. Posts on X highlight community excitement, with Ripple announcing an XRP Rewards Event to engage holders. However, some analysts warn of regulatory scrutiny and market volatility impacting short-term performance.

Ripple IPO Speculation: Market speculation suggests a Ripple IPO could value the company at over $100 billion, potentially boosting XRP’s price, though XRP in Ripple’s escrow won’t count toward valuation until the IPO.

Critical Note: While bullish catalysts like ETF prospects and legal clarity exist, ongoing regulatory uncertainty and market dynamics could pose risks. Some community predictions (e.g., $250 by 2026) appear speculative and lack robust evidence. Always conduct thorough research before making investment decisions, as market conditions are volatile. (Grok)

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

"Banking now is like sending a letter: you send it, you don't know if it reached there. Ripple is more like sending an iMessage: you send it, and you immediately know" Chris Larsen

"Bitcoin is a swarm of cyber hornets serving the goddess of wisdom, feeding on the fire of truth, exponentially growing ever smarter, faster, and stronger behind a wall of encrypted energy" Michael J. Saylor

News

Elon Musk quotes

“Fundamentally, bitcoin is not a good substitute for transactional currency,” Musk told Time Magazine after being named Time’s 2021 Person of the Year. “Even though it was created as a silly joke, dogecoin is better suited for transactions.”

"The transaction volume of bitcoin is low, and the cost per transaction is high,” he said. Musk added that bitcoin is more suitable as a store of value, which is why its investors want to hold onto it and not sell it or use it for transactions.

Dogecoin, on the other hand, is a currency that “encourages people to spend, rather than sort of hoard as a store of value” Elon Musk

News/Intel

What Is A Cryptocurrency ETF? A Guide For Crypto Investors Looking To Diversify

A cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund (ETF) is an investment vehicle that allows investors to gain exposure to digital assets without directly holding them. Crypto ETFs can be a simpler, highly regulated way to invest in the volatile crypto world, offering diversification and ease of trading.

This guide will explain what crypto ETFs are, how they work, their advantages and the potential risks investors should consider.

What Is A Crypto ETF?

A crypto ETF is a financial product that provides investors with indirect exposure to digital assets like bitcoin and ether. Instead of directly purchasing and storing these cryptos, investors can buy shares of a crypto ETF, which tracks the value of one or more digital currencies. These ETFs trade on traditional stock exchanges, making them accessible through regular brokerage accounts.

Crypto ETFs are available in two main forms: spot ETFs and futures ETFs.

Spot ETFs directly hold the underlying crypto, while futures ETFs rely on contracts that speculate on future crypto prices. This difference can impact an ETF’s performance, with spot ETFs offering more direct price exposure and futures ETFs providing a way to trade on expected price movements.

Investing in crypto ETFs offers simplified access to digital assets. However, these funds are not without risks. Investors should know potential issues, including counterparty risks, management fees and limited control over the underlying digital assets. Understanding these factors can help investors make informed decisions.

How Does A Cryptocurrency ETF Work?
A cryptocurrency ETF functions like a traditional exchange-traded fund, trading on major stock exchanges. Investors can buy and sell shares of a crypto ETF throughout the trading day, with prices fluctuating based on the value of the underlying crypto it tracks. Crypto ETFs offer real-time pricing, which provides greater flexibility for investors.

Crypto ETFs are structured to hold either the actual crypto in the case of spot ETFs or derivative contracts, as in futures ETFs, that reflect crypto prices. The fund’s manager ensures the ETF maintains its target exposure by buying or selling assets as needed. This allows investors to gain exposure to digital assets without directly managing crypto wallets or navigating complex exchanges.

Types Of Cryptocurrency ETFs
Crypto ETFs come in several forms, offering different ways to invest in the digital asset market. Bitcoin ETFs focus solely on bitcoin, providing direct exposure to its price. Ethereum ETFs are dedicated to tracking the value of Ethereum. Blockchain ETFs invest in companies involved in blockchain technology rather than holding crypto directly. Multi-Crypto ETFs provide access to a mix of several cryptos within a single fund.

These options allow investors to choose between a single-asset focus or a diversified approach that reduces the risk of relying on one asset.

Bitcoin ETFs: Spot Vs. Futures
There are two kinds of Bitcoin ETFs, spot and futures. Spot bitcoin ETFs hold actual bitcoin reserves, with each share backed by actual crypto. This means investors gain direct exposure to bitcoin’s price movements without needing to manage or store bitcoin themselves. Spot ETFs are regulated financial instruments, with custodians securely storing the underlying bitcoin to protect against risks like hacking or theft.

In contrast, bitcoin futures ETFs do not hold actual bitcoin. Instead, they invest in futures contracts speculating on bitcoin’s future price. These contracts are agreements to buy or sell bitcoin at a set price on a future date. While this approach offers bitcoin exposure, it introduces added complexity. Costs like roll premiums – expenses an ETF is required to pay when replacing expiring futures contracts with new ones – can reduce investor returns. Futures contracts may not perfectly track bitcoin’s spot price, causing price differences between the ETF and the actual bitcoin market.

Ethereum ETFs
Similar to bitcoin ETFs, ether ETFs come in two main types, spot and futures-based. Spot ether ETFs hold actual ETH in a secure, regulated custody account, giving investors direct exposure to the cryptocurrency's price. When purchasing ether ETFs, investors buy shares representing a portion of the ETF's Ethereum holdings.

Futures-based ether ETFs do not hold ETH directly. Instead, they invest in futures contracts speculating on Ethereum's future price. These ETFs are easier to regulate and avoid custody risks, but may experience tracking errors and higher costs due to frequent contract rollovers.

Blockchain ETFs
Blockchain ETFs invest in companies using blockchain technology instead of holding cryptocurrencies directly. These funds provide exposure to industries like supply chain management, cybersecurity and digital identity. Unlike crypto ETFs, which focus on digital assets like bitcoin or ether, blockchain ETFs diversify across multiple sectors.

Examples include Robinhood, which offers crypto trading and blockchain services; Metaplanet, an investor in blockchain startups; and Cleanspark, a bitcoin mining company operating energy-efficient mining facilities. Blockchain ETFs let investors benefit from blockchain’s growth without direct ownership.

Multi-Crypto ETFs
Multi-Crypto ETFs expose a range of digital assets rather than focusing on a single one. These funds offer investors a balanced approach, allowing them to invest in multiple coins, such as bitcoin, ethereum, and solana, all within one investment product.

Grayscale's Digital Large Cap Fund is a notable example, holding a mix of major digital assets. Roughly 75% of the fund is allocated to bitcoin, 19% to ether, and the remainder to solana, ripple and avalanche. This approach helps spread risk and gives investors broader exposure to the evolving crypto market.

Why Are Investors Interested In Crypto ETFs?
Investors are drawn to crypto ETFs because they provide a straightforward method to gain exposure to digital assets without directly owning them. Through crypto ETFs, investors can access crypto through traditional brokerage accounts, avoiding the complexities of managing digital wallets, private keys or secure storage. Crypto ETFs also offer the security of institutional-grade funds, which are managed by professional fund managers and operate under regulatory guidance.

One of crypto ETFs' most appealing aspects is their portfolio diversification. Instead of investing in a single cryptocurrency, investors can choose multi-asset ETFs that spread risk across the crypto market.

Pros And Cons Of Crypto ETFs
Crypto ETFs offer a convenient way to gain exposure to digital assets without directly managing cryptocurrency. However, like any investment, they come with benefits and drawbacks. Understanding these pros and cons can help investors make informed decisions.

Pros Of Cryptocurrency ETFs
Accessibility: Crypto ETFs can be traded through traditional brokerage accounts, making it easy for investors to gain exposure without using crypto exchanges.

Diversification: Investors can choose multi-crypto ETFs, spreading their risk across multiple digital assets instead of relying on a single cryptocurrency.

Regulatory Oversight: Crypto ETFs are managed by regulated financial institutions, providing regulated security compared to direct crypto ownership, which can be challenging.

Cons Of Cryptocurrency ETFs
Limited Control: Investors do not own actual crypto, meaning they cannot use it for transactions or transfer it to a private wallet.

Management Fees: Crypto ETFs often have management fees that can reduce returns over time, especially futures-based ETFs with frequent contract rollovers.

Tracking Errors: Futures-based crypto ETFs may not perfectly mirror the spot price of cryptocurrencies due to price differences between futures and actual assets.

Cryptocurrency ETFs Vs. Direct Crypto Investments
Crypto ETFs offer investors a way to gain exposure to digital assets without direct ownership. Investors do not need to manage private keys or secure digital wallets, making ETFs a simpler option for those who want crypto exposure without the technical complexities.

In contrast, direct crypto investments allow investors to buy, hold and control actual digital assets. This approach provides complete ownership, enabling investors to transfer, spend or stake their crypto as they see fit. Direct investments also avoid management fees but come with responsibilities like wallet security, exposure to hacking risks and the need to manage transactions on crypto exchanges.

Who Are Crypto ETFs Right For?
Crypto ETFs are ideal for beginner investors who want exposure to digital assets without the complexity of directly buying, storing or managing cryptocurrencies. These funds offer a simple, regulated way to invest, making them suitable for those new to the crypto market who are more comfortable with traditional financial products.

They are also well-suited for traditional investors familiar with stock markets but wanting to explore crypto. By trading on exchanges like the NYSE or Nasdaq, crypto ETFs provide a convenient option for those who prefer to avoid the security risks of crypto exchanges.

The Future Outlook Of Cryptocurrency ETFs
The future of cryptocurrency ETFs looks bright, with BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF posting $356 million in inflows, the longest streak of 2025, and bitcoin flirting with new highs. As regulatory clarity improves, driven by bullish sentiment from SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins, more funds are launching, providing investors with greater choice and confidence.

Bottom Line

Crypto ETFs make it easier to invest in digital assets without directly buying and managing cryptocurrencies. They are a good option for beginners, traditional investors and those looking for diversified exposure. With choices like bitcoin, ether, multi-crypto and blockchain ETFs, investors can find a fund that fits their goals while reducing some risks of direct ownership.

The future of crypto ETFs looks promising as more funds emerge and regulatory clarity improves. BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF is seeing record inflows, showing strong investor interest. As the market grows, crypto ETFs offer a straightforward way to participate in the digital asset space.

Cryptos and Markets

Cryptos

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

May 19, 2025
Sydney, Australia

Bitcoin $104,266.52 USD +0.52%
ETH $2,421.78 USD -3.18%
Tether $1.00 USD -0.41%
XRP $2.39 USD +1.05%
BNB $644.71 USD -0.00%
Solana $168.47 USD +0.54%
USD Coin $1.00 USD -0.13%
Dogecoin $0.2251 USD +3.48%
Cardano $0.7427 USD -0.85%
TRON $0.2662 USD -2.40%
Wrapped Bitcoin $104,441.92 USD +0.75%

News

XRP News

Price Movement: XRP is trading around $2.40-$2.55, with a recent peak at $2.65 on May 14, 2025. It’s up over 366% in the past year but dipped 1.6% recently due to market consolidation and legal uncertainties. Analysts suggest a potential rally to $3.00 if it breaks the $2.72 resistance, supported by bullish indicators like RSI and low exchange inflows. Some predict explosive growth to $5.90, $15, or even $123 based on technical patterns, though these are speculative.

SEC vs. Ripple Lawsuit: The ongoing legal battle with the SEC remains pivotal. On May 15, Judge Analisa Torres rejected a joint SEC-Ripple motion to amend a prior settlement due to procedural issues, leaving the case in limbo. Despite this, Ripple’s legal chief confirmed XRP’s non-security status remains intact. A $50 million settlement was briefly finalized, but renewed scrutiny and the SEC’s push to lift restrictions on institutional XRP sales have stirred uncertainty. A resolution could pave the way for XRP-spot ETF approvals.

ETF Speculation: Hopes for an XRP-spot ETF have driven price surges, with filings from firms like 21Shares, Bitwise, and Franklin Templeton. However, BlackRock’s silence after SEC talks and a delayed decision on Solana ETFs (with XRP ETF deadlines looming in June) have tempered optimism. Experts warn an ETF might not fully align with XRP’s utility-driven adoption.

Market and Adoption: XRP hit $1.2 billion in daily trading volume in South Korea, surpassing Bitcoin and Ethereum. Ripple’s technological advancements include EVM sidechains for blockchain interoperability and shared MPC wallets for secure custody. President Trump’s endorsement of XRP as a potential strategic reserve currency and Missouri’s crypto tax break law have fueled bullish sentiment. Ripple’s acquisition of Hidden Road could lock up 5% of XRP’s circulating supply, potentially driving prices to $5-$15 short-term.

Futures and IPO Buzz: The CME Group is set to launch XRP futures today, May 19, 2025, a move seen as a step toward institutional adoption and potential ETF approval. Speculation about a Ripple IPO, possibly valuing the company at $100 billion, continues to grow, with SBI Holdings noting XRP in escrow won’t count toward valuation until the IPO.

Community Sentiment: XRP’s community is optimistic, with commentators like “J4b1” calling May 19 a potentially historic day, possibly tied to the futures launch or legal developments. However, claims of a finalized SEC settlement by May 19 appear unverified. Posts on X highlight excitement but also speculative narratives, like BlackRock buying XRP, which lack confirmation.

Critical Note: While bullish projections abound, some analysts caution that historical patterns may not hold, and regulatory hurdles could persist. Always verify claims, especially from X posts, as they can be speculative or misleading. For the latest, check trusted sources or monitor Ripple’s official channels. (Grok)

News

Dogecoin News

Price Movements and Market Performance: Dogecoin has shown significant volatility, with a recent 48.7% surge over the past month, trading around $0.223 as of May 18, 2025. It reached a high of $0.248 in early May but faced a slight pullback, consolidating near $0.22–$0.23. Analysts suggest a potential breakout above the $0.25–$0.26 resistance could spark a new bull run, with price targets ranging from $0.30 to $0.70 in the next 30 days, and some optimistic forecasts eyeing $1 in 2025. However, a "death cross" on technical charts indicates midterm bearish risks, making the $0.21 support level critical.

Whale Accumulation: On-chain data reveals that Dogecoin whales have accumulated over 1 billion DOGE in the past month, signaling strong confidence in future price gains. This activity, coupled with an 800% surge in daily active addresses (reaching 674K, the highest since November 2024), suggests robust network engagement and potential for an explosive price move if support holds.

ETF Speculation: Enthusiasm is growing around four Dogecoin ETF applications under SEC review, including one from 21Shares in partnership with the Dogecoin Foundation. Bloomberg analysts estimate a 75% chance of approval in 2025, which could drive mainstream adoption and price growth. This news contributed to a 528% spike in active addresses on May 13, from 74,640 to 469,477.

Network and Ecosystem Developments: The Dogecoin Foundation is pushing for broader adoption through DogeOS, an app layer for gaming, AI, and DeFi, backed by $6.9 million in investment. This aims to transform Dogecoin from a meme coin to a utility-driven asset, potentially supporting its $100 billion market cap goal.

Market Sentiment and Speculation: Posts on X reflect bullish sentiment, with unverified claims of PayPal accepting Dogecoin payments circulating, though these lack confirmation. Additionally, Dogecoin’s futures open interest surged from $989 million to $1.62 billion, indicating heightened speculative trading. Some analysts warn of overheating risks, but others see room for growth before a cycle top.

Cautions and Risks: Dogecoin creator Billy Markus warned about a potential asset bubble that could crash the global economy, though specifics were vague. Geopolitical tensions and trade policy shifts continue to influence crypto markets, adding uncertainty. The coin’s volatility and reliance on speculative momentum remain concerns. (Grok)

News

Bitcoin Movie News

Michael Saylor’s $40BN Bitcoin Bet: The Financial Times released a documentary exploring Michael Saylor’s bold corporate investment in Bitcoin, highlighting his journey from corporate strategy to crypto prominence. Posts on X indicate strong interest, describing it as a must-watch for Bitcoin enthusiasts.

Everyone Is Lying To You For Money: Set to premiere at SXSW London in June 2025, this crypto-skeptical documentary features interviews with former FTX and Celsius CEOs, Sam Bankman-Fried and Alex Mashinsky, and examines El Salvador’s Bitcoin adoption under President Nayib Bukele.

Crypto Man: A South Korean crypto-themed film based on true events, slated for release in January 2025, was in post-production as of December 2024.

Satoshi Nakamoto Film: Directed by Sophia Banks, this upcoming feature film, based on Andrew O’Hagan’s “The Satoshi Affair,” will explore the mystery of Bitcoin’s enigmatic creator.

Ross Ulbricht Documentary: Filmmakers Jonah Tulis and Blake J. Harris are nearing completion of a documentary featuring over 60 hours of interviews with Ross Ulbricht, the pardoned Silk Road founder, focusing on his life and the platform’s role in popularizing Bitcoin.

Biggest Heist Ever: Netflix’s 2024 documentary details the 2016 Bitfinex hack by Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, who laundered $4.5 billion in Bitcoin, dubbed “Bitcoin’s Bonnie and Clyde.”

Aimy in a Cage: This 2015 dystopian horror film, adapted from a graphic novel, was the first movie fully funded by Bitcoin, allowing director Hooroo Jackson to maintain creative control.

Cold Wallet: A 2025 thriller about cryptocurrency fraud, presented by Steven Soderbergh, has been praised for its suspenseful take on a home invasion tied to crypto.

These projects reflect growing cinematic interest in Bitcoin’s cultural, financial, and criminal dimensions.

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

“Trading Bitcoin is like trading Apple, Amazon, Google, or Facebook a decade ago. The more you obsess over timing the market, the more mistakes you make. They were all technology networks that were dominant & destined to grow.” - Michael Saylor, Former CEO of MicroStrategy

"Whereas most technologies tend to automate workers on the periphery doing menial tasks, blockchains automate away the center. Instead of putting the taxi driver out of a job, blockchain puts Uber out of a job and lets the taxi drivers work with the customer directly." - Vitalik Buterin, Co-Founder of Ethereum

"The Latin American countries where you have this combination of inflation or hyperinflation cycles – deflation as well – and then you have very high friction for financial transactions, a high percentage of people who are unbanked, cryptocurrencies make total sense." – Fred Thiel, CEO of Thiel Advisors & Marathon Digital Holdings

“…we know gold is a $12 trillion asset, bitcoin’s about a 10th of gold. Could they be half of gold? At one point, Sure, it could … And at some point, it will be larger than gold… that money is finding its way to Gen Z and Millennials, and they feel much more comfortable with digital gold than old clunky gold.” - Mike Novogratz, CEO of Galaxy Digital

“If you don't believe me or don't get it, I don't have time to try to convince you, sorry.” - Satoshi Nakomoto, Founder of Bitcoin

Markets

ASX futures down 7 points/0.1% to 8360 on Sat

Australian dollar +0.1% to 64.10 US cents

Wall Street:
S&P 500 +0.8%
Dow Jones +0.7%
Nasdaq +0.5%

Europe:
Stoxx 50 +0.3%
FTSE +0.6%
DAX +0.3%
CAC +0.4%

Bitcoin +0.9% to $US104,244

Spot gold -1.1% to $US3203.65 per ounce on Saturday

US oil +1.4% to $US62.49 a barrel on Saturday

Brent crude oil +1.4% to $US65.41 a barrel on Saturday

Iron ore -1.5% to $US99.70 per ton (Singapore 62% grade)

10-year yield:
US 4.48%
Australia 4.45%
Germany 2.59%

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

May 13, 2025
Sydney, Australia

Bitcoin $102,452.96 USD -1.57%
ETH $2,473.59 USD -1.39%
Tether $0.9993 USD -0.10%
XRP $2.53 USD +7.21%
BNB $662.27 USD +1.78%
Solana $172.50 USD -0.12%
USD Coin $0.9993 USD -0.07%
Dogecoin $0.2295 USD -1.04%
Cardano $0.8162 USD +0.72%
TRON $0.2732 USD +3.10%
Wrapped Bitcoin $102,406.50 USD -1.66%

News

Cryptocurrency News

Bitcoin Price Surge: Bitcoin has surpassed $100,000, briefly touching $105,000, driven by optimism around global trade deals, particularly U.S.-U.K. agreements and ongoing U.S.-China talks. Analysts warn of a potential short-term sell-off ahead of the May 13 CPI print, with BlackRock noting quantum computing as a risk for Bitcoin ETFs.

Ethereum Rally: Ethereum (ETH) has surged over 44% in three days, reaching $2,600, fueled by the Pectra network upgrade and declining Bitcoin dominance. Analysts speculate ETH could hit $10,000 or even $12,000 in 2025 due to institutional adoption, DeFi growth, and a high ETH burn rate.

Altcoin Momentum: Altcoins like Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), and Dogecoin (DOGE) are rallying, with DOGE up 27% and ETH leading with a 32% weekly gain. Bitcoin’s dominance has dropped to 63.89%, signaling a potential altcoin season.

Meta’s Crypto Plans: Leaked reports suggest Meta is exploring cryptocurrency support for its 3 billion users, potentially integrating stablecoins for creator payments, which could boost market sentiment.

Regulatory Developments: SEC Chairman Paul Atkins is prioritizing a rational crypto regulatory framework, with XRP noted as the only regulated cryptocurrency in the U.S. However, a bipartisan stablecoin bill (GENIUS Act) stalled due to concerns over Trump’s personal crypto ventures, raising conflict-of-interest issues.

Market Inflows: Crypto investment products saw $882 million in inflows last week, with U.S. crypto ETFs hitting a record $62.9 billion in cumulative net inflows since January 2024. BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF recorded a 19th consecutive day of inflows on May 9.

Other News: Coinbase acquired Deribit for $2.9 billion, expanding its derivatives offerings. New Hampshire passed a law allowing state investment in cryptocurrencies. France’s rumored crypto ban was mentioned on X but lacks credible confirmation and should be treated as speculative. (Grok)

Blockchain News

Meta’s Blockchain Push: Meta is reportedly exploring a blockchain-based payment system, potentially offering low-cost digital transfers. This follows their unsuccessful Diem project, signaling renewed interest in blockchain integration.

Crypto in Education: Animoca Brands’ Yat Siu highlights blockchain’s potential in education, particularly through DeFi student loan financing. Ripple’s $25 million donation to a crypto education fund underscores growing academic influence.

XRP and Interoperability: XRP is expanding into multichain interoperability, connecting with Cosmos and EVM sidechains. With 200+ financial partners, it aims to bridge traditional finance and crypto ecosystems.

Avalanche and Web3 Gaming: Avalanche’s John Nahas emphasizes blockchain as seamless backend infrastructure for gaming, citing examples like Gunzilla Games’ “Off the Grid,” which leverages blockchain for user ownership.

Policy Shifts: The Trump administration is driving a pro-crypto agenda, with plans to integrate blockchain into financial systems. Bank regulators are exploring blockchain-based payment systems, a stark contrast to previous skepticism.

Robinhood’s Blockchain Platform: Robinhood is developing a blockchain-based platform for trading tokenized US securities in Europe, potentially partnering with Arbitrum or Solana.

Ethereum’s Pectra Upgrade: Ethereum’s latest upgrade introduces features like smart wallets and lower fees but has raised concerns about a new attack vector that could allow hackers to drain funds.

Other Developments: Brave is integrating Cardano into its browser wallet, and MBS Global plans a $9 billion blockchain financial hub in the Maldives.

For real-time updates, platforms like Cointelegraph or CryptoSlate on X are active sources,

News

Crypto market slows down, nearing a top

Market Picture

The crypto market slowed down but continued to move upwards over the weekend, reaching $3.35 trillion. For the past few days, it has been trading in the region of the highs since early February. Ethereum and Dogecoin have been the stars of this movement, adding around 40% in seven days, although the former's contribution is certainly more significant.

The crypto market's sentiment is consolidating in the greed zone, leaving the corresponding index at 70 for the last three days. This is a good basis for continued gains: not too hot to take profits and not too cold to leave traders on the sidelines.

Bitcoin rallied above $105.5k on Monday morning, entering the area of highs where it has twice failed to hold over the past six months. The impressive corrective pullback from late January to early April, in our opinion, created substantial margin for a new wave of growth. Therefore, we will not be surprised if, along with the positive dynamics of stocks, BTCUSD will move to the renewal of historical highs already this week.

News Background

On the weekly bitcoin chart, after the upward breakout of the ‘bull flag’ pattern, a further rise to $182,000 is possible, given the growth before the downward consolidation. Cointelegraph presented such a scenario.

Significant inflows into spot bitcoin ETFS in the US continued for the third week in a row. According to SoSoValue data, weekly net inflows into spot BTC-ETFS totalled $921 million, bringing the total to $41.16 billion since bitcoin-ETFS were approved in January 2024.
Inflows into spot Ethereum-ETFS in the US broke after two weeks, recording a small net outflow of $38.2 million to $2.47 billion since last July.

Cryptoquant noted that the strategy firm's pace of bitcoin purchases exceeds the rate at which miners are issuing new coins. The firm's holdings alone imply an annual deflation of the asset of 2.23%.

Public mining companies sold about 70% of mined bitcoins in April against a falling mining profitability, TheMinerMag calculated. Since March, miners seemed to be moving away from the HOLDing strategy that had prevailed last year.

Over the years, Coinbase has considered investing a significant portion of its savings in bitcoin, following the example of Strategy, but abandoned the idea because of the risks, said Brian Armstrong, head of the exchange. (FxPro)

News

Markets

ASX futures are pointing up 97 points/1.2% to 8364

AUD -0.0% to US63.70¢

Bitcoin -1.6% to $US102,525
Wall St:
Dow +2.8% S&P +3.3% Nasdaq +4.4%
VIX -3.51 to 16.03
Gold -0.03% to $US3235.57 an ounce
Brent oil +1.8% to $US65.03 a barrel
Iron ore +3.2% to $US100.00 a ton
10-year yield: US 4.47% Australia 4.36%

News

May 12, 2025

Investors ramp up crypto spree as bitcoin nears record high

Australian investors have pounced on the plunge in bitcoin earlier this year and have been ramping up exposure to the cryptocurrency in a bold bet that could pay off handsomely, with analysts tipping prices to hit $US200,000 this year.

The world’s largest digital asset crossed the key $US100,000 level last week for the first time since February. Bitcoin extended that rally on Monday to trade near $US105,000, just shy of its record of around $US109,000 on January 20 – the day US President Donald Trump was inaugurated.

It represents a stunning turnaround for the cryptocurrency, which traded as low as $US74,000 in early April amid Trump’s escalating trade war. But sentiment started to shift as traders hunted for alternatives to US assets as they questioned the stability of the world’s largest economy.

“Bitcoin appeared to benefit from capital rotation associated with ‘sell-America’ positioning and growing scepticism around US monetary dominance,” Global X investment analyst Justin Lin told The Australian Financial Review after upgrading his year-end price target to $US200,000.

The trend was reinforced by a resurgence in global bitcoin exchange-traded funds in April, with investors adding $US2.9 billion ($4.5 billion) to those vehicles. That marked a sharp reversal from February and March, when more than $US5 billion in total was pulled from the space.

A further $US1.58 billion of flows moved into global bitcoin ETFs in the first eight days of May, according to US-listed crypto exchange Coinbase.

In Australia, local ETFs have attracted $148 million in inflows so far this year – more than double compared to the same period in 2024.

And unlike the US, Australian investors have been consistent buyers throughout this year. Local bitcoin ETFs experienced $6.9 million of inflows in March and $20.5 million in new flows in April, according to Global X.

Trump gala

The second-largest digital token, ethereum, has also been swept up in last week’s rally, surging as much as 33 per cent in its steepest weekly gain since 2021, when low interest rates fuelled the pandemic-era crypto boom.

While ether has benefited from easing global trade tensions, the token was boosted by a network upgrade designed to reduce fees, improve network efficiency and enable more complex wallet functionalities – moves seen as necessary to fend off competition from faster-growing rivals like solana.

Trump has become an advocate of digital assets during his second term by rolling back legal actions against many companies in the sector, establishing a bitcoin reserve, easing regulation and even launching his own memecoin.

The president is due to host a private gala dinner on May 22 with the top 220 holders of the Trump memecoin, an event that could mark a “turning point” for the broader cryptocurrency market, according to Global X’s Lin.

“[The event’s] symbolic value is significant,” he said. “It could serve as a launchpad for broader crypto-friendly rhetoric and possibly renewed regulatory commitments. Any such pivot would inject momentum into the sector.” (AFR) *Full article and coverage via subscription to The Australian Financial Review.

News

Cryptocurrency Movies

Here’s a concise rundown of notable cryptocurrency-themed movies and documentaries, blending education and entertainment, based on their relevance to blockchain, Bitcoin, and digital currencies:

Documentaries

The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
Follows early Bitcoin adopters like Daniel Mross, exploring Bitcoin’s origins, volatility, and potential to disrupt finance. Insightful for understanding the early crypto community. Available on various streaming platforms.

Banking on Bitcoin (2016)
Chronicles Bitcoin’s ideological roots and its impact on financial systems, featuring interviews with key crypto figures. Great for grasping Bitcoin’s societal implications. Available on Netflix and other platforms.

Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018)
Explores blockchain’s broader applications beyond cryptocurrency, demystifying the technology’s potential. Funded and distributed via blockchain, it’s a unique watch. Available on Prime Video.

Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It (2015)
A 60-minute dive into the history of money and Bitcoin’s role in challenging centralized finance. Features experts like Vitalik Buterin. Streamable on platforms like YouTube.

Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King (2022)
A Netflix documentary investigating the mysterious death of QuadrigaCX CEO Gerry Cotten and the $250 million in missing investor funds. Gripping for scam enthusiasts.

Biggest Heist Ever (2025)
A Netflix documentary detailing the 2016 Bitfinex hack, where 120,000 Bitcoin (worth over $4 billion) were stolen. Focuses on Heather Morgan (aka Razzlekhan) and Ilya Lichtenstein. A fresh take on crypto crime.

Feature Films

Crypto (2019)
A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth, and Kurt Russell. Follows a Wall Street banker uncovering a cryptocurrency-fueled money laundering scheme in his hometown. Critically mixed but engaging for drama fans. Available on Google Play and Prime Video.

Silk Road (2021)
A crime drama about Ross Ulbricht and the dark web marketplace Silk Road, where Bitcoin was the primary currency. Explores the legal and ethical complexities of crypto in illicit markets. Available on streaming services like Fandango.

Dope (2015)
A coming-of-age comedy-drama where high schoolers use Bitcoin for a dark web drug transaction. Not crypto-centric but an early mainstream nod to Bitcoin’s cultural presence. Streamable on Netflix.

Bitcoin Heist (2016)
A Vietnamese action-comedy about undercover agents chasing a crypto hacker, “The Ghost.” Blends suspense and humor, offering a lighthearted take on crypto crime. Available on Prime Video.

Why Watch These?
These films range from educational documentaries to thrilling fictional tales, reflecting crypto’s rise, scandals, and societal impact. Documentaries like Banking on Bitcoin and Trust Machine are ideal for learning about blockchain’s mechanics and potential, while thrillers like Crypto and Silk Road dramatize the risks and allure of digital currencies. For 2025, Biggest Heist Ever is a must-watch for its fresh perspective on a massive crypto theft.

Where to Watch

Most are available on Netflix, Prime Video, Google Play, or Fandango. Check specific platforms for availability in your region. (Grok)

News

Bitcoin Movies On Netflix

Netflix currently offers a few movies and documentaries focused on Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Here are the most notable ones available as of my last update:

Bitconned (2024) - A true-crime documentary about three individuals who exploited the cryptocurrency market, scamming millions from investors to fund lavish lifestyles. It dives into the darker side of crypto with a focus on the Centra Tech scam. [IMDb: 6.5]

Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King (2022) - This documentary explores the mysterious death of Gerald Cotten, founder of the QuadrigaCX exchange, and the $250 million in investor funds that vanished. It follows investors turned amateur detectives unraveling the scandal. [IMDb: 6.3]

Hotel Bitcoin (2024) - A Spanish comedy film where four friends discover a fortune in lost bitcoins, sparking a chaotic adventure to protect their windfall and friendships. It’s a lighter, fictional take on Bitcoin’s allure.

Biggest Heist Ever (2024) - A documentary covering the Bitfinex hack, where a couple, dubbed the "Bitcoin Bonnie and Clyde," allegedly laundered nearly 120,000 bitcoins. It’s a deep dive into one of crypto’s most infamous crimes.

Crypto Boy (2023) - A Dutch drama about a young man drawn into the world of cryptocurrency after a fallout with his father, exploring themes of ambition and deception. It’s more character-driven than educational.

Notes:

Availability may vary by region, so check Netflix in your area.

Some older Bitcoin documentaries, like Banking on Bitcoin or The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin, are not currently on Netflix but may be available on other platforms like Amazon Prime or YouTube.

For a broader list, posts on X also mention Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It and The Blockchain and Us, but these are not confirmed on Netflix at this time. (Grok)

News

Memecoins Today:

Memecoins are seeing significant activity today, May 13, 2025, with several coins rallying and ongoing controversies shaping market sentiment. Here's a concise overview based on recent developments:

Market Performance:

Dogwifhat (WIF), Book of Meme (BOME), and FLOKI are extending double-digit rallies, driven by a risk-on sentiment in crypto markets following US-China tariff reductions. Technical indicators suggest potential for further gains.

Moo Deng, a Solana-based memecoin, surged 153% in the past 24 hours, fueled by institutional demand for SOL and retail interest after Bitcoin’s rally above $103,000.

FLOKI is highlighted on X as a top performer, with posts suggesting it could lead the memecoin rally alongside DOGE, SHIB, and PEPE.

Political and Controversial Developments:

Trump’s $TRUMP Memecoin: The coin remains in the spotlight due to a May 22 dinner for top holders at Trump’s Virginia golf club, sparking ethical concerns and political backlash. The coin surged over 50% after the announcement, reaching a $2.7 billion market value, though 764,000 investors have lost money compared to 58 wallets profiting significantly.

Melania’s $MELANIA Memecoin: Launched January 19, it saw sniper traders earn $99.6 million by buying minutes before its public announcement. The team recently sold $1.5 million in tokens, amid a weakening memecoin market.

Legislative Pushback: Senate Democrats blocked stablecoin legislation due to controversies surrounding Trump’s crypto ventures. Proposed bills, like the End Crypto Corruption Act, aim to ban presidents and officials from issuing digital assets to curb potential conflicts of interest.

Market Sentiment:
X posts reflect active interest in memecoins, with users seeking recommendations and shilling coins like FLOKI and letsBONK. However, some posts highlight the speculative nature, describing pump-and-dump cycles.

Discussions on memecoins hit a year-to-date high, shifting focus from Bitcoin and layer-1 protocols, though some argue the memecoin frenzy is cooling as stablecoins gain traction on Solana.

Broader Context:

Memecoins face criticism for lacking intrinsic value, with some viewing them as celebrity-driven schemes. However, advocates suggest AI agents could drive a “memecoin renaissance” by adding utility.

The $TRUMP token’s performance has been lackluster compared to its peak, with onchain activity spiking after the dinner announcement but still down 79% from its all-time high.

Critical Note: While memecoins are rallying, their volatility and speculative nature carry significant risks. The political ties to certain coins, especially $TRUMP, raise ethical and legal questions, potentially influencing market stability. Always verify information, as X posts can contain unverified claims, and memecoin investments are highly speculative. (Grok)

Bull Market: Def

"Bull market" describes a financial market where prices are rising or are expected to rise. It commonly refers to the stock market but can be applied to anything that is traded, such as bonds, real estate, currencies, and commodities.

Markets and Cryptos

May 7, 2025
Sydney, Australia

Markets

ASX futures down 23 points/0.3% to 8146

AUD +0.3% to US64.87¢

Bitcoin flat at $US94,534

Wall St:
Dow -1.0%
S&P -0.7%
Nasdaq -0.9%
VIX +1.18 to 24.82
Gold +2.4% to $US3414.77 an ounce
Oil +3.4% to $US62.26 a barrel
Iron ore +1.2% to $US97.70 a tonne
10-year yield: US 4.31% Australia 4.33%

News

Bitcoin. $95,096. 2.41%
Ethereum. $1,789.65. 1.60%
Tether. $1.99. +0.16%
XRP. $2.14. -0.46%
BNB. $599.88. 0.05%
Solana. $144.79. 1.351%

News

Crypto News Today

Bitcoin Price Outlook: Binance founder Changpeng "CZ" Zhao predicts Bitcoin could reach $500,000 to $1 million this market cycle, citing institutional adoption, government accumulation, and pro-crypto U.S. policies. Bitcoin is currently trading around $94,376, with some analysts forecasting a 2025 high of ~$168,000.

Florida Bitcoin Reserve Bills Withdrawn: Florida’s House Bill 487 and Senate Bill 550, which aimed to establish a state Bitcoin reserve, were withdrawn from consideration on May 3, marking a setback for state-level crypto initiatives.

Trump Family Crypto Ventures: The Trump-affiliated World Liberty Financial (WLFI) is gaining traction. Its stablecoin, USD1, is being used for a $2 billion investment by Abu Dhabi’s MGX into Binance. The Trump family’s crypto activities, including a $TRUMP meme coin, have sparked Senate backlash, with Democrats raising concerns over conflicts of interest and pushing for stricter stablecoin regulations.

BNB ETF Filing: VanEck has filed for the first U.S. BNB exchange-traded fund, which could stake BNB tokens, signaling growing institutional interest in Binance’s native token.

Crypto Market Trends: Bitcoin remains steady at ~$93,831, while Ethereum (ETH) and XRP are seeing slight declines. Analysts suggest ETH may outperform XRP in May due to stronger technical setups. The broader crypto market cap dipped slightly, with mixed altcoin performance.

Regulatory and Institutional Moves: Morgan Stanley plans to offer crypto trading on its E*Trade platform by 2026. U.S. banks no longer need Federal Reserve notification for crypto activities, a significant regulatory win.

Crypto-Related Crime: French police rescued the father of a crypto entrepreneur kidnapped for ransom, highlighting a rise in crypto-related abductions in France. (Grok)

News

Blockchain News Today

Ethereum Pectra Upgrade: Ethereum’s mainnet is undergoing the Pectra upgrade today, marking its most significant code change since the Merge in 2022. This upgrade includes 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) aimed at enhancing user-friendliness, staking experiences, wallet features, and overall blockchain efficiency. Originally planned for 2024, the upgrade was delayed due to its complexity.

Crypto Market Trends: As of May 6, Bitcoin remains stable at around $93,831, while Ethereum and XRP have seen slight declines. Analysts are watching for potential bigger moves in 2025, with Bitcoin predicted to possibly hit $167,598.22 this year and surpass $900,000 by 2030, driven by increased adoption and whale activity.

Maldives Blockchain Hub: A $9 billion blockchain hub project in the Maldives is gaining attention as a transformative initiative for the region’s crypto ecosystem, highlighting blockchain’s growing global infrastructure.

Tether’s AI Platform: Tether’s CEO, Paolo Ardoino, has unveiled a new AI platform with crypto payment support, building on their December 2024 announcement. This move signals further integration of blockchain with AI technologies.

Regulatory Shifts: Recent U.S. policy changes allow banks to offer Bitcoin and crypto services without Federal Reserve notification, a significant win for crypto adoption. This has sparked bullish sentiment, particularly for Ethereum, which is seen as a hub for stablecoin and onchain services.

Worldcoin’s U.S. Expansion: Sam Altman’s Worldcoin is deploying biometric “orbs” in U.S. cities to streamline crypto wallet security, aiming to make transactions more user-friendly and secure.

News

The US ran a record trade deficit in March. It will be worse in April

In March, the US trade deficit with other countries reached unprecedented levels, driven by a rush to purchase goods ahead of anticipated tariffs. This surge comes amidst the backdrop of the US President’s striking ‘America’s Liberation Day’ tariff announcement, with retaliatory tariffs following in April.

The trade deficit is an important fundamental pressure factor on the dollar, and it promises to become even stronger in April’s data. As a result, we are seeing temporary anomalies in the import numbers, which have been on a tear since December, adding over 27% to March last year.

Exports, on the other hand, are still within the trend of the last three years, adding 6.7% YoY to $278.5bn. Still, it doesn’t quite match the record-breaking $140.5 billion deficit and $419 billion in imports.

These alarming numbers are likely just a preview, with a downturn expected in the coming months—though it will probably be less dramatic. This will give the illusion that tariffs are working. However, it’s more accurate to take a long-term view, factoring in both the unusual spike in imports and the potential drop that may follow. It would not be surprising if the net effect is very controversial. (FxPro)

News

Gold News Today

Gold prices rose to a two-week high on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, driven by post-holiday buying from China and concerns over potential U.S. tariffs on pharmaceutical imports. Spot gold gained over 2%, reaching around $3,317 per ounce, supported by a weaker U.S. dollar and safe-haven demand. Investors are focused on the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting outcome on May 7, as higher interest rates typically reduce the appeal of non-yielding gold. In India, 24-carat gold prices climbed to ?95,740 per 10 grams, while silver saw a slight decline to ?96,900 per kilogram. Geopolitical tensions, including Middle East conflicts, and uncertainty over U.S.-China trade talks continue to bolster gold’s appeal.

Markets and Cryptos

Markets:

April 23, 2025

ASX futures up 103 points/1.3% to 7939
AUD -0.7% at US63.68¢
BTC +4.5% to $US91,358
Dow +2.7%
S&P +2.1%
NAS +2.5%
Gold -1.5% to $US3371.27 an ounce
Oil +1.5% at $US67.22 a barrel
Iron ore -0.7% at $US98.65 a ton

Cryptos Today:

Bitcoin $91,075.31 USD +4.29%
ETH $1,695.23 USD +7.53%
Tether $1.00 USD -0.02%
XRP $2.16 USD +3.57%
BNB $607.70 USD +1.95%
Solana $144.34 USD +5.47%
USD Coin $0.9994 USD -0.08%
Dogecoin $0.1728 USD +9.13%

Profiles

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Cryptocurrency, Fintech, Biz, Metals, Comms and News

Cryptos Today:

BTC-USD. 85279.47. ( +2.25% )
AAPL. 198.15. ( +4.06% )
XRP-USD. 2.16. ( +6.66% )
ETH-USD. 1643.50. ( +4.87% )
SOL-USD. 132.26. ( +8.83% )

News

Crypto and gold are both alternative assets, but they differ significantly:

Crypto (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum):
Pros: Decentralized, high growth potential (Bitcoin up ~100% in past year as of Apr 2025), borderless transactions, tech-driven (blockchain). Some coins like Bitcoin have capped supply, mimicking scarcity.

Cons: Volatile (prices can swing 10-20% daily), regulatory uncertainty, energy-intensive (Bitcoin mining uses ~150 TWh annually), no physical backing, vulnerable to hacks/theft.

Use case: Speculative investment, digital payments, store of value for some.

Gold:
Pros: Stable (less volatility, ~10-15% annual return long-term), tangible, universal acceptance, inflation hedge (retains value over centuries), no counterparty risk.

Cons: Low growth (underperforms stocks/crypto in bull markets), storage costs, no yield (doesn’t generate income), less liquid for small transactions.

Use case: Safe-haven asset, portfolio diversification, jewelry/industrial demand.

Data point: As of Apr 2025, Bitcoin’s market cap ($1.5T) is ~10% of gold’s ($15T). Gold’s price is ~$2,600/oz, up 30% in 2 years; Bitcoin’s ~$75,000, up 150% in same period.

Verdict: Crypto offers higher reward/risk, suits tech-savvy speculators. Gold’s for stability, long-term wealth preservation. Mix depends on risk tolerance—younger investors lean crypto, conservatives prefer gold. (Grok)

News

China Raises Tariffs on U.S. Goods to 125% Amid Trade War

China has announced an increase in tariffs on all U.S. imports from 84% to 125%, effective April 12. This move is seen as a retaliation to the United States' earlier imposition of a 145% tariff on Chinese goods. The escalation marks a significant development in the ongoing trade war between the two nations, with potential implications for global trade dynamics and economic relations. (Grok)

News

ChatGPT Enhances Memory with 'Moonshine' Feature

OpenAI has introduced an update to ChatGPT that enhances its memory capabilities, allowing the AI to reference all past conversations to provide more personalized responses. This feature, known as 'Moonshine', is rolling out to Plus and Pro users globally, except in the EEA, UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. Team, Enterprise, and Edu users will gain access in the coming weeks. Users have the option to opt out of this feature at any time through the settings, maintaining control over their data and privacy. (Grok)

News

Crypto helped by dollar weakness

April 11, 2025

Market Picture

Crypto market capitalisation remained at $2.59 trillion on Friday morning, in line with the previous day's values, despite a dip to $2.50 trillion overnight and a subsequent recovery on Friday morning. This contrasts with the slide in stock indices because a falling dollar supports cryptocurrencies. Like a rising tide, the dollar's decline is lifting other assets.

Sentiment in the crypto market has returned to the extreme fear zone, sending the index to the 25 level.
Bitcoin has been rising since early Friday, climbing above $81.4K, after closing just below $80K on Thursday. However, the first cryptocurrency has yet to confirm a growth reversal. The key area along the way is the $85K level, where the 50-day moving average passes. Its overcoming will be an important confirmation of the bullish sentiment, while fluctuations below it will remain market noise.

XRP and Tron found support this week on the decline to the 200-day moving averages. This small but encouraging signal suggests that market participants are still adhering to a ‘buy on dips’ strategy, believing in the continuation of the bullish trend.

News Background

• A combination of on-chain metrics and technical indicators point to the need for Bitcoin to return above $93K to regain upward momentum, Glassnode noted. The correction has intensified selling by medium-term holdings, but their activity is slowing.

• New Bitcoin sell-offs are possible in the coming weeks, but the bear market is likely to start in September, according to ‘il Capo of Crypto’. The analyst attributes this to the expected process of ‘global economic reset’, which may be accompanied by a major crisis - the first in BTC history.

• The US Senate has approved the nomination of Paul Atkins to the post of SEC chairman. He is expected to focus on developing permanent standards for the regulation of digital assets.

• The SEC authorised the listing and trading of options on spot Ethereum-ETFs from BlackRock, Bitwise and Grayscale. In September, the regulator already gave a similar authorisation for derivatives based on BTC-ETFs.

News

Top 10 Memecoins This Week

Here's a list of the top 10 memecoins trending this week, based on market performance, community engagement, and recent price action as of April 13, 2025. Note that memecoin rankings can shift rapidly due to volatility and hype, so always do your own research before investing:

Dogecoin (DOGE)
Still the king of memecoins, holding strong with a massive community and consistent market cap dominance. Recent price stability keeps it at the top.
Market Cap: ~$1.65T

Shiba Inu (SHIB)
A long-time favorite, SHIB has seen renewed interest with ecosystem updates like Shiba Name Service. Its 300% weekly rally earlier this year lingers in investor memory.
Market Cap: ~$15B

Pepe (PEPE)
The frog meme coin continues to thrive, driven by viral social media buzz and a loyal community. It’s a top pick for speculative traders.
Market Cap: High-ranking, exact figures fluctuate

Official Trump (TRUMP)
Launched in January 2025, this Solana-based coin tied to Donald Trump has exploded due to political hype and exchange listings.
Market Cap: ~$38B

Bonk (BONK)
Solana’s dog-themed memecoin remains a community darling, with integrations across DeFi and NFTs boosting its appeal. Up 2.01% this week.
Market Cap: ~$2.3B

Floki Inu (FLOKI)
Evolving from a meme to a Web3 project with NFT and DeFi utility, Floki stays relevant with strong marketing and Elon Musk ties.
Market Cap: Growing steadily

dogwifhat (WIF)
A Solana-based memecoin with quirky branding, WIF rides the wave of dog-themed coin popularity and DEX trading volume.
Market Cap: Competitive in top 10

Fartcoin (FARTCOIN)
A humorous Solana coin gaining traction for its absurd branding. Up 35% recently, showing the power of meme-driven pumps.
Market Cap: ~$475M at $0.4755

SPX6900 (SPX)
Ethereum-based coin with a “flip the stock market” slogan. Its 8000% surge late last year keeps it in the spotlight.
Market Cap: ~$860M

Pudgy Penguins (PENG)

A newer entrant leveraging NFT community hype, PENG combines cute branding with growing exchange availability.

Market Cap: Rising fast
Notes:

Rankings are based on recent data and sentiment from sources like CoinGecko, CoinMarketCap, and X posts, but exact positions vary by source. Memecoins are highly speculative, and prices can crash as fast as they pump.

I avoided obscure coins like $FRADWARD or $RETARDIA mentioned on X, as they lack verified traction and could be pump-and-dump schemes.

Always check real-time data on exchanges like Binance, Coinbase, or DEXs like PancakeSwap, as memecoin volatility is extreme.

News

Dogecoin wins Media Meme 'Memecoin Of The Month' award

News Flashback

AFP Press Release

March 20, 2025

Australian victims warned over rising cryptocurrency exchange impersonation scams

This is a joint media release between the Australian Federal Police, National Anti-Scam Centre, and Binance Australia

Editor's note: Scam text example image available via Hightail.

Authorities have hit send on a text and email blitz to warn Australian cryptocurrency customers about scammers impersonating a high-profile exchange.

The National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC), in partnership with the AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3), has today (20 March, 2025) reached out to more than 130 potential victims alerting them to the impersonation scam targeting the Binance cryptocurrency exchange.

They were identified through messages found on an end-to-end encryption platform.

In scams similar to what is seen in traditional finance, targets were allegedly contacted via SMS and encrypted messaging platforms by someone claiming to be a Binance representative who said their cryptocurrency accounts had been breached.

The messages allegedly contained fake verification codes and were often 'spoofed', meaning they appeared in a legitimate existing message thread from the well-known cryptocurrency exchange.

A support phone number was also sent, but when the targets called it, they were instructed to protect their accounts by transferring their cryptocurrency to a 'trust wallet', which was controlled by the scammer and allowed the assets to be stolen.

Under Operation Firestorm, a global operation launched in 2024 to address and disrupt offshore organised crime networks deceiving Australians through romance, cryptocurrency and investment scams, the JPC3 identified more than 130 Australian-based victims targeted by the crypto scam through collaboration with foreign law enforcement partners.

AFP Commander Cybercrime Operations Graeme Marshall said once the funds were transferred to an account controlled by scammers, they were generally quickly transferred through a network of wallets and money laundering accounts making seizure or recovery difficult.

"The AFP has worked closely with our partners at the NASC to ensure any victims in Australia targeted by these scammers were identified swiftly and given advice to help protect their cryptocurrency accounts," Commander Marshall said.

"Anyone who received an SMS or email warning from the NASC must take it very seriously.

"If you have already transferred your cryptocurrency to a so-called trust wallet, report it to your bank or digital currency exchange immediately, then to police via ReportCyber quoting the reference number AFP-068."

Australian Competition & Consumer Commission Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said impersonation scams had become common, and it was vital that people verified all communications they received, even where they appeared to come from trusted organisations.

"Impersonation scams rely on people trusting that the text, email or phone call they get is legitimate and scammers go to significant lengths to create the appearance of legitimacy," Ms Lowe said.

"We urge all Australians to contact an organisation directly using official contact details from their website or app to verify any communication they receive."

Binance Chief Security Officer Jimmy Su said protecting their users was Binance's top priority, and education was key in the fight against scams.

"Scammers often impersonate trusted platforms — like Binance and others — by exploiting certain telecom loopholes to manipulate sender names and sender phone numbers to create urgency," Mr Su said.

"To stay safe, always verify communications using Binance Verify — our tool to confirm official Binance channels. Never share sensitive information like your seed phrase or transfer funds under pressure. If in doubt, stop and verify through official sources.

"Binance remains committed to working with law enforcement and the community to combat fraud and enhance user security."

Impersonation scams

An impersonation scam occurs when scammers pretend to be trusted businesses, government agencies, law enforcement, or even friends and family to steal money or personal information.

Warning signs

Unsolicited contact from someone claiming to be from Binance, a well-known cryptocurrency exchange, about an 'account breach'.

Pressure to act quickly due to suspicious activity or security concerns.

Being asked to provide sensitive information, such as your seed phrase or account balance.

Unusual requests to transfer money or make payments to a different account under the guise of securing your funds.

Insisting on secrecy and not discussing the matter with family or friends, claiming the situation is sensitive.

Protect yourself

If you receive a call, email or text claiming to be your Digital Currency Exchange (DCE) provider, use the official contact details on your provider's website to confirm the legitimacy of the request.

Don't click on any links or download attachments from unsolicited messages.

Be extremely wary of urgent requests asking you to act immediately.

Keep your devices secure by ensuring your software is always up to date.

Never provide your personal information, particularly your seed phrase.

What to do if you're a victim

Report it to police quoting the reference number AFP-068.

Report it to Scamwatch to help others avoid similar scams.

Stop all communication with the scammer.

Notify your DCE provider.

If you are concerned your identity has been compromised, contact the national identity and cyber support service, IDCARE.

Situations such as this can be upsetting. If you, or someone you know, needs help, we encourage you to contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. They provide 24/7 support services.

About the JPC3
The JPC3 brings together Australian law enforcement and key industry and international partners to fight cybercrime and prevent harm and financial loss to the Australian community.

We are committed to equipping all Australians with the knowledge and resources to protect themselves against cybercrime.

Watch our cybercrime prevention videos and protect yourself from being a victim of cybercrime.

If there is an immediate threat to life, or risk of harm, call 000.

If you are a victim of cybercrime, report it to police using Report Cyber.

About the National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC)

The National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) is run by the ACCC. The NASC promotes and participates in public and private sector collaboration to make Australia a harder target for scams.

The NASC runs the Scamwatch service (http://scamwatch.gov.au) which receives intelligence from the public and provides information about how to spot and avoid scams.

(Credit: Australian Federal Police)

News

Gold Price

Gold extended its rose above the $3,250 per ounce mark on Friday, a new record, lifted by a weaker US dollar and surging demand for safety following further escalation in the US-China trade war. China lifted its tariffs on the US to 125% as of April 12th and stated it will ignore further US responses after a series of increases in tariffs by the White House topped at 145%. The current measures are due to impact nearly $700 billion of goods exchanged between the world's largest economies every year, paring risk assets tied to global growth and supporting inflows into safety. On the monetary policy front, the Federal Reserve gave no indication that it will intervene in policy to cap the surge in long-dated yields, but further evidence of disinflation in the March CPI report supported the case for rate cuts this year, also supporting bullion assets.

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

"Blockchain is the tech. Bitcoin is merely the first mainstream manifestation of its potential." — Marc Kenigsberg

"Blockchain is the biggest opportunity set we can think of over the next decade or so." — Bob Greifeld

"Blockchain is the most disruptive technology I’ve seen in decades." — William Mougayar

"Blockchain will do for trusted transactions what the internet did for information." — Ginni Rometty

"Blockchain is the future of financial transactions." — Blythe Masters

"Blockchain technology is a way to truly democratize power and wealth." — Laura Shin

"Decentralization is the keyword for blockchain’s value proposition." — Vitalik Buterin

"The great thing about blockchain is that it has the potential to create new industries." — Patrick Byrne

"Blockchain’s transparency makes it the perfect tool for accountability." — Balaji Srinivasan

"Blockchain is the backbone of the internet of value." — Don Tapscott

News

Bitcoin Gaming: News

$GAMES Token Surge: The $GAMES token, touted as the first Bitcoin gaming token on http://Gate.io, spiked 35% as it entered price discovery. It's tied to the "Game of Bitcoin" project, stirring buzz around a potential recovery in crypto gaming markets.

Japanese Developer Enish's Bitcoin Move: Enish, a Japanese game developer, bought 100 million yen (~$670,000) worth of Bitcoin to deepen its blockchain gaming expertise. Their game "De Lithe Last Metsoires" already uses blockchain, aiming to enhance gameplay and business models.

Web3 Gaming Momentum: Projects like Big Time Studios and Star Atlas are gaining traction in Web3 gaming, focusing on player ownership and sustainable economies. Star Atlas emphasizes decentralized governance, letting players shape in-game policies, which could integrate Bitcoin or crypto rewards.

Bitcoin Casino Rankings: New 2025 rankings highlight Bitcoin casinos like Ignition, BitStarz, and mBit for no-KYC, fast payouts, and provably fair games. These platforms support Bitcoin alongside other cryptocurrencies, offering slots, poker, and live dealer options.

Play-to-Earn Growth: Play-to-earn (P2E) games like http://Casino.bet Wheel let players earn Bitcoin without deposits, blending simple gameplay with crypto rewards. These models are drawing attention for accessible crypto gaming.

News

ASX News

ASX Metals & Mining:

BHP Group Limited (ASX:BHP): Showed a decrease of 2.25%.
Fortescue Ltd (ASX:FMG): Currently has a positive percentage change.
Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO): Showed a decrease.
Northern Star Resources Limited (ASX:NST): Has a positive percentage change.

Industrial Metals:
Copper (Comex): Showed a positive change of +18.65.
3Mo Copper (LME): Showed a positive change of +166.50.
3Mo Aluminum (LME): Showed a positive change of +26.50.
3Mo Zinc (LME): Showed a positive change of +10.50.

Precious Metals:
Gold: Prices are fluctuating.
Silver: Prices are fluctuating.
Platinum: Prices are fluctuating.
Palladium: Prices are fluctuating

News

Gold: The price of gold is currently around $5,148.58 per ounce in Australian dollars.

Silver: The price of silver is around $51.52 per ounce in Australian dollars.

Crypto, Markets, Comms, News Media and Politics

April 4, 2025

Crypto did not give up trying to find the bottom

Market Picture

The crypto market cap fell below $2.65 trillion twice during the week. The market was below the $2.60 trillion level in November. The ability to consolidate above it was an important signal for the start of the rally. The market will likely defend this, which promises a prolonged battle near these levels. However, the balance is now on the side of the bears as the capitalisation index is moving away from its 200-day average. This is an important signal for large funds to reduce their investments in the sector.

The Cryptocurrency Sentiment Index spent the entire week in fear territory, ending in extreme fear at 25—the lowest level in three and a half weeks. However, these readings are not low enough to suggest oversold conditions, which should discourage sellers.

Bitcoin jumped to $88K in reaction to the tariff announcement, only to soon fall back below $82K. In the short term, it looked like another wave of selling to the upside. We have been seeing this trend since the second half of February. Technically, this is a continuation of the struggle with the major moving averages. The market is failing to consolidate above the 200-day MA, and the 50-day MA stopped rising intraday on Wednesday. As much as crypto enthusiasts would like it to be otherwise, the bears are in control of the market for now.

News Background

Nansen estimates that the crypto market has a 70% chance of forming a local bottom in the next two months amid global uncertainty over trade tariffs.

GameStop raised $1.5 billion by issuing convertible notes. The proceeds will be used to buy Bitcoin and for corporate purposes. The company's management approved the strategy on 25 March.

According to CryptoQuant, in the first quarter of the year, companies around the world added nearly 91,800 BTC (more than $7.7 billion) to their reserves. Meanwhile, selling by long-term investors and capital outflows from bitcoin ETFs prevented the asset from growing.

JPMorgan noted that March was the worst month for miners. The 14 largest US-listed bitcoin miners lost 25% of their market capitalisation (around $6 billion) last month. (FxPro)

News

Metaplanet Boosts Bitcoin Holdings with ¥2.63 Billion

On April 3, 2025, Japanese public company Metaplanet announced it had raised ¥2.63 billion, approximately $17.8 million USD, to purchase additional Bitcoin. This move increased their Bitcoin holdings to 4,206 BTC, following a recent acquisition of $13.6 million worth of Bitcoin. Metaplanet's actions reflect a continued interest in Bitcoin among institutional investors. (Grok)

News

Block Working on Bitcoin Integration for Square Terminals

Jack Dorsey, CEO of Block, has confirmed that the company is actively working to integrate Bitcoin payments into their Square terminals. This initiative aims to enable approximately 4 million merchants who use Square to accept Bitcoin payments. The development is part of a broader effort to enhance the adoption of Bitcoin in mainstream financial transactions, although no specific timeline for the implementation has been provided. (Grok)

News

Oil plummets the most since 2023

Oil tumbled the most since 2023 after suffering a twin hit from President Donald Trump’s tariffs and an OPEC+ decision to increase output faster than previously announced.West Texas Intermediate futures plunged as much as 7.4 per cent to trade below $US67 a barrel, while global benchmark Brent plummeted as much as 6.9 per cent to slip below $US70.Trump’s deluge of tariffs is creating fresh doubts about the outlook for the global economy, with levies against major crude importers such as China and India coming in more aggressive than feared. Although the administration steered away from actions that would directly affect oil markets — such as refraining from measures that would curb flows from Canada and Mexico — concerns that the trade war will sap global energy demand hammered prices.

News

Australia

PM, Dutton vow to reason with Trump

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday that President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 10 per cent tariff on Australian imports is "unwarranted", while Opposition leader Peter Dutton claimed that the "outcome would have been different" if he had been PM. Both Albanese and Dutton said they plan to visit the US if they win the 3 May election to try to persuade Trump to reverse his decision. However, both leaders ruled out negotiating on issues such as Australia's biosecurity ban on US beef and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which have been cited by the US as being grievances against Australia. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

The tiny Australian islands no one expected to draw Trump's fury

Located around 4,000 kilometres south-west of Perth and home to Australia's only two active volcanoes, Heard and McDonald islands are an Australian external territory with no record of any exports to anywhere. However, they have been hit with 10 per cent tariffs as part of US President Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariff impost, while Australian officials were very surprised that he hit Australia's external territory of Norfolk Island with a 29 per cent tariff. It officially recorded $411,000 in leather shoe exports in 2023, but a government official said it has no known exports to the US, and no tariffs or known non-tariff barriers on goods coming to Norfolk Island.

News

Manufacturing ISM: inflation up, activity down

Tuesday's ISM Manufacturing Indicator confirmed a worrying divergence in the US economy: economic activity is down, and inflation is rising. Often, the latter follows the former, but not now. A prolonged period of such dynamics is called stagflation, and it forces the Fed to make difficult choices in its dual mandate.

The ISM manufacturing business activity index fell from 50.3 to 49 last month. Strictly speaking, this is contractionary territory for the sector's activity, but due to the greater resilience of the service sector, historically, US GDP has declined when the indicator falls below 42.3.

The price component climbed to 69.4, recording its highest value since mid-2022. Unlike the episode three years ago, this has nothing to do with the economy overheating. We recall that the University of Michigan previously noted a sharp jump in consumer inflation expectations, both one year and five years ahead. If we focus only on these indicators, the central bank should have prepared to raise the rate or actually hike it.

But at the same time, business activity and consumer sentiment are creeping down. Tuesday's data marked the employment component falling deeper into the below-50 area. The rate has been below that level for 16 of the last 18 months. This is a very worrisome signal for industrial production and is alarming relative to Friday's labour market data. In addition, the components of production and new orders have been in contractionary territory and inventories are rising. These are all signs of weakening demand. This set of components suggests the need for a rate cut.

Which side will the Fed choose? We are more accustomed to a relatively lenient Fed, which carries risks for the dollar. If the news continues in a similar vein, the USD may return to decline after stabilising and rebounding in the second half of March. This scenario will be technically confirmed if DXY slides below the previous lows at 102.8 with a near-term downside potential of 99-100. (FxPro)

News

Australia

Albanese vows to defend media bargaining code

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the federal government stands by the nation's news media bargaining code, which was introduced by the Coalition in 2021. The media code was among a list of trade grievances with Australia that US President Donald Trump recently identified. Albanese also emphasised that local content quotas for US-based streaming services and social media age restrictions will also be non-negotiable in any talks with the US over Trump's reciprocal tariffs. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Australia

Netflix rival Max rolls out in Australia with bold profit prediction

The global boss of Australia’s newest streaming service, Max, has declared the platform will turn a profit within two or three years and will not rule out making local acquisitions where it makes sense.

Jean-Briac “JB” Perrette, who is the international chief executive of streaming for Warner Bros Discovery, the company that owns Max, Warner Bros, HBO, CNN, the DC Comic universe, Harry Potter and dozens more brands and channels, was visiting Sydney to launch Max, which went live in Australia on Monday.

The arrival of Max has already shaken up the local media market. It ended a 20-year output deal with Foxtel that meant HBO shows such as Game of Thrones, Succession and The Wire were pulled from Foxtel’s streaming service, Binge.

It also enters a crowded streaming market that is dominated by Netflix (6.2 million subscribers), Amazon Prime Video (4.8 million) and Disney+ (3.1 million), according to independent research firm Telsyte.

The cheapest, advertising-supported tier of Max, formerly known as HBO Max, will be free to Foxtel’s 1.4 million cable customers. Research firm Ampere Analysis estimated roughly half of Foxtel’s customers would subscribe. (AFR). Full article and coverag via subscription to The Australian Financial Review

News

Elon Musk to Remain Advisor Post-DOGE Initiative

Elon Musk will continue to serve as an advisor to President Trump and Vice President JD Vance after completing his initial six-month term with the DOGE initiative. His role has focused on improving government efficiency and addressing issues such as fraudulent grants and Social Security payments. Despite earlier reports suggesting his departure, Vice President Vance has confirmed that Musk's advisory role will persist beyond his current position. (Grok)

News

Newsmax Rings NYSE Bell for IPO Milestone

On April 3, 2025, Newsmax celebrated its initial public offering by ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. The event was attended by Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, along with various team members and guests, including Rudy Giuliani. The IPO marks a significant milestone for the media company as it goes public under the ticker symbol $NMAX.

News

Markets

Australian Dollar: $0.6316 USD (up $0.0026 USD)
Iron Ore May Spot Price (SGX): $101.25 USD (down $1.75 USD)
Oil Price (WTI): $66.74 USD (down $5.40 USD)
Gold Price: $3,108.12 USD (down $14.19 USD)
Copper Price (CME): $4.8135 USD (down $0.2785 USD)
Bitcoin: $81,965.73 USD (down 4.82% in last 24 hours)
Dow Jones: 40,545.93 (down 1,679.39 points)

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

"Blockchain is the tech. Bitcoin is merely the first mainstream manifestation of its potential." — Marc Kenigsberg

"Blockchain is the biggest opportunity set we can think of over the next decade or so." — Bob Greifeld

"Blockchain is the most disruptive technology I’ve seen in decades." — William Mougayar

"Blockchain will do for trusted transactions what the internet did for information." — Ginni Rometty

"Blockchain is the future of financial transactions." — Blythe Masters

"Blockchain technology is a way to truly democratize power and wealth." — Laura Shin

"Decentralization is the keyword for blockchain’s value proposition." — Vitalik Buterin

"The great thing about blockchain is that it has the potential to create new industries." — Patrick Byrne

"Blockchain’s transparency makes it the perfect tool for accountability." — Balaji Srinivasan

"Blockchain is the backbone of the internet of value." — Don Tapscott

News

Cryptos Today

BTC. $82,012.32. 4.29%
ETH. $1,784.70. 5.06.
USDT. $0.9995. 0.05%
XRP. $2.0595. 3.19%
BNB. $587.96. 2.41%
USDC. $0.9999. 0.00%
SOL. $115.55. 9.90%
DOGE. $0.1588. 7.69%

News

X wins Media Man 'Platform Of The Month' award

Crypto, Fintech, Markets, News and Politics via Media Man

March 12/13, 2025

The crypto bounces back from extreme fear

Market picture

The cryptocurrency market bounced 2% in the last 24 hours to $2.67 trillion. So far, the situation looks like a small rebound after the collapse. We should not talk about the beginning of recovery as long as the market is below its 200-day moving average of $2.83 trillion.

Sentiment in the crypto market has shifted from dread to fear at 34. The indicator was last higher more than three weeks ago, indicating that now is a good time to buy. However, it's worth paying attention to the nervous stock market before considering investments in more volatile cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin was climbing above $83,000 on Tuesday, hitting resistance in the form of the 200-day moving average. If a long-term trend line is repurposed as resistance, that's a worrisome bearish fact.

Ethereum ended Tuesday with growth and was trading near $1900 at the start of Wednesday, but this is a timid rebound within the steep peak the coin has been in since February 24th and the broader downtrend of the past three months.

News Background

CryptoQuant states a sharp drop in open interest in Bitcoin and Ethereum futures, suggesting a ‘leverage washout’ and a chance of market stabilisation. The Kobeissi Letter admits a wave of short position unwinding in risk assets after extreme fear levels are reached.

Clearstream, the post-trading arm of Deutsche Börse, will offer cryptocurrency settlement and custody services to institutional clients as early as next month, starting with Bitcoin and Ethereum. It then plans to add support for other cryptocurrencies and services for staking, lending and brokerage.

Glassnode notes that Solana fell below its realised price of $134 for the first time in three years. The metrics show the average cost for investors to purchase the coin.

According to Arkham Intelligence, on 11 March, bankrupt exchange Mt. Gox transferred 11,501 BTC (~$905 million) to an unknown address. Mt. Gox-related addresses hold a total of 35,915 BTC worth $2.89bn. (FxPro)

News

SEC vs Ripple Case: Negotiations Underway for Settlement

Recent developments indicate that the legal dispute between Ripple Labs and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) could be nearing a conclusion. Reports suggest that Ripple's legal team is currently negotiating more favorable terms related to a $125 million fine and an injunction on XRP sales to institutional investors. The anticipation of a settlement has led to increased interest and speculation within the cryptocurrency community regarding the outcome and its potential impact on XRP. (Grok)

News

U.S. Plans Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Acquisition

Senator Cynthia Lummis has reintroduced the BITCOIN Act, which proposes that the United States government purchase one million Bitcoins over five years to create a strategic reserve. This legislative move reflects a growing acknowledgment of Bitcoin as a digital asset for national economic strategy, garnering support from both traditional financial sectors and cryptocurrency advocates. Alongside this, there is an ongoing debate about the implications, risks, and potential benefits of such a reserve. (Grok)

News

Trump's Crypto Banking Deregulation

President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to sign an executive order that would reverse regulations set by the Biden administration aimed at restricting banking activities for cryptocurrency firms. This move could impact how crypto companies interact with the Federal Reserve, potentially leading to greater integration of cryptocurrencies within the traditional financial system. (Grok)

News

Rumble's Strategic Bitcoin Acquisition

Rumble, a video platform and competitor to YouTube, has announced the purchase of 188 Bitcoins for approximately $17.1 million. This acquisition is part of Rumble's strategy to integrate Bitcoin into its treasury management, aiming to hedge against inflation and participate in the growing trend of corporate cryptocurrency adoption. The move reflects a broader acceptance of Bitcoin as a legitimate financial asset among companies. (Grok)

News

Trump Predicts Market Surge Amid Economic Indicators

President Trump has publicly stated his belief that the U.S. financial markets are poised for significant growth, making his comments at an event with business leaders. This optimistic forecast follows recent economic indicators showing inflation cooling to levels not seen in years, despite mixed responses from markets regarding Trump's economic policies including tariffs. (Grok)

News

Ethereum's Lowest BTC Ratio Since 2020 Triggers Liquidation Risk

The Ethereum Foundation faces potential liquidation of over $100 million in assets if Ethereum's price drops to $1,100, amidst a historic low in the ETH/BTC trading ratio not seen since May 2020. This financial maneuver is part of Ethereum's strategy to manage its treasury through decentralized finance (DeFi), highlighting both the risks and innovative approaches to crypto-asset management in a volatile market. (Grok)

News

Gold funds burst out of the blocks in 2025 as returns rocket

Australian gold funds are shaping up for a bumper year as mining companies start to capitalise on record prices, helping the stocks to finally catch up to the performance of the precious metal.

Portfolio managers were left frustrated last year after a jump in production costs held back ASX-listed gold producers from riding the rally in the spot prices to record levels. The VanEck Gold Miners exchange-traded fund climbed nearly 20 per cent in 2024 versus a 38 per cent rally for the gold price in Australian dollars.

But easing cost inflation that has plagued the mining sector for the last three years and an ongoing surge in prices has seen the trend reverse course. VanEck’s Gold Miners ETF is up 17 per cent already this year while the Aussie dollar spot price has climbed 6.3 per cent.

Local fund managers are bullish that gold has much further to run after the US dollar price climbed above $US2942 an ounce for the first time and the Australian dollar gold price breached $4500 an ounce.

Victor Smorgon Partners’ Resource Gold Fund returned a chunky 13.3 per cent in January and portfolio manager Cameron Judd believes the valuations of ASX gold stocks still don’t reflect the outlook for the yellow metal.

“Gold’s performance in times of uncertainty or crisis could see it push towards $US3600,” Mr Judd said. “Despite the strong gold price performance and fundamentals supporting further appreciation, gold miners are trading at discounted valuations on the ASX.”

Wall Street’s biggest banks believe a $US3000 price tag is imminent. Citi said it was possible within the next three months, while JPMorgan has a year-end target of $US3150. Bank of America said on Thursday that gold could reach $US3500 an ounce if investment demand rises 10 per cent this year.

The unprecedented surge in the gold price has been fuelled by investors seeking safe haven assets as US President Donald Trump unleashes aggressive trade and geopolitical policies. There are fears the president will accelerate inflation, forcing central banks to raise rates in a way that damages global growth.

Victor Smorgon’s top holdings include ASX-listed Vault Minerals and the world’s largest gold miner, US-based Newmont, which recently acquired Newcrest. The fund also owns Australia’s biggest gold miner Northern Star, which agreed to buy rival De Grey in a $5 billion deal. (AFR) *Full article and coverag via subscription to The Australian Financial Review.

News

Australia

Northern Star paying top dollar for gold rival

Northern Star has offered $5 billion to buy De Grey Mining, with De Grey shareholders to vote on the offer on 16 April. De Grey is the company behind the Hemi gold prospect in Western Australia, which is thought to hold at least 11 million ounces of gold and which is slated to produce 530,000 ounces annually in its first decade of operation. KPMG, which was engaged to provide an independent assessment of Northern Star's offer, has valued DeGrey at between $4 billion and $4.79 billion, inclusive of a premium for control. It concludes that the offer is "fair and reasonable and therefore is in the best interests of De Grey shareholders, in the absence of a superior proposal". (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

March 12, 2025

Crypto market tumbles after stocks

Market picture

Crypto market capitalisation has been falling to $2.5 trillion following the rumbling fall of the US stock market. It is dipping below the peaks of early 2024 and late 2021. Previously, a similar decline would complete a corrective pullback, attracting buyers. However, the chances of such an outcome are now lower than in previous years due to the powerful influence of traditional financial companies, which has strengthened the link between the crypto market and stock dynamics.

For now, though, we can argue that there is less terror in crypto. The Fear and Greed Index is at 24 (+4 points for the day), while the low point was a week earlier at 10.

Bitcoin slipped towards $76.5K in the early hours of Tuesday but has popped above $80K at the time of writing, approaching Monday’s consolidation levels. A bearish pattern persists on the daily timeframes, which suggests a strengthening sell-off after a failure under the 200-day moving average. The scenario of a pullback to the $70-74K area still looks the most probable for us. This is all the truer as the consolidation and rebound in early March has taken the short-term oversold stance out of the market.

Ethereum is trying to find a pivot point after falling towards $1750 at the start of Tuesday. These were the lowest values in the last 17 months. On weekly timeframes, the RSI oscillator hit its lowest point since mid-2022 - near the bottom of the bear market. Does this signify an opportunity for the recklessly bold or a breakdown in the leading altcoin? We will find out in the coming days.

News Background

According to CoinShares, global crypto fund investments fell by $876 million last week after record outflows of $2.911 billion a week earlier. Investments in Bitcoin fell by $756 million; in Ethereum, by $89 million. Investments in Solana rose by $16 million, in XRP by $6 million, and in Sui by $3 million.

As a result of another recalculation, Bitcoin mining difficulty increased by 1.43% to 112.15T. The growth did not compensate for a 3.15% drop two weeks ago. However, the figure came close to the all-time high of 114.17T reached in January.

Strategy (former MicroStrategy) intends to raise $21bn through the sale of preferred shares as part of its At-The-Market program. The proceeds will be used to buy Bitcoin and other corporate purposes. (FxPro)

News

March 11, 2025

US Senator And Congressman Introduce Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Bills To Buy One Million BTC

Speaking at the “Bitcoin for America” summit, lawmakers announced their plans to create a federal bitcoin reserve that would see the U.S. buy one million BTC.

Today at the Bitcoin Policy Institute’s “Bitcoin for America” summit in Washington DC, U.S. Senator from Wyoming Cynthia Lummis announced that she is going to reintroduce her strategic Bitcoin reserve legislation in the Senate today.

“I am so pleased to announce that today I will be reintroducing The Bitcoin Act,” Senator Lummis stated. “And I’ll be joined here shortly by Senator Justice of West Virginia, who is one of the cosponsors. And we have several other additional cosponsors. And a lot of it is a result of the excitement that’s been building.” (Bitcoin Magazine). *Full article via Bitcoin Magazine

News

XRP wins Media Man 'Crypto Of The Month' award

News

Markets

Australian Dollar: $0.6317 USD (up $0.0020 USD)
Iron Ore Apr Spot Price (SGX): $100.60 USD (up $0.15 USD)
Oil (WTI): $67.70 USD (up $1.14 USD)
Gold: $2,931.74 USD (up $13.03 USD)
Copper (CME): $4.8425 USD (up $0.0500 USD)
Bitcoin: $82,880.91USD (up 0.32% in last 24 hours)
Dow Jones: 41,350.93 (down 82.55 points)

News

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Company Of The Month' award

News Media

Australia

Peter Dutton More Crypto Friendly And Switched On Than Albanese (Media Man Group)

News

"Dutton A Genuine Contender" (Sky News Australia)

March 10, 2025

ASX futures are pointing up 69 points, or by 0.9 per cent, to 8011.

All US prices are as of 4.15pm Sunday in New York:

Bitcoin -3.7% to $US83,138
On Wall St: Dow +0.5% S&P +0.6% Nasdaq +0.7%
VIX -1.5 to 23.37
Gold -0.1% to $US2909.10 an ounce
Brent oil +1.3% to $US70.36 a barrel
Iron ore +0.3% to $US100.70 a tonne
10-year yield: US 4.3% Australia 4.4%

January 10, 2025

ASX futures up 33 points or 0.4%

AUD -0.3% to 61.98 US cents
UK pound -0.4% to $US1.2309
Bitcoin -2.9% to $US91,275 at 7.23am AEDT
US markets closed for Jimmy Carter’s funeral
Stoxx 50 +0.4% FTSE +0.8% DAX -0.1% CAC +0.5%
Spot gold +0.3% to $US2671.00/oz at 1.55pm in New York
Brent crude +1.2% to $US77.08 a barrel
Iron ore +1% to $US97.40 a tonne
10-year yield: US 4.69% Australia 4.48% Germany 2.56%
US prices as of 1.59pm in New York

Donald Trump to Headline Bitcoin 2024 Conference in Nashville

July 11, 2024

Former President Donald Trump has been confirmed as a keynote speaker at the upcoming Bitcoin 2024 conference set to take place in Nashville, Tennessee.

This news comes as a significant development for the event, known for its major industry announcements and influential speakers. The conference, which has previously been hosted in Miami, has established itself as a platform for groundbreaking news within the cryptocurrency space.

Bitcoin 2021, the inaugural conference, made headlines when El Salvador officially declared Bitcoin as legal tender. The subsequent Bitcoin 2022 and Bitcoin 2023 conferences continued the trend of notable moments, including a powerful speech by U.S. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in support of the Bitcoin industry.

This year, the shift of the conference location from Miami to Nashville signifies its increasing prominence on the global stage. With two former U.S. Presidential candidates, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump, slated to speak, Bitcoin 2024 is anticipated to be a pivotal event that could potentially impact the future trajectory of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency policies in the United States.

Donald Trump’s participation in the conference is especially noteworthy considering his recent engagements with the Bitcoin community. Earlier this year, Trump met with prominent U.S. Bitcoin miners, including representatives from CleanSpark, where he reiterated his support for Bitcoin mining both domestically and internationally. In a statement, Trump pledged to prioritize the development of Bitcoin and crypto initiatives in the United States and safeguard the rights of the nation’s 50 million crypto holders if re-elected as president.

As Trump embarks on his presidential campaign, his alignment with the Bitcoin industry stands in contrast to the position of his potential rival, President Joe Biden, who has shown less enthusiasm towards the cryptocurrency sector. While Biden’s participation in Bitcoin 2024 remains unconfirmed, the event could underscore the divergent approaches of the two candidates towards Bitcoin and its implications for U.S. policies.

For additional details on the Bitcoin 2024 conference and to secure a discounted ticket using a promotional code, interested individuals can visit the official event website. Bitcoin Magazine, a subsidiary of BTC Inc, the organizer of the largest Bitcoin conference, The Bitcoin Conference, will be overseeing the event.

Websites

Bitcoin 2024
https://b.tc/conference/2024

Bitcoin Magazine
https://bitcoinmagazine.com

Cryptocurrency News via FxPro and Media Man

March 18, 2024

Crypto market deepens correction

Market picture

The crypto market lost 6% in 24 hours to $2.42 trillion. Solana reversed Tuesday's decline, losing 9% in 24 hours - the last of the major altcoins to fall into a correction.

Bitcoin is down 5% after falling to $64.4K. That's its lowest level in two weeks and 13.5% below its high. A close below $65.5K would signal a move to a deeper level – the classic 61.8% retracement of the rally with a potential target near $60K.

Solana had been above $210, reaching highs not seen since late 2021 before following the general corrective mood of the markets. A classic retracement pattern suggests a downside potential of $168. However, if this level is approached, one needs to look at bitcoin sentiment and global risk appetite to understand whether this support will be strong enough.

Ethereum is under selling pressure and has already pulled back to $3300, erasing all gains since early March. Having fallen below the 61.8% retracement of the rise from the January lows, ETHUSD can only hope for support in the form of the 50-day average ($3080) and $3000 (previous consolidation, plus the round level).

News background

According to CoinShares, crypto fund investments rose by a record $2.916B last week, surpassing the previous record set the week before ($2.685B) and continuing significant inflows for the seventh consecutive week. Bitcoin investments increased by $2.896B; Ethereum decreased by $14M, and Solana decreased by $2.7M. Investments in funds that allow shorting Bitcoin increased by $26M.

Bitcoin is in a bullish phase of a cycle like December 2020-January 2021. The current correction is "healthy" and removes some of the leverage in the system, said http://Crypto.com CEO Chris Marszalek.

Rekt Capital warned of a "danger zone" ahead of the upcoming halving in April. Historically, bitcoin has fallen weeks before the event. The depth of the correction was 20% in 2020 and 40% in 2016.

According to new data from Bitcointreasuries, 93.6% of total bitcoins (19,656,760 BTC) have already been mined as of mid-March 2024. Miners have only 1.34 million BTC left to mine, significantly limiting the future supply of the asset.

Ethereum issuance fell to its lowest level since August 2022 following the activation of the crucial Dencun update on 13 March, CryptoQuant noted. According to The Block, the ETH network has reached annual highs in the number of active and new addresses, daily transactions, and transaction volume.

The buzz around meme coins has boosted the token rate of the networks on which they are issued. The Solana (SOL) and Avalanche (AVAX) cryptocurrencies updated local highs. In pre-selling, users send network tokens to a wallet address in exchange for a corresponding number of coins when the meme token is launched. Solana has once again become the trendiest crypto asset among traders, with new Meme tokens appearing almost every minute, according to ContentFi Labs.

(Source: FxPro) with Media Man and Bitcoin News Media

Casino News - July 2023

Online Casino Gambling in NJ Nears $1 Billion in 2023

Online Casino Gambling in NJ Nears $1 Billion in 2023 (July 14, 2023)
Online casinos in New Jersey are way ahead of last year's record-setting pace with data released on Friday by the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement showing the activity generated $149.3 million in revenue in June, an increase of 12.1 percent year-over-year for this month.

Online casinos netted more than $930 million in revenue, which represents a 12.1 percent year-over-year clip growth compared to 2022.

June’s numbers are coming in below May’s $161.4 million. Casino gambling to some extent will likely come down with fewer people betting sports during the last spring and summer months.

The DraftKings-owned Golden Nugget has reclaimed the top spot for all NJ online casinos, knocking off Borgata, which is part of the BetMGM group of casinos.

Golden Nugget took in over $41.7 million.

Half of the Recent 850 Referred Gambling Addicts at One Clinic Are Children (July 14, 2023)
More than 850 people have been referred to a clinic for video game addicts since it opened in 2020 and half of those were children, according to a report appearing in the Guardian on Friday.

The National Centre for Gaming Disorders (NCGD), a London clinic, was originally given NHS funding based on seeing just 50 people a year. That nunber, however, ballooned to 30 people a month since the end of March this year – more than seven times anticipated demand.

Loot boxes were among the chief culprits and accounted for about a quarter of those seeking treatment. These comprise of gambling-style features offering randomised rewards.

Almost 12% of patients who played video games compulsively referred to playing Fortnite, with 10% citing Minecraft, 8% mentioning Call of Duty and 4.7% using the gaming platform Roblox.

Of the 855 referrals, 408 were gamers, of whom 227 were under 18.

Maine's Head of Sports Betting Claims White Supremacist Sympathizing Tweets 'Meant to Be Humerous' (July 12, 2023)

Maine's top gambling law officer, Milt Champion, returns to work on Monday after serving a 40-hour suspension. He was also expected to undergo in-person state training on workplace harassment and social media policies.

This all stemmed from a series of tweets back in May deemed to contain racist and misogynistic subject matter.

"While the two tweets were intended to be humorous, I recognize they were anything but. They were a mistake and an error in judgment, and I apologize for my actions," Champion said in the release. "I thank the employees of the Unit for their hard work and commitment in my absence."

On May 6, Champion expressed frustration about being told “ladies” was an unprofessional term for females, and suggested “Bitches” would be more appropriate.

Sure that could be viewed by some perhaps as a bad attempt at humor.

But as Gambling911.com also noted at the time, Champion somehow felt compelled to defend a tweet by Brian Krassenstein describing the Patriot Front as a "hate group in the United States that espouses white nationalism and neo-fascist ideologies".

Kentucky Sports Betting to Go Live September 7 (July 10, 2023)

Steve Bittenbender breaks things down following today's meeting in Kentucky regarding the upcoming launch of regulated sports betting in the commonwealth.

"Monday was really just a checkpoint for Kentucky officials responsible for rolling out sports betting statewide. They still have 59 more days of work ahead of them and that's just to get brick/mortar sportsbooks up and running and 80 to get online apps live."

He had a few key takeaways:

1. Tracks and operators will be able to start applying for sports betting licenses in Kentucky as soon as tomorrow (July 11, 2023).

2. The Sept. 7 brick/mortar launch date appears to be universal, according to the KHRC, if the tracks are ready.

3. The KHRC also tells me that tracks could theoretically have one brick/mortar operator at their track and another at their HHR satellite parlor. Remains to be seen how many (if any) may take advantage of that.

As many as 27 licensees could have the ability to operate in Kentucky apparently. It's not likely we'll get anywhere close to that number.

Unibet Vows Fixes Following Gambling911 Scathing Reports (July 10, 2023)

Unibet appears to have finally recognized it can't keep allowing its website and retail sportsbook business in Pennsylvania to keep going down and making as if nothing is wrong.

The company advised its PA customers over the weekend that "site improvements are on the way".

It's about time.

Unibet has already switched over to proprietary software in neighboring New Jersey.

Our own Thomas Somach had highlighted how folks were unable to place bets with the Unibet mobile app over extended periods of time in the state. The walk-in book at The Downs at Mohegan Sun in the Lehigh Valley, which is run by Unibet, also was shuttered during this time.

The company appeared to be more concerned about customer cleanliness than they were about keeping their website and sportsbook operational.

Somach also reported on how the company’s facility at the Downs at Lehigh Valley had erected signs warning customers that if they don’t get the smell out, they can get the hell out.

Man Charged With Riding Motorcycle Through Vegas Casino (July 6, 2023)
A motorcyclist is facing numerous charges after doing wheelies along Las Vegas Boulevard and riding through a casino, and on stairs and escalators.

Las Vegas Metropolitan police posted the arrest on one of the department’s social media accounts. It said R.A.I.D. officers took the man they referred to as the “reckless rider” into custody.

The rider is yet to be identified. He was wearing a shirt that read “Till the (expletive) wheels fall off.”

“The rider thought he would never get caught,” the police post stated.

He is facing the following charges:

3 felony counts of driver disobeying police officer, endangering person or property

4 gross misdemeanor counts of disregard for the safety of person or property

4 misdemeanor counts of reckless driving

1 felony count of assault with a deadly weapon

1 felony count of child abuse and/or neglect

1 felony count of coercion with force or threat of force

Pro Sports Care More About Gambling Than Violence Against Women and Racism (July 6, 2023)

Deadspin's Carron J. Phillips writes that "if you’re talented or rich enough, it’s becoming clear what will and won’t be forgiven in sports."

Gambling on games or in team facilities will not.

"Greg Hardy got to play football again. Antonio Brown keeps hanging around. Donald Sterling and Robert Sarver made millions after selling their teams," Phillips writes.

He points out that the Titans Hassan Haskins was arrested last month for allegedly strangling his girlfriend.

"Society didn't blink," he writes.

Wouldn’t it be great if sports took racism and violence against women this seriously from the jump? Imagine where we would be if that happened.

But, for something like that to occur it would mean that society, let alone sports, would have to take a stand against both transgressions — and we know that’s a pipedream.

Now, it seems like the rest of the sports world is following the NFL’s lead — as it often does. And once you realize that the NFL is usually a mirror of society, it becomes quite clear why racism and violence against women are easily forgiven while “gambling” is a blasphemous offense.

Last week, the NFL suspended indefinitely more players for violating the league's gambling policy. They included Isaiah Rodgers, Rashod Berry, and Demetrius Taylor.

“The gambling policy, which is annually reviewed with all NFL personnel, including players, prohibits anyone in the NFL from engaging in any form of gambling in any club or league facility or venue, including the practice facility,” read the NFL’s statement after the latest round of suspensions.

Phillips does note that the New York Yankees suspended relief pitcher Jimmy Cordero on Wednesday for the rest of the season for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.

ASA Bans Jake Paul Ladbrokes Tweet (July 5 2023)
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has determined that a Ladbrokes tweet violated its terms and conditions.

They claim that boxer and YouTube influencer Jake Paul was featured in the tweet and that his appeal is too geared towards minors. It's not immediately clear now many of his more than 20 million subscribers are actually teenagers. Paul does appeal to adults as well, thanks in no small part to his boxing skills.

Of course the irony in all of this is that Jake Paul now has an ownership interest in a sportsbook, Betr.

The tweet in question appeared back in February.

"@TommyTNTFury beat @JakePaul by split decision last night. So, we've got to ask the question… What's next for Jake Paul? Vote here now."

At the bottom of the tweet, the gambling company also linked to a poll with the options: "Win the re-match", "Head to the MMA", "Return to YouTube" and "Join the WWE".

it's not immediately clear what fine, if any, will be imposed.

Churchill Downs Extends Baffert Ban Through 2024 (July 3, 2023)

Churchill Downs Inc. has decided to extend Bob Baffert's two-year suspension for at least another 18 months, per a release. That would keep the Hall of Fame trainer from running horses in next year's 150th running of the Kentucky Derby.

“Mr. Baffert continues to peddle a false narrative concerning the failed drug test of Medina Spirit at the 147th Kentucky Derby from which his horse was disqualified by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission in accordance with Kentucky law and regulations," Churchill Downs said in a statement. "Prior to that race, Mr. Baffert signed an agreement with Churchill Downs which stated that he was responsible for understanding the rules of racing in Kentucky and that he would abide by them. The results of the tests clearly show that he did not comply, and his ongoing conduct reveals his continued disregard for the rules and regulations that ensure horse and jockey safety, as well as the integrity and fairness of the races conducted at our facilities.

"A trainer who is unwilling to accept responsibility for multiple drug test failures in our highest-profile races cannot be trusted to avoid future misconduct. Mr. Baffert will remain suspended from entering horses at all racetracks owned by CDI through 2024. After such time, we will re-evaluate his status.”

Ohio Will Reportedly Double its Tax Rate on Sports Betting (July 2, 2023)
Mobile gambling analyst Steve Brubaker tweeted this weekend:

"Lots of chatter about Ohio doubling the tax rate on the already nearly destitute OSBs. Boo hoo. Don’t forget that this same industry marched all over the country telling legislators that the hold was only 5% and to keep taxes and fees low. Hold rate is now 8% and climbing. 60% (up arrow)."

His tweet comes after that state's House and Senate reached an agreement on a budget for the state and that budget with the budget conference committee agreeing on a version doubling the current tax rate of 10% on sports betting to 20%.

Jessica Wellman had this to offer:

Alex Cane, CEO of Sports Trade responded:

"Horrible precedent. What other businesses in Ohio are taxed by revenue, much less *over 1,000% of revenue*?"

These costs will almost certainly be passed onto gamblers in the form of less competitive lines and bonus offerings.

West Virginia House Minority Whip Foresees Sports Betting Content Creator Oversight Bill Passing in Next Session (July 2, 2023)

West Virginia House minority whip Shawn Fluharty foresees the sports betting content creator oversight bill passing in the next session.

This is proposed regulation that applies to content creators in the industry. Such concerns were in the spotlight over the past week after it was revealed that an NBA insider, Shams Charania, forced a line change based on his wrongful information while employed by a sportsbook.

Maryland already requires disclosure and independent evaluation of influencers and media partners by its regulated sportsbooks.

Fluharty tells Legal Sports Report this is bigger than the Shams controversy.

“I’m not saying FanDuel had any unclean hands here. But if they wanted to, they certainly could. That’s because there is no regulatory boundary in place,” Fluharty told LSR on Monday. “… This is kind of the forecast of what’s next in the regulatory and legislative realm. And it shines a light on something we’ve been talking about for months. You just needed a clear example, and this is a clear example.

“I think really what the Shams thing did was it blurred the lines of influencer and reporter,” Fluharty said. “ … It used to be, in Las Vegas, the public drove the lines. Now, the sportsbooks are driving the lines 100%. They have the ability to do that now. Because they can influence the public using their own people.”

Casino Theft Cage Scheme Involves at Least 3 Properties, Mexican Phone Numbers (June 30, 2023)
A scheme to dupe casino employees into thinking they were transferring money from cages to a legitimate business involves at least three casinos and Mexican phone numbers, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned.

Documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained Friday reveal the allegations involve thefts at Circa Hotel & Casino, Eureka Casino Resort in Mesquite and the Golden Nugget in Laughlin — as well as federal investigators, including the U.S. Secret Service.

SpankOdds Free Indefinitely (June 29, 2023)

SpankOdds to be Free for All Eternity - Well, at least indefinitely. At some point the nearly one-year-old line service is likely to begin charging, but its founder, Gadoon “Spanky” Kryollos, announced via Twitter there will be no charge entering this football season (2023) at least.

SpankOdds is one of the few line services incorporating US regulated books and those out of Vegas along side offshore mainstays.

The platform bills itself as "a real-time odds monitoring and injury alerting software that gives sports bettors an advantage".

CBS Sports: Isaiah Rodgers Among Those to be Suspended for Violating League Gambling Rules (June 29, 2023)
Colts veteran Isaiah Rodgers is one of several NFL players facing full-season 2023 suspensions as part of the league's latest investigation into gambling allegations, according to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones - Read More
Kim Zolciak’s Estranged Husband Has His Own Issues Amid Controversial Claims (June 29, 2023)
Kroy Biermann claims he and Zolciak's financial debts are because of her gambling problem, but he has his own personal gambling bills to worry about. Zolciak appeared on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Biermann, she claims, owes the Baha Mar Casino in the Bahamas $52K in unpaid gambling debts. The casino filed suit and the complaint has since been obtained by TMZ. According to the suit, Kroy obtained a $100,000 line of credit for use at Baha Mar Casino in advance of a November 2021 trip, and he ended up using $52,500 to gamble. The company in charge of handling Baha Mar Casino's credit line allege the reality TV star and NFL player drew $52,500 in chip markers at the casino and didn't repay the amount before leaving. Ugly divorce allegations continue. The couple's marriage fell apart after 13 years. Read More
More Gambling Suspensions Coming: Colts Isaiah Rodgers Among Them
(June 28, 2023) - Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (an arm of NBC Sports) has been doing an admirable job of covering the hypocrisy surrounding the National Football League's gambling policy and its attempts to reign in players while reaping the rewards of US regulated sports betting partnerships.

ESPN warns of more suspensions coming by week's end. We don't know who or how many, though Indianapolis Colts' Isaiah Rodgers is being named in media reports.

The good news is that the league seems to be trying harder, when it comes to properly educating players. The bad news is that flaws seem to remain.

Florio writes:

And they surely will. As previously mentioned, it becomes difficult for the NFL to have true moral authority when it comes to properly enforcing “thou shalt nots” when the NFL is stuffing its pockets full of cash from those who shalt continue to lose it.

Only when the league creates a true firewall between football and wagering will the league truly be equipped to create safeguards that players can understand, honor, and accept — especially since the entire situation currently oozes with hypocrisy.

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Holy Smoke! Circa Casino Scammed Out of $1 Million

(June 27, 2023) - A popular Las Vegas casino has reportedly been scammed out of $1 million in what's being called a "fire extinguisher scam".

Say what?

Erik Gutierrez, 23, has been charged with theft of more than $100,000.

He is alleged to have contacted Circa’s casino cage claiming to be the owner of the property and said he needed $320,000 for an emergency payment to the fire department in order to check fire extinguishers and other gear.

Ultimately, a cage supervisor ended up allegedly handing over $1.17 million during off-site exchanges believing they were giving it to Circa’s owner.

While Las Vegas police have recovered $850,000, $314,000 remains missing.

The casino’s CEO Derek Stevens said, “Although I love a good PR story, this isn’t one of them. Circa Resort & Casino is cooperating with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in this investigation. We greatly appreciate their efforts to date and cannot comment further due to an ongoing investigation.”

Joe Theismann Backs NFL's Gambling Crackdown
(June 27, 2023) - "We can't have fans believing games are 'fixed'," said football legend Joe Theismann, noting that he supports the league's crackdown on sports betting.

The NFL policy reinforcements and "re-education" come in response to the sport-wide surge of athlete suspensions for violating gambling rules. Sports analysts like Mike Florio still point to the hypocrisy.

"It better work. I think the NFL, because of the stringent nature of these rules that have been put in place, realizes that you just don't want to let anything seep into the game to give people the perception that the games are fixed, they're really trying to make sure of that," Theismann said Thursday during an appearance on "Varney & Co".

"From an NFL player standpoint, you think of the millions of dollars that the players are making. If you wanted to go into a facility, I guess in the off-season, it might be okay. But I don't think they're going to say if you play in the NFL, you can't gamble. But they certainly want to protect the integrity of the game as much as they possibly can. And I can certainly understand it," he continued.

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PrizePicks Sued

(June 25, 2023) - PrizePicks has fast become a behemoth on the Daily Fantasy Sports scene with its hybrid DFS product that comes the closest to sports betting without requiring a license in most US states.

Now that the company is so big, it's also a target for what some say are frivolous lawsuits.

Case in point, a lawsuit filed this week alleges PrizePicks stole technology to use on its prop product, an accusation the company denies.

“After years of trying unsuccessfully to get us to buy its technology and intellectual property, Vetnos has now apparently resorted to a frivolous lawsuit to change our minds. That is not a good business or legal strategy. We intend to aggressively defend against this lawsuit and point out its many errors and outright falsehoods,” said Jason Barclay, Chief Legal Officer and Head of Public Policy at PrizePicks.