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The year’s second quarter was a defining period for digital assets.

The industry converged at events like Consensus, held in May in Toronto, where discussions heavily focused on critical themes like regulatory clarity and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization.

Stablecoins, with their promise of enhanced cross-border payment efficiency, were heavily covered, especially regarding the growing interest and innovation in yield-generating products.

Legislative initiatives, policy shifts and infrastructure developments have moved at a dizzying pace, and the ongoing integration of traditional finance with decentralized technologies has driven credibility and institutional engagement.

Looking ahead, continued adoption of digital assets is slated to reshape the global financial landscape fundamentally.

Q2 review: Market maturation, institutional integration and regulatory milestones

Q2 highlighted a maturing market that can absorb shocks while maintaining focus on long-term growth.

While scrutiny of officials’ crypto dealings, including those of US President Donald Trump and his family, kept headlines lively, the broader trend was one of increased credibility.

Early in the quarter, trade tensions between the US and China, combined with ongoing concerns that tariffs will lead to an economic fallout, dampened investor sentiment and weighed on risk assets.

However, investor confidence in Bitcoin was evident in its resilience. After a slide to around US$76,000 at the start of April, it reached the US$90,000s mid-month, before hitting a new all-time high of US$111,000 on May 22.

Institutional accumulation and clearer regulatory signals backed this sentiment, exemplified by the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approval of rule changes allowing Ether exchange-traded fund (ETF) options.

The SEC also updated its guidance on crypto company disclosures, while US President Donald Trump signed a resolution repealing the IRS’s DeFi broker rule. Closing off the quarter, the Federal Housing Finance Agency directed mortgage backers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on June 25 to propose single-family mortgage loan risk assessments that consider cryptocurrency on US-regulated exchanges as reserve assets.

These policy shifts were accompanied by surging investor interest in tokenized assets, including tokenized gold — with PAXG and XAUt hitting US$1.54 billion in market cap — and RWA products, particularly within real estate. Momentum was further extended into stablecoin yield products and new ETF filings.

A US$300 million large-scale infrastructure deal between global financial group Macquarie (ASX:MQG) and Bitfarms (TSX:BITF,NASDAQ:BITF) for a high-performance computing center exemplified the growing confidence among fintechs in the long-term viability of digital assets. This growing confidence was further underscored by Robinhood’s (NASDAQ:HOOD) expansion of its crypto footprint, notably with the early June acquisition of Bitstamp.

Combined, these events demonstrated growing market confidence in crypto’s future.

Meanwhile, Ripple’s acquisition of global prime broker Hidden Road signaled a new phase in TradFi-DeFi integration, accompanied by the Fed’s easing of restrictions on banks’ crypto exposure.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s clarification allowing banks to trade and outsource crypto operations signaled that US regulators increasingly view crypto infrastructure as critical to modern financial services.

Reports of Circle (NYSE:CRCL), BitGo, Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) and Paxos exploring bank charters further underscored the convergence of TradFi and DeFi, as did Coinbase’s US$100 million credit facility to Riot Platforms (NASDAQ:RIOT); this type of structured financing is typically reserved for banks.

Further solidifying this trend, Stripe finalized a deal to acquire Privy, bringing crypto wallet infrastructure in-house and underscoring how fintech leaders are embedding digital asset rails into their core platforms.

Coinbase also acquired derivatives marketplace Deribit, a US$2.9 billion investment, part of a broader move to dominate digital asset infrastructure and market access. In the retail space, investor exposure widened through Galaxy Digital (NASDAQ:GLXY) and Circle’s Wall Street debut.

Policy also evolved. The GENIUS Act, a legislative companion to the STABLE Act, advanced in the Senate, proposing guardrails for stablecoins while carving out flexibility for banks to issue tokenized deposits, while crypto reserve legislation advanced in New Hampshire, Texas and Arizona.

Still, operational risks remained. A US$223 million exploit hit the Cetus protocol, and Coinbase suffered a US$20 million ransomware attack, reminders that digital assets remain a high-stakes environment.

Bitcoin price performance, Q2 2025.

Bitcoin price performance, Q2 2025. 

Chart courtesy of CoinGecko.

Q3 outlook: Regulatory progress, tokenization growth and market expansion

Further regulatory clarity is expected in Q3, clearing the way to enable more use cases and a deeper integration between DeFi and TradFi. House Republicans are prioritizing the swift enactment of comprehensive stablecoin legislation, aiming to unify the Senate’s GENIUS Act and the House’s STABLE Act.

Meanwhile, the CLARITY Act, which has a broader focus on establishing a general market structure for all digital assets, is positioned for a vote in the House of Representatives after clearing two committees.

Regulators on the SEC’s Crypto Task Force are considering a conditional exemptive order to allow crypto firms to bypass certain broker-dealer, clearing agency and exchange registration requirements. The nuances of regulated staking activities are still being worked out, especially regarding how they apply to specific products like ETFs.

On the retail front, tokenization momentum shows no sign of slowing. A discussion group on RWAs at Consensus agreed that the resurgence of tokenization is largely driven by the utility and functionality it provides to assets.

Beyond efficiency, Carlos Domingo, co-founder and CEO of Securitize, added that tokenization brings assets with intrinsic, real-world value onto the blockchain, allowing new financial applications and broader access to those holdings.

“Now we’re seeing more large-scale production,” he explained.

“We’re seeing (things) like precious minerals coming up, and we’re seeing commodities and other equities, a lot of startups that want to tokenize and use platforms like ours to tokenize their cap tables.”

At Consensus, Arthur Breitman, co-founder of Tezos, explained that his platform, uranium.io, enables the trading of physical uranium using a token, xU3O8, which allows for fractional ownership of a commodity that trades over-the-counter for roughly US$4 million. “Typically, uranium will look at pounds, but you can buy a fraction of a token. So really, you can buy a few cents of xU308,” he told the audience during his presentation.

Additionally, crypto infrastructure development by major fintechs and traditional finance entities, coupled with new public market entrants, could broaden investment opportunities.

For Q3, investors will be monitoring key publicly traded players such as Robinhood, fresh off its Bitstamp acquisition, as well as new Wall Street newcomers Circle and Galaxy Digital.

In the mining and compute infrastructure sector, CoreWeave (NASDAQ:CRWV) is in advanced talks to acquire Core Scientific (NASDAQ:CORZ), marking a move to merge compute-intensive infrastructure with mining operations, driven by crossover demand from AI and crypto sectors.

Beyond dedicated crypto firms, Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) and Japan’s Metaplanet (TSE:3350,OTCQX:MTPLF) added substantially to their crypto holdings in Q2, with no signs of slowing down.

For Bitcoin, price projections for Q3 range between a new resistance level around US$120,000 and support at US$75,000. ARK Invest increased its Bitcoin price forecast for 2030 from US$1.5 million to US$2.4 million in Q2, citing growing institutional interest and Bitcoin’s expanding role as “digital gold.’

These developments suggest Q3 will may continue building on the credibility and utility that defined Q2. With regulation advancing, institutional rails expanding and tokenization gaining real-world traction, digital assets are increasingly seen not as a parallel world to the world of finance, but as the next evolution of it.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

First lady Jill Biden’s political rise coincided with the end of her husband’s political career, according to a new book about how President Joe Biden lost the White House. 

One year after Biden’s consequential debate performance, the first octogenarian president’s age has inspired congressional investigations and books detailing his alleged cognitive decline. 

‘2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,’ is the latest to tackle the inner workings of the Biden administration. 

The book, released Tuesday by journalists Josh Dawsey of The Wall Street Journal, Tyler Pager of The New York Times and Isaac Arnsdor of The Washington Post, details the influential role Jill Biden played in her husband’s administration.

As Jill Biden gained political influence, so did Anthony Bernal, the first lady’s chief of staff and senior advisor and an assistant to the president. 

He was subpoenaed to testify on July 16 after refusing to appear before the committee investigating the alleged cover-up of Biden’s mental decline, which argued that executive privilege did not apply to him.

According to the book, Bernal accused Anita Dunn, a veteran Democratic political strategist who served in the Biden and Obama administrations, of being disloyal for pushing for more transparency about the Biden family. 

There was a ‘near-total ban’ on discussing Hunter Biden, the journalists wrote in their new book, as Hunter’s federal trial fell in the middle of his father’s re-election campaign in June 2024. 

Jill Biden, with Bernal by her side, went to great lengths to attend Hunter Biden’s federal trial, often traveling long distances from overseas trips or campaign events. 

She attended the first three days of the trial, flew to France to join the president at the D-Day commemoration and then returned to Wilmington less than 24 hours later for the fifth day of the trial. 

As described in ‘2024,’ West Wing staffers were surprised when Jill Biden arrived at the trial. Most senior aides had no idea the first lady planned to attend, revealing her willingness to act independently. 

But while Jill Biden demonstrated her independence from the White House, Bernal was right there with her leading the East Wing. 

‘He quickly bonded with Jill Biden and never left her side, becoming unflinchingly loyal to her and using his proximity to her to exert power wherever he decided. It was often unclear if the opinion he was expressing was his own or the first lady’s. Sometimes, when donors or voters asked her questions, Bernal would jump in to answer,’ the authors said. 

Just as Jill jumped to Hunter’s defense during his high-profile trial, she became the president’s staunchest supporter following his disastrous debate performance against President Donald Trump.

‘Joe isn’t just the right person for the job,’ the first lady said at a fundraiser soon after the debate. ‘He’s the only person for the job.’ 

The book alleges that Jill Biden had always played the ‘role of the protective spouse, encouraging the president to eat vegetables, keeping him on time, and questioning staffers when she felt they erred.’

In one such case in January 2022, a Biden aide apologized to the first lady when she questioned why they allowed a press conference to go on for too long, according to the book. 

As Biden struggled to successfully defend his debate performance, with donors and Democratic politicians growing weary, and ‘her husband in the fight of his political life, Jill was making clear: The Democratic Party had to stick with Joe,’ the authors said. 

After the debate, the Bidens took a pre-planned family trip to Camp David.

‘The president was not entertaining the idea of dropping out of the race; he was taking stock of how bad things really were,’ the authors said of Biden’s trip to Camp David. 

The authors described how dropping out ‘was not even a consideration’ at Camp David, and how the first lady was part of those in the inner family circle who persuaded Biden to stay in the race, despite mounting pressure from party leaders and donors to step down. 

Biden huddled with his family in Camp David during the last few days of June, then appeared for debate damage-control interviews on network TV in the weeks following, referring to the debate as a bad night and blaming a cold for his off-night.

‘Biden also acknowledged he needed more sleep and said he told his staff that he should not participate in events that start after 8 p.m. But his message was clear: He was staying in the race,’ the authors said. 

Less than a month after the debate, and one week after an assassination attempt on Trump, Biden announced he was suspending his re-election campaign, and later endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. 

Fox News Digital has written extensively dating back to the 2020 presidential campaign about Biden’s cognitive decline and his inner circle’s alleged role in covering it up.

A Biden spokesperson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The International Criminal Court on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for two top Taliban leaders, accusing them of persecuting girls and women in Afghanistan.

The pair are suspected of “ordering, inducing or soliciting” the persecution of girls, women and others who don’t conform with the Taliban’s policy on gender, the ICC said in a statement.

Haibatullah Akhundzada, supreme leader of the Taliban, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, chief justice of the hardline Islamist group, are “criminally responsible” for carrying out persecution on gender-based grounds since “at least” August 15 2021, the ICC’s chief prosecutor said back in January.

Since seizing control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban has implemented a string of oppressive measures against women and girls, even cracking down on the sound of women’s voices in public.

Girls have been barred from education after sixth grade. Women must veil their bodies and wear a face covering at all times in public, and have also been forbidden to look at men they are not related to.

“While the Taliban have imposed certain rules and prohibitions on the population as a whole, they have specifically targeted girls and women by reason of their gender, depriving them of fundamental rights and freedoms,” the ICC said on Tuesday.

“Specifically, the Taliban severely deprived, through decrees and edicts, girls and women of the rights to education, privacy and family life and the freedoms of movement, expression, thought, conscience and religion,” it continued.

Other people, including “allies of girls and women” and those with sexualities or gender identities viewed as “inconsistent with the Taliban’s policy on gender,” were also targeted by the Taliban, the ICC said.

Lisa Davis, the ICC’s Special Adviser on Gender and Other Discriminatory Crimes, said in a post on social media that this is “the first time in history” that an international tribunal has confirmed LGBTQ people to be “victims of crimes against humanity, namely gender persecution.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

 

Stallion Uranium Corp. (the ‘ Company ‘ or ‘ Stallion ‘ ) ( TSX-V: STUD ; OTCQB: STLNF ; FSE: FE0 ) is pleased to announce that, it has entered into a technology data acquisition agreement (the ‘ Agreement ‘) dated April 24 th 2025, amongst the Company and Matthew J. Mason (the ‘ Lessor ‘) to enhance exploration efforts across its expansive uranium land package in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan. The Lessor holds the exclusive license to certain proprietary technology and know how that can be used to assist in area prioritization selection for the purposes of exploration for minerals (the ‘ Technology ‘ or ‘ Haystack ‘).

 

  Highlights About the Technology:  

 

  • Haystack holds the exclusive rights to an intelligent Geological Target Identification platform called Matchstick TI which offers an innovative leap in mineral exploration technology.
  •  

  • Haystack’s predictive technology is revolutionizing the mineral exploration industry with its AI-powered deposit discovery software and proprietary drilling technology. Specializing in predictive exploration and drilling for energy metals, the company accelerates the exploration process while reducing costs. Headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Canada, the company is at the forefront of innovation in sustainable resource discovery.
  •  

  • At the heart of Haystack sits a proprietary algorithm that models geological features in space and time, delivering a remarkable 77% accuracy rate in predicting target locations.
  •  

  • This cutting-edge technology reduces financial risk and accelerates discovery in Greenfield and Frontier Exploration using readily available public data.
  •  

  • Developed over a decade in Cambridge, UK, Haystack fuses Theoretical Physics, Data Science, and Pattern Recognition to accurately pinpoint mineral targets, transforming the way exploration is conducted.
  •  

  • Stallion intends to utilize this technology to confirm current targets, and outline any additional targets on the current land position of 1,700 sq/km.
  •   

  ‘The application of machine learning in mineral exploration is transforming the industry, and we are excited to integrate this powerful tool into our exploration strategy,’ said Matthew Schwab, CEO of Stallion Uranium. ‘By deploying advanced analytics, we aim to enhance our ability to identify high-priority targets, reduce exploration risk, and maximize the potential of our uranium assets.’  

 

 Haystack Study Area

 

   Figure 1    : Haystack Study Area

 

  Agreement Terms:
Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Lessor will grant the Company a non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access the Technology for a 12-month term (the ‘ Technology Lease ‘). The Company’s use of the Technology pursuant to the Technology Lease shall be limited to such mineral tenures owned or legally occupied by the Company covering an area of approximately 1,400 square kilometers in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan and Alberta (the ‘ Subject Property ‘).

 

Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement and in consideration for the grant of the Technology Lease, on the fifth business day following the TSX Venture Exchange’s conditional acceptance of the Agreement (the ‘ Closing Date ‘), the Company will issue an aggregate of 5,000,000 common shares in the capital of the Company (each a ‘ Payment Share ‘) to the Licensor and the Lessee, as follows: (i) 3,750,000 Payment Shares to the Lessor; and (ii)1,250,000 Payment Shares to the Licensor. The Payment Shares shall be subject to a hold period ending on the date that is four months plus one day following the date of issuance under applicable Canadian securities laws.

 

Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Licensor shall provide certain services in connection with the application of the Technology to the Subject Property for a minimum of any three consecutive months during the term of the Agreement (the ‘ Services ‘). In consideration for such Services, the Company has agreed to pay the Licensor a fee of £70,000 per month for each month in which the Services are performed.

 

The Lessor is an insider to the Company by virtue of holding 10% or more Company’s issued and outstanding common shares on a partially diluted basis. The issuance of any securities to an insider will be considered a ‘related party transaction’ within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (‘ MI 61-101 ‘). The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.5(a) and the minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.7(1)(a) in respect of such insider participation as the fair market value of the transaction, insofar as it involves interested parties, does not exceed 25% of the Company’s market capitalization.

 

  About Stallion Uranium Corp.:
 Stallion Uranium is working to ‘Fuel the Future with Uranium’ through the exploration of roughly 1,700 sq/km in the Athabasca Basin, home to the largest high-grade uranium deposits in the world. The company, with JV partner Atha Energy holds the largest contiguous project in the Western Athabasca Basin adjacent to multiple high-grade discovery zones.

 

Our leadership and advisory teams are comprised of uranium and precious metals exploration experts with the capital markets experience and the technical talent for acquiring and exploring early-stage properties. For more information visit stallionuranium.com .

 

  On Behalf of the Board of Stallion Uranium Corp.:  

 

Matthew Schwab
CEO and Director

 

  Corporate Office:  
700 – 838 West Hastings Street,
Vancouver, British Columbia,
V6C 0A6

 

T: 604-551-2360
info@stallionuranium.com  

 

  Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.  

 

  This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, ‘forward-looking statements’) that relate to the Company’s current expectations and views of future events. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as ‘will likely result’, ‘are expected to’, ‘expects’, ‘will continue’, ‘is anticipated’, ‘anticipates’, ‘believes’, ‘estimated’, ‘intends’, ‘plans’, ‘forecast’, ‘projection’, ‘strategy’, ‘objective’ and ‘outlook’) are not historical facts and may be forward-looking statements and may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this material change report should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date they are made.  

 

  Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them or assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements contained in this presentation are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement .

 

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/028d9b66-ef57-4c79-b33c-72bd316d6d05  

 

  Primary Logo 

 

 

News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

 

 

 

 

 Kobo Resources Inc. (TSX.V: KRI):

 

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250708360290/en/  

 

 

 

  KOBO CUP SUPPORTER JERSEY  

 

Building on the success of the inaugural Kobo Cup in 2024, Kobo Resources has proudly expanded this initiative in 2025 into a full multi-village tournament. This year also featured a dynamic art workshop where young artists from Kossou, Bocabo, and Angossé designed the official jerseys their teams will wear.

 

We are excited to take this celebration of local talent and meaningful community partnerships even further with the launch of the exclusive ‘2025 Kobo Cup Supporter Jersey’ . This limited-edition jersey symbolizes more than just a game; it represents Kobo’s ongoing commitment to social responsibility and direct support for the villages where they operate.

 

A JERSEY WITH PURPOSE

 

Designed with deep cultural significance, the ‘Supporter Jersey’ proudly showcases six traditional Adinkra symbols, iconic motifs from West African heritage known for their powerful meanings and values. These symbols are thoughtfully repeated across the fabric, each representing qualities that inspire and reflect the spirit of the villages Kobo Resources supports.

 

Together, these symbols represent leadership, perseverance, adaptability, strength, wisdom, and community abundance. They embody the core values and spirit of the villages Kobo Resources supports, weaving a narrative of resilience, unity, and hope that investors can proudly wear as a symbol of their commitment to sustainable community development.

 

  DIRECT IMPACT FOR VILLAGE NEEDS  

 

All profits from the sale of the ‘2025 Kobo Cup Supporter Jersey’ will be channeled directly into addressing urgent needs within the villages, including providing school supplies, everyday goods, and essential resources that help improve daily life. This initiative marks a direct, transparent way for investors to contribute to sustainable community development beyond traditional infrastructure projects.

 

  KOBO’S COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY  

 

The Kobo Cup has evolved from a single football match into an annual multi-village tournament celebrating local talent, culture, and youth empowerment. With in-country partners like African Boyz Club and Coast to Coast Entertainment, Kobo Resources continues to foster inclusion and cultural pride while ensuring fair play and equal opportunity on the field.

 

‘As we deepen our community engagement through the Kobo Cup and beyond, the Supporter Jersey is a unique opportunity for investors to wear their commitment to social responsibility and to help fuel meaningful change for the villages we serve,’ said Edward Gosselin, CEO of Kobo Resources.

 

  How to Get Your Jersey  

 

The limited-edition ‘2025 Kobo Cup Supporter Jersey’ is available exclusively on the Kobo Resources website.

 

About Kobo Resources Inc. 

 

 Kobo Resources is a growth-focused gold exploration company with a compelling new gold discovery in Côte d’Ivoire, one of West Africa’s most prolific and developing gold districts, hosting several multi-million-ounce gold mines. The Company’s 100%-owned Kossou Gold Project is located approximately 20 km northwest of the capital city of Yamoussoukro and is directly adjacent to one of the region’s largest gold mines with established processing facilities.

 

  

 

  View source version on businesswire.com:    https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250708360290/en/   

 

For further information, please contact:
Edward Gosselin
Chief Executive Officer and Director
1-418-609-3587
ir@kobores.com  
X: @KoboResources | LinkedIn: Kobo Resources Inc. 

 

News Provided by Business Wire via QuoteMedia

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Australian Mines (ASX:AUZ) has entered into a legally binding term sheet with Cabral Resources, a subsidiary of GoldMining (TSX:GOLD,NYSE:GLDG) to earn up to an 80 percent interest in the Boa Vista gold project.

As per the terms of the agreement, Australian Mines’ acquisition will follow a staged earn-in structure. This includes three payments of C$250,000 each year over three years, totaling C$750,000.

Boa Vista is located in Brazil’s Tapajós province, which is recorded to have a historical production of over 30 million ounces of gold and is recognised for high-grade, structurally focused gold systems.

“Boa Vista offers compelling near-surface mineralisation with district-scale exploration upside, supported by existing datasets and strong historic drilling results,” said Australian Mines CEO Andrew Nesbitt.

Among Boa Vista’s prospects is VG1, which holds a historic inferred resource of 8.47 million tonnes at 1.23 grams per tonne (g/t) gold for 336,000 ounces. Drill intercepts at the project were described by the company as “robust,” with 104.5 metres at 1.59 grams per tonne gold, including 23.5 metres at 4.51 g/t gold.

Boa Vista is also located 80 kilometres away from GoldMining’s São Jorge project, which has indicated resources of 0.62 million gold ounces and inferred resources of 0.13 million gold equivalent ounces.

Australian Mines said that they intend to update Boa Vista’s historical resource to JORC 2012 standards, alongside advancing metallurgical, environmental and baseline studies.

Plans for an initial 3,000 metre diamond drill program to test expansion potential and refine targets are also in place.

The company is also currently developing its flagship Sconi project in Queensland, which is expected to deliver nickel and cobalt over a 30 year mine life.

Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

US President Donald Trump’s massive One Big Beautiful Bill is poised to reshape America’s entire industrial and energy future, dramatically reorienting policies and incentives for various industries.

Passed by the Senate by a 51 to 50 margin, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie, the legislation now heads to conference negotiations that will finalize its far-reaching impacts on energy investment, critical minerals and the digital economy.

Framed by the White House as a blueprint for restoring American industrial strength, the bill combines major fossil fuel incentives, nuclear supports, and deep tax cuts with steep rollbacks of renewable energy subsidies and critical minerals credits.

Here are some of the bill’s most significant provisions.

Mining incentives on the chopping block

Perhaps the most consequential piece of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” for the mining industry is its planned phaseout of the Section 45X advanced manufacturing production credit.

This 10 percent tax incentive was created under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act to encourage domestic extraction, processing and recycling of critical minerals — such as lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements — that power batteries and other industrial technologies.

Under the new bill, the 45X credit would begin to wind down in 2031 and be eliminated entirely by 2034.

That reversal has drawn fierce criticism from mining advocates, who warn that scaling back the credit undermines efforts to build a resilient domestic supply chain.

Meanwhile, the National Mining Association, which has long called for expanded mining incentives, expressed their support for the bill’s passage and praised other funding provisions in the bill that support the industry.

“We urge the House to quickly pass this bill,” said Rich Nolan, National Mining Association president and CEO, in a statement after the Senate vote. “It increases the competitiveness of the American mining industry and provides vital incentives, including funding to counter China’s mineral dominance.”

The overall direction of the bill, though, makes clear that domestic producers will face a more challenging environment after a brief window of continued support up until 2034.

The bill’s tougher guardrails on critical mineral sourcing add to this challenge. Alongside the phaseout of 45X, lawmakers included new restrictions to curb reliance on “prohibited foreign entities” — primarily adversarial nations like China and Russia — in the supply chain.

Under the legislation, companies seeking the advanced manufacturing credit will have to pass a ‘material assistance cost ratio test’ to prove they are not overly dependent on inputs or components from these foreign entities.

Fossil fuels win big

The legislation delivers a sweeping victory to oil, gas and coal interests.

First, it mandates an ambitious leasing program for fossil fuel production, opening 30 lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico over 15 years and more than 30 lease sales annually on federal lands across nine states. It also cuts the royalties oil and gas producers pay to the government, aiming to encourage higher output.

“This bill will be the most transformational legislation that we’ve seen in decades in terms of access to both federal lands and federal waters,” Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute, told CNBC.

“It includes almost all of our priorities.”

Coal producers, too, receive a major boost. The bill designates at least 4 million additional acres of federal land for coal mining and slashes the royalties paid by coal companies.

In a further sweetener for metallurgical coal producers, the bill permits them to use advanced manufacturing tax credits to support coal used in steelmaking.

In a controversial move, the bill also extends a carbon capture tax credit designed to trap carbon emissions from industrial facilities. However, under the new language, oil companies can claim a higher tax benefit for using captured CO2 to push more oil out of aging wells.

Hydrogen fuel investments get a partial reprieve: the hydrogen production tax credit will now end in 2028 instead of immediately, giving oil majors more time to roll out projects.

Renewables face deep cuts

In stark contrast to fossil fuels, renewable energy incentives are headed for a steep rollback. The legislation phases out the investment and production tax credits that have supported wind and solar since the 1990s.

Under the new plan, renewable power projects placed into service after 2027 will no longer qualify for these credits, although a one year grace period will apply to projects that begin construction within 12 months of the bill becoming law.

A related tax credit encouraging the use of US-made components in renewable installations will also expire for projects entering service after 2027. Projects that start construction in the year after the bill becomes law can still qualify, but anything beyond that window loses access to the incentive.

The bill also adopts Senate language providing a more gradual phaseout for these credits, rather than the abrupt cutoff proposed by the House.

Still, the overall impact is clear: after decades of public policy designed to grow wind and solar, their incentives are being dismantled.

President Trump’s views on renewables are no secret. In a June 29 Fox News interview, he criticized solar farms and wind turbines as “ugly as hell” and vowed to restore fossil fuels to the heart of US energy policy.

Crypto gets an indirect boost

Cryptocurrency investors have found reason for optimism in the bill, even though no direct amendments on crypto taxes made it into the final text.

As the bill moves forward, it extends the 2017 Trump-era tax cuts, adds new tax-free treatment for up to US$25,000 in tips and US$12,500 in overtime pay, and expands estate tax exemptions.

These changes are projected to raise the US national debt by between US$3.3 trillion and US$5 trillion over the next decade. That debt expansion, paired with more disposable income from tax cuts, has created a bullish narrative for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as a hedge against inflation.

“More debt can lead to more money printing. That’s good for BTC in the long run,” crypto analyst Ranjay Singh said in an X post.

Crypto market observers had hoped the bill would fix rules around staking, airdrops and Bitcoin-mining taxation, but those amendments fell short in the Senate. Senator Cynthia Lummis, for instance, tried to remove what she called a “double tax” on Bitcoin miners, but the proposal was left out of the final package.

Even so, crypto advocates believe the combination of looser monetary policy, expanded government spending and higher debt will create an environment that supports digital assets.

Artificial intelligence remains a state issue

One of the most hard-fought technology debates in the bill revolved around artificial intelligence (AI) regulation.

The House version of the bill had sought to impose a 10 year nationwide moratorium preventing states from enacting their own AI laws. Senate Republicans, led by Senators Marsha Blackburn and Ted Cruz, negotiated that down to five years before ultimately scrapping the idea altogether.

The final bill does not block states from regulating AI — a major development for privacy, civil rights and consumer groups.

“The Senate did the right thing today for kids, for families and for our future by voting to strip out the dangerous 10-year ban on state AI laws,” Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, said in a statement.

The removal of the moratorium means the US will remain a patchwork of state-level rules, from deepfake bans in California to mental health chatbot restrictions in Utah.

Industry leaders have previously complained that this environment creates compliance headaches and could hamper innovation.

“There’s growing recognition that the current patchwork approach to regulating AI isn’t working,” said Chris Lehane, chief global affairs officer at OpenAI. “But until there is a national framework, this is what we’ll have.”

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

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested that business magnate Elon Musk push for balanced budget and congressional term limit amendments to the U.S. Constitution, rather than build a new political party.

Musk, who has been beating the drum about the need to rein in government spending, announced that he is launching a new political party called the America Party. 

‘Backing a candidate for president is not out of the question, but the focus for the next 12 months is on the House and the Senate,’ he noted in a post on X.

DeSantis is not on board with the idea. 

The governor suggested that if Musk funds candidates in competitive Senate and House contests, Democrats will likely win.

But DeSantis acknowledged that the GOP has an issue with people running on spending less, but then failing to do so. ‘There’s a gap between the campaign rhetoric, and then the performance,’ he said.

Elon Musk launches

He explained that he does not believe ‘electing a few better people’ will alter the ‘trajectory’ on the debt issue.

DeSantis said that the ‘incentives’ in D.C. will ‘lead to these outcomes, really, regardless of the outcome of elections at this point,’ asserting that a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution is needed.

Trump responds to Elon Musk starting a third political party

Musk ‘would have a monumental impact’ if he got involved, DeSantis said, adding that the U.S. also needs term limits for lawmakers.

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President Donald Trump on Monday said that his administration would be sending defensive weapons to Ukraine so the war-torn country could defend itself from Russia’s ongoing invasion, an apparent turnaround after the Pentagon said last week it was pausing such deliveries.

His comments came as Russian attacks on Ukraine killed at least 11 civilians and injured more than 80 others, including seven children, officials said Monday.

‘We have to,’ Trump said when questioned at the start of a dinner he was hosting at the White House for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. ‘They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now. We’re going to send some more weapons — defensive weapons primarily.’

Russia continues to advance and now currently controls just under a fifth of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, all of Luhansk, the lion’s share of three other regions and slivers of three additional regions.

Trump’s repeated efforts to broker a ceasefire have not been successful, and the president continued to vent his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who continues to escalate military actions.

‘I’m not happy with President Putin at all,’ Trump said.

The Defense Department later said it would send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine at Trump’s direction, to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while efforts continue to secure a lasting peace. 

‘Our framework for POTUS to evaluate military shipments across the globe remains in effect and is integral to our America First defense priorities,’ Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said.

Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes.

Last week the Pentagon froze some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine, including Patriot missile interceptors and 155 mm artillery shells, at a pivotal moment in Kyiv’s war with Russia, Fox News confirmed. According to U.S. military officials tracking the shipments, the weapons were already staged in Poland before the order came down. 

It came as Russia launched its largest aerial attack of the war, nearly 500 drones and 60 missiles.

In response to Trump’s comments, the Kremlin said it would need time to clarify the specifics of U.S. weapons aid to Ukraine with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were many contradictory statements about U.S. weapons supplies to Ukraine, though it was clear that European weapons deliveries were continuing.

‘Obviously, supplies are continuing, that’s clear. Obviously, the Europeans are actively involved in pumping Ukraine full of weapons,’ Peskov said, according to Reuters. ‘As for what kind of supplies and in what quantity Ukraine continues to receive from the United States, it will still take time to clarify this definitively,’ he added.

Peskov said that Moscow appreciated Trump’s efforts to initiate direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and that there was significant potential for restarting Russian-U.S. trade and economic relations.

Separately, Russia’s transport minister Roman Starovoit was found dead in what authorities said was an apparent suicide — news that broke hours after the Kremlin announced he had been dismissed by Putin, per The Associated Press. Russian media have reported that his dismissal could have been linked to an investigation into the embezzlement of state funds allocated for building fortifications in the Kursk region, where he served as governor before being appointed transportation minister.

The firing of Starovoit followed a weekend of travel chaos — airports grounded hundreds of flights due to the threat of drone attacks from Ukraine. Russian officials did not give a reason for his dismissal.

Fox News’ Jasmine Baehr and Jennifer Griffin as well as The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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A top advisor to former President Joe Biden reportedly labeled Hunter Biden’s presence on a call about the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that former presidents have some immunity from prosecution ‘inappropriate,’ according to a new book. 

The book, ‘2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,’ was published Tuesday and chronicles how Biden’s team dismissed concerns about his age during the 2024 election cycle, along with how President Donald Trump secured his victory. 

The book said Biden’s White House chief of staff, Jeff Zients, coordinated a video call with key Biden staffers, including White House Counsel Ed Siskel, communications director Ben LaBolt, senior advisor Mike Donilon and others to discuss whether Biden should provide an on-camera statement to the Supreme Court’s July 2024 decision. 

While Donilon already had drafted a written statement, Biden wanted to speak about the matter on-camera, the book claims. Staffers on the call started to hash out specifics of such an appearance, when Biden’s son started to chime into the call. 

‘Suddenly an unidentified voice piped up from Biden’s screen and recommended an Oval Office address,’ the book said. ‘At first, some aides had no idea who was speaking. It soon became clear the voice belonged to Hunter Biden, who the White House staff had not known was on the call. Siskel expressed some concern about the appearance of using the Oval Office.’

‘Hunter snapped back: ‘This is one of the most consequential decisions the Supreme Court has ever made.’ He said his father had every right to use the powerful imagery of the Oval Office to deliver that message,’ the book said. ‘They later settled on the Cross Hall, the long hallway on the first floor of the White House. After the call ended, Siskel told colleagues. Hunter’s presence was inappropriate.’

Biden ultimately delivered a brief speech responding to the Supreme Court’s ruling and took no questions from the press, per the suggestion of his son, the book claimed.  

Siskel and a spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. 

On July 1, 2024, the Supreme Court issued a 6–3 ruling in Trump v. United States that former presidents have significant immunity from prosecution for acts they committed in an official capacity. The case made its way to the Supreme Court after Trump faced charges stemming from then-Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into whether Trump was involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and engaged in any other alleged election interference. 

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges, and claimed a former president could not face a prosecution without a House impeachment and a Senate conviction. 

The book ‘2024’ is one of several that have been released in this year detailing Biden’s mental deterioration while in office and how Trump won the election. It is authored by Josh Dawsey of the Wall Street Journal, Tyler Pager of the New York Times and Isaac Arnsdorf of the Washington Post. 

Another book covering similar material is ‘Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,’ released May 20.

Fox News Digital has written extensively dating back to the 2020 presidential campaign about Biden’s cognitive decline and his inner circle’s alleged role in covering it up.

According to Dawsey, Hunter Biden’s involvement in his father’s affairs as president was not out of the ordinary during the former president’s time in office. 

‘What we found out over the course of reporting for our book is, Hunter Biden (was) a major figure in the president’s orbit,’ Dawsey said in a Sunday interview with ABC’s ‘This Week.’ ‘He was often on these calls, he would pipe in to calls, he was helping him make campaign decisions, and the president was very concerned about his son. It was one of the things that was an albatross on him as he tried to run for re-election.’

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