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June 21, 2025

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This week, Julius breaks down the current sector rotation using his signature Relative Rotation Graphs, with XLK vaulting into the leading quadrant while utilities and staples fade. He spotlights strength in the technology sector, led by semiconductors and electronic groups that are outpacing the S&P 500. Microchip heavyweights AMD, NVDA, and AVGO are displaying bullish RRG tails, reinforcing the trend. Communication Services and Energy are gaining momentum as well, rounding out a playbook that rewards disciplined trend-following amid risk from geopolitical headlines.

This video was originally published on June 20, 2025. Click on the icon above to view on our dedicated page for Julius.

Past videos from Julius can be found here.

#StayAlert, -Julius

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Friday (June 20) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.

Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ethereum and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

Bitcoin (BTC) is priced at US$103,366, a decrease of 0.9 percent in the last 24 hours. The day’s range for the cryptocurrency brought a low of US$102,624 and a high of US$106,042 as the market opened.

Bitcoin price performance, June 20, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

The Bitcoin price stalled after reaching around US$106,500, then sank below US$104,000 as an unusually large expiry of options and futures contracts worth US$6.8 trillion occurred on US stock indexes.

The US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday (June 18), but Christopher Waller, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, said a cut is possible next month if inflation remains controlled.

Cuts typically boost risk assets like Bitcoin. Markets have already pushed the US dollar index to a three year low, so a surprise rate cut could further weaken the dollar and propel Bitcoin forward.

Ethereum (ETH) is currently priced at US$2,415.98, a 3.5 percent decrease over the past 24 hours. Its lowest valuation on Friday was US$2,396.50, and its highest valuation was US$2,556.46 as trading commenced.

Altcoin price update

  • Solana (SOL) was priced at US$139.45, down 4.1 percent over 24 hours. SOL experienced a low of US$136.98 after peaking at its opening price of US$147.68.
  • XRP pulled back from its opening price of US$2.17, its highest valuation of the day, to trade at US$2.12 as the markets wrapped, a 2.1 percent decrease in 24 hours. Its lowest valuation on Friday was US$2.09.
  • Sui (SUI) closed at US$2.72, a declineof 3.9 percent over the past 24 hours. Its price also peaked this morning at US$2.85 and its lowest valuation was US$2.66.
  • Cardano (ADA) is priced at US$0.5783, down 3.6 percent in 24 hours. Its lowest valuation on Friday was US$0.5636, and its highest valuation was US$0.6044.

Today’s crypto news to know

Coinbase launches Stablecoin payments platform for e-commerce

Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) has unveiled a new product called Coinbase Payments, designed to help online retailers accept stablecoins like USDC with minimal friction. The system is built to mirror traditional card infrastructure so that merchants can plug it in without having deep cryptocurrency knowledge.

The platform targets marketplaces such as Shopify (TSX:SHOP,NYSE:SHOP) and eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY), giving small to medium businesses a cost-effective alternative to credit card fees.

Shopify is the first to integrate the system, allowing merchants to accept USDC payments through Coinbase’s Layer 2 Base network. The platform supports crypto wallets like Coinbase Wallet, MetaMask and Phantom and includes features for transaction authorization, refunds and recurring payments.

Circle surges as Senate approves Stablecoin Bill

Circle (NYSE:CRCL) shares continued to rally on Friday, jumping another 11 percent after a 34 percent surge the day before, as momentum builds behind a Senate-approved bill to regulate stablecoins.

The GENIUS Act, a bipartisan effort, could bring long-awaited legal clarity to stablecoin issuers like Circle, which manages the US$32 billion USDC token. Although the bill still needs approval from the House and requires a signature from US President Donald Trump, investors are already optimistic.

Circle shares are now trading at US$221, up from an initial public offering price of just US$31 — signaling massive investor confidence amid a changing regulatory climate.

South Korea’s central bank weighs in on stablecoins

Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Chang-yong said at a press conference this week that the central bank is not opposed to a won-based stablecoin, but is concerned about managing the FX of the token, according to Reuters report.

‘Issuing won-based stablecoin could make it easier to exchange them with a dollar stablecoin rather than working to reduce the use of a dollar stablecoin. That in turn could increase demand for dollar stablecoin and make it difficult for us to manage forex,’ Chang-yong told reporters in Seoul.

Earlier this month, South Korea’s Democratic Party proposed the Digital Asset Basic Act, which aims to establish a regulatory framework to enable local companies to issue won-denominated stablecoins.

Parataxis to launch institutional Bitcoin treasury company

Parataxis Holdings, an affiliate of digital asset-focused investment company Parataxis Capital Management, announced Friday that it has entered a definitive agreement to acquire a controlling interest in biotech company Bridge Biotherapeutics (KOSDAQ:288330) for an investment of 25 billion South Korean won, roughly US$18.5 million.

Following the closing of the deal, Parataxis will become Parataxis Korea and be repurposed as a treasury vehicle for institutional Bitcoin exposure, joining a growing list of companies holding Bitcoin on their balance sheet.

“Inspired by the growing interest in BTC treasury strategies seen in companies like Strategy in the US and Metaplanet in Japan, we believe institutional interest in this space is increasing globally,” said Andrew Kim, a partner at Parataxis Capital. “We see South Korea as an important market in the evolution of BTC adoption.”

“We are incredibly excited to create the first BTC treasury company in South Korea backed by an institutional-grade platform. Given the strategic nature of BTC on the global stage and its finite supply, we believe that building and growing a company like Parataxis Korea and accumulating a BTC treasury will benefit our shareholders as well as the country over the long run,” echoed founder Edward Chin.

Kraken introduces Bitcoin staking with Babylon partnership

Kraken, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, made a landmark announcement on Thursday (June 19), revealing a strategic partnership with Bitcoin staking protocol Babylon to introduce a staking product that allows Kraken users to earn interest on their Bitcoin holdings without the need for bridging, wrapping or lending.

These traditional methods, while enabling some forms of yield generation, can introduce additional risks and technical hurdles for users. Kraken and Babylon aim to provide a more streamlined, secure and accessible way for Bitcoin holders to generate passive income. The interest earned through this new product will come in the form of BABY tokens, the native cryptocurrency of the Babylon protocol.

Arizona advances bill to create state Bitcoin reserve

Arizona is one step closer to becoming the second US state with an official Bitcoin reserve, after its Senate narrowly passed House Bill 2324. The bill allows the state to hold abandoned digital assets as unclaimed property and establishes a Bitcoin and digital assets reserve fund for those holdings. The news comes on the heels of House Bill 2749, which was signed into law in April and amended Arizona’s forfeiture laws to recognize digital assets.

HB2324 will now return to the House for final approval before heading to the governor’s desk. Earlier efforts to invest seized funds directly into BTC were vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs, who cited concerns over crypto’s volatility.

If passed, Arizona would join New Hampshire in formalizing a state-level Bitcoin reserve.

Similar legislation is pending in Texas.

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

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Friday (June 20) was the last day for the spring session of Canada’s parliament before its summer break.

On the agenda for the day was a vote on bill C-5, “The One Canadian Economy Act,” which was introduced on June 5.

The bill is in part a response to the recent shift in US trade policy under Donald Trump’s administration. It will provide a new framework to fast-track projects of national interest, including mining and energy projects, to boost Canada’s economy.

However, it hasn’t been without controversy. Primarily, it has been met with opposition from some Indigenous groups, who feel it will override treaty obligations and environmental review processes.

In parliament, it also met some resistance from the conservative opposition, who amended the bill to close loopholes they felt would allow the government to skirt conflict of interest and lobbying laws.

The bill is widely expected to pass the House of Commons and the Senate, with broad support from the Conservative Party.

Also on Friday, Statistics Canada released April’s monthly mineral production survey.

The data shows across-the-board declines in both production and shipments of copper, gold and silver from the previous month.

Copper production dropped the most in April, down to 35.1 million kilograms from 40.1 million in March, while shipments slipped to 30.1 million kilograms from the 50.5 million recorded the previous month.

Gold and silver production fell slightly, with gold declining from 17,059 to 16,708 kilograms, and silver declining from 26,700 to 25,412 kilograms. However, shipments of both fell more precipitously between March and April. Gold shipments dropped from 19,049 to 14,848 kilograms, while silver shipments fell from 29,578 to 22,106 kilograms.

In the United States, the Federal Reserve held its fourth meeting of the year to determine the direction of the benchmark Federal Funds Rate on Tuesday (June 17) and Wednesday (June 18).

The central bank decided to hold the rate at the current 4.25 to 4.5 percent range, which it last set in November 2024. The decision comes as it awaits the effects of tariffs to be felt more broadly in the economy, noting uncertainty whether it will be a one-time shock or be more persistent through the rest of the year.

The decision fell in line with analysts’ expectations, who are not predicting a rate cut until the Fed’s September meeting.

Markets and commodities react

In Canada, major indexes were mixed at the end of the week. The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) was largely flat, posting a small 0.14 percent loss during the week to close at 26,497.57 on Friday. The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) fared worse, losing 2.18 percent to 711.18, although the CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) jumped 1.58 percent to 117.36.

US equities were all in negative territory this week, with the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) losing 0.55 percent to close at 6,967.85, the Nasdaq-100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) slipping 0.23 percent to 21,626.39 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) sinking 0.88 percent to 42,206.83.

The gold price was down this week, losing 0.42 percent to US$3,371.39 at by Friday’s close. Although it jumped to a high of US$37.29 mid-week, the silver price pulled back and ultimately lost 0.82 percent to end the week at US$36.02.

In base metals, the COMEX copper price gained 1.88 percent over the week to US$4.88 per pound. Meanwhile, the S&P GSCI (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) posted a gain of 5.47 percent to close at 580.99.

Top Canadian mining stocks this week

How did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?

Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.

Stock data for this article was retrieved at 4 p.m. EDT on Friday using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market capitalizations greater than C$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.

1. Royalties Inc. (CSE:RI)

Weekly gain: 183.33 percent
Market cap: C$24.75 million
Share price: C$0.085

Royalties Inc. is a company focused on building cash flow through the acquisition mineral and music royalty assets.

The company has a 100 percent interest in the Bilbao silver property in Zacatecas, Mexico, which hosts silver, zinc and lead deposits. As silver prices improve, the company is seeking to monetize the property.

Shares in Royalties Inc. surged this week after its 88 percent owned subsidiary Minera Portree won its lawsuit against Capstone Copper (TSX:CS), asserting its ownership of a 2 percent net smelter return royalty on five mineral concessions at the Cozamin copper-silver mine in Zacatecas.

The protracted legal dispute began after Capstone re-assigned the royalty to itself through a 2019 contract without informing or paying Minera Portree.

Under the terms of the judgment, the 2 percent NSR will revert back to Minera Portree along with royalties for the exploitation of concessions between 2002 and 2019. The amounts for those royalties will be set at the execution phase. Capstone Gold is also ordered to pay royalties from the Portree 1 concession from August 2019 to present.

Earlier in the week, Royalties Inc. increased its stake in Music Royalties, which pays a 7.2 percent annual yield from 30 music catalogues. The company will now receive royalties of C$102,000 per year from its investment.

2. Altima Energy (TSXV:ARH)

Weekly gain: 100 percent
Market cap: C$21.14 million
Share price: C$0.42

Altima Energy is a light oil and natural gas exploration and development company with operations in Alberta, Canada.

Its primary asset is the Richdale property in Central Alberta. The property consists of five producing light oil wells and sits on 5,920 acres of long-term reserves. According to a company presentation from April 2025, the property hosts combined proved and probable reserves of just under 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent, with a pre-tax net present value of C$25.8 million.

The company also owns two wells at its Twinning light oil site near Nisku, seven producing wells at its Red Earth property in Northern Alberta and two multi-zone wells at its Chambers Ferrier liquid gas production property.

Although Altima hasn’t released news in the last few months, its share price surged mid-week.

3. Trillion Energy (CSE:TCF)

Weekly gain: 71.43 percent
Market cap: C$11.62 million
Share price: C$0.06

Trillion Energy is an oil and gas producer focused on supplying the European and Turkish markets.

The company owns a 49 percent share in the SASB gas field with Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) owning the remainder. The field is located in the southwestern Black Sea, and covers a license block area of 12,387 hectares. Trillion also owns a 19.6 percent interest in the Cendre oil field, with TPAO owning the majority 80 percent.

On April 26, the company released its 2024 year end reserve report. In the announcement, Trillion reported that its attributable total proved and probable reserves at the SASB gas field increased to 62.3 billion cubic feet of gas and 247 million barrels of oil, with a pre-tax NPV of US$363.6 million.

Trillion Energy’s share price climbed in the second half of the week. Although it did not put out a press release, the company stated in posts on X Wednesday and Friday that the partners are “actively engaged on-site” advancing gas lift operations through “carefully managed on-platform efforts.”

4. Search Minerals (TSXV:SMY)

Weekly gain: 52 percent
Market cap: C$18.81 million
Share price: C$0.380

Search Minerals is a rare earth element exploration and development company working to advance its flagship Deep Fox project in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

The project is located near the port of St. Lewis on the Southeast Labrador coast and consists of 63 mineral claims covering an area of 1,575 hectares. The company also owns the nearby Foxtrot deposit. A May 2022 technical report reported a combined indicated mineral resource estimate for the two properties of 375 parts per million (ppm) praseodymium, 1,402 ppm neodymium, 185 ppm dysprosium and 32 ppm terbium from 15.09 million metric tons of ore.

Search Minerals released a corporate update on June 13 announcing that its shares were being reinstated for trading on the TSXV. The update detailed how, under previous management, the company’s TSXV listing was subject to a cease trade order in April 2024 due to the previous management team failing to file annual financial statements for 2023. Search’s new board and management team, elected and appointed in mid-2024, brought the company back into compliance.

Search recommenced trading Monday, and its shares climbed on June 19 after the company announced unreleased assay results from a 2022 Phase 4 drill program at Deep Fox. Highlighted assays included one hole with a 29.92 meter interval grading 256 ppm dysprosium, 1,848 ppm neodymium, 496 ppm praseodymium and 43.5 ppm terbium.

The company said the results validate their belief in the mineralization at the site, and that it would drive forward development of Deep Fox, which it called a generational asset, without delay.

5. Homeland Nickel (TSXV:SHL)

Weekly gain: 50 percent
Market cap: C$12.26 million
Share price: C$0.06

Homeland Nickel is an exploration company with projects in the US and Canada.

The company owns four nickel projects in Oregon: Cleopatra, Red Flat, Eight Dollar Mountain and Shamrock. The projects are in the early exploration stage, with the company being guided by historic work at each property.

Homeland is also working on the Great Burnt copper-gold project in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The project is a 30/70 joint venture with Benton Resources (TSXV:BEX,OTC Pink:BNTRF), which earned its stake in the property through an earn-in agreement with Homeland in July 2024.

While the company did not release any news, on June 11, Noble Mineral Exploration (TSXV:NOB) and Canada Nickel’s (TSXV:CNC) announcement on June 11 of positive assay results from their joint venture Mann nickel project in Ontario. Homeland owns 2.95 million shares in Canada Nickel and 9.96 million shares of Noble.

FAQs for Canadian mining stocks

What is the difference between the TSX and TSXV?

The TSX, or Toronto Stock Exchange, is used by senior companies with larger market caps, and the TSXV, or TSX Venture Exchange, is used by smaller-cap companies. Companies listed on the TSXV can graduate to the senior exchange.

How many mining companies are listed on the TSX and TSXV?

As of February 2025, there were 1,572 companies listed on the TSXV, 905 of which were mining companies. Comparatively, the TSX was home to 1,859 companies, with 181 of those being mining companies.

Together the TSX and TSXV host around 40 percent of the world’s public mining companies.

How much does it cost to list on the TSXV?

There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.

The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.

These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.

How do you trade on the TSXV?

Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange’s trading hours.

Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.

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

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Apple has plans to make a folding iPhone starting next year, reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said on Wednesday.

Kuo said Apple’s folding phone could have a display made by Samsung Display, which is planning to produce as many as eight million foldable panels for the device next year. However, other components haven’t been finalized, including the device’s hinge, Kuo wrote. He expects it to have “premium pricing.”

Kuo is an analyst for TF International Securities, and focuses on the Asian electronics supply chain and often discusses Apple products before they’re launched.

He wrote in a post on social media site X that Apple’s plans for the foldable iPhone aren’t locked in yet and are subject to change. Apple did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Apple’s iPhone makes up over half of Apple’s business and remains an incredibly profitable product, accounting for $201 billion in sales in the company’s fiscal 2024. But iPhone revenue peaked in 2022, and Apple is constantly looking for ways to attract new customers and convince its current customers to upgrade to more expensive devices.

Several of Apple’s rivals, including Huawei and Samsung, have been releasing folding smartphones since 2019.

The devices promise the screen size of a tablet in a format that can be stored in pants pockets. But folding phones still have hardware issues, including creases in the display where it is folded.

Folding phones also have yet to prove they drive significant demand after the novelty wears off.

Research firm TrendForce said last year that only 1.5% of all smartphones sold can fold. Counterpoint, another research firm tracking smartphone sales, said earlier this year that the folding market only grew about 3% in 2024 and is expected to shrink in 2025.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Crude oil futures rose more than 1% on Thursday, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Israel’s military to intensify attacks against Iran.

U.S. crude oil was last up $1.36, or 1.81%, to $76.50 per barrel by 9:38 a.m. ET, while global benchmark Brent added $1.10, or 1.43%, to $77.80 per barrel. Prices have gained more than 11% over the seven days since Israel began pounding Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.

Follow along for live coverage

Netanyahu ordered Israel’s military to intensify attacks on “strategic targets” in Iran and “government targets” in the country’s capital, Tehran, Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a social media post. The goal of the strikes is to “undermine the ayatollah’s regime,” Katz said.

Israel’s decision to escalate its military operation against the Islamic Republic comes after an Iranian missile reportedly struck a major hospital in the southern city of Beersheba. Katz threatened Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the wake of the hospital strike.

Katz said Israel’s military “has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist,” referring to Khamenei.

President Donald Trump is still considering whether to order a U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear program. “I may do it, I may not do it, I mean nobody knows what I’m going to do,” Trump told reporters Wednesday.

JPMorgan warned on Wednesday that regime change in a major oil producing country like Iran could have a profound impact on global oil prices. Iran is one of the top producers in OPEC.

“If history serves as a guide, further destabilization of Iran could lead to significantly higher oil prices sustained over extended periods,” Natasha Kaneva, head of global commodities research at JPMorgan, told clients in a note.

Supply losses in the wake of a regime change “are challenging to recover quickly, further supporting elevated prices,” Kaneva said.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS