Kinetiko Energy (KKO:AU) has announced Kinetiko Commences Trading on North American OTC Market
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Kinetiko Energy (KKO:AU) has announced Kinetiko Commences Trading on North American OTC Market
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RemSense Technologies (REM:AU) has announced Expanded ExxonMobil Award Validates RemSense Strategy
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Silver Dollar Resources (CSE:SLV,OTCQX:SLVDF,FSE:4YW) (CSE:SLV,OTCQX:SLVDF,FSE:4YW) is a precious metals exploration company targeting high-grade silver and gold opportunities in Mexico. Its cornerstone asset is the La Joya silver–gold–copper project, situated in the southern Durango–Zacatecas silver belt, one of the most productive silver districts globally.
La Joya has seen substantial historical exploration, with more than 51,600 metres drilled in 182 holes defining several mineralized zones, including the Main Mineralized Trend, Santo Niño, and Coloradito. The company is now revisiting the project with an underground-oriented exploration approach, combining structural interpretation, underground sampling, and a detailed review of historic drill core to pinpoint higher-grade mineralization at depth.
Beyond La Joya, Silver Dollar owns the Nora silver–gold project in Durango, home to the historic Candy mine and an epithermal vein system that has delivered high-grade surface sampling results. The company also holds an equity stake in Bunker Hill Mining following the divestment of the Ranger-Page project, offering leveraged exposure to the anticipated production restart in Idaho’s Silver Valley in early 2026.
This Silver Dollar Resources profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*
Click here to connect with Silver Dollar Resources (CSE:SLV,OTCQX:SLVDF,FSE:4YW) to receive an Investor Presentation
With a tight capital structure, experienced management and strategic gold, silver and copper project locations near major past-producing mines, Questcorp is well-positioned to deliver discovery-driven growth to investors.
Questcorp Mining (CSE:QQQ,OTC:QQCMF,FSE:D910) is a Canadian junior exploration company focused on unlocking value in two high-potential mineral districts: the Sonoran Gold Belt in Mexico and Vancouver Island in British Columbia.
The company aims to build shareholder value through disciplined exploration of assets with near-surface mineralization and proven geologic continuity. The company operates in mining-friendly jurisdictions, close to infrastructure and within major metal-producing belts. Its flagship La Union gold project offers high-grade gold-silver-lead-zinc potential in Mexico, while the North Island copper project provides exposure to porphyry copper and skarn systems in a district that hosts multi-billion-pound copper resources.
With gold prices near all-time highs and a copper supply crunch emerging, Questcorp is targeting discoveries that can drive exponential value from a tightly held share structure.
The La Union gold project is a 2,604-hectare, road-accessible high-grade carbonate replacement deposit (CRD) located at the edge of the Sonoran Gold Belt, one of the richest gold-producing regions in Mexico. The property is located near major mines, including La Herradura (6.7 Moz, measured and indicated) and San Francisco (1.4 Moz, measured and indicated), and boasts historical production from underground operations by Peñoles and others, reportedly yielding ~50,000 ounces of gold in the 1950s at grades of 7 to 20 grams per ton (g/t) gold.
La Union gold project location
Work done to date includes consolidation of seven historical properties into a single district-scale project by Riverside Resources, which invested more than US$2.5 million in geological mapping, sampling and target definition. Sampling has returned high-grade grab samples including 83.2 g/t gold, 4,816 g/t silver, 30 percent zinc, and 19.8 percent lead. Channel sampling and geological work identified eight mineralized zones, three of which – Plomito, La Famosa and La Union – are drill-ready and fully permitted.
Geology and history of La Union
Questcorp executed a definitive agreement with Riverside in May 2025 to earn up to 100 percent interest in the project. The planned Phase I program includes drilling 10 diamond drill holes averaging 300 meters in depth across the three priority targets, alongside geophysical (gravity and EM) surveys to refine targets. Questcorp will also continue surface exploration at the remaining five targets to identify additional drill candidates. The project’s polymetallic nature and porphyry potential at depth suggest significant resource upside. Riverside remains as the operator during the earn-in, bringing proven success in similar deposits such as Alamos Gold’s Mulatos.
The North Island copper property is an exploration-stage project located on the northern tip of Vancouver Island, approximately 7.5 km northwest of BHP’s historic Island Copper Mine. The Island Copper operation historically produced 1.2 billion kg copper, 35,268 kg gold, 360,800 kg silver, and significant molybdenum and rhenium from 367 million tonnes of ore, underscoring the district’s endowment.
NICP hosts eight documented copper-silver skarn occurrences and displays porphyry-style mineralization associated with the Island Intrusive suite. The property is geologically anchored by two main target areas: skarns associated with Quatsino limestones in the east and a porphyry copper target to the west, known as the Marisa Zone. Historical drilling by previous operators at Marisa intersected broad zones of copper mineralization, including:
Despite promising results, these zones were never followed up. Questcorp intends to revisit and expand on this historic work. The next steps include completing a 3D induced polarization (IP) survey to model chargeability and resistivity anomalies, followed by a focused drill campaign targeting extensions of the Marisa porphyry.
The project benefits from excellent access via the Vancouver Island Highway and logging roads, plus nearby hydro infrastructure, offering low-cost exploration potential. With a favorable neighborhood, including Northisle Copper & Gold Inc. (TSXV:NCX) with a ~$800 million market cap, NICP represents a high-upside copper exploration story in a Tier-1 jurisdiction.
Saf Dhillon has been involved in the development of public companies for over 20 years, holding various positions including investor relations, business development and senior management, as well as board directorships, building an extensive worldwide list of contacts. He was a key member of the Idaho-based US Geothermal’s management team, which grew the company from an approximately US$2 million startup to a successful independent renewable energy power producer with three new power plants operating in the Pacific Northwest. Saf is President & CEO of iMetal Resources Inc. (TSXV:IMR), President & CEO of Bayridge Resources Corp. (CSE:BYRG). He is also a founding director of Torrent Gold (CSE:TGLD), a board member of Lake Winn Resources (TSXV:LWR), and provides assistance to several other private and public companies.
R. Tim Henneberry is a professional geoscientist with over 43 years of experience in domestic and international exploration and production for base and precious metals and industrial minerals. He founded Mammoth Geological in 1991, providing geological consulting services to numerous private and publicly traded companies. Henneberry has been involved in senior management of several TSX Venture and CSE-listed companies over the last 30+ years, serving as director, senior officer or advisor, including the founding of several.
Scott Davis is a partner of Cross Davis & Company LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, providing accounting and management services for publicly listed companies. His experience includes CFO positions of several companies listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, and his past experience consists of senior management positions, including four years at Appleby as an assistant financial controller. Prior to that, he spent two years at Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as an auditor, and five years with Pacific Opportunity Capital as an accounting manager.
After peaking above US$20,000 per metric ton (MT) in May 2024, nickel prices have trended steadily downward.
Behind the numbers is a persistent oversupply driven by Indonesia’s high output, the world’s largest nickel producer.
At the same time, demand from China’s manufacturing and construction sectors, a traditional driver of stainless steel, has been weak as the country’s beleaguered real estate sector continues to find its footing.
Read on to learn what other key factors moved the nickel sector in 2025.
There wasn’t much change at the start of the quarter; the price was essentially trading in the US$15,000 to US$15,500 range, the same as it had since recovering from the post-liberation day tariff announcement rout in the base metals market in April that sent the price spiraling to a year-to-date low of US$14,150.
Nickel price, December 19, 2024, to December 18, 2025.
Chart via TradingEconomics.
However, cracks began to form at the end of October as it became clearer that the oversupply situation was likely to persist, pushing prices back below the US$15,000 mark by mid-November.
Prices for nickel rebounded in late November, but failed to break the US$15,000 again and slid toward a yearly low, reaching US$14,235 on December 15.
At the end of the year’s third quarter, the expectation was that nickel prices would carry momentum as the monsoon season arrived in the Philippines; however, despite seasonal declines in output, the market ‘s supply glut persisted, and prices continued to trend lower at the end of the period.
As of September 30, London Metal Exchange (LME) warehouses held 231,504 MT of nickel, and by November 28, stockpiles had grown to 254,364 MT, nearly 100,000 MT higher than the start of 2025.
According to a mid-December Shanghai Metals Market article, refined production decreased by 25,800 MT in November. Still, it was outpaced by inventory accumulation, as downstream demand remained soft.
On the demand side, stockpile buildups coincided with the traditional off-season for stainless steel producers, which accounts for 60 percent of total nickel demand, and weak end-use consumption led some producers to initiate output cuts. Additionally, Shanghai Metals Market notes that stainless demand was further impacted by the superior economics of recycled materials. The outlet also states that although production costs in Indonesia are lower than elsewhere, the price of nickel is rapidly approaching producers’ break-even point.
In February, the Indonesian government changed its quota system, increasing nickel ore output to 298.5 million wet metric tons from 271 million wet metric tons in 2024. The move from the top nickel producer was designed to alleviate supply pressures, with increased production limited to major production areas.
This was followed in October by a change to the length of time production quotas were valid, shortening it to one year from three years, and forcing miners to reapply for previously approved quotas for 2026 and 2027.
Changes were made to the application system after companies failed to meet environmental obligations, and companies will now have to submit proof they have the financial means to remediate land after operations are complete.
Adding to the metal’s woes at the end of the year is demand from the electric vehicle (EV) sector slipping as more battery producers pivot away from nickel in their chemistries, as cheaper lithium-iron-phosphate batteries improve efficiency.
For her part, Manthey, explained that everything has aligned for a bear market.
“LME stockpiles are at a four-year high, with Chinese and Indonesian cathode dominating,” she said, adding that growth in battery metals was slower than expected, and that demand for stainless steel was sluggish on the back of global weakness in manufacturing.
The rest of the year wasn’t much different for nickel.
The oversupply situation carried over from 2024, with Indonesian producers making up roughly 60 percent of the market. Likewise, curtailments continued among western producers as prices were unable to cover costs.
In April, the Indonesian government made a significant change to its royalty rates, hiking them to between 14 and 19 percent, depending on the nickel price. That’s up from the country’s previously imposed 10 percent flat rate, with a 2 percent royalty on nickel mattes destined for battery production.
As the second quarter began, base metal prices sank amid rising expectations of a global recession following US President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcement on April 2.
Markets rebounded after their initial tariff plans were walked back, following a bond market squeeze that pushed 10 year treasury yields up by more than half a percentage point.
Nickel faced further pressures in July as the One Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law in the US, ending the federal EV tax credit, as well as other tax credits for expanding charging infrastructure. The change came into effect on September 30 and eliminated a US$7,500 rebate on the purchase of new EVs. Before the end of the tax credit, data showed that American EV sales reached a record 1.2 million through the first nine months of 2025, with the share for EVs climbing to 12 percent in Q3 as consumers made purchases ahead of the program’s end.
Q4 data shows EV sales have declined significantly since the tax credit expired, and interest in EVs has fallen by 20 percent. The fall caused Ford Motor (NASDAQ:F) to pull back on its EV plans and take a US$19.5 billion writedown.
Nickel prices continued on a downtrend in 2025, and expectations aren’t much different for the year ahead.
Until the metal see ssustained upward momentum, it’s unlikely that curtailed western operations will be restarted.
For experienced investors, this may offer an opportunity to enter a market closer to the bottom than the top. However, until there is a significant correction in supply and demand fundamentals, the nickel market won’t have much of a tailwind, leading to a riskier market, that may have a lengthy period before returns are realized, if at all.
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
The silver price was on the rise once again this week — it surged past the US$67 per ounce level on Friday (December 19), hitting a new record before pulling back.
As for gold, it spent much of the period around the US$4,330 per ounce level, although it rose as high as US$4,360 on Thursday (December 18), approaching its own all-time high.
Investors were eyeing November US consumer price index (CPI) data, which came out on Thursday. It was up 2.7 percent year-on-year, while core CPI was measured at 2.6 percent.
Those figures were quite a bit lower than analysts’ estimates, and data collection issues caused by the US government shutdown have left market participants questioning the results.
Notably, Bureau of Labor Statistics officials had to make ‘certain methodological assumptions’ because the October CPI report was canceled entirely. The bureau also started November data collection later than usual, driving concerns about a rebound in numbers for December.
US jobs data for both October and November came out this week as well, showing that the unemployment rate for last month rose to 4.6 percent, the highest since 2021.
While 64,000 jobs were added in November, 105,000 were lost in October, and revisions took 33,000 jobs away from the months of August and September.
Outside US economic data, it’s worth noting that for silver there’s still a lot of focus on behind-the-scenes actions that could be impacting the price.
Here’s what Substack newsletter writer John Rubino had to say about that:
‘A lot of the discontinuities that we’re seeing in the silver market right now are due to the fact that the big exchanges like Comex may not have enough silver to satisfy the demands of futures contract holders.
‘In other words, there are a lot more people out there with long futures contracts that could come in and demand silver than there is silver to satisfy that demand. And the number of people who are standing for delivery on futures contracts is rising, and the amount of silver in these exchanges is shrinking.’
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also take a moment to mention platinum.
While gold and silver have been making headlines, platinum’s 2025 rise has been quiet, but significant — it’s up over 100 percent year-to-date and nearly hit US$1,980 per ounce this week.
Platinum is somewhat similar to silver in that they both have precious and industrial sides, and they’ve both seen persistent deficits in recent years.
Platinum’s deficit has definitely helped it rise this year, but looking forward to next year the World Platinum Investment Council is expecting a balanced market. When I saw that, I wondered if that would mean lower prices in 2026. But that may not necessarily be the case.
Edward Sterck said there are a couple of nuances in the council’s outlook — for example, it’s anticipating profit taking from exchange-traded funds, but if that doesn’t happen, then the platinum deficit may persist. He also noted that balance in 2026 wouldn’t erase years of deficits:
‘A balanced market doesn’t solve for the fact we’ve had three years of deficits. It doesn’t in any way, I suppose, rebuild aboveground stocks. And it’s the shortage of aboveground stocks that seems to be one of the major catalysts behind this price action and behind the market tightness.’
It’s not only precious metals that have been hitting new highs this year.
The price of copper has been climbing as well, hitting a new all-time high of close to US$12,000 per metric ton last week on the London Metal Exchange.
It’s pulled back slightly since then, but market watchers agree the copper outlook remains strong as rising demand meets constrained supply. In fact, I’ve been asking experts what they think the top-performing asset of next year will be, and copper has been a popular pick.
Lobo Tiggre of IndependentSpeculator.com chose the base metal as his highest-confidence trade of 2025, and he said he’s sticking with it next year.
Here’s what he had to say about copper:
‘Top pick for 2026 is copper. Similar reasons to 2025 —the copper price has been kicked around, up and down by what I think of as sort of extraneous issues. But the fundamentals mean the demand scenario just looks phenomenal, and the supply has been really constrained.’
Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
We also break down next week’s catalysts to watch to help you prepare for the week ahead.
US stocks advanced this week amid key economic data releases, with tech leading gains after Micron Technology’s (NASDAQ:MU) results release and easing artificial intelligence (AI) sector pressures.
The S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) rose 0.02 percent on the week, closing Friday (December 19) at 6,834.5.
However, tech stock losses earlier in the week kept gains in check. The Nasdaq Composite (INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC) lost 0.1 percent for the week to close at 23,307.62 on Friday.
Micron Technology reported earnings for its first fiscal quarter of 2026 on Thursday (December 18), showing strong results driven by surging high-bandwidth memory sales for AI data centers
Revenue reached US$13.64 billion, up 93 percent from last year and higher than the company’s September revenue projection of US$12.8 billion. Adjusted earnings per share were US$4.78, beating estimates of US$3.95. The company generated strong free cashflow and declared a US$0.115 per share dividend payable on January 14, 2026.
Looking ahead, Micron adjusted its profit guidance for the upcoming quarter to US$8.42 per share, higher than Wall Street’s US$4.78 consensus, due to continued AI boom momentum.
Investors responded to the results by sending Micron shares up 10 percent post-earnings. Momentum carried into Friday’s trading session, spilling over into other tech stocks, which have come under pressure in recent weeks over lofty valuations and funding concerns. The company ended the week 0.58 percent higher.
Trump Media & Technology Group rose nearly 30 percent before Thursday’s opening bell after the company announced plans to merge with fusion power company TAE Technologies.
The all-stock deal is reportedly valued at more than US$6 billion. Devin Nunes, chair and chief executive of Trump Media, and Dr. Michl Binderbauer, CEO and director at TAE, are set to serve as co-CEOs.
TAE is a private company with backing from Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and other companies. The merger is slated to create one of the first publicly traded nuclear fusion companies. “We’re taking a big step forward toward a revolutionary technology that will cement America’s global energy dominance for generations,“ Nunes said.
Shares of Trump Media closed the week with a gain of 39.53 percent.
Oracle shares dropped 5.4 percent on Wednesday (December 17) after a Financial Times report claimed data center investor Blue Owl Capital pulled out of a US$10 billion financing round for one of the AI data centers Oracle is constructing for OpenAI in Michigan. Talks reportedly stalled due to concerns over project delays, tougher debt terms, Oracle’s rising debt load and lease arrangements, per sources cited by the news outlet.
Oracle disputed the report’s implications, stating that Michigan negotiations are “on schedule” without Blue Owl.
The company said its project development partner, Related Digital, has chosen “the best equity partner from a competitive group of options, which in this instance was not Blue Owl.” Still, the company finished the week with its share price ahead by 2.18 percent as tech stocks staged an end-of-year comeback.
Oracle, Micron Technology and Trump Media performance, December 15 to 19, 2025.
Chart via Google Finance.
Tech exchange-traded funds (ETFs) track baskets of major tech stocks, meaning their performance helps investors gauge the overall performance of the niches they cover.
This week, the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX) declined by 0.94 percent, while the Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXQ) saw a loss of 0.66 percent.
The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SMH) also decreased by 0.61 percent.
Markets will be closed mid-week next week, with low trading volumes likely keeping movement calm.
Watch for year-end selling in tech stocks, a potential rotation into safer sectors and light data like factory orders and home sales reports. Any comments on future interest rates could move markets somehwat, but expect mostly flat trading unless big news like policy changes breaks through.
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Trump Media & Technology will merge with a fusion power company in an all-stock deal that the companies said Thursday is valued at more than $6 billion.
Devin Nunes, the Republican congressman who resigned in 2021 to become the CEO of Trump Media, will be co-CEO of the new company with TAE Technologies CEO Michl Binderbauer.
Shares of Trump Media & Technology, the parent company of President Donald Trump’s Truth Social media platform, have tumbled 70% this year but jumped 20% before the opening bell Thursday.
TAE is a private company and the merger with Trump Media would create one of the first publicly traded nuclear fusion companies.
“We’re taking a big step forward toward a revolutionary technology that will cement America’s global energy dominance for generations,” Nunes said in a prepared statement.
TAE focuses on nuclear fusion, a technology that combines two light atomic nuclei to form a single heavier one. It releases enormous amount of energy, a process that occurs on the sun and other stars, according to the United Nation’s International Atomic Energy Agency.
TAE and Trump Media shareholders will each own approximately 50% of the combined company.
The companies say the transaction values each TAE common stock at $53.89 per share.
At closing, Trump Media & Technology Group will be the holding company for Truth Social and TAE, along with its subsidiaries TAE Power Solutions and TAE Life Sciences.
The palladium price surged upward in 2025 after three years of trending down and sideways.
More than 80 percent of palladium demand comes from the auto sector, where it is used in the production of catalytic converters. Platinum and palladium are mostly interchangeable for this end use, and typically swapped for each other as their prices fluctuate.
Strong growth in demand for electric and hybrid vehicles in recent years has placed downward pressure on palladium prices. On the supply side, Russia is one of the world’s top suppliers of palladium and other platinum-group metals.
In 2025, palladium prices soared by more than 83 percent as of mid-December on supportive demand signals from slowing electric vehicle (EV) adoption trends and concerns about Russian supply reliability.
The price of the metal reached a year-to-date high of US$1,675.50 per ounce on December 17.
What’s the outlook for palladium in 2026? Let’s see what the experts have to say.
As for China, data from the China Passenger Car Association shows retail auto sales fell by 8.1 percent in November and dropped by 1.1 percent month over month; however, exports rose 52 percent to a record high of 601,000 units.
“New-energy vehicle sales grew only 4.2 percent year over year, undershooting expectations and reinforcing the theme that the domestic EV momentum is cooling faster than previously assumed,” said Hasan.’The export boom, however, keeps Chinese production elevated and sustains global palladium demand through foreign-market supply chains.”
The global slowdown in EV sales is also beneficial to palladium’s demand prospects. Reuters reported that global EV sales rose by just 6 percent in November on flat sales out of China and a 42 percent drop in North America after the Trump Administration ended the EV tax credit scheme. That’s the slowest growth rate since February of 2024.
“Slower electrification limits the speed of substitution away from palladium-heavy combustionengines, extending the life cycle of auto catalyst demand at a time when supply growth remainsan open question,” Hasn stated.
Looking into 2026, S&P Global sees the outlook for light-vehicle production being dependent on changing US trade policies and emissions standards. Consumer demand could be weighed down by the extra costs brought about by tariffs.
“The broader pattern suggests flattish global production trends for 2026, a scenario that keeps palladium demand growth steady but not spectacular,” Hasn explained.
Another factor that may impact palladium demand in the coming year is the premium reversal and the potential for auto makers to swap platinum for palladium in autocatalysts. Historically, for the most part palladium has traded at a premium to platinum; however, this trend reversed in late 2025 as the platinum market is facing a large supply deficit for the year.
In its September 2025 market update, the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC) reported at that time that platinum prices over the preceding twelve months were trading at an average premium of US$59 per ounce to palladium prices. The WPIC said it “expects reverse substitution (i.e. palladium for platinum) to reach 250 koz by 2029f. With palladium now benefitting from reverse substitution, palladium will also relatively benefit (versus platinum) from China 7 emission legislation which we have added into our forecasts from 2028f.”
As of December 17, platinum is trading at a premium of more than US$250 compared to palladium.
Palladium’s price peaks in 2025 are not all related to demand. Production and logistics challenges are also driving prices for the metal. The two geographic regions to watch for supply side trends are Russia and South Africa, by far the two biggest palladium producing countries. Together, they account for more than three-quarters of global palladium production. In Russia, palladium is mainly a by-product of nickel and copper mining, whereas in South Africa the metal is mined as a by-product or co-product of platinum.
In South Africa, platinum and palladium mining operations have been plagued by heavy rain and flooding in 2025. The nation’s mining industry has already been suffering under an energy crisis marked by frequent power outages. To further compound the supply problem, maturing deposits are becoming more expensive to mine and a lack of significant capital investment has led to a dearth of new projects.
In Russia, palladium output is traditionally dependent upon the economic and operational viability of its nickel mines. Since the country’s invasion of Ukraine, logistical challenges have erupted all along the palladium supply chain from mining to export as sanctions and trade restrictions have tightened. This includes the removal of Russian refiners from the London Platinum and Palladium Market ‘Good Delivery Lists’.
Another supply side challenge came in mid-2025 when American palladium producer Sibanye-Stillwater (NYSE:SBSW) headed up a petition requesting that the US International Trade Commission (ITC) investigate anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Russian unwrought palladium. Russian palladium represents about 40 percent of US imports of the metal.
The ITC found that dumped and subsidized Russian palladium imports do pose a threat to the US palladium industry. The Department of Commerce is now conducting a full investigation into the dumping margins and subsidies of Russian unwrought palladium. A determination is expected in January 2026, followed by the final phase of the ITC investigation to be completed in May 2026.
Sterck said the outcome could have an impact on the substitution of platinum for palladium in catalytic converters. “I think going into next year, we should get greater clarity on these investigations, and it’s certainly something that we’ll be watching in terms of trying to inform our estimates for 2026 as a whole,” he added.
In its September 20205 market update, the WPIC projected that the palladium market will likely post supply deficits for 2025 and 2026 before moving into a surplus. That’s with palladium mine supply forecast to decline by 1.1 percent CAGR between 2024 and 2029.
“Notably, the forecast of palladium going into surplus is entirely contingent on recycling supply growth. If this does not materialise then palladium could remain in a deficit for the foreseeable future, which could materially alter palladium value expectations,” stated the report.
The palladium market is notoriously volatile and highly sensitive to economic swings and supply disruptions. All of this makes forecasting palladium prices challenging.
Precious metals industry service provider Heraeus Precious Metals’ 2026 palladium price forecast is representative of the uncertainty prevalent in this segment of the market. The firm is projecting that prices for the metal will trade in a range of US$950 to US$1,500 next year.
Palladium may face a widening surplus as battery electric vehicles gain market share,” said Henrik Marx, Head of Trading at Heraeus Precious Metals. This would likely place downward pressure on palladium price. However, the firm’s report points out that the metal’s price may receive a boost from a rally in platinum prices.
New York-based precious metals dealer Bullion Exchanges has a base case of US$1,300 to US$1,600 per ounce for palladium in 2026. If EV adoption grows faster than expected, its bearish case for the metal comes in at US$1,100 per ounce. If the supply deficit deepens and Russian palladium faces further sanctions, the firm sees a more bullish case for palladium to soar above US$1,800 per ounce.
Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Friday (December 19) as of 9:00 pm UTC.
Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ether and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.
Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$88,004.97, up by 3.6 percent over 24 hours.
Bitcoin price performance, December 19, 2025.
Chart via TradingView
Ether (ETH) was priced at US$2,991.30, up by 7.2 percent over the last 24 hours.
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) of BTC treasury company Metaplanet (TSE:3350,OTCQX:MPJPY) began trading today on the US OTC market under the ticker symbol MPJPY, replacing the previously unsponsored MTPLF ticker, according to an announcement from the company.
This step builds on earlier US expansions. The company, which is based in Tokyo, established a wholly-owned subsidiary called Metaplanet Treasury in Miami, Florida, in May 2025 to handle BTC accumulation and treasury operations with up to US$250 million in capital.
The launch is intended to enhance US investor participation in MetaPlanet’s BTC strategy.
Poland’s lower house of parliament, called the Sejm, approved a crypto-asset market bill today, overriding President Karol Nawrocki’s prior veto. It now heads to the Senate for review, where it potentially faces another veto.
President Nawrocki vetoed the bill earlier in December, citing threats to civil liberties like easy website blocks. Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government resubmitted the bill, unchanged. It passed with 241 votes.
The bill aligns Poland with the EU’s MiCA regulation by designating the Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) to oversee crypto exchanges, impose sanctions, and introduce criminal liability for offenses.
The US Senate has confirmed Mike Selig as the next chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), bringing permanent leadership back to an agency that has operated for months in near-limbo.
Selig’s confirmation passed 53–43 as part of a broader package of federal appointments. The CFTC had been functioning with a single commissioner, Acting Chair Caroline Pham, after multiple resignations hollowed out the five-member panel.
While Pham kept the agency operational, the lack of a Senate-confirmed chair constrained long-term planning, staffing, and coordination with other regulators.
That gap was especially acute as lawmakers debated expanding the CFTC’s role in overseeing spot crypto markets.
The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act is set to enter Senate markup in January, according to White House crypto and AI adviser David Sacks, putting the bill on a formal path toward passage.
‘We had a great call today with Chairmen @SenatorTimScott and @JohnBoozman who confirmed that a markup for Clarity is coming in January. Thanks to their leadership, as well as @RepFrenchHill and @CongressmanGT in the House, we are closer than ever to passing the landmark crypto market structure legislation that President Trump has called for,’ Sacks posted on X. ‘We look forward to finishing the job in January!’
Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott and Agriculture Chair John Boozman have agreed on the timeline. The bill, which cleared the House earlier this year, aims to settle long-running jurisdiction disputes by spelling out when a token is a security versus a commodity.
Lawmakers are expected to focus amendments on asset classification tests, investor protection standards, and how quickly platforms must register under the new regime.
Another key issue will be how the SEC and CFTC coordinate oversight during the transition period.
If the schedule holds, Congress could finalize a reconciled version later during the year.
Crypto exchange Bybit has resumed operations in the UK after a two-year absence triggered by tighter rules on crypto marketing and promotions.
The platform has restarted spot trading with 100 pairs, using a compliance structure designed to meet the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) financial promotion standards.
Rather than holding its own UK authorization, Bybit is operating under an arrangement with London-based exchange Archax, which is licensed to approve crypto promotions for unauthorised firms.
This route has previously been used by other major exchanges seeking access to British users.
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.