🔋🔋LITHIUM EVs TIPPING POINT
We’ve gone from demand for EVs are slowing down to a tipping point. Wait until they workout the the oil price shock is about to cause a structural shift.
We have the best possible set up for lithium ion batteries and silver in solar PV ever.
$LIT $LITP $GLN $AGY $SGML $LIT.V $LTH.NE $QTWO.NE
#Copper - Copper supply is tighter than expected. Guidance cuts from Anglo American (10%), Teck (~20%), Freeport (35% for 2026), and others. Tariff risks and strong demand from data centers, AI, and electrification.
“During this new stage of the depression, the refugee gold and the foreign government reserve deposits were constantly driven by fear hither and yon over the world.
We were to see currencies demoralized and governments embarrassed as fear drove the gold from one country to another. In fact, there was a mass of gold and short-term credit which behaved like a loose cannon on the deck of the world in a tempest-tossed era.”
Herbert Hoover
This is insane.
Scientists have created a liquid that can store sunlight for months or even years and release it later as heat on demand.
US researchers designed a DNA-inspired molecule called pyrimidone that changes into a high energy form when exposed to UV light. This transformation locks solar energy inside the molecule’s structure, allowing it to be stored long-term with very little loss.
When triggered by heat, acid, or a catalyst, the molecule returns to its original form and releases the stored energy as heat. The system reaches about 1.6 MJ per kilogram, comparable to or higher than lithium-ion batteries by mass, and has produced enough heat to rapidly boil small amounts of water in experiments.
Unlike batteries or hot-water tanks, this Molecular Solar Thermal (MOST) fluid stores energy chemically, so it doesn’t gradually leak heat over time and can be recharged repeatedly with sunlight.
If scaled, it could allow buildings to capture summer solar energy and use it in winter with minimal external power.
This research points toward a future where solar energy can be stored seasonally in a stable liquid fuel.
Acceleration is everywhere
🚨 FRENCH ENERGY GIANT TO INSTALL BTC MINERS
🇫🇷 Government-owned energy company Engie is considering deploying Bitcoin miners at a new solar plant in Brazil to boost profitability.
The firm says BTC mining could monetize excess energy and wouldn’t be a short-term experiment.
Is the dominance of mega-cap tech stocks starting to crack?
@TaviCosta says extreme market concentration never lasts — and history shows leadership can change quickly. Here’s why he believes capital is preparing to rotate into energy, materials, and infrastructure.
Full interview on https://t.co/zKH2X4Hp0r
Over 60 new copper mines will be needed globally by 2030 to meet rising demand, requiring an estimated $285B in investment (@benchmarkmin).
- By 2050, BHP sees global copper demand rising 70% to 50Mt annually.
- Energy transition demand: 7% → 23%
- Digital (data centres, 5G, AI): 1% → 6%
Net-zero goals could require up to 200 new large-scale mines by mid-century – roughly 1–6 new mines per year.
Meanwhile, in the US, the bottleneck isn’t mining output – it’s a lack of domestic refining capacity.
#Copper #Mining #EnergyTransition #NetZero
📣 NEWS RELEASE:
“We are excited to be getting another early start to the year as we embark on what will be one of the largest diamond drilling campaigns ever completed in the Yukon. With up to 60,000 metres of drilling planned for 2026, which will effectively double the total amount of diamond drilling completed to date at the Project, we anticipate another transformational year of rapid resource growth and advancement as we continue to unlock the value at RC Gold.” - Cor Coe, Director and CEO.
$SIG.V $SITKF
Read today's news in full:
https://t.co/vb46P1vGiM
#gold #tungsten #exploration #juniormining #geology #miningstocks #goldstocks #investyukon #kluanedrilling
SOUTH AMERICA: THE WEST'S SAFEST BET FOR CRITICAL MINERALS IN 2026
A major new report from Verisk Maplecroft reveals why Western nations are turning to South America to escape over-reliance on China for key minerals like lithium, copper, nickel, cobalt, graphite, and rare earths. In a world of rising geopolitical tensions and supply chain risks, the Andes region stands out as the smart, stable choice.
THE BIG PICTURE: WHY SOUTH AMERICA WINS
✅ Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru combine massive reserves with moderate political risk and lower resource nationalism.
➡️ Unlike high-risk spots like DR Congo, Indonesia, or Tanzania, these countries offer a balanced, investable environment.
LOW-RISK ANDES ADVANTAGE
✅ Peru, Chile, and Argentina rank among the world's strongest performers on resource nationalism indexe
🔍 South America avoids the extreme state intervention seen elsewhere, making long-term Western investment far more attractive.
📍 "What differentiates South America is not the scale of reserves, but the distribution of risk," says Verisk Maplecroft’s chief analyst Jimena Blanco.
GEOPOLITICAL ALIGNMENT BOOST
➡️ Many South American nations lean pro-Western or neutral based on trade, UN votes, and security ties.
➡️ Argentina and the Philippines rank as close US allies, while Chile and Peru show strong strategic alignment.
➡️ Only a few tilt toward China, but the region overall provides a reliable anchor.
REAL-WORLD MOVES HAPPENING NOW
➡️ US negotiating with Brazil on heavy rare earth processing and offering stakes in projects.
➡️ Recent US deals and frameworks signed with Argentina, Peru, Paraguay, and others signal accelerating partnerships.
➡️ Western allies push for stockpiles, trade blocs, and diversification away from China dominance.
THE CHALLENGES REMAIN REAL
❗ Some minerals force exposure to higher-risk countries—no full escape possible.
⚠️ But South America offers the best risk-adjusted opportunity in a constrained global landscape.
THE BOTTOM LINE
South America is positioning itself as the cornerstone for the West's critical minerals future: a rare blend of huge endowments, manageable risks, and favorable alignment that could redefine global supply chains.
The race for tech-critical minerals will be won by managing risk smarter—not avoiding it entirely.
HT: @mining
#CriticalMinerals #SouthAmerica #Lithium #Copper #RareEarths #Geopolitics #SupplyChain
Since 2020, central banks have embarked on one of the strongest gold-buying waves in decades.
We’re seeing a historic accumulation phase, with China and Poland leading a group of 15 nations that added nearly 2,000 tonnes to their vaults. Meanwhile the Philippines and Kazakhstan top the list of those reducing holdings.
Source – Visual Capitalist: https://t.co/GpRBafu8Dz
#Gold #CentralBanks #Economy #Investing #China
Copper could enter a supercycle
The time from discovery to production has increased from 12 years to 18 years over the past 20 years
All while demand is skyrocketing due to AI
BREAKING: Soros Fund Management Q4 13F: opens $580M in energy puts, exits $234M in China calls, adds $MSFT +159%, $TSM +157%.
George Soros's fund makes one of its most active filings in recent quarters with 50+ new positions and major portfolio shifts.
Biggest moves:
• $XOP puts: $415M (NEW)
• $XLE puts: $163M (NEW)
• Microsoft $MSFT: +159% to $127M
• Taiwan Semi $TSM: +157% to $106M
• Nvidia $NVDA: +22% to $124M
• CoreWeave $CRWV puts: $123M (NEW)
• Ally Financial $ALLY: +129% to $76M
• Electronic Arts $EA: +290% to $88M
• Broadcom $AVGO: $35M (NEW)
• Tesla $TSLA: $25M (NEW)
Major exits:
• $FXI calls: $133M sold entirely
• $KWEB calls: $101M sold entirely
• Aramark $ARMK: $87M sold entirely
• KKR $KKR, Goldman Sachs $GS, Booking $BKNG: all exited
Top holdings: Amazon $AMZN ($545M), Alphabet $GOOGL ($200M), Salesforce $CRM ($138M), TKO Group $TKO ($133M).
Themes: bearish energy, bullish AI/semis, exiting leveraged China, loading regional banks.
🚨 CHINA JUST SENT LNG TO EUROPE
The world’s biggest buyer just became a seller...
🚢Seapeak Glasgow reloaded in Zhejiang 🇨🇳
• Cargo now heading to Europe 🇪🇺
• Rare East → West LNG flow
• Europe storage under pressure
Why?
• Weak Asian spot demand
• Open arbitrage window
• Traders exploiting spreads
China is now a swing player (like 🇺🇸)
Gas isn’t regional anymore.
It moves where margins are.
#oott #NatGas #China
The United States has quietly built around 1 million tonnes of copper stockpiles… the LARGEST in decades.
• Comex inventories up 5x year over year
• Highest levels since 1989
• 7 months of U.S. demand now sitting in warehouses
The country is positioning for a structural copper deficit.
The glue…