Bitcoin and Ether price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$107,811, a 3.5 percent decrease in 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$107,657, and its highest was US$108,936.

Bitcoin price performance, October 22, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan believes gold’s explosive price performance this year could offer a glimpse of what lies ahead for Bitcoin, arguing that the world’s top cryptocurrency may be preparing for a similar structural breakout once its remaining pool of sellers runs dry.

Gold has surged roughly 57 percent in 2025, powered largely by sustained central bank accumulation. Bitcoin, meanwhile, has traded in a relatively narrow range between US$108,000 and US$112,000. According to Hougan, the comparison between the two assets provides a potential roadmap for their trajectory going into next year.

“Don’t look at gold’s meteoric rise with envy. Look at it with anticipation. It could end up showing us where bitcoin is headed,” Hougan wrote in a client note this week.

In addition, steady accumulation by exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and corporate treasuries has provided a similar source of structural demand. Since the launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024, institutions and corporations have purchased roughly 1.39 million BTC, far outpacing new supply generated by the network.

Market data this week supports the idea of renewed accumulation. Following a US$19 billion liquidation event earlier this month, spot Bitcoin ETFs have recorded US$477 million in positive net inflows.

Predictions about a breakdown below US$100,000 have not materialized, though ongoing long liquidations over the past four hours reveal how vulnerable bullish traders remain near current support.

Ether (ETH) was priced at US$3,796.34, a 4.9 percent decrease in 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$3,795.42, and its highest was US$3,873.52.

Altcoin price update

• Solana (SOL) was priced at US$179.68, at its lowest valuation of the day, down by 7.5 percent over the last 24 hours. Its highest valuation of the day was US$185.98.

• XRP was trading for US$2.37, a decrease of 5.2 percent over the last 24 hours and its lowest valuation of the day. Its highest was US$2.41.

Fear and Greed Index snapshot

CMC’s Crypto Fear & Greed Index remains locked in a state of anxiety, sitting in “fear” territory (29) for seven consecutive days and marking its longest streak since April. Its stagnation reflects a growing sense of caution among investors, as Bitcoin continues to trade within a narrow band between US$103,000 and US$115,000 for nearly two weeks.

Over the past 30 days, the index has been in greed territory for just seven days — the same period when Bitcoin reached its all-time high of US$126,000 in early October. Since then, investor sentiment has reversed sharply.

CMC Crypto Fear and Greed Index, Bitcoin price and Bitcoin volume.

Chart via CoinMarketCap.

The current fear phase began on October 11, a day after the largest liquidation event in crypto history erased more than US$20 billion in leveraged positions. Historically, similar periods of heightened fear have marked turning points for Bitcoin. The last extended stretch of fear occurred in March and April during the Trump administration’s tariff standoff with China, when Bitcoin bottomed near US$76,000. Market analysts say the prevailing mood underscores uncertainty following the US Federal Reserve’s recent policy pivot and renewed US-China trade negotiations.

Crypto derivatives and market indicators

Bitcoin derivatives metrics suggest traders are taking a wait-and-see approach.

Liquidations for contracts tracking Bitcoin have totaled approximately US$6.12 million in the last four hours, with the majority being long positions, signaling continued risk aversion. Ether liquidations showed a similar pattern, with long positions making up the majority of US$9.35 million in liquidations.

Futures open interest for Bitcoin was down by 1.09 percent to US$68.51 billion over four hours, with further decreases in the final hour of trading. Ether futures open interest moved by -1.15 percent to US$43.7 billion.

The funding rate remains positive for both crytocurrencies, with Bitcoin at 0.008 and Ether at 0.002, indicating more overall bullish positioning than bearish.

Bitcoin’s relative strength index stood at 44.98, meaning its price momentum is in a neutral to slightly bearish zone.

Today’s crypto news to know

Senate Democrats tell Trump envoy to explain undivested crypto stakes

Senate Democrats have called on Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, to explain why he has not divested from his crypto holdings despite federal ethics requirements.

In a letter led by Senator Adam Schiff, eight lawmakers pressed Witkoff for details on his interests in World Liberty Financial, the Trump-linked crypto firm he co-founded in 2024, and several affiliated entities.

Witkoff’s latest ethics disclosure, dated August 13, shows he still owns stakes in multiple crypto-related businesses, including WC Digital Fi and SC Financial Technologies. Lawmakers allege these investments pose potential conflicts of interest given his diplomatic role and the company’s business ties to the United Arab Emirates.

The scrutiny follows a New York Times report linking Witkoff’s crypto dealings to a US$2 billion Emirati investment in Binance funded through World Liberty Financial’s stablecoin, USD1.

Neither the White House nor World Liberty Financial has commented on the matter.

FalconX announces plans to acquire 21Shares

FalconX announced plans to acquire 21Shares, one of Europe’s leading crypto exchange-traded product issuers.

The deal, confirmed Wednesday, will integrate FalconX’s prime brokerage operations, which serves over 2,000 institutional clients, with 21Shares’ portfolio of 55 listed products across Bitcoin, Ether and other digital assets.

21Shares currently oversees more than US$11 billion in assets and will continue operating independently under CEO Russell Barlow following the deal. While the financial terms remain undisclosed, the transaction marks FalconX’s third major acquisition this year after Arbelos Markets and Monarq Asset Management.

Hong Kong approves first spot Solana ETF

Hong Kong regulators have approved the region’s first spot Solana ETF.

The Securities and Futures Commission granted authorization to China Asset Management Company to launch the Hua Xia Solana ETF on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on October 27. The product will trade through OSL Exchange, with OSL Digital Securities as sub-custodian and BOCI-Prudential Trustee serving as the primary custodian.

Each unit will consist of 100 shares, with a minimum investment of about US$100.

The fund’s debut makes Solana the third cryptocurrency — after Bitcoin and Ethereum — to receive regulatory approval for a spot ETF in Hong Kong.

Fed governor proposes skinny master accounts for crypto access to Fed payments

Fed Governor Christopher Waller signaled a major policy shift during his opening remarks at the Payments Industry Conference on Tuesday (October 21), welcoming DeFi and crypto innovators into mainstream payments dialogue and proposing a new framework for direct access to Fed payment infrastructure for eligible firms.

In his speech, Waller recognized traditional banks and crypto-native fintechs as core stakeholders and stressed the Fed’s intent to be active in technology-driven payment revolutions like distributed ledger technology, tokenized assets and artificial intelligence (AI). The proposed payment accounts, referred to as skinny master accounts, would offer eligible nonbank entities direct access to the Fed’s payments rails, bypassing third-party banks, but without interest, overdraft protection or discount window access, and potentially with balance caps.

Waller said this tailored access aims to match the needs and risks of payment firms and digital asset companies with a simpler review. He also noted that the Fed is conducting hands-on research into tokenization, smart contracts and AI/payments intersection and will seek industry input on the new account framework.

Andreessen Horowitz highlights maturing crypto industry

Andreessen Horowitz’s most recent State of Crypto 2025 report highlights a new era in the cryptocurrency industry that the firm says is defined by real utility and maturing institutional adoption.

The authors point out stablecoins’ explosion as a dominant macroeconomic force, citing nearly US$46 trillion in processed transactions over the past year, a figure that rivals traditional payment systems.

The report also emphasizes infrastructure upgrades across blockchains like Ether and Solana, which have increased transaction speeds while lowering costs, as well as improved regulatory clarity in the US through supportive legislative actions, which have been major catalysts helping revive builder confidence and establish frameworks for digital asset oversight that balance innovation with investor protection.

World app expands into prediction markets

World, the digital identity project formerly known as Worldcoin, is expanding into prediction markets by integrating Polymarket. The company, which is led by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, announced on Tuesday that its World app, a mobile app combining a digital wallet with a decentralized identity tool, has integrated the Polymarket app.

The launch of the Polymarket mini app on World enables World app users to place Polymarket bets directly from the World app wallet using Circle’s USDC or World’s token, Worldcoin.

Oversupply expected to meet rising lithium demand

The largest undercurrent for the lithium market is excessive supply. Since 2020, mined output has climbed 192 percent from 82,000 metric tons to 240,000 metric tons in 2024, as outlined by the US Geological Survey.

As supply grew, demand was unable to keep pace, leading to a mounting glut that has weighed on prices.

“While futures activity can catalyse short-term price movements, beneath the surface demand remains tepid, inventories high and buyers cautious, underscoring a disconnect between price action and market reality,” Paul Lusty, head of battery raw materials at Fastmarkets explained in a September update. “We expect continued price instability in the near term with potential for further corrections unless meaningful supply disruptions materialise.”

The supply increase was anticipated to satiate a growing appetite for EVs that has yet to fully materialize.

The EV boom has fueled strong long-term growth forecasts for lithium, but the market is now facing a sharp imbalance. Global EV sales climbed past 17 million units in 2024 and are projected to top 20 million in 2025, yet a 22 percent surge in mined supply last year has outpaced demand, pushing prices lower and creating a persistent oversupply.

This discrepancy was underscored by industry attendees at Fastmarkets’ Lithium Supply & Battery Raw Materials conference, who warned that the imbalance could persist until at least 2030.

As a result, lithium prices remain under pressure despite strong EV uptake, and a meaningful re-balancing will likely depend on new supply expansions being delayed, mine closures and steeper than anticipated demand growth — potentially in the second half of the decade.

With EV demand expected to accelerate beyond 2030 and new supply projects lagging, Q3 2025 could mark the start of a tighter era. For investors watching battery metals, the key question is whether the market has found a floor — or is merely in the calm before the next supply squeeze.

Chinese lithium supply and access in question

As mentioned, the market did find support through July and August, thanks in part to Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) (SZSE:300750,HKEX:3750) suspending operations at its Jianxiawo lepidolite mine. Located in the country’s Jiangxi province, it is one of the world’s largest lithium sources.

The shutdown followed the August 9 expiration of the mine’s operating permit, with CATL confirming it is seeking an extension but providing no timeline for restarting production. The halt was expected to last at least three months, removing about 65,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent — roughly 6 percent of global supply — from the market and reigniting bullish sentiment in an otherwise oversupplied sector.

The shuttering of the mine propelled lithium prices and mining stocks.

In mid-October China introduced new export restrictions on advanced lithium-ion batteries, key materials and production equipment — a move set to ripple through global supply chains.

Effective November 8, 2025, companies will now need export licenses to ship high-energy batteries, cathodes, synthetic graphite anodes and related machinery abroad. The new policy follows July’s limits on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology exports, tightening Beijing’s control over the battery sector.

China produces over 70 percent of global cathode materials and more than 95 percent of synthetic graphite, making its export decisions pivotal. S&P Global notes in an October briefing that the new controls are expected to delay production timelines and complicate sourcing for manufacturers outside China, particularly in the US, which imports roughly two-thirds of its lithium-ion batteries from Chinese suppliers.

“Export control does not mean an outright export ban, but rather a stricter approval process,” said Fastmarkets’ Walter Zhang. “We believe that the primary intent is to counter measures such as the US OBBB (One Big Beautiful Bill) Act, while preventing potential technology transfer demands from European or American governments and avoiding the military or dual-use applications of advanced battery technologies.”

Additionally, the move adds a new front to the US-China trade standoff, with Washington expected to deepen partnerships with Korean and Japanese producers like LG Energy Solution and Panasonic to reduce dependency.

While China’s CATL will likely pivot toward Europe and emerging markets, global battery costs and supply volatility are expected to rise through 2026.

US government makes lithium push

Outside of China, the US invested heavily in the lithium-mining segment in Q3.

On October 1, Washington released the first US$435 million tranche of a landmark US$2.23 billion loan to Lithium Americas (TSX:LAC,NYSE:LAC), marking one of the Trump administration’s most significant steps yet to strengthen domestic control over critical minerals.

The funds, directed through the Department of Energy, will support construction of the Thacker Pass lithium project in Nevada, which is set to become the largest lithium source in the Western Hemisphere.

As part of the deal, the department will receive warrants representing a 5 percent equity stake in Lithium Americas and an equivalent interest in its joint venture with General Motors (NYSE:GM).

The agency also agreed to defer US$182 million in debt service over five years, underscoring Washington’s long-term commitment to building a resilient battery supply chain.

Thacker Pass is central to US efforts to reduce reliance on Chinese lithium refining and rival major producers in Australia and Chile. Once operational, Phase 1 of the project will produce 40,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate annually — enough to power roughly 800,000 EVs — and reinforce the administration’s push to secure supply.

Looking at the rest of the year and remainder of the decade sentiment towards lithium is cautiously optimistic, according to Benchmark analysts fresh off the heels of this year’s LME Week in London.

“Market participants noted that strong spodumene appetite continues amid limited lepidolite supply from Jiangxi,” a Benchmark overview states. “Attention turned to CATL’s Jianxiawo mine, with its start‑up – whether as soon as next month or delayed to early Q1 26 – likely to influence short‑term pricing.”

1. King Copper Discovery (TSXV:KCP)

Year-to-date gain: 1,580 percent
Market cap: C$186.31 million
Share price: C$0.84

King Copper Discovery, formerly Turmalina Metals, is a copper, silver and gold explorer that is developing a portfolio of projects in South America.

Its primary focus is the Colquemayo project in Moquegua, Peru. In July 2024, King Copper entered into an option agreement with Compania de Minas Buenaventura (NYSE:BVN) to wholly acquire the property.

The company has been relogging the historic drill core from the site. The 6,600 hectare site has seen more than 20,000 meters of historic core drilling and hosts multiple porphyry targets that have been identified but had gone untested. Highlighted drill samples show results of 2.4 percent copper and 10 grams per metric ton (g/t) silver over 237.3 meters, including 14.8 percent copper and 47 g/t silver over 31.3 meters.

In a broad corporate update on February 12, the company said it was intensifying its focus on the project and rebranded from Turmalina to reflect that. Additionally, it hired Insideo, a Lima-based environmental consulting firm, to help advance baseline studies and the drill permit process.

The company closed a C$15 million private placement with a strategic investor on September 15, which it plans to use for a 15,000 meter diamond drilling program at Colquemayo. The investor now holds a 9.99 percent interest in King Copper.

Its most recent update came on October 4, when King released an update on its ongoing work to relog and reinterpret the historic drill core. At that time, the company had completed 61 drill cores across the Amata-Cairani and Coripuquio zones, with work on 16 cores at the Yanarico zone still ongoing.

The company said it had identified multiple new high-priority targets for its fully funded diamond drill program and was sending a field crew to validate the discoveries.

Shares of King Copper reached a year-to-date high of C$0.90 on October 16.

2. Camino Minerals (TSXV:COR)

Year-to-date gain: 700 percent
Market cap: C$12.91 million
Share price: C$0.36

Camino Minerals is a copper explorer and developer with a portfolio of projects in South America.

Among its primary focuses since the start of the year is the construction-ready Puquois copper project in Chile, a 50/50 joint venture with Nittetsu Mining (TSE:1515). The partners jointly acquired Cuprum Resources, the project’s owner, via a definitive agreement that was completed on April 17, and are now focused on project financing.

Prior to the closing of the acquisition, the partners completed a prefeasibility study for the project in Chile on March 17.

The study results demonstrate a post-tax net present value of US$118 million, with an internal rate of return of 23.4 percent and a payback period of 3.1 years at a fixed copper price of US$4.28. It also outlines all-in sustaining costs of US$2 per pound for the 14.2 year mine life.

The included mineral resource estimate shows a measured and indicated resource of 149,000 metric tons of copper from 32.16 million metric tons of ore grading 0.46 percent copper.

Camino also owns the Los Chapitos project, located near the coastal town of Chala, Peru, which covers approximately 22,000 hectares and hosts near-surface mineralization. Nittetsu Mining has an earn-in agreement for the project through which it can earn a 35 percent interest in the project for a total investment of C$10 million over three years.

Camino announced on January 22 that it had initiated a discovery exploration program at Los Chapitos, with work funded by Nittetsu. The company said the program would consist of 11 holes and 1,200 meters of drilling along the La Estancia fault, focusing on newly identified copper breccias and mantos to determine their extension at depth.

Camino released the first results from the program on May 6, reporting continuity of mineralization at depth at the Pampero prospect, with a 0.5 meter interval found 157.6 meters downhole grading an average of 0.5 percent copper and 3.15 g/t silver. Rock chip samples at the prospect graded up to 3.8 percent copper and 4 g/t silver.

The company has continued its exploration efforts at Los Chapitos, with another fully funded exploration campaign running from June 1 to November 30.

As part of this ongoing exploration campaign, the company reported on October 15 that it had mobilized to the site for the drilling portion. The drilling will focus on discovering new deposits within newly identified and undrilled targets, and on extending known mineralization in other zones.

Additionally, Camino stated that the government of Peru chose Los Chapitos as one of 15 priority mineral projects as part of its national exploration initiative. The program aims to promote investment in exploration while building a portfolio of sustainable projects with regional and national impact.

Shares of Camino reached a year-to-date high of C$0.41 on July 21.

3. Finlay Minerals (TSXV:FYL)

Year-to-date gain: 550 percent
Market cap: C$22.17 million
Share price: C$0.13

Finlay Minerals is an exploration company with a portfolio of five projects in BC, Canada. In 2025, it has largely focused on its ATTY and PIL projects, which cover 3,875 hectares and 13,374 hectares respectively in BC’s Toodoggone mining district. The region is known for copper-molybdenum-gold porphyry deposits and gold-silver epithermal deposits.

Finlay’s shares rose sharply early in the year after Amarc Resources (TSXV:AHR,OTCQB:AXREF) announced the AuRORA discovery at its JOY property, located just south of the PIL project in the same porphyry corridor as PIL and ATTY.

On January 20, shortly after the discovery, Finlay announced it would be renewing its focus on its PIL project’s PIL South target, which lies approximately 750 meters from AuRORA. One month later, Finlay outlined numerous copper targets at both the PIL and ATTY properties after reviewing geological data, and was planning its 2025 exploration program at PIL to delineate drill targets.

Shares surged in Q2 after Finlay announced on April 17 it entered into an earn-in agreement with Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) for PIL and ATTY. Freeport can earn an 80 percent stake in the properties through a total of C$35 million in exploration expenditures and C$4.1 million in cash payments over the next six years.

On June 18, Finlay began exploration programs at both properties, fully funded by Freeport. At both properties, exploration will include property-wide airborne magnetic surveys, and induced polarization geophysical surveys. It will also include detailed geological and alteration mapping, along with rock and soil sampling, on up to eight targets at PIL and three targets at ATTY.

Then on July 17, Finlay announced it had increased the exploration program budget for PIL to C$2.6 million from C$750,000 and the budget for ATTY to C$1 million from C$500,000. The company stated that the additional funding will be utilized to identify and prioritize as many targets as possible for drilling in 2026.

In parallel with the Freeport-funded work at PIL and ATTY, the company also advanced exploration at its independently held SAY and JJB properties, located in BC’s Stikine Terrane.

On September 22, Finlay announced that it had completed its field work at the properties, including 1,900 kilometers of airborne magnetic surveys between them and follow-up ground work on newly identified targets.

At the SAY project, Finlay identified the IFT target, a 2.5 kilometer by 2.5 kilometer magnetic anomaly with similar geophysical signatures to other copper porphyry deposits, and a kilometer-scale target named Ozzy. The company performed follow-up work at both targets, and is planning further follow-up work.

Fieldwork at JJB conducted during the summer focused on the PAT target and aimed to evaluate similarities between mineralization at JJB and two of SAY’s previously identified targets. The company staked the JJB property, which also hosts the Squingula and Quin targets, in February.

Shares in Finlay reached a year-to-date high of C$0.16 on September 22.

4. Domestic Metals (TSXV:DMCU)

Year-to-date gain: 536.36 percent
Market cap: C$11.72 million
Share price: C$0.35

Domestic Metals, formerly Norden Crown Metals, is a copper exploration company focused on advancing the Smart Creek project in Montana, US.

The company acquired the option to earn a 60 percent share in the project, which is owned by Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO), when it purchased Domestic Copper in August 2024.

The property comprises 570 unpatented mining claims covering an area of 4,072 hectares and 45 patented claims spanning 312 hectares. It hosts the Smart Creek, Radio Tower and Sunrise targets, the latter located at the past-producing Sunrise mine. Drilling at the site carried out by Rio Tinto in 2022 produced a drill hole grading 0.75 percent copper and 18.74 g/t silver over 109.73 meters.

On March 31, the company announced it changed its name from Norden Crown Metals to Domestic Metals to reflect its shift in corporate strategy to focus on its operations in Montana.

In an update on April 17, the company reported results from geological reconnaissance work at Smart Creek, which included the definition of the high-priority Smart Creek, Radio Tower and Sunrise targets, along with new alteration vectors.

As of a September 11 project update, fieldwork, including mapping and geochemical sampling, was being conducted to advance the three targets for diamond drill testing during the fourth quarter of 2025.

The company has also been working on fundraising efforts throughout 2025. On August 22, it closed the final tranche of a non-brokered private placement, generating total aggregate proceeds of C$1.22 million. Then, on October 9, the company closed the first tranche of a LIFE offering for proceeds of C$1.31 million.

Shares in Domestic Metals reached a year-to-date high of C$0.38 on September 26.

5. Amarc Resources (TSXV:AHR)

Year-to-date gain: 485.37 percent
Market cap: C$265.89 million
Share price: C$1.20

Amarc Resources is a copper explorer primarily focused on advancing its JOY district in Northern BC. The 495 square kilometer property lies within the Toodoggone region and hosts the AuRORA prospect.

Exploration at the JOY district is funded as part of a May 2021 earn-in agreement with Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX), which allows Freeport to earn up to a 70 percent stake in the project.

Additionally, Amarc agreed to acquire the Brenda property, which lies directly to the east of the AuRORA discovery, from Canasil Resources on February 11. Under the terms of the deal, Amarc has the option to acquire a 100 percent interest in Brenda over five years. Canasil will retain a 2 percent net smelter return.

Shares of Amarc surged early in the year after it announced the discovery of AuRORA on January 17. In the release, it outlined the high-grade potential of the deposit, highlighting an assay of 0.63 percent copper over 162 meters, including an 81 meter intersection grading 0.92 percent copper, from near surface depths.

Amarc provided more drill assays from its 2024 program on February 28. One assay graded 0.63 percent copper over 132 meters, including 0.81 percent over a 90 meter segment.

On July 16, Amarc announced it had commenced drilling at targets including the AuRORA and PINE deposits and the Twins and Canyon discoveries. The announcement also reported the expansion of the JOY district through Freeport’s options on Finlay’s PIL property, discussed above.

Then, on September 4, the company reported Freeport is proceeding to Stage 2 of its earn-in for the JOY property after completing Stage 1 in May for a 60 percent interest. Under the terms of the deal, Freeport now has five years to earn an additional 10 percent in the property by spending C$75 million.

The most recent news from the project was released on September 22, when Amarc announced a partial assay from one drill hole southeast of the AuRORA discovery.

The assays that were released indicated a broad interval of 223.1 meters with an average grade of 0.27 percent copper from a depth of 217 meters, including a 65.25 meter interval grading 0.37 percent. Assays are still pending for the upper half of the hole.

The company reported that host rocks, alteration and mineralization in the hole are consistent with those encountered during its 2024 campaign at the property; however, the mineralization found in the hole ‘occurs well outside the strong magnetic high that hosts the high grade AuRORA mineralization.’

The company said it rushed the results due to the location of the drill hole, which is important for revealing large-scale exploration potential across the JOY District.

Shares of Amarc climbed significantly through September, and reached a year-to-date high of C$1.35 on September 26.