Bitcoin and Ether price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$89,503.92, down by 3.5 percent over 24 hours. Its lowest price of the day was US$88,540.26 and its highest was US$92,074.61.

Bitcoin price performance, November 19, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Ether (ETH) was at US$2,942.52, down 5.8 percent over 24 hours. Its lowest price on Wednesday was US$2,872.51 and its highest was US$3,093.82.

Altcoin price update

• XRP (XRP) was priced at US$2.04, down by 8.4 percent over 24 hours. Its lowest price of the period was US$2.03 and its highest was US$2.14.

• Solana (SOL) was trading at US$132.84, down by 6.2 percent over 24 hours. Its lowest price of the day was US$130.72 and its highest was US$138.25.

Crypto derivatives and market indicators

Derivatives markets witnessed significant long position liquidations totaling approximately US$68.99 million for Bitcoin and US$117.35 million for Ether. The dominance of long liquidations highlights persistent bearish pressure and forced deleveraging across the derivatives ecosystem, exacerbated by price drops below key support levels.

Meanwhile, open interest in Bitcoin rose by 1.5 percent, reaching US$66.11 billion, and Ether’s open interest increased by 1.64 percent to US$37.78 billion, signaling continued trader engagement despite recent volatility.

Bitcoin’s relative strength index is at 32.54, indicating that the cryptocurrency is in oversold territory. That suggests potential for a near-term technical bounce, although the market remains vulnerable.

Funding rates remain slightly positive, with Ether at 0.008 and Bitcoin at 0.01, implying that the perpetual futures market still carries a mild premium for longs, despite liquidation pressure. This delicate funding rate environment reflects cautiously bullish sentiment mixed with forced position unwinds.

Traders should watch open interest trends and funding rates closely to gauge whether the market stabilizes, or if continued downside liquidity pressure will push Bitcoin and Ether toward lower technical support zones — near US$88,000 for Bitcoin, and closer to US$2,800 for Ether. This dynamic underscores the high risk and opportunity for derivatives traders navigating the current oversold but volatile crypto market conditions.

Today’s crypto news to know

21shares launches spot Solana ETF in US

Despite a volatile market, 21shares has successfully launched its spot Solana exchange-traded fund (ETF), TSOL, in the US. It debuted with more than US$100 million in assets under management.

This is the fifth Solana-focused ETF in the US and it offers a key feature: the ability for holders to indirectly earn staking rewards from underlying SOL tokens, enhancing its appeal. Its number for assets under management at launch underscores persistent investor demand for regulated altcoin exposure.

TSOL’s success could be a leading indicator for further crypto ETF innovation, with forecasts predicting over 100 new altcoin ETFs by 2026. This influx is expected to inject significant institutional capital into altcoins like SOL, potentially legitimizing them further and boosting token prices.

Kraken files confidential IPO with SEC

Kraken announced it has confidentially filed a registration statement for an initial public offering (IPO) with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a significant step toward becoming a publicly traded company.

The offering is contingent on SEC review and market conditions. This filing follows others, like Grayscale’s, aligning Kraken with major US crypto exchanges like Gemini and Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN). Kraken’s IPO pursuit signals the growing maturity and institutional acceptance of crypto exchanges. A public listing would provide capital for expansion, increase visibility and transparency and potentially boost investor confidence.

More broadly, a successful IPO for Kraken would be a landmark event, cementing crypto exchanges’ transition from niche startups to mainstream financial infrastructure.

Investor Insight

Standard Uranium offers high-grade uranium discovery potential in the Athabasca Basin. With a fully funded drill program scheduled for spring 2026 at its flagship Davidson River project, and joint ventures on other highly prospective projects, the company provides investors early stage exposure to the emerging nuclear energy market.

Overview

Standard Uranium (TSXV:STND,USOTC:STTDF,FRA:9SU0) is a uranium exploration and project generation company focused on advancing high-grade uranium discoveries within the world-famous Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan, Canada.

With a mission to “supply the fuel for a clean energy future,” Standard Uranium is focused on discovering and developing basement-hosted and unconformity-related uranium deposits that can power the growth of nuclear energy. Its dual-track model combines aggressive exploration at its flagship Davidson River project with a robust project generator platform, advancing multiple projects through partnerships while generating non-dilutive cash flow in operator fees, share payments, and royalties.

With 13 projects totaling more than 235,000 acres, Standard Uranium offers investors exposure to both immediate discovery catalysts and long-term portfolio value. Its leadership team brings deep geological expertise and operational experience across the Athabasca Basin, complemented by disciplined capital management.

As global governments reaffirm nuclear energy’s role in achieving net-zero targets, Standard Uranium is positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for secure, high-grade uranium supply from Canada.

Company Highlights

• Flagship Davidson River Project: Large-scale, high-priority exploration asset in the southwest Athabasca Basin, along trend from NexGen’s Arrow and Paladin Energy’s Triple R uranium deposits, positioned for a significant uranium discovery.
• Extensive Portfolio in the Athabasca Basin: Over 235,000 acres (95,000+ hectares) across 13 projects in Canada’s premier uranium district, including active joint ventures at Sun Dog, Corvo, and Rocas.
• Project Generator Model: Leverages strategic partnerships to fund exploration and generate cash flow while retaining upside through 25 percent ownership and a 2.5 percent net smelter return (NSR) royalty on joint-venture projects.
• Fully Funded for Davidson River Drill Campaign: Financing completed to support 8,000 to 10,000 meters of drilling at Davidson River, planned for spring 2026.
• Rocas Drill Program: The first-ever drill program to be conducted on Rocas will commence in winter 2026, comprising approximately 1,800 metres.
• Corvo Drill Program: A skid-assisted diamond drill program totalling approximately 3,000 metres is planned for winter 2026, which will mark the first drill program on the Project in more than 40 years.
• Riding the Nuclear Power Renaissance: Positioned to benefit from global decarbonization trends and a long-term rise in uranium demand.
• Proven Team: Led by experienced geologists and exploration professionals with a track record of discoveries in the Athabasca Basin.

Key Projects

Davidson River Project

Located in the southwest Athabasca Basin, approximately 25 kilometres west of NexGen’s Arrow deposit and Paladin Energy’s Triple R deposit, the Davidson River project spans 30,737 hectares across 10 contiguous mineral claims. The property lies along the same structural trends that hosts these globally significant discoveries.

To date, Standard Uranium has drilled 16,561 metres across 39 holes, intersecting wide, graphitic-sulphidic shear zones, structural deformation, and alteration features characteristic of high-grade basement uranium systems. Recent multiphysics and machine learning-assisted surveys conducted in partnership with Fleet Space Technologies and GoldSpot Discoveries have provided new three-dimensional imaging of subsurface structures, identifying refined targets along the Warrior, Bronco and Thunderbird corridors.

The company is preparing for an 8,000 to 10,000-meter diamond drill campaign scheduled for spring 2026, marking its most comprehensive program to date. With modern targeting data and strong geological indicators, Davidson River represents the company’s clearest path to a transformational discovery in the southwest Athabasca Basin.

Sun Dog Project (JV)

Located in the northwestern Athabasca Basin near Uranium City, the Sun Dog project consists of nine mineral claims totaling 19,603 hectares. This highly prospective property sits in a historically productive uranium district that remains underexplored by modern methods.

Surface sampling has identified several uranium-rich showings, including modern grab samples returning grades up to 3.58 percent U₃O₈. The project’s targets are associated with structural intersections and alteration zones consistent with basement-hosted and unconformity-related uranium systems.

Standard Uranium has partnered with Aero Energy, under a three-year earn-in agreement, allowing Aero to acquire up to a 100 percent interest in the project. The partnership structure ensures ongoing advancement at Sun Dog with Standard Uranium retaining a 2.5 percent NSR royalty, providing continued exposure to discovery success without direct funding requirements.

Corvo Project (JV)

The Corvo project in the eastern Athabasca Basin covers 12,265 hectares and represents one of Standard Uranium’s most promising partner-funded assets. The project lies along three major magnetic low and EM conductor trends extending for nearly 29 kilometres of prospective strike length.

The project is currently being advanced under a joint venture with Aventis Energy, which is funding exploration work through a three-year earn-in agreement. Standard retains a 25 percent ownership interest and a 2.5 percent NSR, while acting as operator during the earn-in phase.

Historical drilling and sampling have confirmed uranium mineralization, including the “Manhattan” showing, where modern surface grab samples collected by the company in 2025 returned assays up to 8.10 percent U3O8. These results highlight the property’s potential to host near-surface, high-grade uranium deposits.

Rocas Project (JV)

The Rocas project, located in the southeastern Athabasca Basin region, lies approximately 75 km southwest of the Key Lake mine and mill and covers 4,002 hectares along a 7.5-km northeast-trending magnetic low and EM conductor corridor.

Surface exploration has confirmed uranium mineralization at outcrop, with historical grab samples grading up to 0.5 percent U₃O₈ across nearly 900 metres of strike length. Historical surveys have also identified lakebed geochemical anomalies and structural features that indicate potential zones of hydrothermal alteration, ideal settings for basement-hosted uranium deposits.

In 2025, Standard Uranium executed an option agreement with Collective Metals, granting the partner 75 percent earn-in over three years in exchange for staged cash payments, share issuances, and $4.5 million in exploration spending. Standard retains a 25 percent ownership interest and a 2.5 percent NSR, while acting as operator during the earn-in phase.

Eastern Athabasca Exploration Projects

Beyond its flagship and joint-venture assets, Standard Uranium holds eight additional exploration-stage properties across the eastern Athabasca Basin, including Ascent, Canary, Atlantic, Cable Bay, Ox Lake, Umbra, Brown Lake and Sable. Together, these projects cover over 43,000 hectares of highly prospective ground along established uranium trends near recent discoveries by Denison Mines and IsoEnergy.

These projects represent the company’s pipeline of future partnerships and discovery opportunities, ensuring consistent exploration activity across the Basin.

Management Team

Jon Bey – Chairman, CEO, and Director

Jon Bey is a capital markets executive with over two decades of experience in the junior exploration industry. Bey has explored for uranium, gold, silver, diamonds and oil and gas in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. He has public company experience across several sectors and with companies listed on the TSX, TSXV, CSE and LSE exchanges. Bey is the chairman of Ophir Metals and the founder and managing director of the Steel Rose Group of companies.

Sean Hillacre – President & VP Exploration

Sean Hillacre has over a decade of experience as an economic geologist in the Athabasca Basin uranium district, including five years at NexGen Energy as part of the technical team progressing the Arrow uranium deposit toward production. A high-energy, results oriented geoscientist, Hillacre brings a unique and balanced background integrating academic geoscience with industry experience, along with a comprehensive understanding of project development.

Vivien Chang – Chief Financial Officer

Vivien Chuang is a chartered professional accountant (BC, Canada) with more than 15 years of experience in the resource and mining sector. She was a former CFO of Azincourt Energy, BluEnergies, Muzhu Mining, and Northern Empire Resources, K2 Gold Corporation and Chakana Copper (formerly Remo Resources). Currently, she is VP Finance of Jasper Management and Advisory and president of VC Consulting, which provides CFO and other financial accounting and compliance services to a number of companies.

Neil McCallum – Lead Technical Director

Neil McCallum has over 15 years of experience primarily in North American mineral deposit exploration, with a focus on targeting and discovery of unconformity-related uranium deposits. He is currently a project manager at Edmonton-based Dahrouge Geological Consulting. McCallum has managed and conducted uranium exploration in and around the Athabasca Basin and other jurisdictions for multiple companies.

Rinehart’s rare earths investments

Rinehart is the wealthiest person in Australia, holding a net worth of US$23.9 billion.

According to Forbes’ 100 billionaires list, she was the 61st richest person globally as of March 7, 2025.

Besides MP, she is also the largest shareholder of Arafura Rare Earths (ASX:ARU,OTC Pink:ARAFF), with Hancock’s first investment in that company tracing back to December 2022.

On October 29, Arafura said it was conducting a AU$475 million financing to further advance its Nolans project. Nolans is expected to eventually supply approximately 4 percent of the world’s NdPr oxide.

Arafura said Hancock committed AU$125 million to the placement, bringing its stake in the firm to 15.7 percent.

Hancock also holds an interest in Lynas Rare Earths (ASX:LYC,OTCQX:LYSDY), with Rinehart raising her stake in the company to 8.21 percent in January via the purchase of about 10 million shares.

In 2023, Hancock Prospecting was reported to back Brazilian Rare Earths (ASX:BRE,OTCQX:BRELY) before it went public, taking a 5.85 percent stake. Brazilian Rare Earths listed on the ASX in December 2023.

Through Hancock, Rinehart also holds investments in lithium, copper and many more commodities. Click here to read about her mining investments and work in the sector.

Investor Insight

Copper Quest Exploration is advancing a portfolio of high-quality copper porphyry projects across British Columbia and the Western United States. With over 40,000 hectares in tier-one jurisdictions and a discovery-first mindset, the company is positioned to deliver multiple catalysts from both Canadian and US projects in 2025 and beyond.

Overview

Copper Quest Exploration (CSE:CQX,OTCQB:IMIMF,FRA:3MX) is focused on creating shareholder value through the exploration and development of its North American critical mineral portfolio. The company’s land position covers more than 40,000 hectares across tier-one mining jurisdictions in Canada and the US.

In British Columbia, Copper Quest holds a 100-percent-interest in the Stars property, a porphyry copper-molybdenum discovery covering 9,693 hectares in central BC’s Bulkley Porphyry Belt; the 5,389-hectare Stellar property, consolidating multiple historic showings and new geophysical anomalies; an earn-in option of up to 80 percent on the Rip project, a 4,700-hectare porphyry copper-molybdenum system in the same belt; and the 100-percent-owned Thane Project, spanning 20,658 hectares in the Toodoggone Porphyry Belt with multiple copper-gold-molybdenum targets.

In Lemhi County, Idaho, Copper Quest has acquired the Nekash copper-gold porphyry project, an early-stage, highly prospective property in the Idaho-Montana porphyry belt. The acquisition marks Copper Quest’s expansion to the US, strategically leveraging Idaho’s growing reputation as a copper exploration frontier.

The company is expanding its footprint in BC through an agreement to acquire the Kitimat Copper-Gold Project, located about 10 km northwest of the deep-water port of Kitimat, and an option to purchase a local company holding 100 percent ownership of the Alpine Gold Property.

Company Highlights

• Large, Tier-one Land Position: More than 40,000 hectares across British Columbia’s Bulkley and Toodoggone Porphyry Belts, plus a newly acquired copper-gold porphyry project in Idaho, USA.
• Flagship Discovery at Stars: Drill intercepts of 0.466 percent copper over 195.1 m confirm a fertile porphyry copper-molybdenum system with over 30 km of untested intrusive contacts.
• Multiple Copper Systems: Canadian portfolio includes Stars, Stellar, Rip (earn-in up to 80 percent) and Thane, each offering district-scale potential in proven belts.
• Idaho Acquisition: The Nekash copper-gold porphyry project in Lemhi County, Idaho, is a milestone acquisition aligned with its strategy to build a portfolio of highly prospective copper assets across North America.
• British Columbia Acquisition: Copper Quest is acquiring both the Alpine Gold Property in the West Kootenay region and the Kitimat Copper-Gold Project located just 10 km from the deep-water port of Kitimat, B.C.

Key Projects

Stars Project

The Stars project is a 9,694-hectare, road-accessible copper-molybdenum property situated within the prolific Bulkley porphyry belt. The district is home to past-producing operations such as the Huckleberry mine, operated by Imperial Metals, and Newmont’s Equity Silver Mine, making it a proven copper jurisdiction. Stars is defined by a 5 × 2.5-kilometre annular magnetic anomaly that coincides with a copper-molybdenum mineralized monzonite intrusion. In 2018, drilling confirmed a significant porphyry system at the Tana Zone, returning intercepts of 0.466 percent copper over 195.1 m from 23 m with molybdenum credits and 0.20 percent copper over 396.7 metres from 28 metres depth. Shorter, higher-grade sections included 40 metres averaging close to 1 percent copper. Importantly, every hole drilled on the property has returned copper concentrations well above background levels, with strong phyllic and potassic alteration, multi-phase intrusive textures, and quartz-sulfide veining consistent with productive porphyry systems.

Impressive drill results in 2018 have never seen follow-up exploration

Geological comparisons with Huckleberry suggest Stars has the potential to host multiple deposits along more than 30 kilometres of untested intrusive contact. Upcoming work will focus on IP surveys to vector into contact zones, step-out drilling at the Tana Zone, and initial drilling of embayment features such as the “Big Dipper” anomaly.

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Rip Project

The Rip project is a 4,750-hectare copper-molybdenum property located 60 kilometres south of Houston, BC, with excellent access via Highway 16 and logging roads. Geophysical surveys completed in 2024, including airborne magnetics and a 3D-DCIP induced polarization program, identified two concentric chargeability anomalies encircling separate magnetic highs. These “donut” features are classic pyrite halos that typically rim porphyry copper centres.

In late 2024, Copper Quest drilled two holes totaling 1,033 metres into the northern anomaly. The results confirmed the presence of multi-phase porphyry intrusions with abundant quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite-molybdenite veining, long intervals of anomalous copper above 0.1 percent, and strong alteration patterns. The larger southern anomaly remains completely untested and represents the project’s most significant target. Copper Quest has the option to earn up to 80 percent in Rip by spending $1 million by the end of 2025, after which the agreement transitions to a joint venture. Planned drilling will test the southern anomaly while stepping out on the northern target to vector into higher-grade zones.

Stellar Project

The Stellar project covers 5,389 hectares and lies immediately north of Stars. It consolidates multiple historic claims and showings that had never been evaluated under a unified geological model. Stellar hosts several key targets, most notably the Cassiopeia anomaly, a 2.5-kilometre magnetic bullseye with an 800-metre magnetic low at its centre, discovered in 2019 but never drill tested. This geophysical feature is strongly consistent with porphyry copper-molybdenum-gold models.

The Jewelry Box area is another high-priority target, hosting eight documented MINFILE showings where historical sampling returned extreme grades, including 36.7 percent copper, 31.2 percent copper, 22.6 percent copper with 4,860 grams per ton (g/t0 silver, and gold values up to 42 g/t. These occurrences are related to a porphyritic intrusion that cuts Hazelton Group volcanic rocks and limestone, with mineralization styles ranging from high-grade copper-gold-silver veins to lead-zinc-silver occurrences and rhodonite-hosted mineralization. Additional targets include the Galena Zone, a 100 × 150 metre area with strong lead-silver-zinc mineralization, and the Northwest Showings, associated with syenite intrusions. Copper Quest is applying a holistic approach to the property for the first time, integrating fragmented historical exploration. Planned programs include ground IP at Cassiopeia, systematic mapping and sampling at Jewelry Box, and drill targeting across the consolidated property.

Thane Project

The Thane project is a 20,658-hectare copper-gold property in the Toodoggone District of the Quesnel Terrane, an area that hosts major porphyry deposits such as Mt. Milligan and Kemess. The property encompasses a 14 km × 6 km alteration footprint with at least ten mineralized centres, including Cirque, Fairway, Bananas, Gail, and Aten. Historical exploration has involved more than $5 million of investment in mapping, geochemistry, geophysics and shallow drilling, with 12 short diamond drill holes completed to date. Rock sampling campaigns between 2013 and 2020 returned copper grades exceeding 9,000 parts per million (ppm) and gold values up to 12.8 g/t, highlighting the system’s fertility. Regional Geoscience BC datasets place Thane in the 100th percentile for copper prospectivity across British Columbia. Copper Quest views Thane as a large-scale discovery opportunity and is considering a joint venture to advance the project while retaining upside exposure.

Nekash Project

The Nekash project is a highly prospective copper-gold porphyry opportunity in Lemhi County, Idaho, situated along the prolific Idaho-Montana porphyry belt. Spanning 70 unpatented federal lode claims (~585 hectares), the property is fully road-accessible via maintained US highways and forest service roads. Historic sampling has confirmed the presence of high-grade surface mineralization, including up to 3.8 percent copper, 0.9 g/t gold, and 25 g/t silver over 6.4 m in a stratabound “manto” horizon, and porphyry-style veins grading as high as 6.6 percent copper with gold values.

Acquired at a modest cost (4.25 million shares, no cash payment or royalties), and coupled with the appointment of an experienced technical advisor, Nekash offers shareholders exposure to a jurisdiction with favorable infrastructure, strong comparables and room for significant upside through geophysics, geochemistry and drilling.

Management Team

Brian Thurston — CEO and Director

Geologist with over 30 years of global exploration experience Brian Thurston is the former country manager for Aurelian Resources in Ecuador during the Fruta del Norte discovery. Has managed and founded multiple public resource companies with expertise in porphyry systems, corporate strategy, and capital markets.

Dong Shim — CFO

Dong Shim is a chartered professional accountant with extensive experience in public company audits, financial controls and cross-border reporting for TSXV, CSE and OTC issuers.

Dr. Mark Cruise — Director

A geologist and mining executive with over 25 years of experience, Mark Cruise is the founder and former CEO of Trevali Mining, which he built into a top-10 global zinc producer with operations in four countries. Previously with Anglo American.

Jason Nickel — Director

Jason Nickel is a mining engineer with three decades of mine design, operations, and project management experience across Canada. Held senior roles in underground and open-pit operations.

Cameron MacDonald — Director

Cameron MacDonald is a capital markets professional with background in M&A, project financing and equity/debt raises exceeding $950 million.

Joshua White – Technical Advisor

Joshua White is an exploration geologist with more than 13 years of experience, and a principal of Aqua Terra Geoscientists LLC. He worked for Kinross Gold as a project generation gold geologist, working at mines and exploration projects on 4 different continents.