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Mining operations halted, evacuations underway

The escalating fire threat has forced mining companies to shut down or scale back operations.

Alamos Gold (TSX:AGI,NYSE:AGI) has temporarily paused activity at its Lynn Lake gold project, located near the Northwestern Manitoba town of the same name; it was ordered to evacuate on May 27.

In Southeastern Manitoba, fires have threatened Grid Metals’ (TSXV:GRDM,OTCQB:MSMGF) lithium and nickel projects, as well as Sinomine Resource Group’s (SZSE:002738) Tanco lithium mine. Grid suspended its activities in mid-May as wildfires approached, and Tanco mine personnel have reportedly evacuated the area.

Tanco is one of only two producing lithium mines in Canada.

In Northern Manitoba, the town of Flin Flon — home to around 5,000 residents — is on high alert as wildfires encroach. Only essential personnel, authorized by emergency services, remain to aid with emergency operations.

Though Hudbay Minerals (TSX:HBM,NYSE:HBM) ceased production there following the 2022 closure of its 777 mine, the company maintains support facilities, concentrate handling operations and fabrication shops in the area.

Hudbay has also paused exploration in the Flin Flon and Snow Lake regions while focusing on employee safety and support for local evacuation efforts. “The safety of our employees, their families and the communities we serve is our top priority,” said Rob Carter, vice president of Hudbay’s Manitoba business unit.

The company is securing alternative accommodations in Snow Lake — 200 kilometers east — for evacuated staff and deploying trained emergency responders to assist with firefighting.

In Saskatchewan, Foran Mining (TSX:FOM,OTCQX:FMCXF) has managed to keep its McIlvenna Bay project intact after aggressive firefighting measures and improving weather conditions. The firm evacuated about 540 non-essential personnel on May 22, retaining a core team of 44 employees and wildfire contractors to safeguard the site.

The company said in a Monday statement that reinforced firebreaks and natural barriers helped stop the fire within 1 kilometer of the tailings storage facility and 3 kilometers of main infrastructure.

The surge in wildfires is part of a worrying trend. The 2023 fire season was the worst in Canadian history, and experts warn that such seasons may become the norm due to climate change.

Empire Metals Limited (LON:EEE), the AIM-quoted and OTCQB-traded exploration and development company,is pleased to announce the commencement of a major drilling campaign at the Pitfield Project in Western Australia (‘Pitfield’ or the ‘Project’). This programme will target high-grade titanium mineralisation within the in-situ weathered cap at the Thomas Prospect, with the objective of delivering a maiden JORC Compliant Mineral Resource Estimate (‘MRE’).

Highlights

• A total of 164 drill holes planned:
  • 124 Air Core (‘AC’) drillholes for approximately 6,700 metres, and
  • 40 Reverse Circulation (‘RC’) drillholes for approximately 4,000 metres,
  • totalling 10,700 metres of drilling.
• The Thomas Prospect was selected for the maiden MRE due to the extensive, thick and high-grade titanium mineralisation hosted within the broad, in-situ weathered zone.
• This programme, the largest at Pitfield to date, will cover over 11 square kilometres and aims to deliver a globally significant MRE.
• Notable intercepts within the in-situ weathered cap from previous drilling at Thomas include:
  • 51m @ 7.88% TiO₂ from surface (AC25TOM039)
  • 57m @ 7.48% TiO₂ from surface (AC25TOM040)
  • 52m @ 7.43% TiO₂ from surface (AC25TOM042)

Shaun Bunn, Managing Director, said:‘We are pleased to commence this important drilling campaign at Pitfield, focused on delivering our maiden MRE from the Thomas Prospect.The Thomas Prospect contains broad, continuous, high-grade zones of high-purity titanium dioxide mineralisation within the in-situ weathered cap: confirmed by assay results from the February 2025 AC drill campaign, averaging 6.20% TiO₂ over an average depth of 54m (announced 28 April 2025).

‘This fully funded campaign, scheduled to run over the next four to five weeks, is the largest undertaken to date at Pitfield. With 164 holes planned over an 11 square kilometre area and to an average depth of 65 metres, this work is designed to deliver a globally significant Mineral Resource Estimate.’

MRE Drilling Programme

The location and spacing of the planned AC drillholes have been designed, with the input of mineral resource consultants Snowden-Optiro, to provide the necessary drill assay data density to allow the preparation of an MRE at the Thomas Prospect. The programme consists of 124 AC drillholes, on a 400 x 200m drillhole-spaced grid with an average forecast depth of 54.1m, for a total of 6,700 metres, and 40 RC drillholes within the AC drilling grid, to a depth of 100m, for a total of 4,000 metres. The overall drillhole grid extends 5.2km by 2.2km and totals an area of 11.4 sq km (refer Figure 1).

The drilling is targeting the near surface, highly weathered zones within the Thomas Prospect; drilling has now commenced and will run over several weeks, with laboratory analysis scheduled for completion in August.

Figure 1. Planned Air Core drill hole collar locations within the Thomas Prospect priority area.

The near-surface, in-situ weathered cap at the Thomas Prospect contains a high percentage of the key titanium bearing minerals, primarily anatase and rutile. The drilling targets areas were selected on the basis of three key parameters: high-purity TiO₂ mineral assemblage, high average TiO₂ grades and significant depth of weathering (refer Table 1).

The AC and RC drillholes will be geologically logged and sub-sampled on 2m intervals and geochemically analysed; this data will provide the basis for geological modelling and for the development of the MRE at the Thomas Prospect.

Air core drilling has previously been utilised at Pitfield to drill-test the weathered cap and collect bulk metallurgical samples (announced 28 April 2025). It is a cost-effective and efficient drilling method that is commonly used for shallow exploration projects and the success of the previous campaign confirmed its suitability for the preparation of the MRE.

Table 1: Weathered Zone drill intercepts from the Thomas Prospect (previously released results) including high-grade intervals to be followed up by MRE drilling

The Pitfield Titanium Project

Located within the Mid-West region of Western Australia, near the northern wheat belt town of Three Springs, the Pitfield titanium project lies 313km north of Perth and 156km southeast of Geraldton, the Mid West region’s capital and major port. Western Australia is ranked as one of the top mining jurisdictions in the world according to the Fraser Institute’s Investment Attractiveness Index published in 2023, and has mining-friendly policies, stable government, transparency, and advanced technology expertise. Pitfield has existing connections to port (both road & rail), HV power substations, and is nearby to natural gas pipelines as well as a green energy hydrogen fuel hub, which is under planning and development (refer Figure 2).

Figure 2. Pitfield Project Location showing the Mid-West Region Infrastructure and Services

Competent Person Statement

The technical information in this report that relates to the Pitfield Project has been compiled by Mr Andrew Faragher, an employee of Empire Metals Australia Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Empire. Mr Faragher is a Member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr Faragher has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the ‘Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves’. Mr Faragher consents to the inclusion in this release of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

Certain information contained in this announcement would have been deemed inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, as incorporated into UK law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, until the release of this announcement.

**ENDS**

For further information please visit www.empiremetals.co.uk or contact:

About Empire Metals Limited

Empire Metals is an AIM-listed and OTCQB-traded exploration and resource development company (LON: EEE) with a primary focus on developing Pitfield, an emerging giant titanium project in Western Australia.

The high-grade titanium discovery at Pitfield is of unprecedented scale, with airborne surveys identifying a massive, coincident gravity and magnetics anomaly extending over 40km by 8km by 5km deep. Drill results have indicated excellent continuity in grades and consistency of the mineralised beds and confirm that the sandstone beds hold the higher-grade titanium dioxide (TiO₂) values within the interbedded succession of sandstones, siltstones and conglomerates. The Company is focused on two key prospects (Cosgrove and Thomas), which have been identified as having thick, high-grade, near-surface, bedded TiO₂ mineralisation, each being over 7km in strike length.

An Exploration Target* for Pitfield was declared in 2024, covering the Thomas and Cosgrove mineral prospects, and was estimated to contain between 26.4 to 32.2 billion tonnes with a grade range of 4.5 to 5.5% TiO₂. Included within the total Exploration Target* is a subset that covers the weathered sandstone zone, which extends from surface to an average vertical depth of 30m to 40m and is estimated to contain between 4.0 to 4.9 billion tonnes with a grade range of 4.8 to 5.9% TiO₂.

The Exploration Target* covers an area less than 20% of the overall mineral system at Pitfield which demonstrates the potential for significant further upside.

Empire is now accelerating the economic development of Pitfield, with a vision to produce a high-value titanium metal or pigment quality product at Pitfield, to realise the full value potential of this exceptional deposit.

The Company also has two further exploration projects in Australia; the Eclipse Project and the Walton Project in Western Australia, in addition to three precious metals projects located in a historically high-grade gold producing region of Austria.

*The potential quantity and grade of the Exploration Target is conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

Click here to connect with Empire Metals (OTCQB:EPMLF, AIM:EEE) to receive an Investor Presentation

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1. Kazakhstan

Mine production: 21,227 metric tons

Kazakhstan is the largest uranium producing country in the world, and its total output of 21,227 metric tons in 2022 accounted for an impressive 43 percent of global uranium supply.

When last recorded in 2021, Kazakhstan had 815,200 MT of known recoverable uranium resources, second only to Australia. Most of the uranium in the country is mined via an in-situ leaching process.

Kazataprom, the country’s national uranium miner, is the world’s largest producer, with projects and partnerships in various jurisdictions. News that the top uranium producer may miss its production targets for 2024 and 2025 was a large contributor to uranium prices breaking through the US$100 level last year.

One of the company’s most significant uranium operations is the Inkai in-situ recovery (ISR) mine, a 60/40 joint venture with Cameco (TSX:CCO,NYSE:CCJ). According to the mining database MDO, Inkai produced 8.3 million pounds of U3O8 in 2023.

Production at Inkai was temporarily suspended in early 2025 due to a regulatory delay that has since been rectified.

In May, Kazatomprom announced that its subsidiary’s 40 percent owned joint venture, Taiqonyr Qyshqyl Zauyty, secured US$189 million in financing from the Development Bank of Kazakhstan to build an 800,000 MT per year sulfuric acid plant in the Turkestan region. The plant is expected to be operational by Q1 2027.

2. Canada

Mine production: 7,351 metric tons

Canada’s uranium output in 2022 was 7,351 metric tons. The country’s production fell dramatically since hitting a peak of 14,039 MT in 2016 as the country’s mines closed due to low uranium prices in the late 2010s. However, uranium production in the country began to rebound in 2022.

Saskatchewan’s Cigar Lake and McArthur River are considered the world’s two top uranium mines. Both properties are operated by sector major Cameco. MDO highlights Cigar Lake and McArthur River as having uranium grades that are 100 times the world average. The company made the decision to shutter operations at the McArthur River mine in 2018, but returned to normal operations in November 2022.

In 2023, Cameco produced 17.6 million pounds of uranium — equivalent to 7,983 metric tons — which was still below its originally planned production of 20.3 million pounds for the year. However, the company’s 2024 uranium output climbed to 23.1 million pounds, beating its guidance for the year.

For 2025, the uranium major plans to produce 18 million pounds of uranium at McArthur River/Key Lake and 18 million pounds at Cigar Lake.

Uranium exploration is also prevalent in Canada, with the majority occurring in the uranium-rich Athabasca Basin in the province of Saskatchewan. The Athabasca Basin is world renowned for its high-quality uranium deposits and friendly mining attitude, and Saskatchewan’s long history with the uranium industry has helped to assert it as an international leader in the sector.

3. Namibia

Mine production: 5,613 metric tons

Namibia’s uranium production totaled 5,613 metric tons in 2022. The country’s uranium output has been steadily increasing after falling to 2,993 MT in 2015.

In fact, the African nation overtook longtime frontrunner Canada to become the third largest uranium-producing country in 2020, and went on to surpass Australia for the second top spot in 2021. Although Namibia slipped back below Canada in 2022, its output for the year was only down by 140 MT from 2021.

The country is home to three key uranium mines: Langer Heinrich, Rössing and Husab. Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN,OTCQX:PALAF) owns the Langer Heinrich mine. In 2017, Paladin took Langer Heinrich offline due to weak uranium prices. However, improved uranium prices over the past few years prompted the uranium miner to ramp up restart efforts, and Langer Heinrich achieved commercial production once again in Q1 2024.

Paladin initially forecast fiscal 2025 output of 4 million to 4.5 million pounds of U3O8, but revised it in November 2024 to 3 million to 3.6 million pounds due to inconsistent ore stockpiles and water supply issues. In March 2025, after heavy rains further disrupted operations, Paladin removed its guidance altogether. The company is now facing two class action lawsuits regarding the guidance revisions.

Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO,ASX:RIO,LSE:RIO) sold its majority share of the Rössing mine to China National Uranium in 2019. Rössing is the world’s longest-running open-pit uranium mine, and recent expansion efforts have extended its mine life to 2036, according to MDO.

The Husab mine, majority owned by China General Nuclear, is one of the world’s largest uranium mines by output. As part of its effort to increase output, MDO reports that a pilot heap leach project is underway to assess the economic feasibility of processing lower-grade ore. The results of the pilot project are expected in 2025.

4. Australia

Mine production: 4,087 metric tons

Australia’s uranium production totaled 4,087 metric tons in 2022, down significantly from the 6,203 MT produced two years prior. The island nation holds 28 percent of the world’s known recoverable uranium resources.

Uranium mining is a contentious and often political issue in Australia. While the country permits some uranium-mining activity, it is opposed to using nuclear energy — at least for now.

‘Australia uses no nuclear power, but with high reliance on coal any likely carbon constraints on electricity generation will make it a strong possibility,” according to the World Nuclear Association. “Australia has a significant infrastructure to support any future nuclear power program.”

Australia is home to three operating uranium mines, including the largest-known deposit of uranium in the world, BHP’s (NYSE:BHP,ASX:BHP,LSE:BHP) Olympic Dam. Although uranium is only produced as a by-product at Olympic Dam, its high output of the metal makes it the fourth largest uranium-producing mine in the world. The mining database MDO reports that In BHP’s 2024 fiscal year, uranium output from the Olympic Dam operation totaled 3,603 metric tons of uranium oxide concentrate.

5. Uzbekistan

Mine production: 3,300 metric tons

In 2022, Uzbekistan was the fifth largest uranium producing country, with output of 3,300 metric tons. It entered the top five in 2020, with an estimated 3,500 MT of output. Domestic uranium production had been gradually increasing in the Central Asian nation since 2016 via Japanese and Chinese joint ventures.

Navoiyuran, which was spun out of state-owned Navoi Mining & Metallurgy Combinat in 2022 as part of a restructuring, handles all the mining and processing of domestic uranium supply. The nation’s uranium largess continues to attract foreign investment; strategic partnerships with French uranium miner Orano and state-run China Nuclear Uranium were announced in November 2023 and March 2024, respectively.

Orano also partnered with the state uranium company in 2019, forming a 51/49 joint venture, Nurlikum Mining, to develop the South Djengeldi uranium project. In early 2025, the pair was joined by Japan’s ITOCHU (TSE:8001), who acquired an undisclosed minority stake. The mine, located in the Kyzylkum Desert, is projected to produce up to 700 metric tons of uranium annually over a lifespan exceeding a decade. An exploration program aims to at least double the project’s mineral resources.

6. Russia

Mine production: 2,508 metric tons

Russia was in sixth place in terms of uranium production in 2022 with production of 2,508 metric tons. Output has been relatively steady in the country since 2011, usually coming in around the 2,800 to 3,000 MT range.

Experts had been expecting the country to increase its production in the coming years to meet its energy needs, as well as growing uranium demand around the world. But in 2021, uranium production in the country dropped by 211 MT year-over-year to 2,635 MT, and it fell by another 127 MT in 2022.

In terms of domestic production, Rosatom, a subsidiary of ARMZ Uranium Holding, owns the country’s Priargunsky mine and is working on developing the Vershinnoye deposit in Southern Siberia through a subsidiary.

In 2023, Russia surpassed its uranium production target, producing 90 MT more than expected. Rosatom is developing new mines, including Mine No. 6, which is slated to begin uranium production in 2028.

Russian uranium has been an area of controversy in recent years, with the US initiating a Section 232 investigation around the security of uranium imports from the country in 2018. More recently, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine has prompted countries around the world to look more closely at their nuclear supply chains.

7. Niger

Mine production: 2,020 metric tons

Niger’s uranium production totaled 2,020 metric tons in 2022, having declined year-on-year over the past decade. The African nation is home to the producing SOMAIR uranium mine and the past producing COMINAK mine, which account for 5 percent of the world’s uranium production. Both are run by subsidiaries of Orano, a private uranium miner, through majority owned joint ventures.

Global Atomic (TSX:GLO,OTCQX:GLATF) is developing its Dasa project in the country, and expects to commission its processing plant by early 2026. Niger is also home to the Madaouela uranium asset, which was the flagship project of explorer GoviEx Uranium (TSXV:GXU,OTCQB:GVXXF).

A recent military coup in the African nation has sparked uranium supply concerns, as Niger accounts for 15 percent of France’s uranium needs and one-fifth of EU imports. In January 2024, the government of Niger, now under a military junta, announced it intends to overhaul the nation’s mining industry. It has temporarily halted the granting of new mining licenses and is working to make changes to existing mining licenses in order to increase state profits.

In mid-2024, Niger’s government revoked GoviEx Uranium’s Madaouela mining license along with Orano’s operating permit for its Imouraren uranium project.

Niger granted a small-scale mining permit for the Moradi uranium project to state-owned COMIREX. The approval, issued February 22, 2025, upgrades a previous semi-mechanized license and strengthens national control over uranium resources in the Agadez Region.

8. China

Mine production: 1,700 metric tons

China’s uranium production grew to hit 1,700 metric tons in 2022, up by 100 MT over 2021. The country’s uranium production climbed during the 2010s from 885 MT in 2011 to 1,885 MT in 2018, and held steady at that level until falling to 1,600 MT in 2021.

China General Nuclear Power, the country’s sole domestic uranium supplier, is looking to expand nuclear fuel supply deals with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and additional foreign uranium companies.

China’s goal is to supply one-third of its nuclear fuel cycle with uranium from domestic producers, obtain one-third through foreign equity in mines and joint ventures overseas and purchase one-third on the open uranium market. China is also a leader in nuclear energy; the Chinese mainland has 56 nuclear reactors with 31 in construction.

In May 2025 Chinese scientists announced successful results from their newly developed method of extracting uranium from seawater, which uses hydrogel beads made with candle wax and a uranium-binding compound. The team aims to build a demonstration plant by 2035.

While the nation’s uranium reserves are less expansive than other countries, the technique could support China’s growing nuclear power needs by tapping into the ocean’s vast uranium reserves.

9. India

Mine production: 600 metric tons

India produced 600 metric tons of uranium in 2022, on par with output in 2021.

India currently has 25 operating nuclear reactors with another eight under construction, according to the Indian government. In 2025, the country’s Minister for Power released a list of steps to take to increase the country’s nuclear energy capacity to its goal of 100 gigawatts of power by 2047.

“The Indian government is committed to growing its nuclear power capacity as part of its massive infrastructure development programme,” as per the World Nuclear Association. “The government has set ambitious targets to grow nuclear capacity.”

10. South Africa

Mine production: 200 metric tons

South Africa produced 200 metric tons of uranium in 2022. It is another uranium-producing country that has seen its output decline over the past decade — the nation’s uranium output peaked at 573 MT in 2014. Nonetheless, in 2022 South Africa surpassed Ukraine’s production, which was curbed by Russia’s invasion, to become the 10th top uranium producer globally.

South Africa holds 5 percent of the world’s known uranium resources, taking the sixth spot on that list.

Recently, Sibanye-Stillwater (NYSE:SBSW) and C5 Capital, a global investment firm specializing in advanced nuclear energy, formed a strategic partnership to explore and develop advanced nuclear energy opportunities in South Africa and globally.

The collaboration aims to identify, acquire, finance, develop and manage uranium projects and production facilities capable of supplying fuel for small modular reactors. Sibanye-Stillwater’s portfolio includes significant uranium resources in tailings at its Cooke and Beatrix gold operations.

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$104,369 as markets wrapped, down 0.7 percent in 24 hours. The day’s range for the cryptocurrency brought a low of US$103,984 and a high of US$104,589.

Bitcoin performance, June 2, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

After hitting nearly US$103,100 on May 31, Bitcoin held above US$104,500 to close its weekly candle.

The cryptocurrency traded around US$104,000 on Monday as uncertainty continued to plague centralized and decentralized markets in the final month of the second quarter.

Crypto analyst Daan Crypto Trades identified the mid-range level around US$99,600 and a resistance area near US$108,000 as key zones to watch for potential reversal signals during the first week of June. He emphasized that early June moves may be ‘fakeouts,’ with the real trend emerging afterward.

Ethereum (ETH) finished the trading day at US$2,533.47, a 0.4 percent increase over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency reached an intraday low of US$2,494.99 and saw a daily high of US$2,555.62.

Altcoin price update

• Solana (SOL) closed at US$152.44, down 2.1 percent over 24 hours. SOL experienced a low of US$152.34 in the final minutes of trading and reached a high of US$154.27.

• XRP is trading at US$2.16, reflecting a 0.1 percent decrease over 24 hours. The cryptocurrency reached a daily low of US$2.14 and a high of US$2.17.

• Sui (SUI) peaked at US$3.28, showing a decreaseof 0.2 percent over the past 24 hours. Its lowest valuation on Monday was US$3.25, and its highest was US$3.32.

• Cardano (ADA) is trading at US$0.6724, down 0.8 percent over the past 24 hours. Its lowest price of the day was US$0.6708, and it reached a high of US$0.6776.

Today’s crypto news to know

Circle aims for US$7.2 billion valuation in expanded US IPO

Stablecoin issuer Circle is aiming for a US$7.2 billion valuation in its upsized initial public offering (IPO), signaling strong investor interest amid a friendlier US regulatory environment under President Donald Trump.

The company and its backers now hope to raise up to US$896 million by offering 32 million shares.

Circle’s USDC, the world’s second largest stablecoin, is expected to benefit from pending legislation that could drive more institutional adoption. The firm reported a 55 percent jump in reserve income for Q1, reaching nearly US$558 million, though this was offset by a 68 percent surge in distribution and transaction costs.

Circle’s primary distribution partner is Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN), with others contributing to global reach. The IPO is being led by JP Morgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), Citigroup (NYSE:C) and Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS).

Circle will trade under the ticker symbol ‘CRCL’ on the NYSE later this week.

BitoPro possibly hacked for US$11 million, exchange silent

Taiwan’s BitoPro exchange may have suffered a major breach on May 8, according to blockchain investigator ZachXBT, with over US$11.5 million in crypto drained from its hot wallets.

The attackers allegedly compromised wallets across Ethereum, Solana, Tron and Polygon, then funneled the assets through mixers like Tornado Cash and Wasabi Wallet to cover their tracks.

BitoPro has yet to publicly acknowledge the breach, instead citing routine “system maintenance” as the reason for service disruptions last month. The exchange remains quiet on its official channels despite mounting evidence of a hack.

BitoPro, operated by BitoGroup, has served Taiwan’s crypto market since 2018, and continues to process over US$20 million in daily volume.

Lubin credits Saylor for inspiring Ethereum treasury push

Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin says a conversation with Bitcoin bull Michael Saylor prompted him to explore the creation of a treasury firm focused on Ether, according to Bloomberg.

Inspired by Saylor’s success turning Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) into a leveraged Bitcoin proxy, Lubin launched a new initiative through SharpLink Gaming (NASDAQ:SBET), raising US$425 million to buy Ether.

Lubin, who is now chair of SharpLink, expects to raise even more capital through share offerings and bonds — mirroring Saylor’s approach, but with a focus on Ethereum.

Following the announcement, SharpLink’s share price soared over 1,000 percent in just a few days. Lubin believes this will spark a wave of similar Ether-focused strategies and drive institutional demand.

While Bitcoin has enjoyed a clearer investment narrative as “digital gold,” Lubin argues Ether’s broader utility is underappreciated and ripe for a narrative shift.

Saylor’s Strategy boosts Bitcoin holdings by 705 BTC

Strategy acquired another 705 BTC for US$75.1 million between May 26 and May 30.

The latest purchases were made at an average price of US$106,495 per coin, and followed the sale of 3,750 Class A shares between May 22 and 29 by Strategy director Jarrod Patten, worth nearly US$1.4 million.

According to Strategy’s data, the latest purchase brought its year-to-date BTC yield to 16.9 percent. The company’s quarter-to-date BTC yield is now 5.4 percent. Strategy is looking to reach a BTC yield target of 25 percent year-to-date by the end of 2025. The company previously targeted a 15 percent yield, but increased it on May 1.

Strategy now holds 581,000 BTC, or 2.9 percent of all Bitcoin that have been mined to date.

Metaplanet buys more Bitcoin, holdings top US$930 million

Japan’s Metaplanet (TSE:3350,OTCQX:MTPLF) has acquired another 1,088 BTC, pushing its total Bitcoin stash past 8,888 coins — now worth over US$930 million. The latest purchase cost the firm US$117.5 million, bringing its average BTC acquisition price to just over US$108,000 per coin. Since adopting its Bitcoin treasury policy in April 2024, Metaplanet has rapidly climbed the ranks of corporate BTC holders and is now the largest in Asia.

The company recently raised US$50 million through zero-interest bonds to finance its latest round of acquisitions without issuing new stock. Year-to-date, Metaplanet reports a 66 percent return on its BTC holdings, and it has added over 7,000 coins in 2025 alone. The firm is targeting a total of 10,000 BTC by year end.

Tether enhances gold-backed token

Tether’s gold-backed token, Tether Gold (XAU₮), has been enhanced with an omnichain version, XAU₮0.

It is now available on the Open Network (TON) blockchain. This move enables the trading of digital gold and deepens the collaboration between Tether and TON. XAU₮, Tether’s original gold token, is available as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum and a TRC-20 token on TRON. The new version leverages LayerZero’s OFT standard to facilitate native movement across multiple blockchains without wrapping or redeploying new tokens on each chain.

According to Tether’s Q1 attestation report, it has over 7.7 metric tons of physical gold backing the XAUT stablecoin.

MAS orders crypto firms to halt overseas services

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s central bank, has ordered local crypto service providers to stop offering digital token services to overseas markets by June 30.

The directive came in response to industry feedback on a proposed regulatory framework for Digital Token Service Providers (DTSPs) under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSM Act), passed in April 2022.

The act requires DTSPs with overseas operations to comply with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing standards, even if they do not offer services within Singapore.

“DTSPs which are subject to a licensing requirement under section 137 of the FSM Act must suspend or cease carrying on a business of providing DT services outside Singapore by 30 June 2025,” MAS wrote.

MAS states that any Singapore-incorporated company, individual or partnership that provides DT services outside Singapore must either cease operations or obtain a license when the DTSP provisions come into force.

Companies found violating the laws will be subject to hefty fines of up to 250,000 Singaporean dollars (US$200,000) and imprisonment of up to three years. Firms licensed or exempted under the Securities and Futures Act, Financial Advisors Act or Payment Services Act may continue to operate without conflicting with the new rules.