Bullet briefing — Freeport drops, Lithium Americas spikes

Copper up on Freeport force majeure

Copper prices were on the rise this week after major miner Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) declared force majeure at its Indonesia-based Grasberg copper-gold mine.

Grasberg has been offline since September 8, when around 800,000 metric tons of mud flowed into underground levels at the operation. Seven employees went missing during the incident, with two now confirmed to have died; search efforts continue for the other five.

Freeport has cut its copper and gold sales guidance for the third quarter of the year, and expects to defer ‘significant’ production in Q4 as well as 2026. Preliminary assessments suggest that Grasberg may not return to pre-incident operating rates until 2027.

The company’s share price took a dive on the back of the news.

Putting the impact into context, Bloomberg notes that prior to the disruption, Grasberg accounted for about 3.2 percent of copper mine supply this year, as well as 30 percent of Freeport’s copper output and 70 percent of its gold production.

Lithium Americas shares spike

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Nevada-focused Lithium Americas (TSX:LAC,NYSE:LAC) saw its share price spike over 100 percent this week after Reuters reported that the Trump administration may be gearing up to take a 10 percent equity stake in the company.

Lithium Americas finalized a US$2.26 billion loan from the US Department of Energy last year, but the government has been looking to renegotiate terms due to concerns about low lithium prices.

Lithium Americas reportedly proposed a change in the loan’s amortization schedule, with the request for an equity stake in the company coming during those discussions.

Reuters states that to secure its funding, Lithium Americas offered the government no-cost warrants that would equate to 5 to 10 percent of its common shares.

The loan is tied to the company’s Thacker Pass lithium project, which is set to open in 2028.

‘President Trump supports this project. He wants it to succeed and also be fair to taxpayers. But there’s no such thing as free money,’ an anonymous White House official told the news outlet.

Bitcoin and Ether price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$109,743, trading 1.2 percent lower over the past 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$108,776, while its highest was US$111,694.

Bitcoin price performance, September 26, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Bitcoin is hovering just under the US$110,000 mark, and traders on prediction platforms now see a 61 percent chance it will dip below US$100,000 before 2026, up sharply from last week’s 41 percent.

Position trader Bob Loukas noted that the asset is nearing its weekly cycle low five weeks after peaking, with bears retaining short-term control after Bitcoin failed to break all-time highs in mid-August. CoinDesk’s James Van Straten compared today’s setup to September 2024, when Bitcoin corrected 11 percent before rebounding into October.

Bitcoin dominance in the crypto market is 56.83 percent, a 1.37 percent slight rise over the week.

For its part, Ether (ETH) was priced at US$4,019.71, trading 1.1 percent lower over the past 24 hours and near its lowest valuation of the day, which was US$3,833.75. Its price peaked at US$4,019.71.

Ether is struggling with critical support levels after slipping under US$4,000, down nearly 20 percent in the last two weeks. Analysts warn that failure to reclaim momentum could send Ether tumbling toward US$2,750, with Ali Martinez highlighting US$4,841 as the key level needed to break the downtrend.

Pressure on Ether intensified after co-founder Jeffrey Wilcke transferred 1,500 ETH worth US$6 million to Kraken on Thursday (September 25), following previous multimillion-dollar deposits to the exchange.

Altcoin price update

• Solana (SOL) was priced at US$196.27, a decrease of 2.7 percent over the last 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$191.28, while its highest value was US$203.50.

• XRP was trading for US$2.74, down by 3.6 percent over the last 24 hourse. Its highest valuation of the day was US$2.86, while its lowest was US$2.70.

ETF data and derivatives trends

Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continued to see institutional demand this week.

Inflows were led by BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (NASDAQ:IBIT), which saw net purchases of US$128.9 million and taking its total assets under management to about US$87.2 billion.

Other US spot BTC ETFs also saw significant inflows. The Fidelity Advantage Bitcoin ETF (TSX:FBTC) added US$29.7 million, and the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (BATS:ARKB) added US$37.7 million on the same day.

In total, US Bitcoin ETFs now hold roughly US$150 billion in Bitcoin, equivalent to about 1.33 million to 1.35 million coins and roughly 6 to 7 percent of Bitcoin’s total market cap.

Altcoin ETF momentum is also building. In mid-September, the first spot altcoin ETFs hit US markets, including the REX Osprey XRP ETF (CBOE:XRPR) and the REX Osprey DOGE ETF (CBOE:DOJE).

Several firms are now racing to list others, including Solana and Stellar.

On the derivatives side, leverage remains near record levels. CryptoQuant data shows Bitcoin futures open interest above US$220 billion in September — a historic high — suggesting heavy speculative positioning. Analysts warn that clustered stops around the current price could trigger massive liquidations if breached.

Ether also saw significant liquidations in this pullback, reflecting similar crowd behavior in derivatives. Perpetual funding rates for both Bitcoin and Ether remain near zero, indicating a balanced market bias between bulls and bears.

Next week’s crypto news to watch

Several major events are on the horizon.

Korea Blockchain Week continues in Seoul through September 28, with major exchange executives and policymakers expected to announce partnerships and regulatory updates. In Europe, the Token2049 conference in London kicks off on October 2, drawing institutional investors who may reveal ETF and custody initiatives.

Finally, regulatory headlines remain a wild card. The US Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to issue updates on pending applications for altcoin ETFs.

Today’s crypto news to know

Crypto’s institutional support falters as treasury buying slumps

Corporate crypto treasuries, once seen as a stabilizing force for Bitcoin, are sharply cutting back their purchases.

Data from CryptoQuant shows acquisitions plunged from 64,000 BTC in July to just 12,600 BTC in August, with September barely reaching 15,500 BTC, a 76 percent decline from early summer highs.

The pullback has weighed on Bitcoin, which slid nearly 6 percent in the past week amid broader liquidations across digital assets. Some treasury firms, which had previously traded at premiums to the value of their Bitcoin reserves, are now priced nearly in line with their holdings, which reflect weaker investor confidence.

Regulators are also probing irregular trading patterns in these stocks, raising questions about transparency in PIPE deals and the disclosure of acquisition prices.

BlackRock pitches covered-call Bitcoin ETF for yield hunters

BlackRock has filed plans for a new Bitcoin Premium Income ETF, a product designed to generate steady payouts through covered-call strategies on Bitcoin. The move follows the runaway success of the firm’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, which launched in early 2024 and has already amassed more than US$87 billion in assets.

Unlike the iShares Bitcoin Trust, which offers straightforward exposure, the new fund aims to appeal to investors seeking Bitcoin-linked returns without the full brunt of price swings. Analysts say the filing underscores BlackRock’s strategy to focus on Bitcoin and Ethereum while leaving smaller tokens to other issuers.

The iShares Bitcoin Trust alone commands roughly 60 percent of the US Bitcoin ETF market and has produced over US$218 million in annual revenue, surpassing even some of BlackRock’s flagship equity funds.

Curve founder targets introduces new Bitcoin yield platform

Curve Finance founder Michael Egorov has introduced Yield Basis, a decentralized protocol aimed at giving Bitcoin holders meaningful on-chain returns without exposure to impermanent loss.

Traditional lending markets offer minimal yields on Bitcoin, while automated market maker (AMM) pools have historically left users vulnerable to losing value when asset prices diverge. Yield Basis reworks the AMM model to remove this risk, debuting with three capped pools of US$1 million each to control early adoption. The project raised US$5 million earlier this year and is the first to launch on the joint Legion and Kraken community platform.

Egorov says the framework could eventually expand beyond Bitcoin to assets like Ethereum, commodities or even tokenized equities, potentially broadening DeFi’s appeal to more risk-averse investors.

Markets and commodities react

Canadian equity markets were in positive territory this week by the end of trading Thursday.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) set another new record high this week, climbing above the 30,000 mark for the first time on Tuesday before retreating to close Thursday at 29,731.98. The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) performed even better, peaking at 929.64 Tuesday and ending the week at 920.18. For its part, the CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) peaked on Wednesday at 168.38, but retreated to end Thursday at 163.31.

The gold price continued to climb this week, setting another new record, as it achieved an intraday high of US$3,788 per ounce on Tuesday. While the price retreated slightly, it was still up 1.7 percent on the week at US$3,749.21 by Thursday’s close.

The silver price saw more significant gains, rising 8.14 percent to set a year-to-date high of US$45.19 per ounce at 4 p.m. EST Thursday. The silver price is trading at 14 year highs and has been closing in on its record US$47.91 set in March 2011.

Copper had sizable gains this week on the news of the closure of Freeport’s Grasberg mine discussed above. The copper price was up 5 percent on Wednesday, but shed some gains Thursday to end the day with a weekly gain of 4.12 percent to US$4.80 per pound. The S&P Goldman Sachs Commodities Index (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) gained 1.54 percent gain to end Thursday at 558.11.

Top Canadian mining stocks this week

How did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?

Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.

Stocks data for this article was retrieved at 4:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market caps greater than C$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.

1. Lithium Americas (TSX:LAC)

Weekly gain: 126.93 percent
Market cap: C$2.02 billion
Share price: C$9.94

Lithium Americas is a lithium development company focused on advancing its flagship Thacker Pass project in Nevada, US, which is considered a critical component of the US’s domestic lithium supply chain.

The project is a 62/38 joint venture between Lithium America and General Motors (NYSE:GM), with the latter investing US$625 million in the project last year for its stake. The companies are currently working to advance Phase 1 of the project into production, targeting a capacity of 40,000 metric tons per year of battery-quality lithium carbonate. First production is expected in Q4 2027, and GM has the right to buy all Phase 1 lithium production.

Shares in the company surged this week following news reports on the status of a US$2.26 billion loan from the US Department of Energy (DOE). On Tuesday, Reuters reported that the White House is seeking an equity stake of up to 10 percent in Lithium Americas as it renegotiates the terms of the loan. The company had planned to make its first draw from the loan this month, according to Reuters’ sources.

On Wednesday, Lithium Americas noted its rising share price in a press release about the situation. The company stated it was continuing to work with the DOE and General Motors to reach a mutually agreeable resolution regarding the first draw of the loan and potential amendments, noting discussions also included the topic of ‘corresponding consideration,’ or fair compensation, for the lithium company.

2. Scandium Canada (TSXV:SCD)

Weekly gain: 75 percent
Market cap: C$20.09 million
Share price: C$0.07

Scandium Canada is a scandium exploration company working to advance its Crater Lake scandium project in Northern Québec, Canada. The property consists of 96 contiguous claims covering an area of 47 square kilometers. To date, the company has identified five primary zones of interest at Crater Lake.

An updated mineral resource estimate released on May 12 demonstrated an indicated resource of 16.3 million metric tons of ore at an average grade of 277.9 grams per metric ton (g/t) scandium oxide, plus an inferred resource of 20.9 million metric tons at 271.7 g/t. The MRE also included grades of other rare earths at the project.

Gains in Scandium Canada’s share price began when trading opened Tuesday, the day after Reuters reported on White House plans to source scandium oxide from Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO), which produces scandium oxide from its facility in Québec.

The company’s shares continued rising throughout the week. On Wednesday, Reuters reported that the Group of Seven nations is discussing instituting rare earth price floors as a means to increase rare earth production in their countries to counter China’s dominance. The considerations follow the G7 leaders’ announcement of a critical minerals action plan in June, which aims to strengthen the Western supply of critical minerals.

In company news, on Thursday Scandium Canada announced an update on advancements for its proprietary aluminum-scandium alloys, which it is aiming to commercialize.

3. Sendero Resources (TSXV:SEND)

Weekly gain: 64.58 percent
Market cap: C$14.74 million
Share price: C$0.79

Sendero Resources is a copper and gold exploration company focused on its Peñas Negras copper-gold project located along the border between Chile and Argentina in the Vicuña mining district.

Vicuña is home to several significant operations, including the Josemaria and Filo del Sol copper-gold mines, which are 50/50 joint ventures between Lundin Mining (TSX:LUN) and BHP Group (ASX:BHP,NYSE:BHP,LSE:BHP).

Peñas Negras covers an area of 211 square kilometers in Argentina’s portion of the district and bears geological similarities to the aforementioned deposits, according to Sendero.

Shares in the company were up this week, but the company has not released news since July 21, when it reported granting stock options to company employees and consultants.

4. Tincorp Metals (TSXV:TIN)

Weekly gain: 58.82 percent
Market cap: C$14.65 million
Share price: C$0.27

Tincorp Metals is a mineral exploration company with a pair of tin assets in Bolivia, and also owns a gold project in the Yukon, Canada.

Its SF Tin project covers a 2 square kilometer area in the Potosí Department of West-central Bolivia. The site hosts a historical open-pit mine and was previously explored by Rio Tinto in the 1990s. Tincorp’s 2022 exploration program encountered a highlighted intercept of 0.20 percent tin, 0.94 percent zinc, 0.17 percent lead and 24.01 g/t silver over 182.6 meters.

The company’s Porvenir project is an 11.25 square kilometer property in Western Bolivia that hosts historical open-pit and underground mining operations. Its exploration of the site in 2023 encountered a highlighted intercept with 0.65 percent tin, 1.97 percent zinc, 4 g/t silver and 0.10 percent copper over 21.2 meters.

The most recent news from Tincorp came on September 17 when it announced it had closed on a non-brokered private placement for 3 million common shares for gross proceeds of C$375,000. The company said it intends to use the net proceeds for working capital requirements and corporate purposes.

5. Wealth Minerals (TSXV:WML)

Weekly gain: 58.33 percent
Market cap: C$56.41 million
Share price: C$0.19

Wealth Minerals is a lithium exploration and development company with several Chilean lithium brine assets. Much of its news in Q2 and Q3 has been about advancing its Kuska project in the Salar de Ollagüe. The Kuska project covers 10,500 hectares in the Antofagasta region near the Bolivian border.

In May, the company created the Kuska Minerals 95/5 joint venture with the Quechua Indigenous Community of Ollagüe for the Kuska project.

A February 2024 preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for Kuska demonstrated an indicated resource of 139,000 metric tons of contained lithium from 8 million cubic meters of brine with an average grade of 175 milligrams per liter lithium. The report also demonstrated a post-tax net present value of US$1.15 billion, with an internal rate of return of 28 percent and a payback period of 6.9 years.

In September 2024, the Chilean government selected the Salar de Ollagüe to be among the first group of six salars considered for production licenses. Wealth applied for a special lithium operation contract (CEOL) for Kuska, but was denied due to not meeting the criteria of 80 percent ownership of the area designated by Chile, referred to as a polygon, that contained its concessions.

On Tuesday, the company reported that the Chilean government has reopened applications after simplifying the process for assigning a CEOL with revised requirements. During consultation with the local Indigenous communities, the ministry agreed to exclude ‘the areas of greatest cultural interest to Indigenous communities and the populated areas that were part of the polygon.’ Wealth Minerals is now verifying it meets all conditions before reapplying.

The following day, Wealth announced that it had entered into a letter agreement to acquire the past-producing Andacollo Oro Gold project in Chile. The project has historic measured and indicated resources of 2.02 million ounces of gold from 130 million metric tons with a grade of 0.48 g/t.

According to the company, it believes the acquisition is the right choice for shareholders as it expects the drivers of the current investment interest in gold, namely worry about monetary and fiscal policies, to remain unchanged.

Additionally, in connection with the transaction, the company announced it was opening a non-brokered private placement for a minimum of 41.67 million shares with the intention of raising gross proceeds of C$5 million.

FAQs for Canadian mining stocks

How much does it cost to list on the TSXV?

There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.

The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.

These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.

How do you trade on the TSXV?

Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange’s trading hours.

Nasdaq-100 performance, September 19 to 26, 2025.

Chart via Nasdaq.

The market rebounded slightly on Friday (September 26) as the latest US personal consumption expenditures index data aligned with expectations, giving investors relief and a sense of continued stability.

The Nasdaq-100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) and S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) posted modest losses for the week, reflecting a wait-and-see mood heading into the fourth quarter.

3 stocks that moved markets this week

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)

• Share price performance: Shares of Apple have risen 11.45 percent since September 12 pre-orders, positively impacted by strong iPhone 17 sales exceeding expectations.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)

• Share price performance: Shares of Intel rose 19.65 percent this week as the legacy tech company continued to strengthen its market position.

GlobalFoundries (NASDAQ:GFS)

• News highlights: The US said it is planning to implement a 1:1 chip production rule to reduce reliance on overseas semiconductor supply. Under this proposal, chip manufacturers would be required to produce domestically as many semiconductors as their customers import from foreign suppliers. Companies failing to maintain this 1:1 domestic-to-import production ratio over time may face tariffs.

Apple, Global Foundries and Intel performance, September 23 to 26, 2025.

Chart via Google Finance.

ETF performance

Gains across AI-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) this week reflected ongoing investor optimism for AI innovation and infrastructure buildup. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SMH) led the pack with a 1.74 percent increase, followed by the Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXQ), which gained 0.85 percent, and the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX), which advanced by 0.82 percent.

Other market news

Tech news to watch next week

• TikTok deal developments: Watch for updates on ongoing TikTok negotiations, as regulatory and geopolitical scrutiny persists. Any breakthroughs or setbacks could have significant implications for global tech and social media landscapes.

• Fermi America IPO: Fermi America, the data center developer founded by former Energy Secretary Rick Perry, prepares for a Nasdaq IPO targeting a valuation near US$13 billion on October 1. The outcome and investor reception to this IPO will serve as a bellwether for the AI infrastructure sector and data center buildout investment appetite.