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  • Deion Sanders stated college players are now ‘athlete-students,’ not ‘student-athletes.’
  • Sanders called for a commissioner to govern college football and regulate NIL compensation.
  • He criticized the NCAA transfer portal’s timing, which created challenges for academic departments.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders wants a commissioner to govern the new Wild West of college football and declared that college players are no longer student-athletes but instead are athlete-students.

Sanders said this on ESPN’s First Take on Friday, Feb. 6, after traveling to California’s Bay Area to do media interviews at the site of Super Bowl 60.  One of the show’s panelists, Ryan Clark, used the term “student-athlete” to ask him about how times have changed in college football, leading Sanders to interject and correct him.

“It’s athlete-student,” Sanders said. “Ain’t no student-athlete no more.”

Sanders noted his team recently had the highest grade-point average in the history of Colorado football in 2024 (3.011). But he criticized the timing of the transfer portal this year, when players could enter it from Jan. 2-16. Colorado started spring-semester classes Jan. 8, putting the school in a crunch as it tried to enroll more than 40 new transfers. The NCAA’s Division I Administrative Committee adopted the transfer portal dates last fall.

“How is it about the student-athletes when we have a portal at the time that we had?” Sanders asked. “Now our academic departments have to work their butts off even to get all these kids enrolled. That was tremendous. That was a tremendous task. And I thank our CU department for doing that. But (the NCAA is) not thinking about the academic part of the students. They’re thinking about the athletic parts, because that’s the part that provokes the most money.”

Deion Sanders calls for college football commissioner

Sanders also was asked about the state of college football in general with players earning money for their names, images and likenesses (NIL). He criticized how schools with the wealthiest donors have an edge and called for something similar to the NFL, which shares revenue with teams and is overseen by a commissioner. He said he loves that players are compensated but there “should be rules and guidelines for that compensation.”

“What the NIL is presenting is not sustainable,’ Sanders said. ‘Oftentimes it seems like you see the same consistency of teams winning and winning and winning because of the finances that some of the boosters and the donors can give. But that needs to be fixed, and we need some type of commissioner. And we need somebody to step up and make sure we’re doing this thing in unison, so that you don’t have certain teams that’s able to do well beyond this team. And you know this team is not going to win because of the lack thereof of finances.’

Deion Sanders has new distaste for NFL

Last year around this time, Sanders had flirted with the Dallas Cowboys when they had an opening for a new head coach. He has said before that he’d only be interested in such a job if he could coach his sons. But after what happened with his son Shedeur last year, he said he has no interest.

“None whatsoever,” he said. “What transpired with my son last year, ain’t no way in the world. Nah.”

Shedeur Sanders was projected as a first-round draft pick but fell all the way to the fifth round before getting picked by the Cleveland Browns. Some critics of the team believed the Browns weren’t giving Shedeur a fair shot until injuries paved the way for him to finish the season as the starting quarterback.

“I know what’s behind the curtains,” Sanders said. “I know all the bull junk that transpired.”

But he promised this year will be different for his family, including his Colorado team, which finished 3-9 in 2025.

“We back,” he said. “This year, ‘26 is ours. We’re gonna dominate this year from the top to the bottom.”

Who does Deion Sanders predict to win Super Bowl 60?

Sanders’ lack of interest in the NFL also apparently extends to Sunday’s Super Bowl. Before he finished his appearance on the show, Sanders was asked for his prediction on who would win the game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.

“I don’t care,” he said.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

We’re only two days away from Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara.

The New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks will meet Feb. 8 to decide who will win the Lombardi Trophy. After a week of festivities that included the 15th annual NFL Honors on Feb. 5, Super Bowl opening night, the Pro Bowl Games on Feb. 3 and more, it’s officially time to focus on the league’s annual finale.

USA TODAY Sports will provide the latest updates, highlights, news, quotes and more from Super Bowl week, leading up to Super Bowl 60 on Sunday. All times are Eastern.

Kliff Kingsbury to join LA Rams coaching staff

The Los Angeles Rams finished one win short of the Super Bowl this season, but will have one more offensive guru on the coaching staff for 2026. Multiple reports have former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury joining buddy Sean McVay on his coaching staff in 2026. Read more here.

– Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz

Seahawks’ ‘breakfast club’ beating Darnold, Kupp to work on the regular

Here’s a story you won’t find anywhere else. Three unheralded Seahawks defenders have made it a habit to be the first in the door at Seattle’s training facility over the past three years, even beating notorious early risers Cooper Kupp and Sam Darnold. USA TODAY NFL reporter Nate Davis has the lowdown on the group that Kupp jokingly claims lives at the Seahawks training facility. Read more here:

– Nate Davis

Meanwhile, in Italy: 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony is live

Indulge us a diversion from all things football, but there’s something else major happening in the sports world today. The opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics is live now, broadcast on NBC, with a rebroadcast at 8 p.m. ET Feb. 6.

You can follow USA TODAY’s ongoing Olympics coverage at usatoday.com/sports/olympics/ and follow live coverage of the opening ceremony here.

– Eric Larsen

Seahawks face big decisions on Walker III, Shaheed after Super Bowl 60

Two major offensive X factors for the Seattle Seahawks are entering free agency after the Feb. 8 Super Bowl – Kenneth Walker III and Rashid Shaheed. USA TODAY NFL insider Tyler Dragon has the lowdown on what both mean to the Seahawks, and what they’ve said about their futures with the team. Read more here.

– Tyler Dragon

How the Patriots rookies powered a Super Bowl run

Significant NFL turnarounds in recent years have followed a similar path to that of the Patriots. Last year, the Washington Commanders made the NFC championship game following a 4-13 campaign the year before. In 2023, the Houston Texans made a run to the divisional playoffs a year after going 3-13-1.

Like those teams, New England has a new coaching staff, which helped their turnaround to AFC champion. But it also has been an influx of new talent – especially rookies.

Top draft picks Will Campbell and TreVeyon Henderson played crucial roles in the Patriots’ season, as is expected. It’s not just a two-man rookie class. Read on for more on the fresh faces propelling the Patriots’ resurgence.

– Ayrton Ostly

Matthew Stafford: MVP and MVD? Watch his daughters laud dad in adorable video

Here’s an award anyone who’s ever answered to the name of ‘Daddy’ can appreciate. NFL MVP Matthew Stafford thought he was in for a film session when his family surprised him with a heartwarming video you just have to watch.

– Scooby Axson

Can you trust Madden NFL 26 to predict the Super Bowl 60 winner?

Per a USA TODAY analysis of Madden NFL video game picks dating back to 2004 — the first year publisher EA ran predictions — the simulation generally beats the odds. Madden has correctly predicted 13 of 22 Super Bowls for a 59% success rate, far eclipsing the 48% pick rate of the Vegas line during the same span, per Pro Football Reference. However, that success hasn’t come without its share of rough patches.

– Jared Beilby

Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez reps Colombia at Super Bowl 60

– Chris Bumbaca

Sonny Jurgensen, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, dies at age 91

Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen has passed away at the age of 91, the Washington Commanders announced Jan. 6. You can read the full story here.

– Scooby Axson

What makes Jaxon Smith-Njigba elite? Inside Seahawks WR’s route-running prowess

USA TODAY NFL insider Tyler Dragon has spent a lot of time with the Seattle Seahawks late this season while charting the ascendence of the 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Read here to learn more about how the third-year pro has compiled a record-setting season.

– Tyler Dragon

Jim Schwartz resigns as Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator

Hours after his star player, defensive end Myles Garrett, won Defensive Player of the Year, Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz resigned after getting passed over for the team’s head coaching vacancy, according to multiple reports.

Read the full story here.

– Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz

Matthew Stafford, Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald lead NFL Honors highlights

The NFL handed out its annual hardware Feb. 5, with Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford claiming the league MVP title in one of the closest votes in the award’s history.

The much-discussed 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class was also revealed, with Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Adam Vinatieri, Luke Kuechly and Roger Craig getting the call. Catch up on USA TODAY Sports’ coverage of the night here:

  • Brees and Fitzgerald (not Belichick and Kraft) headline Hall of Fame class
  • NFL MVP Matthew Stafford announces he’ll return to play for Rams in 2026 season
  • Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba named NFL Offensive Player of the Year
  • Browns’ Carson Schwesinger wins NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award
  • Tiffany Haddish mispronounces Patriots coach Mike Vrabel’s name at NFL Honors
  • Christian McCaffrey wins NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award
  • Mike Vrabel wins NFL Coach of the Year Award ahead of Super Bowl 60
  • Myles Garrett unanimously wins NFL Defensive Player of Year
  • Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan wins NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
  • 2026 NFL Honors awards: Live updates, results on MVP and more winners

– Eric Larsen

Patriots vs. Seahawks playoff record

The Patriots and Seahawks have met once in the playoffs. That came in Super Bowl 49, a tightly contested game New England won 28-24.

Patriots vs. Seahawks regular-season history

The Patriots and Seahawks have met 19 times in the regular season in NFL history. Seattle has gotten the better of New England across those matchups, posting an 11-8 record.

When did the Patriots and Seahawks last play?

The Patriots and Seahawks last met during Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season. Seattle earned a 23-20 overtime victory after Jason Myers made a walk-off 31-yard field goal to cap off an eight-play, 71-yard drive after New England went three-and-out on the opening possession of the extra frame.

How much do Super Bowl 60 tickets cost?

According to Ticketmaster’s official website, the average annual Super Bowl ticket resale prices range from $4,000 to $6,000 before fees.

As of the afternoon of Wednesday, Feb. 4, the average price of the cheapest single ticket across multiple resale websites (StubHub, Ticketmaster, SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, etc.) is $4,785 with all fees accounted for. Last year, the average price of the cheapest tickets from the same resale websites was $3,374, including fees.

When is the Super Bowl?

  • Date: Sunday, Feb. 8

Super Bowl 60 is set to kick off on Sunday, Feb. 8.

What teams are playing in Super Bowl 60?

  • Teams: New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks

The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks are set to play in the Super Bowl this year. The Patriots are the designated home team for the event at Levi’s Stadium.

Super Bowl odds for Patriots vs. Seahawks

The Seahawks remain favored to beat the Patriots in Super Bowl 60 as of Feb. 6, according to the BetMGM NFL odds.

  • Spread: Seahawks (-4.5)
  • Moneyline: Seahawks (-235); Patriots (+195)
  • Over/under: 45.5
This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Yasiel Puig, the former All-Star outfielder who hasn’t played in the major leagues since 2019, was found guilty of lying to federal law enforcement officials about placing illegal bets with a gambling operation.

Puig, 35, was convicted by a jury in Los Angeles on one count of obstruction of justice and one count of making false statements. He faces maximum sentences of up to 10 years in federal prison for the obstruction charge and up to five years for the false statement. He remains free until a May 26 sentencing hearing.

The verdict in the Central District of California’s federal court concluded a 13-day trial in which prosecutors laid out a pattern, beginning in May 2019, of bets placed by Puig with bookmaker Wayne Joseph Nix, a 49-year-old former minor league pitcher.

Nix pleaded guilty in April 2022 to one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and one count of subscribing to a false tax return awaits sentencing. Puig likely was not the target of federal investigators, yet in a January 2022 interrogation, was warned by investigators that lying under questioning was a crime.

In March 2022, prosecutors said, Puig sent a WhatsApp message to an associate of the bookie, admitting he lied to federal investigators. At his trial federal prosecutors presented an apparently voluminous record showing Puig lied to investigators.

Investigators say after Puig paid $200,000 to gain access to Nix-controlled gambling web sites, he placed 899 bets on tennis, football, and basketball games between July 4 and Sept. 29, 2019. Puig placed some of these bets at major league ballparks either before or after he played in games.

Puig played for both the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland in the 2019 season, his last in the majors. He did not receive interest from MLB teams after allegations of sexual assault surfaced before the 2021 season. He has spent parts of the past five seasons playing in Mexico or Korea, along with winter league stints in the Dominican Republic or Venezuela.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

As Michigan State prepares for a Big Ten matchup with No. 6 Illinois, Spartans coach Tom Izzo has a big decision in front of him. The problem is, he has no idea how to make it.

That decision centers around MSU guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who is under fire for a series of underhanded plays against Minnesota in a 76-73 loss. Arguably the most notable was a backwards kick while trying to create space from Golden Gophers forward Langston Reynolds, resulting in a technical foul. And all of this came just days after Michigan coach Dusty May called out Fears’ play as ‘dangerous.’

Izzo, after the game, did not mince words. He said he wasn’t sure he was going to start Fears against Illinois in Feb. 7’s prime-time game, but comments on Feb. 6 indicate that threat may have been empty.

“I’ve looked at everything with Jeremy, and I can’t say like you normally do,” Izzo said, per the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY network. “I talked about not starting him and bringing him in, suspending him for a half. And then I looked at the whole situation, and I’m still not sure what I’m gonna do. And that’s the honest-to-God truth. And the only reason I’m not is because I gotta make sure that what is reported is always different than what actually happened.’

Izzo added Fears’ kick was largely retaliatory, something he was taking into consideration during his decision-making process.

‘I did not like the backward kick, OK?’ Izzo said. ‘He was pushed, he did that. Sometimes, those are reactionary.’

Izzo talked about Fears at length, praising his acumen in the classroom and the fact that the passion that got him in trouble is also the passion that makes him a strong player for the Spartans.

The timing, for Michigan State, is poor. A season-ending injury to Divine Ugochukwu has left Michigan State extremely thin at point guard, something Izzo did point out will not be a factor in whatever decision he makes.

With all of that in mind, there’s a very good chance Fears continues to start against Illinois despite the controversy. Which means the college basketball viewing world’s — and Izzo’s — eyes will be fixated firmly on No. 1, to condemn or vindicate the Hall of Fame coach’s decision.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

We also break down next week’s catalysts to watch to help you prepare for the week ahead.

In this article:

    This week’s tech sector performance

    Tech stocks extended their selloff into their second week, with the Nasdaq Composite (INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC) posting its steepest two‑day decline since last April.

    Monday (February 2) saw an early rotation out of tech ahead of Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) earnings report. NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) slipped on news that its proposed OpenAI‑backed investment hit a snag, dragging AI‑chip names like Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD), Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) and other semiconductor leaders.

    Palantir’s earnings, which beat expectations and included an aggressive revenue growth guide, lifted shares in an early surge on Tuesday (February 3); however, Nvidia’s OpenAI‑investment‑snag news, plus general AI‑disruption worries and positioning, weighed on the broader tech stack, sparking a tech‑growth selloff that impacted NVIDIA, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and other software‑heavy names.

    The Nasdaq fell deeper on Wednesday (February 4) as influential tech names such as AMD and other chip and software stocks reversed post‑earnings gains. AMD saw a sharp intraday plunge following its after‑hours earnings print on Tuesday. Its losses dragged the broader index lower.

    Tech selloffs extended into Thursday (February 5), with the Nasdaq closing down 1.6 percent as major tech stocks saw profit‑taking and forward‑looking capex‑related concerns, later crystallized by Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) aggressive 2026 spending plans.

    The Nasdaq made an impressive recovery on Friday (February 6) as a rally in chip stocks helped pare earlier week losses, despite ongoing volatility in the mega‑caps.

    3 tech stocks moving markets this week

    1.Teradyne (NASDAQ:TER)

    After reporting Q4 2025 earnings results and strong AI-driven guidance on Monday, the stock rose sharply. The semiconductor‑test and robotics‑automation company makes equipment used to test chips, including AI‑related compute and memory and industrial robots.

    2. Skyworks (NASDAQ:SWKS)

    The analog and RF‑semiconductor company, which designs and manufactures components used in smartphones, 5G infrastructure, automotive and IoT devices, reported Q1 fiscal 2026 results on Tuesday, beating expectations and guiding up, which helped it outperform the broader tech selloff.

    3. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)

    Apple’s strong performance this week was driven by a wave of analyst upgrades and bullish notes that reinforced the positive narrative from last week’s record‑breaking Q1 print, especially around iPhone demand and China‑market strength.

    Skyworks Solutions, Teradyne and Apple performance, February 2 to 6, 2025.

    Chart via Google Finance.

    Top tech news of the week

      • Canada led an AI delegation to the 2026 World Governments Summit (WGS) in Dubai this week, led by SCALE AI.
        • Alphabet Q4 numbers were driven by search revenue growth, which accelerated by nearly 17 percent, and Google Cloud revenue that jumped 48 percent YoY, helping ease fears that AI chatbots would eat into search. Despite the strong print, the stock dipped as the company said it plans to increase capital expenditures to between US$175 billion and US$185 billion, more than its 2025 cash generation.
        • Palantir’s earnings triggered a pop on Tuesday as it beat revenue expectations and laid out an aggressive 2026 growth guide. The company reported Q4 2025 revenue of US$1.41 billion, up 70 percentYoY, with US commercial revenue surging 137 percent and government revenue rising 66 percent, while guiding full‑year 2026 revenue to about US$7.2 billion
        • Amazon also posted a solid quarter, but said it will spend roughly US$200 billion this year on capital expenditures, a 56 percent jump from 2025, to fund AI‑related infrastructure, data centers and custom chips for AWS. Revenue rose approximately 14 percent to US$213.4 billion, driven by AWS reaccelerating to 24 percent growth and advertising increasing by 22 percent, despite free cash flow collapsing due to a capex surge.

          Tech ETF performance

          Tech exchange-traded funds (ETFs) track baskets of major tech stocks, meaning their performance helps investors gauge the overall performance of the niches they cover.

          This week, the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX) advanced by 1.89 percent, while the Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXQ) advanced by 1.66 percent.

          The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SMH) also increased by 0.75 percent.

          Tech news to watch next week

          Next week is another earnings‑heavy, tech‑adjacent stretch, with a mix of big‑name reports and key macro data that will like keep markets sensitive to AI capex and earnings.

          Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) and Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ:HOOD) will be among the most‑watched names tied to crypto and retail trading. Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) also reports midweek.

          In addition to US wholesale inventories, Employment Cost Index and CPI reports, the FOMC minutes will be released on February 11, so rate policy and inflation will stay front‑of‑mind.

          Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

          This post appeared first on investingnews.com

          Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Friday (February 6) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.

          Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ether and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

          Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$70,178.66, up by 11.3 percent over 24 hours.

          Bitcoin price performance, February 6, 2026.

          Chart via TradingView.

          Bitcoin has stopped behaving as an alternative safe-haven asset and has re-aligned with the risk-asset cycle. Its high correlation with traditional financial markets, including a broad sell-off in technology stocks, precious metals, and equities, suggests a scenario of systemic stress and scarce liquidity.

          Downward pressure intensified after breaking key technical levels, causing nearly US$770 million in leveraged long positions to be liquidated in 24 hours, suggesting the market’s ‘cleansing phase’ is ongoing. The decline was exacerbated by a strong dollar and rising bond yields, which reduced the appeal of non-yielding assets like cryptocurrencies, prompting a rotation into defensive assets.

          In the short term, price action will be limited and vulnerable to renewed selling pressure as long as restrictive financial conditions and a defensive tone prevail in global markets. Stabilization requires an improvement in global financial conditions and Bitcoin’s ability to rebuild solid technical support.

          Ether (ETH) was priced at US$2,052.03, up by 10 percent over the last 24 hours.

          Altcoin price update

          • XRP (XRP) was priced at US$1.46, up by 25.2 over 24 hours.
          • Solana (SOL) was trading at US$87.37, up by 10.4 percent over 24 hours.

          Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

          This post appeared first on investingnews.com

          For years, blockchain had promise in the finance industry, but lacked the liquidity and connectivity to scale.

          Yuval Rooz, CEO and co-founder of Canton Network, believes that era is now ending.

          The problem: Legacy friction

          Traditional banking still depends on millions of costly, slow and error-prone messages as institutions attempt to reconcile fragmented records across systems.

          Repurchase agreement (repo) trades highlight the problem. Moving cash and collateral typically requires multiple intermediaries, manual checks and settlement delays that can stretch for days.

          Public blockchains such as Ethereum offer speed, but their full transparency creates a different obstacle, exposing sensitive transaction data that banks cannot legally or competitively disclose.

          At the heart of the issue is a structural trade off. Banks need shared networks to scale efficiency, yet legacy infrastructure and open ledgers force a choice between operating in isolation or revealing too much information. The result has been a patchwork of private systems that protect data sovereignty, but sacrifice interoperability and efficiency.

          Explaining how Canton’s technology removes that trade off, Rooz said:

          “Banks built walled gardens because there was no way to share infrastructure without giving up control or privacy. What we’re seeing now is a gradual shift away from isolated systems toward shared rails where institutions retain sovereignty over their data, while still achieving interoperability.

          ‘That doesn’t mean internal systems disappear overnight, but it does mean the center of gravity shifts toward networks where counterparties can transact in real time.”

          Canton’s solution: Privacy-enabled synchronization

          Canton has created a shared ledger where institutions maintain private blockchains, yet synchronize seamlessly.

          “I think critics misunderstand what financial institutions actually need,” Rooz explained. “Banks don’t want a system where everything is hidden, and they don’t want one where everything is public. They need a way to work together on shared processes, while keeping sensitive details private. That’s what Canton was designed for.”

          In practice, JPMorgan keeps its ledger sovereign, while plugging into LSEG for atomic delivery-versus-payment (DvP) settlements, all without revealing private data. Sub-transaction privacy ensures only trade participants see details; to others, it’s invisible. This network of networks lets banks achieve interoperability without sacrificing control.

          “(This) gives institutions a shared record they can trust, with configurable privacy at the protocol level to divulge transactional information only with involved parties. And because it’s built to connect different applications, firms can link markets and workflows together without sacrificing confidentiality,’ said Rooz.

          “This combination is something traditional systems cannot offer and is why you’re seeing institutions move from pilots into production onchain,’ the expert added.

          Live momentum: JPM Coin and tokenized repos

          JPM Coin’s native integration is a strong signal that the market is maturing.

          JPMorgan’s blockchain rail, with over US$1 trillion in processed volume, has fueled settlements across Canton’s ecosystem. Paired with LSEG’s tokenized deposits, which power live repo activity, there are now synchronized markets where DvP happens in seconds, not days.

          Rooz highlighted the deeper impact, commenting, “Everyone notices the speed, but the collateral mobility is the substance beyond the headline. In legacy markets, collateral spends most of its life idle because moving it safely across systems requires messaging, reconciliation and time. Atomic settlement collapses those steps into a single transaction.’

          He added, ‘When repos settle in seconds, collateral stops being static and becomes reusable. That improves liquidity, balance sheet efficiency and risk management.”

          2026 outlook

          JPM Coin and LSEG repos demonstrate Canton’s shift from pilots to production.

          “We measure success by utilization,” said Rooz, adding, “Having Canton be the network where real transactions are taking place, and regulated assets are moving.’

          He envisions steady expansion powering this transformation. Indeed, similar efforts are already live elsewhere, such as BlackRock’s BUIDL fund, which has tokenized US$1.7 billion in treasuries for 24/7 yields, and DRW Cumberland’s weekend repos, which use tokenized collateral with instant DvP settlements.

          “I’d like to see more asset classes brought on to Canton, and the corresponding transaction volume we’re already seeing will continue to grow in the year ahead,’ said Rooz.

          He sees this convergence accelerating across markets.

          “Our ‘North Star’ is to drive the convergence of TradFi and DeFi onchain to create a new AllFi reality,’ he said.

          Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

          This post appeared first on investingnews.com

          It’s been a wild couple of weeks for gold and silver.

          After surging to record highs at the end of January, prices for both precious metals saw significant corrections, creating turmoil for market participants.

          This week brought some relief, with gold bouncing back from its low point and even trading above US$5,000 per ounce for a brief period of time.

          Silver, which is known for outperforming gold on both the upside and the downside, was more volatile, but seems to have found support around the US$70 per ounce level.

          Why did gold and silver drop, and more importantly, what’s next? As always, there are a variety of different factors at play, but I’ll give you a rundown of what I’ve been hearing.

          Starting with the pullback, I spoke with Joe Cavatoni of the World Gold Council, who pointed to speculative players as a key reason for gold’s price decline. Here’s how he explained it:

          ‘At the end of this, you’re looking at a lot of people who were pushing the price higher — speculative in nature — pulling back and taking money off the table. That’s why I think we’re seeing a correction in the price. I don’t think that we have an issue with, fundamentally, what’s going on in the gold market.’

          Gary Savage of the Smart Money Tracker newsletter made a similar comment, saying that there are times when sentiment gets so bullish that eventually there’s no one left to buy.

          However, on the silver side he saw signs of market manipulation as well:

          ‘Some of it is just (that) we got way too bullish, ran out of buyers. We were due for some kind of correction anyway, and I think the banks took advantage of that and coordinated a huge overnight attack that dropped silver … I think it was almost 30 percent, or maybe it was 30 percent, almost overnight. That allowed them to get out of their shorts, because a lot of those contracts were going to stand for delivery, and they were going to have to buy physical silver at US$120 an ounce to to deliver.’

          Adding more nuance to the silver story this week was the news that billionaire Chinese trader Bian Ximing has reportedly established the largest net short position on the Shanghai Futures Exchange, with his bet against the white metal clocking in at US$300 million.

          Bloomberg analysis of exchange data shows he started ‘ramping up silver shorts’ in the last week of January, although he initially began shifting from a long silver stance this past November.

          Aside from silver, Bian is known for his moves in gold and copper.

          There’s also been commentary suggesting that the nomination of Kevin Warsh for the US Federal Reserve chair position has weighed on gold and silver prices.

          President Donald Trump announced his choice on January 30, with market watchers quickly pointing to Warsh’s hawkish reputation and questioning whether he will fall in line with Trump’s calls for lower interest rates. Rates have been a sticking point between Trump and current Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

          However, in the days since the news broke, the tone has shifted, with Trump himself saying that Warsh wouldn’t have gotten the job if he said he wanted to raise rates.

          Taking a step back from what’s happening now, I want to emphasize that the majority of the experts I’ve been speaking with recently don’t believe gold and silver are topping.

          In a January 25 interview, Adrian Day of Adrian Day Asset Management said exactly that, pointing to previous bull markets where both metals moved steeply down before continuing up. This quote is from before last week’s correction, but I think you’ll see why it’s still relevant:

          ‘A pullback is always in the cards. And people forget, everybody talks about … 1974 to 1975, when gold dropped almost 50 percent. But people forget, the same thing happened in 2006. Halfway through the bull market, you had a 30 percent correction in gold, which of course means a much bigger correction for gold stocks.

          ‘So a pullback at some point is always not just a possibility, but it’s almost a certainty. But if we rephrase the question to, ‘Is this a top?’ You know, absolutely not. In my view, we are absolutely nowhere near a top.’

          With that said, a point that’s come up repeatedly in my interviews lately is personalization — while it’s valuable to listen to other people’s views, what’s really important is to form your own opinions and understand why you own the assets in your portfolio. If you can do that, you’ll be better equipped to weather any storms, and to buy and sell when it’s time.

          Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

          This post appeared first on investingnews.com

          Statistics Canada released January’s jobs report on Friday (February 6). The data showed that the Canadian workforce shrank by 25,000, or 0.1 percent.

          Manufacturing experienced the largest decline, losing 28,000 workers, followed by education with 24,000, and the public sector, which decreased by 10,000. These declines were balanced by increases of 17,000 across information, culture, and recreation; 14,000 in business, building and support services; and 11,000 in agriculture.

          Despite the declines, the unemployment rate fell 0.3 percentage points to 6.5 percent. While the rate was the lowest since September 2024, the agency notes that the decrease was driven by fewer people looking for work through the month, and coincided with a 0.4 percent drop in the labor force participation rate, which came in at 65 percent.

          The release came just a day after the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its job opening report on Thursday (February 5) that showed that labor demand had decreased to its lowest level since September 2020, as December’s figures fell by 386,000 openings.

          The report differs from the employment situation summary, which is typically released on the first Friday of each month. The report has been delayed due to the extended US government shutdown in late 2025 and will be released next Wednesday, February 11.

          Employment data is an important metric for assessing the overall health of the Canadian and US economies and plays a significant role in helping central banks set interest rate policy.

          For more on what’s moving markets this week, check out our top market news round-up.

          Markets and commodities react

          Canadian equity markets were mixed this week.

          The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) gained 1 percent over the week to close Friday at 32,470.98, while the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) shed 5.38 percent to 1,015.34. The CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) dropped 1.22 percent to 167.56.

          The gold price gained 4.84 percent to close at US$4,951.69 per ounce on Friday at 4:00 p.m. EST. The silver price didn’t fare as well, closing the week down 1.78 percent at US$77.32 on Friday.

          In base metals, the Comex copper price recorded a 0.85 percent rise this week to US$5.93.

          On the other hand, the S&P Goldman Sachs Commodities Index (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) was down 3.7 percent to end Friday at 587.55.

          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. EST on Friday 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. Giant Mining (CSE:BFG)

          Weekly gain: 69.57 percent
          Market cap: C$27.51 million
          Share price: C$0.39

          Giant Mining is an exploration company working to advance its Majuba Hill District copper, silver and gold project north of Reno in Nevada, US.

          The site consists of 403 federal lode mining claims and four private property parcels that cover an area of 3,919 hectares. Mining at the property took place between 1900 and 1950, resulting in the production of 2.8 million pounds of copper, 184,000 ounces of silver and 5,800 ounces of gold.

          Extensive exploration work has been carried out at Majuba Hill, with 89,930 feet being drilled since 2007.

          The most recent news from Giant came on January 30, when it reported that it planned to drill up to 10,000 feet in a multi-phase drill program at Majuba Hill, targeting three breccia zones.

          Following the first phase of 5,000 feet of drilling, the program will include underground and surface sampling to support follow-up drill targeting for the remaining holes.

          2. CGX Energy (TSXV:OYL)

          Weekly gain: 64.71 percent
          Market cap: C$66.02 million
          Share price: C$0.28

          CGX Energy is an oil and gas exploration company with 27.48 percent ownership of a portfolio of wells in the Corentyne block off the coast of Guyana. Frontera Energy (TSX:FEC) is the company’s joint venture partner in the Corentyne block and also holds 76.05 percent interest in CGX.

          The Kawa-1 exploration well was drilled in 2021 and 2022 and encountered an active hydrocarbon system extending to a depth of 6,000 feet, mirroring trends in the Guyana-Suriname Basin. CGX’s Wei-1 well was drilled in late 2022 and is located on-trend between the Kawa-1 well and Exxon’s (NYSE:XOM) Pluma discovery.

          CGX and Frontera are currently in a legal dispute with the government of Guyana, which believes the petroleum prospecting license for Corentyne expired in 2024, a stance the joint venture disagrees with. The most recent update on the matter mentioned plans to meet and discuss the situation, with potential dates in November or December of last year.

          Shares in CGX posted gains this week, but the company has not released news since November 13, when it announced its third-quarter financial statements. However, Frontera announced on January 30 that it divested its producing Colombian assets while retaining its interests in Guyana, news that may signal that the Corentyne block permitting situation could still be resolved.

          3. Saba Energy (TSXV:SABA)

          Weekly gain: 61.11 percent
          Market cap: C$12.07 million
          Share price: C$0.29

          Saba Energy is an oil and gas exploration company with operations in British Columbia, Canada, as well as the Philippines.

          The company’s primary Canadian operations consist of the producing Boundary Lake and Laprise oil and gas fields, which have a net present value of C$43 million as of its September quarterly report.

          The most recent news from Saba came on January 27, when it announced a heads-of-agreement with Nido Petroleum for a farm-in arrangement on a pair of offshore assets in the Philippines.

          Saba will earn 60 percent of Service Contract 54 (SC54). SC54 covers an area of 550 square kilometers to depths of 50 to 110 meters and hosts three discovery wells and one production well, which previously produced 270,000 barrels at 19,000 barrels per day before it was closed due to water encroachment.

          The company will also earn a 52.73 percent share in the DPPSC Cadlao, which covers an area of 914 square kilometers to depths of 93 meters. The site has 6.8 million barrels in reserves and produced 11.1 million barrels between 1982 and 1992.

          If the transaction is completed, Saba will become the operator of both assets. The company plans to open a US$7.5 million convertible debenture private placement to achieve the requirement of raising US$7 million by mid-April.

          4. Copper Giant Resources (TSXV:CGNT)

          Weekly gain: 60.66 percent
          Market cap: C$157.77 million
          Share price: C$0.98

          Copper Giant Resources is an exploration company advancing its Mocoa copper-molybdenum project in Southern Colombia. It changed its name from Libero Copper and Gold last year.

          The property covers 1,324 square kilometers and hosts a copper porphyry system originally discovered in 1973.

          A November 2025 mineral resource estimate significantly increased its resource. Mocoa now holds an inferred resource of 7.6 billion pounds of copper and 1 billion pounds of molybdenum, at 0.31 percent copper and 0.039 percent molybdenum, from 1.12 billion metric tons of ore. The upgrade made the project South America’s largest undeveloped molybdenum deposit.

          The most recent news from Copper Giant came on January 29, when it reported results from the first drill hole at the La Estrella target. While assays returned low-grade mineralization, the company noted that the significance was geological, as it confirmed continuity of the porphyry system beyond the established deposit.

          The release also reported results from a second hole at the southern edge of the Mocoa footprint, which the company said were stronger than previously interpreted at the southern margin of the deposits. Grades in the hole were 0.13 percent copper and 0.01 percent molybdenum over 804 meters starting from surface, which included an intersection of 0.44 percent copper and 0.05 percent molybdenum over 33 meters.

          5. Benz Mining (TSXV:BZ)

          Weekly gain: 50.46 percent
          Market cap: C$749.9 million
          Share price: C$3.25

          Benz Mining is a gold exploration company that is focused on advancing projects in Québec, Canada, as well as Western Australia.

          Its Eastmain project consists of an 8,000 hectare property located in Central Québec within the Upper Eastmain Greenstone belt. The most recent resource estimate from May 2023 reported an indicated resource of 384,000 ounces of gold from 1.3 metric tons of ore grading 9 g/t gold, and an inferred resource of 621,000 ounces of gold from 3.8 metric tons grading 5.1 g/t.

          In 2025, Benz acquired the Glenburgh and Mount Egerton gold projects in Western Australia from Spartan Resources (ASX:SPR). It spent much of 2025 exploring Glenburgh, which covers an area of 786 square kilometers and features 50 kilometers of strike. The site hosts six priority extension targets and 5 kilometers of exploration trend with over 100 parts per billion gold.

          A November 2024 resource estimate for Glenburgh showed an indicated and inferred resource of 510,000 ounces of gold from 16.3 million metric tons of ore with an average grade of 1 g/t gold.

          On January 28, the company announced a shallow, high-grade discovery at the Glenburgh project’s Icon trend. Assays returned grades including 29 g/t gold over 13 meters starting at a depth of 60 meters. Additionally, results showed wide mineralization as well, including 200 meters grading 1 g/t gold starting at 76 meters.

          The most recent news from Benz came the next day, when it announced it received firm commitments for a AU$75 million bought deal placement, which it said was led by strong demand from two global institutional fund. The company said the investment increases its pro forma cash position to AU$94 million, which will be allocated across its portfolio, particularly focused on the Glenburgh project.

          FAQs for Canadian mining stocks

          What is the difference between the TSX and TSXV?

          The TSX, or Toronto Stock Exchange, is used by senior companies with larger market caps, and the TSXV, or TSX Venture Exchange, is used by smaller-cap companies. Companies listed on the TSXV can graduate to the senior exchange.

          How many mining companies are listed on the TSX and TSXV?

          As of December 2025, 898 mining companies and 71 oil and gas companies are listed on the TSXV, combining for more than 60 percent of the 1,531 total companies listed on the exchange.

          As for the TSX, it is home to 175 mining companies and 51 oil and gas companies. The exchange has 2,089 companies listed on it in total.

          Together, the TSX and TSXV host around 40 percent of the world’s public mining companies.

          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.

          Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.

          Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

          Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

          This post appeared first on investingnews.com

          • American snowboarder Red Gerard expressed frustration with being required to compete in big air at the Olympics.
          • Gerard and other U.S. snowboarders prefer slopestyle, which they feel has more ‘flow’ and creativity.
          • Gerard suggested that big air and slopestyle should have separate qualification paths and teams.

          LIVIGNO, Italy – At least Red Gerard was honest.

          Asked if he liked competing in big air, the American snowboarder came clean.

          “No,” Gerard said Thursday after the big air qualifying, the first competition at Livigno Snow Park during the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. “I’m not a fan of big air at all.”

          Easy to say after Gerard and two of his teammates were not among the 12 to advance to Saturday’s men’s big air – in which judges rate one trick off a 16.4-foot jump – finals. Ollie Martin, 17, will be the United States’ lone representative.

          Gerard, the 2018 gold medal winner in men’s slopestyle, has a legitimate gripe. Olympic snowboarders automatically qualify for both big air and slopestyle competitions once they make their respective delegation’s roster in either event. The issue for the U.S. men’s snowboard big air/slopestyle team is that, well, the majority significantly prefer slopestyle.

          “Honestly, I don’t understand why we’re forced to do this,” said Gerard, who finished 20th out of 30 riders. “I don’t like to do this. It’s not what I enjoy doing. There’s no flow to it. It’s a little frustrating.’

          Simply, Gerard wants to be more focused on slopestyle, an event he believes has more “flavor” to it.

          The three-time Olympian said a part of him feels more pressure and wants to do better in slopestyle, in which competitors go down a course with multiple jumps and chances to ride the rails. Big air is not why Gerard is passionate about snowboarding.

          “I love putting together slopestyle runs, making it as unique as I can,” he said. “That gives me the ‘heeby jeeby’ feeling in my stomach when you land a slopestyle run. Big air doesn’t quite do that for me. I just think it’s more of a show than a lot of other things.”

          The halfpipe teams in both snowboarding and free skiing are selected separately from slopestyle and big air. The reason is that big air is a blown-up version of one element of slopestyle, the jumps. For example, the big air jump at the X Games is usually the last jump of the slopestyle course. Meanwhile, halfpipe is considered a different skill set.  

          Gerard realized it’s easy for him to deride an event that is not his best or his preference. That doesn’t diminish his respect for his fellow competitors.

          “They’re amazing,” he said of big air specialists. “Very talented. Just not for me.”

          Sean FitzSimons, who finished 25th in big air qualifying, said slopestyle was always his focus.

          “Big air, it’s fun to do it. It’s not really my event, I would say,” he told USA TODAY Sports. “It was fun to ride (Thursday). But yeah, it’s kind of always been about slope for me.”

          FitzSimons said he “could be down” with the separation of big air and slopestyle teams. He understands the big tricks from the jumps in slopestyle naturally translates to big air.

          “But for me, I’m a slopestyle rider,” FitzSimons said. “Big airs I do because it’s there. In the future, I wonder if they will go to different teams for that. For now, I just like riding slope, really.”

          Gerard said he has never received an explanation for why the big air and slopestyle events are lumped into one team.

          “It’s always just been out of our control,” he said. “Maybe they will look at it differently.”

          He thinks there is a simple and logical fix.

          “If big air, if this is what they like to do,” Gerard said, “they should just be able to go do that.”

          Gerard added having another chance to medal means something and it would be “sweet” to bring home two from one Olympics.

          “But then again, if I wasn’t forced to do this,” he said, “I wouldn’t do it.”

          This post appeared first on USA TODAY