Investing News Network
- Top 5 Canadian Mining Stocks This Week: Belo Sun is Radiant with 109 Percent Gain (2026-02-20)
Welcome to the Investing News Network's weekly look at the best-performing Canadian mining stocks on the TSX, TSXV and CSE, starting with a round-up of Canadian and US news impacting the resource sector.
On Tuesday (February 17) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the creation of Canada’s first Defense Industrial Strategy, aimed at supporting the nation’s defense sector and overall sovereignty.
The strategy will shift procurement's focus to prioritize Canadian manufacturers, aiming to create 125,000 new jobs throughout the supply chain, and will include accelerating critical mineral projects.
Not included in the prime minister's official announcement, the strategy will also create a critical minerals stockpile to support the independence of domestic supply chains. The news follows a February 7 announcement out of the US, which said it will create its own critical minerals stockpile through Project Vault, a multibillion-dollar plan aimed at reducing dependence on the foreign supply chain and providing access to minerals needed for advanced manufacturing.
Statistics Canada released its December monthly mineral production survey on Friday (February 20).
The data shows an increase in the production and shipment of gold and copper over November’s figures.
Copper output increased to 43.65 million kilograms, from 39.7 million the previous month; meanwhile, gold production rose to 18,210 kilograms from 18,086 kilograms in November. For shipments, copper jumped to 57.86 million kilograms from 45.87 million kilograms, while gold shipments increased to 19,233 kilograms from 17,625 kilograms.
As for silver, production saw a slight fall to 22,747 kilograms from 23,198 kilograms in November, meanwhile shipments increased to 26,888 kilograms versus 26,207 kilograms.
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 3.96 percent over the week to close Friday (February 13) at 33,817.51, while the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) rose 4.99 percent to 1,042.56.
The CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) gained 2.6 percent to 165.86.
The gold price gained 3.5 percent to close at US$5,094.04 per ounce on Friday at 4:00 p.m. EST. The silver price fared better, closing the week up 11.89 percent at US$84.16 on Friday.
In base metals, the Comex copper price recorded a 1.71 percent increase this week to US$5.93.
The S&P Goldman Sachs Commodities Index (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) was up 3.3 percent to end Friday at 602.33.
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. Belo Sun Mining (TSX:BSX)
Weekly gain: 108.93 percent
Market cap: C$508.45 million
Share price: C$1.17Belo Sun Mining is an explorer and developer focused on advancing its Volta Grande gold project in Brazil.
The property covers approximately 2,400 hectares within the Tres Palmeiras greenstone belt in Pará, Brazil. The company has been working on the project since 2003, and acquired the necessary development permits in 2014 and 2017.
A 2015 mineral reserve estimate demonstrated a proven and probable reserve of 3.79 million ounces of gold from 116 million metric tons of ore with an average gold grade of 1.02 per metric ton (g/t).
Development at the site stalled in April 2017 after a suspension order was issued by the Brazilian Federal Regional court until an indigenous study was completed. The decision was later upheld by courts in December of that year.
Then, early in 2018, a federal judge ruled that the Federal Brazilian Institute of the Environment (IBAMA) would be the competent authority for issuing environmental permits. The decision was overturned in 2019, with the Secretariat of Environment and Sustainability of the State of Pará (SEMAS) reassuming its permitting authority. The decision was once again reversed in September 2023, returning authority to IBAMA.
In January 2025, Belo Sun announced that the Federal Court of Appeals had reassigned SEMAS as the permitting authority for the Volta Grande project. The company said it was pleased with the decision, as the agency is familiar with the project and enjoys a constructive and transparent relationship with it.
The most recent news on the case came on February 14, when the company announced that the project's installation license had been reinstated. The court found Belo Sun had complied with the conditions imposed to complete the Indigenous Component Study and that consultation had been conducted in good faith and accordance with protocol.
The company noted that respondents to the appeal will be given the opportunity to file their response with the court and said they would provide further updates as appropriate.
2. Walker River Resources (TSXV:WRR)
Weekly gain: 48.05 percent
Market cap: C$32.66 million
Share price: C$0.57Walker River is an exploration company focused on advancing its Lapon Gold project in Nevada, US.
The project, located southeast of Reno, consists of 149 claims covering 3,101 acres and hosts three key target areas: Pikes Peak, Lapon Canyon/Rose, and Range Front Rattlesnake.
According to the project page, small-scale underground historic mining at the site dates back to 1914, with more modern exploration occurring in the 1990s after it was acquired by Teck Resources (TSX:TECK.A,TECK.B,NYSE:TECK). During its exploration, low-grade surface-mineralization was discovered over a strike length of 450 meters.
In December 2025, Walker River announced the most recent assays from the site, which returned grades of 3.05 grams per metric ton (g/t) over 117.4 meters, which included an intersection of 6.67 g/t over 18.3 meters.
The company has not released news in the past week.
3. Chesapeake Gold (TSXV:CKG)
Weekly gain: 37.43 percent
Market cap: C$228.17 million
Share price: C$4.92Chesapeake Gold is a precious metals explorer and developer advancing the Metates and Lucy projects in Mexico. Metates is the more advanced of the two projects and is located northeast of Mazatlan. A July 2021 preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for the project indicated a post tax net present value of US$930 million, with an internal rate of return of 55.9 percent and a payback period of 1.6 years based on a gold spot price of US$1,786 per ounce.
The PEA also reports a measured and indicated resource of 19.8 million ounces of gold and 542 million ounces of silver with average grades of 0.47 g/t gold and 12.9 g/t silver from 1.3 billion metric tons of ore.
The company also owns the less-advanced Lucy project in Sinaloa, Mexico. The property covers 483 hectares and hosts zinc- and gold-bearing skarn systems. A 10 hole, 900 meter exploration program in 2024 produced one highlighted sample grading 6.11 g/t gold over 24 meters from surface.
The most recent news from the company came on Tuesday, when it announced it was named to this year's TSX Venture 50 list. It delivered annual share price growth of 388 percent and a 415 percent increase to its market cap.
4. New Zealand Energy (TSX:NZ)
Weekly gain: 33.33 percent
Market cap: C$12.85 million
Share price: C$0.38New Zealand Energy is an oil and gas producer focusing on projects in New Zealand’s Taranaki basin.
According to the company’s December 2024 oil and gas reserves summary, it holds proven and probable quantities of 1.15 million barrels of oil equivalent across a range of producing, non-producing, and undeveloped projects. The main producing projects are the Tariki 5 and Tariki 5A wells, which are 50 percent joint ventures with L&M Energy.
The most recent news from New Zealand came on February 9, when it announced that it had closed a non-brokered private placement for 17.5 million common shares for gross proceeds of C$3.5 million.
The company said that the funds raised will be directed to advancing its gas storage project and general working capital.
5. Unigold (TSXV:UGD)
Weekly gain: 32.43 percent
Market cap: C$64.66 million
Share price: C$0.245Unigold is an exploration company advancing its Nieta Concession in the Dominican Republic.
The property consists of two primary areas, Nieta Sur and Nieta Norte, totaling approximately 21,000 hectares in the Northwest Dominican Republic, near the border with Haiti.
The Candelones project, Unigold’s main focus, is hosted at Nieta. A December 2022 feasibility study for the project indicated a post-tax net present value of US$30.64 million with an internal rate of return of 43.6 percent.
The study also included a mineral resource estimate with measured and indicated open-pit quantities of 974,000 ounces of gold, 59.24 million pounds of copper, and 2.43 million ounces of silver with average grades of 1.56 g/t gold, 0.14 percent copper, and 3.89 g/t silver from 19.37 million metric tons of ore.
The most recent news from Unigold came on Tuesday, when it announced the appointments of Juana Barcelo and Andrés Marranzini to its board of directors. Barcelo has more than 15 years of business and legal experience in the Latin American and Caribbean mining sector, and was most recently the president/country manager for the Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B) and Newmont (NYSE:NEM,ASX:NEM) joint venture, Barrick Pueblo Viejo.
Meanwhile, Marranzini is a lawyer and the current CEO of Punta Bergantín Development, and has previously held positions within the Dominican government.
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.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
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.
- Gold and Silver Stocks Dominate TSX Venture 50 List (2026-02-20)
This year's TSX Venture 50 list showcases a major shift in sentiment toward the mining sector.
The TSX Venture 50 ranks the top 50 companies on the TSX Venture Exchange based on annual performance using three criteria: one year share price appreciation, market cap growth and Canadian consolidated trading value.
This year’s list includes 51 companies due to a tie based on the ranking system.
Together, the 51 companies have an average share price appreciation of 431 percent — that’s compared to just 207 percent achieved by last year’s group. These companies successfully raised C$1.5 billion in new capital.
Market value growth was an impressive 775 percent for C$17.9 billion in market cap creation.
That market value growth is not only more than double the 333 percent averaged in 2025, but also represents the largest annual gain since the TSX Venture 50 list began in 2006.
The unprecedented performance of the TSX Venture 50 companies, even in the face of mounting global economic uncertainty, is a clear indication that investor confidence in Canadian capital markets remains solid.
“The Venture 50 list this year really does reflect the global interest in mining and this entrance into a commodity super cycle," said Robert Peterman, chief commercial officer at TSX & Global Capital Formation. Compared to last year’s list, which included only 10 mining companies, this year’s list has 48, the vast majority of which are gold and silver juniors.
Here the Investing News Network takes a look at the five best-performing precious metals stocks on the list.
1. Prospector Metals (TSXV:PPP)
Share price appreciation: 1,130 percent
Market cap growth: 3,122 percentProspector Metals’ flagship property is the 10,869 hectare ML gold project, located 25 kilometers northeast of the former Brewery Creek mine in Yukon, Canada. It’s located within the Tintina Gold Belt, which hosts significant historic mining operations and current exploration and development projects. B2Gold (TSX:BTO,NYSEAMERICAN:BTG) is a strategic partner in the project and holds a 19.9 percent equity stake in Prospector Metals.
Prospector’s 2025 exploration work at ML led to the discovery of the TESS gold-copper zone in October. High-grade and near-surface intercepts include 288 grams per metric ton (g/t) over 1 meter within 21.93 g/t over 24.65 meters.
Keep an eye out for more drill results coming from Prospector as the company has more than C$40 million in working capital and plans to kick off a 25,000 meter program in 2026.
2. Santacruz Silver (TSXV:SCZ)
Share price appreciation: 1,100 percent
Market cap growth: 1,137 percentSantacruz Silver has producing operations in Bolivia and Mexico. It has a 45 percent stake in the Bolivar and Porco mines, and wholly owns the Caballo Blanco Group mines in Bolivia and the Zimapan mine in Mexico.
For 2025, Santacruz's production came in at 5,598,680 ounces of silver, down 17 percent from the year prior. The company attributed the decline to a major flooding event at Bolivar in May, which led to a temporary shutdown of mining activities in certain areas. However, its silver production consistently improved in the year's last two quarters.
In 2026, Santacruz is working toward improving operational efficiencies and recovery rates to boost output.
3. Goldgroup Mining (TSXV:GGA)
Share price appreciation: 875 percent
Market cap growth: 2,711 percentGoldgroup Mining is building a portfolio of high-quality gold assets in Mexico. Its cornerstone property is the producing Cerro Prieto heap-leach gold mine in Sonora. In the same state, the company recently acquired the formerly producing San Francisco gold mine and is evaluating the potential to restart production.
Cerro Prieto has been in continuous production since 2013 and currently produces about 11,500 ounces of gold annually. For 2026, Goldgroup is undertaking an optimization and exploration program to more than double the mine’s output to over 30,000 ounces. Through a definitive merger agreement with Gold Resource (NYSE:GORO), Goldgroup will soon add the producing Don David gold mine in Oaxaca to its portfolio. The deal is expected to close in Q2.
4. Golconda Gold (TSXV:GG)
Share price appreciation: 700 percent
Market cap growth: 695 percentGolconda Gold is a precious metals producer and explorer with mining operations and exploration projects in South Africa and New Mexico. These include the producing Galaxy gold mine in South Africa’s prolific gold district, the Barberton Greenstone Belt. In New Mexico, the company is working to restart the Summit high-grade silver-gold mine.
In 2025, Golconda’s Galaxy mine produced 13,020 ounces of gold, up 69 percent compared to the previous year. Golconda’s goal is to triple production over the next three years.
At Summit, the company is working to bring the mine back into production in Q2 2026 and then spin it out as a standalone US-focused gold-silver producer by the end of the year.
5. Fuerte Metals (TSXV:FMT)
Share price appreciation: 646 percent
Market cap growth: 1,481 percentFuerte Metals is exploring and developing advanced base and precious metals projects across Canada, Mexico and Chile. Its flagship project is the Coffee gold project in Yukon. A measured and indicated resource estimate of 3 million ounces of gold makes it one of the top 10 largest heap-leach development projects in the world.
Fuerte’s asset portfolio also includes the Placeton-Caballo Muerto copper-gold project in Chile, plus the Christina gold-silver-zinc project and Yecora copper-silver-molybdenum project in Mexico. Fuerte’s shareholder base includes Newmont (NYSE:NEM,ASX:NEM) and Agnico Eagle Mines (TSX:AEM,NYSE:AEM).
The Coffee project is in the final stages of permitting, engineering and resource expansion drilling as Fuerte prepares for a construction decision.The company expects to complete a preliminary economic assessment in the first half of 2026, with a feasibility study coming in the second half of the year.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
- Tech Weekly: Stocks Rally After SCOTUS Ruling on Trump's Tariffs (2026-02-20)
Welcome to the Investing News Network's weekly brief on tech news and tech stocks driving the market.
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
- 3 tech stocks moving markets this week
- Top tech news of the week
- Tech ETF performance
- Tech catalysts to watch next week
This week's tech sector performance
The US market kicked off the holiday‑shortened week with many tech stocks opening lower after Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) unveiled its new AI model, Qwen 3.5, on Monday (February 16), amplifying concerns about risks from the Chinese market. Major indices closed little changed after a day of subdued trading.
In correspondence with INN, Eugenia Mykuliak of B2PRIME Group said she views the current pullback as an “adjustment” rather than “true fear,” as investors move past the 2025 AI euphoria and start asking practical questions about whether AI investments are generating returns.
This caution, she added, is compounded by uncertainty in the broader macro backdrop, driving down stocks in AI‑exposed sectors. She concluded that this process reflects a maturing market, predicting that in 2026, capital will concentrate around firms with clear, monetizable AI strategies.
Futures gained ground on Wednesday morning (February 17) ahead of the release of the FOMC minutes from its latest meeting, which highlighted a divide: some participants favored another rate hike if inflation remains above target, directly contradicting market expectations of additional cuts amid forecasts of economic weakness.
Also on Wednesday, Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr outlined three potential scenarios for how AI could impact the labor market during a speech at the New York Association for Business Economics.
The first, and currently favored, scenario is gradual adoption, where slow AI integration minimizes job loss and any brief skill mismatch is addressed through training. The second scenario is rapid advancement, where AI outpaces the labor market, potentially rendering many people “unemployable.” In this case, fast‑moving AI startups could displace older firms, triggering mass unemployment and requiring a complete overhaul of the social safety net to share productivity gains.
The third possibility suggests that electricity or capital shortages will limit AI’s full potential, making it an indispensable tool but not a truly revolutionary force. Barr concluded that the degree of disruption will ultimately depend on societal investment in creating new jobs, training workers, and implementing mitigation strategies.
Stocks rallied midday but pulled back in a late‑session softening tied in part to the release of the FOMC minutes. A volatile session in tech saw the Nasdaq Composite (INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC) pare earlier strength, finishing up 0.8 percent.
On Thursday (February 19), the market retraced the mid‑week bounce, with the Nasdaq closing down 0.3 percent.
Friday’s PCE report suggested inflation could be reigniting, keeping rate‑sensitive equities range‑bound in early trading, but the Supreme Court's decision to strike down US President Trump's global tariffs caused a rally in Wall Street's heavyweights in the afternoon.
3 tech stocks moving markets this week
1. Shopify (NYSE:SHOP)
Shopify led NDXT gainers, advancing 14.73 percent. Phillip Securities upgraded the stock to “Strong‑Buy”.
2. AppLovin (NASDAQ:APP)
AppLovin saw a 14.68 percent gain, extending its post‑earnings rally.
2. DoorDash (NASDAQ:DASH)
DoorDash advanced by 9.36 percent after Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) raised its price target to U$272, citing AI and chatbot efficiencies as well as grocery expansion, while Citizens analyst Andrew Boone reiterated “market outperform” on strong order growth and unchanged 2026 EBITDA outlook.
Top tech news of the week
- AI toolmaker Legora, which provides products that automate rote legal tasks, is reportedly in talks to raise funds that would triple its valuation to US$6 billion. Legora was one of the companies highlighted in the AI‑fear selloff of legal‑software stocks.
- Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is reportedly planning a major product launch for March 4, with several new devices expected in the coming weeks. Sources for Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said the company is working on new smart glasses, an AI pendant and AirPods featuring enhanced AI capabilities.
- Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) and NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) announced an expanded strategic partnership that would see Meta utilizing “millions” of NVIDIA's AI chips in its hyperscale data centers. This caused a rise in NVIDIA shares in after-hours trading on Tuesday, which extended into premarket on Wednesday.
- Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) was upgraded to “outperform” from “neutral” at Mizuho. This week, the software data company said it’s moving its headquarters from Denver to Miami’s South Beach.
- Shares of Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) tumbled after the company cut its full-year earnings guidance to US$3.65 to US$3.70 from US$3.80 to US$3.90.
- Shares of data storage solutions company Sandisk (NASDAQ:SNDK) lost ground after it announced that Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC), its former parent that still owns a large stake, plans to sell a US$3.17 billion stake.
- According to a regulatory filing from Tuesday, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A,NYSE:BRK.B) has reduced its stake in Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), cutting it by over 75 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025.
- A Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) global fund manager survey released this week indicates that 35 percent of investors believe companies are overspending on AI. 54 percent of Americans expressed a similar view in a YouGov/Economist poll, with most also reporting distrust in AI and fear of job displacement.
- The India AI Impact Summit began on Monday, drawing global AI and political figures. Blackstone (NYSE:BX) announced it is leading a $600 million equity investment in Indian AI cloud startup Neysa. Additionally, Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) revealed an expanded partnership with Tata Consultancy Services to deploy up to 200 megawatts of AI infrastructure capacity in India.
- The summit also saw Reliance Industries (NSE:RELIANCE) and Jio pledge about US$110 billion for sovereign AI compute, the Adani Group commit US$100 billion to AI data centers, and Yotta Data Services unveil a more than US$2 billion AI‑computing hub, alongside a US$150 million AI‑venture fund from Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) and expanded OpenAI-Tata (NSE:TCS) and L&T-NVIDIA partnerships.
- Anthropic launched Claude Sonnet 4.6, described by the company as “a full upgrade of the model’s skills across coding, computer use, long-context reasoning, agent planning, knowledge work and design.”
- Canada unveiled its defense industrial strategy, which ties AI, robotics, cybersecurity and space tech directly into its plan. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the strategy aims to steer hundreds of billions of dollars of procurement and capital investment toward Canadian‑based technology and defense tech firms over the next decade.
- Figma (NYSE:FIG) shares jumped 16 percent following the release of its Q4 and FY 2025 earnings report, which showed accelerated revenue growth.
- Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) released Gemini 3.1 Pro, dubbed by the company as “a smarter model for your most complex tasks.”
- OpenAI is reportedly nearing the final stage of a new funding round that could exceed US$100 billion, a record-breaking deal that would provide more capital for its AI tools, per Bloomberg sources.
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 1.83 percent, while the Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXQ) advanced by 1.77 percent.
The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SMH) also increased by 1.76 percent.
Tech news to watch next week
Next week, tech‑focused investors will be watching NVIDIA's Q4 print on February 25 as the key driver of sentiment across semiconductor and other AI‑related names.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Technology for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
- Crypto Market Update: White House Pushes for Compromise in Stablecoin Negotiations (2026-02-20)
Here's a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Friday (February 20) 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$67,697.37, up by 0.9 percent over the last 24 hours.
Antonio Di Giacomo, a senior market analyst at XS.com, noted that BTC deepened its corrective phase after the US Federal Reserve’s January meeting minutes revealed a division over the future path of interest rates, increasing volatility and weakening appetite for speculative assets.
A combination of macroeconomic caution, persistent price pressures, and geopolitical tensions has kept the Fed on a cautious stance, thus keeping BTC volatile and trading between technical resistance and intermediate support.
Its future direction will largely depend on the evolution of US data, interest rates and regulatory developments.
Ether (ETH) was priced at US$1,968.25, up by one percent over the last 24 hours.
Altcoin price update
- XRP (XRP) was priced at US$1.42, up by 0.6 over 24 hours.
- Solana (SOL) was trading at US$84.56, up by 3.1 percent over 24 hours.
Today's crypto news to know
White House stablecoin talks advance amid yield/rewards debate
The White House hosted its third meeting with its Crypto Policy Council, led by Executive Director Patrick Witt, Senate Banking Committee staff, crypto representatives and banking executives on Thursday (February 19), focusing on the yield v reward debate for stablecoins as part of negotiations for the CLARITY Act and GENIUS Act updates.
The first meeting, a broad introductory discussion that ended without a resolution, was held on February 2. The second meeting, held on February 10, was reportedly more focused, with banks presenting yield and interest prohibition principles, prohibiting rewards tied to holding stablecoins. The closed-door meetings, with no public records, were described by anonymous sources, attendees and journalists as productive but inconclusive.
During the latest meeting, the White House reportedly pushed for a compromise, allowing rewards tied to transaction activity, but not to idle holdings that resemble bank deposits; however, no final deal was reached.
Banking representatives from Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM), Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC), Citigroup (NYSE:C), PNC Financial (NYSE:PNC) and US Bancorp (NYSE:USB), as well as trade groups like Bank Policy Institute, American Bankers Association and Independent Community Bankers of America, were said to actively work on language to that end, though a final draft will still have to be circulated and weighed by the banks.
CME moves crypto derivatives to 24/7 schedule
CME Group will begin offering round-the-clock trading for its cryptocurrency futures and options on CME Globex starting May 29, 2026, pending regulatory approval.
The decision follows a record US$3 trillion in notional crypto derivatives volume in 2025. Year-to-date in 2026, crypto derivatives average daily volume has climbed 46 percent year over year to 407,200 contracts, while futures ADV is up 47 percent. Average daily open interest currently stands at 335,400 contracts.
By eliminating weekend closures, CME allows traders to hedge in real time as crypto markets move, reducing the price gap risk that builds when traditional markets are shut.
Bitcoin ETFs extend five week outflow streak
Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds logged another US$165.8 million in net redemptions on February 19, stretching a five-week outflow streak to nearly US$4 billion.
Weekly withdrawals since mid-January have ranged from US$318 million to US$1.49 billion, raising questions about whether institutional demand is cooling.
Despite the steady redemptions, Bitcoin edged up 1.4 percent over the past day to roughly US$67,800, lifting the broader crypto market cap to around US$2.4 trillion.
Solana meme coin PUNCH surges after exchange listing
A Solana-based meme coin known as PUNCH has surged sharply after securing a listing on a major exchange, briefly jumping more than 80 percent in a single session and posting eye-catching weekly gains.
The token’s market capitalization climbed past US$30 million as it ranked among CoinGecko’s top gainers.
The coin draws branding from a viral story about a rescued baby long-tailed macaque named Punch, which gained traction across social media.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Technology for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
- Cellulose Breakthrough Could Simplify Rare Earths Separation (2026-02-20)
A team of researchers at Penn State have developed a plant-based nanomaterial capable of selectively extracting dysprosium from rare earth mixtures, according to a recent report.
The findings published in the study detail how the team engineered a modified form of cellulose capable of isolating dysprosium, a heavy rare earth element used in semiconductors, electric motors, and generators.
Rare earths tend to occur together in nature and share nearly identical chemical properties, making separation complex and costly. Commercial processes typically rely on large-scale solvent extraction systems that require extensive chemical inputs and multiple repetitive stages to achieve high purity.
“As technology advances, manufacturers will need more and more dysprosium — some forecasts estimate the demand for this material may surge over 2,500 percent in the next 25 years,” said Amir Sheikhi, associate professor of chemical engineering at Penn State.
The research builds on earlier work by the team, which previously used cellulose-based compounds to recover neodymium from electronic waste.
In the latest study, the focus shifted to dysprosium and the challenge of separating heavier rare earth elements from lighter ones more efficiently.
To achieve this, the researchers modified cellulose at the molecular level, creating nanoscale crystalline particles roughly 100 nanometers long. When introduced into a water-based mixture containing both neodymium and dysprosium, the nanocellulose selectively captured dysprosium through adsorption.
The team observed that the modified cellulose chains behaved differently in the presence of dysprosium, effectively isolating it from the mixture.
“Separating rare earth elements from one another has been extremely difficult, due to the metals’ very similar chemical structures,” Sheikhi explained. “We have been looking for a reliable way to separate heavy elements like dysprosium from lighter elements like neodymium, while avoiding the negative environmental side effects that come from current separation approaches.”
The simplicity of the approach contrasts sharply with traditional rare earth separation facilities, which often require sprawling industrial plants and dozens of equilibrium stages to achieve magnet-grade purity.
Industry studies have shown that separating similar rare earth elements can require upward of 60 repetitive extraction stages, underscoring the technical barrier that has helped concentrate processing capacity in countries such as China.
China currently accounts for the majority of global rare earth processing, particularly for heavy rare earth elements like dysprosium that are critical for high-temperature magnets and defense applications.
The Penn State team argues that a cellulose-based system could reduce chemical usage and lower the environmental footprint of rare earth recovery if successfully scaled.
Future work will focus on refining the material and testing its ability to isolate additional rare earth elements.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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