Investor Insight

Green Technology Metals aims to build Ontario’s first integrated lithium business, developing two mining hubs and a downstream conversion facility to supply North America’s fast-growing EV and battery industry. The company’s approach is straightforward: bring Seymour into production, secure the downstream footprint at Thunder Bay with EcoPro, and then layer in Root as a long-life second feed. The plan is underpinned by offtake agreements, government funding and a management team with direct experience building lithium mines.

Overview

Green Technology Metals (ASX:GT1) is building Ontario, Canada’s first integrated lithium business, anchored by three upstream assets and a planned downstream conversion facility. The portfolio consists of the flagship Seymour project, the large-scale Root lithium project, and the Junior exploration project, which together provide a clear pipeline of feed into a proposed lithium hydroxide facility in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

The company is actively leveraging Canadian policy support for critical minerals development and supporting a growing number of EV and battery manufacturers in Ontario. The province’s Building More Mines Act, alongside several federal programs, is creating a supportive funding environment for new projects. GT1 has already received conditional approval for C$5.5 million from the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund (CMIF) to support road and infrastructure upgrades at Seymour. In addition, the company has received a letter of intent for a C$100-million project financing support from Export Development Canada, and has pending applications with SIF/NRCan and CMIF Round 2, including a C$5-million submission tied to the Root project. These mechanisms substantially de-risk the financing path and provide tangible momentum toward development.

The strategy is being executed in three phases. First, Seymour will be brought into production with a concentrator based on a dense media separation flowsheet, taking advantage of coarse spodumene mineralogy and proven metallurgical performance. Second, GT1 will construct the Thunder Bay lithium conversion facility in partnership with EcoPro Innovation, replicating proven hydrometallurgical technology to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide. Finally, Root will be developed as the company’s second, larger mining hub, designed to provide long-life scale and additional feed into the Thunder Bay facility.

Pilot processing of 600 kg of Seymour concentrate produced exceptional overall recoveries averaging >94 percent.

Strategic partnerships reinforce this integrated model. LG Energy Solution has secured a binding offtake for a portion of Seymour’s concentrate production and has invested directly into GT1, providing early validation of the project’s place in the EV supply chain. EcoPro Innovation, as the company’s technical partner on the Thunder Bay facility, has already piloted Seymour concentrate into high-purity lithium hydroxide.

Company Highlights

• Integrated strategy in Ontario: The Seymour and Root projects form the foundation for a vertically integrated lithium business, supported by a proposed lithium hydroxide plant in Thunder Bay, Ontario, with rail, port, power, gas and water access.
• Marketing and offtake secured: LG Energy Solution has a binding offtake for 25 percent of Seymour concentrate and has invested directly into the company, demonstrating strong downstream demand.
• Strategic process partner: EcoPro Innovation is co-developing the conversion facility. Pilot work has already produced battery-grade lithium hydroxide with high recoveries.
• Government backing: GT1 has secured conditional approval for significant funding programs, including C$5.5 million for road upgrades, a C$100 million project financing support LOI from EDC, and additional CMIF and SIF applications.
• Resource base: A combined inventory of over 30 Mt @ ~1.2 percent lithium oxide across Seymour and Root, providing both near-term production and long-life scale.
• By-product upside: Seymour hosts a significant rubidium resource in mica streams that could be recovered alongside lithium, creating an additional revenue line.

Key Projects

Seymour Lithium Project

The Seymour lithium project, near Armstrong, Ontario, contains a total resource of 10.3 million tonnes (Mt) @ 1.03 percent lithium oxide, including 6.1 Mt indicated @ 1.25 percent lithium oxide. Mineralization is hosted in the North and South Aubry pegmatites, which remain open along strike and at depth. An optimized preliminary economic assessment (PEA) demonstrated strong project economics based on a DMS-only concentrator producing 130 ktpa. Key numbers include a C1 cash cost of US$680/t, an after-tax NPV of US$251 million, an IRR of 33 percent, and a three-and-a-half-year payback.

The project benefits from existing road and rail access, low strip ratios, and simple metallurgy with coarse spodumene that responds well to dense medium separation (DMS). Mining leases were granted in August 2025, the environmental assessment submission has been lodged, and the closure plan is nearing completion.

An offtake agreement with LG Energy Solution secures sales for 25 percent of initial concentrate production. Seymour also includes a maiden rubidium resource (8.3 Mt @ 0.27 percent rubidium oxide, with a 3.4 Mt high-grade core at 0.40 percent), which can be recovered from mica streams already separated in the flow sheet, creating potential for a by-product circuit.

Thunder Bay Lithium Conversion Facility

GT1 and EcoPro Innovation are developing a lithium hydroxide monohydrate facility in Thunder Bay. The selected site is fully serviced with rail access, 44 kV power, municipal water and gas, and port facilities. The plant will replicate EcoPro’s operating hydromet trains, with two parallel ~13 ktpa back-end lines designed to scale with Seymour and Root concentrate supply.

Pilot-scale processing of 600 kg of Seymour concentrate at EcoPro’s Pohang facility achieved battery-grade lithium hydroxide, meeting downstream specifications with >94 percent overall recovery. This demonstration significantly de-risks the conversion step and supports ongoing financing discussions with Invest Ontario, SIF and EDC. The project is being advanced through PFS-level engineering, with permitting and JV structuring underway.

Root Lithium Project

Located in Northwestern Ontario, Root is GT1’s scale project, hosting 14.6 Mt @ 1.21 percent lithium oxide (10.0 Mt Indicated @ 1.32 percent). The April 2025 optimized PEA outlined a combined open-pit and underground mining scenario producing ~213 ktpa. The project carries a C1 cost of ~US$677/t, an after-tax NPV of US$668 million, an IRR of 53.5 percent, and a three-year payback.

Root enjoys outstanding infrastructure advantages: road and rail access, proximity to port, and most critically, grid hydro power delivered by the Watay transmission line, reducing both operating costs and upfront capex for power infrastructure. Drilling has confirmed stacked pegmatite bodies that remain open along strike and down dip, leaving scope for significant resource expansion. A bulk sample has been completed, with further testwork and pilot runs at EcoPro planned. Permitting is in its early stages, with a PFS targeted for 2026 and potential construction by late 2027.

Junior Lithium Project

The Junior project is located near Seymour and contains three drill-ready targets. Its proximity to the planned Seymour concentrator makes it a strategic satellite project, with the potential to extend Seymour’s mine life and provide incremental feed. Drilling is expected to test these targets in upcoming campaigns, potentially increasing the overall feed available for the Seymour hub.

Management Team

John Young – Non-executive Chairman

John Young co-founded Pilbara Minerals and played a key role in transforming it into a multi-billion-dollar lithium producer. His background as a geologist spans more than three decades, with significant contributions across discovery, development and financing of lithium and gold projects. At GT1, Young provides strategic oversight and proven operational expertise to scale a lithium developer into a fully integrated producer.

Cameron Henry – Managing Director

Cameron Henry was appointed managing director in June 2024, stepping up from his earlier role as executive director. A founder and substantial shareholder of GT1, Henry has over 20 years’ experience in minerals processing and project delivery. Prior to GT1, he built Primero Group into a respected global leader in lithium infrastructure EPC, successfully executing major projects in Australia and globally. His role is to drive Seymour into production and to lead the execution of the Thunder Bay downstream strategy.

Patrick Murphy – Non-executive Director

Patrick Murphy brings nearly two decades of experience in resource sector investment and deal-making. He has held senior positions at Macquarie and AMCI Group, with expertise in capital deployment, project financing and strategic partnerships. His presence on GT1’s board ensures strong connectivity to the financial community and a disciplined approach to structuring project funding.

Robin Longley – Non-executive Director

With more than 30 years of experience in exploration and project evaluation, Robin Longley is a seasoned geologist who has led successful exploration and development programs across lithium, gold and other critical minerals in Australia, Canada and Africa. His practical technical knowledge and management experience strengthen GT1’s ability to evaluate and expand its Ontario portfolio.

Han Seung Cho – Non-executive Director

Representing EcoPro Innovation, Han Seung Cho serves as a direct link between GT1 and its strategic partner on the Thunder Bay conversion facility. As general manager of EcoPro’s strategic business team, he brings decades of experience in lithium procurement, downstream offtake structuring, and project development for LHM plants. His position ensures that GT1’s downstream ambitions remain closely aligned with end-user requirements in the battery sector.

1. PBOC shifting from US treasuries to gold

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has continued to increase its gold reserves for the third consecutive year in 2025, although its acquisitions are coming at a slower pace in recent months.

The World Gold Council reported in July that China’s official gold holdings have posted gains for eight consecutive months, with H1 2025 gold purchases coming in at 19 metric tons. Second only to the National Bank of Poland as one of the largest central bank buyers, China’s gold purchases have no doubt contributed to gold’s price.

The PBOC’s focus on increasing its gold reserves is not surprising given the current fiscal landscape.

“China is a large, growing economy and has a meaningful reserve portfolio that is actively managed as part of central programs and planning. The PBOC is principally responsible for managing that portfolio, which has traditionally held large portions in USD and USD-based assets (treasuries),” explained Cavatoni.

“What the increased level of disclosed and undisclosed purchases you see in our data indicates is that the PBOC is looking at domestic and foreign market conditions for managing their reserves in an optimal way. That includes recognition of the role gold can play in a portfolio and finding that role a key focus for growth.”

Charles-Henry Monchau, chief investment officer at Syz Group, believes the PBoC’s bullion purchases are a part of a larger strategy moving away from the nearly century-long hegemony of the US dollar over global trade and finance.

“In its place, China is betting on a dual foundation: gold and the yuan,” Monchau asserted recently, also insisting that China’s reduction of its dependence on the greenback is “not merely a matter of a portfolio rebalance.”

In this way, China would gain a more dominant position in global finance and no longer be at the mercy of US sanctions and other financial pressures. Monchau also lends credence to the claim of some analysts that the PBOC is underreporting its gold purchases to the International Monetary Fund.

‘This opacity is deliberate—by quietly shifting reserves from dollars into gold, China avoids alarming markets while progressively building leverage,” he said.

2. China’s insurance sector buying gold

China’s insurance sector represents an emerging demand segment for physical gold, further demonstrating the yellow metal’s function as a hedge against inflation and economic downturns.

In early February of this year, the Chinese government launched a pilot program allowing the nation’s 10 largest insurance companies to invest directly into gold.

Under the initiative, insurers can choose to allocate up to 1 percent of their assets to gold. This could open the door for up to 200 billion yuan, or more than US$27 billion, to enter the global gold market, as reported by Bloomberg.

China’s insurance sector is the second largest in the world behind the US, and if the pilot program is successful, it could serve as a precedent for other countries to allow similar programs to develop in their own insurance industries.

“This is an exciting development as it demonstrates both government and institutional understanding of gold, and provides an appropriate format for these institutions to build up the appropriate infrastructure and capabilities to add gold to diversified portfolios,” said Cavatoni, emphasizing the significance of the move.

“This will be an additional use case to consume gold and good for the global market. This practice is also capable of being rolled out in pilot programs elsewhere and may (in certain places) already exist.”

The Shanghai AU9999 contract is a physical gold trading contract that closely tracks the spot price of gold.

“It signals, for us, global use cases continuing to come online. And I think that’s actually the big story for gold, which is continuing to see people wanting access to it, industries having a need for it and impediments being removed.”

3. Shanghai Gold Exchange expansion

China is now making it easier for international investors to participate in the Shanghai Gold Exchange.

In late June, the exchange launched two new yuan-denominated gold contracts for physical delivery in Hong Kong, where it opened an offshore gold warehouse in Hong Kong run by the Bank of China.

It also waived storage, handling and exit fees for the calendar year for foreign buyers. Analysts see this as a major move toward strengthening China’s position in the global gold market.

Mario Innecco, who runs the maneco64 YouTube channel, sees the expansion of the Shanghai Gold Exchange as “highly significant” in moving the center of the gold market to China.

“This is an interesting development and one that is broadening an already open channel for approved foreign entities,” said the World Gold Council’s Cavatoni in an email. “If the expansion continues beyond what we have today, including the most recent announcement around vaulting overseas, the foreign community might become more active in what is currently a smaller portion of the domestic China gold market.”

There is also potential for strengthening the global position of renminbi.

“The new vault will significantly boost offshore RMB liquidity by enabling gold transactions in yuan rather than dollars,” said Doris Bao, founderof Gold Harvest Consulting and an advisor to the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA). “This also means China can now import gold using its own currency.”

Innecco also believes a stronger Shanghai Gold Exchange internationally could prove highly disruptive to the western gold futures market represented by the COMEX and the LBMA.

‘I think gold and silver will be priced from China in the next few years,” he added.

Newmont to sell Coffee Project in Yukon

Newmont (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM,ASX:NEM), the world’s largest gold producer, announced that it has reached an agreement to sell its Coffee project to Vancouver-based explorer Fuerte Metals (TSXV:FMT,OTCQB:FUEMF).

Under the terms of the deal, Newmont will receive US$10 million in cash at closing and US$40 million in Fuerte shares; it will also retain a 3 percent net smelter return royalty. Fuerte has the option to repurchase the royalty for up to $100 million, potentially bringing total consideration for the transaction to US$150 million.

For Fuerte, the acquisition marks a step in its strategy to build a copper and precious metals portfolio across the Americas. The company is backed by Pierre Lassonde, Newmont’s former president, and Trinity Capital Partners.

Yukon-based Coffee has long been considered prospective, but has faced permitting and financing hurdles.

Upon completion of the deal, Newmont will have fully implemented its plan of divesting six operations and two projects deemed non-core following its US$15 billion takeover of Newcrest Mining in 2023.

The divestment comes just days after Newmont said it will delist from the Toronto Stock Exchange at the close of trading on September 24. The company cited low trading volumes on the TSX, noting that the move will cut costs and simplify administration as it focuses on its largest and most profitable mines.

Shares will continue to trade on the New York Stock Exchange, where Newmont maintains its primary listing, as well as on the Australian Securities Exchange and the Papua New Guinea Stock Exchange.

Alamos to exit Turkey with US$470 million asset sale

Alamos Gold (TSX:AGI,NYSE:AGI) is shedding problematic overseas ventures to redirect capital closer to home.

The company recently announced a definitive agreement to sell Doğu Biga Madencilik Sanayi ve Ticaret, its wholly owned Turkish subsidiary, to Tümad Madencilik, a unit of Nurol Holding, for US$470 million in cash.

The subsidiary controls three gold and silver projects in Northwestern Turkey: Kirazlı, Ağı Dağı and Çamyurt. Kirazlı has been frozen since 2019 after Ankara declined to renew its mining license, sparking a US$1 billion arbitration claim by Alamos under the Netherlands-Turkey bilateral investment treaty.

Under the agreement, Alamos will receive US$160 million at closing, expected in the fourth quarter of 2025, followed by US$160 million one year later and US$150 million after two years. Arbitration proceedings against Turkey will be suspended and ultimately discontinued once contractual milestones are met.

“This transaction marks a positive outcome, allowing us to crystallize significant value for our Turkish assets, and utilize the proceeds to support the development of our portfolio of other high-return growth projects,” said Alamos President and CEO John A. McCluskey in a Sunday (September 14) press release. Those projects include the Island Gold Phase 3+ expansion in Ontario, the Lynn Lake project in Manitoba and Puerto Del Aire in Mexico.

For Tümad, the purchase consolidates its position as a leading domestic miner. The company already operates two producing gold and silver mines in Turkey and will now add a trio of advanced development assets to its pipeline.

First Nordic, Mawson to merge and form NordCo Gold

First Nordic Metals (TSXV:FNM,OTCQX:FNMCF) announced it will acquire Mawson Finland (TSXV:MFL,OTC Pink:MFLDF) in an all-share transaction that will create a new company called NordCo Gold.

The combined entity will control over 123,000 hectares of exploration ground across Sweden and Finland, anchored by First Nordic’s Barsele joint venture with Agnico Eagle Mines (TSX:AEM,NYSE:AEM) and Mawson’s Rajapalot gold-cobalt project. In total, NordCo will hold an inferred resource of 2.1 million gold equivalent ounces, along with 0.3 million gold equivalent ounces in measured and indicated attributable resources.

Taj Singh, CEO of First Nordic, described the deal as “about scale, quality and execution,” adding that the company sees “multiple meaningful deposits to be discovered and delineated over the coming years.”

NordCo will have a pro forma market capitalization of about C$259 million and a cash balance of roughly C$50 million following a C$30 million concurrent financing.

1. NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA)

Share price: US$170.62
Market cap: US$4.15 trillion

NVIDIA’s robotics business has surged ahead in 2025 with major technology releases and expanding industry partnerships, establishing it as a core infrastructure provider for robotic intelligence. Its Jetson Thor platform offers 7.5 times more compute and 3.5 times greater energy efficiency than its predecessor.

The company is driving physical AI, the fourth wave of the AI revolution, through its Cosmos model, which allows developers to train robots for diverse scenarios, a critical component to advancing autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots.

2. Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)

Share price: US$334.09
Market cap: US$1.08 trillion

Tesla’s robotics business is becoming increasingly central to its CEO, Elon Musk, who claims its Optimus humanoid robot will eventually become the company’s core value driver. The company is focused on developing and scaling Optimus, although its goal of producing 5,000 in 2025 is reportedly behind schedule as of July. Tesla is aiming to produce 1 million units annually by 2030.

The long-term goal is to achieve fully autonomous robots that can be deployed across manufacturing, logistics, elder care and residences, which it detailed in its Master Plan IV released in early September.

3. Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO)

Share price: US$484.55
Market cap: US$182.97 billion

Thermo Fisher Scientific is a medical device company that is one of the world’s most respected brands in healthcare, scientific research, safety and education. Its products and services cover a broad range of high-end analytical instruments, chemistry and consumable supplies, automated laboratory robotics and software designed primarily for medical researchers, clinicians and scientists.

In June 2025, Thermo Fisher Scientific partnered with Cellular Origins, which owns the Constellation robotic manufacturing platform, to scale up late-stage trials and commercial production of cell and gene therapies.

Outside the life science sector, the company launched the Vulcan Automated Lab in early 2025, integrating robotic sample handling, AI and advanced electron microscopy to improve semiconductor development.

4. Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM)

Share price: US$157.28
Market cap: US$169.71 billion

Qualcomm’s specialty is designing and manufacturing semiconductors, software and wireless telecommunications products. In recent years, the company has devoted attention to AI-related technologies such as on-device AI, edge cloud AI and technologies that combine 5G and AI. These technologies also underlie Qualcomm’s advancements in the robotics space.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform is a high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip designed for AI, 5G connectivity and real-time processing used in a variety of sectors, including in robotics.

The Qualcomm Robotics RB6 Platform supports next-generation robotics and intelligent machines. According to the company, some applications include autonomous mobile robots, delivery robots, highly automated manufacturing robots, urban air mobility aircrafts and autonomous defense solutions.

It also has the Flight RB5 5G platform that specifically targets autonomous drones and flying robots, integrating multiple sensors, multiple cameras, 5G and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity to enable advanced navigation and AI-driven control.

5. Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX)

Share price: US$107.53
Market cap: US$159.33 billion

Boston Scientific is a medical device company leading in cardiac and electrophysiology robotics and advanced ablation systems.

Its OPAL HDx mapping systems allow physicians to precisely navigate within the heart through 3D mapping, position tracking and more. It employs the company’s FARAPULSE Pulsed Field Ablation system, which generated over US$1 billion in revenue in its first year and now holds expanded US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for both pulmonary vein and posterior wall ablation.

Strategic acquisitions since 2024 include Silk Road Medical, Axonics, Bolt Medical and SoniVie, giving the company access to a wealth of product offerings to address patient needs and create new revenue streams.

6. Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG)

Share price: US$441.18
Market cap: US$158.15 billion

A leader in surgical robotics, Intuitive Surgical is the company behind the da Vinci minimally invasive surgical system. The original da Vinci system gained FDA approval in 2000, making it the first completely robotic surgical system to receive clearance from the FDA.

Intuitive Surgical now provides a suite of its da Vinci robotics-assisted surgical systems to doctors and hospitals, and they are used by surgeons across all 50 US states and 72 countries around the world.

New products, including the Ion robot for lung biopsies and the SureForm SP stapler, are experiencing unprecedented growth. Their AI-driven features contribute to reducing error rates and enhancing outcomes.

7. Stryker (NYSE:SYK)

Share price: US$388.56
Market cap: US$148.55 billion

Stryker is another leading medical technology company. It develops medical equipment, instruments and surgical robotics for healthcare systems worldwide. Its surgical robotics systems incorporate health data and AI to improve health outcomes for patients.

Stryker’s Mako 4 robotic arm system for assisted joint replacement surgery can be used in partial knee, total knee, hip and spine surgeries, and a version for shoulder surgeries was recently introduced. The company showcased an upgrade to its Mako Total Hip system during the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego in March.

Stryker launched Ortho Q Guidance, its surgical guidance system for knee and hip procedures, in July 2023. The platform can be integrated into robotics technology.

8. Honeywell International (NASDAQ:HON)

Share price: US$214.00
Market cap: US$135.87 billion

Engineering and technology company Honeywell International develops and manufactures technological solutions for a variety of sectors, including energy, security, safety, productivity and global urbanization. Its four business divisions are: aerospace, building technologies, performance materials and technologies, and safety and productivity solutions.

For more than a quarter century, Honeywell’s smart robotics technologies, including autonomous mobile robots and order-picking AI-powered robots, have provided warehouse automation solutions targeting transport, order picking, palletizing and depalletizing.

In 2025, Honeywell announced a strategic partnership with Teradyne Robotics, a division of Teradyne (NASDAQ:TER), to deliver end-to-end automation solutions using Teradyne’s autonomous mobile robots and collaborative robots and Honeywell’s software.

9. Medtronic (NYSE:MDT)

Share price: US$92.25
Market cap: US$118.33 billion

Medtronic is one of the largest medical device manufacturing companies in the world. The firm’s technologies include cardiac devices, surgical robotics, insulin pumps, surgical tools and patient monitoring systems.

Medtronic’s Hugo robotic-assisted surgery system is a modular platform with four independent robotic arms, designed to improve precision, flexibility and surgeon ergonomics in minimally invasive soft tissue surgeries like urology and gynecology.

It features 3D high-definition visualization, advanced AI-powered analytics and an open console for better surgeon communication. Hugo offers a cost-effective and adaptable alternative to traditional systems and has been commercially used in North America since 2023.

10. Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN)

Share price: US$195.74
Market cap: US$4.78 billion

Texas Instruments is a leading semiconductor manufacturer whose robotics business focuses on supplying high-precision analog chips, sensors, embedded processors and motor control solutions for industrial automation, factory robots, automotive robotics and smart devices.

Texas Instruments partnered with KUKA in April 2025 to jointly advance next-generation industrial robotics. The collaboration focuses on integrating TI’s precision analog sensors and real-time motor control chips into KUKA’s robot arms and automation platforms, resulting in safer, more energy-efficient and adaptive robots for smart factories and logistics.

FAQs for robotics stocks

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$115,303, a 0.3 percent decrease in 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$114,509, and its highest was US$115,549.

Bitcoin price performance, September 15, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

CrypNuevo projects that Bitcoin may dip to US$112,000 to US$113,000 this week before presenting new swing long opportunities in altcoins like Chainlink and Ripple. Profit taking on Bitcoin longs is planned to start around US$119,200, anticipating market volatility and liquidity shifts around the US Federal Reserve’s meeting.

Ether (ETH) was priced at US$4,494.71, a decrease of 2.6 percent over the past 24 hours. Its lowest valuation on Monday was US$4,476.73, and its highest was US$4,538.16.

Altcoin price update

• Solana (SOL) was priced at US$232.85, a decrease of 4 percent over the last 24 hours. Its lowest valuation on Monday was US$230.63, and its highest level was US$236.56.

• XRP was trading for US$2.99, down by 1.4 percent in the past 24 hours, and at its lowest valuation of the day. Its highest value for Monday was US$3.03.

• SUI (Sui) was valued at US$3.49, down by 5.6 percent in the past 24 hours. Its lowest price point of the day was US$3.47, and its highest price was US$3.53.

• Cardano (ADA) was priced at US$0.8594, down by 3.3 percent over 24 hours. Its lowest valuation on Monday was US$0.8548, and its highest was US$0.8679.

Today’s crypto news to know

Bitcoin ETF inflows fuel bets on Q4 rally

Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the US have seen a staggering US$2.3 billion in inflows over the past week, a sign that institutional demand is surging just ahead of a critical Fed interest rate decision.

Traders widely expect the central bank to cut rates on Wednesday (September 17), a move that could boost risk assets across the board. Analysts say that Bitcoin, which has slipped nearly 8 percent since peaking at US$124,128 in August, may be poised for another leg higher if liquidity conditions ease.

“We’re only halfway through what could be a very powerful Q4 rally,” said Sean Dawson, head of research at Derive, who projects Bitcoin could reach US$140,000 by year end. Options data shows heavy positioning at US$140,000 to US$200,000 December calls, with some putting cycle tops as high as US$250,000 if flows persist.

PayPal plans crypto integration

PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) has introduced PayPal links, personalized one-time links generated within the PayPal app that can be shared via text, email or chat. According to the company, the move will make it more convenient for users to send digital currencies like Bitcoin, Ether and PYUSD to PayPal and its sister service, Venmo.

PayPal links will initially launch in the US, with plans to expand to the UK, Italy and other markets later this year.

Robinhood to launch venture fund for retail investors

Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ:HOOD) has filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to launch a venture fund accessible to retail investors, according to a Monday company announcement. The fund would offer exposure to startup and private company investments, opportunities typically restricted to institutions.

“For decades, wealthy people and institutions have invested in private companies while retail investors have been unfairly locked out. With Robinhood Ventures, everyday people will be able to invest in opportunities once reserved for the elite,” said Robinhood Chairman and CEO Vlad Tenev.

The announcement highlights the disparity in investment opportunities for retail and institutional investors, explaining that the fund, Robinhood Ventures Fund I (RVI), would address this by expanding access to the private market.

This initiative builds on Robinhood’s previous launch of private tokenized stocks in the EU, which allows US retail investors to participate in private markets and gain exposure to companies before they go public. RVI plans to invest long term in a focused portfolio of private companies across various sectors.

Base teases native token launch and Solana bridge

Coinbase Global’s (NASDAQ:COIN) Layer 2 blockchain, Base, teased the potential launch of a native token at its BaseCamp event, a major event for the network. While details have not been confirmed, the news hints at a possible governance or utility token to expand Base’s ecosystem and incentivize user participation.

“As we begin this exploration, we’re sharing this shift in philosophy early as part of our commitment to building in the open, but we have no definitive plans to share at this time,” the company said following the event.

During the announcement, Base also shared that an open-source bridge to connect Base and Solana is in progress; it would enable cross-chain interoperability between the two ecosystems. Base also discussed new tools to support developers and users, including Base Batches 002 to help transform projects from concept to launch, and a Base Build dashboard designed to help builders scale and monetize their work.

France threatens to block EU crypto license “passporting”

France’s financial regulator is raising the stakes in Europe’s battle over crypto oversight, warning it could block firms licensed in other EU countries from operating domestically. According to a Reuters exclusive, the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) says some companies are “shopping around” for jurisdictions with looser standards under the bloc’s new MiCA framework, then using those approvals to “passport” their services across the EU.

Alongside Italy and Austria, France is pressing for the European Securities and Markets Authority to take charge of supervising major crypto players. AMF Chief Marie-Anne Barbat-Layani described the potential rejection of EU licenses as an “atomic weapon” that Paris could wield if it sees regulatory gaps.

Analysts worry fragmented national approaches could undermine investor protection and financial stability.

Notably, exchanges like Coinbase and Gemini have already secured MiCA licenses in Luxembourg and Malta, raising questions about uneven enforcement across the bloc.

Ethereum Foundation pivots to privacy-first roadmap

The Ethereum Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports Ethereum and related technologies, has unveiled a new initiative to make privacy a default feature across the blockchain’s ecosystem.

Rebranding its Privacy & Scaling Explorations team as the “Privacy Stewards of Ethereum,” the foundation has laid out plans for private transfers, confidential DeFi and protected governance mechanisms within the next six months.

“Our vision is to make privacy on Ethereum the norm rather than the exception,” the group said in a statement, arguing that users and institutions will otherwise drift to centralized alternatives. The roadmap also extends beyond transactions, with proposals to embed privacy in wallets, identity tools, and data portability.

Co-founder Vitalik Buterin has long championed stronger safeguards. His recent comments about risks from artificial intelligence-driven data leakage have reinforced the urgency of integrating privacy at the protocol level.