Crypto Legislation ‘GENIUS Act' Nears Passage
Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire says the crypto industry needs legal clarity. He explains what opportunities the stablecoin network sees in a conversation with Caroline Hyde on 'Bloomberg Tech.' (Source: Bloomberg)
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Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Investing in metals: Will silver surpass its 2011 all-time high?
A growing chorus of influential market voices believes it's not a matter of if, but when silver will hit its all-time high of $50 (€44) an ounce — a level not seen since April 2011. The precious metal surged to nearly $37 (€32) this week, a new 13-year high, securing a remarkable 10% gain in the first 10 days of June alone, in a rally that has caught global investor attention. The $50 threshold is now increasingly seen as a logical target, with both technical and macroeconomic conditions aligning in silver's favour. Could this be just the beginning of silver's strongest bull run in over a decade? The case for silver's resurgence is being championed by several market analysts and institutional voices on Wall Street, who have argued that a combination of structural and cyclical factors is propelling the metal's rally momentum. Otavio Costa, macro strategist at Crescat Capital, recently pointed out that silver has historically followed gold's performance. 'We are likely in the early stages of a new secular bull market for the metal,' Costa recently wrote in a post on social media X, noting that silver typically lags gold in the early stages of a precious metals rally before outperforming later on. The gold-to-silver ratio — an indicator of how many ounces of silver are required to buy one ounce of gold — has fallen sharply, breaking from historically elevated levels near 100. 'This move is likely just the beginning,' Costa observed, as investment starts flowing from gold into silver, and eventually into early-stage mining equities. 'A test of the all-time highs near $50 is within scope as positioning and momentum are not yet stretched,' said Bank of America's technical analyst Paul Ciana in a recent note. Rashad Hajiyev, macro investor and commentator, suggested that silver's June breakout could conservatively point to $60 (€52). "2010 and 2020 breakouts resulted in 150% and 60% gains, respectively, over eight months and one month," he wrote. "With gold prices headed towards $3,600 and the average gold-to-silver ratio at 60, $60 silver is a legitimate target.' Investor interest in silver's monetary role has resurged in recent months, driven by growing concerns over the US administration's ability to manage the escalating federal debt. Confidence in traditional US safe-haven assets has weakened, with both US Treasury bonds and the dollar losing ground in 2025 — an atypical development during a period of global economic uncertainty, when these instruments would typically attract demand. Gold has been the first mover to reflect mounting concerns over US fiscal sustainability, gaining more than 25% year-to-date and outperforming all major asset classes in 2025. Silver may be next to follow, attracting investors seeking hard assets that cannot be debased by an expanding supply of money. What's different this time is the acceleration in industrial demand for silver, especially from the clean energy sector. Related Gold's record rally stalls on hopes of easing global trade tensions Is Trump destroying the dollar - and what does it mean for the euro? As the Silver Institute highlighted, silver is one of the world's best electrical conductors, making it indispensable in the production of solar panels, electric vehicles (EVs), and microelectronics. Notably, the solar sector's demand for silver has soared, doubling from 12% of total demand in 2022 to 25% in 2024. Sprott projects that by 2030, annual silver demand for solar applications could rise to 370 million ounces, up from 220 million today. According to Katusa Research, the current market environment exhibits all three of what it calls 'Buffett's critical silver signals': a deepening supply deficit, stagnant production, and plummeting above-ground stockpiles. These indicators, they argue, historically precede explosive silver rallies. A reversal of the economic and geopolitical anxieties that gripped markets in 2025 could dampen silver's appeal as a monetary hedge. Should the Trump administration signal credible efforts to rein in its ballooning budget deficit, the sell-off in Treasuries might stabilise — or even reverse — restoring investor confidence in the dollar and reducing the urgency to seek alternatives like gold or silver. Still, structural demand for silver, particularly from the electric vehicle and solar industries, is likely to persist. This could provide a foundation for continued price support, albeit at a more moderate pace than if US economic dominance remained under heightened scrutiny. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Soft metal solid-state battery mimics biology, could drive EVs 500 miles per charge
Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a new metal combination that could transform the future of solid-state batteries. By blending lithium with a soft, surprising element, sodium, the team has found a way to reduce the pressure needed for these batteries to operate significantly. This innovation could lead to lighter, longer-lasting power sources for everything from smartphones to electric vehicles. The findings were published by the lab of Matthew McDowell, a professor in Georgia Tech's School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Materials Science and Engineering. His group has also filed for a patent on the breakthrough. Solid-state batteries promise greater energy density and better safety than lithium-ion ones. They use a solid electrolyte instead of a flammable liquid, making them more stable. However, they often require high pressure to work. The metal plates needed to apply that pressure are often heavier and bulkier than the battery itself. 'A solid-state battery usually requires metal plates to apply this high pressure, and those plates can be bigger than the battery itself,' McDowell said. 'This makes the battery too heavy and bulky to be effective.' That challenge has kept solid-state batteries from reaching widespread use, despite years of research and hype. The team, led by Georgia Tech research scientist Sun Geun Yoon, found that adding sodium to lithium changes the game. Sodium is not active in the battery's electrochemical process, but its softness plays a key role. 'Adding sodium metal is the breakthrough,' McDowell said. 'It seems counterintuitive because sodium is not active in the battery system, but it's very soft, which helps improve the performance of the lithium.' Sodium's softness is no exaggeration. In a controlled setting, someone could press a gloved finger into the metal and leave a mark. When paired with lithium, it deforms easily under lower pressure, keeping better contact with the solid electrolyte. This improves overall battery performance. To understand why sodium-lithium batteries perform better, the team turned to biology. Specifically, they used the concept of morphogenesis — the way biological structures evolve based on local conditions. Morphogenesis is rare in materials science. But in this case, the interaction between sodium and lithium followed this pattern. The researchers saw that sodium behaved like a deformable phase, adjusting to structural changes during battery use. McDowell's team developed this concept under a project funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), alongside other universities. The implications of this research are broad. It could lead to phone batteries that last far longer or electric vehicles capable of going 500 miles on a single charge. The ability to reduce the pressure requirement without sacrificing energy capacity opens new possibilities for scaling solid-state batteries. While challenges remain before commercialization, McDowell's group continues to test new materials. Their goal is to make solid-state batteries more competitive with the lithium-ion standard. If successful, this shift could mark a major leap in battery technology. The study is published in the journal Science.
Forbes
35 minutes ago
- Forbes
3 Game-Changing AI Investment Strategies For Big Tech Investors To Save Millions
Game-Changing AI Investment Strategies In recent years, a number of high-profile AI startups—backed by leading AI investors—have faced significant setbacks, with some incurring losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars even after promising early traction and ambitious valuations. These developments serve as a cautionary signal to the global AI investment community: in a landscape defined by rapid innovation and media-fueled excitement, conventional due diligence practices are no longer sufficient. The AI sector, in particular, has become increasingly vulnerable to hype, with some startups overstating their technological capabilities—often relying on hundreds of human inputs behind the scenes while promoting their solutions as fully autonomous AI systems. As the old adage goes, "Anyone can sell snake oil, but not everyone is selling the real deal." Distinguishing genuine innovation from inflated claims is more critical than ever for investors seeking sustainable, long-term value in the AI space. For major AI investors—including big tech, institutional funds, and venture capital firms—this moment represents both a warning and an opportunity. The complexity of AI evaluation demands a strategic shift that marries visionary insight with technical rigor and collaborative diligence. The recent rise and fall of prominent startups underscores the necessity of a more disciplined, forward-looking approach—one that transitions from reactive to proactive investing. Outlined below are three forward-looking strategies designed to help investors engage more effectively with the opportunities and challenges shaping the evolving AI landscape. Strategy #1: Mitigating FOMO with Parallel Investment in Third-Party AI Expertise In a sector where the pace of innovation often outstrips investors' ability to evaluate it, a parallel investing model is becoming increasingly indispensable. This approach involves not only allocating capital to AI startups, but also systematically engaging independent AI experts and auditors to conduct ongoing, objective evaluations of a startup's core technology. While endorsements from marquee investors may signal credibility, they should never substitute for direct, evidence-based due diligence. These assessments should span critical AI disciplines such as natural language processing (NLP), machine learning operations (MLOps), model performance and product-level validation. Avoiding FOMO-Driven Decisions in AI Investing: The fear of missing out (FOMO) often drives investors to chase high-profile deals—particularly when influential names are involved—at the expense of rigorous evaluation. A disciplined, expertise-led parallel investment strategy mitigates this risk by prioritizing independent technical assessments that validate a startup's long-term potential beyond the pitch deck. A comparable model can be found in the approach of Entrepreneur First (EF), a global accelerator that pioneered 'talent investing'—backing exceptional individuals even before a team or business idea exists. By focusing on the raw potential of technical founders and guiding them through co-founder matching and company creation, EF has helped launch more than 600 startups, collectively valued at over $11 billion as of 2025. In the same spirit, the strategy proposed here advocates for investing not only in companies but also in third-party AI expertise—ensuring continued, unbiased due diligence throughout the investment lifecycle. Strategy #2: Establish a Dedicated Syndicate Investor Communication Channel While founder transparency is essential, equally important is structured, collaborative communication among investors—particularly in fast-moving sectors like AI, where innovation can outpace traditional diligence. Establishing dedicated syndicate communication channels—through regular briefings, shared due diligence, and expert panels—helps reduce information asymmetry, enable cross-validation of claims, and improve capital allocation. A coordinated framework also strengthens oversight, facilitates resource sharing, and supports early risk identification, potentially saving millions in misallocated funding. A relevant example of investors' appetite for greater transparency is the rise of Arfur Rock—an anonymous X (formerly Twitter) account dubbed the 'Gossip Girl of Silicon Valley.' The account shares insider updates on startup funding and performance metrics, gaining traction by revealing information typically shielded by NDAs or SEC regulations. Though informal, Arfur Rock underscores a broader need for visibility and information-sharing in venture capital. A private, structured communication network among syndicate investors could go even further—offering vetted, actionable insights that support more aligned, evidence-driven investment decisions. Strategy #3: Prioritize Technical Transparency and Engage Directly with AI Engineers Artificial intelligence is inherently complex and often opaque, making it difficult for non-technical investors to assess. In a hype-driven market, distinguishing genuine innovation from polished narratives requires more than pitch decks—it demands transparency around technical documentation, model performance metrics, and real-world deployment data. To truly evaluate a startup's capabilities and scalability, investors must go beyond the founders and engage directly with engineers, product teams, and early customers. A relevant example is Nvidia's ascent in the AI hardware space. Its market leadership was built on disciplined R&D investment and transparent, iterative product development. Investors who engaged closely with Nvidia's technical teams gained deep insight into its innovation pipeline—demonstrating how technical fluency and direct engagement can lead to more informed, high-conviction investments. Closing Reflections: A Mandate for Strategic Discipline in AI Investing As artificial intelligence rapidly evolves—reshaping industries and redefining competitive advantage—the imperative for disciplined, transparent investing has never been greater. In this high-stakes landscape, where promise and peril coexist, capital alone is insufficient. Big tech investors, institutional funds, family offices, and venture capital firms must meet the challenge with a deeper commitment grounded in technical fluency, collaborative intelligence, and sustained due diligence. Navigating the future of AI will require more than conviction; it demands clarity, rigor, and the discipline to see beyond the hype. Ultimately, the next era of AI will not be defined solely by those who dream the boldest, but by those who invest with discernment. In a market driven by exponential potential and persistent volatility, only disciplined capital—anchored in insight and accountability—will truly endure.
