Bitcoin and Ether price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$89,102.53, up 1.9 percent in 24 hours.

The cryptocurrency is up after last week’s rout, which saw over US$1.2 billion in spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) outflows, marking the third consecutive week with over US$1 billion in outflows, as per SoSoValue.

Bitcoin price performance, November 24, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

However, market sentiment remains cautious, with the Fear and Greed Index reading 12 at market close. Increased open interest and large short liquidations suggest potential volatility and possible rebound dynamics.

“In the short term, a rebound is highly likely, but if we fall again and lose the US$80,000 level, the probability of facing a much tougher period becomes significantly higher,” CryptoQuant said in a post on X.

Bitcoin’s relative strength index at 58.52 indicates moderately bullish momentum, but is still comfortably below overbought territory. A -0.005 funding rate shows traders are still somewhat bearish, although short liquidations may start to shift momentum upward. Economic data due later this week could lift markets higher if it reinforces expectations of an interest rate cut from the US Federal Reserve. Market odds for a December rate cut have risen recently, with many sources placing the probability at around 70 to 79 percent.

Meanwhile, ETH (ETH) was US$2,973.36, up by 5.1 percent in 24 hours. Liquidations of US$39.75 million, predominantly in short positions, may have fueled upward price pressure through a short squeeze.

Open interest rose 3.07 percent to US$35.93 billion, suggesting increasing trader engagement and speculative activity in Ether derivatives. A funding rate of zero reflects a balance between bullish and bearish sentiment among traders.

Altcoin price update

• XRP (XRP) was priced at US$2.26, up by 9.2 percent over 24 hours.

• Solana (SOL) was trading at US$138.82, up by 4.7 percent over 24 hours.

Today’s crypto news to know

Cardano chain split, Etherscan API outage highlight DeFi risks

Recent events in the crypto ecosystem have underscored the vulnerabilities and institutional challenges facing DeFi investors. On November 21, Cardano experienced an accidental chain split triggered by a malformed transaction, temporarily dividing the blockchain into two competing chains.

The disruption exposed weaknesses in network resilience and stake pool operations, causing lost block rewards and transaction irregularities in DeFi protocols dependent on Cardano’s network stability.

Then, Etherscan unexpectedly cut off API access to roughly 10 percent of its blockchains and networks. This sudden outage occurred during the DevConnect conference, impairing developers’ ability to manage smart contracts effectively, further revealing how dependent DeFi investors are on the reliability of ancillary infrastructure.

These events came amid growing tensions involving JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM).

The banking giant has drawn ire from the crypto community for reportedly influencing MSCI to exclude digital asset treasury companies holding more than 50 percent of their assets in cryptocurrencies.

JPMorgan’s research warns that the exclusion could trigger forced selloffs potentially totaling up to US$8.8 billion, with Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) alone possibly facing US$2.8 billion in outflows.

The final decision will be announced on January 15 ,with changes taking effect in February.

The bank then upgraded ratings on Monday for Bitcoin-mining companies Cipher Mining (NASDAQ:CIFR) and CleanSpark (NASDAQ:CLSK) to overweight from neutral, citing strong momentum in high-performance computing partnerships and long-term cloud and colocation deals that improve revenue visibility.

JPMorgan’s stance highlights the institutional and regulatory tensions complicating the interface between traditional finance and the fast-evolving crypto ecosystem.

Franklin Templeton, Grayscale launch XRP ETFs

The Franklin XRP ETF (ARCA:XRPZ) and the Grayscale XRP Trust ETF (ARCA:GXRP) both launched on Monday, providing new regulated investment options for XRP exposure.

Investor response was prompt, with early trading volumes indicating strong demand and positive sentiment around XRP’s future prospects as reflected in the market’s reception to both ETFs.

Market watchers see this dual launch as a major step toward integrating crypto assets like XRP into traditional finance frameworks, enhancing liquidity and investor confidence.

Ray Youssef, CEO of peer-to-peer crypto app NoOnes, said a wave of altcoin ETF launches could bring a much-needed dose of optimism back into the market if investors interpret new listings as implicit regulatory approval.

“As market sentiment has been so underwhelming in recent times, the ETF season hitting the market at its current condition may be when they can make the most significant contribution to the digital asset economy this year.”

Youssef added that the launch of altcoin ETFs is creating a steady flow of capital into the digital asset market, providing a liquidity buffer. This momentum could lead to an end-of-year rally for altcoins.

Burry debuts newsletter after Scion shutdown

Michael Burry, best known for his prescient bet against the US housing market in 2008, has launched a paid Substack newsletter not long after closing his hedge fund, Scion Asset Management.

In his introductory post, Burry emphasizes that the move does not mark a retirement, but rather a shift toward writing without the regulatory constraints that accompany professional money management.

Priced at US$39 per month, the newsletter has quickly drawn more than 21,000 subscribers.

Early essays revisit his trading history during the dot-com era and outline why he views today’s artificial intelligence boom as a supply-glutted bubble primed for correction.

With Scion now closed, Burry says the newsletter will become his primary outlet for analysis as he continues to track what he views as speculative excess building across technology markets.

The long road from mine to magnet

Corbett is the first to admit that the broader conversation around rare earths often oversimplifies the challenge. Headlines usually focus on mining or magnets, but the real bottlenecks, he stressed, live in the middle.

“You don’t magically take NdPr oxide and turn it into a magnet in a magnet factory,” he said. The process includes converting oxide to metal, metal to alloy flake, flake to powder, then pressing, sintering, slicing and grinding. Each step requires specific infrastructure, technical expertise and — perhaps most critically — experience.

Corbett sees this gap clearly in the wake of announcements from companies claiming to have plans for large-scale magnet facilities. “We see all these announcements — ‘We’re going to do a 10,000 ton magnet plant.’ They’ve never made metal before,” he said. “Good luck. It takes time. It takes investment. It takes R&D.”

When MP listed publicly five years ago, it was still producing only rare earths concentrate. The company told investors it would revisit magnet-making discussions around 2025.

Geopolitical urgency pushed MP to accelerate that timeline, leading to the company’s fully integrated US facility in Fort Worth, where metal, alloy and finished magnets are now all made domestically.

“It is critical that we master all of them at scale,” Corbett said. Without that know-how, any new facility will be vulnerable to single-point failures, the same dynamic that has left the industry heavily reliant on China.

Where the real rare earths bottleneck lies

When asked what truly slows down western rare earths supply chain development, Corbett didn’t point to mining. Instead, he pointed to refining, a stage China has dominated for decades.

“China doesn’t have 99 percent of the upstream reserves,” he noted. “They have the refining capacity and capability.”

That distinction is shaping MP’s next major step: a new world-scale refining facility in Saudi Arabia, built in partnership with Maaden and backed by the US Department of Defense (DoD).

The project is designed to process feedstocks from around the world, including materials that are too small, too short-lived or too geographically constrained to justify their own refineries.

Crucially, the new plant is being built with capital from the US government, not MP. “We didn’t want to be putting more capital at risk overseas while we’re fulfilling promises in the US,” Corbett said.

He added that the government wanted the facility built, and MP brought the technical and operational capability; the equity investment from the DoD bridged the gap.

The structure is unusual. According to Corbett, this is the first time since World War II that the DoD has taken an equity stake in a private enterprise. But he argued that the situation demands it.

“From a supply chain and national security perspective, we are that far behind.”

A price floor that reshapes incentives

The DoD’s involvement isn’t limited to the Saudi facility.

This past summer, the department also struck a landmark agreement with MP, establishing a price floor for NdPr oxide, the high-value rare earths ingredient inside permanent magnets.

The deal is “absolutely transformational,” Corbett said.

Rare earths prices have historically been highly vulnerable to sudden moves from China, a fact that has long posed an existential risk to western refiners. “What good is it to invest billions of dollars if the second you turn your refinery on, prices go from US$170 to US$45?” questioned Corbett.

The agreement is structured to avoid distorting the downstream market. MP still sells oxide at market prices; the government covers the difference only when prices fall below the negotiated threshold.

“It doesn’t impact the pricing of our magnets at all,” Corbett explained. “That was really important to us.”

If prices soar — something Corbett says he would welcome — MP would pay the government.

“I hope five years from now I’m being accosted by investors for taking this deal, because prices are so high we’re cutting checks back to the government,” he said.

Apple, recycling and the next phase

Also over the summer, MP announced another milestone — a major partnership with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) to source 100 percent recycled rare earth materials for the tech giant’s devices.

Recycling is often framed as a threat to miners. Corbett argues the opposite.

“It’s still a game of scale and expertise in refining,” he said. “It’s just a different feedstock.”

In many ways, recycled magnets are easier to process than raw ore. The challenge is achieving sufficient volume and consistency, something MP believes Mountain Pass is uniquely positioned to enable.

“Integration matters,” Corbett said. By blending recycled materials with the mine’s large, steady feedstock, MP can smooth out the variability inherent in end-of-life magnets.

A new playbook for national resources?

Taken together, MP’s 2025 announcements point toward a broader shift in how western governments approach critical minerals supply chains moving forward. Heavy government involvement through frameworks like equity stakes, price floors and international partnerships may represent a new template.

“This administration is approaching it with the mentality that it’s going to take real dollars to make this happen,” Corbett said. And if its investments pay off, he argued, they could help rebuild an industrial base the US hasn’t had in decades as MP positions itself to offer the full value chain, from mining and refining to producing finished magnets.

“Once the flywheel gets going,” Corbett said, “You’re onto something.”

The promise of open banking in Canada

Open banking, also known as consumer-driven banking, enables secure, reliable and affordable sharing of financial data between banks and third-party service providers. The goal of this framework is to empower consumers by bringing them more customized and transparent financial products and services.

The Canadian government’s recent announcements, including legislative proposals and an oversight shift from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) to the Bank of Canada (BoC), signal a serious commitment to delivering a competitive and consumer-centric financial ecosystem. Boms explained that, if implemented correctly, open banking could drive innovation and inclusion across Canada’s financial sector.

“It means a more holistic picture of your total financial life, including your investment portfolios,” he commented. “It’s also something that every other G7 country has and has had for quite some time, and so it provides the basis for a more competitive, more innovative and more efficient financial system.”

One shift in the proposed framework that Boms said is vital is the BoC taking control of regulatory oversight.

‘The FCAC, where (oversight) lived originally, really didn’t have any experience in creating a regulatory framework for non-banks,’ he said. In contrast, the BoC has direct experience in licensing for non-banks serving consumers. It oversees fintech firms such as Wealthsimple, Koho, Brim Financial and Venn under the Retail Payments Activities Act.

Smaller financial institutions, including credit unions, will stand to benefit significantly from this change, leveling the playing field with the Big Six banks, which, as mentioned, currently dominate banking assets.

However, Boms emphasized the importance of a risk- and size-based regulatory approach to ensure these smaller players can innovate without undue burdens: “You have to recognize that fundamentally smaller financial institutions, smaller fintechs, don’t have the same resources as bigger incumbents.”

Canadian budget measures supporting competition

This year’s Canadian federal budget introduces several important measures to enhance competition and give consumers more choice beyond the dominant bank oligopoly. One of the flagship promises is to ban transfer fees for investment and registered accounts, fees that currently cost Canadians around C$150 per account.

Draft regulations are expected by spring 2026 to enforce this ban, reducing friction and costs for consumers. Additionally, the budget includes initiatives to simplify switching primary chequing accounts between financial institutions, further lowering barriers for Canadians to move their banking relationships.

The budget also targets cross-border transfer fees by improving transparency, including fees related to foreign exchange margins, so consumers can better understand the costs of sending money internationally.

Accessibility to cheque funds will be improved by raising the dollar threshold and shortening hold periods on cheque deposits, benefiting Canadians who rely on cheques.

To support smaller lenders and foster broader financial inclusion, legislative amendments will make it easier for federal credit unions to scale and for provincial credit unions to enter the federal regulatory regime.

“If (smaller financial institutions) can get access to consumer data digitally, they can then become much more competitive without having to build the same type of infrastructure the biggest banks can afford to build,” said Boms.

A voluntary code of conduct is planned to improve smaller financial institutions’ access to brokered deposit channels, a vital funding source for growth. Furthermore, changes to the Bank Act and Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Act will raise public holding requirement thresholds for smaller institutions.

That will allow them more flexibility to grow before triggering changes in ownership structure.

While Canada is still rolling out its open banking framework, countries like the UK and Australia demonstrate how open banking adoption fuels economic resilience and consumer benefits.

“Canada has learned from the experiences of (other) jurisdictions, good and bad, and taken those learnings and implemented (them) into what we see here,’ said Boms.

The future of open banking in Canada

With a 2026 target for full read access, market participants are gearing up for a transformative shift in how financial data is handled. This initiative marks a pivotal move toward democratizing financial data and services in Canada.

The BoC’s expanded oversight role, coinciding with the launch of the real-time rail payment infrastructure and phased “write access” capabilities by mid-2027, will accelerate the system’s rollout.

This evolving infrastructure will facilitate instant payments and empower consumers with the ability to initiate actions like bill payments and account switching seamlessly.

Boms and FDATA Canada stand ready to guide this transformation, ensuring that open banking in Canada not only enhances competition, but also maintains safety, security and consumer protection.

Open banking’s architecture also presents fresh opportunities for digital currencies, with new legislation introduced requiring stablecoin issuers to maintain adequate high-quality reserves, clear redemption policies and robust risk management and security standards. Stablecoins could complement open banking by enabling faster, cheaper cross-border payments and settlements, especially for consumers and small businesses.

As open banking takes shape, Canadians and small businesses will gain unprecedented control over their financial lives, a change poised to ignite innovation, unlock economic potential and reshape the country’s banking landscape.