The latest from BTBGold operations, precious metals markets, crypto, and macro.
Field teams report 42.1 kg of gold extracted from Ololi in April, beating projections by 4.5%. New excavator arrived on-site last week and is operational. Bureau Veritas assayers scheduled for monthly verification on May 10.
Spot gold edged toward record territory in early London trading after dovish commentary from ECB and BoE officials. Goldman Sachs raised its year-end target to $2,800/oz, citing sustained central bank buying and weakening dollar momentum.
Spot BTC ETFs absorbed $284M in net inflows on Monday following two days of redemptions. BlackRock's IBIT led volume with $164M, while ARK's ARKB saw fresh institutional positioning. Funding rates remain neutral on perpetuals.
The World Gold Council reports central banks added 1,037 tonnes in Q1 2026, led by China, Poland and India. The pace suggests annual purchases could match or exceed 2024's historic 1,136-tonne haul.
The European Central Bank kept its main refinancing rate at 3.65% as expected. President Lagarde noted disinflation progress and confirmed the governing council would remain data-dependent ahead of the June meeting.
CSSF confirmed our security token registration has cleared initial eligibility checks and moved to Phase 2 substantive review. Legal counsel expects provisional approval within 60 days. This brings $BTBGOLD closer to full EU regulatory compliance.
Average Ethereum gas fees dropped below 5 gwei for the first time since mid-2024. The blob transaction format introduced by EIP-4844 continues to reduce L1 data costs, benefiting rollup users and token transfer operations.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is considering amendments to its 2018 mining code that would raise the royalty ceiling for artisanal and semi-industrial gold operations from 3.5% to 5%. Industry groups are lobbying for grandfathering of existing permits.
The new Caterpillar 320 hydraulic excavator arrived on-site and completed its first full operational shift. Combined with the existing fleet, total earth-moving capacity at the Ololi concession has increased by approximately 30%.
Anglo American Platinum reported a 12% drop in Q1 output due to shaft maintenance and load-shedding. The World Platinum Investment Council now forecasts a 2026 supply deficit of 476,000 oz, the third consecutive shortfall.