1. Orvana Minerals (TSX:ORV)

Year-to-date gain: 795.65 percent
Market cap: C$247.29 million
Share price: C$2.06

Orvana Minerals is a gold producer with multiple mines, including the Orovalle operation in Northern Spain, which hosts the El Valle Boinás and Carlés mines, as well as the Don Mario operation in Bolivia. Don Mario is on care and maintenance, but Orvana is advancing a plant expansion to process oxide stockpiles at the site. It is also working the Taguas property in Argentina.

After starting the year at C$0.24, Orvana’s stock value had more than doubled by April 11 to C$0.51. In February, the company released its fiscal Q1 financials, including updates for its properties. Highlights included the start of construction on its Don Mario plant expansion, which it expected to complete by the end of 2025, and work on updating the geological model for the Taguas property.­

After trading in a narrow range for much of the next two quarters, shares of Orvana climbed more than 200 percent in Q4, reaching a year-to-date high of C$2.06 on November 26.

This followed a series of positive news flow beginning with the company’s October 16 release of its fiscal year Q4 2025 report, which sent its stock price up to C$1.42 per share.

The report included gold production of 35,705 gold equivalent ounces and exploration results from the brownfield program at its Orovalle operation’s El Valle Boinás mine. The company also ramped up production at the operation’s Carlés mine during the quarter.

Orvana’s November 6 news concerned a US$25 million secured prepayment facility and a copper offtake agreement with Trafigura for production from Don Mario. Shares shot to US$1.80 by November 12.

Orvana’s year-to-date high came after its news release on November 26 announcing that it expects to start field work at Taguas in January 2026 and the phased restart at Don Mario will reach full commercial production by April 2026, with its gold-silver circuit commencing in mid-December 2025.

2. Andean Precious Metals (TSX:APM)

Year-to-date gain: 566.09 percent
Market cap: C$1.05 billion
Share price: C$7.66

Gold producer Andean Precious Metals owns the San Bartolome processing facility in Potosí, Bolivia, and the Golden Queen mine in Kern County, California, US.

Shares in Andean grew by 34 percent in the first quarter to end the period at C$1.61. In March, the company shared its 2024 production and financial results, which included record revenues and adjusted EBITDA for the year at US$254 million and US$62.9 million, respectively, as well as consolidated gold equivalent production of 106,287 ounces.

Andean also secured purchase agreements for up to 100,000 dry metric tons of oxide material from the Trapiche mining concession in Bolivia as feedstock for San Bartolome.

In the second quarter, Andean’s stock jumped 78 percent to C$2.87 per share. This came as the company reported another record quarter on May 6 with Q1 revenues at US$62 million and adjusted EBITDA of US$22 million. On June 2, Andean made another offtake deal, this time for up to 7 million metric tons of oxide ore over a 10 year period from COMIBOL, a Bolivian state-owned mining company.

Andean’s biggest growth came in the third quarter when its share price gained 189 percent to C$8.30 per share. In mid-July, the company said it was on track to reach its 2025 production targets, and the following month it announced Q2 financials, with further record revenues of US$73.7 million.

Shares of Andean Precious Metals reached a year-to-date high of C$8.83 on October 1.

Its Q3 financials on November 11 continued the upward trend with record revenues of US$90.4 million and a record adjusted EBITDA of US$36 million.

3. Troilus Gold (TSX:TLG)

Year-to-date gain: 377.97 percent
Market cap: C$715.4 million
Share price: C$1.41

Troilus Gold is advancing its Troilus copper-gold project in Northern Québec, Canada. The project is situated within the region covered by Plan Nord, a 25 year, C$80 billion development initiative focused on mining launched by the Québec government.

A May 2024 feasibility study for Troilus reveals a post-tax net present value of US$884.5 million, an internal rate of return of 14 percent and a payback period of 5.7 years based on a gold price of US$1,975 per ounce.

The included mineral resource estimate reports a probable mineral reserve of 6.02 million ounces of gold from 380 million metric tons of ore at an average grade of 0.49 grams per metric ton (g/t) gold. Troilus also hosts probable copper and silver reserves of 484 million pounds and 12.15 million ounces, respectively.

Troilus has spent much of 2025 raising funds for the project’s development.

The most significant came on March 13, when the company executed a mandate letter for a non-binding term sheet to arrange a debt financing package of up to US$700 million. The package is underpinned by four letters of intent from global export credit agencies in late 2024 for up to US$1.3 billion in combined potential financing.

On June 18, the company entered into an offtake agreement for gold-copper concentrate with German smelting company Aurubis (OTC Pink:AIAGF,XETRA:NDA), and the two companies signed a memorandum of agreement on August 26, establishing terms for the long-term offtake deal. On July 10, Troilus entered into another commercial offtake agreement for copper and gold concentrates, this time with global metals company Boliden.

According to Troilus, these offtake agreements will be executed in connection with the previously announced US$700 million in debt financing, which it later upsized to US$1 billion in November.

Shares of Troilus grew by more than 91 percent in the third quarter, and its gains continued into Q4, reaching a year-to-date high of C$1.66 on October 15. That day, the company shared a progress report, stating it was on schedule for a construction decision in 2026.

At the Xplor 2025 conference in late October, Troilus was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year by the Québec Mineral Exploration Association for its progress at the project.

4. Euro Sun Mining (TSX:ESM)

Year-to-date gain: 366.67 percent
Market cap: C$86.7 million
Share price: C$0.21

Euro Sun Mining is a development-stage company advancing its Rovina Valley copper-gold project in Romania. The project’s mining license received full approval for 20 years in 2018, with the option to renew it in five year increments.

An updated feasibility study from March 2022 shows a post-tax net present value of US$512 million and an internal rate of return of 20.5 percent, assuming a base case gold price of US$1,675 and a copper price of US$3.75 per pound.

In November 2025, Euro Sun released an updated definitive feasibility study that improved the economics, now showing a post-tax net present value of US$1.47 billion, with a pre-tax internal rate of return of 35.6 percent, based on a US$4.50 per pound copper price and US$3,300 per ounce gold price.

Proven and probable mineral reserve estimates for the site include 1.84 million ounces of gold and 197,522 metric tons of copper from 123.3 million metric tons of ore with an average grade of 0.47 g/t gold and 0.16 percent copper.

Shares of Euro Sun jumped nearly 125 percent in the first quarter of the year to C$0.09 per share, around the same time as a March 25 announcement that the EU had included Rovina Valley on its first list of strategic assets. The inclusion, which Euro Sun applied for in May 2024, will enable the company to expedite permitting at Rovina Valley and shorten the development timeline.

On May 7, Euro Sun reported it met with Romania’s environment minister to discuss the advancement of the project. Both parties agreed that a single point of contact was needed to ensure compliance and fulfill requirements under the CRMA framework. The company plans to submit an updated environmental act in the near future.

On June 20, Euro Sun signed a copper concentrate prepayment facility for up to US$200 million with private metals trader Trafigura, with the funding going toward permitting and investment to advance Rovina over the next 18 months. Euro Sun’s stock climbed another 55 percent in the second quarter to C$0.14 per share.

Then, on July 11, the companies entered into a definitive pre-development facility agreement, with Trafigura making a facility of up to US$2.5 million available to Euro Sun for general corporate purposes while negotiating the terms of the US$200 million prepayment facility. Euro Sun and Trafigura also agreed to a binding offtake agreement for up to 100 percent of commercial production for nine years or until a specified quantity of metals is delivered.

Shares of Euro Sun reached a year-to-date high of C$0.24 on November 18, following the release of the company’s updated definitive feasibility study for its Rovina Valley project.

5. Talisker Resources (TSX:TSK)

Year-to-date gain: 318.75 percent
Market cap: C$237.92 million
Share price: C$1.34

Talisker Resources is a gold exploration and development company focused on advancing its flagship Bralorne gold project in British Columbia, Canada, towards production from the Mustang underground mine.

The brownfield project consists of the historic Bralorne mine complex, which hosts three past-producing mines: Bralorne, Pioneer and King. Throughout their lifetimes, these mines produced 4.2 million ounces of gold, but operations were halted in 1971 due to low gold prices.

A January 2023 resource estimate outlines an indicated resource of 33,000 ounces of gold from 117,000 metric tons of ore with an average grade of 8.9 g/t gold, along with an inferred resource of 1.63 million ounces from 8 million metric tons of ore at 6.3 g/t.

On January 8, Talisker announced that its 2025 Mustang mine plan had been reviewed by inspectors from the BC Ministry of Mines and Critical Minerals, and on February 11, the company indicated that early stage work at the site was on schedule. Further updates throughout the first and second quarters indicated that development was continuing, noting the blasting of a diamond drill bay on March 26 and lateral development toward the Alhambra vein on April 9.

Shares in Talisker spiked more than 90 percent to C$0.61 per share over the first quarter.

On July 30, Talisker reported that it had entered into three definitive agreements with metals trader Ocean Partners, including two sales agreements, under which Ocean Partners will buy 100 percent of gravity and sulfide gold concentrates produced under Talisker’s current milling agreement. The third agreement makes Ocean Partners the exclusive agent for end-to-end transport of concentrates from the mill to international buyers.

Talisker announced it completed its first sale on September 8, selling 707 ounces of gold from Bralorne for US$2.3 million. The company stated that the sale marked a key milestone.

On November 10, the company accelerated the ore purchase agreement with Ocean Partners to now begin shipping in January 2026, and that it was seeking to amend its production permit to ramp up its milling capacity from 175 to 1,500 metric tons per day.

Talisker’s share price soared by 234 percent in the third quarter, and continued higher to a year-to-date high of C$1.71 on October 7.

Bitcoin and Ether price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$90,672.01, down by 0.9 percent over 24 hours.

Bitcoin price performance, December 8, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Cryptocurrencies traded choppily, but were ultimately directionless over the weekend.

Bitcoin briefly slipped toward the high US$87,000s on Sunday (December 7) ahead of this week’s US Federal Reserve meeting, with both short and long positions liquidated.

Markets are pricing in a 25 basis point interest rate cut from the Fed on Wednesday (December 10), but labor weakness and sticky inflation will make Chair Jerome Powell’s tone pivotal.

Linh Tran, senior market analyst at XS.com, believes Bitcoin “will likely continue oscillating within the US$84,000 to US$100,000 range until the Fed delivers a clear message,” adding that a 0.25 percentage point cut and dovish signals “would be favorable for risk assets, particularly Bitcoin,” while a hawkish stance risks downward pressure.

On Monday, Bitcoin briefly traded at around US$92,000, but failed to retest US$92,000 to US$93,500 resistance, dropping below US$90,000 as the US market opened.

Crypto analyst Daan Crypto Trades said bulls must defend the 0.382 Fibonacci retracement zone, which serves as a key area of support and resistance during market cycles. Failure to do so could result in a fall to April lows. Fellow analyst van de Poppe is eyeing US$86,000 as key support before potential lows retest.

Liquidity stayed thin, and derivatives positioning showed waning momentum rather than clear trend conviction, setting up a cautious, data‑dependent start to the new week.

Last week, US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) experienced net outflows of US$87.77 million, while spot Ether ETFs recorded US$65.59 million in outflows.

Cycle data mirroring 2022’s market suggests Bitcoin’s long-term bottom is in or imminent, according to investment manager Timothy Peterson. Derivatives data analyzed by CryptoQuant indicates trader apathy, signaled by low OI and leverage, paving the way for a potential rally.

Ether (ETH) is currently priced at US$3,129.54, down 0.4 percent over 24 hours.

Altcoin price update

• XRP (XRP) was priced at US$2.09, a decrease of 0.2 percent over 24 hours.

• Solana (SOL) was trading at US$134.23, down by 1.3 percent over 24 hours.

Crypto derivatives and market indicators

Bitcoin futures open interest rose 0.53 percent to US$58.18 billion in the last four hours of trading, alongside US$4.88 million in liquidations that hit mostly long positions, while Ether open interest climbed 0.49 percent to US$37.84 billion, with US$8.76 million liquidated.

Bitcoin’s relative strength index sits neutral at 51.67 with a mildly negative funding rate of -0.001 percent, signaling balanced momentum and slight short bias, whereas Ether’s positive 0.006 percent funding rate points to lingering long interest despite the downside pressure.

These metrics reflect cautious positioning amid recent Bitcoin consolidation, with rising open interest indicating fresh capital entering despite liquidation flushes that targeted longs more aggressively. The neutral-to-bearish Bitcoin funding and RSI suggest limited upside conviction short-term, potentially capping rallies until macro catalysts provide direction, while Ether’s funding tilt hints at relative resilience in alt positioning.

Today’s crypto news to know

StableChain launches mainnet

StableChain has launched its mainnet, introducing USDT as the gas fee token alongside a new dedicated governance token for network participants.

Tether’s USDT regulatory win

Tether’s USDT stablecoin received key regulatory status in Abu Dhabi, enhancing its legitimacy for institutional use.

BlackRock files for staked Ether ETF

BlackRock filed to list a staked Ether ETF, signaling growing institutional appetite for Ether-based yield products.

SEC closes Ondo probe

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ended its investigation into tokenized equity platform Ondo Finance, clearing a major regulatory hurdle.

Strategy boosts BTC holdings

Strategy’s (NASDAQ:MSTR) Bitcoin treasury has surpassed 660,000 BTC after a US$962 million purchase, underscoring aggressive accumulation by major players.

Crypto market maturity and resilience

According to Elkaleh, Bitcoin’s resilience during its recent pullback, which brought a 37 percent drawdown from its October all-time high, was telling. While such severity was surprising, he observed that long-term holders and institutions continued to accumulate rather than unwind exposure, which he sees as an indicator of health.

“Q4 was defined by a major leverage reset, with BTC’s sharp pullback forcing a broader reassessment of risk,” he said.

At the time of this writing, analysts were split on where Bitcoin could go next. A further crash risk lingers if the US Federal Reserve delays interest rate cuts; however, a post-purge rally to US$135,000 to US$150,000 is in sight mid-year if institutions return, exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows flip positive and futures premiums stabilize above 5 percent.

As Bitcoin dropped, Elkaleh observed other segments of the market tied to practical use cases and diversification strategies — such as privacy assets, decentralized AI and stablecoin ecosystems — weather the storm.

“The market (has shown) growing maturity: capital and developer attention shifted toward utility-driven sectors such as tokenization, stablecoins and real-world integrations.”

Tokenization: The on-chain first institutional default

Mersch sees tokenization accelerating in 2026, eventually becoming the default for new institutional financial products.

He sees the foundation of this shift being built, with tokenized treasuries and money-market funds serving as a core yield sleeve for institutional investors who demand liquidity, standardized reporting and programmable settlement.

“If current growth holds, tokenized assets could be a multi-trillion dollar market by 2030, with government bonds and cash-like instruments as the anchor,” he said. “Over the next five years, the key shift is likely that new institutional products are designed as on-chain first, and only secondarily wrapped in legacy wrappers.”

He anticipates that stablecoins will be solidified as the liquidity backbone for a growing tokenized market, acting as the new cash layer. The most likely end state, according to Mersch, will be a hybrid digital cash stack, where bank-issued stablecoins, private stablecoins and central bank digital currenciesco-exist and interoperate.

Mersch predicts that tokenized real estate and private credit will now start to see expansion.

For real estate, tokenization converts a traditionally illiquid market into tradable, divisible assets, lowering the barrier to entry for global investors and providing recurring revenue streams.

Rupena, whose company, Milo, pioneered the crypto-backed mortgage, asserts that lenders will be expected to recognize digital assets as a core part of a client’s real balance sheet, just like cash or securities.

Elkaleh also expects to see strong expansion in RWA tokenization in 2026, alongside stablecoin-based payouts and small-business payment rails. “The most accelerated growth will occur in emerging markets, where mobile-first users turn to crypto as a practical financial alternative,” he wrote in an email.

“The rise of RWA markets, L2 scalability and more accessible DeFi will allow onchain credit and savings to scale meaningfully. Combined with steady institutional inflows, these economies will become the strongest demand engines of 2026, driving both user growth and real economic activity onchain.”

DeFi: An institutional derivatives and credit layer

The final pillar of the 2026 crypto outlook is the maturation of DeFi. Mersch asserted that DeFi is poised to emerge as a compliance-ready core platform for credit and risk management in 2026.

Real-world structural resilience supports Mersch’s forecast.

Rupena noted that market ups and downs are expected in the digital asset ecosystem, and that conservative LTVs, real-time monitoring and clear margining frameworks are designed to cope with volatility.

“Lower forced liquidation activity, even during big market moves, is a very healthy signal,” he explained, adding that customers are purposely keeping collateral cushions so they can stay calm during market swings.

This focus on prudence and durability validates the market’s readiness for institutional-grade credit and risk products.

“If successful, this creates a liquid, 24/7 derivatives layer that sits on top of both tokenized and traditional markets,” Mersch said. “By 2026 and beyond, the most interesting innovation may not be crypto versus TradFi, but portfolio and product designs that blend tokenized assets, stablecoin liquidity and DeFi-based synthetic exposure into a single stack.”

This institutional leap is fundamentally enabled by regulatory clarity.

“You can already see this through partnerships like Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) with Circle Internet Group (NYSE:CRCL) and Morpho (TSE:3653), where yield is embedded at the platform level without requiring users to interact directly with on-chain protocols. Regulation will accelerate that model,’ he added.

Elkaleh noted that clearer rules will allow users to adopt on-chain tools for cross-border payments, tokenized savings and AI-driven bill pay with the same confidence they have in regulated fintech apps. He expects the most transformational impact will come from next-generation L2 scalability paired with AI-agent execution.

“These shifts will bring down transaction costs, compress settlement times, and enable autonomous payments, subscriptions and cross-chain operations,” the expert explained.

“We also expect prediction-market aggregation to emerge as a breakout consumer interface and RWA perpetuals to bring macro assets, including commodities, credit and inflation onchain through synthetic markets. These developments collectively move crypto into a more comprehensive, high-velocity financial system.”

Upcoming crypto market catalysts

The pivot to a hybrid financial system will be driven by several concurrent catalysts.

The US Market Structure Bill is targeted for a Senate floor vote in early 2026, aiming to create the first federal framework for digital assets. North of the border, Canada’s Stablecoin Act, which provides C$10 million for Bank of Canada oversight starting in 2026, signals official endorsement of the digital cash layer.

Globally, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision is set to implement new capital standards for banks’ crypto exposures, crucial for encouraging institutional momentum, by January 1, 2026.

The technological engine supporting this adoption is fueled by scalability and intelligence.

On the blockchain side, Ethereum’s aggressive roadmap, including the Glamsterdam upgrade targeted for 2026, continues to refine Layer-2 (L2) systems. This focus on L2 efficiency, combined with the integration of AI agent execution, is key for supporting the millions of transactions needed for a comprehensive, high-velocity financial system.

Investor takeaway

In 2026, the crypto market is set to deliver meaningful gains and stable, sustained growth as this new, highly efficient, and globally interoperable financial system moves from the laboratory into production scale.