Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

At the time of this writing, Bitcoin (BTC) was displaying a slight recovery to US$78,142.37, down 1.8 percent in 24 hours. The day’s range has brought a low of US$75,822.10 and a high of US$80,818.20.

Bitcoin performance, April 7, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Within a 24 hour period, Bitcoin saw US$468.88 million worth of positions closed due to liquidations, based on data from Coinglass at the time of this writing. However, as the top cryptocurrency’s price plummets, its network has demonstrated a surge in computational power, with the hashrate establishing a new all-time high.

Data gathered from Glassnode by CoinDesk shows Bitcoin’s hashrate hit 1.025 zetahashes per second on April 4 for the first time since its inception, exceeding the previous record set on January 31 of this year.

Bloomberg strategist Mike McGlone suggested to Cointelegraph that Bitcoin could potentially fall to US$10,000.

Ethereum (ETH) is priced at US$1,544.90, a 5 percent decline over the past 24 hours.

The cryptocurrency reached an intraday low of US$1,486.10 and a high of US$1,608.86. Coinglass data shows liquidations totalling US$348.04 million in 24 hours.

Altcoin price update

• Solana (SOL) is currently valued at US$105.93, down 1.9 percent over the past 24 hours. SOL experienced a low of US$101.06 and a high of US$110.64 on Monday.

• XRP is trading at US$1.90, reflecting a 4.9 percent decrease over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency recorded an intraday low of US$1.76 and a high of US$1.97.

• Sui (SUI) is priced at US$2.01, showing an increaseof 3 percent over the past 24 hours. It achieved a daily low of US$1.83 and a high of US$2.04.

• Cardano (ADA) is trading at US$0.5771, reflecting a 2.1 percent decrease over the past 24 hours. Its lowest price on Monday was US$0.5374, with a high of US$0.5926.

Crypto news to know

Strategy to log US$5.9 billion unrealized loss

Michael Saylor’s Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) said it will register an eye-watering US$5.9 billion unrealized loss in Q1 after adopting fair-value accounting for its Bitcoin reserves — a policy shift that reflects BTC’s steep pullback this year.

The loss comes after a fresh buying spree in early 2025, which left the firm with roughly US$1 billion in paper losses on recent acquisitions alone. The company will also log a US$13 billion boost to retained earnings due to the new accounting standards, highlighting the volatile nature of being Wall Street’s leading BTC proxy.

Strategy shares tumbled as much as 14 percent on Monday, raising new questions about whether Saylor’s “buy-and-hold forever” ethos can withstand institutional scrutiny in a more volatile macro climate.

Mantra launches US$108 million ecosystem fund for RWA and DeFi projects

Mantra, a layer-1 blockchain built for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), has launched the Mantra Ecosystem Fund (MEF), a US$108,888,888 ecosystem fund to accelerate the growth and adoption of projects and startups on its network.

According to a press release, MEF will find potential investments through Mantra’s large network of partners, which includes incubators, accelerators and investment firms like Laser Digital, Shorooq and others.

Mantra CEO John Patrick Mullin told Cointelegraph that the fund will operate an “open-arms policy, welcoming projects at any developmental stage globally with a particular focus on RWA’s and DeFi.”

Pakistan enlists Changpeng Zhao as crypto advisor

Pakistan’s Crypto Council (PCC), a newly formed regulatory body overseeing the country’s adoption of blockchain technology and digital assets, has appointed former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) to act as a strategic advisor on matters such as regulation, infrastructure and adoption.

‘Pakistan is opening its doors to the future of finance,’ said PCC CEO Bilal Bin Saqib.

‘And who better to guide us on this journey than CZ — a pioneer who built the world’s largest crypto exchange and changed the way billions think about financial freedom.’

Last month, Saqib told Bloomberg that Pakistan intends to pursue international investment in the crypto sector. The country aims to capitalize on its young, tech-savvy population and its potential as a growing, cost-effective market.

CZ was also tapped to advise the Kyrgyz Republic on blockchain and crypto-related regulation on April 3.

Hong Kong okays staking for licensed crypto exchanges

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission has unveiled formal guidelines allowing licensed exchanges and funds to offer staking services, provided strict custodial and disclosure requirements are met.

Staking, crucial for securing proof-of-stake networks and generating passive returns, had previously been a regulatory gray area in the city. Under the new rules, exchanges must retain direct control of client assets, explicitly barring third-party delegation, and provide full transparency on risks, fees and lockup periods.

The move reflects Hong Kong’s ambitions to rival other financial hubs and attract global digital asset firms amid the regulatory vacuum in jurisdictions like the US, where staking remains under scrutiny.

South Korea’s US$890 billion pension fund to adopt blockchain

South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS), one of the world’s largest public pension funds, is moving to incorporate blockchain technology into its operational infrastructure, according to a recent Seoul Economic Daily report.

With over US$800 billion in assets under management, the NPS aims to use blockchain to improve tracking of transactions, client withdrawals and investment flows, especially for foreign clients.

Though the fund is not directly investing in crypto, it has taken equity positions in firms like Coinbase and Strategy, signaling long-term confidence in the industry’s underlying technology.

The NPS initiative aligns with the nation’s growing retail enthusiasm for crypto. South Korea now boasts more than 16 million crypto investors, a surge that has accelerated since US President Donald Trump’s electoral win, with market participants anticipating a more favorable global crypto environment.

Athena Gold Corporation (CSE: ATHA) (OTCQB: AHNR) (‘Athena Gold’ or the ‘Company’) announces that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement financing of up to 10,000,000 common shares of the Company issued on a flow-through basis (the ‘FT Shares’) at a price of CDN $0.05 per FT Share for proceeds of up to CDN $500,000 (the ‘Offering’). Proceeds of the Offering will be spent on the Company’s Laird Lake and Oneman Lake Projects located in Ontario, Canada.

Each FT Share will be issued as a ‘flow-through share’ of the Company as defined in section 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the ‘Tax Act’). An amount equal to the gross proceeds from the issuance of the FT Shares will be used to incur, on the Company’s Canadian mineral exploration properties, eligible resource exploration expenses that will qualify as ‘Canadian exploration expenses’ (as defined in the Tax Act), (the ‘Qualifying Expenditures’). The Qualifying Expenditures in an aggregate amount not less than the gross proceeds raised from the issue of the FT Shares will be incurred on or before December 31, 2026, and will be renounced by the Company to the purchasers of the initial purchasers of the FT Shares with an effective date no later than December 31, 2025. In the event that the Company is unable to renounce the issue price for the FT Shares on or prior to December 31, 2026, for each FT Share purchased and/or if the Qualifying Expenditures are reduced by the Canada Revenue Agency, the Company will as sole recourse for such failure to renounce, indemnify each FT Share subscriber for the additional taxes payable by such subscriber to the extent permitted by the Tax Act as a result of the Company’s failure to renounce the Qualifying Expenditures as agreed.

The FT Shares will be offered for sale to subscribers in all provinces of Canada pursuant to Section 2.3 of National Instrument 45-106 (the ‘accredited investor’ exemption) and will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance. Closing of the Offering will be subject to satisfaction of certain conditions, including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals, including approval by the Canadian Securities Exchange (the ‘CSE’). The Offering may be completed in one or more tranches on a date or dates to be determined by the Company. While the FT Offering is being affected by the Company on a non-brokered basis, the Company may pay finder’s fees on a portion of the Offering, subject to compliance with the policies of the CSE and applicable securities legislation.

Any participation by insiders in the Offering will constitute a related party transaction subject to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (‘MI 61-101’). The Company intends to rely on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements provided under subsections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 on the basis that participation in the Offering by insiders will not exceed 25% of the fair market value of the Company’s market capitalization.

At its Annual General and Special Meeting held on March 27, 2025 (Refer to press release dated March 28, 2025) stockholders approved the Company’s redomicile from the State of Delaware to British Columbia, Canada and the immediate merger with its British Columbia subsidiary, Nova Athena Gold Corp. Athena Gold will retain its name and continue to have its common shares listed for trading on the CSE under its current trading symbol. The redomicile/merger is expected to complete in April 2025 with the Offering to close immediately following. Subscribers will receive their FT Shares in the capital of the ‘resulting issuer’. In the highly unlikely event that the redomicile/merger does not complete, the Offering will not close, and all funds will be returned to subscribers.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in the United States nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the ‘1933 Act’), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States unless registered under the 1933 Act and any applicable securities laws of any state of the United States or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements is available.

About Athena Gold Corporation

Athena Gold is engaged in the business of mineral exploration and the acquisition of mineral property assets. Its objective is to locate and develop economic precious and base metal properties of merit and to conduct additional exploration drilling and studies on its projects across North America. Athena Gold’s flagship Excelsior Springs Au-Ag project is located in the prolific Walker Lane Trend in Nevada. Excelsior Springs spans 1,675 ha and covers at least three historic mines along the Palmetto Mountain trend, where the Company is following up on a recent shallow oxide gold discovery, with drill results including 5.35 g/t Au over 33.5 m. Meanwhile, the Company’s new Laird Lake project is situated in the Red Lake Gold District of Ontario, covering 4,158 hectares along more than 10 km of the Balmer-Confederation Assemblage contact, where recent surface sampling results returned up to 373 g/t Au. This underexplored area is road-accessible, located about 10 km west of West Red Lake Gold’s Madsen mine and 34 km northwest of Kinross Gold’s Great Bear project.

For further information about Athena Gold Corporation and our Excelsior Springs Gold project, please visit www.athenagoldcorp.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Koby Kushner

President and Chief Executive Officer, Athena Gold Corporation

For further information, please contact:

Athena Gold Corporation

Koby Kushner, President and Chief Executive Officer

Phone: 416-846-6164

Email: kkushner@libralithium.com

CHF Capital Markets

Cathy Hume, CEO

Phone: 416-868-1079 x 251

Email: cathy@chfir.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, ‘forward-looking statements’) within the meaning of applicable Canadian and US. securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, statements regarding future exploration plans, future results from exploration, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: ‘believes’, ‘will’, ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘intends’, ‘estimates’, ”plans’, ‘may’, ‘should’, ”potential’, ‘scheduled’, or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this press release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that there will be investor interest in future financings, market fundamentals will result in sustained precious metals demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future exploration and development of the Company’s projects in a timely manner.

The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various risk factors as disclosed in the final long form prospectus of the Company dated August 31, 2021.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this press release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise.

Click here to connect with Athena Gold Corporation (CSE: ATHA) (OTCQB: AHNR) to receive an Investor Presentation

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E-Power Resources Inc. (CSE: EPR) (FSE: 8RO) (‘E-Power‘ or the ‘Company’) announces that it has closed the first tranche of the private placement (the ‘First Tranche’) previously announced on March 12, 2025 (the ‘Private Placement’).

An aggregate of 3,646,460 units (the ‘ Units’) of the Company were issued in the Private Placement at a price of $0.05 per Unit for gross proceeds of $182,323, each Unit being comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (each a ‘Common Share’) and one-half common share purchase warrant (each a ‘Warrant’), each full Warrant entitling its holder thereof to acquire one additional common share (each a ‘Warrant Share’) at a price of $0.10 per Warrant Share for a period of 60 months from the closing date (the ‘Offering’).

Net proceeds from the Offering will be used by the Company for general working capital purposes.

No finder’s fees were paid in connection with the First Tranche.

All securities issued pursuant to the First Tranche of the Private Placement are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the closing date in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws.

Two insiders of the Company participated in the Private Placement. Insiders of the Company subscribed for a total of 666,460 Units under the First Tranche. Participation by the insiders constitutes a related party transaction as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 (‘MI 61-101’). The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the participation in the First Tranche of the Private Placement by insiders does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report 21 days prior to the closing of the Offering as the details of the participation of the insiders of the Company had not been confirmed at that time.

The securities offered pursuant to the Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the ‘U.S. Securities Act’) or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. The securities offered pursuant to the Offering are subject to certain trade restrictions pursuant to applicable securities laws.

About E-Power Resources Inc.

E-Power Resources Inc. is an exploration stage company engaged principally in the acquisition, exploration, and development of graphite properties in Quebec. Its flagship asset, the Tetepisca Graphite Property, is located in the Tetepisca Graphite District of the North Shore Region of Quebec, approximately 215 kilometers from the Port of Baie-Comeau. For further information, please refer to the Company’s disclosure record on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or contact the Company by email at info@e-powerresources.com.

The Tetepisca Property is located approximately 220 km north of the town of Baie-Comeau in the North Shore Region of Québec. The property consists of 230 claims covering an area of approximately 12,620 hectares within the emerging Tetepisca Graphite District (‘TGD’). The property is 100 per cent owned by E-Power. Fifty-two claims, located in the southern part of the property, are subject to a 1.5-per-cent net smelter royalty held by a group of local prospectors; otherwise, the Tetepisca property remains unencumbered. The TGD is an active graphite exploration and development district with delineated measured and indicated resources in excess of 120 Mt at an average grade of approximately 14% Cg. The Company’s Tetepisca property is strategically located over continuous bedrock conductive horizons that are known and interpreted to be due to graphite and which hold significant potential to host flake graphite resources. The intersection of graphite in our 2023 drilling and the results of our 2024 exploration program to date confirms the Company’s exploration model and provides the basis for continued exploration and evaluation.

On Behalf of the Company

James Cross
President & CEO
+1 (438) 701-3736
info@e-powerresources.com

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations, or beliefs of future performance are ‘forward-looking statements’. These forward-looking statements reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company based on information currently available to it. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities, which may cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the contents of this news release.

Click here to connect with E-Power Resources Inc. (CSE: EPR) (FSE: 8RO) to receive an Investor Presentation

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Heritage Mining Ltd. (CSE: HML) (“Heritage ” or the “Company ”) is pleased to announce that it has closed the first tranche (“Tranche One ”) of its fully allocated non-brokered private placement financing previously announced on March 7, 2025.

The Company raised an aggregate of $796,000.00 pursuant to Tranche One, of which $702,500 was raised on the issuance of 14,050,000 flow-through units (“FT Units ”) and $93,500 was raised on the issuance of 1,870,000 units (“Units ”). Each FT Unit consisting of one flow through common share (“ FT Common Share ”) and one Warrant (“ FT Unit Warrant ”) with each FT Unit Warrant entitling the holder to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.10 for a period of 60 months from issuance, subject to accelerations provisions. Each FT Share was issued at a price of $0.05 and is comprised of one Common Share which will qualify as a “flow-through share” as defined in subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and one Warrant. Each Unit was issued at a price per Unit of $0.05 and is comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (“Common Share ”) and one Common Share purchase warrant entitling the holder to acquire one Common Share for a period of 60 months at an exercise price of $0.10 (“Warrant ”), subject to accelerations provisions .

The Warrants are subject to an accelerated expiry option whereby the Company can trigger an accelerated 30-day expiry of the Warrants if the closing price of the Company’s Common Shares listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the “CSE ”) remain higher than $1.00 for 10 consecutive trading days. On the 10th consecutive trading day above $1.00 (the “Acceleration Trigger Date”), the Expiry Time may be accelerated to 30 trading days after the Acceleration Trigger Date by the issuance of a news release announcing such acceleration, within two trading days of the Acceleration Trigger Date.

The Company paid an aggregate $46,975.00 in cash commissions and issued an aggregate 729,500 compensation options (the “Compensation Options ”) in connection with Tranche One. Each Compensation Option entitles the holder to acquire one additional Unit at a price of $0.05 for a period of 36 months following the date of issuance.

Proceeds of Tranche One will be used to fund the Company’s previously announced exploration and drilling program on its flagship Drayton-Black Lake Project and Contact Bay, in addition to general working capital. All securities issued pursuant to the Tranche One are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus one day from the date of issuance, in accordance with applicable securities legislation.

Insiders of the Company subscribed for 2,900,000 FT Units under Tranche One. Each transaction with an insider of the Company constitutes a “related party transaction” within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101 ”). The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.5(a) and the minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.7(1)(a) in respect of such insider participation as the fair market value of the transaction, insofar as it involves interested parties, does not exceed 25% of the Company’s market capitalization.

As part of the closing of Tranche One, the Company settled $10,000 in debt obligations through the issuance of 200,000 Common Shares at a price of $0.05.

“We are grateful for the continued support of key stakeholders and look forward to closing off the final tranche in short order.” Commented Peter Schloo, President CEO and Director.

ABOUT HERITAGE MINING LTD.

The Company is a Canadian mineral exploration company advancing its two high grade gold-silver-copper projects in Northwestern Ontario. The Drayton-Black Lake and the Contact Bay projects are located near Sioux Lookout in the underexplored Eagle-Wabigoon-Manitou Greenstone Belt . Both projects benefit from a wealth of historic data, excellent site access and logistical support from the local community. The Company is well capitalized, with a tight capital structure.

For further information, please contact:

Heritage Mining Ltd.

Peter Schloo, CPA, CA, CFA

President, CEO and Director

Phone: (905) 505-0918

Email: peter@heritagemining.ca

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain statements that constitute forward looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events of the Company. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “seek”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “predict”, “potential”, “targeting”, “intend”, “could”, “might”, “should”, “believe”, “outlook” and similar expressions are not statements of historical fact and may be forward looking information. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements.

Forward looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks include, among others, the inherent risk of the mining industry; adverse economic and market developments; the risk that the Company will not be successful in completing additional acquisitions; risks relating to the estimation of mineral resources; the possibility that the Company’s estimated burn rate may be higher than anticipated; risks of unexpected cost increases; risks of labour shortages; risks relating to exploration and development activities; risks relating to future prices of mineral resources; risks related to work site accidents, risks related to geological uncertainties and variations; risks related to government and community support of the Company’s projects; risks related to global pandemics and other risks related to the mining industry. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward‐looking information should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update any forward‐looking information except as required by law.

Click here to connect with Heritage Mining Ltd. (CSE: HML) to receive an Investor Presentation

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Grande Portage Resources Ltd. (TSXV:GPG)(OTCQB:GPTRF)(FSE:GPB) (‘Grande Portage’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce results from testwork of a sensor-based ore sorting system, utilizing a composite core sample from the New Amalga Mine Project located approximately 16 miles (25 km) northwest of the city of Juneau.

Summary of Results:

Ian Klassen, President and CEO comments: ‘We are extremely pleased with the results of the testwork with the Steinert ore sorting equipment, which demonstrated excellent ability to identify and reject the unmineralized particles within the sample of New Amalga material, resulting in a 120% increase in gold grade and a 57% reduction in mass with very minimal gold loss.’

Mr. Klassen continued: ‘These results are game changing for a host of reasons. Integrating ore sorting into the conceptual mine production plan significantly reduces the amount of mined rock requiring transportation and processing at a third-party facility, lowering per-ounce costs and also providing useful sorter-reject material for underground backfill, all without the use of chemical processing reagents. This further enhances the existing advantages of our proposed direct-ship mine configuration which utilizes offsite processing. As demonstrated by the test results, it may also create opportunities for inclusion of thinner veins into the mine plan – areas of the deposit which otherwise may not have been considered viable.’

Background:

As previously announced, the Company’s Conceptual Mining Plan envisions the future development of the New Amalga gold mine as a selective underground mining operation which would send ore off-site to be processed at a third-party facility, enabled by the project’s location near tidewater and less than 4 miles (6.5km) from existing paved highway (Fig. 4). This results in a dramatically reduced mine site footprint due to the avoidance of chemical processing and tailings storage facilities.

The purpose of ore sorting is to quickly separate particles of waste dilution rock from the mined material, without the use of chemical reagents. The goal is to significantly reduce the volume of material that would be transported off-site to a third-party processing facility.

Grande Portage assembled a drill core composite which included both ore and waste material to reflect the dilution from wall rock (waste) which is inherent with underground blasting of narrow ore veins. The core composite was subjected to a sensor-based ore sorting test process at the facilities of Steinert US Inc, a leading global manufacturer of ore-sorting equipment.

Technical Description of Ore Sorting Test Process:

Sensor-based ore sorting can utilize a variety of measurements to determine whether a particle is ore or waste, including color, electromagnetic induction, laser, and x-ray analysis to assess elemental composition. The crushed rock is placed on a conveyor belt and then passed in front of the sensor, which rapidly analyzes the individual pieces of rock. When a piece of rock is identified as waste, a puff of compressed air redirects it to a ‘reject’ bin. The remining pieces of rock are sent to the accepted ‘product’ stockpile. (Fig. 2)

Fine particles too small to effectively sort are typically combined with the ‘product’ stockpile, since higher-grade material tends to produce more fines during blasting and crushing due to the higher sulphide content and brittle nature of the quartz vein rock.

For the testwork, a series of reference samples were analyzed by the sorter machine, reflecting core material of various categories including ‘high grade ore’, ‘mid grade ore’, ‘low grade ore’, and ‘waste’. This allowed the sorter to learn the characteristics of each type of material in order to generate a sorting algorithm. Each of these reference samples were sourced from multiple drill holes at various locations within the deposit in order to capture any spatial variability in the rock characteristics.

After the sorting algorithm was developed, the composite sample was fed into the sorter machine (Fig. 3). This composite was sourced from multiple drill holes in various areas of the deposit distinct from the reference samples. It included approximately 55% wall rock and 45% vein rock, reflecting potential waste dilution within run-of-mine material to simulate mining an area of vein narrower than the minimum mechanized mining width.

In addition to the ‘product’ material, three splits of ‘reject’ material were generated from sorting the sample at progressively increasing level of selectivity, reflecting operation of the machine at various degrees of sorting criteria. All material was then assayed at SGS-Lakefield.

All three ‘reject’ splits returned assays below the level which would be considered viable to transport and process at a third-party facility, and were therefore classified as waste, indicating that the highest level of sorter selectivity is appropriate. In total the sorter rejected 57% of the feed material, indicating excellent alignment with the approximately 55% wall rock content of the composite sample.

Additionally, all material was screened before assay to collect unsortable fines (<1cm), which were assayed separately. This confirmed that the fines contained a high degree of gold mineralization and are appropriate to combine with the ‘product’ sample. A full table of results is shown below (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1: Table of Assay Results

Fig. 2: Simplified Conceptual Diagram of an Ore Sorting System

Fig. 3: Image of Ore Sorting Testwork Being Conducted on New Amalga Samples

A short video of the testwork process is available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/K4XzoRbjCXA

Fig. 4: Location of New Amalga Mine Project

Kyle Mehalek, P.E.., is the QP within the meaning of NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure in this release. Mr. Mehalek is independent of Grande Portage within the meaning of NI 43-101.

About Grande Portage:

Grande Portage Resources Ltd. is a publicly traded mineral exploration company focused on advancing the New Amalga Mine project, the outgrowth of the Herbert Gold discovery situated approximately 25 km north of Juneau, Alaska. The Company holds a 100% interest in the New Amalga property. The New Amalga gold system is open to length and depth and is host to at least six main composite vein-fault structures that contain ribbon structure quartz-sulfide veins. The project lies prominently within the 160km long Juneau Gold Belt, which has produced over eight million ounces of gold.

The Company’s updated NI#43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) reported at a base case mineral resources cut-off grade of 2.5 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) and consists of: an Indicated Resource of 1,438,500 ounces of gold at an average grade of 9.47 g/t Au (4,726,000 tonnes); and an Inferred Resource of 515,700 ounces of gold at an average grade of 8.85 g/t Au (1,813,000 tonnes), as well as an Indicated Resource of 891,600 ounces of silver at an average grade of 5.86 g/t Ag (4,726,000 tonnes); and an Inferred Resource of 390,600 ounces of silver at an average grade of 7.33 g/t silver (1,813,000 tonnes). The MRE was prepared by Dr. David R. Webb, Ph.D., P.Geol., P.Eng. (DRW Geological Consultants Ltd.) with an effective date of July 17, 2024.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

‘Ian Klassen’
Ian M. Klassen
President & Chief Executive Officer
Tel: (604) 899-0106
Email: Ian@grandeportage.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain ‘forward-looking statements’ under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company’s future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as ‘believes’, ‘anticipates’, ‘expects’, ‘estimates’, ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘would’, ‘will’, or ‘plan’. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties as described in the Company’s filings with Canadian securities regulators. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.

Please note that under National Instrument 43-101, the Company is required to disclose that it has not based any production decision on NI 43-101-compliant reserve estimates, preliminary economic assessments, or feasibility studies, and historically production decisions made without such reports have increased uncertainty and higher technical and economic risks of failure. These risks include, among others, areas that are analyzed in more detail in a feasibility study or preliminary economic assessment, such as the application of economic analysis to mineral resources, more detailed metallurgical and other specialized studies in areas such as mining and recovery methods, market analysis, and environmental, social, and community impacts. Any decision to place the New Amalga Mine into operation at levels intended by management, expand a mine, make other production-related decisions, or otherwise carry out mining and processing operations would be largely based on internal non-public Company data, and on reports based on exploration and mining work by the Company and by geologists and engineers engaged by the Company.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICE PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED UNDER THE POLICIES OF THE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE

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Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

At the time of this writing, Bitcoin (BTC) has displayed a slight recovery to US$78,142.37, down 1.8 percent in 24 hours. The day’s range has brought a low of US$75,822.10 and a high of US$80,818.20.

Bitcoin performance, April 7, 2025

Chart via TradingView

Within a 24-hour period, Bitcoin saw US$468.88 million worth of positions closed due to liquidations, based on data from Coinglass at the time of writing. Bloomberg strategist Mike McGlone suggested to Cointelegraph that Bitcoin’s price could potentially fall to US$10,000.

Ethereum (ETH) is priced at US$1,544.90, a 5 percent decline over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency reached an intraday low of US$1,486.10 and a high of US$1,608.86. Coinglass data shows liquidations totalling US$348.04 million in 24 hours.

Altcoin price update

• Solana (SOL) is currently valued at US$105.93, down 1.9 percent over the past 24 hours. SOL experienced a low of US$101.06 and a high of US$110.64 on Monday.

• XRP is trading at US$1.90, reflecting a 4.9 percent decrease over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency recorded an intraday low of US$1.76 and a high of US$1.97.

• Sui (SUI) is priced at US$2.01, showing an increaseof 3 percent over the past 24 hours. It achieved a daily low of US$1.83 and a high of US$2.04.

• Cardano (ADA) is trading at US$0.5771, reflecting a 2.1 percent decrease over the past 24 hours. Its lowest price on Monday was US$0.5374, with a high of US$0.5926.

Crypto news to know

Mantra launches US$108 million ecosystem fund for RWA and DeFi projects

Mantra, a layer-1 (L1) blockchain built for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), has launched the Mantra Ecosystem Fund (MEF), a US$108,888,888 ecosystem fund to accelerate the growth and adoption of projects and startups on its network.

According to a press release, MEF will find potential investments through Mantra’s large network of partners, which includes incubators, accelerators, and investment firms like Laser Digital, Shorooq, and others. This wide network will help the MEF discover high-quality projects globally.

Mantra CEO John Patrick Mullin told Cointelegraph that the fund will operate an “open-arms policy, welcoming projects at any developmental stage globally with a particular focus on RWA’s and DeFi.”

Pakistan enlists Changpeng Zhao as crypto advisor

Pakistan’s Crypto Council (PCC), a newly formed regulatory body overseeing the country’s adoption of blockchain technology and digital assets, has appointed former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) to act as a strategic advisor on matters such as regulation, infrastructure and adoption.

‘Pakistan is opening its doors to the future of finance,’ said PCC CEO Bilal Bin Saqib. ‘And who better to guide us on this journey than CZ — a pioneer who built the world’s largest crypto exchange and changed the way billions think about financial freedom.’

Last month, Saqib told Bloomberg that Pakistan intends to actively pursue international investment in the cryptocurrency sector. The country aims to capitalize on its young, tech-savvy population and its potential as a growing, cost-effective market.

CZ was also tapped to advise the Kyrgyz Republic on blockchain and crypto-related regulation on April 3.

Bitcoin hashrate reaches all-time high amidst price drop

As Bitcoin’s price plummets, its network has demonstrated a surge in computational power, with the hasrate establishing a new all-time high record. Data gathered from Glassnode by CoinDesk shows Bitcoin’s hashrate hit 1.025 zetahash per second (ZH/s) on April 4 (Friday) for the first time since its inception, exceeding the previous record set on January 31, 2025.

Bitcoin slides below US$75,000 as tariff chaos spooks markets

Bitcoin dropped over 5 percent on Monday (April 7) morning, briefly dipping below US$75,000 for the first time since Donald Trump’s re-election in November, as sweeping US tariffs and China’s retaliation triggered a market-wide selloff.

Ether plummeted over 10 percent to levels not seen since March 2023, while altcoins like XRP, Solana, and Cardano also posted heavy losses.

The total crypto market cap fell by 11 percent to US$2.5 trillion, wiping out nearly all gains made since Trump’s victory.

Traders had hoped a crypto-friendly administration would usher in tailwinds, but rising global tensions have proved overwhelming.

Analysts say the carnage could continue, with options markets flashing signs of sustained bearish pressure and over US$1.2 billion in long liquidations recorded in just 24 hours.

Strategy to log US$5.9B unrealized loss under new Bitcoin accounting rule

Michael Saylor’s Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTER) (formerly MicroStrategy) announced it will register an eye-watering US$5.9 billion unrealized loss in Q1 after adopting fair-value accounting for its Bitcoin reserves—a policy shift that reflects BTC’s steep price pullback this year.

The loss comes after a fresh buying spree in early 2025, which left the firm with roughly US$1 billion in paper losses on recent acquisitions alone.

Yet paradoxically, the company will also log a US$13 billion boost to retained earnings due to the new accounting standards, highlighting the volatile nature of being Wall Street’s leading BTC proxy.

Strategy’s stock tumbled as much as 14 percent Monday, raising new questions about whether Saylor’s “buy-and-hold forever” ethos can withstand institutional scrutiny in a more volatile macro climate.

Hong Kong greenlights staking for licensed crypto exchanges under strict new rules

In a major step toward institutionalizing crypto, Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) unveiled formal guidelines allowing licensed exchanges and funds to offer staking services, provided strict custodial and disclosure requirements are met.

Staking, crucial for securing Proof-of-Stake (PoS) networks and generating passive returns, had previously been a regulatory gray area in the city.

Under the new rules, exchanges must retain direct control of client assets, explicitly barring third-party delegation, and provide full transparency on risks, fees, and lock-up periods.

The move reflects Hong Kong’s ambition to rival other financial hubs and attract global digital asset firms amid the regulatory vacuum in jurisdictions like the US, where staking remains under scrutiny from the SEC.

South Korea’s US$890B pension fund to adopt blockchain for fund operations and oversight

South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS), one of the world’s largest public pension funds, is moving to incorporate blockchain technology into its operational infrastructure, according to a recent Seoul Economic Daily report.

With over US$800 billion in assets under management, the NPS aims to use blockchain to improve tracking of transactions, client withdrawals, and investment flows, especially for foreign clients.

Though the fund is not directly investing in crypto, it has taken equity positions in firms like Coinbase and Strategy, signaling long-term confidence in the industry’s underlying technology.

The NPS initiative aligns with the nation’s growing retail enthusiasm for crypto—South Korea now boasts more than 16 million crypto investors, a surge that has accelerated since Trump’s 2024 electoral win sparked hopes of a more favorable global crypto environment.