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Email Marketing: Simplify Your Life with These Tips

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Email Marketing: Simplify Your Life with These Tips

 

Email marketing is a powerful tool that can make your life easier in many ways. As someone who has worked in marketing for several years, I've seen firsthand how effective email campaigns can be for businesses of all sizes. Whether you're looking to increase brand awareness, drive sales, or build relationships with customers, email marketing can help you achieve your goals.

 

One of the biggest advantages of email marketing is automation. With the right tools, you can set up automated campaigns that will send targeted messages to your subscribers at the right time. This can save you a lot of time and effort, as you won't have to manually send emails to each individual on your list. Instead, you can focus on creating high-quality content that will engage your audience and drive conversions.

 

Another benefit of email marketing is the ability to send newsletters. Newsletters are a great way to keep your subscribers informed about your business and industry. You can use newsletters to share news, updates, and exclusive content that your subscribers won't find anywhere else. This can help you build a loyal following and establish yourself as an authority in your field. Overall, email marketing is a powerful tool that can help you achieve your marketing goals and make your life easier in the process.

Why Email Marketing is Important

As a marketer, I have found that email marketing is an essential tool for building my brand and growing my audience. Here are a few reasons why email marketing is important:

 

Building Your Brand

Email marketing is a great way to build your brand and establish a relationship with your audience. By sending personalized and relevant emails, you can create a connection with your subscribers and build trust. This can help you establish your brand as an authority in your industry and increase brand awareness.

 

Growing Your Audience

Email marketing is also an effective way to grow your audience. By creating targeted email campaigns and offering valuable content, you can attract new subscribers and keep them engaged. You can also use email marketing to promote your products and services, which can help you generate leads and increase sales.

 

Strategy

To make the most of email marketing, it's important to have a solid strategy in place. This includes creating a strong email list, segmenting your subscribers, and creating targeted campaigns. You should also track your metrics and adjust your strategy as needed to ensure that you are getting the best results.

 

Email List

Your email list is the foundation of your email marketing campaign. It's important to build a quality list of subscribers who are interested in your brand and content. You can do this by offering valuable content and incentives for subscribing, such as exclusive discounts or free resources.

 

Marketing Campaign

Creating a successful email marketing campaign requires planning and strategy. You should create a clear goal for each campaign and tailor your content and messaging to your audience. You can also use automation and segmentation to ensure that your campaigns are targeted and effective.

 

Overall, email marketing is an essential tool for any marketer looking to build their brand and grow their audience. By creating targeted campaigns and offering valuable content, you can attract new subscribers and keep them engaged. With a solid strategy in place, you can maximize the benefits of email marketing and achieve your marketing goals.

 

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Email Campaigns

As an email marketer, I know that email campaigns can be an effective way to reach out to potential customers and keep existing ones engaged. However, creating an effective email campaign is not always easy. Here are a few things I keep in mind when crafting my email campaigns:

 

Creating Effective Email Campaigns

The first step in creating an effective email campaign is to define your goals. What do you want to achieve with this campaign? Is it to drive traffic to your website, promote a new product or service, or simply keep your subscribers engaged? Once you have a clear goal in mind, you can start crafting your message.

 

One important aspect of any email campaign is the subject line. This is the first thing your subscribers will see when they receive your email, so it's important to make it attention-grabbing and relevant. A good subject line can increase your open rates and ultimately lead to more conversions.

 

Another important aspect of an effective email campaign is the email template. Your email should be visually appealing and easy to read. I like to use email marketing tools like Mailchimp to create professional-looking templates that are optimized for deliverability and engagement.

 

Measuring Success

Once you've sent out your email campaign, it's important to measure its success. This will help you understand what worked and what didn't, and allow you to make improvements for future campaigns.

 

Some key metrics to track include open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. These metrics can help you understand how engaged your subscribers are with your content, and whether your email campaign is driving the desired actions.

 

In addition to these basic metrics, it's also important to track more advanced metrics like ROI and social media engagement. These metrics can help you understand the broader impact of your email campaign on your business.

 

Overall, email campaigns can be a powerful tool for any business looking to engage with customers and drive conversions. By creating effective campaigns and measuring their success, you can ensure that your email marketing efforts are delivering the results you need to grow your business.

 

Optimizing Your Emails

As an email marketer, I know that optimizing emails is crucial for a successful campaign. Here are some tips to help you design effective emails, segment your email list, choose the right send time, and A/B test your emails.

 

Designing Effective Emails

When designing your emails, it's important to keep in mind that most people receive a lot of emails every day. To make your email stand out, you should:

 

Use a clear and concise subject line that accurately reflects the content of your email

Use a clean and simple design that is easy to read and navigate

Include a clear call to action that encourages the reader to take action

Using customizable templates and a code editor can make it easier to create professional-looking emails that are consistent with your brand.

 

Segmenting Your Email List

Segmenting your email list can help you send more targeted and personalized emails that are more likely to be opened and clicked. You can segment your list based on:

 

Demographics (age, gender, location, etc.)

Behavior (opens, clicks, purchases, etc.)

Interests (products, services, content, etc.)

Segmenting your list can also help you avoid sending irrelevant emails to subscribers, which can lead to unsubscribes and spam complaints.

 

Choosing the Right Send Time

Choosing the right send time can have a big impact on the success of your email campaign. You should consider:

 

Time zone differences

The day of the week

The time of day

A/B testing your send time can help you determine the optimal time to send your emails.

 

A/B Testing Your Emails

A/B testing your emails can help you optimize your email content to increase opens, clicks, and conversions. You can test:

 

Subject lines

Call to action buttons

Images

Offers

To get accurate results, you should only test one variable at a time.

 

Remember, email marketing is an affordable and effective way to increase sales and build relationships with your customers. By optimizing your emails, you can improve the effectiveness of your email campaigns and achieve better results.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, email marketing can make your life easier in many ways. As I have discussed throughout this article, email marketing can help you automate your marketing efforts, allowing you to save time and focus on other aspects of your business.

 

By utilizing the right automation tools, you can set up targeted campaigns that reach your desired audience, whether it be current customers or potential leads. This allows you to tailor your messages and increase the chances of engagement and conversion.

 

It's also important to remember the importance of relevant content and a strong call-to-action in your email campaigns. By providing valuable information and a clear next step, you can increase the chances of your audience taking action.

 

Overall, email marketing is a powerful tool that can help you streamline your marketing efforts and achieve your business goals. With the right strategy and tools in place, you can take advantage of this effective marketing channel and see the results for yourself.

 

Tim Moseley

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Why Believing in Yourself is Crucial for Success

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Why Believing in Yourself is Crucial for Success

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Believing in oneself is a crucial element of success. It is the foundation of self-confidence and self-esteem, which are essential for achieving goals and fulfilling one's potential. People who have faith in themselves are more likely to take risks, persist in the face of obstacles, and bounce back from setbacks.

Believing in oneself is important because it affects every aspect of life, from personal relationships to professional endeavors. When people lack confidence in themselves, they may hesitate to speak up, take on leadership roles, or pursue their passions. On the other hand, those who believe in themselves are more likely to take charge of their lives, pursue their dreams, and achieve their goals. They are also more likely to inspire others and be seen as leaders.

Overall, believing in oneself is a critical component of success and happiness. It allows people to recognize their own strengths and abilities, take on challenges, and pursue their passions with confidence. While it is not always easy to develop self-belief, it is a skill that can be cultivated over time with practice and persistence.

The Importance of Believing in Yourself

What is Self-Belief?

Self-belief is the confidence in oneself and one's abilities. It is the trust that one has in their worth, skills, and efforts. Believing in oneself is crucial because it enables individuals to have a positive attitude and a positive self-talk. It is the inner voice that tells individuals that they can achieve their goals and overcome challenges.

The Psychology Behind Believing in Yourself

Believing in oneself is a fundamental aspect of psychological well-being. It is linked to self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-worth. When individuals believe in themselves, it increases their motivation, and they are more likely to take risks and try new things. It helps individuals to adopt a growth mindset and view their experiences, including failures, as opportunities to learn and grow.

Research has shown that self-belief is essential in achieving success. According to a study by Bandura (1977), individuals with high self-efficacy are more likely to perform well and achieve their goals. Self-belief helps individuals to have autonomy and control over their behavior and environment. It also enables individuals to have better relationships with others.

Believing in oneself is not just about having confidence in one's abilities. It also involves having compassion for oneself, acknowledging one's strengths and weaknesses, and practicing self-respect. It is essential to have a positive attitude towards oneself and to be one's own cheerleader.

In conclusion, believing in oneself is crucial for psychological well-being, resiliency, and success. It involves having faith in one's capabilities, resources, and personal qualities. It is a mindset that can be developed through self-reflection, positive self-talk, and environmental mastery. When individuals believe in themselves, they are more likely to love themselves, overcome adversity, and achieve their goals.

The Benefits of Believing in Yourself

Believing in oneself is a crucial aspect of psychological well-being. It can help individuals achieve their goals, cope with stress, and lead fulfilling lives. In this section, we will explore some of the benefits of believing in oneself, including improved performance and achievement, greater resilience and adaptability, and increased self-esteem and self-worth.

Improved Performance and Achievement

Believing in oneself can have a significant impact on one's performance and achievement. When individuals have confidence in their abilities, they are more likely to put in the effort required to succeed. They are also more likely to persevere in the face of obstacles and setbacks. This can lead to greater success in various domains, including academics, sports, and the workplace.

Greater Resilience and Adaptability

Believing in oneself can also help individuals become more resilient and adaptable. When individuals trust their abilities and resources, they are better equipped to handle adversity and overcome obstacles. They are also more likely to view challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. This can lead to increased resiliency, which is the ability to bounce back from difficult experiences.

Increased Self-Esteem and Self-Worth

Believing in oneself can also boost self-esteem and self-worth. When individuals have confidence in their abilities, they are more likely to view themselves in a positive light. They are also more likely to engage in positive self-talk and have a positive attitude towards themselves. This can lead to increased self-esteem, which is the subjective evaluation of one's worth as a person.

Overall, believing in oneself is a crucial aspect of psychological well-being. It can lead to improved performance and achievement, greater resilience and adaptability, and increased self-esteem and self-worth. By cultivating self-belief, individuals can trust their abilities and resources, which can lead to greater success and fulfillment in life.

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The Challenges of Believing in Yourself

Believing in oneself is not always easy. There are many challenges that can make it difficult to maintain a positive attitude and trust in one's capabilities. In this section, we will explore some of the most common obstacles to self-belief and discuss strategies for overcoming them.

Overcoming Negative Self-Talk

One of the biggest challenges to believing in oneself is negative self-talk. This is the inner voice that tells us we are not good enough, smart enough, or talented enough to achieve our goals. Negative self-talk can be particularly damaging when it becomes a habit, as it can erode our self-confidence and make it difficult to take risks or try new things.

To overcome negative self-talk, it is important to identify and challenge the negative thoughts that are holding us back. This can involve questioning the evidence for our negative beliefs, reframing our thoughts in a more positive light, and cultivating a more compassionate and supportive inner voice.

Dealing with Fear of Failure

Another common obstacle to self-belief is the fear of failure. Many people are afraid to take risks or pursue their goals because they worry that they will not succeed, and that failure will be a reflection of their worth as a person.

To overcome the fear of failure, it is important to reframe our mindset around failure. Rather than seeing failure as a reflection of our worth, we can view it as an opportunity to learn and grow. By embracing a growth mindset, we can see setbacks and obstacles as opportunities for improvement, rather than as evidence of our limitations.

Managing Setbacks and Obstacles

Even with a positive attitude and a growth mindset, setbacks and obstacles are an inevitable part of life. When we encounter challenges, it can be tempting to give up or become discouraged.

To manage setbacks and obstacles, it is important to stay focused on our goals and to maintain a sense of perspective. This can involve breaking larger goals down into smaller, more manageable steps, seeking out support and resources when needed, and cultivating a sense of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity.

Believing in oneself is not always easy, but it is an essential ingredient for success, well-being, and personal growth. By overcoming the challenges of negative self-talk, fear of failure, and setbacks and obstacles, we can cultivate a positive attitude and a strong sense of self-belief that will help us to achieve our goals and fulfill our potential.

Conclusion

Believing in oneself is an essential aspect of personal growth and development. It can lead to increased self-esteem, self-confidence, and motivation. When people believe in themselves, they are more likely to achieve their goals and overcome challenges.

Self-efficacy, or the belief in one's ability to succeed, is a crucial component of believing in oneself. It is essential to recognize one's strengths and weaknesses to develop a realistic sense of self-efficacy. People with high self-efficacy are more likely to set challenging goals and persist in the face of obstacles.

Believing in oneself can also lead to increased well-being and happiness. When people believe in themselves, they are more likely to take risks, try new things, and pursue their passions. This can lead to a sense of fulfillment and purpose in life.

On the other hand, a lack of belief in oneself can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness. It can be challenging to achieve goals and overcome obstacles when one does not believe in oneself. Therefore, it is essential to cultivate a sense of self-belief to lead a fulfilling and successful life.

In conclusion, believing in oneself is crucial for personal growth, development, and well-being. It can lead to increased self-esteem, self-confidence, and motivation, while a lack of belief in oneself can lead to negative emotions and hinder personal growth. Therefore, it is essential to cultivate a sense of self-belief to achieve success and happiness in life.

Tim Moseley

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What is Affiliate Marketing: A Beginner’s Guide

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What is Affiliate Marketing: A Beginner's Guide

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Affiliate marketing is a popular marketing strategy that has been around for decades. It is a performance-based marketing model where an affiliate partner promotes a product or service made by another retailer or advertiser using an affiliate link. The affiliate partner is rewarded a payout for providing a specific result to the retailer or advertiser, typically a sale.

The concept of affiliate marketing is relatively simple, but the process itself can involve a lot of moving pieces. At its core, though, affiliate marketing simply means that you sell someone else's stuff and earn money for it. It is a win-win situation for both the retailer and the affiliate partner as the retailer can reach a wider audience, while the affiliate partner can earn a commission for every sale made through their affiliate link.

In recent years, affiliate marketing has become increasingly popular due to the rise of e-commerce and the ease of conducting business online. As such, it has become an essential part of modern digital marketing, and many businesses are now incorporating affiliate marketing into their overall marketing strategy. Understanding the basics of affiliate marketing is crucial for anyone looking to start their own affiliate marketing business or for businesses looking to incorporate this strategy into their marketing plan.

 

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What is Affiliate Marketing?

Definition

Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate's marketing efforts. Essentially, it is a way for businesses to increase their sales by partnering with individuals or other businesses who promote their products or services.

How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?

The process of affiliate marketing typically involves four parties: the merchant (business), the affiliate (publisher), the network, and the customer. The merchant creates a product or service and offers it to affiliates to promote. The affiliate then promotes the product or service to their audience through various marketing channels, such as their website, social media, or email marketing. When a customer clicks on the affiliate's unique affiliate link and makes a purchase, the affiliate earns a commission from the merchant.

Different Types of Affiliate Marketing

There are several types of affiliate marketing, including:

  • Pay-per-click (PPC) affiliate marketing: Affiliates earn a commission each time a customer clicks on their affiliate link and is directed to the merchant's website.
  • Pay-per-lead (PPL) affiliate marketing: Affiliates earn a commission when a customer clicks on their affiliate link and completes a specific action on the merchant's website, such as filling out a form or signing up for a free trial.
  • Pay-per-sale (PPS) affiliate marketing: Affiliates earn a commission when a customer clicks on their affiliate link and makes a purchase on the merchant's website.

Benefits of Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing has several benefits for both merchants and affiliates. For merchants, it is a cost-effective way to increase sales and reach a larger audience. They only pay affiliates when they generate a sale, so there is no risk of wasting money on ineffective marketing efforts. For affiliates, it is a way to earn passive income by promoting products or services they believe in. It also allows them to monetize their website or social media following without having to create their own products or services.

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Challenges of Affiliate Marketing

While affiliate marketing has many benefits, it also comes with its own set of challenges. One of the biggest challenges is finding the right affiliates to promote a product or service. Not all affiliates will be a good fit for every product or service, so it is important to carefully vet potential affiliates to ensure they are a good fit. Another challenge is keeping track of affiliate sales and commissions, especially if there are multiple affiliates promoting the same product or service. This can be time-consuming and require the use of specialized software or tools.

Tim Moseley

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Gold flirts with a record high after three days of consecutive gains

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Gold flirts with a record high after three days of consecutive gains

Gold futures have traded almost $100 higher from Tuesday's open to today's intraday high. Gold opened at approximately $1990 on Tuesday and closed at approximately $2022 after factoring in a daily gain of over $30. Yesterday gold had a moderate gain moving the most active June contract to an intraday high of $2049 and closing at approximately $2037.

However, today's range was the largest of the last 3 days trading to a low of $2038.50 and a high of $2085.40. As of 5:50 PM EDT most active June Comex gold contract is fixed at $2058.60 after factoring in a gain of $21.60 gaining just over 1%.

The Federal Reserve raised rates by ¼% yesterday, taking its benchmark Fed funds rate to its highest level since 2008. In fourteen months, the Fed has raised rates a total of ten times, once at every FOMC meeting since March 2022.

The Fed has taken its benchmark rate from near zero to between 5% and 5 ¼ %. More importantly, the Fed indicated it is ready to pause raising rates as it gauges the net effect of the rate hikes already implemented.

According to the CME's FedWatch tool, there is a 79.5% probability that the Federal Reserve will pause at its June FOMC meeting and maintain its current benchmark rate between 5% and 5 ¼%. However, more startling is the probability of 20.5% that the Federal Reserve will implement an interest rate cut of ¼%. This goes against the strong narrative and resolve that the Fed has maintained since the release of the December 2022 "Dot Plot".

Pausing rate hikes at the next FOMC meeting is an extremely logical move for the Federal Reserve. This will allow the Fed to assess the damage from recent bank failures, and gauge inflationary levels which will lag behind rate hikes already implemented by the Federal Reserve. A pause would also allow the Fed to wait for a resolution over the US debt ceiling dilemma.

The chart above is a weekly chart of the continuous contract of gold futures. The horizontal line is placed at the record high. The most likely outcome of this rally will be that the triple top will be taken out and result in a new record high for the price of gold.

By

Gary Wagner

Contributing to kitco.com

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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Gold gains traction as Fed hints at a pause after raising rates

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Gold gains traction as Fed hints at a pause after raising rates ¼%

The Federal Reserve concluded this month's FOMC meeting and as expected the Fed raised its terminal rate by ¼%. This takes the Fed benchmark rate to between 5% and 5 ¼%. Most importantly, after 10 consecutive rate hikes the Fed signaled that they may finally enact a pause of further rate increases at the next FOMC meeting in June.

This would allow the Federal Reserve to assess the damage from recent bank failures, and gauge inflationary levels which will lag behind rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. A pause would also allow the Fed to wait for a resolution over the US debt ceiling dilemma.

The rate hikes enacted by the Federal Reserve have definitively taken inflation down, it has also caused tremendous fallout. Continued rate hikes not only would have a detrimental effect on the economy but it would also have less of an effect on reducing inflation. Inflation has hit an area in which many sectors remain persistent or sticky and as such continued rate hikes would not have the intended effect of reducing inflation but would have the unintended effect of causing more harm to the financial system.

Gold futures broke out of their defined trading range between $1980 and $2020 yesterday. On a technical basis, prices were stuck inside of an asymmetrical triangle with a descending upper resistance line and a flat bottom. Yesterday's strong upside move took current gold futures pricing well above the upper-level resistance line. This resistance line proved to be definitive support as gold traded to a low of $2016 today which is precisely above the former resistance line which I now believe will act as a technical level of support.

The chart above is a 240-minute Japanese candlestick chart of June gold futures. It clearly illustrates both the flat bottom that is defined by multiple occasions in which gold traded to $1980 but close well above it. It also illustrates that gold has traded with a series of lower highs up until yesterday's breakout which took gold above its former resistance level.

As of 4:50 PM EDT gold futures basis, the most active June contract is up $25.10 and fixed at $2048.50.

Concerns about the banking crisis and the debt-ceiling remain unanswered

Now that the Federal Reserve has concluded this month's FOMC meeting, market participants will focus intensely on two major events that could lead to tremendous economic upheaval. There continues to be angst about the political standoff between the Democratic and Republican legislators regarding raising the debt ceiling. The fact that the government will not be able to meet its obligations much sooner than anticipated earlier is troublesome. More importantly, the divide between the Democrats and Republicans has never been wider which will make it very difficult for a compromise to be reached. As I've said over the last two days, during other instances where the debt ceiling had to be raised legislators played “kick the can down the road" however in this instance with so little time left to resolve the issue it seems are “playing a game of chicken".

Lastly, the banking crisis continues to be extremely worrisome as the possibility of more banks becoming insolvent remains. Collectively, the debt crisis remaining unresolved and the potential for more banks to become insolvent will have an exceedingly detrimental effect on the economy. These factors will continue to be highly supportive of gold moving higher.

By

Gary Wagner

Contributing to kitco.com

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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Gold surges as concerns of banking crisis and the debt-ceiling crisis re-emerge

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Gold surges as concerns of banking crisis and the debt-ceiling crisis re-emerge

With the FOMC meeting to conclude tomorrow the Federal Reserve will most likely announce a ¼% rate hike and attention has shifted away from the Fed as market participants focus on other potential calamities within the financial markets.

Genuine angst regarding the debt ceiling and concern about the re-emergence of the banking crisis has weighed heavily on the minds of market participants. These concerns are so significant that for the first time, the CME's FedWatch tool is indicating that there is a 15% probability that the Federal Reserve will cut rates at the June FOMC meeting. The CME's FedWatch tool predicts that there is an 85% probability that the Fed will pause rate hikes in June. If so, this would be the first time the Federal Reserve has either not raised rates, or cut rates over the last 10 consecutive FOMC meetings.

Debt ceiling anxiety grows after U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a letter yesterday said, “After reviewing recent federal tax receipts, our best estimate is that we will be unable to continue to satisfy all of the government's obligations by early June, and potentially as early as June 1, if Congress does not raise or suspend the debt limit before that time.”

This means that there is very little time left for a solution and compromise to be reached. Considering that the divide between the desires of the Republican Party and the Democratic Party are so diametrically different it is hard to fathom a compromise will be reached in such a short time.

More alarming is that there are very few days in which members of the House, and the Senate will all be available to meet with the president. Considering the compromise that must be made by both parties there is an extreme uncertainty that a solution can be reached promptly.

The implications of solving the debt ceiling crisis before the government is unable to meet its obligations are profound. The economic effect if the two sides cannot reach an agreement is an unprecedented event. The repercussions are at best an economic recession and according to Secretary Yellen would have profound implications in perpetuity.

Now that the government has less time than previously believed to raise or suspend the debt limit it increases the probability of an 11th-hour showdown. Historically legislators have played kick the can, but in this instance, they are playing chicken.

The net result of all of these events occurring at the same time led to in a tremendous upside surge in gold prices. Gold futures traded to a high today of $2026.40. As of 5:30 EST the most active June 2023 contract of gold is currently up over $25 and fixed at $2025.60. Gold broke out of a pattern called a “descending top and a flat bottom” as today's solid gains broke above the upper descending trendline.

By

Gary Wagner

Contributing to kitco.com

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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What Is The State Of Crypto In 2023? A Paradox Unpacked

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What Is The State Of Crypto In 2023? A Paradox Unpacked. 

We are currently seeing an antithesis in the crypto world and its market. In one respect, proposed crypto regulations worsen; unbalanced, even nonsensical, and interest rates are increasing. Conversely, coins and tokens are hitting multi-month highs, and new crypto projects are raising billions. 

Crypto VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, also called a16z, unpacks this paradox in its State of Crypto Report for 2023. It was published on March 11, 2023, revealing which issues are holding crypto back and which cryptos are about to explode. This article summarizes a16z's report and explains what it says and means for the crypto market. 


Image source; a16zcrypto.com

The report begins with an overview of what's been happening in crypto. There's been progress in research and development, setbacks from crypto companies collapsing, prices have been following the crypto cycle, bad regulation is creating uncertainty, and decentralization is becoming an opportunity. Note that all of these are related.

Most of the setbacks we've seen have been due to centralization. This centralization occurred because some entities wanted to maximize crypto market cycle gains. It has resulted in harmful regulations, and decentralization is the only real solution to both problems. 

Why Web3 Matters

The report's authors explain that they view Web3 as being more than a financial movement; it's an “evolution of the internet.” They see crypto blockchains as computers, not just ledgers, and therefore see crypto itself as a computing platform, not just an alternative to the existing financial system. 

Replacing the existing financial system is arguably the top priority of crypto projects and their sponsors. If the existing financial system continues on its current trajectory, it will result in Central Bank Digital Currencies and the loss of our economic freedom. But it widens the scope for upcoming decentralized social market networks and their communities’ sovereignty and potential wealth.


Image source; a16zcrypto.com
 

The authors explain that Web3 is built on decentralized cryptocurrency blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum. It is governed and owned by the communities of their respective projects and accrues value to the community rather than a centralized tech company, as is the practice with Web2. 

The Crypto Market Cycle

The second part of the report is about the crypto market cycle. According to the authors, crypto market cycles are caused by a positive feedback loop. Prices go up, which drives interest to go up, which generates new ideas to emerge, which causes new projects to appear, which causes prices to go up. 


Image source; a16zcrypto.com

The authors say there have been four crypto market cycles so far. This is consistent with the market cycles driven by the Bitcoin halving, which happens every four years; however, there is no mention of the Bitcoin halving and the vital role it seems to play in crypto market cycles. Instead, they focus on financial and product cycles that also follow a four-year cycle. 

For reference, macroeconomic conditions, such as interest rates, drive financial cycles and can fluctuate unpredictably. By contrast, product cycles are driven by supposedly more predictable consumer behavior and tech trends. As stated in the report, great products get built regardless of financial upswings and downswings. 


Image source; a16zcrypto.com

Some would argue that consumer behavior and tech trends depend heavily on macro conditions. After all, most of the funding for speculative technologies happens during low-interest rate periods. As such, entering a new period of higher interest rates could be bad for more speculative crypto projects. 

Trends To Watch

The third part of the report identifies what trends to watch, saying that blockchains are scaling through multiple promising paths. The authors highlight new Layer 1 blockchains, like Solana and Aptos, application-specific blockchains, like Cosmos and Polkadot, Layer 2s like Optimism and Polygon, and data storage cryptos, like Celestia as areas of interest. 

The authors then applaud Ethereum for cutting its energy use by 99.9% by changing its consensus from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake, known as The Merge, in September 2022. They then highlight the comparison with YouTube’s energy consumption rather than Bitcoin. The authors pointed out that Ethereum consumes 0.001% of YouTube's energy annually. It seems like an odd choice, but maybe they had emerging decentralized social media in mind.  

They reviewed the rising popularity of zero-knowledge proofs, stating that once practically impossible new technologies are becoming very real. The authors then examined the rapid growth of Web3 gaming, which has remained relatively unscathed by the crypto bear market. They say that Web3 games are a huge opportunity to welcome new users to crypto. 

Similarly, it's worth mentioning Markethive, a social media, marketing, and broadcasting platform in the decentralized arena, is ramping up its gamification as a way to earn crypto and for people to familiarize themselves and experience the cryptocurrency landscape. 

Participation in DAOs has also been steadily increasing. The spike in DAO participation over the last few months may have been due to increasing regulatory uncertainty as well as all the exploits and issues that have resulted in emergency proposals. The recent de-pegging of USDC is one of the many examples.

Regarding developer activity, the authors point out that the United States is falling behind. The percentage of crypto developers in the country has been declining for years due to the initially uncertain and now outright hostile regulatory environment, which could continue for some time. 

The authors then say to watch for three proposed crypto regulations. They include the bipartisan crypto bill by Senator Cynthia Lummis and Kirsten Gillibrand, seven pending crypto cases, including the SEC's case against Ripple, and three proposed crypto rules, including the SEC's crypto custody rule.

 
Image source; a16zcrypto.com

Crypto Market Metrics

The fourth part of the report lays out a series of crypto market metrics. The authors begin with the above image, which essentially means, ‘If you build it, they will come.’ This popular approach to cryptocurrency adoption has been successful for many worthy projects.

The first crypto market metric is the number of active developers. They found that the number of active developers rises during bull markets and stays high during bear markets. The second crypto market metric is the number of smart contracts, which continues to hit new, all-time highs, despite the crypto bear market. 

The third crypto market metric is the number of academic research publications related to crypto. The number spiked in 2021 and again in 2022, indicating crypto has become a significant area of academic research. 

The fourth crypto market metric is the number of people seeking crypto-related jobs. This statistic peaked soon after the crypto market did in late 2021, suggesting rising crypto prices generate interest in the crypto job market. The number of people looking for crypto-related jobs has remained high ever since.

Crypto Adoption Indicators

The first indicator is the number of active crypto wallet addresses, which grows steadily as Web3 adoption increases. The same is true for the second indicator, the number of blockchain transactions, which also continues to hit all-time highs due to better scaling technologies reducing transaction fees. 

The third indicator is the amount of transaction fees paid. According to the graph in the PDF report, it’s been on the decline stating that fees increase as demand rises but decrease as scaling tech supplies more blockspace. 

A similar decline is seen with the fourth indicator, the number of mobile wallet users. The authors give one possible explanation: There are increasingly more ways to engage with blockchains and web3 applications. From DeFi to Web3 games, various new applications create addresses for users to interact with without downloading or connecting a wallet.

The fifth indicator is the amount of trading volume on decentralized exchanges. (DEXs) DEX volume has been rising recently, likely due to a crackdown on centralized exchanges. The most recent spike in DEX volume is plausibly from Curve Finance when it de-pegged USDC. 

The sixth indicator is NFT buyers. The number of NFT buyers appears to be rising again over the last few months, possibly because NFTs have decreased in price and new buyers have been buying the dip. Also, no official legislation applies specifically to NFTs, so they have been safe from regulations. 

The seventh indicator is stablecoin trading volume which continues to grow. This could be due to the crackdown on centralized exchanges and the loss of trust crisis after FTX collapsed in late 2022.  


Image source; State Of Crypto 2023.pdf

What’s Next?

The last part of the report is aptly titled, What's Next? The authors commenced by estimating that crypto adoption is where internet adoption was in the 1990s, specifically, the mid-90s. Assuming crypto adoption follows the same trajectory, they forecast it will take until 2031 to hit one billion users. 

As per the image above, the authors list 12 things they expect to happen in crypto in 2023 and beyond. The first expectation is that some of the best Web3 products and protocols will be developed during the remainder of the crypto bear market. 

The second is that smart contract security will improve. The authors don't discuss the role of AI in this equation, but it can be used to create and audit crypto code. This will supercharge crypto development and security, providing it’s used ethically.

The third expectation is that zero-knowledge proofs will continue to become more popular. This makes sense, considering institutional investors require financial privacy, which is something that zero-knowledge proofs can provide.

The fourth expectation is that big tech will continue to take greater control of the Web2 internet, showing the average person just how vital Web3 is. We've covered this in the Markethive blog in the context of internet censorship; decentralized social media is the only solution. 

The fifth expectation is that Web3 gaming will become more popular. In short, there are three reasons why people adopt cryptocurrency; speculation, convenience (possibly necessity), or entertainment. That third adoption category has yet to be tapped, but it's coming. 

The sixth expectation is that there will be more crypto-specific hardware, particularly for zero-knowledge proofs. As blockchains have attracted millions of users, two critical demands around privacy and scalability have emerged. There is a movement to optimize algorithms for consumer-grade hardware to preserve decentralization and privacy.

The seventh expectation relates to the fourth: decentralized social networks will become popular due to issues with centralized social media. As previously mentioned, with all the internet censorship and more coming, trust in institutions and legacy media is declining rapidly, and more people will migrate to decentralized platforms. 

Interestingly, the eighth expectation is that “light” clients will make it possible for mobile devices to become more involved in crypto infrastructure. As a fun fact, over 90% of people access the internet from a mobile device. Logically, this means bringing crypto to mobile is a massive untapped opportunity. 

The ninth expectation is that there will be new forms of community governance in DAOs. Many believe that the existing token-based voting systems are leading to centralization; what's required is a radically new approach to governance.

The tenth expectation is that governments will pass bipartisan crypto regulations. This is a direct reference to US crypto regulations, but it could well apply globally.  It won't take long for politicians everywhere to realize that crypto is an economic and social opportunity, never mind all the crypto lobbyists wielding influence with incentives.

The 11th expectation ties into the fifth, and that's that non-speculative crypto use cases will emerge. Hopefully, these non-speculative use cases are related to convenience and not necessity. If they relate to need, it's probably because we're dealing with some seriously dystopian issues. 

The twelfth expectation is a relatively new phenomenon: hiring treasury management and sustainable funding will be a focus for DAOs. This seems to be a subtle reference to a new crypto niche called ReFi or Regenerative Finance, which involves investing in tokenized carbon credits. 


Image source; State Of Crypto 2023.pdf

What Does A16z’s Report Mean For the Crypto Market? 

One of the takeaways stated in the a16zcrypto overview of the report states that,

“Prices have steadied this year from the dizzying highs of 2021. The industry seems to be settling: speculation has cooled, and the story of how people durably, organically use, and interact with Web3 is starting to unfold.”

To others, the report reveals a lot more about how institutional investors are seeing the crypto market rather than how the crypto market is doing or how it's likely to perform in the future. Institutional investors are interested in being on the cutting edge of Web3 and cryptocurrency. However, they're also interested in ensuring they have some say in running these projects and protocols. This is fundamentally at odds with their decentralization imperative. 

It is also why institutional investors are so focused on crypto regulation. Some argue that they don’t care about how these regulations impact financial freedom. Ultimately, they want to know how to legally invest in and influence these projects and protocols.

The incumbents are hyper-aware of this and are actively trying to prevent sensible crypto regulations from being passed. They know that the actual end game of the crypto lobbyists is to replace the old financial system with a new, primarily centralized financial system, not a new decentralized one. 

A prime example is Circle; the stablecoin issuer has been aggressively lobbying politicians worldwide to pass regulations that set up its stablecoin as the gold standard and ban the circulation of decentralized stablecoins. This is not in the best interests of crypto; it is a blatant traditional finance tactic. 

That said, mass crypto adoption won’t happen overnight. Most proposed crypto regulations may be inconsistent with cryptos' core philosophies, but they are a necessary first step. Over time the centralization issues they cause will become more evident, and better crypto regulations will be passed. 

More importantly, the average person will start to understand the significance of things like decentralization. But before they understand the importance, they must know what they are and be comfortable with the associated annex. This will take years, per the author's projections. 

The upside to this situation is that we are, in fact, still in the early stages of crypto adoption, considering the relative absence of crypto regulations in developed countries. Ultimately, crypto regulations are required for institutions to invest in the industry; realistically, institutions have most of the money. They have the means to turn the crypto into a multi-trillion dollar asset class.

A Favorable Scenario

According to Coinbureau, the best part is that retail investors like us will eventually have the advantage because most understand there's more to crypto than paper money profits. The institutions don't see it that way, meaning they will sell every time a coin or token hits some arbitrary number in fiat currency terms. Meanwhile, retail investors will continue to buy regardless of the paper price, and for once, they won't be the ones getting dumped on. 

The money institutional investors get in return will lose value until it's converted into a CBCD, and all their assets will be tokenized on a blockchain the government controls. And when their CBDCs and tokenized assets are frozen because they did or said something against the state, they'll realize that crypto is the only asset that offers true financial freedom. By then, it'll be too late for them. All the retail investors who realize this early on will become the new institutional investors.

In closing, the report has identified an opportunity that recent setbacks emphasize the failure of opaque, centralized systems in contrast to the resilience of decentralized infrastructure. Decentralized crypto computing platforms can also counter the trend of power consolidating into the hands of a few giant tech corporations. The internet needs web3, and those who understand this will fight for the future of these technologies.

 

 

Editor and Chief Markethive: Deb Williams. (Australia) I thrive on progress and champion freedom of speech. I embrace "Change" with a passion, and my purpose in life is to enlighten people to accept and move forward with enthusiasm. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.

 

 

 

 

Tim Moseley

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Gold silver back off after better-than-expected US manufacturing reports

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Gold, silver back off after better-than-expected U.S. manufacturing reports

Gold prices are moderately lower and silver has lost all the big early price gains in midday U.S. trading Monday. Some upbeat U.S. economic data and positive remarks from the head of the largest U.S. bank worked to pressure the two precious metals markets. June gold was last down $8.10 at $1,990.90 and July silver was down $0.006 at $25.25.

(By the way, I encourage you to check out my new daily item, "Kitco daily macro-economic/business digest." If you need to be up to speed quickly on the latest news that's impacting or has the potential to impact the general marketplace, this report can be your one-stop shopping. Check it out and let me know what you think.)

The gold and silver markets saw selling pressure develop at mid-morning, right after the U.S. ISM April manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) and U.S. construction spending reports came in better than market expectations. Also, JP Morgan chief Jamie Dimon said in a conference call after JP Morgan took over the failed First Republic Bank that the U.S. banking sector is now very healthy. Earlier, some safe-haven demand in gold and silver was seen following the weekend news the FDIC shut First Republic in the second-largest U.S. bank failure ever.

On tap this week is the Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting that begins Tuesday and ends Wednesday afternoon. Gold and silver traders today reckoned fresh on the FOMC members' minds will be today's better U.S. manufacturing data, which favors the monetary policy hawks. The FOMC is expected to raise the key U.S. interest rate by 0.25%. The European Central Bank also meets Thursday. The ECB is also expected to raise its main interest rate by a quarter-point. Also, on Friday comes the U.S. employment situation report from the Labor Department. Corporate earnings reports continue to flow out this week, including Apple's results.

  S&P 500 will crash 20% as 'panic' sets in and gold hits $2,300 in 2023, Fed will cause 'more tremors' in banking sector – Gareth Soloway

Global stock markets were mostly higher overnight. Some European markets were closed for a holiday. U.S. stock indexes are mixed at midday. The U.S. stock index bulls had a good week last week, including the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes on Friday closing at technically bullish weekly and monthly high closes.

The key outside markets today see the U.S. dollar index solidly higher. Nymex crude oil prices are lower and trading around $75.50 a barrel. The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note yield is presently fetching 3.551% and up today. These three markets were daily bearish elements for the gold and silver markets.

Technically, June gold futures bulls have the firm overall near-term technical advantage. However, a price uptrend on the daily bar chart has been negated. Bulls' next upside price objective is to produce a close above solid resistance at the April high of $2,063.40. Bears' next near-term downside price objective is pushing futures prices below solid technical support at the April low of $1,965.90. First resistance is seen at $2,000.00 and then at today's high of $2,015.40. First support is seen at $1,980.90 and then at $1,965.90. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 7.0

July silver futures bulls have the firm overall near-term technical advantage. Silver bulls' next upside price objective is closing prices above solid technical resistance at the April high of $26.435. The next downside price objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $23.00. First resistance is seen at $25.80 and then at $26.00. Next support is seen at $25.00 and then at last week's low of $24.735. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 7.0.

July N.Y. copper closed up 495 points at 394.00 cents today. Prices closed near mid-range. The copper bulls and bears are on a level overall near-term technical playing field. Copper bulls' next upside price objective is pushing and closing prices above solid technical resistance at the April high of 418.65 cents. The next downside price objective for the bears is closing prices below solid technical support at the January low of 372.45 cents. First resistance is seen at today's high of 400.50 cents and then at 405.00 cents. First support is seen at today's low of 387.05 cents and then at the April low of 381.65 cents. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 5.0.

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Jim Wyckoff

For Kitco News

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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Mastercard launches Crypto Credential for a more secure verified blockchain experience

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Mastercard launches Crypto Credential for a more secure, verified blockchain experience

  Mastercard has announced the launch of Crypto Credential in an effort to establish a set of common standards and infrastructure that will help attest trusted interactions among consumers and businesses using blockchain networks.

According to the announcement posted on Friday, Crypto Credential is being created to provide a way for trusted, compliant and verifiable interactions to take place on public blockchain networks in order to bring more legitimacy to the blockchain industry.

“With Mastercard Crypto Credential, we can help ensure that those interested in interacting across Web3 environments are meeting defined standards for the types of activities they’d like to pursue,” the press release said. “Mastercard Crypto Credential will not only define verification standards and levels, but also provide necessary enabling technology to help bring more use cases to life.”

One benefit of the new service is that it allows for the creation of easy-to-remember aliases to help consumers share wallet addresses with one another. This helps to improve the consumer experience and reduces the potential for errors.

Crypto Credential will also “bring richer information to blockchain transactions through metadata, helping to define attributes of a wallet to help ensure that transactions are completed as intended,” Mastercard said.

The service will utilize CipherTrace’s suite of services to verify addresses and support Travel Rule compliance for cross-border transactions. Mastercard has partnered with crypto wallet providers Bit2Me, Lirium, Mercado Bitcoin and Uphold to enable transfers between the U.S and Latin America and the Caribbean corridors.

The payments firm has also joined forces with ith public blockchain network organizations Aptos Labs, Ava Labs, Polygon and The Solana Foundation to help introduce the application to developers in their ecosystems. “Together, we’ll collaborate to enhance verification in NFTs, ticketing, enterprise and other payments solutions,” Mastercard said.

This new service is just the latest cryptocurrency-related endeavor to be announced by Mastercard as the firm has been one of the most active multinational financial service providers in the crypto space in recent years.

In October, the firm announced the launch of ‘Crypto Secure’, a new crypto service desk focused on helping banks identify and prevent fraud from occurring on crypto merchant platforms. Later that month, the company launched ‘Crypto Source’, a new program that enables financial institutions to begin offering secure crypto trading services to their customers.

In January, Mastercard partnered with Polygon to launch the Web3-based Mastercard Artist Accelerator program, which is designed to help up-and-coming artists get established and connect with fans in the Web3 arena.

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Jordan Finneseth

For Kitco News

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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Gold market is in ‘buy the dip’ mentality until Fed’s messaging analysts watching Powell’s banking sector comments – analysts

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Gold market is in 'buy the dip' mentality until Fed's messaging, analysts watching Powell's banking sector comments – analysts

Gold is stuck in a tight range, with the "buy the dip" mentality dominating the market. Investors are keenly watching the Federal Reserve's widely expected 25-basis-point rate hike next week. But if markets interpret the messaging as a "hawkish pause," gold's rally could re-start, according to analysts.

The gold market is looking to wrap up April with a slight gain of 0.7% after reaching a 13-month high of above $2,050 an ounce earlier in the month. At the time of writing, June Comex gold futures were trading up 0.13% on the day at $2,001.60 an ounce.

"Gold is going to remain a buy-the-dips market until we get a few things ironed out as far as the economy is concerned," Walsh Trading co-director Sean Lusk told Kitco News.

Gold's rally failed at an important level, which might mean there is still a deeper setback to come, Michael Boutros, senior technical strategist at Forex.com, told Kitco News.

"Gold reached the 2022 high-day close at $2,049 and then posted a reversal lower," Boutros said Friday. "The $1,966 is the line in the sand, and we tested it last week. If we fall below that, a deeper washout to $1,912-$1,919 is possible. I would love to see that hold."

The objective in May is to find that exhaustion low before the next leg up in the gold price rally, said Boutros.

The Fed meeting: 'The devil is in the detail'

Markets are currently pricing in an 83% chance of a 25-bps hike on Wednesday, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.

"From the Fed's standpoint, the devil is in the details. The 25 bps is heavily priced in," Boutros said. "Commentary will be key. The big thing to look for is if the Fed will start to mention the banking system and issues like the First Republic Bank troubles."

The banking sector turmoil is not over yet, Boutros warned. "The heavy emphasis will be on whether the Fed sees cracks or risk of contagion," he noted.

Media reports were circulating at the end of the week that the U.S. government was leading rescue talks for First Republic Bank.

Markets are still pricing in rate cuts later in the year, but the majority of analysts are having trouble reconciling the market's expectations versus the Fed's obligation to keep fighting the elevated inflation.

"Inflation won't be going away any time soon, which is why the Fed is not going to cut rates," Lusk said.

What the Fed can do is sit on its hands, which will be viewed by the gold market as the much-needed pause in its rate hike cycle.

"Gold positioning is at less than 50% of its peak, suggesting upside risk once the Fed signals the end of the current hiking cycle," said Suki Copper, precious metals analyst at Standard Chartered. "We expect a hawkish pause."

Many see the May hike as the last one in this tightening cycle, with Boutros stating that a June rate increase is likely off the table.

Gold's fundamentals are bullish: Analysts look for $2,100 on the upside

The gold sector is the safe place many choose to go into for cover amidst all the market uncertainty, said Lusk.

"There is the perfect storm to the upside for gold still. Some headwinds for the economy here are housing and growth. The stock market will have a lot of trouble navigating to where it was. A lot more flows will go into gold sooner rather than later. Gold is a great asset to park money and find some safe haven within the market. Dips will be bought here," he explained.

From a technical perspective, gold's first major support is at $1,950-40, and then $1,925, said Lusk.

On the upside, Lusk's targets are $2,060 and then $2,100, which will be 15% up on the year. "Above that, the $2,190 area is 20% on the year — that's my ultra-bullish upside target," he said.

Another event to watch next week is the U.S. employment report from April, with markets looking for job growth to slow to 178,000 positions added from March's 236,000. The unemployment rate is expected to tick up to 3.6%.

Other supportive gold drivers in the longer term are the debt-ceiling suspense and geopolitical tensions, analysts added. "Geopolitics is not at the forefront right now, but it will be an X-factor moving forward," Boutros said.

 

Data next week

Monday: U.S. ISM manufacturing PMI

Tuesday: U.S. factory orders, JOLTS job openings,

Wednesday: Fed meeting, Powell press conference, U.S. ISM services PMI, U.S. ADP nonfarm employment

Thursday: ECB meeting, U.S. jobless claims,

Friday: U.S. nonfarm payrolls

By

Anna Golubova

For Kitco News

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

The Artist that came out of the Winter