The Digital Gold Rush is Here
Contributed Opinion

1. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of NatGold Digital Ltd.
2. Brian Hicks: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own securities of: NatGold Digital Ltd. My company has a financial relationship with: None. My company has purchased stocks mentioned in this article for my management clients: None. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector.
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Allow me to share a personal anecdote.

Approximately eighteen months back, I connected with an established colleague from the extraction sector — a veteran who's been navigating rusty soil and governmental paperwork since the Reagan administration.

We convened for a midday feast at an upscale Washington establishment named Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak, and Stone Crab.

As a native Marylander — renowned for our azure shellfish — I've recently developed an appreciation for stone crabs since acquiring a seasonal property in Longboat Key, Florida.

While savoring his vintage and dismantling stone crab appendages, my associate gazed over his eyewear and stated, "You know what the smartest people in the room are doing right now? They're buying gold. And they're doing it quietly. Like they know something."

He was referencing central banks.

The Subtle Bullion Accumulation

Consider this reality: Central banks aren't short-term speculators. They're not pursuing rapid returns. They represent the largest, most politically networked, financially robust entities worldwide. And when they move . . .  you should absolutely take notice.

During May 2025, exclusively, they acquired 20 metric tons of gold.

Not paper certificates. Not market derivatives. Authentic, tangible, vault-secured bullion.

They purchased during market dips — exactly as they executed during downturns in 2008, 2011, 2020. For what purpose? Because gold transcends mere trading. It's protection. It's financial assurance. It's the commodity that consistently fulfills its promise.

Several major acquirers this calendar period? Kazakhstan. India. China. Poland.

These details come directly from the World Gold Council, which recently unveiled its newest survey findings: 95% of central banks anticipate elevated gold demand this annual cycle.

And zero — not a solitary institution — forecasts diminishing interest.

Now contemplate this question: If the globe's preeminent financial authorities are flocking toward precious metals . . .  what insights might they possess that remain concealed from public awareness?

They recognize currency weakness. They understand inflation's persistence. They acknowledge conflict, fiscal obligations, and societal fragmentation are embedded in coming decades. And they aren't safeguarding with digital currencies, equities, or fixed-income securities.

They're safeguarding with gold.

But Not Just Any Gold...

Let's redirect our focus.

The physical gold marketplace is constricted. Severely constricted. You're witnessing precious metal migrating from British repositories to Manhattan vaults reminiscent of Nixon-era patterns. That's the extent of institutional determination to secure authentic assets.

However, today's distinction is substantial. . . 

Gold is becoming digitized.

The transformation began with digital certificates like Tether Gold (XAUT), offering investors fractional ownership of authentic vault-stored bullion. No transportation. No warehousing. Simply a blockchain-secured receipt.

Within just the previous twelve months, XAUT participants increased 172%. It's achieved viral status. Bullion-backed digital assets now constitute a $1.3 billion marketplace.

And Tether represents merely one participant. Paxos, ChainUp, and numerous additional enterprises are competing to digitize precious metals.

But here's where fascinating possibilities emerge. . . 

What If the Gold Remained Underground?

Envision a digital certificate supported not by vault-stored bullion . . . but by underground reserves.

Not hypothetical. Not speculative. Confirmed, quantified, and authenticated deposits — yet untouched. Still earthbound.

Imagine accessing that value without wielding excavation equipment?

That's NatGold Digital Ltd.'s innovation.

Rather than navigating extraction permits, heavy machinery, and decade-spanning construction initiatives, NatGold transforms undeveloped metal reserves into digital certificates. It's comparable to unlocking a secured container nobody has accessed.

The advantages?

• Zero ecological impact
• No regulatory confrontations
• No activist litigation
• No billion-dollar capital expenditures

Simply authentic, geological worth — finally rendered liquid.

When considering the vast quantities of precious metal resting undisturbed globally — approximately $20 trillion valuation — this clearly transcends niche status. This represents an entirely novel asset classification.

Enter Pebble Creek . . .  Resurrected?

Now let me contextualize everything.

You recall Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd.'s (NDM:TSX; NAK:NYSE.MKT) Pebble Creek, correct?

Alaska. Among the planet's largest undeveloped precious metal and copper repositories. Exceeding 107 million ounces of gold including projected estimates. That's greater than certain national GDPs — merely waiting within the terrain.

For extensive periods, Pebble's advancement has encountered bureaucratic barriers. Environmental authorities vetoed development. Conservation groups opposed extraction. Judicial systems prolonged deliberations. Everyone — without exception — presumed its termination.

But what transpired just recently?

Northern Dynasty (Pebble Creek's proprietor) and the EPA have resumed discussions. Communicating. Bargaining. Exploring resolution.

This isn't conjecture. It's court-documented information.

The EPA is reconsidering previous decisions. Northern Dynasty is resubmitting authorization requests. Discussions involve modified engineering, reduced operational footprints, and enhanced environmental protections.

This represents significant developments.

Should regulatory authorities withdraw — or merely moderate their position — Pebble Creek might experience resurrection. That would constitute one of history's most substantial precious metal and copper opportunities revitalized from apparent demise.

And here's where conceptual illumination occurs. . . 

NatGold + Pebble = A Perfect Match

NatGold doesn't require operational extraction facilities.

Requirements include verified resources, technical documentation, and legal authorization to digitize reserves.

Pebble Creek satisfies criteria. Should regulatory discussions progress favorably — current indications suggest positive momentum — NatGold could potentially digitize one of America's largest undeveloped precious metal deposits.

No extraction. No environmental disruption. Simply precious-metal-backed digital certificates connected to the nation's most strategically significant resource.

Let me speak plainly. . . 

Should this materialize, it will revolutionize everything.