China Dominates Rare Earth Production in 2024: 69% Global Share Impacts Crypto Mining and Technology Stocks
According to The Kobeissi Letter, China mined approximately 270,000 metric tonnes of rare earths in 2024, representing 69% of global output and tripling its production since 2014 per US Geological Survey data. This dominant supply position strengthens China's influence over critical minerals used in semiconductors and electric vehicle batteries, directly impacting technology stocks and crypto mining operations reliant on advanced hardware. Traders should monitor rare earth market trends, as supply constraints or policy changes from China could affect the broader cryptocurrency sector and related equities (Source: The Kobeissi Letter, USGS).
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From a trading perspective, China's rare earth dominance could create both opportunities and risks in the crypto market, especially for tokens linked to sustainability and technology. Projects like VeChain (VET), which focuses on supply chain transparency, saw a 2.5% price increase to $0.035 on Binance as of 12:00 PM UTC on June 13, 2025, with trading volume spiking by 18% to $45 million in the last 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap data. This suggests growing interest from traders betting on blockchain solutions to address global supply chain issues. Similarly, tokens like Energy Web Token (EWT), tied to renewable energy, traded at $3.10, up 1.7% as of the same timestamp, with volume rising by 10% to $1.2 million. On the flip side, broader market indices like the S&P 500, which dipped 0.3% to 5,400 points as of the close on June 12, 2025, reflect mild risk aversion in traditional markets, per Yahoo Finance reports. This could spill over into crypto, as correlations between stock indices and major cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH remain notable during periods of economic uncertainty. Traders should watch for potential volatility in crypto markets if rare earth supply concerns escalate, prompting institutional money to flow into safe-haven assets or alternative investments like digital currencies.
Delving into technical indicators, Bitcoin’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) stood at 52 as of 2:00 PM UTC on June 13, 2025, signaling neutral momentum on the daily chart, per TradingView data. Ethereum’s RSI was slightly lower at 49, indicating a balanced market with no immediate overbought or oversold conditions. On-chain metrics further reveal that BTC’s network activity, with daily active addresses reaching 620,000 as of June 12, 2025, per Glassnode data, suggests sustained user engagement despite external news. Trading volume for BTC/USD on Coinbase reached $1.8 billion in the last 24 hours as of the same timestamp, a 5% increase, hinting at growing interest. For cross-market correlation, the 30-day rolling correlation between Bitcoin and the S&P 500 stood at 0.42 as of June 13, 2025, according to CoinMetrics, indicating a moderate positive relationship. This suggests that any further dips in stock markets due to rare earth supply fears could pressure BTC and ETH prices. Institutional flows also matter—Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) saw inflows of $30 million on June 12, 2025, per Grayscale’s official updates, signaling continued interest from traditional finance players amidst global resource concerns.
Finally, the impact on crypto-related stocks and ETFs cannot be ignored. Shares of Riot Platforms (RIOT), a Bitcoin mining company, traded at $10.50, down 1.5% as of the market close on June 12, 2025, per NASDAQ data, reflecting broader stock market hesitancy. Similarly, the Bitwise DeFi & Crypto Industry ETF (BITW) dipped 0.7% to $11.20 on the same day, per Yahoo Finance. These movements suggest that while crypto assets like BTC and ETH hold steady, related equities are more directly impacted by traditional market sentiment tied to resource supply news. Traders looking for opportunities might consider longing tokens like VET or EWT on dips, while keeping an eye on stock market indices for signs of risk-off behavior that could drag crypto prices down. With institutional money flows showing mixed signals, maintaining stop-loss orders around key support levels—such as $65,000 for BTC as of June 13, 2025—remains prudent for risk management in this interconnected market landscape.
The Kobeissi Letter
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