Gold Explorer Advancing Historic Australian Project Launches Trading on TSX-V

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1. Ownership and Share Structure Information

The information listed above was updated on the date this article was published and was compiled from information from the company and various other data providers.

Crossroads Gold Corp. (CRG:TSX.V) began trading Wednesday on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol CRG, following its successful go-public financing which raised over CA$5.2 million, the company said in a March 4 release.

"The TSX-V's approval of our listing marks a major milestone for Crossroads as we transition into a new chapter as a publicly traded company backed by the Fiore Group (led by Frank Guistra)," Director and Chief Executive Officer Neil Motton said. "We are grateful to our shareholders for their support in completing our go-public financing of over CA$5.2-million. The listing on the TSX-V will enhance our visibility, broaden our audience, and allow us to access retail and institutional capital as we advance exploration on the Steiglitz and Pheasant Creek projects in Victoria state. The TSX-V is the global hub of mining finance for exploration companies, and we are excited to be listed as CRG on the TSX-V going forward."

Motton said the company has "an extensive set of high-priority drill targets at Steiglitz and we plan to advance our aggressive exploration program as fast as possible."

He said Crossroads management has extensive experience operating exploration programs in Victoria, including key relationships with government, communities, skilled technical contractors and others.

"With a high-grade largely unexplored significant historical producer at Steiglitz, which occurs on the West Selwyn block trend that hosts the outstanding Agnico-Eagle Fosterville high-grade gold mine, and an application for an exploration license at Pheasant Creek near Southern Cross's Sunday Creek project, one of the best high-grade epizonal discoveries globally, we believe we have an exciting portfolio of assets with significant discovery upside."

Steiglitz is located about 80 kilometers west of Melbourne in one of Australia’s earliest and most historically productive goldfields. It has historically been one of the top producers in the Bendigo belt, yielding approximately 250,800 ounces of gold from shallow mining operations. The project area, under exploration license EL6164, spans 53 square kilometers and hosts high-grade gold mineralization. Recent exploration has identified multiple untested targets that show promise for significant discoveries.

In addition to Steiglitz, Crossroads has applied for an exploration license at the Pheasant Creek project, located about 75 kilometers northeast of Melbourne. This project is strategically positioned in a geologically similar area to the Southern Cross Gold’s Sunday Creek discovery, known for its high-grade gold and antimony yields.

Victoria's Second Gold Rush

On February 27, Crossroads (previously known as Northern Silicon International Inc.) announced the completion of its acquisition of the Steiglitz gold project, located approximately 80 kilometers west of Melbourne, Australia. This acquisition marks a significant milestone for Crossroads, transitioning it into a well-funded, Australian-focused gold exploration company.

Steiglitz is characterized by its structural, geological, and geochemical features conducive to significant orogenic gold systems. The project, a largely unexplored historical high-grade producer, is strategically located on the West Selwyn Block Trend, close to the notable Fosterville gold mine.

Looking ahead to 2026, Motton said he was optimistic about Crossroads’ aggressive exploration campaign at Steiglitz, which will involve extensive drilling of key targets. He said he is committed to leading the company through a disciplined exploration program, aiming to unlock the potential of these promising assets and contribute to Crossroads' growth in the gold exploration sector.

Victoria is starting to experience a second gold rush, characterized by high-tech methods rather than the manual labor of the past, according to Eleanor Green of the University of Melbourne. Mining companies from around the globe are drawn to Victoria, confident that with contemporary techniques, they can discover and extract more of the region's notably pure gold.

Presently, Victoria’s gold mines yield approximately 650,000 ounces of gold annually, which is about 20 tonnes, Green wrote. This is a stark contrast to the peak of the first gold rush in 1856 when miners extracted some 3 million ounces (Moz), or around 90 tonnes.

The Catalyst: Jobs Downturn Keeps Gold Rising

According to Peter Nurse of Investopedia on March 6, gold prices saw an uptick on Friday, influenced by indications of weakening in the U.S. labor market which negatively impacted the dollar. However, despite the rise on the day, gold was still poised for a weekly decline. At 08:50 a.m. ET, spot gold was up by 0.7% at US$5,117.52 an ounce, while gold futures rose by 0.9% to US$5,124.70 an ounce. Over the week, the precious metal was expected to drop by about 3%, pressured by a recently stronger dollar and diminishing expectations of interest rate cuts.

Earlier on Friday, economic data revealed a surprising downturn in U.S. employment figures, Nurse reported. The total nonfarm payroll employment for February fell by 92,000 jobs, contrary to the anticipated increase of 58,000 jobs. Additionally, January’s job figures were revised downward to 126,000 from 130,000. The unemployment rate also increased to 4.4%, exceeding expectations and the previous month's rate of 4.3%.

This labor market softness contributed to a 0.3% decline in the US Dollar Index as investors began to reassess the likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting rates soon, Nurse said. Despite this dip, the dollar had been strong throughout the week, buoyed by its status as a safe haven amid ongoing Middle Eastern conflicts.

Concurrently, oil prices were on track for an over 18% increase for the week, as the conflict threatened crucial energy infrastructure and shipping routes in the Gulf. This spike in oil prices has raised concerns about a potential resurgence of global inflation, complicating the decision-making landscape for global central banks, including the U.S. Federal Reserve. The rising oil prices, which often contribute to inflation, might lead policymakers to be more cautious about reducing interest rates in the near term.

Gold, traditionally viewed as a safeguard against geopolitical unrest, has recently diverged from its usual role, according to a report by Crystal Kim for Investopedia on March 5. Amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, the price of spot gold fell by approximately 1.6% on Thursday, settling around US$5,060 per troy ounce. Investment funds that focus on precious metals and mining stocks, such as the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) and the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX), are also expected to end the week with losses. Similarly, silver prices have declined.

Several factors contribute to gold's unexpected performance, market experts suggest. For one, investors have been aggressively purchasing gold over the past year, treating it more like a speculative momentum trade rather than a stable haven. Additionally, recent strikes on Iran have driven up oil prices, increasing the likelihood of higher inflation. This economic shift could deter the Federal Reserve from lowering interest rates in the near future. Moreover, the U.S. dollar's value has been on the rise, which typically drives the price of gold down.

Gold is commonly regarded as a reliable asset during times of uncertainty, Kim wrote. However, in the current geopolitical climate with escalating tensions in the Middle East, gold has not provided the stability for investment portfolios as expected.

Stephen Dover of Franklin Templeton Institute commented on this phenomenon in a CNBC interview, noting, "What you're seeing is things that have run up a lot maybe not run up as much as they had before," highlighting the changing dynamics in how investors are responding to gold amidst recent geopolitical events.

Ownership and Share Structure¹

About 88% of the company is held by the Fiore Group and other insiders, including Giustra, Gord Keep, James Hutton, and Rex Motton. The rest, about 12%, is retail.

Its market cap is CA$18.42 million with 63.5 million shares outstanding. It trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.29 and CA$0.30.