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Battery Technology – don’t bet on lithium alone..

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7 år sedan

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1 februari, 2018

powered electric vehicles. But what is the risk of lithium being usurped by an alternative material? Battery Technology – don’t bet on lithium alone..

Lithium is currently the material of choice to produce batteries in a whole range of devices where mobile energy is required, the most prolific of which being energy storage, mobile phones and battery-powered electric vehicles. But what is the risk of lithium being usurped by an alternative material? Battery Technology – don’t bet on lithium alone..

The realities of lithium as an investment

There is huge investor interest in lithium and more broadly in battery/mobile energy technology at the moment, the question is raised in almost all meetings I have with clients who are looking for ways to invest in the industry. Investors are looking to future-proof their portfolios. Lithium is a growing technology with great potential future prospects while theoretically providing a form of hedge against the expected secular decline in the oil industry, which is facing the risk of cannibalisation from the rise of electric vehicles.

The caveat to this success of lithium

The caveat to this success of lithium is that it won’t be a direct path to success for varied reasons:

Electrical grid infrastructure – Currently the electricity grid does not have the required capacity to accommodate this change. According to the Green Alliance most residential streets do not have capacity for more than 6 cars to be charged at any time and as such would require significant infrastructure upgrades.
Affordability – The average cost of a car is US$24,000, with the cheapest electric car being $33,000, therefore despite the falling costs it still has a long way to go before it can properly compete with internal combustion cars.
The internal combustion engine –Electric vehicles are not only being challenged on price, significant improvements are being made with the internal combustion engine. The “thermal efficiency” of most petrol engines currently peaks at 25%, with a theoretical maximum of 50%, giving significant scope for efficiency gains. The latest battery packs are priced at US$350/kWh, while internal combustions engines are priced at around US$100/kWh. Costs have been falling rapidly for batteries but there is still a fair way for them to go for them to compete.

Despite all the news of battery supply problems at Tesla, lithium prices are 10% above the 90th percentile of the cost curve suggesting in the short term there is potential for a price correction.
Rare earth metals are commonly used in lithium battery production, and supply squeezes are common due to supply being highly concentrated in politically volatile countries. Additionally, child labour has been used in the past and raises questions about their suitability in today’s more ethical portfolios.
There is no futures market and no exchange for lithium; most deals are done between producers and manufacturers directly.
Lithium equities also do not have a particularly good correlation to the lithium carbonate price, and in fact have a much closer correlation to the oil price.

There are other competing battery technologies that could quickly unseat lithium as the material of choice. We have summarised the key battery technologies currently being researched or developed that pose a potential threat to lithium.

Hydrogen fuel cells

Hydrogen fuel cells have been in use for some time in varied forms, led by Japan where their use in vehicles has been met with mixed success. It is a very common element and on a per joule of energy basis, a hydrogen car will go further than a lithium car.

The biggest challenge so far has been capturing and storing hydrogen. In the US there are currently only 35 commercial hydrogen refuelling stations.

Due to these infrastructure constraints they are typically confined to public vehicle use, rolling out infrastructure for personal vehicles would be time consuming and expensive. Hydrogen powered vehicles are in development by some of the leading car manufacturers but there are unlikely to be popular until the infrastructure is in place.

Magnesium solid-state

Magnesium batteries have been commercialised as primary batteries, and are an active topic of research for secondary (rechargeable) batteries. Magnesium batteries offer inflammable batteries with a higher energy density than lithium ideal for cars where safety and mileage are paramount. Magnesium is also a widely traded, abundant material but so far it hasn’t found success as a rechargeable battery. The biggest challenge for magnesium has been making a solid-state rechargeable battery, but the Berkeley Lab Joint Centre for Energy Storage Research has recently discovered the fastest magnesium-ion solid-state conductor – a major step towards making rechargeable batteries a reality. However, it has a long way to go before a battery is likely to be produced.

Lithium Sulphur

Lithium Sulphur batteries could have 40% higher energy density than the lithium-manganese and the lithium-cobalt batteries we use today. Their wider use would also help the problem of producers having to source rare earth metals such as cobalt and manganese from politically unstable countries and likely reduce costs for consumers. The key issue for lithium-sulphide batteries is the extra mass required for a conducting agent and the risk of an irregular discharge leading to safety concerns.

Battery technology opportunities come in various forms

While lithium the metal is difficult to invest in and lithium equities do not accurately track the lithium price, there may be some indirect opportunities. Currently normal internal combustion engine cars use 20kg of copper, hybrids use 40kg and electric vehicles use 80kg, primarily in the wiring harnesses that transmit power to the drivetrains, the drivetrain themselves and the battery.

We believe that lithium technology, despite its potential for success is risky due to the potential for it being usurped by one of the aforementioned battery technologies. We remain convinced that mobile energy storage is likely to be a booming industry in the coming decades but the best approach may be to consider a wide range of technologies that can deliver mobile energy storage.

If the electric vehicle market rises to 140m cars by 2035, then this equates to around one third of total copper demand According to BHP Billiton (www.bhp.com 31st October 2017). The upgrading of the electricity grid infrastructure will require much more infrastructure spend, likely to further increase copper demand.

James Butterfill, Head of Research & Investment Strategy at ETF Securities

James Butterfill joined ETF Securities as Head of Research & Investment Strategy in 2015. James is responsible for leading the strategic direction of the global research team, ensuring that clients receive up-to-date, expert insight into global macroeconomic and asset class specific developments.

James has a wealth of experience in strategy, economics and asset allocation gained at HSBC and most recently in his role as Multi- Asset Fund Manager and Global Equity Strategist at Coutts. James holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Exeter and an MSc in Geophysics from Keele University.

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Börshandlade fonder för den som vill investera i skogen

Publicerad

11 timmar sedan

den

27 april, 2025

Redaktionen

Timmer och skogar är garanter för att mildra klimatförändringarna och en naturlig träkälla. Skogarna täcker stora landområden, utgör en oumbärlig åtgärd för att minska koldioxidutsläppen och är de främsta producenterna av syre. Det finns även börshandlade fonder för den som vill investera i skogen.

Detta ger möjligheter för företag som äger skog eller är inblandade i skogsskötseln. Träförädlingsindustrin är också en del av denna trend, liksom börsnoterade skogsfonder i form av REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts). Dessa företag kan användas för att skapa ett index.

I den här investeringsguiden hittar du alla ETFer som gör att du kan investera i skogen. För närvarande finns det ett index tillgängligt spårat av två olika ETFer som båda har en årlig förvaltningskostnad på 0,65 procent.

Skogs-ETFer i jämförelse

När man väljer en ETF för skogsbruk bör man överväga flera andra faktorer utöver metodiken för det underliggande indexet och prestanda för en ETF. För bättre jämförelse hittar du en lista över alla skogs-ETFer med detaljer om namn, kortnamn, kostnad, utdelningspolicy, hemvist och replikeringsmetod. För ytterligare information om respektive börshandlad fond klicka på kortnamnet för att ta del av allt vi skrivit om dessa.

Namn ISIN	Kortnamn	Avgift %	Utdelningspolicy	Hemvist	Replikeringsmnetod
iShares Global Timber & Forestry UCITS ETF IE00B27YCF74	IUSB	0.65%	Utdelande	Irland	Fysisk replikering
iShares Global Timber & Forestry UCITS ETF USD (Acc) IE0003ZXNJY5	WOOE	0.65%	Ackumulerande	Irland	Fysisk replikering

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EDOG ETF med fokus på telemedicin och digital hälsa

Publicerad

12 timmar sedan

den

27 april, 2025

Redaktionen

Global X Telemedicine & Digital Health UCITS ETF Dist GBP (EDOG ETF) med ISIN IE00BLR6QC17, försöker följa indexet Solactive Telemedicine & Digital Health. Solactive Telemedicine & Digital Health-index spårar företag över hela världen som är verksamma inom området telemedicin och digital hälsa.

Den börshandlade fondens TER (total cost ratio) uppgår till 0,68 % p.a. Global X Telemedicine & Digital Health UCITS ETF Dist GBP är den billigaste ETF som följer Solactive Telemedicine & Digital Health-index. ETFen replikerar det underliggande indexets prestanda genom fullständig replikering (köper alla indexbeståndsdelar). Utdelningarna i ETFen delas ut till investerarna (halvårsvis).

Global X Telemedicine & Digital Health UCITS ETF Dist GBP är en mycket liten ETF med tillgångar på 0 miljoner euro under förvaltning. Denna ETF lanserades den 17 december 2020 och har sin hemvist i Irland.

Skäl att överväga EDOG

Hög tillväxtpotential: Den globala telemedicinmarknaden ökade med 35 % från 2019 till 2020 och översteg 55 miljarder dollar. Prognoser tyder på att marknaden kan nå nästan 300 miljarder dollar år 2028 (Källa: ”Telemedicine Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Component” Grand View Research, februari 2021).

Strukturella medvindar: Under 2019 saknade uppskattningsvis hälften av världens befolkning nödvändig hälsovård. När mer underbetjänade marknader får tillgång till bredband erbjuder telemedicin stora möjligheter att överbrygga klyftan (Källa: World Economic Forum).

Nya konsumentinställningar: Pandemin ökade antagandet av digitala hälsotjänster, med många vänder sig till telemedicin för första gången, vilket påskyndade temats räckvidd.

Handla EDOG ETF

Global X Telemedicine & Digital Health UCITS ETF Dist GBP (EDOG ETF) är en börshandlad fond (ETF) som handlas på London Stock Exchange.

London Stock Exchange är en marknad som få svenska banker och nätmäklare erbjuder access till, men DEGIRO gör det.

Börsnoteringar

Börs	Valuta	Kortnamn
London Stock Exchange	GBP	EDOG

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Vikt (%)	Kortnamn	Namn	Land	SEDOL
4.87	PODD US	INSULET CORP	United States	B1XGNW4
4.57	DOCS US	DOXIMITY INC-CLASS A	United States	BMD22Y4
4.55	HIMS US	HIMS & HERS HEALTH INC	United States	BN46048
4.28	RMD US	RESMED INC	United States	2732903
4.23	DGX US	QUEST DIAGNOSTICS INC	United States	2702791
4.22	TWST US	TWIST BIOSCIENCE CORP	United States	BGKG6G7
4.06	TNDM US	TANDEM DIABETES CARE INC	United States	BF3W461
4.05	QGEN US	QIAGEN N.V.	United States	BMGBZP0
4.05	LH US	LABCORP HOLDINGS INC	United States	BSBK800
4.02	OSCR US	OSCAR HEALTH -A	United States	BKY83Q6

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The Dogecoin story: The emerging “intrinsic value”

Publicerad

13 timmar sedan

den

27 april, 2025

Redaktionen

Like Bitcoin, Dogecoin uses a proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism but runs on its own blockchain, originally forked from Litecoin. It uses the Scrypt hashing algorithm, which is less resource-intensive than Bitcoin’s SHA-256, making mining more accessible to everyday users with consumer-grade hardware. Due to merged mining with Litecoin, Dogecoin benefits from shared infrastructure, with hashpower recently reaching all-time highs of 2.7 petahashes (quadrillion hashes) per second, making the network increasingly difficult to attack.

Dogecoin’s design is built for speed and utility, has no maximum supply, and confirms blocks every minute (10x faster than Bitcoin). Moreover, it maintains ultra-low transaction fees, which is ideal for tipping, microtransactions, and everyday use.

More than a meme

Although its supply is technically unlimited, Dogecoin’s issuance model is clear and predictable. Approximately 10,000 DOGE are mined every minute, adding up to around 5.25 billion new tokens each year. As the supply base expands, this fixed issuance creates a natural disinflationary trend that has cut nearly in half over the past decade while ensuring network security through consistent miner rewards.

Dogecoin’s technology fosters an aligned ecosystem between users and miners. With sustainable economic incentives, it acts as a kind of “retail Bitcoin”, built not just for hoarding but for real-world use, too.

While Dogecoin began as a lighthearted experiment, its evolution has proven it to be far more than a meme. Thanks to its speed, low fees, and strong community backing, Dogecoin has grown into a functional digital currency with a range of real-world use cases. From payments and merchant adoption to infrastructure development and charitable giving, Dogecoin continues to demonstrate its staying power as a practical and accessible tool in the broader crypto ecosystem.

Dogecoin as a payment tool

Dogecoin has transformed into a widely accepted digital currency, embraced by major brands like Tesla, AMC, Newegg, and the Dallas Mavericks. With fast transaction speeds and low fees, even amid surging transaction volumes, it has become a practical option for everyday payments. Crypto payment processors like BitPay have further expanded its reach, enabling thousands of merchants worldwide to accept DOGE. Most recently, The Open House Group, a prominent Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed real estate firm, added Dogecoin to its supported list, making it one of the few digital assets accepted for property transactions.

Enhancing Dogecoin’s payment infrastructure

Initiatives like Dogebox and GigaWallet are simplifying DOGE integration for businesses, while its scaling solution, Laika, is making meaningful progress in improving transaction speed and reducing costs.

Meanwhile, RadioDoge is working to expand access by enabling offline transactions in remote regions through low-cost radio and Starlink technology, advancing global crypto inclusion. A rumored integration with Elon Musk’s X platform could extend Dogecoin’s utility across digital tipping and commerce. These efforts collectively reinforce Dogecoin’s growing relevance in real-world payments and its potential as a frictionless, decentralized transaction layer.

Do Only Good Every Day

As we’ve seen, community drives memecoins, and Dogecoin’s community shines the brightest. This global network not only thrives on memes but also channels that energy into social good. From funding clean water in Kenya to sending Jamaica’s Bobsled Team to the Olympics and raising over $1 million for Ukraine relief, DOGE’s community transforms internet culture into real-world impact. Low fees and fast transactions make it a favorite for grassroots giving, showing a coin born as a joke can leave a lasting legacy. Dogecoin is more than a digital asset—it’s a movement powered by a community that believes in doing good every day.

Research Newsletter

Each week the 21Shares Research team will publish our data-driven insights into the crypto asset world through this newsletter. Please direct any comments, questions, and words of feedback to research@21shares.com

Disclaimer

The information provided does not constitute a prospectus or other offering material and does not contain or constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction. Some of the information published herein may contain forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. The information contained herein may not be considered as economic, legal, tax or other advice and users are cautioned to base investment decisions or other decisions solely on the content hereof.

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