Washington, D.C., April 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The data on sovereign gold accumulation is unambiguous. According to the World Gold Council, global central banks purchased 1,082 tonnes of gold in 2022, 1,037 tonnes in 2023, and 1,045 tonnes in 2024 — three consecutive years more than double the historical average, extending a streak of net buying that has now continued for 15 consecutive years. A 2025 World Gold Council survey found that 95% of central banks expected official reserves to increase further over the next 12 months, with none planning to reduce holdings.
Former CIA advisor and economist Jim Rickards has released a new video presentation examining what this sustained global race to accumulate gold suggests — and what it means that America has been sitting on one of the world's largest known undeveloped gold deposits for decades without bringing it to production.
The Global Context
Gold set 53 new all-time highs in 2025, per the World Gold Council, rising from approximately $2,600 per ounce at the start of the year to a record of $5,589.38 on January 28, 2026, per CBS News. The 2025 annual gain of 65%, per BullionVault, was the strongest since 1979. J.P. Morgan Research projected in early 2026 that prices could push toward $5,000 per ounce by Q4 2026.
Rickards' analysis examines the geopolitical and monetary drivers behind this global movement — specifically, the growing trend of reserve diversification among central banks seeking to reduce dollar dependency, and what that structural shift suggests about the long-term demand environment for gold.
America's Undeveloped Answer
A significant deposit in southwest Alaska is documented in official resource filings as one of the world's largest undeveloped copper and gold deposits. Measured and indicated resources include 57 billion pounds of copper and 71 million ounces of gold. The project has been in regulatory proceedings for more than a decade, blocked by a series of permitting denials and environmental vetoes during the Biden administration.
The Trump administration has taken documented steps to change that regulatory environment. Executive Order 14153, signed January 20, 2025, directed federal agencies to expedite natural resource permitting in Alaska and rescind Biden-era restrictions. Executive Order 14241 designated copper as a critical mineral, expected to accelerate permitting for projects with significant copper resources.
The Question Rickards Is Asking
His presentation frames a straightforward question: if the world's sovereign institutions are collectively accumulating gold at the fastest pace since 1967, and the United States holds one of the largest undeveloped gold deposits on the planet, what does it mean that the policy environment surrounding that deposit has now materially shifted? Rickards' analysis examines the historical, geopolitical, and economic context that he argues makes that question worth asking.
What the Presentation Covers
- Three consecutive years of 1,000-tonne-plus central bank gold purchases and the geopolitical factors driving them
- The documented shift in the regulatory environment for this Alaskan deposit under Executive Orders 14153 and 14241
- The current status of the project's legal proceedings and regulatory calendar
- What the convergence of record global gold demand and domestic supply policy shift may signal
About the Presentation
The full video presentation is available for on-demand viewing at no cost. To access the complete session, click here.
About Jim Rickards and Paradigm Press
Jim Rickards is a macroeconomist, former CIA advisor, and bestselling author who has spent five decades studying the relationship between government policy, natural resources, and global financial markets. His research is published by Paradigm Press.
Derek Warren Public Relations Manager Paradigm Press Group Email: dwarren@paradigmpressgroup.com
