Star Metro - Metals.io Launches Copper, Unlocking Access to the Critical Metal at the Heart of Electrification

LONDON, UK / ACCESS Newswire / October 29, 2026 / Copper has launched on metals.io, in a significant move that opens investor access to the metal at the heart of electrification. Copper joins 5 other assets already traded on metals.io: uranium, xU3O8; VNXAU gold; RARE, a basket of rare-earth metals; xCo cobalt; and xNi nickel, as metals.io continues to strengthen its position as the go-to destination for the buying and selling of critical infrastructure metals driving from the low-carbon revolution to AI technologies.

Copper's primary use is still in the construction industry, in wiring and piping, all of which is multiplied as emerging global economies move to urbanization. Drinking water is delivered via copper piping due to its ability to destroy 99.5% of specific disease-causing bacteria within 2 hours. Copper is also an essential material for EVs, AI data centres, power grids and renewable energy, and copper demand is forecast to grow 50% by 2040.

However, copper is also facing a supply crunch, with new mine supply taking 17+ years to come online, and the asset is now the subject of renewed investor interest. Historically, only institutional investors could trade copper futures to participate in the commodity supercycle. Existing investment structures offer indirect routes: ETCs provide price exposure via futures which are used to track a futures index, while copper ETFs provide mining equity exposure rather than exposure to the price of the metal itself. In opening access to copper, metals.io is enabling investors to tap into a real-world, tangible asset class with structural demand driven by global electrification.

Commenting on the launch, Ben Elvidge, Head of Alternative Assets at Trilitech, said, "Metals.io was built to enable access to the critical metals powering the technological revolution. We recognized that some $600 billion of ownable base and industrial metals had no ownership layer, and so we set out to build it. We started with uranium, arguably the most difficult metal to deal with from an operational complexity and regulatory perspective, and now we're applying our learnings to metals like copper that play a crucial role in the new economy. Copper can be seen as bridging some of the characteristics associated with assets such as gold and bitcoin, combining tangible commodity scarcity with direct exposure to tech-driven expansion. xCu is a real-world, tangible asset with structural demand driven by global electrification, packaged in a liquid digital wrapper. It's our firm belief that market participants around the world should be able to access the assets that look set to power our collective future."

Tokenized copper (xCu) is available on metals.io from today. The physical copper underpinning the tokenized asset is held in industry-standard bonded warehouses and matches the global chemical and physical make-up required of copper to trade using the spot price, making this the first physically-backed spot copper investment product of its kind. Its addition to the platform demonstrates the continued evolution of metals.io and illustrates its mission of driving access to the critical assets powering the new economy. While demand for copper is high, particularly considering its role as an enabler of electrification, only 14 new copper deposits have been discovered in the past decade compared to 225 in the previous 23 years. EVs use 2.9x more copper than conventional cars, while data centers, solar panels, and wind turbines are adding new demand annually. A single large AI data center requires up to 50,000 tonnes of copper and data center demand alone is projected to reach up to 1.1 million tonnes annually by 2030. Such is its importance that the US and EU have designated copper a critical mineral. xCu is the only copper investment available that gives retail investors spot pricing. However, while it is a critical mineral, copper prices can be volatile and may rise or fall in response to factors including changes in global demand, economic conditions, supply levels and market sentiment. Investors could lose some or all of the money they invest.

The addition of copper is the latest development in the rapid growth of metals.io, which now lists six assets. The assets are also being adopted by centralised exchanges, like digital asset trading platform Kraken, which opened trading for xU3O8 at the end of July, expanding its range of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). For more information about tokenized RWAs and commodities, visit: https://metals.io/

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Disclaimer: Prices of metals such as copper, uranium, gold, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements can be influenced by factors including changes in energy and industrial policies, trade restrictions, and geopolitical tensions in producing regions. For example, shifts in government policies affecting nuclear energy, manufacturing, or monetary stability can impact demand and, consequently, prices. Additionally, supply chain disruptions, often driven by political instability or export controls in resource-rich countries, can lead to price fluctuations. Finally, tokenized assets rely on smart contracts, which may carry risks such as bugs or exploits that could result in loss or errors in your holdings. Understanding the factors driving prices can help you to make more informed investing decisions.

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Approved by Archax LTD on 28/10/2026

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Media Contact:

Eoin McGinley
Head of PR, Trilitech
[email protected]

SOURCE: Metals.io

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

O.Lessard--SMC