In this episode of the Prospector Podcast, Michael Fox interviews Joseph Cavatoni, Senior Market Strategy and Policy Head for the Americas at the World Gold Council, about gold’s evolving role in the global financial system. Joseph explains how the World Gold Council promotes greater access, awareness, trust and transparency through research, data and education, while outlining why gold is fundamentally a monetary and financial asset—not simply an industrial precious metal. The conversation explores gold’s historic connection to wealth and prosperity, the end of the U.S. gold standard in 1971, record-high prices above $4,000 per ounce, central-bank reserve diversification, sovereign debt concerns and changing investment demand across Asia and Western markets. Michael and Joseph also examine the risks facing artisanal and small-scale gold mining, including illicit finance, unsafe practices and weak supply-chain oversight, as well as the World Gold Council’s proposed solutions involving traceability technology, responsible processing facilities and guaranteed offtake agreements. With gold increasingly viewed as an insurance policy, liquidity instrument and strategic reserve asset during periods of economic and geopolitical uncertainty, this interview offers valuable insights for investors, mining companies and anyone following the future of the global gold market.

Joseph Cavatoni leads business strategy for the Americas at the World Gold Council, including investor relationships, product solutions, research and marketing. The World Gold Council and Ghana announced a 2026 partnership focused on formalizing artisanal and small-scale gold mining, improving supply-chain integrity and combating illicit finance.