Abstract:【【Objective】Cobalt is an important new energy mineral, the rapid increase in the installed capacity of power batteries has brought broad market prospects for cobalt, grasping the characteristics of cobalt resources and the supply and demand situation is of great significance for the geological exploration industry and the back-end industrial chain.【Methods】Mainly through the investigation method, quantitative analysis method and qualitative analysis method, analyze, compare, and summarize large amounts of data collected in surveys.【Results】this paper analyzes the characteristics of global cobalt resources and the supply and demand situation from the aspects of global resource distribution characteristics, supply and trade patterns, consumption history and trends, and at the same time makes research and judgments on the prospects of the cobalt market based on the status quo of the industry. 【Conclusions】First, cobalt resources that can be developed and utilized in the world are relatively concentrated, sedimentary sandstone copper-cobalt deposits are mainly in Congo (Golden), weathered laterite nickel-cobalt deposits are mainly in Australia, and magmatic rock-type copper-nickel-cobalt sulfides deposits are mainly in Canada; second, the cobalt exploration funds mainly flowed to the Congo (DRC), Australia, Canada and the United States, but the exploration investment has not yet been converted into production capacity, and global cobalt production has declined; third, the market share of global cobalt mining giants is gradually increasing, and they are evolving into a "duopoly" situation; fourth, the battery-based consumption structure and China-based consumers have supported the continuous and stable growth of global cobalt consumption;fifth, the global mainstream institutions are unanimously optimistic about the prospects of the cobalt market, this article predicts that the cobalt market will continue to prosper in the next 5-10 years, but it is necessary to be alert to risks such as technological innovation and replacement in the battery industry.