China Moves to Quell Silver Frenzy: Fund Plunges After Three-Day Limit-Up Streak

Posted on December 28, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

The value of China’s only pure-play silver fund dropped by its daily maximum of 10%, ending a wild bull run that led the fund’s manager to issue rare warnings.

The sudden decline in the UBS SDIC Silver Futures Fund LOF follows weeks of gains driven by increasing global interest in precious metals, which the manager called “unsustainable.” Spot silver is on track for its best annual performance since 1979 after reaching a record high of $72.70 per ounce on Wednesday.

After three consecutive days this week of exceeding the 10% upward limit, UBS SDIC Fund Management Co. announced new restrictions. Starting in December, there will be a cap on new Class C share subscriptions, typically the best option for short-term investors, decreasing from 500 yuan to 26-100 yuan ($14.25), according to a statement on the fund manager’s website. Strong investor interest in precious metals has focused on silver, with a historic short squeeze in October fueling the notable global spot price rally.

Palladium, gold, and platinum have all surged, and other Chinese funds linked to these metals have also seen significant gains, as investors caution. This year, the silver fund has surged by nearly 220%, while Shanghai-traded silver futures have risen about 128%.

The premium over the underlying asset jumped from 7% at the start of the month to nearly 62% by Wednesday. As the fund’s value declined and futures rose, this premium is expected to decrease on Thursday.

Silver Hits All-Time High Above $77 – Is $80 Next Before 2025 Ends?

Posted on December 27, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Silver crossed the $77 threshold for the first time, and gold and platinum reached all-time highs thanks to anticipated rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and geopolitical unrest that increased demand for safe havens.

After reaching an all-time high of $77.4, spot silver jumped 7.5 percent to $77.3 per ounce, marking a 167 percent year-to-date surge fueled by supply shortages, its classification as a US critical mineral, and robust investment inflows. After reaching a record $4,549.71 earlier, spot gold was up 1.2 percent at $4,531.41 per ounce.

A weak dollar, heightened geopolitical tensions, and expectations of additional Fed easing in 2026 are causing volatility in thin markets. Gold futures for February delivery settled 1.1 percent higher at $4,553.

The trend remains strong, even though some profits may be taken before the year is out. In 2026, markets expect two rate cuts.

The first is expected in the middle of the year, amid rumors that US President Donald Trump may appoint a dovish Fed chair, raising hopes for a more accommodative monetary policy.

The US dollar index is expected to drop weekly, making dollar-priced gold more appealing to foreign buyers. In terms of geopolitics, Trump stated on Thursday that the US had conducted airstrikes against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria.

By year’s end, $80 in silver is within reach. The next target for gold is $4,686.61, with $5,000 likely in the first half of the following year. Supported by Fed policy easing, central bank purchases, ETF inflows, and ongoing de-dollarization trends, gold remains on track for its biggest yearly gain since 1979. On the physical demand front, gold discounts in China shrank significantly from last week’s five-year highs, while in India they widened to their highest level in over six months this week as a relentless price rally restrained retail purchases.

Palm Oil Extends Rally Driven by Robust Malaysian Shipments

Posted on December 26, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Palm oil continued to rise for a fourth consecutive session because of increased demand for Malaysian goods, reaching its highest level in two weeks.

Intertek Testing Services reports that during the first 25 days of December, exports from Malaysia, the second-largest grower, increased by 1.6% month over month.

India was the largest buyer, a 66 percent increase over the same period last month, with 279,550 tons imported. “As the festival season’s demand catches up, exports are bound to rise now,” stated Gnanasekar Thiagarajan, Kaleesuwari Intercontinental’s head of trading and hedging strategies.

Prices are anticipated to rise in February 2026 due to demand before the Lunar New Year and Ramadan. He did, however, add that a stronger ringgit might limit gains. After strengthening for a third day, the Malaysian ringgit is poised to reach a four-and-a-half-year high, making the tropical commodity less appealing to foreign buyers.

Silver Run Halted: 10% Plunge in China Fund Following Risk Alerts

Posted on December 26, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

The value of China’s only pure-play silver fund dropped by its daily maximum of 10%, ending a wild bull run that led the fund’s manager to issue rare warnings.

Gold Steady After Hitting $4,500 Peak Amid Year-End Profit Booking

Posted on December 25, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

The bullion asset saw little change after a three-day surge that raised the price of the precious metal to an all-time high above $4,500 an ounce. Platinum also retreated from an all-time high reached overnight, falling more than 6%.

Some traders are beginning to take profits following a fierce run in the precious metal market as the year comes to an end, with gold up nearly 70% in 2025.

The price of platinum has more than doubled. The selling pressure was supported by the 14-day relative strength index for gold, which was in overbought territory, indicating that a pause or decline in price may be imminent.

The appeal of gold as a haven amid growing tensions in Venezuela, where the US has blockaded oil tankers, has fueled the metal’s recent surge.

Additionally, traders are speculating that the Federal Reserve will further reduce borrowing costs in the upcoming year, which would benefit non-yielding precious metals. Both gold and silver are expected to have their best yearly results since 1979.

Elevated central bank purchases and inflows into exchange-traded funds have supported the precious metals rally. World Gold Council data shows that total holdings in gold-backed ETFs have increased each month this year, except May.

Goldman Sachs has predicted that prices will continue to rise in 2026. The base-case scenario is $4,900, with upside risks. While fiscal drift attracted retail buyers and dollar diversification kept central banks in a strong position, easier global monetary policy has helped precious metals. More generally, a banner year in metals was made possible by a combination of tight supply, tariffs, and geopolitical tensions. This week, silver saw its first price above $70 per ounce.

Speculative inflows and persistent supply disruptions across major trading hubs have driven the metal’s most recent surge, following a historic short squeeze in October, which has been even more pronounced than gold’s. Since then, London’s vaults have seen substantial inflows, but a large portion of the world’s silver supply remains in New York, as traders await the conclusion of a US Commerce Department investigation into whether imports of vital minerals pose a threat to national security.

Intel Shares Fall Amid Reports of Nvidia Scrapping 18A Chip Test

Posted on December 25, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Intel’s stock dropped after a report claimed that Nvidia Corp. stopped a test to produce advanced chips using Intel’s manufacturing process. According to Reuters, which cited two unnamed people with knowledge of the situation, Nvidia tested the so-called 18A process recently but decided not to proceed.

Requests for comment from Nvidia and Intel representatives were not immediately answered. Reuters was informed by an Intel representative that the company’s 18A manufacturing technologies are “progressing well.”. “Intel recently opened Fab 52, a new factory at its Ocotillo, Arizona, location, which is the first to use the 18A technique in mass production.

According to the company, it is the most advanced production technology created and used in the United States. In an effort to take on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the industry leader, Intel is pushing to produce cutting-edge chips domestically. and reaffirm American dominance in the sector. NVIDIA decided to invest $5 billion in Intel after the US government acquired about 10% of the company.

The investment by the most valuable company and a major chip designer for the artificial intelligence boom was viewed as a boost for Intel, which has been struggling to control losses and catch up with rivals that have outperformed it in recent years. But Intel did not commit to producing Nvidia chips as part of the agreement.

18A is an attempt to resume producing Intel’s top products internally. According to Intel, the technology has two new features that are revolutionary for the sector. The first concerns transistors, the tiny switches that enable semiconductors to function. Tens of billions of transistors are crammed into a tiny space on modern chips. The ability to turn these transistors on and off becomes crucial for increasing chip efficiency and reducing energy consumption.

BlackRock XRP Stealth Mode: Massive Hidden Buys Could Fuel the Ultimate Wealth Explosion

Posted on December 25, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Maxwell Stein, the Director of Digital Assets at BlackRock, caused a stir in the crypto market.

“Trillions of dollars are poised to enter the blockchain ecosystem, but in the short term, we need to demonstrate the technology’s utility,” stated Maxwell Stein. Meanwhile, Adena Friedman, President and CEO of NASDAQ, elaborated on how banks have begun tokenizing bonds, fixed income assets, and stablecoins, particularly Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).

Ripple’s annual Swell conference is one of the most anticipated events in the cryptocurrency community. However, renowned analyst Digital Asset Investor recently noted that while the Swell conference may not directly impact prices, an announcement regarding an XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) backed by BlackRock could have a significantly different effect. This comment reignited discussions about the factors that truly influence XRP’s market fluctuations and whether Swell WAS a meaningful price catalyst.

The consensus among digital asset investors is clear: the Swell conference typically does not lead to immediate changes in XRP’s value. The conference mainly focuses on cross-border payment innovations, blockchain integration, and industry collaboration—topics that support long-term fundamentals but rarely trigger short-term price spikes. Conversely, the analyst suggested that a formal XRP ETF, especially one backed by a major international investment firm like BlackRock, would dramatically transform the market landscape. Such an event would signify institutional support and regulatory recognition, potentially attracting significant capital inflows and influencing the token’s price.

Reactions on X varied among users. While some see potential, one user noted that the current market trend indicates weakness and consolidation, suggesting that broader declines may overshadow any positive developments. They also mentioned that retail traders might react emotionally in the short term.

The overarching conclusion is that traders differentiate between significant financial advancements and mere symbolic events. Although Swell’s global reach and institutional partnerships are noteworthy, they rarely generate headlines that impact the market. In contrast, the possibility of a BlackRock XRP ETF would have much larger implications for investor accessibility, liquidity, and long-term valuation.

Market participants will likely continue to look for signs of progress in institutional integration as Ripple’s Swell 2025 conference in New York approaches. However, until an ETF or regulatory milestone is officially announced, expectations for substantial price movements remain low.

Bitcoin’s Rare Down Year Looms as October Leverage Wipeout Echoes On

Posted on December 24, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Bitcoin has only finished the year lower in 2014, 2018, and 2022, and it is currently down 7% YTD. Since 2025 isn’t like the previous three bear market years, analysts and experts are asking, “Is something broken?” Many specifically point to October 10, when Bitcoin prices plummeted 10%, losing over $12,000 in a single day in the biggest leverage flush in the industry. ”

What happened on October 10th? According to exchanges, everything is OK. Analyst “Max Crypto” questioned, “Market makers are saying they are fine,” adding that it seems like a few large companies are constantly selling cryptocurrency.

Investor George Bodine stated, “The overhang of ‘Crashtober’ still haunts us, and 10 was the pivotal moment to where we sit today.” “I have never seen the fundamentals behind Bitcoin as strong as this year,” he said, adding that the October 10 disaster coincided with record runs in gold and silver, both of which had momentum.

Furthermore, altcoins do not recover; whenever Bitcoin declines without attracting new investment, they bleed. Contrary to what would be expected from healthy market behavior, this suggests that money is leaving the market entirely, rather than shifting between assets.

However, it was a significant deleveraging event, and since then, aggregate OI [open interest] has been declining, indicating that confidence in positioning through perps has undoubtedly suffered.

They predicted that “we will see traders return to the market as they always do, and OI will begin to rise once more” if the price bottoms in this area. “This next rally is even more sustainable than the previous one, so less leverage in the system is not a bad thing.”

XRP’s ETF Triumph: Ripple Stronger Demand Than Ethereum in a Tough Market

Posted on December 24, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

XRP is now gaining recognition as a dependable bridge between traditional finance and digital assets. Analysts and investors have noticed this shift, interpreting the growing inclusion of the token in regulated investment vehicles as a sign of market maturation.

The reception of XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offers insight into this transformation and explains why market participants are growing more confident in its long-term potential. XRP ETFs have been “better received than Ethereum was,” according to Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise. In conversation with Ripple CTO David Schwartz, Hougan highlighted that steady inflows into XRP ETFs point to deeper structural demand beyond fleeting trading interest.

This underscores how institutional capital can be channeled through regulated instruments. XRP’s regulated funds have consistently attracted institutional involvement, unlike earlier cryptocurrency ETFs that mainly depended on speculative interest.

According to Hougan’s analysis, the market is assured about XRP’s usefulness and adherence to regulations. The consistent inflows into ETFs support this, indicating that investors view XRP as a long-term infrastructure asset rather than a short-term speculative vehicle. Ripple’s ongoing focus on practical use cases, especially in cross-border payments and liquidity solutions, further increases institutional appetite. Large-scale investors looking for assets with real-world utility and growth potential are drawn to XRP because it addresses inefficiencies in the conventional financial system.

The Satoshi Signal Strikes Again – Is a Bitcoin Price Plunge Coming?

Posted on December 23, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Analysts caution that the surge in interest in Satoshi Nakamoto, the enigmatic creator of Bitcoin, could have negative effects on the price of BTC. Spikes in Satoshi’s Wikipedia page views have historically coincided with significant turning points in the Bitcoin market cycle, according to data released by Alphractal.

Bitcoin is falling rapidly after climbing briefly to $107K.

Rising curiosity during powerful rallies has typically coincided with euphoric tops, while similar spikes following protracted drawdowns have indicated capitulation lows.

This pattern was evident in the legal disputes of 2018 and the institutional hype wave of 2021, both of which preceded significant market peaks. However, after prices had already fallen during the post-FTX panic, increased interest surfaced, closely matching a cycle bottom.

Satoshi was among the top eleven richest people in the world due to the combination of revived stories about a US Strategic Reserve and dormant wallets transferring about 80,000 BTC.

Alphractal’s João Wedson contends that social interest in Satoshi serves as a trustworthy sentiment indicator.

Wedson’s analysis shows that price drops typically follow spikes in narratives related to Satoshi Nakamoto, with a 73 percent chance that Bitcoin will drop once such attention increases.

The CEO of Aphractal warns that traders who disregard sentiment risk succumbing to confirmation bias by relying only on technical or fundamental signals. However, following the recent spike, interest has decreased, raising the question of whether the market is about to enter a calm phase or is just waiting for another socially driven move.

Bitcoin continues to consolidate around its 4-hour 200 MA and EMA, repeatedly failing to break through the resistance zone between $93,000 and $94,000. According to analysts, a persistent rise above this level might lead to a liquidity retest in the $97,000–$98,000 range, but it would be repeatedly rejected.