Gold Standard News Daily - Real Money Blog
Posted M-F by 6pm ET
1.21.26 - Global anxiety accelerating
Gold last traded at $4,831 an ounce. Silver at $93.10 an ounce.
EDITOR'S NOTE: If you've been following the markets at all, the record-breaking surge in gold and silver shouldn't shock you. What should grab your attention is why it's happening; and why so many analysts say it's far from over. Global anxiety is accelerating, risks are stacking up, and investors are fleeing to real assets that can’t be printed or manipulated. Today’s metals prices may soon look like a steal compared to what’s coming next.
Gold breaks new record on Greenland tariff threats — $7,000 level on the cards -CNBC
by Lee Ying Shan
Gold prices climbed to a fresh record above $4,800 on Wednesday, extending a sharp rally as investors sought safety amid tariff threats from the White House and renewed concerns about a global trade war.
The surge has reignited debate among investors over how much prices can rise after a blockbuster year for the bullion.
Following a record-breaking 2025, gold has entered 2026 with momentum intact as geopolitical tensions, falling real interest rates and efforts by investors and central banks to diversify away from the dollar reinforce its role as the world’s ultimate haven, analysts said.
Forecasts are increasingly bullish. Analysts surveyed by the London Bullion Market Association expect prices to rise above $5,000 this year, citing expectations of lower U.S. real rates, continued Federal Reserve easing and sustained central-bank diversification away from the dollar. READ MORE
Gold Smashes $4,886 as Silver Teases $100 and Global Anxiety Boils Over -Bitcoin.com
Precious metals fans are grinning ear to ear as both gold and silver have climbed to fresh lifetime price peaks. On Wednesday, a single Troy ounce of .999 fine gold jumped more than 2% against the greenback, clocking an all-time high of $4,886.
At 8:50 a.m. Eastern time, gold is changing hands at $4,872, while silver is flirting with triple digits at $94.91. The move has been fueled by geopolitical turmoil, trade-war jitters, and growing chatter that the fiat monetary regime may be cracking at the seams.
With those pressures piling up, analysts and market watchers expect precious metals to keep climbing as investors rush toward hard assets. Wednesday shows gold still pressing higher, while silver—fresh off last week’s eye-popping run—appears to be catching its breath. READ MORE
Gold powers above $4,800 as global risks fan record safe-haven rally -MSN
by Pablo Sinha
(Reuters) - Gold prices extended their record run to breach the $4,800 per ounce level on Wednesday on safe-haven flows driven by escalating friction between the United States and NATO over Greenland.
Spot gold climbed 2.1% to $4,861.38 per ounce by 1024 GMT, after scaling a record $4,887.82 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures for February delivery climbed 2% to $4,863.10 per ounce.
Spot silver rose 0.5% to $95.04 an ounce, after hitting a record high of $95.87 on Tuesday, powered by a cocktail of factors including sustained physical tightness and safe-haven demand.
"There continues to be a myriad of factors boosting bullion, not least simply its safe haven quality. The Greenland crisis is front and centre with President Trump expected to deliver his Davos speech later today," said Jamie Dutta, market analyst at Nemo.money. READ MORE
RealMoneyBlog - Free daily/weekly email
1.20.26 - Longstanding bitcoin bull exits his position
Gold last traded at $4,763 an ounce. Silver at $94.57 an ounce.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A longtime Bitcoin bull has just made a dramatic pivot by dumping his entire crypto position and moving into gold. This isn't just a shift; it's a flashing red light for investors who thought digital assets were untouchable. As confidence in crypto wavers, gold is once again asserting itself as the ultimate safe-haven; and those who move early stand to benefit most.
This strategist and longstanding bitcoin bull exits his position and switches allegiance to gold -MorningStar
By Jules Rimmer
Jefferies strategist Chris Wood is concerned about bitcoin's reputation as a store of value with the advent of 'cryptographically relevant quantum computers'.
Quantum computing is going to be with us sooner than we thought, and its potential for cracking the code underlying the whole concept of bitcoin (BTCUSD) poses an existential threat, according to the concerns of one strategist. That means the cryptocurrency's claim to be a secure and reliable store of value could be in jeopardy.
This strategist, Chris Wood - a bullish advocate for bitcoin since 2020 - is sufficiently worried that he is eliminating his whole 10% recommended weighting in bitcoin from his recommended portfolio and reverting his allegiance back to gold (GC00).
Wood is the global head of strategy at Jefferies. He's a well-known commentator on financial markets who has expressed his opinions for 30 years in the popular weekly newsletter "Greed and Fear." In December 2020, when bitcoin's price was $22,000, Wood told U.S. pension funds that their long-term portfolios should contain a 5% weighting in bitcoin as a digital alternative to gold. The following November, he doubled it.
He said that bitcoin had become investible from the standpoint of institutional investors with custodial arrangements in place for digital assets.
Wood has been concerned about the dollar-debasement trade since 2002. He has consistently argued that asset allocations should include a 5% weighting in gold bullion and a 10% weighting in unhedged gold-mining stocks. Since 2020, when Wood began to divide his loyalties between gold and bitcoin, their respective returns have been 325% and 145%. READ MORE
RealMoneyBlog - Free daily/weekly email
1.16.26 - How BRICS May Deliver Structural Shock To US Dollar
Gold last traded at $4,597 an ounce. Silver at $89.79 an ounce.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a shift that every American investor should be paying attention to. As more trade moves away from the dollar and into alternative currencies and settlement systems, long-term demand for dollar-based assets could erode faster than most people expect. If this trend accelerates, it could reshape everything from inflation to savings power, making precious metals more important than ever.
How BRICS May Deliver Structural Shock To US Dollar System -Zero Hedge
Authored by Pepe Escobar
The oligarchy that really controls the Empire of Chaos has hit the panic button, as the structural contours of Hegemony seriously wobble.
The petrodollar is one of the key features of this Hegemony: a recycling machine channeling non-stop buying of US Treasuries then spent on Forever Wars. Any player even thinking of diversifying from this infernal machine is met with asset freezes, sanctions – or worse.
At the same time, the Empire of Chaos cannot demonstrate raw power by bleeding itself dry in the black soil of Novorossiya. Dominance requires ever-expanding – plundered – resources, side by side with that non-stop printing of US dollars as a reserve currency to pay for astronomic bills. Additionally, borrowing from the world works as imperial financial containment of rivals.
But now a choice becomes imperative – an inescapable structural constraint. Either keep astronomical spending on military dominance (enter Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion budget for the Department of War.) Or keep ruling the international financial system.
The Empire of Chaos cannot do both. READ MORE
RealMoneyBlog - Free daily/weekly email
1.15.26 - Chaos has set gold and silver ablaze
Gold last traded at $4,615 an ounce. Silver at $92.39 an ounce.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Gold and silver continue to explode as confidence in fiat currencies erodes and investors rush into assets with real, intrinsic value. This is exactly what happens when smart money moves first; precious metals don’t just protect wealth, they reprice it during periods of economic stress. If you’re still sitting on the sidelines, this rally is a clear warning: those positioned in physical gold and silver stand to benefit, while the unprepared will pay the price.
2026 chaos has set gold and silver ablaze -CNN
Analysis by David Goldman
Trump is threatening to take “strong action” against Iran just after capturing the leader of Venezuela. His administration is criminally investigating the chair of the Federal Reserve and is taking a scorched-earth approach on affordability by threatening key profit drivers for banks and institutional investors.
2026 has gotten off to a chaotic start.
You’d think that would be enough to send the stock market into a downward spiral. But equities traders are taking most of that news in stride: Stocks hit an all-time high Monday and have fallen back just a smidge since then.
Instead, investors have expressed their fears by setting the metals market on fire.
Silver rose more than 6% Wednesday, rising above $90 an ounce and is up 29% this year. That’s a stunning gain, especially considering silver prices surged 141% in 2025 for their best performance since 1979.
Gold is up nearly 1% Wednesday, well above $4,600 a troy ounce, and it has gained 22% this year. Like silver, gold also posted its best year since 1979 in 2025, jumping 65%. READ MORE
RealMoneyBlog - Free daily/weekly email
1.14.26 - Silver Hits $90 - Consumers Struggle - Stablecoins Frozen
Gold last traded at $4,631 an ounce. Silver at $93.14 an ounce.
EDITOR'S NOTE: As silver surges past $90 and gold races toward record highs - signaling a global flight to safety - cracks are widening everywhere. Hundreds of millions in stablecoins are being frozen and nearly all working Americans are slashing spending as the cost of living continues to crush household budgets. In this environment of eroding trust, tightening liquidity, and weakening consumer strength; precious metals stand out as one of the few real hedges against it all.
Silver Hits Record Above $90 as Precious Metals Rally Powers On -Yahoo! Finance
by Yihui Xie
(Bloomberg) -- Silver broke above $90 an ounce for the first time and gold flirted with a record high as attacks on the Federal Reserve, the prospect of more US rate cuts and a tense geopolitical backdrop added impetus to a blistering rally in precious metals.
The white metal jumped as much as 5.3% to touch $91.5535 an ounce, while gold was within $10 of an all-time peak. Underlying US inflation in December wasn’t as high as feared, but economists said the data was artificially depressed by the record-long government shutdown. The Fed is expected to pause rate cuts for several months, but swaps markets are pricing in at least two more later in the year.
Precious metals are off to strong starts this year, building on dramatic rallies in 2025, with the prospect of a criminal indictment against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reviving worries about the monetary authority’s independence. Central bankers across the world have rallied behind Powell and JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon said the move could backfire. READ MORE
92% Of Employed Americans Have Cut Back On Spending As The Standard Of Living In The US Crumbles -ZeroHedge
Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog
The headline of this article is not a misprint. The reason why “affordability” has become the number one issue for U.S. voters is because most of the population is being absolutely crushed by the rising cost of living.
Just look at how much you are paying for electricity compared to five years ago. And just look at how much you are paying for food compared to five years ago. Housing costs have risen to absurd heights, property taxes have become absolutely insane in many areas of the country, and health insurance premiums have more than doubled for millions of Americans. It isn’t just a coincidence that so many people are bitterly complaining about the cost of living these days. The truth is that most of the country is experiencing very real pain.
Of course it isn’t an accident that this has happened. Our politicians have borrowed and spent 28 trillion dollars that we did not have since Barack Obama first entered the White House in January 2009, and I warned that all of this money would create rampant inflation. READ MORE
$182,000,000 In USDT Stablecoins Frozen By Tether on Tron Blockchain Amid Suspicions of Scams: On-Chain Data -The Daily Hodl
More than $182 million worth of USDT stablecoins have been frozen on the Tron blockchain amid suspected scam activity.
In a series of alerts shared on X by Whale Alert, blockchain trackers reported that multiple Tron-based addresses holding large USDT balances were frozen, totaling roughly $182 million.
The largest single address held more than 50 million USDT, valued at about $49.9 million at the time of the freeze.
Other notable frozen balances include an address holding approximately 46.1 million USDT, another with nearly 45 million USDT, one containing about 29 million USDT, and a smaller address holding roughly 12.1 million USDT. Combined, the five addresses held approximately $182.2 million in USDT before being frozen. READ MORE
RealMoneyBlog - Free daily/weekly email
1.13.26 - US Bank Stocks Drop on Proposed Credit Card Interest Rate Cap
Gold last traded at $4,586 an ounce. Silver at $86.94 an ounce.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Bank stocks slid today as President Trump set his sights on the industry; specifically the credit card companies that have long profited from sky-high interest rates. For many Americans, these cards are no longer a luxury but a financial crutch used to keep up with everyday expenses in an increasingly unforgiving economy. While this move won’t solve every systemic issue, it could offer struggling households a much-needed moment of financial relief.
US Bank Stocks Drop As Trump Proposes Credit Card Interest Rate Cap -The Daily Hodl
US bank stocks are sliding after President Trump proposed a cap on credit card interest rates.
Shares of major banks including Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America fell between 1% and 3%.
Card-focused companies such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express also declined, while Capital One dropped nearly 7%.
Trump said late Friday that credit card interest rates would be capped at 10% for one year beginning January 20th, though the enforcement mechanism remains unclear.
Said an industry trade group of the proposal in a joint statement,
“Evidence shows that a 10% interest rate cap would reduce credit availability and be devastating for millions of American families and small business owners who rely on and value their credit cards, the very consumers this proposal intends to help.”
The proposal sparked alarm across the banking industry, with executives and analysts warning it would render large portions of the credit card business unprofitable, particularly for borrowers with weaker credit profiles. The average US credit card interest rate currently stands at 19.7%, with rates for subprime and store-branded cards significantly higher, according to the report. READ MORE
RealMoneyBlog - Free daily/weekly email
1.12.26 - Gold Hits Record as Trump-Powell Clash Shakes Investors
Gold last traded at $4,600 an ounce. Silver at $85.17 an ounce.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Tensions are once again rising between President Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell; and there is clearly no love lost between the two. As economic uncertainty deepens and market pressure intensifies, this public standoff is only adding more volatility to an already fragile financial landscape. In moments like these, two clear winners continue to emerge: gold, and those wise enough to own it.
Gold Hits Record $4,600 as Trump-Powell Clash Shakes Investors -Newsmax
Gold hit a record high of $4,600 Monday, while silver also set a new peak, as a criminal probe by the Trump administration into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell sent investors back into the asset viewed as a safe haven.
Spot gold jumped 1.7% to $4,584.12 per ounce by 1159 GMT, after earlier hitting a record high of $4,600.33. U.S. gold futures for February delivery gained 2.1% to $4,595.
"With the Fed's independence now openly contested, the 'political risk' discount usually reserved for emerging markets is bleeding into the U.S. dollar, driving investors toward hard assets," said Zain Vawda, analyst at MarketPulse by OANDA.
Wall Street futures dropped and the dollar fell by the most in three weeks as tensions between the Fed and the Trump administration escalated.
Powell said the threat to indict him over Congressional testimony he gave last summer was a "pretext" for the Trump administration to gain more influence over interest rates, which the U.S. President wants cut dramatically. READ MORE
RealMoneyBlog - Free daily/weekly email
1.9.26 - The US Dollar Just Hit a 20-Year Low
Gold last traded at $4,507 an ounce. Silver at $80.25 an ounce.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A new year has arrived, but the message couldn’t be clearer: the dollar’s decline as a global reserve currency is accelerating, not slowing down. This is exactly why nations around the world are racing to stockpile gold at historic levels, and why smart investors are following suit. Physical precious metals are no longer optional; they are essential for protecting and strengthening any serious portfolio.
The US Dollar Just Hit a 20-Year Low in Global Reserves -Watcher.Guru
by Juhi Mirza
The US dollar has now claimed a major new title, the one that involves the American currency hitting a 20-year low in global reserves. This position has now been handed over to gold, which has emerged as the leading global reserve the world has been hanging on to as of late. Will the American currency ever be able to recover from this setback?
According to the latest update by the Kobeissi letter, a new striking development has taken place where the US dollar’s positioning as a global reserve asset has taken a toll. The KL data outlines how the US dollar reserve share has dropped to its lowest in 20 years. Moreover, this percentage has declined 18 percentage points in the last 18 years.
On the other hand, gold has emerged as a leading asset to take note of as of late, crowned as the best reserve asset to explore currently. The central bank’s constant spree of purchasing gold has led the asset to take the top spot, dethroning the king dollar. READ MORE
RealMoneyBlog - Free daily/weekly email
1.8.26 - Dalio: 'Biggest Investment Story' Remains Under the Radar
Gold last traded at $4,477 an ounce. Silver at $76.98 an ounce.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Ray Dalio appears to be viewing the markets through a very different lens than most. He’s far less impressed by record highs in the Dow, or the hype surrounding AI stocks that investors have eagerly embraced in recent years. And I tend to agree with him.
Billionaire Ray Dalio Says ‘Biggest Investment Story’ Remains Under the Radar – And It’s Not AI or Stocks The Daily Hodl
Billionaire Ray Dalio says that the biggest investment story of the moment is under many people’s radar.
Dalio, who founded the asset management firm Bridgewater Associates, says the real investment story last year is the devaluing of fiat currency and the underperformance of US stocks relative to gold and foreign equities.
“Though the facts and returns are indisputable, I see things differently from most others. While most people see US stocks and particularly US AI stocks to be the best investments and hence the biggest investment story of 2025, it is indisputably true that the biggest returns (and hence the biggest story) came from:
1: What happened to the value of money (most importantly the dollar, other fiat currencies and gold).
2: US stocks significantly underperforming both non-US stock markets and gold (which was the best performing major market) principally as a result of fiscal and monetary stimulations, productivity gains and big shifts in asset allocations away from US markets.” READ MORE
RealMoneyBlog - Free daily/weekly email
1.7.26 - Metals continue their historic rally
Gold last traded at $4,456 an ounce. Silver at $78.19 an ounce.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Gold and silver prices are accelerating far faster than most anticipated, driven by a powerful convergence of forces. Rising geopolitical tensions, rapidly expanding industrial demand fueled by the global race for technological dominance, and a surge in investor interest as markets recognize just how undervalued these metals have been all play a role. Together, these dynamics are reshaping the landscape. The three articles below clearly explain not only what’s driving today’s price action, but also why the most significant moves may still lie ahead.
Silver Rallies Today: The Key Factors Behind the Price Move -Investing Haven
China tightened control over refined silver exports, reducing available supply. Prices jumped, volatility increased, and industrial buyers now face higher costs.
China has approved only 44 companies to export refined silver starting January 1, 2026.
The decision quickly changed market conditions. Silver prices jumped, trading became more volatile, and buyers rushed to secure supply.
With China playing a central role in refined silver production, even small policy shifts now move global prices fast.
China’s new export rules restrict refined silver shipments to 44 approved companies, cutting the number of exporters sharply.
China accounts for about 40–50% of global refined silver output, so these limits matter immediately. READ MORE
Gold Prices Jump Today – What’s Driving the Sudden Rally? -Investing Haven
Gold jumped above $4,400 as political shock from Venezuela pushed investors toward safety. Precious metals rose fast as risk appetite faded.
Gold prices moved sharply higher after news broke that the U.S. had captured Venezuela’s president. Spot gold climbed more than 2.7% to trade above $4,400 per ounce, while futures followed the same path.
The sudden move reflected a rapid shift in investor behavior, with money flowing out of riskier assets and into gold, a long-standing store of value during periods of uncertainty.
Spot gold rose above $4,424 per ounce, marking one of its strongest single-day gains this year.
U.S. gold futures also advanced, while silver gained about 3.5%. Traders moved quickly after confirmation of the U.S. operation in Venezuela, which raised concerns about regional stability and market spillovers.
Switzerland’s decision to freeze assets linked to Venezuela’s leadership added financial pressure and increased uncertainty. Gold’s reaction was amplified by its strong momentum. READ MORE
Morgan Stanley Lifts Gold Forecast To $4,800, Citing Fed Cuts And Global Risk -ZeroHedge
Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times
Gold prices are poised to climb to fresh record highs by the end of the year, with Morgan Stanley forecasting the bullion at $4,800 per ounce by the fourth quarter of 2026, as falling interest rates, central bank buying, and persistent geopolitical risk continue to drive demand for the traditional safe-haven asset.
In a research note on Jan. 5, the bank said the precious metal’s rally is being underpinned by a combination of macroeconomic and policy shifts, including an expected easing cycle by the U.S. Federal Reserve, a change in leadership at the Federal Reserve, and sustained purchases by central banks and investment funds.
Bullion has already delivered a historic run. Spot gold touched an all-time high of $4,549.71 per ounce on Dec. 26, 2025, and finished the year up 64 percent, marking its strongest annual performance since 1979.
Gold prices jumped again this week after the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro by U.S. military forces heightened geopolitical uncertainty across energy and financial markets. Analysts say such flashpoints have revived safe-haven buying at a time when many investors were already positioned defensively.
“The situation around Venezuela has clearly reactivated safe-haven demand, but it comes on top of existing concerns about geopolitics, energy supply, and monetary policy,” said Alexander Zumpfe, a precious metals trader at Heraeus Metals Germany. READ MORE
RealMoneyBlog - Free daily/weekly email
To see older blog posts CLICK HERE
