What began as a violent "flash crash" on Thursday, January 29, 2026, expanded into a literal campaign of destruction against precious metal prices by the close of trading on Friday. While market observers initially spoke only of a correction, the raw figures point to a concerted action: Within less than 48 hours, silver plummeted from over 120 USD to a low of 73.30 USD – an unprecedented loss in value of nearly 40%. Gold lost around 16% during the same period, falling from 5,602 USD to 4,694 USD.
Particularly explosive: this crash occurred in an environment of physical scarcity and extreme geopolitical tension. It was a battle of "paper against metal," in which the financial power of short sellers briefly triumphed over the laws of supply and demand.
It all began on January 29 with a 30-minute wave of selling in New York. Without fundamental news, massive amounts of "paper gold" and "paper silver" were dumped onto the market. Although prices initially stabilized on Thursday morning, the second, far more aggressive wave followed the nomination of Kevin Warsh as the new Fed Chair by Donald Trump.
It seemed like a calculated trap: earlier in the week, Trump had hinted at a weak dollar, which drove prices up. The appointment of "hardliner" Warsh was the signal for an "armada of short sellers" to flood the markets with leveraged contracts. The goal: to trigger stop-loss orders and provoke forced liquidation among physically-oriented investors.
To understand this price plunge, one must know: spot prices are set on the futures exchanges, not at the local dealer.
| Trading Venue / Exchange | Gold (USD/oz) | Silver (USD/oz) | Special Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York (COMEX) | 4,694.00 USD | 73.30 USD | Lowest paper price |
| London (LBMA) | 4,780.50 USD | 79.10 USD | High volatility |
| Shanghai (SGE) | 5,120.00 USD | 94.50 USD | Massive physical premium |
| Tokyo (TOCOM) | 4,910.00 USD | 86.20 USD | Arbitrage attempts |
We are currently observing the phenomenon of a complete decoupling. While paper prices in New York were sent into the basement by short attacks to support the US dollar as a "safe haven," the physical market in Asia and among retail customers is reacting completely differently. Already on the weekend following the crash, physical purchases far exceeded buybacks. In India and China, premiums are being paid that are far above COMEX quotes. The attempt to crash the market has even re-stimulated physical demand, as savvy investors take advantage of the "special offer prices."
This episode painfully demonstrates that the "spot price" is often just an illusion controlled by banks and algorithms. However, paper cannot be built into electric cars, nor into photovoltaic systems or AI chips. The physical silver shortage persists.
Do not be unsettled by short-term manipulations in paper trading. When trust in over-indebted institutions declines, only what you hold in your hands counts. With the Spargold App, you secure real, physical metal that withstands these "paper storms." Use the artificially depressed prices to back your portfolio with real assets before physical availability at these prices dries up.
Stay farsighted,
Yours, Nils Gregersen
