SILVER $83.62: WHY THE SHORTAGE MATTERS
Silver hits all-time high. Here's what's actually happening.
THE CORE FACTS
🔹 Price: $83.62 (+175% YTD) 🔹 Supply Deficit: 120M oz/year (5 years running) 🔹 China Control: 60-70% of global output 🔹 Industrial Demand: 88% (solar 45%, EVs 25%, AI 18%)
WHY IT MATTERS
China's Jan 1 Export Lock: Only state-approved firms can export. Blocks 60-70% of supply.
Industrial Necessity: Solar growing 64% YoY. Each EV needs 25-50g silver. AI hardware depends on it.
Vault Crisis: Multi-year inventory lows. Physical premiums +30-50% above spot.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING
Q1: "Why can't I sell at spot?" → Physical market illiquidity. Premiums reflect real scarcity.
Q2: "Silver vs Bitcoin?" → Different assets. Silver = industrial necessity. Bitcoin = digital sovereignty.
Q3: "Why is silver rising?" (+175% searches YTD) → Crypto searches at 1-year low. Capital rotating to hard assets.
EXPERT TAKE
Elon Musk: "Silver needed in many industrial processes." Max Reiff (VC): "Solar demand +64% YoY. Supply deficit 5 years."
"2026 Silver Bottleneck Report" - Which 5 tech industries face supply constraints by Q2 2026?
Is smart money rotating from crypto to hard assets? What's your take?
IMPACT
Tech stocks (EVs, solar, semiconductors) face supply chain risk. Price could spike Q2-Q3 2026.