Silver hits a record of US$ 100 for the first time; gold approaches US$ 5,000

Source: PortaldoBitcoin Original Title: Silver hits $100 record for the first time; gold approaches $5,000 Original Link: Silver reached a historic milestone this Friday by hitting $100 per ounce, achieving this level for the first time. The surge occurs amid a combination of strong demand for safe assets, persistent supply restrictions, and rising expectations of interest rate cuts in the United States, in a global scenario marked by geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty.

The movement of silver follows the upward trajectory of gold, which is also experiencing an exceptional moment and is nearing the $5,000 per ounce region. On Friday, the precious metal rose more than 1% and is quoted at $4,980.

The metals have benefited from increased safety-seeking behavior as investors try to protect themselves from international conflicts, trade disputes, and volatility in traditional financial markets. Additionally, the prospect of a more flexible monetary policy by the Fed makes non-yielding assets like gold and silver relatively more attractive.

The decision to impose a 10% tax on European countries due to geopolitical disputes heightened market fears, leading investors to seek safe assets. Although the taxes have been withdrawn, tensions continue, favoring gold and silver, which have been rising strongly since last year.

In the specific case of silver, structural factors have further amplified the pressure on prices. Over the past 12 months, the metal has appreciated by over 200%, driven not only by financial demand but also by bottlenecks in the production chain.

Difficulties in expanding refining capacity and a persistent deficit between supply and consumption—especially related to industrial uses such as solar energy, electronics, and technologies linked to the energy transition—have helped create a prolonged scarcity scenario.

Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies try to keep up

While precious metals shine, the cryptocurrency market rises but without much strength. Bitcoin is trading higher but remains below $90,000, showing that, at least at this moment, cryptocurrencies are not keeping pace with the same intensity of the rally observed in gold and silver.

Other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, BNB, and XRP are also advancing, reflecting improved risk appetite but without breaking relevant technical levels.

The divergence between metals and cryptocurrencies draws attention because Bitcoin is often treated as a kind of "digital gold." However, in the current scenario, investors seem to prioritize traditional safe assets, while the crypto market still deals with its own factors, such as volatility, liquidations in derivatives, and caution amid the macroeconomic and regulatory environment.