Aluminum just hit $3,000 per ton on the London Metal Exchange—first time since 2022. Seems like just a commodity story? Think again.

When industrial metals spike like this, it's usually signaling something bigger happening underneath: either inflation's creeping back, or demand for raw materials is ramping up in a major way. Both scenarios matter to anyone holding risk assets, crypto included.

Back in 2022, we saw aluminum peak right before the broader selloff hit markets. Now it's making new highs. The question traders should be asking: is this a leading indicator that institutional capital is rotating into commodities, or is it just supply tightness playing out?

Historically, when hard commodities start rallying hard, it tends to correlate with either weakening fiat currency or strong economic growth expectations. The crypto market usually follows suit—usually upward in the latter scenario, more choppy in the former.

Worth watching. Sometimes the signals come from places you're not directly looking.