Yeliz Akmaca 
Silver experienced incredible surge on Monday. Prices jumped above $117 before crashing more than 15% within hours. The move wiped roughly $900 billion off market value. According to The Kobeissi Letter, the 90-minute drop alone was among the fastest losses in history.
This scenario shows that retail investor interest and the crypto community sometimes turn to highly volatile assets. Money flows quickly not just in Bitcoin or altcoins, but also into metals seen as safe havens.
Retail Heat and Volatility
Santiment data reveals how investor interest shifted week by week in January. First crypto, then gold, and finally silver. Discussions on social media picked up as prices rose. Santiment notes that these bursts of retail attention often align with short-term peaks.
This pattern shows how interest changed week by week in January:
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Week 1: Post-holiday quiet, crypto rose slightly.
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Week 2: Gold discussions exploded as prices hit new highs.
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Week 3: Bitcoin dip-buying surged, retail attention increased, crypto fell.
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Week 4: Silver peaked, FOMO accelerated, prices fell from $117.70 to $102.70.
The data confirms that retail FOMO often coincides with short-term peaks. Traders flock to metals, pushing prices up quickly, then sharp pullbacks follow. The Kobeissi Letter notes that the silver market moved around $2 trillion in 14 hours, with $900 billion lost in just 90 minutes — roughly 72% of the altcoin market cap.
Analyst Checkmate said he sold physical silver and fielded many buyer questions. Long queues formed, and trading was slower and less flexible than BTC, yet people still took risks.
Bitcoin and Risk Sentiment
During the silver surge, Bitcoin hovered around $88,000. It rose 0.6% over 24 hours but fell 3.6% weekly and 12% yearly. BTC moved in a tight range while the broader crypto market remained cautious.
Some analysts interpreted this as a “risk-off” move. A weak dollar doesn’t always support Bitcoin. When investors focus on capital preservation, money flows into long-term value stores like gold and silver.
Opinions on social media are mixed. CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju said gold, silver, and BTC all act as risk-off assets. Vijay Boyapati added that rising gold prices expand Bitcoin’s long-term addressable market.
For now, the silver episode highlights how quickly crowd attention can shift. Retail surges make markets vulnerable to sudden and sharp moves.
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