On February 10, the silver market recently staged a dramatic surge, reaching $120 per ounce. This cryptocurrency-like volatility has allowed the market to witness rapid wealth transfers. According to analysis, this extreme market movement has enabled many short-term speculators to reap profits far exceeding those of seasoned commodity professionals. From a market structure perspective, this is not merely a price leap but a direct clash between different trading philosophies. When traditional commodity trading logic collides with the internet-era "all-in" mentality, silver's price action has completely detached from historical norms.
This event, described by industry insiders as a "six or even seven standard deviation" extreme occurrence, is unprecedented in silver's history. Professional traders typically base their rational judgments on macroeconomic logic and supply-demand dynamics. However, the substantial influx of capital this time has treated silver as a speculative asset similar to Bitcoin. Analysis suggests that this aggressive expectation of "perpetual rise" has driven frenzied capital inflows, creating a significant disconnect between "smart money" and these all-in novice traders. The two sides are competing in an unprecedented manner, ultimately reshaping short-term market pricing power.
A closer examination of trading details reveals that veteran investors' caution caused them to miss the most explosive gains. When silver prices were at the low $39 level, many crossover traders purchased deeply out-of-the-money call options with strike prices as high as $100. These moves, considered nearly "insane" by professionals, materialized into astronomical returns during the subsequent parabolic rally. In contrast, experienced traders tended to view this as similar to gold's gradual climb over recent years, leading them to continuously reduce positions upon hitting target levels at $50 or even $70.
This divergence became increasingly uncontrollable after prices broke through $70. Professionals scaling back positions due to risk management effectively handed cheap筹码 to speculators坚信ing "to the moon" theories. While seasoned traders were cautiously managing their remaining quarter positions, speculators had already turned thousands into millions through inexpensive long-dated options. Although subsequent sharp sell-offs caused many aggressive traders to surrender profits, their阶段性 explosive power still left traditional participants feeling humbled.
Looking ahead, while large banks' short positions may have played a significant role in the subsequent plunge, the market's emotional DNA has been altered. Analysis indicates that after experiencing such extreme volatility, investors must re-evaluate the limitations of traditional risk management in irrational markets. Whether silver can resume its upward trajectory will depend not only on fundamental support but more crucially on how the market achieves a new equilibrium between institutional stability and speculative fervor.