WARNING: Silver Set to Explode Past $100/oz — But Economists Warn a Massive Crash Could Follow

EDITOR'S NOTES

Silver has soared to all-time highs, with over half of retail investors betting it will break $100/oz in 2026. While many experts remain bullish on the metal’s potential, others are sounding the alarm about a potential blow-off top and market correction. In this article, Frank Balm walks readers through what’s fueling silver’s explosive growth, how mainstream and retail investors are positioning themselves, and what economists say could come next in this high-stakes metals market.

Frank Balm Dec 29, 25

The Year Silver Broke Loose — And It's Not Done Yet

Silver came into 2025 like a boxer coming off the ropes — dazed but far from finished. After being hammered in 2024 due to a failed rally and tariff threats under Trump’s administration, it started this year around $29.50/oz. But that was just the calm before the storm.

By December 26, 2025, silver was charging past $79/oz, and barely a breath away from cracking $80.

Let that sink in — silver has gained over 170% this year.

And according to Kitco’s annual survey, 57% of everyday investors think silver’s going to break $100/oz in 2026. That’s not just Wall Street wishful thinking — that’s Main Street putting its money where its mouth is.

Why Silver Is Blowing the Roof Off

So what’s fueling this explosion?

Here’s the short version:

Physical supply is tight as a drum, especially in China.
Industrial demand is soaring, driven by solar, EVs, and AI infrastructure.
Investors are flooding into silver ETFs, draining inventories in the West.
And most importantly: People are waking up to the rot in fiat currency.

This isn’t just a market cycle. It’s a monetary revolt.

When the dollar is being debased at record speed and inflation eats away your paycheck, folks start looking for lifeboats — and silver has become one of the most closely watched assets in that search.

The Public Is Betting on $100 Silver

According to Kitco’s survey of 212 retail investors:

57% see silver rising above $100/oz in 2026
27% expect it between $80 and $100
11% predict $60–$80
Just 5% think we’ll fall back to $40–$60

That’s Main Street speaking loud and clear: they smell something big coming.

At the same time, economists and analysts are warning about how long this momentum can hold — and whether the market might be nearing a turning point.

Economists Are Split — Boom or Bust Ahead?

Let’s break down what the big players are saying:

Heraeus: Caution Flag Raised

The team at Heraeus says the rally went “too high too fast.” They see a slowdown or pullback in early 2026, driven by falling demand at these high prices.

That said, they acknowledge that if gold continues upward, silver is likely to follow.

TD Securities: The #SilverFlood is Real

TD points out that London’s silver vaults have been replenished in record fashion, with more than 212 million ounces now freely available. Normally that kind of surplus would trigger a sell-off — but it hasn’t.

Prices have stayed near record highs, defying traditional inventory-price relationships.

BMO Capital: Silver May Struggle to Hold Highs

BMO expects silver to average $56.30/oz in 2026, with a high around $60 in the fourth quarter. Analysts there have turned more cautious on silver and platinum, citing signs of overheating in recent weeks.

They do acknowledge that precious metals — especially in deficit conditions — can outperform sharply, as seen in 2025.

Silver Is Still Cheap Compared to Gold

Michele Schneider at MarketGauge pointed out that silver is still viewed by some analysts as undervalued relative to other assets, including gold.

She highlighted the gold/silver ratio — historically between 50 and 60, but previously dropping to as low as 20 in the 1970s. Many analysts believe there’s room for that ratio to tighten again, potentially pushing silver much higher relative to gold.

China’s Demand Is the Wildcard

Maria Smirnova at Sprott emphasized the growing physical shortage of silver in Shanghai, shifting the spotlight away from Western vaults and toward real-world industrial use in Asia — particularly in the solar sector.

With solar panel manufacturing eating up more than 200 million ounces annually, a mismatch between supply and demand in China could have global consequences.

Smirnova also highlighted the ongoing drain of over 100 million ounces into Western ETFs, which has added even more pressure to the physical market.

Some market technicians she follows are calling for silver to reach between $100 and $200/oz in the coming quarters — though, as she noted, those predictions come from outside analysts and chartists, not her personal outlook.

What Happens After the Boom?

Several economists and technical analysts are cautioning that silver’s rise may not be sustainable forever.

Avi Gilburt, founder of ElliottWaveTrader, believes 2026 could mark the end of a long-term cycle and possibly the start of a multi-year bear market in silver and gold.

Jim Wyckoff writes that while silver could stay strong in 2026, the current bull run is mature, and a correction — or even a bust — could arrive by midyear.

Both analysts cite the cyclical nature of commodity markets and warn that sharp booms are often followed by painful busts. Wyckoff even says the “magnitude of the bust will likely match the magnitude of the boom.”

The Bigger Picture: Monetary Uncertainty

Whether or not silver continues higher or sees a pullback, analysts across the board agree on one thing: volatility is back — and not just in silver.

As global demand patterns shift, inventories swing wildly, and fiat currencies continue to face long-term structural pressures, commodities like silver are under an intense spotlight from retail investors, institutions, and central banks alike.

What to Do Next

This isn’t financial advice, and I don’t offer recommendations. But here’s what people across the country — folks I’ve spoken to, readers of Dedollarize News, and everyday Americans — are doing in response to what’s happening:

They're getting informed.
They're watching what central banks and institutions are doing.
They’re asking tough questions about where this economy is headed.

If you want to be part of that conversation, the team at Dedollarize has put together two free resources to help keep people in the loop.

👉 Click here to download the free guide: “Seven Steps to Protect Yourself from Bank Failure”
👉 Click here to subscribe to the Dedollarize newsletter — it’s the best way to get alerts, insights, and updates as they happen.

Final Thought: Don’t Be the Last One In

At the end of the day, silver’s move is more than just a headline — it’s part of a much bigger story playing out in real time.

Whether silver’s headed to $100 or pulling back to $60, what’s clear is that volatility, inflation, and distrust in the current system are driving people to look at things differently.

I’m not here to tell you what to do — but I’ll keep reporting on what others are doing, what the markets are saying, and what you need to know to stay ahead of it.

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Stay sharp. The headlines are only just beginning.