According to Gold Telegraph, it’s “likely” that Russia is buying silver for its reserves, sending shockwaves through precious metals markets. For the first time, a central bank is disclosed to be actively accumulating silver, marking a sharp shift in global reserve strategy and a “monumental” moment for silver itself.

A new era if Russia is buying silver

In its 2025–2027 Federal Budget, Russia allocated $535 million to buy precious metals, with silver explicitly included alongside gold, platinum, and palladium.

This is the first time during the current precious metals bull market that any central bank has announced silver purchases for state reserves.

If Russia is buying silver, it could be helping drive the precious metal to a 14-year high, with the price surpassing $42/oz in September, up nearly 28% year-to-date.

The move is not just financial; it highlights silver’s strategic importance in a world where supply deficits and industrial demand are increasing.

Other countries are buying gold

Silver’s run is happening alongside a multi-year record spree in gold buying. Central banks globally are expected to buy 1,000 metric tons of gold in 2025, marking the fourth consecutive year at these levels.

Poland, Turkey, and China are key gold buyers, with Russia doubling its own gold shipments to China. Across Europe and Asia, gold is being purchased not only for financial stability but as a strategic hedge against currency debasement and geopolitical risk.

Both gold and silver are setting records. Gold hit an all-time high of US$3,667/oz on September 9, 2025, driven by economic instability and surging central bank demand.

Silver, meanwhile, is posting new highs in multiple currencies and regions, and maintains velocity with back-to-back weekly records. The gold-silver ratio, once over 100:1, now reflects silver’s increasing strength as gold’s “precious metal sister” comes out of the shadows.

A vote of no-confidence in fiat currencies

Central bank buying drives scarcity and price. As these institutions move their reserves out of the dollar and into metals, gold and silver serve as a vote of no-confidence in fiat currencies. It fuels inflation-hedge narratives and exacerbates supply constraints that push prices higher.

For Bitcoin and digital assets, it’s a double-edged sword: rising gold and silver prices highlight inflation risks, make hard assets attractive, and drive more capital into alternative stores of value. But they also show that Bitcoin is now competing in a world where governments are hedging with tangible assets, not just digital ones.

If Russia is buying silver, it affirms that even “tiny” markets can feel outsized pressure when central banks take notice.

Peter Schiff has renewed his critique of Bitcoin as Tom Lee of Fundstrat pushes a headline-grabbing $200,000 price target for the cryptocurrency.

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According to reports, Lee says the market’s recent weakness is tied to the Federal Reserve’s reluctance to cut interest rates, while Schiff points to gold’s recent rally as a warning sign for Bitcoin.

Schiff Points To Gold’s Rally

In an X post, the gold bug Schiff highlighted that the yellow metal rose 10% over the last two months and reached a new high of $3,620.

“Markets are forward-looking. That’s why gold is up 10% in advance of coming rate cuts,” he said, arguing that gold’s move shows traders expect easier policy ahead.

Bitcoin, he added, has not followed gold’s lead, and that gap worries him.

Permabull @fundstrat forecast Bitcoin will hit $200K by year-end, as Bitcoin is sensitive to Fed rate cuts. He said the Fed’s two-month pause is why Bitcoin hasn’t rallied over that time period. But gold rallied 10% during those two months, hitting a record $3,620 as he spoke.

— Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) September 8, 2025

Lee’s $200,000 Call And His Explanation

Tom Lee remains optimistic. He has argued that the influx of institutional investors gives Bitcoin new “counter-cyclical characteristics,” and that bigger players could push prices much higher over time.

Based on reports, Lee blames the recent underperformance on the Fed and keeps the $200,000 figure in public view. His stance continues to make him one of Wall Street’s best-known permabulls – persons who maintain a perpetually optimistic outlook.

Market Odds And Traders’ View

Polymarket users appear unconvinced by Lee’s timetable. At press time, markets show an 8% chance of Bitcoin reaching $200k this year.

The same markets place roughly an 8% chance on Bitcoin dropping below $70,000 by the end of 2025. Those odds suggest bettors are split and that headline targets are being treated with skepticism.

Source: Polymarket

A Broader Performance Check

Schiff has also pointed to longer-term measurements. He noted that Bitcoin is down 16% against gold over the past four years, even though the cryptocurrency has posted strong gains versus the US dollar in that span.

He warned that when “more air” comes out of the Bitcoin bubble, the four-year returns may look weak. The idea that the old four-year cycle tied to halvings may be fading was raised by other analysts in recent commentary, and that debate is ongoing.

Related Reading

What Comes Next For Bitcoin

Schiff went further by saying Bitcoin is more likely to sink below $100k than to reach $200k, putting a cautious spin on the outlook.

This view makes clear where Schiff stands: he treats gold’s rally as a forward signal about future policy and believes Bitcoin’s lag is not a short-term quirk but a structural concern.

Lee’s counter is that institutional flows could change how Bitcoin moves over time.

Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView

Stellar’s native token, XLM, posted a 2.32% gain in the 24-hour window from September 7 at 09:00 to September 8 at 08:00, climbing from $0.36 to $0.37. The cryptocurrency traded within a narrow $0.01 band, with lows at $0.36 and highs at $0.37, marking a 2.66% intraday range.

Trading activity peaked at 14:00 on September 7, when 129.15 million tokens changed hands. Analysts note that maintaining support above $0.36 reflects sustained institutional buying interest, a trend that has underpinned the asset’s recent stability.

For Stellar, Paxos’ entry into its ecosystem marks a strategic milestone. With a decade of experience in regulated stablecoin issuance and a recent acquisition of Molecular Labs, Paxos is positioning USDH to comply with both the GENIUS Act and Europe’s MiCA regulations.

While ongoing debates around the GENIUS Act create some uncertainty, analysts say Stellar’s ability to hold above the $0.36 support level leaves room for further upside. Technical indicators suggest that a push beyond the $0.37 resistance could open the door to additional gains, supported by institutional flows and strengthening corporate confidence in blockchain-based financial infrastructure.

Market Analysis Points to Continued Corporate Interest

• XLM established a defined trading range between $0.36 support and $0.37 resistance during the 24-hour observation period.
• Peak trading volume of 129.15 million units at 14:00 on September 7 reinforced price support at the $0.36 threshold.
• Sustained trading activity above $0.36 suggests ongoing institutional accumulation and potential for additional price appreciation.
• Final hour trading data from September 8, 07:24 to 08:23, showed volume exceeding 2.5 million units supporting the advance to $0.37.
• Technical indicators point to established support at $0.36 with upward price channel formation suggesting continued bullish sentiment among institutional investors.

Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy.

Everyone’s buying gold.

The boomer rock blasted past $3,600 this week to mark a fresh all-time high and draw investors far and wide into its glittery orbit. So why is the gold price surging? It’s the result of a perfect storm: a cooling labor market in the U.S., expectations of rate cuts, relentless geopolitical jitters, and central banks diversifying away from the dollar.

Just look around: El Salvador’s buying gold, BRIC countries are buying gold, central banks are buying gold, Aunt Mildred is buying gold; everyone’s buying gold. Should you?

El Salvador’s golden hedge

El Salvador lit up Crypto Twitter this week with a decision to buy $50 million worth of gold, a move that had the Bitcoin crowd asking, “Since when does the world’s first Bitcoin country need shiny metals as a backup?”

El Salvador’s mega gold buy marks the country’s first gold purchase in 35 years, increasing its holdings by nearly a third, in an attempt to diversify its international reserves and enhance financial stability, especially given its heavy Bitcoin exposure.

By holding both Bitcoin and gold, El Salvador seeks to reassure international partners and signal prudent risk management to global institutions like the IMF.

Despite the plausible logic, El Salvador’s gold purchase went down like $50 million worth of gold bars among the Bitcoin community. Self-proclaimed Bitcoin Chief HODLer Carl B Menger commented:

“I shall strip the El Salvador flag from my name. Once a beacon of hope for a better future, it has become a shadow of disappointment.”

After President Bukele made Bitcoin legal tender, buying gold looks like hedging on a legacy safe haven, calling the nation’s Bitcoin conviction into question, and backtracking on the “digital gold” narrative.

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Everyone’s buying gold; should you?

Beyond El Salvador, the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) are ramping up their purchases to historic levels, and Poland’s central bank governor plans to increase its target for gold as part of the country’s reserves from 20% to 30%.

Central bankers around the world, in fact, have demonstrated a significant sentiment shift lately away from the dollar and toward gold. As Balaji Srinivasan commented:

“Central bankers expect to buy more gold.”

While gold is certainly having a moment, does it make for a better investment than Bitcoin? Peter Schiff, economist and perma-gold bull, certainly thinks so, coming out once again to dance prematurely on Bitcoin’s grave this week.

“Priced in gold, since hitting a high of about 37.2 ounces on Aug. 12, Bitcoin is down 18%, just 2% above official bear market territory…. How do you square this dismal performance with all the hype?”

Yet, the fact remains, Bitcoin has qualities that leave gold in the dust. It’s easy to transfer, hard to seize, provably scarce, and global at the speed of light. And, its historic upside return makes gold’s victory look silly. As crypto trader borovik reminded us:

“Gold just hit a new ATH of $3600, up almost 4x from its price in 2009. Bitcoin on the other hand is up 11,000,000x since 2009. Choose wisely”

Gold’s run is impressive, but Bitcoin’s performance since inception is the stuff of legends, far outstripping the returns of any shiny metal.

So, yes, everyone’s buying gold, banks, governments, even El Salvador, and certainly, Peter Schiff. But gold’s not the only refuge in a stormy world.

Bitcoin offers portability, privacy, and a price chart that’s more exponential than golden. With both assets hitting new highs, the choice is sharper and more controversial than ever: choose wisely.

Cardano’s retail base has flipped bearish after weeks of drawdowns, setting up conditions where whales could step in.

Data from Santiment shows ADA’s bullish-to-bearish commentary ratio slumped to 1.5:1 this week — the lowest in five months. The sentiment dip coincided with a 5% rebound, suggesting traders who sold into frustration may have helped mark a local bottom.

Historically, ADA rallies have tended to begin when retail sentiment is weakest. Santiment flagged a similar setup in mid-August, when a 2:1 ratio aligned with a surge. Conversely, euphoric spikes — like the 12.8:1 ratio earlier this summer — have preceded sharp pullbacks.

Sentiment extremes matter because crypto markets are unusually sensitive to retail psychology. When optimism peaks, the crowd often buys into tops. When pessimism sets in, larger players use the selling pressure to accumulate. That pattern has been visible across multiple assets this year, including bitcoin and XRP.

For Cardano, the shift suggests whales could use current weakness to build positions, especially if retail continues to capitulate.

The crowd-versus-price divergence remains one of crypto’s more reliable short-term trading signals. For now, ADA’s impatient traders may have just handed longer-term investors their entry point.

Author

Tim Alper

Author

Tim Alper

About Author

Tim Alper is a British journalist and features writer who has worked at Cryptonews.com since 2018. He has written for media outlets such as the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He has also worked…

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August 31, 2025

Major Japanese companies are continuing to buy Bitcoin (BTC) and altcoins with their balance sheets, with the mobile gaming firm Gumi poised to spend 2.5 billion yen ($17 million) on XRP purchases.

Per an official Gumi release and a report from the Japanese media outlet CoinPost, the Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed firm’s board of directors has signed off on the move.

The firm said it aims to complete the purchase before the end of February next year. Gumi’s largest shareholder is SBI Holdings.

Gumi: XRP and BTC Are ‘Two Pillars’ of Our Financial Strategy

SBI is a long-term partner of the XRP issuer Ripple, and an ardent advocate of the altcoin. But Gumi has also proven to be extremely Bitcoin-keen.

The firm announced plans to buy over $6.5 million worth of Bitcoin back in February. And in March this year, Gumi held a $106,000 BTC lottery event for its newest shareholders.

Gumi officials said that the future XRP buy is not purely speculative. Instead, it called the move a “strategic initiative” that would allow it to move into the financial sector.

The company claimed its move would help it participate in the XRP ecosystem. This ecosystem, officials aid, is now playing a central role in international remittances and liquidity networks.

Developing cross-border remittances and liquidity are values “at the core of” SBI’s operations, Gumi noted.

XRP will thus take on “great significance” as a medium- to long-term growth asset, Gumi believes.

Gumi has also unveiled plans to launch a multi-billion yen crypto management fund in conjunction with SBI.

SBI: Aiming for Crypto ETF

SBI wants to launch an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that incorporates BTC, XRP, and other tokens. The firm is currently waiting on approval from Tokyo, which continues to deliberate on crypto ETF appoval.

Gumi has also said that it will look to manage its Bitcoin holdings by using staking protocols.

The company has also explained that it sees BTC and XRP as two separate pillars of its growth strategy.

XRP, it said, is a “network asset that is rooted in real financial demand.” Bitcoin, meanwhile, is a “globally universal asset,” Gumi believes.

Japanese Bitcoin treasury company Metaplanet has unveiled plans to raise over JPY 130 billion (equivalent to around $880 million) through an international share sale, with most of the proceeds earmarked for new Bitcoin purchases.

The firm disclosed on Aug. 27 that its board approved the issuance of up to 555 million new shares. If shareholders endorse the proposal at the Sept. 1 meeting, Metaplanet’s outstanding stock would rise from 722 million to about 1.27 billion shares.

The offering will be conducted exclusively in overseas markets, with US sales limited to Qualified Institutional Buyers under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933.

The Japan-based firm said the move is designed to broaden the investor base beyond the Asian country by attracting long-term institutional capital and improving liquidity in global markets.

Bitcoin purchases

Metaplanet plans to use roughly JPY 123.8 billion (approximately $835 million) raised from the upcoming funds to acquire Bitcoin between September and October 2025.

The firm executives said the goal is to expand the company’s Bitcoin net asset value (BTC NAV), which serves as the foundation for its preferred shares, while maximizing BTC per share and overall yield.

The Tokyo-listed firm already ranks as the seventh-largest corporate Bitcoin holder, with 18,991 BTC valued at about $2.1 billion, according to Bitcoin Treasuries data.

Its accumulation strategy, first adopted in April 2024, has steadily transformed the company into a regional counterpart to US-based Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy).

Beyond direct purchases, Metaplanet will direct JPY 6.5 billion (equivalent to $44 million) into its “Bitcoin Income Business,” which generates returns by selling covered call options and expanding put option activity on its holdings.

The program is already profitable, and the company expects the infusion to scale operations through December 2025.

By combining aggressive accumulation with income-generating strategies, Metaplanet is betting on Bitcoin not only as a reserve asset but also as a source of ongoing cash flow.

This approach underlines the firm’s ambition to cement a treasury-first model, deepen ties with global institutional investors, and build a more resilient financial base for long-term growth.

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