White money (Silver) is back to being the center of the global economy. Is it a higher-profit investment option than gold?

Notable Phenomenon: Why Silver is Becoming an Investment Trend in 2024-2025

Over the past few years, the price of silver has recorded historic highs that have drawn renewed attention from investors worldwide. Interestingly, it didn’t surge solely due to market participants’ intentions but was driven by solid fundamental factors that are likely to have long-term significance beyond market fluctuations.

The old era where Silver was considered merely “cheap gold” has ended. Today, its value is determined by a combination of its role as a safe-haven asset and its industrial applications that no one can replace.

Why is the “Spot Price” of Silver Rising: From History to Future Technology

The turning point occurred in the 16th century: Spain introduced Silver as a universally accepted coin, serving as the first global currency. It was only later that humanity discovered Silver’s roles extended beyond just money.

The true importance of Silver was revealed through properties that humans cannot replicate with other materials:

Electrical Conductivity: Silver is the world’s best conductor of heat and electricity, outperforming gold, making it an unavoidable component in all electronic devices.

Energy: Silver’s reflectivity enhances the efficiency of solar panels, which are becoming a global call to escape fossil fuels.

Medical and Sanitary Uses: Its antimicrobial properties have led to its use in advanced bandages, medical instruments, and water filters.

Currently, the world faces a new surge in industries demanding Silver: 5G networks, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence systems, and smart city infrastructure—all require Silver as a key component.

Data Revelation: Silver Deficit is Not Temporary

The World Silver Survey 2025 by The Silver Institute reveals a detailed picture: the Silver market has been experiencing a “structural deficit” for four consecutive years.

The facts tell us:

• Total industrial demand reached 680.5 million ounces in 2024, accounting for nearly 59% of total demand.
• This proportion has not decreased; it has increased as each new generation of technology demands more Silver.
• On the supply side, production systems face limited capacity: mine output, by-product from other mineral productions, and recycling combined still cannot meet demand.

This situation is called a “Perfect Storm” by market analysts—inelastic demand (because it is driven by technology, not price)—paired with supply that cannot expand rapidly.

The Gold/Silver Ratio Puzzle: Why is the Spot Price of Silver Undervalued?

For investors seeking to understand the relationship between Gold and Silver, the indicator called the Gold/Silver Ratio (GSR) is a crucial tool.

GSR tells us how many ounces of Silver are needed to exchange for 1 ounce of Gold:

• During the economic crisis in March 2020 (, the ratio soared to 124:1), meaning investors retreated to real Gold and abandoned Silver.
• During periods of high confidence, such as 2011, GSR contracted to 31:1 as investors dared to seek higher yields.
• Currently, GSR remains around 84:1, indicating the market has yet to assign a “fair” price to Silver’s industrial fundamentals.

This argument suggests there is room for Silver to recover once the “true price” is revealed.

Market Components: The Difference That Makes Silver an Alternative

The Gold market is enormous: approximately $30 trillion USD. The Silver market is smaller by an order of magnitude: about $2.7 trillion USD.

This size difference makes Silver more volatile than Gold by 2-3 times. It’s like comparing steering a giant ship versus turning a small boat.

In a bullish market (Bull Market), this volatility is a positive factor. Silver can surge faster and higher percentage-wise than Gold. The industrial role of Gold as a central bank reserve asset provides more stability, while Silver is a hybrid: half “wealth in itself” (Precious Metal), and half “end-use commodity” (Industrial Commodity), depending on economic cycles.

This characteristic means Silver does not always follow Gold but has its own place in investor portfolios seeking growth (Growth), not just protection (Protection).

Six-Dimensional Entry Layers: Diverse Investment Methods in Silver by Risk Level

1. Conservative Approach: Physical Money

Directly owning silver coins (Coins) or bars (Bars) remains the safest method for investors. The Thai market features official operators like Ausiris, MTS Gold, Bowins Silver, SNP Gold in this channel.

Advantages: Actual ownership, high privacy, no counterparty risk. Disadvantages: High initial investment, trading spreads (Spread) include premiums, storage and insurance costs, risk of counterfeiting.

2. Balanced Approach: Funds and Mining Stocks

Mutual funds like DAOL-SILVER focusing on Global X Silver Miners ETF or direct stocks of global silver mining companies such as Pan American Silver, Wheaton Precious Metals, or Hecla Mining are alternative options.

Advantages: High liquidity, no storage worries, small investment amounts possible. Disadvantages: Company-specific risks (Management Risk, Cost, Geopolitical Risk), may not fully reflect global Silver prices.

3. Accelerated Approach: Futures

For professional investors, TFEX Silver Online Futures (XAGUSD Futures) offer high leverage, with contract multiples at 3,000 times the reference price.

Advantages: Low starting capital (Leverage), profit in both rising and falling markets. Disadvantages: Very high risk, complex, with expiration dates, suitable only for experienced traders.

4. Highly Flexible: CFD (Contract for Difference)

Currently the most popular method for short- to medium-term investors, trading Silver CFD (XAGUSD) through trusted broker platforms like Mitrade has become a highly precise option.

Why choose CFD:

• Use only a few tens of dollars as initial capital.
• CFDs offer leverage to amplify trading power (but also increase risk).
• Open positions for Long (betting on rising prices) and Short (betting on falling prices).
• High liquidity, almost a free market, tradable 24/5.
• No hidden commissions, no worries about storage and insurance.
• Demo accounts allow beginners to practice with virtual funds.

Mitrade offers 0 commission, low spreads, $50,000 virtual funds free, plus bonuses $100 for new customers(, making it an ideal platform for beginners from Thailand.

Balanced Perspective: Pros and Risks

Pros:

• Significantly higher potential returns than Gold )with greater volatility(.
• Continuous growth in industrial demand driven by long-term megatrends.
• Lower per-ounce prices make it accessible to retail investors.
• An inflation hedge and economic uncertainty asset.

Risks:

• High volatility )Silver fluctuates 2-3 times more than Gold(.
• Sensitivity to economic slowdown )mainly due to industrial demand(.
• Hidden costs of physical storage )if held physically.
• No interest or dividend returns, profits only from price movements.

The End is Not the Final Chapter

Silver has returned to the family but not yet to the mainstream. This summarizes what is happening in the current market. Its 4,000-year history of trust indicates it will repeat the same story again.

For investors willing to take some risk while others keep an eye on Gold, this is the best time to explore Silver opportunities to the fullest.