Silver is doing that thing again. You know, the thing where it behaves like a caffeinated teenager after months of sitting quietly in the corner. If you’ve looked at a chart lately, you probably saw the vertical line that looks less like a market trend and more like a mountain range.
Today's rate of silver is hovering around $90.13 per ounce.
It’s a wild number. Honestly, if you told someone a year ago that we’d be knocking on the door of $100, they would’ve laughed you out of the room. But here we are. The spot price hit an all-time high of $93.54 just a few days ago on January 15, and while we’ve seen a slight "cooling off" since then, the air is still very thin up here.
The Morning Reality Check
Let’s get the raw numbers out of the way. As of Sunday, January 18, 2026, the international spot price is sitting at approximately $90.13.
In New York, the bid/ask spread is tight, generally showing a bid of $90.04 and an ask around $90.29. If you’re looking at it by the gram, you’re paying roughly $2.90. For the "stackers" out there buying by the kilo, you’re looking at a price tag of about $2,895.
It’s down about 2.4% over the last 24 hours. Don’t let that tiny dip fool you, though. This metal is up over 25% since New Year's Day. That’s not a typo. We are witnessing one of the most aggressive silver runs in modern history.
Why is Silver Exploding Right Now?
It’s easy to blame "inflation" and call it a day, but that’s lazy. What’s actually happening is a weird, perfect storm of industrial panic and geopolitical messiness.
First, let's talk about Venezuela. The recent arrest of Nicolás Maduro and the subsequent instability have sent investors sprinting toward "safe-haven" assets. When people get scared, they buy gold. When they get really scared and realize gold is pushing $4,600 an ounce, they buy silver.
Then there’s the "Green Squeeze." Every single solar panel being bolted onto a roof in Europe or China needs silver. Every EV rolling off a Tesla or BYD line uses between 25 and 50 grams of the stuff. The Silver Institute is projecting industrial demand to hit 700 million ounces this year.
Mining can't keep up. Silver is mostly a byproduct of mining for things like copper and zinc. You can't just flip a switch and make more silver appear.
The $100 Conversation
Is $100 an ounce actually possible?
A few weeks ago, that was "fringe" talk. Today, it’s the base case for several analysts at firms like OCBC and EBC Financial. To hit $100 from today's rate of silver, the metal only needs to move about 11%. For a metal that just moved 25% in two weeks, 11% is basically a Tuesday.
But—and this is a big but—silver is famous for its "washouts." It gets crowded. Everyone piles in, the margins get hiked on the COMEX, and suddenly the price craters $10 in an afternoon.
What This Means for Your Pocket
If you’re sitting on old jewelry or a few tubes of American Silver Eagles, you’re basically looking at a 200% gain over the last 12 months. It’s a "sell" moment for some, but a "panic buy" for others who think the train is leaving the station for triple digits.
Key things to watch this week:
- The U.S. Dollar (DXY): It’s been hovering near 99. If it drops further, silver goes up.
- Federal Reserve Whispers: Everyone is waiting to see if the Fed actually delivers the rate cuts they’ve been teasing. Lower rates usually mean higher silver.
- Solar Substitutions: Some Chinese manufacturers, like LONGi Green Energy, are trying to use copper instead of silver because silver is becoming too expensive. If they succeed, it could take some wind out of silver's sails.
Actionable Steps for Today
If you’re looking to trade or buy based on today's rate of silver, don't just jump in with your whole savings account. The volatility right now is high enough to give you whiplash.
- Check the Premiums: Don't just look at the spot price. Physical dealers are charging huge markups right now because supply is tight. If spot is $90, you might pay $98 for a physical coin.
- Watch the $88 Support: If silver stays above $88 per ounce, the uptrend is technically healthy. If it breaks below that, we might see a fast trip back to $80.
- Diversify Your Entry: If you must buy, consider "dollar-cost averaging." Buy a little today, a little next week.
- Audit Your Stash: If you have physical silver you’ve held for years, now is the time to find a reputable local coin shop and get a current appraisal. You might be surprised at what those "junk" quarters are worth at $90 silver.
The market is moving fast. Keep an eye on the $93 resistance level; if we break that again, the path to $100 looks a lot clearer.