gold_update

BRICS countries led by Russia and China appear to be mounting a direct challenge to US dollar dominance by rapidly accumulating gold reserves and building an independent trading infrastructure, transforming the so-called "archaic" metal into the cornerstone of a new multipolar financial system led by Moscow and Beijing.

The subtle but increasingly noticeable shift comes despite predictions following the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1976 that gold would be relegated to history, replaced by fiat and digital assets or energy currencies. Instead, according to the Russians, Chinese and Iranians, physical gold is strengthening its position as the foundation of financial sovereignty and the primary protective asset of the 21st century.

The shift to a potential gold-backed BRICS  currency unit may be coming just in time for Tehran, whose currency continues to collapse into dust as of December 14. So far, the Russians have not yet yielded to Iranian demands to move to a new unified currency, leaving them in their current predicament. 

China and Russia are leading the accumulation drive, with Beijing producing 380 tonnes of gold in 2024 whilst officially purchasing 180 tonnes. However, analysts estimate actual purchases through various channels could be two to three times higher. Russia produced 340 tonnes whilst its central bank systematically added to reserves, diversifying away from dollar assets.

Combined production from BRICS and aligned nations, including China, Russia, Brazil, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Iran and Uzbekistan, accounts for approximately 50% of global output, giving them unprecedented influence over the physical market.

Their share of central bank gold purchases exceeded 50% between 2020 and 2024, shifting the centre of power from traditional Western vaults towards Asia and Eurasia. Interest in gold as a protective asset today is directly linked to investors' and states' apprehensive attitude towards the US dollar and the reliability of American financial infrastructure.

Germany's prolonged inability to fully repatriate gold stored in Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Bank of England vaults as undermining confidence, is one example of the West not taking the emergence of gold as a potential threat overall.   Whilst G7 nations excluding Canada hold more than 60% of reserves in gold, BRICS countries are rapidly increasing their gold holdings even as Western powers show no concerted interest in stepping up their stores.

A historic case in point is former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who authorised the sale of about 395 tonnes of the UK’s gold reserves between 1999 and 2002, roughly half of Britain’s bullion holdings at the time. Commentators and some politicians argue he sold near the bottom of the gold market, pre‑announced the auctions in a way that depressed prices further, and thereby cost the UK many billions in potential gains as gold surged in subsequent years.

Selling the same 395 tonnes of gold today would raise on the order of $53bn, compared with about $3.5bn from the original 1999–2002 auctions, a difference of roughly $49–50bn in nominal terms. 

The UK wasn't alone in its sell-off at the time; several other Western countries also followed suit. In 1999, 14 other European eurozone countries, UK,  Sweden and Switzerland signed the Washington Agreement on Gold to cap total official sales at 2,000 tonnes over five years and avoid destabilising the market.

Gold has doubled its purchasing power over the past 25 years relative to real goods, with a car that once cost 200 gold coins now costing approximately 100, whilst the dollar has lost value. This contrasts with oil and wheat, which show volatility but no dramatic long-term price growth.

According to Russian sources, the BRICS strategy includes creating an independent pricing platform with settlements in national currencies and launching a "BRICS Gold Price" benchmark in direct challenge to dollar hegemony.

The bloc is forming a joint gold pool for market stabilisation, developing shared infrastructure across Russia, China, UAE and South Africa with unified standards, and using gold as collateral in interstate clearing operations to reduce currency risks.

"For BRICS countries, gold is a tool for protection against sanctions risks, a response to the unreliability of traditional partners, and a real asset with a thousand-year history of recognition," economics expert Yevgeny Biryukov said to Russian media on December 13.

As IntelliNews previously reported, the BRICS group has launched a working prototype of a gold-backed trade currency known as the “Unit”, as the world’s leading emerging markets search for a way to ditch the dollar, the Institute for Economic Strategies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IRIAS) reported on December 4.

The Unit is a digital trade instrument backed by a reserve basket composed of 40% physical gold and 60% BRICS national currencies, equally weighted between the Brazilian real, Chinese yuan, Indian rupee, Russian ruble, and South African rand. The pilot was initiated IRIAS which issued 100 Units on October 31, each initially pegged to 1 gram of gold.

As bne IntelliNews recently reported in a deep dive into dedollarisation, the Global South have been long been unhappy with the dominance of the dollar in global trade, which gives the US a powerful geopolitical lever, but central bankers around the world were freaked out by the imposition of the SWIFT sanctions on Russia only days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February that threatens every country in the world’s ability to trade freely.

Since then, they have been hunting for an alternative. Many countries have since switched to settling their mutual trade in national currencies. Russia and China now settle nearly all their trade in yuan and rubles. India and China have also switched to national currencies.

And almost all trade in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) is now done using each member’s own currency. However, while China and Russia's mutual trade balance is relatively balanced, making using national currencies easy, India runs a $60bn trade deficit with Russia, thanks to the oil trade, making the relationship more difficult.
#BRICS #russia #china #India #GOLD_UPDATE $XRP $SOL $ETH

 

$BTC
#GOLD_UPDATE
⚖️ The Core Debate:
The debate is trending today because
the market is under stress.
When Bitcoin
drops 4-6% in a day
(as it has in the last 24h)
while Gold likely remains flat or inches up,
the "Store of Value"
narrative gets stress-tested.

Feature Bitcoin (Digital Gold) Gold (Physical Standard)

Primary Driver
Liquidity & Tech Adoption
Fear & Currency Debasement

Reaction to Fear
Often drops initially (sold for cash)
often rises (bought for safety)

2025 Status
High Growth, High Volatility
Low Growth, High Stability

Institutional View
"Risk-On" Asset"
Risk-Off" Hedge

The trend suggests traders are questioning
if BTC can truly hedge against the specific
"mining regulation"
fears driving today's dip.
Until BTC can rise during a panic rather than falling with it,
Gold retains the "Store of Value" crown in the short term.

Would you like
to see a comparison of
#BTCVSGOLD
performance specifically
over the last 30 days to see the divergence?



#TrumpTariffs
#BinanceBlockchainWeek #WriteToEarnUpgrade

In recent market conditions, Bitcoin’s price movements have grown unusually aligned with gold, leading to a spike in their statistical correlation — a trend that’s now hitting levels not seen in years and signaling deeper shifts in investor behavior and macroeconomic risk perception.

1️⃣. A Renewed “Safe-Haven” Narrative

Gold has long been considered a safe haven — an asset investors flock to during periods of economic stress, inflation fears, and monetary uncertainty. In 2025, gold prices surged sharply, reaching multi-year highs as central banks expanded reserves and global uncertainty persisted. This renewed strength in gold has helped pull Bitcoin along — not because the assets are fundamentally identical, but because investors are increasingly treating Bitcoin as a digital alternative to gold. (AInvest)

Some analysts describe Bitcoin as “digital gold” — due to its capped supply (21 million coins) and decentralized nature that theoretically shields it from inflation and fiat currency debasement. As gold’s appeal grows with headwinds like currency weakness and rising debt, Bitcoin’s narrative as a store of value strengthens too. (AInvest)

2️⃣. Macro Drivers: Inflation, Weak Dollars, and Geopolitical Risk

Several global macro trends are driving investors toward both gold and Bitcoin at the same time:

Inflation and currency debasement fears: With central banks maintaining accommodative policies and sovereign debt levels rising, investors have sought alternatives to traditional fiat assets. (AInvest)

Weakening U.S. dollar dynamics: A softer dollar often boosts commodity prices and hard assets like gold — and now Bitcoin seems to be following that same trend. (AInvest)

Geopolitical uncertainty: Global tensions and policy volatility increase risk-off trading behavior, where investors reduce exposure to equities and bonds and increase allocations to perceived hedges. (CryptoSlate)

This shared macroeconomic backdrop reinforces why the correlation coefficient between Bitcoin and gold has climbed, with some analytics showing levels approaching historic peaks as both assets move in tandem. (ForkLog)

3️⃣. Institutional Adoption and ETF Inflows

Another key driver is institutional involvement in Bitcoin markets:

Major asset managers have launched spot Bitcoin ETFs, attracting substantial capital from traditional investors. (AInvest)

This inflow brings Bitcoin into closer orbit with traditional financial assets like gold, which has an established ETF and institutional ecosystem.

As institutional allocation grows, Bitcoin’s behavior aligns more with macro signals that also affect gold — such as risk sentiment, inflation expectations, and global liquidity conditions.

4️⃣. Statistical Correlation vs. Fundamental Differences

It’s important to clarify what “correlation” means here:

Correlation measures how similarly two assets move, not why they move that way. A high correlation doesn’t imply Bitcoin is gold — only that short-term price changes have been moving together. (FYBIT blog - Materials for Traders)

Some research points out that Bitcoin and gold do not always move in lockstep over longer spans, and Bitcoin’s drivers (like adoption cycles, liquidity flows, and tech sector sentiment) differ from gold’s traditional market mechanics. (MEXC)

Still, the current high correlation reflects a moment in time where macro forces — inflation risk, weak currencies, and investor sentiment — are influencing both assets similarly.

5️⃣. What This Means for Investors

A rising Bitcoin-gold correlation can have several implications:

Diversification rethink: Assets once thought to diversify differently (crypto vs. precious metals) may behave similarly during risk events, which could alter portfolio strategies. (FYBIT blog - Materials for Traders)

Safe-haven debate: If Bitcoin increasingly behaves like a hedge asset in turbulent markets, investor narratives about its role versus stocks and bonds may continue to evolve. (CryptoSlate)

Market interpretation: Some see this convergence as evidence of Bitcoin’s maturation as an asset class — moving beyond pure speculative dynamics into a broader macro context supported by institutional flows. (AInvest)
$BTC
$ETH
Conclusion

The recent record-high correlation between Bitcoin and gold isn’t just a statistical quirk — it reflects how both assets are being interpreted through the lens of economic uncertainty, inflation concerns, and global risk dynamics. While they remain fundamentally distinct in structure and use case, the market’s behavior suggests that, for now, Bitcoin is increasingly being categorized alongside gold in investors’ risk-management playbooks.
#GOLD_UPDATE #BTCVSGOLD #CPIWatch #Correlation #CryptoRally

#BTCVSGOLD 🔥

#GOLD prices are rising globally, trading near record highs, as investors anticipate further U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate cuts amid a softening labor market and ongoing safe-haven demand. 

Price per Ounce: Approximately $4,342.90 USD.

Daily Performance: Up over 1% today and more than 63% compared to the same time last year.

Outlook: Analysts maintain a bullish bias, suggesting prices could reach $4,600–$4,800 in 2026, driven by central bank purchases and inflation concerns. 

Here’s an **update on gold prices today (15 Dec 2025) with current market context and a chart you can view:

📈 Gold Price Today – Global Market

Gold is rising globally:

Today gold prices climbed above $4,344 per ounce, reaching a 7-week high due to a weaker US dollar and lower US Treasury yields. This makes gold more attractive as a safe-haven asset.

📊 Technical View (Price Chart)

You can view the live global gold price chart here to see recent price movement:
👉 Gold Price Chart (updated today) View live chart for gold price today

This chart shows how gold has moved in recent trading — useful for spotting trends like sideways, upward or downward momentum.

🇵🇰 Gold Price in Pakistan

Local gold rates tend to follow global prices plus currency and demand effects.

Latest reports show local gold prices near record highs (recent data around 13 Dec):

💡 Note: Markets open Monday with updated prices, so these numbers are close to the end-of-week levels.

📊 Short-Term Price Behavior

What’s driving gold now:

Weaker US dollar & lower yields: Supports gold as safer asset.

Investors watching US jobs data: Strong or weak data can shift gold’s direction.

Technical levels to watch: Resistance near recent highs (~$4,350), support around ~$4,120-$4,100 (important for trend hold).

📌 Summary Analysis

✅ Bullish signs:

Price trending upward this week.

Safe-haven demand rising.

⚠️ Watch for:

Strong US economic data could strengthen the dollar — pressuring gold.

Local price updates Monday morning for Pakistan markets.

If you want, I can also generate an annotated gold price chart image with key support/resistance levels marked.

#GOLD_UPDATE #BinanceBlockchainWeek #WriteToEarnUpgrade $USDT