The Global Shift Threatening the U.S. Dollar

 The Global Shift Threatening the U.S. Dollar—and the One Asset Americans Are Turning To

From the Desk of Michael “Mick” Webster

For more than four decades, I’ve warned that the greatest long-term threat to American prosperity would not come from tanks, missiles, or soldiers—but from a silent financial realignment driven by rising global powers. Today, that shift is accelerating faster than most Americans realize.

Across the world, nations are exploring alternatives to the U.S. dollar for trade—especially in energy and commodities. Reports of major oil-producing countries considering or testing transactions in other currencies, including China’s yuan, represent a dramatic departure from the dollar-centric system that has benefited the U.S. for nearly 50 years.

This movement, often encouraged by Beijing, is part of a broader global trend: countries seeking to diversify away from reliance on the dollar. While each decision may appear small on its own, together they signal a historic turning point.

Beijing’s long-term goal is clear to many analysts:
Reduce the world’s dependence on the U.S. dollar—one trade deal, one partnership, one alliance at a time.

Nations such as Russia, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and others within the BRICS economic bloc have publicly discussed reducing their exposure to the dollar. Even several European economies have modestly increased their holdings of non-dollar reserves. None of this means the dollar is collapsing—but it does mean the global financial landscape is shifting in ways the average American isn’t being told about.

And here’s the real danger:
This kind of geopolitical change doesn’t announce itself. There are no sirens. No headlines. No dramatic moment on the evening news.
Dollar weakness happens slowly… until suddenly it doesn’t.

A declining dollar can mean rising import prices, shrinking retirement account values, and increased pressure on American households already stretched by inflation. For those unprepared, the impact could be devastating.

But there is a way to prepare.
And American investors have been using it for centuries.

The “Poor Man’s Gold”: Silver

Silver has historically served as a defensive asset during periods of currency uncertainty, market volatility, and global financial realignments. It has protected American wealth through recessions, inflation cycles, interest-rate shocks, and economic crises going back generations.

For nearly 48 years, my research has focused on strategies that help everyday Americans:

• Hedge against market downturns
• Protect retirement savings
• Turn periods of uncertainty into opportunity
• Grow wealth without speculation or complex trading

One of the most reliable tools in that strategy is what I call the Silver Crisis Wealth Multiplier—a disciplined approach that leverages silver’s unique position as both an industrial metal and a historically trusted store of value.

You don’t need a finance degree.
You don’t need to track markets every hour.
And you don’t need risky bets to protect your financial future.

What you do need is awareness—and timely action.

The Next Few Weeks Matter

The global monetary system is undergoing its biggest transformation since the 1970s. The decisions investors make during periods like this often determine who protects their wealth—and who gets caught off guard.

That’s why I’m sharing this message.
Not to cause fear, but to give American families a practical, historically proven way to strengthen their financial defenses—no matter what happens next on the world stage.

If foreign governments and global alliances are preparing for a world less dependent on the U.S. dollar, then American investors have every right—and every reason—to prepare as well.

The first step is simple: understand why silver has been a bedrock of stability for generations… and how it can help safeguard your financial future today with silver prices exploding.

— Mick Webster

Silver’s Strategic Moment:

Below is a professional, deeply researched news-style white paper on why silver is positioned for strong value now and in the future — especially relative to the U.S. dollar’s weakening trend and growing industrial demand. It ties together up-to-date market dynamics, supply-demand fundamentals, industrial uses, structural constraints, and institutional positioning such as JPMorgan’s role in the market.

Silver’s Strategic Moment:

By Investigative Reporter Michael Mick Webster

 Industrial Demand, Supply Constraints, and a Changing Monetary Landscape

Executive Summary

Silver — historically known as a precious metal and monetary asset — is increasingly transitioning into a critical industrial metal driving multiple global megatrends. Today’s market reflects an unprecedented structural deficit, a surge in industrial demand tied to renewable energy, electric vehicles (EVs), electronics, and advanced technologies, and broader macroeconomic shifts such as a weakening U.S. dollar. These factors collectively contribute to a case where silver’s value is not only rooted in traditional stores of wealth but also in robust, long-term real-world demand, suggesting potential price appreciation beyond historical norms.

1. Industrial Demand: Silver’s New Economic Role

A 21st-Century Industrial Catalyst

Silver is no longer primarily a monetary or jewelry metal — industrial demand now accounts for the majority of global consumption, driven by:

• Solar Photovoltaics (PV) — Silver paste is indispensable for conductive pathways in solar cells. Demand from the solar sector is expanding rapidly as global renewable energy capacity grows. Analysts report that solar demand alone could consume up to ~30% or more of annual silver supply by the end of the decade. Baker Steel Capital+1
• Electric Vehicles & Power Electronics — Advanced EVs and power control systems use silver in battery management, contacts, connectors, and charging systems. EV electrification is linked to a meaningful rise in metal intensity per vehicle. Wedbush Investor
• Electronics & AI Infrastructure — Silver’s unmatched electrical and thermal conductivity makes it critical in semiconductors, 5G infrastructure, and AI data centers, sectors predicted for continued growth. Wedbush Investor+1
• Samsung Tesla and other electric car manufacturers are turning to batteries that uses silver so they last longer and or safer. Lithium is being replaced.

Demand Growth Outpacing Supply

Total global silver demand hit record levels in recent years, with industrial consumption exceeding 700 million ounces annually — more than half of total demand. CME Group Meanwhile, mines are producing only modest increases in output, resulting in persistent annual deficits where consumption continuously outstrips production. Wedbush Investor

2. Supply Deficits and Development Challenges

Persistent Structural Deficit

For multiple consecutive years, silver demand has outpaced supply, creating a structural deficit. Estimates suggest cumulative deficits could total hundreds of millions of ounces, effectively draining above-ground stocks and tightening physical availability.

New Mines Take Years to Develop

Silver mine projects face long lead times due to exploration, permitting, financing, and construction. Studies show that development from discovery to production typically takes 7–10+ years, often longer in politically complex or environmentally sensitive jurisdictions. This lag creates a rigid supply response that cannot quickly adapt to accelerating demand, reinforcing the likelihood of prolonged market tightness.

Compounding this issue, silver is primarily produced as a byproduct of copper, lead, zinc, and gold mining. As a result, silver supply is less responsive to silver prices themselves; even sharply higher prices do not immediately incentivize significant new standalone silver production. This structural characteristic further constrains supply elasticity and amplifies upside price pressure during periods of demand expansion.

1. Monetary Dynamics and the Weakening U.S. Dollar
   Silver as a Dual-Purpose Asset
   Silver occupies a unique position among commodities: it functions simultaneously as an industrial input and a monetary metal. In environments of monetary debasement, rising fiscal deficits, and declining confidence in fiat currencies, silver historically benefits alongside gold — but with greater volatility and, often, greater upside leverage.

The U.S. dollar faces long-term structural headwinds driven by:

• Expanding federal debt and persistent budget deficits
• Higher-for-longer interest rates stressing fiscal sustainability
• Increasing use of alternative currencies and bilateral trade settlement mechanisms globally

As the dollar weakens in real terms, hard assets priced in dollars — particularly scarce metals like silver — tend to reprice higher. Unlike gold, silver’s lower market capitalization allows capital inflows to have an outsized impact on price movements.

Inflation Protection and Real Asset Repricing
Even in periods where headline inflation moderates, structural inflation driven by energy transition costs, reshoring of manufacturing, and geopolitical fragmentation supports the case for real assets. Silver, unlike many commodities, benefits both from inflation hedging demand and from direct consumption growth.

1. Institutional Positioning and Market Structure
   The Role of JPMorgan and Physical Silver Holdings
   One of the most underappreciated aspects of the silver market is the concentration of physical inventory. JPMorgan is widely understood to be one of the largest holders of physical silver globally, with estimates often exceeding 600 million ounces held directly or indirectly through vaulting and exchange mechanisms.

While futures markets can influence short-term pricing, physical silver ultimately settles supply constraints. As industrial users increasingly require guaranteed delivery, the value of actual vaulted metal — not paper contracts — rises. Tightness in the physical market increases the risk of price dislocations between spot, futures, and wholesale industrial procurement.

Paper vs. Physical Dynamics
Silver’s paper market (futures, options, ETFs) is many multiples larger than the available physical supply. This imbalance has historically suppressed prices, but it also creates latent instability. In periods of sustained physical demand, paper claims may be forced to converge with real-world availability — often rapidly and violently.

1. Relative Valuation: Silver vs. Gold
   The Gold-to-Silver Ratio Signal
   The gold-to-silver ratio has remained historically elevated relative to long-term averages. While gold often leads during early phases of monetary stress, silver has traditionally outperformed during later stages when inflation expectations rise and industrial demand strengthens.

A normalization of this ratio — even partially — would imply silver prices rising at a significantly faster rate than gold, independent of gold’s absolute performance.

Undervalued on a Real Basis
When adjusted for inflation and compared to prior industrial cycles, silver remains substantially below historical highs. Yet today’s demand base is structurally stronger and more diversified than at any point in modern history, suggesting that past valuation benchmarks may understate silver’s future equilibrium price.

1. Forward Outlook: A Converging Set of Tailwinds
   Silver’s outlook is defined by convergence rather than speculation:

• Industrial demand is non-optional and growing
• Supply growth is constrained, slow, and largely unresponsive
• Monetary conditions favor hard assets
• Institutional inventories are concentrated
• Physical availability is tightening

These forces do not depend on a single catalyst. Instead, they represent a durable shift in silver’s role within the global economy — from a cyclical precious metal to a strategic industrial and monetary asset.

Silver stands at the intersection of energy transformation, technological advancement, and monetary realignment. Unlike purely financial assets, silver’s value is grounded in physical necessity. Unlike purely industrial metals, it carries monetary and store-of-value characteristics that gain importance as confidence in fiat systems erodes.

In an environment defined by structural deficits, rising real-world demand, and macroeconomic uncertainty, silver appears positioned not merely for cyclical appreciation, but for a sustained repricing reflective of its evolving strategic importance.

Investigative Reporting & Opinion Pieces

Michael Mick Webster

As an investigative reporter, I strive to provide in-depth, honest, and thorough coverage of a wide range of topics, with a particular focus on financial matters, policy, and the issues that shape our daily lives. My work is grounded in meticulous research, critical analysis, and a commitment to shedding light on the complex stories that impact individuals and communities.

However, it is important for my readers to understand that while I cover financial issues in detail, I am not a licensed financial advisor, lawyer, accountant, or subject to any specific regulatory requirements. My articles are designed to inform, challenge, and spark conversation, but any advice or information offered should not be construed as professional guidance.

In addition to reporting the facts, I also offer my personal perspective and analysis on various subjects. My opinion pieces are exactly that—opinions. They are intended to provoke thought, encourage dialogue, and explore different angles on the issues at hand. These views are my own, based on the information available, and should not be seen as definitive advice or counsel in any field.

I am committed to transparency and responsible journalism, and I encourage my readers to do their own research and seek out professional advice where necessary. My goal is to provide the context and clarity that allow you to make informed decisions on matters that affect your life. Thx Mick