Silver (XAG) markets are heading into a pivotal week after the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) announced its second margin hike in just two weeks, effective Monday, December 29. The exchange has raised the initial margin requirement for the March 2026 silver futures contract to approximately $25,000, up from $20,000 earlier this month, increasing pressure on leveraged traders as prices hover near multi-year highs. CME Silver Margin Hike Takes Effect Monday as Traders Eye Historical Parallels and Physical Market Stress The decision has sparked intense debate over whether silver’s rally is overheating, or merely entering a volatile consolidation phase driven by structural supply stress and global capital flows. Crypto investor and macro analyst Qinbafrank warned that CME’s actions are reviving memories of two defining silver peaks, 1980 and 2011
source: https://beincrypto.com/cme-silver-margin-hike-market-supply-analysis/