CME Halts and Silver Volatility: Peter Schiff on the Shift to Physical Demand

Silver speculation reached a fever pitch this week following a 90-minute CME halt that hit right as prices surged passed $90. While the exchange cited technical issues, the timing - occurring just ahead of the first notice day for March Silver - has sparked intense debate over market liquidity and delivery mechanics.Peter Schiff, CEO and Chief Global Strategist of Euro Pacific Asset Management, joins Jeremy Szafron to cut through the noise. Schiff questions whether the "technical issue" was a "coincidence" or a move meant to diffuse a deeper problem, suggesting the official explanation is "better than telling the truth".In this wide-ranging interview, Schiff breaks down the "math problem" facing Washington as the administration pledges to protect Social Security while proposing to replace income taxes with tariffs. He warns that failing to cut entitlements will lead to inflation that "reduces the value of those entitlements" regardless of the pledge.Schiff also explores the "killer use case" for gold: bypassing the legacy banking system. He explains how tokenized gold and India’s massive regulatory shift - allowing 35% flexibility for equity funds to allocate into metals - are fundamentally changing price discovery and removing counterparty risk.Recorded on February 26, 2026 Follow Jeremy Szafron on X: @JeremySzafron (https://x.com/JeremySzafron) Follow Kitco News on X: @KitcoNewsNOW (https://x.com/KitcoNewsNOW)Follow Peter Schiff on X: @PeterSchiff (https://x.com/PeterSchiff)00:00 Silver Halt Shockwave00:36 First Notice Day Basics00:59 India Opens Metals Floodgates01:30 ETF Flows And Options Buzz01:57 Peter Schiff Joins In02:27 CME Halt Market Mechanics03:44 Why Gold And Silver Rise05:14 Main Street Demand Signals07:13 Smart Money And Tether09:04 Tokenized Gold Case11:57 Adoption And Banking Exit14:15 Trump Entitlements And Debt16:46 Housing Policy Contradictions19:42 Dollar Confidence Breakdown24:02 Gold Options And Debt Crisis26:05 Controls And Inflation Playbook27:25 India Pricing And East Demand30:22 Miners And Junior Upside33:49 Juniors Catalysts And M&A37:01 Bitcoin Shakeout To Gold38:20 Wrap Up #PeterSchiff #SilverSqueeze #GoldStandard #SocialSecurity #SilverPrice #JuniorMiners #FederalReserve #Inflation #KitcoNews #MarketFriction__________________________________________________________________Like, share, and subscribe to Kitco News—and turn on alerts to stay current with expert interviews, market insights, and breaking news coverage. Disclaimer:  The videos are not intended to provide trading advice, and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. Kitco News, its anchors, producers, and reporters are not responsible in any way for the performance or actions of any sponsor, advertiser or affiliate of Kitco News. In no event will Kitco and its employees be held liable for any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use of the content in this video.Disclaimer:  The videos are not intended to provide trading advice, and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. Kitco News, its anchors, producers, and reporters are not responsible in any way for the performance or actions of any sponsor, advertiser or affiliate of Kitco News. In no event will Kitco and its employees be held liable for any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use of the content in this video.