Recently, the price of silver has shown a sharp upward trend, leading to increased demand for digital real-world asset (RWA) platforms that allow for easy investment with small amounts.
According to global financial chart service TradingView, as of 6 p.m. on the 7th, the international spot price of silver was $38.24 per troy ounce, up 29.53% this year and about 44% over the past year. This trend surpasses the increase rates of international gold prices (25%) and Bitcoin (22%) during the same period. On the 22nd of last month, the international silver futures price reached $39.55, setting a new high in 14 years.
Market experts cite factors such as a preference for safe assets due to increased global economic uncertainty caused by U.S. tariffs, rising demand in the electric vehicle and green energy industries, and supply shortages as key reasons for the price increase. They analyze that the perception of undervaluation compared to gold and the demand for risk diversification due to Bitcoin's high volatility also contributed to the upward price trend. Citigroup recently projected in a report that "over the next 6 to 12 months, the price of silver will rise to $43 per ounce."
In the domestic market, the enthusiasm for silver investment is also spreading. According to Busan Digital Asset Exchange (Bdan), the number of transactions in digital silver products, known as 'e-silver', reached approximately 159,000, with a transaction amount of 239 billion won in the first half of this year. This represents an increase of 36.54% and 15.45%, respectively, compared to the same period last year. Notably, the trading volume in June was 2.2 times higher than the previous month, confirming individual investors' interest in silver investment.
This transaction amount significantly exceeds the silver bar sales amount of approximately 2.43 billion won from the four major domestic banks (KB Kookmin, NH Nonghyup, Shinhan, and Woori) during the same period. Bdan has lowered the entry barrier by allowing the purchase of e-silver in 1g units. Investors can store an amount of physical silver equivalent to their digital assets in a vault and can also withdraw it in physical form if needed.
Kim Sang-min, CEO of Bdan, said, "Physical assets like silver have had entry barriers for small investors due to storage and liquidity limitations. We aim to enhance safety and accessibility to broaden investment opportunities for the public and to lead an investment paradigm where all valuable products are traded."