The Attack on Gold and Silver - CME Increases Margins for the 3rd Time in 10 Days

Igor Pereira · February 5

Traders, they're not just "pulling the handbrake"; they're trying to derail the train.

We just received the official statement confirming what we feared: The CME Group is increasing the "Performance Bond" margin requirements for Gold and Silver by third time in just 10 days.

By Igor Pereira Financial Market Analyst

The main target is clear: The Silver. They increased the cost to maintain Silver positions in 20% At once. Below is the analysis of the direct impact on your pocket and chart.

The official table details the cost increase for those operating future contracts (GC and SI).

Silver (Silver Futures - SI): The raise is brutal. The initial margin jumped from 15% to 18%.
- Real Impact: This represents an increase in capital cost of 20% to the trader. If you were leveraged on the edge, you just got one. Margin Call.
Gold Futures: The initial margin rose from 8% for 9%.
- Real Impact: An increase of about 11-12.5% the cost of maintenance.
Date: The new fees come into force after the closure of the business in Friday, 6 February 2026. That means "cleaning" must occur before the closing of Friday or at the opening of Sunday night/Monday.

Why do this three times in 10 days?

Fear: The exchange (CME) and the member banks (Claring Firms) are terrified at the speed of the climb. They don't have enough collateral to cover volatility if the price doubles.
The objective: Force small and medium speculators to liquidate (sell) your positions to cover the margin. This creates artificial sales pressure that "cools" the price without banks having to sell their own contracts.

Bloody Friday? Tomorrow (day 06) will be the deadline for many funds to settle their accounts. There is a likelihood that we can see sudden "expenditures" of SI and GC contracts purely to raise cash and pay for that new margin.
Separation of Men and Boys: Those who operate leveraged will suffer. Who operates in sight (Spot) or Physical will just watch volatility, knowing that the real value of the metal does not change just because the CME changed the casino rule.

They're making it prohibitively expensive to bet against the trust system.

My Vision: A 20% increase in the Silver margin is a sign of desperationNot by force. They know that if leverage keeps coming in, Squeeze will be infinite.

Defensive Action: Reduce your leverage today. Don't expect notification from the broker tomorrow.
Bullish View: Historically, these margin increases mark short-term temporary tops, but have never stopped Bull Market secular. In Premium this is a long-term macro foundation.