# Shanghai Futures

Margin Calls, a Fed Nomination and an Epic Plunge: What Broke the Gold and Silver Rally

A sudden change in U.S. Fed leadership expectations triggered a dollar rally and mass liquidations that sent gold and silver tumbling from record highs in late January. Forced margin calls, tightened exchange risk controls and algorithmic selling amplified the shock, producing one of the most violent single-day declines in decades while raising questions about leverage and liquidity in commodity markets.