And, as well as the “unknown knowns” – such as what will happen to share prices – there are hidden corners where risk is lurking. And silver prices have also gone on an extraordinary run, trebling over the past year to about $95 an ounce. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/Getty Images)Share pricesShare prices are, of course, the traditional indicator we all watch. Links back to more traditional finance are worth watching, too, including the fortunes of stablecoin, the crypto currency backed by convertibility back to traditional assets, usually the US dollar. Here, too, regulators worry about risks building up through leverage and possible liquidity mismatches – companies facing demands from investors but unable to unwind longer-term investments to pay them.

Source: The Irish Times January 22, 2026 19:52 UTC