New Fed Chair Crashes Bitcoin & Silver. For Better or for Warsh?

Show Notes

This week on The Art of Investing, Rich McDonald and Mark “Spice” Holden are joined by JP Smith for a wide-ranging and timely discussion on one of the most volatile weeks markets have seen in months.

With gold and silver suffering brutal flash crashes, crypto tumbling, US tech rotating hard, and a surprise nomination for the next Fed Chair rattling liquidity expectations, the team unpack what’s really going on beneath the surface, and how investors can spot early warning signs before markets move fast.

From AI capex concerns and stretched US valuations to volatility indicators, liquidity conditions and portfolio protection, this episode is a masterclass in navigating late-cycle markets.

This Week’s Market Highlights

📉 Gold & Silver Flash Crash

Precious metals suffer violent reversals as margin hikes, positioning pressure and liquidity fears collide.

💻 Tech Rotation Accelerates

US software and AI leaders sell off sharply as markets reassess capex spending and future returns.

🔄 Money Rotates, Not Flees

Capital flows out of mega-cap tech into small- and mid-cap US equities, Europe and Japan.

🪙 Crypto Volatility Returns

Bitcoin slides sharply, dragging crypto-linked equities with it, highlighting broken correlations with gold.

🏦 Fed Chair Shock

Trump nominates Kevin Warsh as next Fed Chair, spooking markets with fears of tighter liquidity and less QE.

📊 Volatility Back on the Radar

The VIX becomes a key signal once again, with the team explaining how professionals actually use it.

Portfolio Snapshot

Weekly performance: –1.1%

Total return since inception: +15.24%

Top Performers

🥇 iShares MSCI India ETF: +5.0%

🥈 iShares Core FTSE 100 ETF: +2.5%

🥉 WisdomTree Copper ETF: +1.0%

Underperformers

📉 VanEck Crypto & Blockchain Innovators ETF: –21.3%

📉 BlackRock World Mining Trust: –9.4%

📉 Invesco EQQQ NASDAQ-100 ETF: –3.1%

Key Portfolio Decision

🔄 Reducing US Mega-Cap Exposure

• Sold half of the Nasdaq position (–2.5%)
• Reallocated into US small caps via the Russell 2000

Why?

Small- and mid-cap companies are better positioned to benefit if economic activity broadens and rate cuts resume later this year.

Updated US exposure now favours diversification over concentration.

What Investors Learn in This Episode

✔️ Why gold and silver can fall fast, even in bull markets

✔️ How margin changes and liquidity shocks trigger violent moves

✔️ Why AI capex is now being treated as a risk, not a reward

✔️ How professionals use the VIX to manage risk

✔️ The difference between a healthy rotation and a market breakdown

✔️ When cash and short-dated bonds become powerful tools

✔️ Why small caps may be the next phase of the US cycle

📈 Download the full Portfolio Performance Slides

View the portfolio breakdown: here

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Disclaimer

This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only. The content presented is not intended as personal investment advice or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any particular securities or investments. All discussions regarding the model portfolio are illustrative and for educational purposes.

Your capital is at risk. The value of shares, ETFs and ETCs can fall as well as rise, which could mean getting back less than you originally put in.

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What is The Art of Investing?

Looking to turn Market Chaos into Investing Clarity?

Welcome to The Art of Investing - a brand new podcast that transforms market noise into clear investing strategies. Brought to you by IG, global investing platform, FTSE 250 and over 50 years in the markets.

This isn't your typical finance show.

Whether you're taking your first steps into the investment world or you're a seasoned investor looking to sharpen your edge, you've found your new secret weapon.

Every Friday, join hosts Rich McDonald, Mark Holden & Chris Fellingham – three investing legends bringing you a combined century of market wisdom. They'll decode the week's biggest moves, reveal the hot topics that could make or break a portfolio, and share the insights that separate winners from wishful thinkers.

But here's where we blow every other podcast out of the water:

Introducing our live Model Portfolio. With IG's access to thousands of global markets, you'll watch our strategy unfold in real-time, unfiltered investment action, that you can follow.
Every week, we'll pull back the curtain on exactly how the portfolio is performing. The wins, the losses, the lessons learned – it's all here. This is investing education with skin in the game.

Are you ready to master the art of investing?

This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only. The content presented is not intended as personal investment advice, financial planning guidance, or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any particular securities or investments. All discussions regarding the model portfolio are for educational purposes only. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Your capital is at risk. The value of shares, ETFs and ETCs can fall as well as rise, which could mean getting back less than you originally put in.