Technical analysis by JinDao_Tai about Symbol PAXG on 10/17/2025

Gold approaches $4,500 per ounce for the first time in history. Up more than 50% in less than a year. Everyone's asking the same question: Is this a historic breakout, or the setup for a massive crash? The answer requires looking at three things: what brought us here, where we are technically, and what could go wrong. PART 1: THE MACRO STORY Gold doesn't just rally because people are "scared." It rallies because of structural shifts in how the world's largest institutions view money, risk, and trust. Central Banks Are Buying Gold at Record Pace Here's a number that should get your attention: Central banks bought 1,045 tons of gold in 2024. That's the second-highest annual total on record. In 2025, the buying hasn't slowed down. Poland alone has accumulated 67 tons year-to-date. Turkey, India, Kazakhstan, and others are following suit. But here's what's really happening: This isn't about inflation hedging. If it were, Western central banks (US, Europe) would be buying too. They're not. Instead, emerging market central banks are diversifying away from the dollar. Why? Because they watched what happened in 2022 when the US froze Russian reserves. When you hold dollar-denominated assets, they can be weaponized. Gold can't be sanctioned. Gold can't be frozen. Central banks don't panic sell on a 5% dip. When they buy, they hold. This creates a structural price floor. Every pullback gets accumulated. What this means: Central bank buying is the foundation of this rally, not a temporary catalyst. The Federal Reserve is Cutting Interest Rates According to the CME FedWatch Tool, there is a level of certainty that the Fed would cut rates in October 2025, with markets pricing in another cut in December this year. When interest rates fall, something important happens to gold: its "opportunity cost" decreases. Here's the simple version: Gold pays no interest. So when bonds also pay almost nothing (after inflation), holding gold looks pretty reasonable. But when real yields are high, bonds look better and gold looks worse. Right now, the market is pricing in lower real yields ahead. That's bullish for gold. If the Fed doesn't cut as much as the market expects, that changes everything. What this means: Rate cuts fuel the rally. Geopolitical Instability & Currency Debasement Global tensions remain elevated: Middle East instability, US-China friction, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. But that's not the real driver here. The real driver is the loss of faith in government money. Gold is at an all-time high, not just in US dollars. It's also hitting all-time highs in euros, yen, and yuan. This isn't a dollar story. This is a global reassessment of what "money" actually means. Meanwhile, the US national debt is over $35 trillion. Debt-to-GDP is at World War II levels. Other countries (Japan, Europe) are in similar situations, printing money and running massive deficits. When governments print excessively, investors need a hedge. Gold can't be printed. What this means: As long as deficits remain high and geopolitical chaos persists, gold has structural demand that goes beyond cycles. The Bottom Line Three powerful forces are all pushing in the same direction: Central banks structurally accumulating gold (de-dollarization) The Fed cutting rates (lower real yields = gold support) Global monetary instability (currency debasement = safe-haven bid) This combination hasn't existed in most traders' lifetimes. That's why this rally feels different. And why it's lasted this long.