ECONOMY

NFTs, the general term for digital assets operating on blockchain technology, entered our lives following the pandemic. These digital art pieces made such a swift entrance into the market that even simple visual files sold for millions of dollars, leading many to view them as the investment tool of the future. However, NFT technology didn't exactly bring smiles to the faces of its investors. Recently, the value of a digital piece that sold for 1.8 million dollars in 2021 has come under scrutiny once more.

As we inch closer to the new year, data for 2025 is gradually coming into focus. This year's most-read books and most-watched films have been identified, and now, the wealthiest individuals of the year have also been revealed. Intriguing details have emerged from the data provided by Forbes and the Hurun Global Rich List. The countries and cities where billionaires prefer to reside this year have been determined according to the data for 2025.In addition to America and Europe, let's see which Asian countries have managed to climb to the top this year?

In recent years, silver, which has provided its investors with returns surpassing that of gold, has shattered yet another record. The per ounce value of silver has soared to an all-time high of 60 dollars. In Turkey, the price of silver per gram has escalated up to 82 lira. The primary reasons behind the surge in silver are believed to be expectations of interest rate cuts and ongoing supply constraints in the market.

Citizens investing in precious metals like gold and silver are keeping a close eye on the reports and predictions of experts. Most recently, the German banking giant, Commerzbank, has raised its forecast for gold and silver prices in a published report. The bank has revised its previous expectation for gold in 2026 from $4,200 to $4,400. Moreover, it has announced an expectation of $59 for silver. As of today, the price of an ounce of gold is trading at $4,224, while in Turkey, the price of a gram of gold has surged to 5,760 liras.

Despite suffering serious losses in the past, Japanese individual investors have once again turned their attention to the Turkish lira. The lira, which has lost more than 16% of its value against the yen this year, has become one of the most traded assets among risk-hungry day traders in Tokyo.According to data from the Tokyo Financial Exchange, as of November 12, approximately 900,000 futures margin contracts linked to the lira-yen pair have been opened. This figure is hovering near its all-time highs. Experts are cautioning that the expectation of high returns could potentially lead investors into the risk of another collective loss.