Editor’s Note
This report highlights a significant surge in gold trading activity during a period of market volatility, based on data from a single brokerage. While indicative of broader market trends, readers should note that individual platform performance can vary.
VT Markets reported a gold trading volume of $1.5 trillion USD during January 2026, as heightened volatility in precious metals spurred increased client activity and tested execution resilience on retail trading platforms.
The broker stated that despite sharp fluctuations in gold prices throughout the month, it maintained stable execution and preserved liquidity conditions. This announcement comes amid a broad surge in global gold trading volume, as traders respond to rapidly rising prices and uncertainty stemming from macroeconomic and geopolitical factors.
VT Markets also reported an increase in the number of new traders in January, with 20% of those participating in gold trading that month being first-time users of the platform.
Gold trading activity accelerated following significant price swings at the end of January.
The company reported that the highest single-day gold trading volume was recorded on January 29, 2026, coinciding with a massive spike in gold futures prices. According to the report, gold futures prices surpassed $5,500 per ounce during that session, followed by intense intraday volatility.
Such rapid increases in gold prices are seen as indicative of extraordinary stress in global risk assets or rapid shifts by speculative traders. Large day-to-day swings in gold prices typically coincide with major global factors such as sudden changes in interest rates, unexpected inflation spikes, or sharp fluctuations in the US dollar.
VT Markets presented this surge in activity as evidence that clients are increasingly utilizing gold both as a hedging instrument and a speculative volatility product during rapidly changing market conditions.
VT Markets stated that it maintained its liquidity even during market stress, and spreads on gold and silver remained competitive despite rapidly changing markets. The company reported that execution stability was preserved even during extreme volatility, whereas many brokers typically face challenges such as widened spreads, transaction delays, or trading disruptions.
According to the platform, gold and silver trading continued smoothly even during market turmoil, attributed to stable pricing and high order fulfillment rates. In volatile markets, maintaining pricing consistency is a critical factor for brokers, as sudden price changes can expose weaknesses in liquidity aggregation and risk control.
Ross Maxwell, Head of Global Strategy Operations at VT Markets, said that volatility is the ultimate test of a broker’s infrastructure.
The company’s emphasis on operational resilience reflects the reality that high-volume precious metals trading can pose a reputational risk for brokers if platforms fail during market spikes.
VT Markets said that 20% of its gold traders in January were new to the platform, indicating that the period of volatility attracted additional participants. Retail traders are often drawn to gold during times of high uncertainty, viewing it both as a safe-haven investment and a high-volatility speculative asset.