Group 1 - Gold and silver have seen record inflows of $34.2 billion over the past 10 weeks, marking the largest surge ever recorded [1] - Central banks have been purchasing gold at a record pace, acquiring between 1,000 to 1,100 tons annually over the last four years, which is double the previous decade's purchases [2] - The price of gold has been significantly influenced by central bank actions, with current prices being twice that of the previous decade [2] Group 2 - The volatility index (VIX) experienced a significant drop from a high above 28 to just above 18, indicating a collapse in volatility from Friday to Monday [4] - The recent spike in the VIX was not due to a market selloff, suggesting underlying leverage in the system that the index is attempting to detect [5] - Despite the recent decrease in the VIX, volatility is expected to remain a concern for investors for the remainder of the year [5]