Buy Gold and Silver with USDT: A Guide to Easily Invest in PAXG, XAUT, and SLVON on Gate

Imagine holding digital assets that can be directly anchored to real gold bars in the London vault or closely linked to the prices of the silver spot market. This is the innovation brought by physical asset (RWA) tokens such as PAXG (PAX Gold), XAUT (Tether Gold), and SLVON (iShares Silver Trust).

As of January 9, 2026, the price of PAXG is $4,482.11, XAUT is approximately $4,465, and both represent 1 ounce of physical gold. SLVON, on the other hand, represents a compliant asset backed by physical silver issued by Ondo.

01 Three Major Metal Tokens: Digital Gold Bars and Silver Ingots in the Crypto World

In the crypto world, tokens backed by physical assets are becoming an important bridge connecting traditional finance and decentralized finance. These tokens convert ownership of tangible assets like gold and silver into freely tradable digital certificates.

PAXG (PAX Gold) is a pioneer in this field, issued by Paxos. Each PAXG represents 1 troy ounce of standard delivery gold stored in a professional vault in London. Its latest price is $4,482.11, up 0.76% in 24 hours.

The market cap of PAXG has reached $1.7 billion, with a circulating supply of 380,830 tokens. Its value is fully backed by physical gold, providing investors with an efficient way to hold gold.

XAUT (Tether Gold) is a gold token launched by Tether, also representing ownership of 1 ounce of physical gold. As of January 9, XAUT’s trading price is approximately $4,465, showing steady performance.

The main difference between XAUT and PAXG is that its gold is stored in Switzerland and offers physical gold delivery options, providing more flexibility for investors.

SLVON represents the silver market. It is a compliant RWA token issued by Ondo, fully backed by publicly traded physical silver assets.

Unlike gold tokens, SLVON allows investors to access the silver market at a lower threshold, enriching the options for crypto investors’ precious metal allocations.

02 Core Advantages: Why Invest in Metal Tokens

Compared to traditional precious metal investments, digital assets like PAXG, XAUT, and SLVON offer a unique combination of advantages, meeting modern investors’ needs for efficiency, liquidity, and security.

First is unparalleled liquidity and divisibility. Traditional gold bars are difficult to divide and trade quickly, whereas a PAXG or XAUT can be subdivided into many decimal places and transferred or traded instantly worldwide 24/7, revolutionizing gold circulation.

Second is significantly reduced holding and trading costs. Physical gold requires insurance, secure storage, and verification fees, which are avoided when holding these tokens. Transaction fees on platforms like Gate are also much lower than the premiums on physical gold.

Third is transparency and security. PAXG and XAUT are regularly audited to ensure the token supply matches the physical gold reserves backing them. All transactions are publicly recorded on the blockchain, eliminating issues like purity fraud or unclear ownership common in traditional gold markets.

Fourth is diversification of asset portfolios. Besides stocks, bonds, and traditional crypto assets, metal tokens provide an investment option with low correlation to these markets. During macroeconomic uncertainties, gold and silver often perform well, offering a hedge for portfolios.

03 Step-by-Step Guide: Buying Metal Tokens with USDT on Gate

Using USDT to purchase these metal tokens on the Gate platform is an intuitive and secure process. Here are the detailed steps:

Step 1: Register and Verify

Visit the official Gate.io website and complete your account registration. To ensure account security and comply with regulations, you need to complete identity verification (KYC). This is an important step to protect your assets and avoid risks from fake platforms.

Step 2: Deposit USDT

After logging in, go to the “Wallet” or “Asset Management” section. Select USDT and click “Deposit” to get your dedicated deposit address. You can transfer USDT from other wallets or exchanges to this address. Note that transfers across different chains require the corresponding network.

Step 3: Find Trading Pairs

In Gate’s trading market, you can directly search for the following trading pairs:

• PAXG/USDT: Buy PAX Gold tokens
• XAUT/USDT: Buy Tether Gold tokens
• SLVON/USDT: Buy iShares Silver Trust tokens

Step 4: Execute the Trade

Choose spot trading and enter the trading interface. You can use market orders (execute immediately at the best current price) or limit orders (set your desired buy price and wait for the market to reach it). Input the amount you want to buy, confirm the details, and place the order.

Step 5: Secure Storage

After the trade, the tokens will appear in your Gate spot wallet. For added security, especially for large holdings, consider transferring the tokens to a personal hardware wallet. PAXG and XAUT are ERC-20 tokens based on Ethereum, and SLVON also supports cross-chain transfers.

04 Seize the Opportunity: Gate Silver Trading Challenge Event

It is worth noting that Gate is currently running a “Silver Trading Challenge” event, offering a unique opportunity for SLVON traders to participate.

According to the event rules, users who complete their first SLVON/USDT futures trade during the event period with a trading volume of at least 1,000 USDT will receive a 10 USDT position bonus airdrop. The total prize pool is 20,000 USDT, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more active traders, Gate has set up a “Silver Trading Sprint” ranking reward. Based on trading volume and ranking, individual users can win up to 10,000 USDT in futures position vouchers, with a total prize pool of up to 60,000 USDT.

The invitation mechanism is also attractive: users who invite friends to register on Gate and complete SLVON/USDT futures trading volume ≥ 1,000 USDT can receive a 10 USDT position voucher.

05 Risk Warning: Precautions When Investing in Metal Tokens

Although metal tokens offer many advantages, all investments carry risks. Understanding these risks is crucial for making informed decisions.

Market Volatility Risk: While gold and silver are considered safe-haven assets, their prices can still fluctuate. For example, PAXG’s all-time high reached $4,854.86, and its lowest was $2,986.26. Silver prices tend to be more volatile than gold.

Counterparty Risk: Although PAXG and XAUT claim to be fully backed by physical gold, this depends on the credibility and transparency of the issuers. Investors should pay attention to audit reports and reserve proofs from the issuers.

Platform Security Risk: Choosing a reliable and secure trading platform is vital. Always access Gate through official channels, beware of imitation websites and apps. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA), use strong passwords, and consider storing large assets in personal wallets.

Regulatory Risk: Different jurisdictions have varying regulations on crypto assets and commodity-backed tokens. Policy changes may impact the trading and holding of these tokens.

06 Future Outlook: The Evolution of Metal Tokens in the Crypto Ecosystem

As blockchain technology matures and traditional financial assets continue to tokenize, tokens backed by physical assets are expected to play an increasingly important role in the crypto ecosystem.

In the long term, such tokens may become key collateral in decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. Imagine being able to use your holdings of PAXG as collateral to borrow stablecoins or other crypto assets without selling your gold position.

Enhanced cross-chain interoperability will also expand the usability of these tokens. As more blockchains support these assets, they will circulate within broader ecosystems, increasing practicality and value.

With increased institutional adoption, market depth and liquidity for these tokens will further improve. Institutional investors’ demand for gold and silver allocations may partly shift to these more efficient digital forms.

Gradual clarification of regulatory frameworks will bring greater legitimacy and stability to this asset class, attracting more traditional investors into the space.

Future Outlook

According to Gate’s market data on January 9, PAXG’s price has risen to $4,482.11, up 6.41% over 30 days, while XAUT remains steady around $4,465.

SLVON, as a digital portal for silver, is conducting trading activities on Gate. These metal tokens not only represent the transformation of traditional assets through blockchain technology but also foreshadow a grand future where all valuable assets may be traded on-chain.