Gold futures are poised to finish October about three percent higher, trading around $1,800 per ounce. However, year-to-date, the precious metal is still down approximately five percent. Silver, which is on track for a nine percent gain this month, has performed even worse in 2021 as prices have slumped roughly nine percent year-to-date. It has been conventional wisdom in the financial markets that investors pour into these traditional safe-haven assets when inflation surges. However, this has not been the case this year, despite all inflation measurements, from the consumer price index to the personal consumption expenditures price index, trending at multi-year highs. The lack of a rally in gold and silver prices has some wondering what would be the catalyst for these metal commodities to mirror the gains enjoyed in the summer of 2020. Is Bitcoin the New Inflation Hedge? Are institutional and retail traders protecting their money by transitioning …