Spot silver has skyrocketed more than 185% this year, vaulting to become the world's third most valuable asset, trailing only gold and Nvidia (NVDA.US), and leaving tech giants like Apple (AAPL.US), Google (GOOGL.US), and Microsoft (MSFT.US) in its wake.

Data from CompaniesMarketCap shows silver's market capitalization at $4.485 trillion; gold leads with $31.719 trillion, followed closely by chip giant Nvidia at $4.638 trillion.

The complete top ten list is as follows: Spot silver hit a record high during trading last Friday, reaching $79.29 per ounce, and ultimately closed at $79.11; it continued its strong upward trend in early Monday trading, breaking through the $80 per ounce mark for the first time, with a cumulative year-to-date gain exceeding 185%.

Its soaring performance is driven by a broad rally in precious metals, fueled by constrained supply, its designation as a critical mineral in the United States, robust industrial demand, market expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, and volatility amplified by low liquidity.

Here are some exchange-traded funds focused on silver and silver mining: iShares Silver Trust (SLV.US), Abrdn Physical Silver Shares ETF (SIVR.US), ProShares Ultra Silver (AGQ.US), ProShares UltraShort Silver (ZSL.US), Sprott Physical Silver Trust (PSLV.US), Global X Silver Miners ETF (SIL.US), PureFunds ISE Junior Silver ETF (SILJ.US), and iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF (SLVP.US).