I have two physical gold funds (shares represent actual gold in a vault someplace).
I can actually look at the bar serial numbers on the internet.
Anybody doing paper stuff or fractional stuff is nuts.
There are a lot of schemes going on around the world to prop up systems that just plain burned more money than they had. I don't know how long they can keep breaking up the superstructure of the steamboat to keep the boilers burning.
As I said elsewhere, protect your assets.