Good question. The USD isn't tied to silver (or gold) and the ratio of the price of silver to the value of the USD has varied over a wide range over the years. Since the year 2000 the ratio has ranged from 4.37 to 35.12 according to Wikipedia. But reading other sources shows there's an assumption out there that there is a link.
If there are some big shorts on SLV, such as by JPMorgan Chase which is the custodian of the etf, then it could get interesting if "redittors" buy up SLV in bulk. In a few hours we will find out what they are up to, if anything.
