In recent years, CS2 skins have drawn attention from both gamers and investors. Many people treated rare digital weapon finishes like collectibles or art. The idea was simple: buy a rare skin, hold it, and wait for its value to rise.
Knives and gloves became especially desirable. With limited supply and high demand from a global player base, many believed these items were almost risk-free investments. For a long time, the market behaved like a small but growing digital investment scene.
That changed in October 2025, when Valve Corporation released a major update. The new Trade Up Contract system allowed players to exchange five Covert-tier skins for a guaranteed knife or pair of gloves.
This made once ultra-rare items much easier to get. The change caused a shock across the market. Anal

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