The wheels are coming off. Major institutional investors dumped $9.2 billion worth of US equities last week, marking the fifth consecutive week of net selling pressure. That's not just a blip—it's a pattern.

What's driving this? Risk-off sentiment is spreading. When the big players start heading for the exits on traditional markets, it sends ripples across the entire financial ecosystem. Crypto markets tend to move in sync with these broader risk appetites, so this institutional retreat is worth watching closely.

The narrative is shifting. We've seen institutions load up on equities during the euphoria phases, but sustained selling like this suggests they're reassessing valuations and positioning defensively. Five weeks running isn't random noise—it's a deliberate repositioning.

For crypto traders and observers, the message is clear: macro factors matter. When institutional money starts flowing out of traditional equities, alternative assets often face headwinds. The correlation isn't perfect, but it's real enough that portfolio managers and traders can't afford to ignore these signals.

Is this the start of something bigger, or just a temporary correction in the broader bull narrative? That's the million-dollar question right now.