Plenty of voices are quick to cry 'market manipulation' whenever prices dip, but they're overlooking what's actually happening beneath the surface.

Right now, high-risk assets and crypto aren't driving the narrative—they're moving in lockstep with the Nasdaq-100, more closely than we've seen all year. This correlation is the real story.

That marked zone on the chart isn't suppression. It's a critical risk decision point. Think of it as the market testing boundaries, not being held down.

When the Nasdaq-100 maintains and breaks higher, this dynamic typically cascades through crypto markets. The key is watching whether that index holds its ground. If it does, we're likely seeing a continuation pattern rather than a reversal.

Understanding this relationship between mainstream tech equities and crypto movements helps separate signal from noise. It's less about manipulation and more about how interconnected these markets have become.