U.S. stock markets opened in negative territory, with the Nasdaq Composite leading declines at 0.75%. The S&P 500 fell 0.39%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.13% at the opening bell. The broad-based sell-off across major indices signals risk-off sentiment in traditional equities as traders assess current market conditions. Crypto markets often correlate with tech-heavy index movements during periods of equity volatility.