[BIS: Retail Gold Purchases Triple in the Past Six Months, While Institutional Selling Accelerates] According to Cointelegraph, data from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) shows that retail investors' gold purchases have tripled in the past six months, while institutional investors' selling has accelerated during the same period. Since Q2 2025, retail investors have purchased approximately $70 billion worth of gold ETFs, with purchase volumes more than tripling over the past six months. Institutional selling began in mid-November last year and accelerated after the precious metals market started to correct in January. The BIS report noted that retail inflows into ETFs and leveraged positions have driven up precious metal prices, but the daily rebalancing of leveraged ETFs and margin-triggered liquidations have amplified price volatility, particularly in the silver market. Gold prices have fallen 9% from their historical peak at the end of January, while silver has plummeted 34% over the same period. The BIS stated that the decline in precious metals coincided with shifts in market expectations regarding U.S. monetary policy and the performance of the dollar, but these changes are difficult to align with fundamental factors. Meanwhile, the total market capitalization of the crypto market has dropped approximately 43% from its October peak.