US spot XRP exchange-traded funds recorded net inflows of $11.28 million on Tuesday, marking their second consecutive positive day — a streak that coincides with a sharp shift in who is actually moving XRP off centralized exchanges.
Whales Take Over The Outflow Picture
Large holders now account for 91.4% of all XRP leaving Binance, according to on-chain data compiled by CryptoQuant analyst Amr Taha. Retail traders, by contrast, have been squeezed to just 8.4% of outflow activity on the platform.
The gap is striking. And it isn’t limited to Binance — across all centralized exchanges combined, whale-driven outflows have climbed to 90.5%, the highest reading recorded since 2024. Retail participation across those same platforms has slipped to roughly 9%, its lowest point in the same period.
The numbers paint a picture of a market where small traders have largely stepped back, leaving the heavy movement to bigger players who rarely show their hand.
Exchange Reserves Shrinking Fast
Separate data flagged by market watcher Xaif Crypto shows XRP reserves on Binance are falling at a pace not seen since March. Deposit and withdrawal flows over the past 30 days have flipped, with withdrawals outpacing deposits by a growing margin.
Something’s happening with XRP on Binance
net withdrawals just hit a 30-day reversal coins flying off the exchange at the fastest pace since March
the supply shock is loading …….. $XRP https://t.co/VXOQPJf1EX pic.twitter.com/nlJLdUOCA1
— Xaif Crypto (@Xaif_Crypto) May 6, 2026
When tokens leave exchanges at this speed, it typically means fewer coins are available for immediate sale — a condition that can tighten supply and affect pricing if demand stays steady or grows.
The ETF inflow data adds weight to that picture. Reports indicate that institutional interest in XRP has been climbing, and two straight days of positive ETF flows suggest that appetite has not cooled.
What The Data Doesn’t Confirm
Still, outflows don’t tell the whole story. Data shows that whale withdrawals can reflect several different moves — long-term storage, transfer between wallets, or repositioning across platforms.
None of those necessarily means buying. Taha’s analysis acknowledged this directly, noting that exchange outflows alone cannot be treated as confirmation of accumulation.
The contrast with mid-2025 is worth keeping in mind. Back then, retail participation spiked to around 2% dominance just as XRP approached its record high near $3.66.
That surge in smaller-player activity was followed by a price drop of more than 60%. Today’s market looks structurally different, with large holders driving nearly all movement. Whether that translates into price support remains to be seen.
Featured image from MetaAI, chart from TradingView
