Crypto Exchanges See Billions in BTC, ETH, XRP Inflows After Trump’s Reserve Announcement

Large crypto transfers suggest traders may be preparing to take profits after initial price surges.

Shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to integrate Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and XRP into a U.S. crypto strategic reserve, billions of XRP and thousands of BTC were moved to exchanges. This wave of inflows likely contributed to the sharp price corrections that followed an initial market rally.

Crypto investors, especially large holders, typically keep assets in cold storage and transfer them to exchanges when looking to sell. Data from CryptoQuant shows that XRP inflows hit 193 million per hour after Trump’s announcement, with whales—those moving at least 1 million XRP—accounting for the bulk of the transactions.

Bitcoin exchange inflows also jumped, rising from a typical range of 500–1,000 BTC per hour to a peak of 6,739 BTC the day after the news. Ethereum (ETH) followed suit, with exchange inflows soaring to nearly 300,000 ETH within an hour.

According to CryptoQuant analysts, the rapid surge and pullback in BTC, ETH, and XRP prices on Monday and Tuesday indicate that actual demand for spot crypto remains weak, making sustained rallies difficult.

“Bitcoin’s apparent demand growth, which surged after the U.S. election results in late 2024, has now slipped into contraction for the first time since September 2024,” analysts stated. “Unless demand picks up again, sustaining higher crypto prices will remain a challenge.”

The apparent demand metric, which assesses Bitcoin supply dynamics by measuring long-term holder activity and newly mined supply, continues to show a slowdown. CoinDesk previously reported that retail accumulation has been declining since early November, adding further pressure to the market.

About The Author

ctleditor

See author's posts