Share this article

Binance's Bitcoin Reserves Drop as Retail Flow Moves to Coinbase: CryptoQuant

The move appears to be in anticipation of the approval of spot bitcoin ETFs.

Updated Mar 8, 2024, 5:33 p.m. Published Nov 23, 2023, 12:29 p.m.
(Alpha Photo/Flickr)
(Alpha Photo/Flickr)

Bitcoin [BTC] is flowing from Binance to Coinbase, according to on-chain data compiled by CryptoQuant.

Since yesterday, Coinbase's reserves have increased by around 12,000 BTC, while Binance's have decreased by 5,000 BTC, the research firm wrote in a recent note.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
(CryptoQuant)
(CryptoQuant)

"The decrease in Bitcoin reserves on Binance appears to be due to retail outflows," Bradley Park, a Web 3 analyst at CryptoQuant wrote to CoinDesk in a note.

"The market is still nervous about the recent legal implications against Binance," Greta Yuan, head of research at Hong Kong-based digital-asset platform VDX said in a note to CoinDesk. "In the short term, we will see more users move funds to compliant or licensed exchanges for peace of mind."

"Coinbase has stood the test of time," she said.

Some analysts say that Binance's recent settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice was the last hurdle to getting approval for a spot bitcoin ETF, and that is also affecting fund flows.

"With this plea deal, the expectations for a spot Bitcoin ETF might have increased to 100% as the industry will be forced to follow the rules that TradFi firms must follow," crypto services provider Matrixport wrote.

CryptoQuant identified a 1,000 BTC withdrawal from Coinbase, and Park suggested the transaction was an "institutional over-the-counter (OTC) trade and can be seen as anticipation of approval of ETFs."

CryptoQuant data shows that exchange reserves of bitcoin have been steadily decreasing throughout the year, which is considered to be a bullish sign. However, some analysts say that since last year's collapse of FTX, trust in centralized exchanges has diminished and investors are keeping their holdings elsewhere.

More For You

Protocol Research: GoPlus Security

GP Basic Image

What to know:

  • As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
  • GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
  • Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.

More For You

Robinhood Stock Slides 8% After Big Decline in November Trading Volumes

Robinhood logo on a screen

Slumps across equity, options and crypto trading in November raised concerns that retail investor momentum may be fading.

What to know:

  • Robinhood reported a sharp drop in trading volumes across equities, options and crypto in November.
  • The company's total platform assets also fell 5% month-over-month to $325 billion.
  • The slowdown in trading activity raised investor concerns that retail engagement may be fading heading into year-end.