Despite numerous bullish forecasts, the XRP price has continued to decline, notably failing to keep pace with Bitcoin’s impressive run. Rather than riding the broader market’s momentum, the token has moved in the opposite direction, with market analysts pointing to a surge in selling activity on major exchanges like Binance and Upbit as a key driver of its persistent bearish pressure.
Why The XRP Price Is Falling As Bitcoin Surges
According to CoinMarketCap data, the XRP price is down more than 32% this year, spending months pinned around the $1.4 level—a far cry from its $3.6 high in 2025. Meanwhile, Bitcoin recently surged past $80,000, pulling much of the broader crypto market along, with altcoins like Ethereum posting notable gains. Yet the altcoin has largely sat out the rally, failing to mirror the momentum that has lifted other major digital assets.
While the token has recorded modest gains in the last 24 hours, it has done little to cover the deeper year-long decline that has left many investors questioning its outlook. Notably, its underperformance comes amidst a significant shift in broader exchange activity.
Crypto analyst ChaCha on X shared an update on the altcoin’s holdings across various global crypto exchanges. As of May 3, 2026, he noted that the total exchange balance stood at 16.14 billion tokens, reflecting an overall decline of about 2.29 million XRP. Since February 2025, the total exchange balance has also fallen by over 15.8%, representing a loss of about 3.04 billion tokens.
Usually, when tokens flow out of exchanges, it is seen as bullish. However, the real concern lies in where the altcoin is actually flowing into and not out of. While crypto platforms like Bithumb, Uphold, Bitbank, and the Evernorth Treasury have seen significant outflows, the world’s two largest and most actively traded exchanges are seeing inflows.
ChaCha disclosed that from February 2025, Binance and Upbit have recorded massive inflows of approximately 6.5 billion and 2.55 billion XRP, respectively. This shows that a large number of holders are moving their tokens from their wallets into exchanges, likely preparing to sell their assets. This trend is considered bearish because rising selling pressure could further derail the price, especially now that overall market sentiment remains negative.
Latest Update On Exchange Holdings
As of May 5, ChaCha noted that XRP exchanges are now recording more outflows than inflows. This suggests a slight shift from its previously bearish trend to a bullish one. Among the platforms listed, Upbit and Crypto.com recorded the largest outflows of 6.48 billion XRP (40.23% decline) and 340.6 million (2.11% decline), respectively.
Meanwhile, Binance is still recording inflows, with more than 2.54 billion XRP flooding in, signaling potential selling pressure ahead.
Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com
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