BTC, ETH, and XRP Flood Exchanges After Trump’s Crypto Reserve Announcement

Massive crypto transfers suggest traders may be positioning for profit-taking.

Shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled plans to include Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and XRP in a U.S. crypto strategic reserve, billions of XRP tokens and thousands of BTC were sent to exchanges. This influx likely played a role in the sharp price pullback that followed an initial surge.

Typically, large token holders store assets in cold wallets and move them to exchanges when preparing to sell. Data from CryptoQuant shows that XRP exchange inflows hit 193 million per hour after the announcement, with whales—holders transferring 1 million or more XRP—leading the movement.

Bitcoin inflows also spiked dramatically, increasing from 500–1,000 BTC per hour to a peak of 6,739 BTC the following day. Ethereum (ETH) saw a similar trend, with inflows surging to nearly 300,000 ETH in a single hour.

CryptoQuant analysts pointed out that the volatile price swings on Monday and Tuesday indicate that real spot demand remains subdued, limiting the potential for sustained gains.

“Bitcoin’s apparent demand growth, which had accelerated after the U.S. election results in late 2024, has now declined into contraction territory for the first time since September 2024,” analysts noted. “Without renewed demand, crypto prices may struggle to sustain upward momentum.”

Apparent demand measures the balance between newly mined Bitcoin and changes in long-term holdings. CoinDesk previously reported that retail accumulation has been slowing since early November, further weighing on the market.