Bitcoin (BTC) centralized exchange (CEX) inflows have accelerated. Notably, BTC inflows to crypto exchange Binance have increased by more than 50 percent from 2026 lows, suggesting that investors are likely preparing for a sell-off in the short term.
Bitcoin inflows to Binance hit higher highs
According to exchange data, the number of Binance User Deposit Addresses is starting to trend upwards, as between January 2026 to May 2026, there has been a noticeable increase in the intensity of BTC deposits into Binance.
The purple bars in the following chart show a surge in the number of deposit addresses, even though the Bitcoin price continues to stagnate in the low $70,000 range. Such dynamics reflect a sentiment of profit-taking among investors who sell into any short-term price peak.
However, it is not a given that an increase in the number of deposit addresses is a net negative for BTC, as sometimes it can just indicate internal asset rotation for portfolio restructuring instead of a large-scale exodus.
Still, the metric should be monitored alongside Binance’s Exchange Reserve data. If the rise in deposits doesn’t translate into increase in BTC reserves on Binance, then it means that users are depositing to trade more actively rather than for liquidation purposes.
Meanwhile, crypto analysts foresee further price pullback for Bitcoin. On Friday, Altcoin Sherpa shared the following chart on X, predicting that BTC falling into the $60,000 or low $70,000 “is coming next probably.”
Fellow crypto trader cyclop shared the following chart which shows BTC heading toward a new yearly low of around $42,000. However, the top cryptocurrency will then gain bullish momentum, which could propel it all the way up to a new all-time high of $240,000.
Is BTC falling out of institutional favor?
Over the past few years, Bitcoin cemented itself as the first and probably the only true institutional-grade asset. As of Friday, more than 1.27 million BTC is tied into corporate treasuries, representing over 6 percent of its total supply.
However, recent developments – such as significant and consistent spot ETF outflows – suggest that BTC may be losing its appeal.
Further, the biggest corporate BTC proponent, Strategy, paused buying the cryptocurrency on Tuesday, fuelling speculations that the company may be rethinking its BTC treasury play.