XRP whale wallet withdrawals top 720M as risk-adjusted return data points to opportunity

Since June 3, more than 720 million XRP (XRP) tokens have left crypto exchanges, and Upbit's share of XRP wallet flows has climbed to its highest level since May 2024. 

The shift comes as XRP rebounded to $1.30 on Monday, with large holder activity continuing to dominate exchange flows and market indicators signal an ideal accumulation period amid lingering weakness. 

Whales dominate XRP exchange flows

Data from CryptoQuant shows that XRP’s multi-exchange daily outflow indicates repeated withdrawals of more than 1 million XRP per transaction. Between June 3 and June 14, major crypto platforms recorded roughly 722 million XRP in large daily outflows, highlighting the most sustained activity from whale-sized wallets since early February. Binance whales led the outflows, with 425 million XRP.

XRP exchange daily outflows above 1 million tokens. Source: CryptoQuant

While large withdrawals do not confirm accumulation, they reduce the amount of XRP immediately available for sale on exchange order books.

A separate exchange-flow metric points to a growing concentration of XRP wallet activity on Upbit. According to crypto analyst Amr Taha, Upbit's XRP net wallet flow dominance climbed to 31% on June 14, up from 13% a week ago, its highest level since May 2024.

Taha said XRP's 5% rebound to $1.30 on Monday coincided with a clear rotation toward Upbit. Deposit-wallet activity became increasingly concentrated on the South Korean exchange while several major platforms lost market share. 

Another Binance metric shows whales continue to dominate XRP outflows. The Binance Whale vs. Retail Spread measures the difference between whale-sized withdrawals of 100,000 XRP or more and retail-sized withdrawals below that threshold.

The spread currently stands near 90%, indicating that large holders still account for the majority of XRP outflows on Binance. Last month, Taha noted that repeated declines toward the May 2024 range suggested a shift in Binance's withdrawal profile from the 2024-2025 bullish period.

XRP’s Binance whale vs. retail spread (%). Source: CryptoQuant

While the indicator should not be viewed as a direct bullish or bearish signal, the analyst said that it tracks withdrawal behavior rather than exchange selling activity.

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XRP Sharpe ratio stays below zero: What does it mean? 

XRP's Sharpe ratio remains in negative territory, a zone that has historically aligned with bearish consolidation phases for the asset.

This metric evaluates returns relative to volatility, helping assess whether investors are adequately compensated for the risk they take. XRP recorded a Sharpe ratio of -1.097 in September 2022 when the token traded near $0.33. The cycle later peaked near 2.07 in January 2025 as XRP approached $3.14.

XRP Sharpe ratio. Source: CryptoQuant

The current reading stands near -0.36, dropping from a positive ratio of 0.18 in May. According to CryptoQuant, XRP has historically produced some of its strongest gains when the Sharpe ratio was negative. The average returns during those periods exceeded 50%, while gains often moderated once the ratio entered positive territory.

However, in April, market analyst Teddy said deep negative Sharpe readings for XRP often coincide with periods of “market pain” rather than efficient trends. Those phases have historically created conditions associated with long-term accumulation zones, but further downside remains possible. 

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