Binance Users Withdrew $1.35B of Bitcoin in Days Following FTX Collapse

The net exit of crypto was industry-wide as FTX closed off customer withdrawals and ultimately filed for bankruptcy protection.

AccessTimeIconNov 14, 2022 at 4:55 p.m. UTC
Updated May 9, 2023 at 4:02 a.m. UTC
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The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance experienced record levels of bitcoin, ethereum and stablecoin withdrawals alongside the implosion of rival exchange FTX.

Binance saw a net 81,712 bitcoin ($1.35 billion), or more than 15% of the roughly 500,000 bitcoin on its exchange, pulled from the platform over the past six days, according to data from CryptoQuant. In addition, a net 125,026 ether ($155 million) and $1.14 billion in stablecoins were withdrawn from Binance over the same period.

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  • Appearing on a Twitter space on Monday morning, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao appealed for calm, and said a "slight" uptick in the pace of withdrawals is normal when the prices of cryptocurrencies drop.

    Bitcoin outflows from all crypto exchanges (CryptoQuant)
    Bitcoin outflows from all crypto exchanges (CryptoQuant)

    The withdrawals are an industry-wide issue, with Coinglass showing nearly 200,000 bitcoin pulled from exchanges over the past seven days bringing the level of bitcoin held on exchanges down to 1.88 million. Coinbase (COIN), Gemini and Kraken are among the crypto brokers seeing percentage declines similar to Binance.

    The fast exits were prompted by the implosion of FTX, which was one of the largest exchanges before it filed for bankruptcy last week. Speculation over the company's financials mounted following a CoinDesk report that identified holes in the balance sheet of FTX sister company, Alameda Research. Customers scrambled to quickly withdraw funds from FTX, resulting in a liquidity crunch.

    Within days, FTX had seen its own bitcoin balance fall from about 20,000 to just one.

    Binance made an attempt to acquire FTX at the start of last week, signing a non-binding letter of intent only to walk away from a deal 24-hours later.

    Binance did not immediately respond to CoinDesk's request for comment.

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    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

    Oliver Knight

    Oliver Knight is a CoinDesk reporter based between London and Lisbon. He does not own any crypto.


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