Binance’s Massive BTC Holdings Spark Centralization Concerns for Bitcoin

• Binance holds over 20% of Bitcoin reserves and remains the key venue for price discovery.

• ETFs and treasury adoption grow Bitcoin access but increase custody concentration and systemic risk.

Binance has the biggest volume of Bitcoin exchange reserves. Its share hovered near 20–21% throughout the summer, and rose to 22- 23% in late July and early August. Data by CryptoQuant attributes such spikes to tactical flows that reversed within a short time. The market share is huge but consistent. A single venue has become the basis of price discovery in market structure.

Source: Cryptoquant

Funding dynamics are amplified by concentration. When pooling the liquidity at one of the exchanges, the order book tilts, and liquidation clusters respond more quickly. Derivatives sensitivity increases when reserves move, even slightly. That scale effect counts when volatility comes back.

Reserve ratio indicates the quality of the trend. An increase in Binance holdings as Bitcoin surges tends to signal a supply replenishment. Unless spot demand is high, momentum will cool. A decline in reserves during a surge makes the supply constrained. Under such a pattern, uptrends look healthier.

Derivatives are responsive to minor changes in inventory. Reserve movements are tracked by funding rates, open interest composition, and forced unwinds. Market participants watch that ratio for early cues on positioning stress.

ETF Dependence and Treasury Flows Carry Hidden Shock Risk

Willy Woo, an on-chain analyst, cautions about the structural risk behind headline growth. He asserts that to compete with top monetary standards, the long-term course of Bitcoin would require much greater capital inflows. He further points out that the market cap of Bitcoin at around $2.42 trillion falls behind that of gold at $23 trillion and the money supply of the U.S. dollar at an estimated $21.9 trillion.

Another fault line Woo emphasizes is custody concentration. Spot bitcoin ETFs, treasuries, and institutional custodians are favored by large allocators, as opposed to self-custody. Custodial solutions like Coinbase Custody are relied upon by pension funds. Capital follows convenience, although convenience runs it into the line of fire of policy or law. He warns that investors who do not retain their keys may be in danger of a nation-state shock. The reverse could also see custodied coins returning to circulation, increasing stress.

The debate is focused on who has the keys and where the liquidity is. Short-term price activity is subject to exchange domination. The concentration of custody determines tail risk. Collectively, they characterize the way shocks spread.

Bitcoin Price Near Resistance

On Monday, Bitcoin rose to over $122,000 after sustaining the support of around $120,080 on Sunday night. The price is near the July 14 high of $123,218. Momentum indicators facilitate progress. This is shown by the daily RSI standing at 65, well above the neutral. On Monday, MACD printed a bullish crossover.

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index shows a reading of 70 on a scale of 100, indicating a reading of Greed but not extreme sentiment, despite the rally. Google search interest for Bitcoin has seen only a modest uptick over the past week, scoring 48 out of 100 compared to its highest level in the past year. That peak occurred between November 10 and 16, a week after Donald Trump’s U.S. election victory.

Source: Alternative.me

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