Institutional investors are leaving Bitcoin and entering XRP, but why is the price falling?

[Ben Graham]

Bitcoin is seeing large institutional withdrawals while XRP is drawing the strongest share of fresh allocations, according to the latest digital asset fund-flow data. On paper, that rotation should support XRP’s valuation. Instead, prices across the market remain under pressure. The disconnect between capital movement and market performance is now forcing a deeper examination of liquidity conditions, regional positioning, and broader cycle dynamics driving the divergence.

Bitcoin Outflows Are Driving XRP Inflows

Data from CoinShares’ weekly Digital Asset Fund Flows report shows Bitcoin recorded $264 million in outflows over the measured week, making it the only major asset to post significant negative sentiment. The withdrawals extend Bitcoin’s year-to-date outflows to $984 million, reinforcing that institutions are actively reducing exposure rather than passively rebalancing.

At the same time, XRP attracted $63.1 million in weekly inflows — the highest across all tracked assets. Its cumulative inflows have now reached $109 million year-to-date, positioning it as the strongest institutional allocation target so far this year. While Solana drew $8.2 million and Ethereum recorded $5.3 million, neither came close to XRP’s scale, confirming the rotation is concentrated rather than market-wide.

Regional flow reinforces the rotation. Germany led with $87.1 million in inflows, followed by Switzerland ($30.1 million), Canada ($21.4 million), and Brazil ($16.7 million). The United States moved in the opposite direction, posting $214 million in weekly outflows and contributing to $1.464 billion in cumulative withdrawals from US -listed products.

However, despite XRP’s leadership in inflows, total digital asset investment products still recorded $187 million in net outflows. This indicates that while Bitcoin capital is partly rotating into XRP, a meaningful share is exiting crypto entirely, diluting the price impact of inflows.

Liquidity Contraction And Market Structure Are Pressuring Price

XRP’s price behavior reflects wider liquidity constraints. The asset is currently trading at $1.42, down 12.3% over the past week. The drop highlights how inflows are being absorbed without translating into immediate price expansion.

Moreover, total assets under management across digital asset funds have fallen to $129.8 billion, the lowest since March 2025. With the institutional capital base contracting, new allocations carry less price impact than they would in an expanding market.

Trading dynamics further clarify the pressure. Exchange-traded product volumes reached a record $63.1 billion, surpassing the previous $56.4 billion peak recorded in October. High volume alongside falling prices typically signals distribution, liquidations, or hedging rather than accumulation.

Bitcoin’s systemic role amplifies the effect. As the market’s primary liquidity anchor, sustained BTC outflows create correlation drag across digital assets, limiting XRP’s ability to respond positively to inflows.

CoinShares analysts add that while outflows persist, their pace is slowing — a pattern often associated with late-cycle capitulation and potential bottom formation. Within that framework, XRP’s inflows may represent early institutional positioning ahead of stabilization rather than a catalyst for immediate price expansion.