Ethereum Sees $960M Net Inflow to Binance in December, Reversing Trend Since July
Recent data from CryptoQuant reveals a significant shift in Ethereum’s (ETH) net flow to Binance, with a substantial $960 million inflow recorded in December 2025 (as per the latest data point on the chart). This marks a remarkable turnaround, as Ethereum had been experiencing generally negative and decreasing net flows to the exchange since July of the same year.
This impressive figure not only indicates an abrupt change in investor behavior but also represents the highest monthly asset inflow for Ethereum to Binance since July 2025. Prior periods of negative net flows typically suggested that more ETH was being withdrawn from the exchange than deposited, often interpreted as long-term holding intentions off-exchange or potential selling pressure.
The implications of this considerable inflow are multi-faceted:
Revived Buyer Interest: This high volume of inflow could signal a strong resurgence in demand and renewed investor interest in accumulating Ethereum.
Preparation for Volatility: Traders might be moving their assets to the exchange to capitalize on upcoming trading opportunities or anticipated price fluctuations.
New Capital Injection: The trend could also indicate fresh capital entering the Ethereum ecosystem, subsequently being transferred to exchanges for active trading.
This sudden reversal from outflows to massive inflows serves as a crucial signal for the Ethereum market, potentially heralding a new phase of accumulation or heightened trading activity that investors and traders should monitor closely.
Binance ETH Open Interest Surges — $3100 Trap Could Flip Sentiment
📰 Daily Market Update
data from Binance derivatives market shows a very aggressive shift in Ethereum positioning
📊 ETH: Binance Cumulative Net Taker Volume / Open Interest [24H]
The chart clearly shows a sharp and sudden expansion in Ethereum open interest on Binance, the largest crypto exchange globally by volume.
📈 ETH open interest surged from ~$6.2B to nearly $7.1B in less than 24 hours
📈 This is one of the strongest single-day increases seen recently
🚀 The expansion in open interest happened at the same time ETH price pushed above $3,100
This is important because rising open interest during price appreciation usually means new positions are entering the market, not just shorts covering.
📈 Even more interesting, CVD (Cumulative Volume Delta) also moved higher alongside open interest, which strongly suggests that:
* Most of the newly opened positions are long positions
* Buyers are using market orders aggressively, not passive limit bids
* In simple words, traders are not waiting… they are buying now.
📊 Liquidation Heatmap – ETH Derivatives
💣 A large short liquidation cluster was completely wiped out around the $3,100 level
💥 Once ETH reached this zone, over-leveraged short sellers were forced to buy back their positions
* This triggered a short squeeze effect, accelerating price movement upward
* These forced liquidations often create temporary resistance zones on lower timeframes, especially when funding rates increase rapidly
🧠 Final Thoughts
Monitoring open interest behavior and liquidation maps gives us deep insight into what is actually driving price action, especially on short to mid timeframes.
Right now, Ethereum’s move looks leverage-driven, aggressive, and emotional — which means opportunity is there, but so is risk.
The net difference is around 12B USD, which is very limited. This indicates that there is no aggressive net capital inflow or outflow on Binance. The market is not in panic mode. Instead, it is clearly in a position rotation and wait and see phase. Such balance typically corresponds to sideways consolidation periods.
Inflows
USDT: 641.7B (40.22%)
USDC: 469.6B (29.43%)
Outflows
USDT: 627.4B (39.62%)
USDC: 469.5B (29.65%)
There is a very clear balance in stablecoins. Stablecoins are flowing into exchanges, but they are also flowing out. This means there is no large capital waiting on the sidelines for aggressive buying, but at the same time, there is no capital flight from the market. This structure usually forms when whales are undecided about buying, and when they do not find the current price levels sufficient to sell their ETH holdings aggressively.
ETH Flows
ETH Inflow: 418.1B (26.21%)
ETH Outflow: 420.6B (26.56%)
On the ETH side, there is a very slight outflow dominance. ETH is entering exchanges with potential selling intent. However, outflows are almost equal in size, meaning that sold ETH is being replenished. This shows that long term investors are not abandoning ETH. The activity is mainly driven by short term trades, futures/hedging positions, and arbitrage related flows. These inflows and outflows do not create strong selling pressure on ETH price, but they also lack the strength needed to initiate a rally.
Assets such as UNI, LINK, AAVE, DAI, and PAXG represent very small proportions.
There is no altcoin season behavior. If an altcoin rally were underway, we would expect to see outflows exceeding inflows for these assets meaning increased withdrawals from exchanges.
Overall, ETH price is likely to continue moving sideways in the short term. Any breakouts may remain fake breakouts, and the probability of liquidity hunts appears high.
Real Network Usage Vs Speculation: Market Balance Index Reveals the Outcome of This Dispute At th...
As 2025 came to a close, the Bitcoin market entered a bear market, confirmed by declining demand after the October peak. During this period, the price went through sharp corrections. To assess whether there is support from real network usage — which would indicate proximity to a bottom — or whether speculation still prevails, increasing the likelihood of further declines, we turn to CryptoQuant’s on-chain indicator: Bitcoin’s Market Balance Index (MBI).
INTERPRETATION OF THE MBI AND CURRENT SITUATION
The MBI is built from two key metrics: OI SMA7D, which reflects the intensity of traders’ bets, and NVT SMA7D, which shows how much the price is supported by actual network usage. The combination of these indicators allows us to measure whether the market is more fundamentally driven or more speculative.
◾Real network usage (0.0 – 0.3) → price supported by fundamentals, period of solidity, possible bottom.
◾Speculation (0.6 – 1.0) → price driven by market bets, higher risk of correction.
◾Current value → 0.48, network in balance.
CONCLUSION
The MBI confirms that the market is in a state of equilibrium, with the index at 0.48 — within the neutral range. This shows that BTC’s price has been divided between periods of stronger alignment with real network usage and phases dominated by speculation. It makes clear that the start of 2026 will be marked by uncertainty in the cycle’s direction, as neither force consistently prevails.
Open Interest Range-Bound, Rising Estimated Leverage Signals Downside Risk
1. Since the sharp sell-off in October 2025, open interest has remained range-bound. This indicates a decline in demand within the derivatives market.
2. A rise in estimated leverage suggests an increase in speculative demand among market participants.
From the chart, we can observe that when open interest fails to show directional expansion and remains range-bound while estimated leverage rises, price tends to decline. This pattern has occurred twice since October, and structurally, the market has yet to show meaningful improvement into 2026.
Since December 27, 2025, estimated leverage has started to rise again, while open interest continues to remain within a range. This calls for heightened risk management.
Ethereum | Binance Taker Buy/Sell Ratio Hits Highest Level Since July
Ethereum’s 14-day moving average of the Taker Buy/Sell Ratio on Binance has recently reached 1.005, marking its highest level since July. A ratio above 1 generally indicates that aggressive market buy orders are outweighing sell orders, signaling growing bullish intent among derivatives traders.
What makes this development particularly noteworthy is that it occurs while ETH price remains relatively depressed compared to its previous highs. This divergence often suggests early positioning or accumulation behavior, where aggressive participants enter the market ahead of a potential directional move rather than reacting to price momentum.
Historically, sustained periods where the Taker Buy/Sell Ratio remains above 1—especially when confirmed by a moving average—have often coincided with rising bullish volatility or attempts at trend reversals. It reflects increased urgency from buyers willing to pay market prices, a behavior typically seen during phases of improving sentiment.
That said, this metric should not be interpreted in isolation. Elevated taker buy pressure without confirmation from spot market demand or broader volume expansion may result in short-lived price reactions rather than a sustained rally. False signals can occur if leverage-driven activity dominates without real capital inflows.
Overall, the current structure suggests that aggressive buying pressure is building in Ethereum’s derivatives market. If the ratio remains consistently above 1, it may increase the probability of a price recovery attempt. However, confirmation will depend on price follow-through and alignment with other on-chain and market-wide indicators.