XRP holders have shifted to a more defensive stance as geopolitical tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran intensified, with more than $650 million in tokens moving onto exchanges.
On-chain data shows over 472 million XRP, valued at roughly $650 million, flowed into Binance over the past week, marking the largest inflow period of February and raising the risk of short-term volatility.
“The first strikes were launched shortly after the close of traditional financial markets. This timing amplified uncertainty across risk assets, with crypto reacting almost immediately to the geopolitical shock,”
Said on-chain analyst, Darkfost.
Darkfost added that large exchange inflows often reflect a defensive posture, explaining that when substantial amounts of XRP move onto trading platforms it can indicate a willingness to sell or at least position liquidity closer to the market during periods of heightened uncertainty.
The geopolitical escalation followed joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran and reports that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed, developments that triggered a broader sell-off in crypto while gold rallied as investors sought traditional safe havens.