Written by Biraajmaan Tamuly, Staff Writer. Reviewed by Ray Salmond, Staff Editor.
Written by Biraajmaan Tamuly, Staff Writer.
Reviewed by Ray Salmond, Staff Editor.
Retail Bitcoin investor demand falls by 73% as futures selling tops $2B: Are the bears back?
MarketsPublishedMay 18, 2026
Bitcoin retail inflows to Binance remained at record lows as aggressive BTC futures selling and weakening spot demand pressured BTC below $77,000.
Bitcoin (BTC) retail investor activity on Binance has fallen to its lowest level in history. Retail BTC inflows on Binance now average near 314 BTC per month in 2026, down sharply from the 1,200 BTC range recorded in March 2024.
Bitcoin’s recovery in May also slowed as spot inflows on Binance weakened, with the 30-day net demand growth falling 73% over the past three weeks.
Bitcoin retail traders step back
CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost stated retail Bitcoin inflows to Binance remained near its historic lows. The metric tracks BTC deposits from wallets holding less than 1 BTC, a common signal for retail investor activity.
Bitcoin retail inflows (less than 1 BTC) on Binance. Source: CryptoQuant
Monthly retail BTC inflows on Binance now average just 314 BTC. The figure stood near 1,800 BTC during the 2022 bear market and around 1,200 BTC during Bitcoin’s March 2024 local top near $75,000. Earlier cycles showed far heavier retail participation, with inflows peaking near 5,400 BTC in 2018 and 2,600 BTC in 2021.
Darkfost stated part of the shift likely stemmed from investors moving toward spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) rather than directly holding BTC on exchanges.
CryptoQuant data also showed a cooldown in retail demand growth. The 30-day change in retail investor demand dropped to 3.12% from 7.39% last week. That earlier reading marked the strongest retail demand expansion since August 2025, when Bitcoin traded near $115,000. The decline points to weaker spot participation after a brief pickup in buying activity.
Bitcoin retail investor demand. Source: CryptoQuant
Related: Bitcoin price hits $76K, lowest since April after $1B ETF net outflow
BTC spot demand lags behind futures positioning
Crypto analyst Amr Taha stated Binance recorded two large spikes in Bitcoin taker sell volume during the recent decline. The first reached roughly $1.5 billion on May 15. Another climbed above $1.1 billion as Bitcoin fell below $77,000.
Market analyst Crazzyblockk stated one crucial signal still missing from Bitcoin’s recovery is a balanced spot demand. The previous rallies in October 2024, November 2024, and May 2025 showed that spot and futures demand rose together. Spot demand ranged between +97,000 BTC and +190,000 BTC during those price rallies, while the futures demand expanded alongside it.
The latest recovery showed a different pattern. BTC futures demand remained positive at +193,000 BTC over 30 days, while spot demand remained negative at -28,000 BTC and stayed below zero for 65 consecutive days. The total 30-day demand growth also fell from 232,000 BTC in early May to 62,000 BTC by May 16, recording a 73% decline.
Bitcoin spot and futures demand growth (30-day sum). Source: CryptoQuant
Crazzyblockk also pointed to a sharp shift in Binance’s futures dominance last month. Binance previously controlled 40%-44% of global USDT-margined futures volume from October 2024 to March 2026.
In May 2026, Binance’s share dropped to 21.1% while OKX climbed to 26.3%, marking the first reversal in exchange leadership during the cycle.
Related: Price predictions 5/18: SPX, DXY, BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, HYPE, ADA
This article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and is intended for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice or recommendations. All investments and trades carry risk; readers are encouraged to conduct independent research.
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