In May 2026, the cryptocurrency exchange Binance became the absolute leader among centralized exchanges (CEX), gathering 78% of all net inflows from the entire market. Over seven days, stablecoins worth $3.6 billion flowed into the platform, with the WETH token being the main asset in deposits, totaling around $887 million since the beginning of the month.
This is reported by Finway
Strengthening Binance’s position in the centralized exchange market
May marked an active return of investors to risk assets, accompanied by an increase in capital flows into ETFs, stablecoins, and centralized exchanges. Binance managed to accumulate 78% of all net inflows to CEX, significantly exceeding the average of the last three months, which was 29%. The total net inflow of funds to centralized exchanges for the month exceeded $3.3 billion.
In April 2026, Binance’s share of the global spot trading volume was 24.2%. The platform recorded a monthly trading volume of about $255 billion. A basket of major crypto assets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and BNB, rose by 8.2% in the first 12 days of May. In comparison, the S&P 500 added only 2.4% during the same period, gold increased by 1.5%, while oil showed negative dynamics.
“The level of concentration indicates structural dominance, not a random influx of funds. […] Binance is not only the main indicator of exchange flow direction but also a key element of the infrastructure of this market movement,” the press release stated.
Growth of stablecoin inflows and changes in deposit structure
After Bitcoin rose above $79,000 on May 3, positive dynamics regarding stablecoins resumed in the market. By May 8, a record seven-day inflow of such assets was recorded — about $3.6 billion. Historically, the issuance of stablecoins often accompanies phases of market growth, which may indicate the accumulation of liquidity for further investments in risk assets.
Among the crypto assets flowing into Binance, the largest net inflow was recorded for the WETH token — $887 million since the beginning of May. This may be related to a decrease in activity in the restaking segment following the KelpDAO incident in April, when some users exited rsETH and transferred capital to WETH. At the same time, Bitcoin continues to show a net outflow — about $400 million since the beginning of the month, indicating investors’ reluctance to lock in profits at current levels.
Binance emphasized that the combination of these flows indicates active portfolio repositioning, and traders remain engaged in the market rather than observing from the sidelines.