Binance recently released its latest Proof of Reserves (PoR) report which showed that the exchange platform held more Ripple (XRP) tokens than its users held collectively. Furthermore, the report indicated that Binance’s users racked up another 100 million XRP tokens over the 30-day period.
Binance was not the only exchange platform that made headlines recently. The spotlight was pointed towards Huobi as an analyst questioned whether the exchange holds the Tether (USDT) it claims it does. The analyst also alleged that Tron’s very own Justin Sun is to blame for Huobi’s inflated USDT reserves.
As rumors began to make their rounds in the market, Binance decided to minimize their exposure to USDT and executed a mass sell-off of their holdings in the stablecoin. This sell-off resulted in USDT losing its peg to the Dollar, as its price dropped 0.07% over the past 24 hours.
Binance Boasts Over-Collateralized XRP Reserves
Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, has once again provided transparency into its cryptocurrency holdings through its updated PoR report. The report revealed that Binance currently holds a significant amount of XRP, demonstrating its commitment to maintaining sufficient liquidity and managing its risk profile.
The PoR report, audited on 1 August 2023 at 00:00 UTC showed that Binance's net balance of XRP stood at approximately 2,806,681,733.985 (around 2.8 billion) tokens. Meanwhile, Binance's customers collectively hold a combined balance of 2,711,777,813.604 (approximately 2.7 billion) XRP across their accounts.
This disclosure indicates that Binance holds slightly more XRP than its users, with a ratio of approximately 103.5% of customer net balance to Binance's net balance for XRP. The exchange's decision to hold a larger XRP reserve showcases its commitment to ensuring sufficient liquidity and safeguarding user funds.
By holding a surplus of XRP, Binance can confidently cover its users' XRP balance on a one-to-one basis, reinforcing its commitment to security and reliability. The move not only instills trust among users but also reaffirms Binance's status as a reputable and transparent exchange within the cryptocurrency community.
Binance has consistently shared its cryptocurrency holdings since the collapse of FTX, underlining its commitment to providing transparency and boosting investor confidence. This latest PoR report marks the ninth time Binance has disclosed its most up-to-date asset reserves.
Comparing the latest report to the previous month's data, Binance's net XRP balance has seen an increase. In the previous report, the exchange held approximately 2.69 billion XRP, with a 104% ratio of customer net balance to its net balance. The recent PoR disclosure indicated that Binance's customers have collectively increased their XRP holdings by over 100 million tokens in just one month.
This continuous growth in customer XRP holdings reflects the ongoing interest and confidence in the digital asset among Binance's user base. XRP, the native cryptocurrency of the Ripple network, has garnered attention for its utility in cross-border transactions and its potential to revolutionize the financial industry.
With the cryptocurrency market experiencing rapid evolution, regulatory scrutiny, and increased investor interest, the importance of transparency and accountability in the cryptocurrency space cannot be overstated. Binance's commitment to regular PoR reports underscores its dedication to maintaining the highest standards of transparency, trust, and compliance within the industry.
As one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges globally, Binance plays a crucial role in facilitating the trading and investment of various digital assets. Its robust security measures, extensive asset selection, and transparent practices make it a preferred platform for millions of users worldwide.
Looking ahead, as the cryptocurrency market continues to evolve, exchanges like Binance will remain at the forefront of innovation, constantly adapting to meet the needs of their users and navigating the changing regulatory landscape. With every PoR report, Binance reaffirms its position as a responsible and reliable custodian of digital assets, setting a positive example for the broader industry.
BNB and XRP Battle It Out for the 4th Place Ranking
Binance Coin (BNB) and XRP are both ranked in the top 5 list of the biggest cryptocurrencies by market cap, according to CoinMarketCap. Although BNB was ranked 1 position higher than XRP, the difference between their respective market caps was less than $5 billion at press time.
BNB’s market cap was estimated to be $37,250,089,481, while XRP boated a total market cap of $32,635,089,901. Meanwhile, both cryptocurrencies suffered 24-hour losses. BNB was, however, able to outperform XRP in terms of price performance throughout the past day of trading. With a daily loss of 0.66%, BNB was changing hands at $242.05. XRP, on the other hand, saw its price drop 1.92%. Consequently, the remittance token’s price stood at $0.6188 at press time.
Not only did BNB outperform XRP during the past 24 hours, it also outshined the altcoin in terms of weekly price performance. XRP suffered a weekly loss of 12.40% while BNB’s price only slipped 0.79% during this same period.
Huobi’s USDT Reserves Questionable
In related news, Huobi, another large exchange platform is facing scrutiny over its financial stability, with analyst Adam Cochran suggesting that the firm may be insolvent due to discrepancies in its USDT holdings. Cochran's investigation of Huobi's "Merkle Tree Audit" reveals that only $90 million is held in the exchange's accounts, while users believe they own $631 million worth of USDT. The alarming gap in USDT assets has raised questions about the exchange's financial health, especially since the Merkle Tree Audit has not been updated in recent times.
The potential shortfall in Huobi's USDT holdings may be connected to actions taken by Justin Sun, the prominent founder of the Tron network and a figure in the cryptocurrency world. Cochran accuses Sun of using Huobi users' assets to support his decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, artificially inflating the yield to attract more deposits into Huobi.
Furthermore, Cochran alleges that Huobi users' Ethereum (ETH) balances have been converted into stETH by Sun, with only half of the total 141,000 ETH believed to be held by Huobi users actually present in Sun's accounts. These findings raise serious concerns about the integrity of Huobi's financial operations and suggest that Sun may be using the exchange as a personal piggy bank.
Adding to the concerns, Cochran suggests that fellow cryptocurrency exchange Binance might be strategically selling its Tether holdings to undermine Huobi. By promoting other stablecoins they can control and profit from, Binance seeks to reduce USDT's dominance in the market. Cochran speculates that Binance might also be aware of Sun's over-claimed USDT holdings and aims to safeguard itself from a potential mass sell-off from Huobi users.
These allegations come at a time when Huobi's financial obligations appear to be far from balanced. Even accounting for the funds Sun allegedly transferred from Huobi to his DeFi apps, it appears that only about half of the total obligations for the exchange are accounted for.
The situation is made more concerning by Cochran's claim that Binance's aggressive USDT sell-off could be a risk mitigation strategy in response to a potential investigation into Huobi and Tron employees. These developments have raised questions about the overall financial health and transparency of Huobi, leading to speculation about the possibility of insolvency.
It is important to note that these are allegations made by an individual analyst, and further investigations and disclosures from Huobi and relevant authorities are needed to ascertain the accuracy of the claims. However, the situation underscores the need for exchanges to be more proactive in providing transparent and up-to-date information about their holdings to maintain trust and confidence among their users and the wider crypto community.
USDT De-pegs and HT Drops Slightly
The recent USDT selloff had caused the leading stablecoin in terms of market capitalization to lose its peg against the Dollar. It continued to trade below $1 at press time as well, and was down 0.07% over the past 24 hours. Furthermore, the stablecoin’s price had dropped 0.19% over the past 7 days. Despite this slight drop in price, USDT’s market capitalization remained at around $219.832 billion.
The allegations against Huobi brought forward seem to have had a small impact on the price of Huobi Token (HT) in the last 24 hours. CoinMarketCap indicated that the altcoin was changing hands at $2.63 following a 0.09% drop in its price.
