CEX stablecoin reserves jump $10b, what does it mean?

The amount of stablecoins on centralized exchanges rises $10 billion within the past month as more holders gravitate towards the asset, what could this mean for the crypto market?

Within the past month, centralized exchanges have recorded a major boost in the amount of stablecoins held by traders. According to data from CryptoQuant, the CEX reserves have amounted to $73.13 billion, indicating a $10 billion increase compared to the previous month.

Just a few days prior, on Nov. 5, the CEX reserves hit an all-time high at $73.23 billion before dipping slightly by just $200 million.

When compared to the previous year, the amount has more than doubled. In Nov. 2024, the exchange’s stable reserves stood at just $33 billion, which means it has increased by $40 billion in just the span of a year as stablecoin adoption accelerates.

Popular crypto analyst Ali Martinez highlighted this jump in CEX stablecoin reserves within the past month. He believes that this could mean that more traders “are swapping crypto into stables.” Many users on X were also quick to comment with their own speculation, with some suspecting that it could signal larger moves.

On the other hand, the Stablecoin Supply Ratio Oscillator or SSR Oscillator remains at cycle lows, just as it had since late last month. Data from CryptoQuant shows that the SSR Oscillator currently stands at just 12.795, a far cry from its July 2025 levels when it still stood above 19.

Meanwhile, the gap between the price of Bitcoin (BTC) and the SSR Oscillator grows wider as BTC struggles to maintain its hold above the $100,000 mark. The largest cryptocurrency by market cap is currently trading hands at $101,900, having dipped by 1.39% in the past day.

What does a rise in CEX stablecoin reserves mean for the crypto market?

The CEX stablecoin reserves reflects the number of stablecoins held on exchanges. At the moment, it shows a negative correlation with the overall performance of the cryptocurrency market as the overall market cap has fallen by 0.6%, as it tethers on the edge of $3.5 trillion.

Falling from $4 trillion, the market has lost about $500 billion following a series of mass liquidations, including the infamous $19 billion liquidation event on Oct. 11.

Even on-chain analyst Ali Martinez seems to believe that people are trading in their crypto for stablecoin. This comes as no surprise considering the market is on a downturn trend with many major tokens glowing red.

At press time, BTC has fallen 1.4% as it hangs on the edge of $101,000, while ETH (ETH) has strayed farther down from its previous $4,000 high as it declined 1.1% to around $3,352. XRP (XRP) has suffered a deeper decline, decreasing in value by 4.3%. Solana (SOL) has also gone down by 1% within the past day.

However, there is still hope as small altcoins like AIA, ZEC (ZEC) and ICP (ICP) reap major gains from this round of trading. Most notably, DeAgentAI’s token has surged by 647.8% over the past 24 hours, reaching $14.43. Meanwhile, ZEC has gone up by 21.2% to $623.86.

Historically, an increase in stablecoin reserves could be seen as a bearish signal, as it typically reflects investors and traders pulling liquidity out of more volatile crypto assets and choosing to store capital in stablecoins.

This means that there is ample liquidity waiting to be deployed into the market, which could serve to boost crypto prices to greater heights. At the moment, traders are sitting on the sidelines waiting for better entry points or clearer market direction before reentering the mix.

An increase in stablecoin reserves could act as both a defensive maneuver or a sign that buying power is growing. When the ball drops, it could serve to reignite market momentum and turn a bearish market into a bullish one with the right trigger.