[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | BlackRock Spot Bitcoin ETF IBIT Sees $528 Million in Net Outflows

BlackRock Spot Bitcoin ETF IBIT Sees $528 Million in Net Outflows

BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF, iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), recorded $528 million in net outflows the previous day. This was the second-largest daily net outflow since the ETF’s launch.

The source was Wu Blockchain. Bloomberg Senior ETF Analyst Eric Balchunas said IBIT has recorded $2 billion in net inflows so far this year, placing it in the top 2% among all ETFs.

He added that IBIT’s cumulative net inflows have reached $64 billion, and that this latest outflow accounts for less than 1% of total cumulative inflows. Fund flows in spot Bitcoin ETFs are considered a key indicator of institutional demand and short-term investor sentiment.

U.S. Bitcoin ETFs See Net Outflows of 9,012 BTC; Ethereum ETFs Post 40,247 ETH in Net Outflows

According to Odaily, Lookonchain reported that U.S. Bitcoin ETFs saw net outflows of 9,012 BTC, while Ethereum ETFs recorded net outflows of 40,247 ETH.

During the same period, Solana ETFs recorded net inflows of 2,401 SOL. ETF fund flows are widely viewed as a key gauge of institutional investor demand.

CoinAnk: Crypto Futures Liquidations Reach $805 Million in 24 Hours

According to CoinAnk data, total cryptocurrency futures liquidations over the past 24 hours reached $805 million. Of that amount, long-position liquidations accounted for $740 million, while short-position liquidations totaled $65.09 million.

Bitcoin liquidations came in at $313 million, and Ethereum liquidations reached $188 million. Futures liquidations occur when positions are forcibly closed due to insufficient margin during periods of heightened price volatility.

Iranian Parliamentary Committee Chairman: Shipping Through the Strait of Hormuz Under Permanent Control

According to Odaily, the chairman of an Iranian parliamentary committee said Iran has permanently placed shipping operations through the Strait of Hormuz under control, and that the measure is not temporary.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key route for Middle East oil shipments, and such remarks could affect energy markets and sentiment toward global risk assets.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent Urges Congress to Pass the CLARITY Act

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Congress to pass the CLARITY Act, a bill aimed at clarifying digital asset regulations.

Source: Bitcoin Magazine. Bessent said, “The most important thing is to bring digital assets to America and make America the center of them,” adding that he encourages both the House and Senate to move forward with the CLARITY Act.

The CLARITY Act is considered a key piece of legislation for the industry as it seeks to establish a clearer regulatory framework for the digital asset market in the United States.

CFTC Chairman: Trump Administration Developing First National Crypto Roadmap

Mike Seiler, chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), said the Trump administration is developing the first national cryptocurrency roadmap.

According to Wu Blockchain, Seiler referred to President Trump as the “crypto president” during a May 13 interview with Mark Moss.

He said the introduction of Bitcoin futures during Trump’s first term was a major achievement, and that one of the current administration’s priorities is developing an unprecedented national-level cryptocurrency roadmap.

Seiler also said the government is building a pro-crypto coalition to ensure that individuals’ private assets and property rights are not infringed upon.

SEC Chairman: The Era of Crypto Firms Leaving Overseas Is Over

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins said the period in which crypto entrepreneurs moved overseas due to regulatory uncertainty “is now over.”

According to the source, Atkins said that under the Trump administration, the SEC will work with the government and Congress to provide the regulatory clarity needed for digital asset markets.

He added that the SEC will also support digital asset legislation to establish workable compliance pathways and clearly define the scope of oversight.

Sui Mainnet Halts Block Production for About One Hour

Wu Blockchain reported that the Sui blockchain mainnet halted block production for nearly one hour due to network congestion.

Sui said congestion had occurred on the mainnet and that the core team was working on a solution. It added that transactions could be temporarily interrupted during this period.

The outage directly affected block production and transaction processing on the mainnet.

National Tax Service Selects KDAC as Custodian for Seized Virtual Assets

South Korea’s National Tax Service has selected domestic digital asset custody firm KDAC as the operator responsible for the custody and management of seized virtual assets, according to a PA News report citing Edaily.

KDAC has signed a contract with the National Tax Service and is scheduled to begin the related work in June. This marks the first time the government has entrusted the management of seized virtual assets held by a public institution to a private specialist custodian.

The initiative is a follow-up measure to the government’s plan announced in April to improve the holding and management system for virtual assets in the public sector. The results of the pilot program are expected to serve as a reference for asset management models at other public agencies, including prosecutors, police, and customs authorities.

Grayscale Discusses $115 Million in Initial Investment for Hyperliquid Staking ETF

Grayscale is reportedly in talks to secure an initial investment of about 2 million HYPE tokens, worth roughly $115 million, in connection with its Hyperliquid ETF, PANews reported citing The Block.

According to the report, Grayscale is considering a structure in which HYPE tokens would be exchanged for fund shares with Hyper Holdings Global LP. In the related filing, the fund name was changed from Grayscale HYPE ETF to Grayscale Hyperliquid Staking ETF, and the Nasdaq ticker was adjusted to HYPG.

Grayscale’s Hyperliquid ETF filing had previously entered the registration stage ahead of final listing, and a staking option was reportedly added.