[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | Brent Crude Surges to $120 per Barrel After Attack on the UAE

Brent crude surged 7% to $120 per barrel following Iran’s attack on the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Watcher.Guru reported the sharp rise in oil prices on X. The move appears to reflect growing concerns over potential disruptions to crude supply as military tensions in the Middle East escalate.

A spike in international oil prices could fuel inflation concerns and trigger broader risk-off sentiment across global financial markets. In particular, increased volatility in energy prices may weigh on risk assets, including cryptocurrencies.

President Trump warned that Iran would be “wiped off the face of the Earth” if it attacks American ships.

According to Odaily, President Trump delivered the hardline warning to Iran.

The remarks have once again highlighted tensions in the Middle East and may act as a negative factor for investor sentiment toward risk assets, including global financial markets and cryptocurrencies.

Iran has reasserted its control over the Strait of Hormuz.

As geopolitical tensions in the Middle East come back into focus, the likelihood of heightened risk-off sentiment in global financial markets and the crypto market has increased.

According to Odaily, Iran’s Student News Agency reported on May 4 that Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, commented on U.S. efforts to facilitate the departure of ships stranded around the Strait of Hormuz.

Rezaei reportedly said that to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. must either admit failure, return to negotiations, and recognize Iran’s authority over the strait, or otherwise return to the battlefield and accept further consequences.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical route for global energy shipments, and any escalation in tensions there could amplify volatility in both oil prices and global risk assets. In the cryptocurrency market, it could also indirectly pressure major assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Two U.S. senators issued a joint statement outlining a compromise on stablecoin yield offerings and said they would push for passage of the CLARITY Act.

According to PANews on May 5, Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terrett said on X that Senator Thom Tillis and Senator Angela Alsobrooks released a joint statement on a compromise proposal regarding stablecoin yields under Section 404 of the CLARITY Act.

According to the statement, both sides discussed concerns about deposit outflows from banks with various stakeholders. The compromise would prohibit stablecoin rewards resembling bank deposit interest, while allowing crypto firms to provide other forms of customer incentives.

The statement is being interpreted as a sign that the relevant agreement is nearing completion. U.S. lawmakers and regulators have previously continued discussions over stablecoin yield structures and their possible impact on the banking system.

Claims have emerged that the Russian central bank is moving to ban self-custody of Bitcoin.

If confirmed, the measure could have a meaningful impact on how individuals in Russia store Bitcoin and on the broader regulatory environment for cryptocurrencies.

@pete_rizzo_ said on X that the Russian central bank had moved to ban Bitcoin self-custody. He described it as a direct attack on cryptocurrency.

However, the claim is currently known only through an X post, and further confirmation is needed through official documents regarding the specifics of the proposal, whether it will be implemented, and its scope. Russia has previously continued discussions on tightening or adjusting regulations around cryptocurrency use, mining, and custody.

U.S. spot XRP ETFs recorded $3.8674 million in net inflows in one day.

According to Odaily, SoSoValue data showed that as of May 4 U.S. Eastern Time, total daily net inflows into U.S. spot XRP ETFs amounted to $3.8674 million.

The product with the largest inflow was the Bitwise XRP ETF, which saw $2.3474 million in daily net inflows. Its cumulative net inflows stand at $424 million.

The Franklin XRP ETF followed with net inflows of $1.5201 million. Its cumulative net inflows were reported at $352 million.

At present, the total net asset value of spot XRP ETFs stands at $1.069 billion. The XRP net asset ratio is 1.24%, and cumulative total net inflows have reached $1.295 billion.

U.S. spot Solana ETFs recorded total net inflows of $3.2779 million in one day.

According to Odaily, SoSoValue data showed that the product with the largest inflow on the previous day (May 4 U.S. Eastern Time) was the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF (BSOL), which attracted $2.2768 million. BSOL’s cumulative net inflows stand at $827 million.

The Fidelity Solana Fund ETF (FSOL) posted net inflows of $1.0011 million. Its cumulative net inflows were $159 million.

The current total net asset value of spot Solana ETFs is $867 million, with a net asset ratio of 1.79%. Cumulative net inflows have reached $1.021 billion.

Source: @whale_alert

200 million USDT (about $199.9372 million) was transferred from an unknown wallet to Binance.

The transaction was detected on the Ethereum network. Large stablecoin deposits to exchanges are often interpreted as signals of dry powder for buying or broader fund repositioning, but whale movements alone are insufficient to determine market direction.

Whale Alert reported on X that 1,791 BTC was transferred from an anonymous wallet to Coinbase Institutional.

The transfer was worth about $143.3 million. Large Bitcoin transfers to exchanges are often viewed as a potential sign of selling pressure and may be interpreted as a short-term supply overhang.

The movement reflects an on-chain fund transfer, and it has not been confirmed whether it resulted in an actual sale.

Polish cryptocurrency exchange zondacrypto reportedly cannot access a wallet containing about 4,500 BTC due to its missing former CEO, PANewsLab reported.

According to the report, zondacrypto CEO Przemyslaw Kral said former chief executive Sylwester Suszek did not hand over the private keys when control of the company was transferred in 2021 and has since been missing for years. As a result, the company is unable to access Bitcoin holdings worth about $330 million.

According to POLITICO and AP, the exchange has also been caught up in regulatory uncertainty, political funding controversy, and allegations of links to Russian money. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized the exchange, saying it had received Russian financial backing and had also been involved in sponsoring political events. zondacrypto denied allegations of misappropriating customer funds and said it is cooperating with authorities.

The case is also tied to controversy surrounding Poland’s cryptocurrency regulatory bill. The Polish government has said the bill is intended to implement the EU’s MiCA framework and strengthen market regulation, but President Karol Nawrocki has vetoed it twice.