[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | Czech Central Bank Assesses That Allocating 1% of FX Reserves to Bitcoin Would Raise Expected Returns With Minimal Change in Overall Risk

Czech Central Bank: A 1% Bitcoin Allocation in FX Reserves Would Increase Expected Returns While Keeping Overall Risk Nearly the Same

Reports said the Czech Central Bank assessed that if 1% of its foreign exchange reserve portfolio were allocated to Bitcoin, expected returns would rise while overall risk would remain at almost the same level.

According to the source, the Czech Central Bank indicated that a small Bitcoin allocation to the national reserve asset portfolio could be favorable from a risk-reward perspective.

According to information shared by Pete Rizzo, the Czech Central Bank explained that “expected returns increase while overall risk remains almost the same.” However, this information was circulated as a summary of remarks on social media, and the original report or any actual decision to proceed with such an allocation was not provided in the article.

The market is paying attention to these signals because if Bitcoin is included in asset allocation discussions by major institutions and at the national level, it could strengthen expectations for broader institutional adoption.

CFTC Sues Wisconsin, Claiming State Infringed on Its Authority Over Crypto Prediction Markets

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has filed a lawsuit against the state of Wisconsin, alleging that the state infringed on the agency’s authority over cryptocurrency prediction markets.

According to Watcher.Guru, the CFTC argued that Wisconsin intervened in regulation related to crypto-based prediction markets and encroached on federal jurisdiction.

This lawsuit highlights an expanding legal conflict between the federal government and state governments over who should lead regulation of crypto derivatives and prediction markets.

Trump Family’s World Liberty Financial Reportedly Worked With a Project Linked to Operators of a U.S.-Sanctioned Fraud Organization

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that World Liberty Financial, associated with the Trump family, collaborated with a cryptocurrency project allegedly linked to operators of a fraud organization sanctioned by the United States.

The source was a breaking update from Watcher.Guru. If the report is accurate, the cooperation could heighten reputational and regulatory risks for World Liberty Financial.

However, based on currently available information, the specific name of the partner project, the scope of the agreement, and World Liberty Financial’s position have not been confirmed.

Coinbase to Launch Spot Trading for Virtual Protocol (VIRTUAL)

Coinbase is set to begin spot trading for Virtual Protocol (VIRTUAL).

According to PANews, Coinbase said it plans to open the VIRTUAL-USD trading pair on the 29th in supported regions. Trading will begin once liquidity conditions are met.

This move is viewed as part of Coinbase’s ongoing expansion of new spot listings.

Block Says More Than 808,000 Square Merchants Now Support Bitcoin Payments

Block announced that the number of Square merchants supporting Bitcoin payments has surpassed 808,000.

Bitcoin Magazine, citing a Block post on X, said that new merchants are adopting BTC payments at a pace of one every eight seconds.

This announcement is being interpreted as an indicator of the growing real-world use of Bitcoin.

Over Foundation Halts Over Protocol Operations Due to Financial Constraints

Over Foundation said on X that it is shutting down Over Protocol operations due to financial constraints.

According to Odaily, the foundation has terminated all infrastructure and services, including OverWallet, OverNode, OverFlex, RPC endpoints, the block explorer, and APIs, and said there are no plans to resume them.

Although Over Protocol is architected as a decentralized Layer 1 mainnet, the shutdown of foundation-run services means it may become difficult for the network to continue operating in practice. Whether block production continues will now depend on independent validators running the open-source client.

Citadel Secures Regulatory Approval to Operate in Dubai

Citadel has received regulatory approval to operate in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to Watcher.Guru on the 28th local time, Citadel obtained approval from the authorities to conduct business in Dubai. The approval is expected to support the firm’s expansion in the Middle East.

Dubai has recently emerged as a financial hub in the region by actively attracting global financial firms and digital asset companies.

RWA Yield Platform Nuva Digital Raises $5.2 Million in Seed Round Led by Morgan Creek Digital

RWA yield platform Nuva Digital has raised $5.2 million in a seed funding round led by Morgan Creek Digital. The funds will be used to build Nuva Finance, a self-custodial RWA yield platform.

According to PANews on the 29th, Ulu Ventures and others also participated in the round. Nuva is a project jointly incubated by Animoca Brands and Nuva Labs, and it aims to build a self-custodial RWA marketplace connecting asset issuers and users.

Users who deposit USDC receive nvAsset tokens representing their share, with yield reflected in the token price. Initial products include nuYLDS and nuHELOCs based on on-chain assets from Figure Technologies.

Among them, YLDS is an SEC-registered yield-bearing stablecoin, while nuHELOCs are linked to home equity line of credit assets exceeding $16 billion in size. Nuva also plans to issue a NUVA utility token in the future, though it has not disclosed a specific launch timeline for either the platform or the token.

$194.98 Million in USDC Moved From Coinbase Institutional to an Unknown Wallet

According to Whale Alert, 195,007,439 USDC, worth about $194.98 million, was transferred from Coinbase Institutional to an unknown wallet.

The transaction marks a large on-chain fund movement, though it has not yet been confirmed whether it was related to buying, selling, or custody reallocation.

$115.86 Million in USDC Transferred From USDC Treasury Wallet to Coinbase Institutional

According to Whale Alert, 115,884,320 USDC, worth about $115.86 million, was transferred from a USDC treasury wallet to Coinbase Institutional.

This transaction may be interpreted as institutional buying power entering the exchange or as liquidity provisioning for the platform. However, an on-chain transfer alone does not confirm actual purchases or the precise purpose of the funds.