[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | Iran’s IRGC Claims Missile and Drone Attack on U.S. Base in Jordan

Iran’s IRGC Claims Missile and Drone Attack on U.S. Base in Jordan

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it carried out a missile and drone attack on Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, according to Odaily.

The IRGC said the attack set the base’s fuel tanks and ammunition depot on fire. It also described the strike as a first-phase response to a U.S. attack on Iranian coastal bases.

Brent Crude Jumps 4.5% Right After Market Open

Brent crude rose 4.5% immediately after the market opened following news of renewed conflict between the United States and Iran, Watcher.Guru reported.

The jump in oil prices appears to reflect concerns over potential supply disruptions from the Middle East. Escalating geopolitical tensions could add inflationary pressure and weigh on risk appetite.

U.S. 2-Year Treasury Yield Hits 17-Month High

The U.S. 2-year Treasury yield rose to 4.2393%, marking a 17-month high.

According to Odaily, the federal funds futures market is pricing in 39 basis points of rate hikes by December.

Higher short-term Treasury yields may heighten concerns about monetary tightening and pressure sentiment toward risk assets.

Some Fed Officials Seen Possibly Discussing a July Rate Hike

Some Federal Reserve officials are seen as potentially raising the possibility of a rate hike at the July meeting as inflation concerns intensify.

According to Odaily, Nick Timiraos, often referred to as the “Fed whisperer,” said the Washington Fed president chaired his first meeting last month, when the Fed unanimously decided to hold rates steady.

He said that if inflation concerns grow over the coming weeks, some Fed officials may push to discuss reversing last year’s rate cuts at the July 28–29 meeting.

The Washington Fed president is scheduled to testify before Congress this week, and the Fed will also review June inflation data.

With U.S. National Debt Above $39 Trillion, Lummis Continues Pushing Bitcoin Act

As U.S. national debt has exceeded $39 trillion, Senator Cynthia Lummis is continuing to push the Bitcoin Act. The bill proposes that the U.S. Treasury buy up to 1 million BTC over five years and hold it for at least 20 years.

According to Odaily, total U.S. national debt surpassed $39 trillion in mid-March, with debt held by the public exceeding $31 trillion.

The Congressional Budget Office projects that the fiscal year 2026 deficit will reach $1.9 trillion, while publicly held debt could rise to $56 trillion by 2036.

Senator Lummis is promoting a plan under the Bitcoin Act for the U.S. Treasury to acquire up to 1 million BTC within five years and hold it for a minimum of 20 years. However, no official purchases have been confirmed so far.

On June 16, Lummis said her internal model suggests such a reserve strategy could reduce U.S. national debt by between one-third and one-half, and she expects the Treasury to begin purchases before the end of 2026.

Spot SOL ETFs See $930,400 in Net Inflows Last Week

Spot SOL ETFs recorded $930,400 in net inflows during last week’s trading days (July 6–10 U.S. Eastern Time), according to Odaily, citing SoSoValue.

Bitwise BSOL posted $1.7511 million in net inflows, and Fidelity FSOL recorded $1.672 million in net inflows. By contrast, Grayscale GSOL saw net outflows of $2.0381 million.

As of the time of reporting, total net assets in spot SOL ETFs stood at $901 million, and ETF net assets accounted for 1.99% of SOL’s market capitalization. Cumulative net inflows were tallied at $1.14 billion.

BUIDL on Avalanche Surpasses $900 Million

BUIDL’s assets on the Avalanche chain have surpassed $900 million. Its growth rate over the past week was 105%.

PANews, citing Rwa.xyz data, reported that BUIDL’s size on Avalanche exceeded $900 million. Total BUIDL assets reached $2.869 billion, up 21.11% over the past 30 days.

BUIDL is a tokenized fund backed by cash-equivalent assets such as U.S. Treasuries, and it is being closely watched as a key indicator in the expanding real-world asset (RWA) tokenization market.

Japan’s SBI Prepares 3% Lending Service for JPYSC Holders

Japan’s SBI Group is preparing a lending service for JPYSC stablecoin holders that will offer a 3% annual yield, according to Odaily.

The service will allow users to generate returns using the JPYSC they hold and could launch as early as this month.

The plan comes amid broader growth in stablecoin use in Japan.

Major Chinese Banks Add Offline Payment Code Support for Digital Yuan Wallets

Digital yuan wallets offered by major Chinese banks, including ICBC, now support offline payment code functionality. This allows merchant payments even when network access is unavailable or unstable.

According to PANews, the Digital Yuan Operation and Management Center said digital yuan wallets from ICBC, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of Communications, Postal Savings Bank of China, and Industrial Bank now support offline payment codes in their apps.

Under the feature, users can generate a payment code in the digital yuan app when communications are disrupted or signals are weak, and merchants can complete the payment by scanning the code.

If network connectivity is unavailable, the system automatically switches to an offline payment code. Users can simply present the code without additional settings.

To use the offline payment code, users must first enable the small-amount password exemption function. They can also activate an “auto top-up on use” feature to prepare for insufficient balances.

The Digital Yuan Operation and Management Center said support will gradually be expanded to more participating institutions in the future.

Thailand Tightens AML Monitoring of Large Cash Deposits and Stablecoin Transactions

Thailand is strengthening anti-money laundering monitoring of large cash deposits and stablecoin transactions.

According to PANews, individuals depositing more than 5 million baht (about $150,000) in cash will be required to prove the source of funds.

The measure expands compliance responsibilities for commercial banks related to cash handling, large foreign exchange transactions, precious metals trading, and suspicious stablecoin transactions.

Thailand’s central bank and securities regulator are conducting joint inspections focused on Tether in an effort to identify and block illicit fund flows.

Authorities also plan to require banks to report suspicious transaction patterns, such as rapid digital payments followed by same-day cash withdrawals, in order to strengthen anti-money laundering enforcement.