[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Announces Immediate Closure of the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard: “Immediate Closure of the Strait of Hormuz… All Vessel Traffic Banned”

According to PANews, citing Jins, the naval forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced early on the 12th that the Strait of Hormuz was being closed immediately and that all vessel traffic was prohibited.

The Revolutionary Guard said that any foreign interference in the Strait of Hormuz or any attempt to arbitrarily designate shipping routes would provoke a firm response from Iran. It added that the blockade would remain in effect until further notice and until the United States halts its involvement in the region.

According to the statement, several vessels attempted to navigate without Iranian approval a few hours earlier, and one of them stopped only after Iranian warning fire, having sailed with its Automatic Identification System (AIS) turned off.

The Revolutionary Guard also warned that if the United States uses this incident as a pretext to attack Iran, it will respond forcefully and strike more U.S. military bases across the Middle East. The Strait of Hormuz is a key maritime corridor for Middle Eastern crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

U.S. Senate Republican Leadership Pushes for Floor Debate on CLARITY Act on July 20

Odaily reported that the Republican leadership in the U.S. Senate is pushing for a full Senate floor debate on the digital asset regulatory bill, the CLARITY Act, on July 20.

According to the report, the two parties have not yet reached agreement on key issues such as ethics rules for government officials and measures to combat illicit finance. There is growing concern that if the bill does not advance before the August recess, there may be little practical legislative time left before the midterm elections.

The CLARITY Act is intended to establish a regulatory framework for the digital asset industry. While Republican leaders are aiming for floor consideration, the bill would still require support from at least seven Democratic senators to pass.

Kalshi: 50% Chance Crypto Market Structure Bill Becomes Law Before August Recess

According to Odaily, the probability on Kalshi that the Bitcoin and crypto market structure bill will become law before the congressional August recess has risen to 50%.

Pete Rizzo said on X that lawmakers “want to get this done to lock in certainty for consumer protections,” indicating that discussions on clarifying crypto regulation are entering the final stage.

The bill, which aims to clarify the U.S. crypto market’s supervisory framework and consumer protection standards, is considered one of the industry’s key regulatory issues.

Turkish Prosecutors Indict Money Laundering Network That Used Crypto in $850 Million Scheme

Turkish prosecutors have indicted a large money laundering network accused of concealing illicit proceeds through cryptocurrency transactions and other methods. The amount involved is reported to be about 40 billion Turkish lira, or roughly $850 million.

According to PANews, citing Hürriyet Daily News, the indictment includes 504 suspects. They are accused of laundering illegal funds through shell companies, bank accounts, exchange offices, POS terminals, and cryptocurrency transactions.

Prosecutors believe some suspects converted criminal proceeds into crypto and transferred them abroad, while luring victims into investment scams by promising high returns.

Prosecutors are seeking up to 34 years and 6 months in prison for alleged ringleader Türker Ak, and up to 31 years for Murat Dönmezoğlu, who is suspected of acting as an organization manager.

Grayscale: Stock Tokenization Will Develop in Three Stages… ETH, SOL, BNB Chain, AVAX, and Canton May Benefit

According to Odaily, Grayscale said in a July 9 report that stock tokenization is likely to develop in three stages, and that Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, Avalanche, and the Canton Network could be major beneficiaries of the evolving ownership structure.

Grayscale explained that more than 70% of the current tokenized stock market capitalization uses a third-party wrapped token model. Under this structure, traditional shares are placed into a special purpose vehicle, and investors receive tokens representing claims on that vehicle rather than direct ownership of the stock itself.

These wrapped assets are being operated on Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain, and can be traded in conjunction with decentralized finance applications. Grayscale identified DTCC’s tokenization pilot as the second stage and said the Canton Network is expected to be the first blockchain used for that pilot.

The third stage would involve issuers directly issuing securities on-chain. Earlier, Securitize became the first listed company to tokenize its common stock as part of its New York Stock Exchange listing process. Grayscale expects wrapped tokens, DTCC rights models, and issuer-led tokenization to coexist over the coming years.

Singapore Police, Together With Seven Exchanges Including Coinbase, Prevent $4.2 Million in Scam Losses

According to PANews, citing Bitcoin.com, Singapore police worked with seven cryptocurrency exchanges including Coinbase in a six-week anti-scam operation, identifying more than 145 potential victims and preventing over $4.2 million in losses.

The operation was conducted by the Anti-Scam Centre and the Cyber Investigation Department from April 16 to May 31, 2026. Police used analytics tools from Chainalysis and TRM Labs to trace transactions tied to scams involving impersonation of government officials, investment fraud, job scams, and romance scams.

Based on the analysis, authorities identified users at risk of making crypto transfers and cooperated with exchanges to connect suspicious activity with reachable customers.

Source: PANews · Bitcoin.com

Empery Digital Sold 1,400 BTC Over the Past Two Months for AI Data Center Investment and Debt Repayment

According to Odaily, Bitcoin-holding company Empery Digital sold 1,400 BTC over the past two months at an average price of $62,200, raising about $87.1 million.

The funds were used for investment in an AI data center project and debt repayment. The company used part of the proceeds to acquire a 25% stake in the AI data center project, while $10 million was used to repay outstanding debt.

Following the sale, Empery Digital’s BTC holdings fell by 48% to 1,514 BTC, currently valued at around $97 million. EMPD shares rose as much as 4.2% early in the session before closing up 1.58%.

Lookonchain: Whale Address Withdrew $99.86 Million in ETH and WBTC From Binance Since June 30

According to PANews, Lookonchain said that a whale address beginning with 0x2684 has withdrawn 49,407 ETH and 250 WBTC from Binance since June 30.

The withdrawals amount to about $84.3 million in ETH and $15.66 million in WBTC, for a total of roughly $99.86 million. Large-scale transfers from exchanges to personal wallets are often interpreted as a sign of reduced selling pressure.

Wu Blockchain: Gate Saw $207 Million in Net Outflows Over the Past 7 Days, Ranking Second Among CEXs

Wu Blockchain reported, citing DeFiLlama data, that Gate recorded $207 million in net outflows over the past seven days in the aftermath of a user theft incident.

Gate ranked second among centralized exchanges by net outflow volume. Over the same period, Binance posted $308 million in net inflows, ranking first in inflow volume.

Wu Blockchain also said that Binance and Bybit have seen significant outflows over the past month as a result of the European Union’s delisting policy.

Grayscale: $190.9 Million USDC Moved From Aave to Anonymous Whale Wallet

According to Whale Alert, 190,880,654 USDC, worth about $190.91 million, was transferred from Aave to an anonymous whale wallet.

The transaction was a major on-chain transfer, though the specific identity of the receiving wallet and the purpose of the move remain unconfirmed.