[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | Key U.S. Democratic Senator Says They Will Not Block Bitcoin-Related Clarity Bill

Key U.S. Democratic Senator Says They Will Not Block Bitcoin-Related Clarity Bill

@pete_rizzo reported that a key U.S. Democratic senator said they would not block a Bitcoin-related clarity bill.

According to the report, the senator said Democrats would not prevent the bill from moving forward and are actively supportive of bipartisan passage.

The remarks came as discussions continue in the U.S. Congress over improving regulatory clarity for digital assets.

Chuck Schumer: “I hope a good crypto bill passes”

Bitcoin Magazine, citing Punchbowl News, reported that U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “I hope a good crypto bill passes.”

According to the report, Democrats are working on the issue ahead of this week’s scheduled review of a market structure bill. The market structure bill is considered a key legislative effort to reorganize the U.S. crypto regulatory framework and oversight authority.

BlackRock Files With SEC for New Tokenized Fund Structure

According to Odaily, asset manager BlackRock has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a new tokenized fund structure. BlackRock again selected Securitize as the provider of the underlying technology and issuance infrastructure.

According to the filing, the fund records ownership on blockchain and integrates with a regulated transfer agent and investor access system. Securitize Transfer Agent manages the official registration and ownership records of fund shares across multiple public blockchains.

This filing comes as a follow-up after the expansion of BlackRock’s first tokenized fund, BUIDL. Since its launch in 2024, BUIDL has grown to approximately $2.3 billion, while the real-world asset (RWA) tokenization market has been estimated to exceed $30 billion.

Franklin Templeton and Payward Expand Cooperation on Tokenized Stocks and Yield Products

PANews reported on the 12th that Franklin Templeton and Payward, the parent company of Kraken, announced a strategic partnership to expand traditional financial products such as tokenized stocks and yield-bearing products onto blockchain networks.

The two companies plan to integrate Franklin Templeton’s tokenized money market fund BENJI into the Kraken platform for use as a collateral and cash management tool for institutional clients.

Payward’s xStocks framework, together with Franklin Templeton, plans to develop new on-chain actively managed products and offer related investment strategies to institutional and retail investors in certain jurisdictions.

Previously, Franklin Templeton expanded its crypto business unit, Franklin Crypto, by acquiring crypto investment firm 250 Digital.

Strategy Estimated to Have Bought More Than 1,444 BTC Through STRC

Bitcoin Magazine reported that Michael Saylor’s Strategy is estimated to have purchased more than 1,444 BTC through STRC.

This amount is more than three times the daily supply of newly mined bitcoin. Strategy, a leading public company known for adding bitcoin to its treasury reserves, continues to draw market attention with its additional purchases.

Elliptic Raises $120 Million in Series D Funding

According to Wu Blockchain, Bloomberg reported that blockchain analytics firm Elliptic completed a $120 million Series D round at a valuation of about $670 million.

The round was led by One Peak Partners, with participation from Deutsche Bank, Nasdaq Ventures, and the British Business Bank. Existing investor JPMorgan also joined the round.

Founded in 2013, Elliptic provides blockchain analytics tools for transaction monitoring, anti-money laundering, and sanctions compliance to financial institutions and law enforcement agencies.

Coinbase Adds SOL as Collateral for On-Chain Crypto-Backed Loans

According to Odaily, Coinbase has added Solana (SOL) as a collateral asset for its on-chain crypto-backed lending product. Users can borrow up to $100,000 in liquidity based on their SOL holdings.

The service uses Morpho lending infrastructure deployed on the Base network. Coinbase had previously supported crypto-backed loans using assets such as bitcoin and ether.

Ben Shien, head of financial services at Coinbase, said support for SOL collateral will improve capital efficiency and access to liquidity for users in the Solana ecosystem.

Ethereum Foundation-Led Working Group Announces Public Standard for “Clear Signing”

According to Odaily, a working group led by the Ethereum Foundation announced a public standard called “clear signing” to address the problem of blind signing.

The new standard is based on the ERC-7730 specification and focuses on allowing users to review the actual execution details of a transaction in a unified, easy-to-read format before signing.

Blind signing refers to the problem of users signing transactions without fully understanding their real meaning. Clear signing standardizes the display of transaction intent in wallets through off-chain explanation formats, a registration system, and independent verification and audit procedures, without changing on-chain transaction structures.

Coins.ph: Crypto Payments Are Reducing Cash Dependence in Emerging Markets

According to Wu Blockchain, Amira, global marketing director at Coins.ph, said crypto payments are helping reduce heavy dependence on cash in emerging markets.

She explained that some users are already using stablecoins for everyday purchases such as coffee, and the user base is gradually expanding.

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies pegged to the value of fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar, and are generally seen as more practical for payments and remittances than more volatile cryptocurrencies.

Binance CMO Rachel Conlan to Step Down on the 15th of Next Month

According to Odaily, Binance Chief Marketing Officer Rachel Conlan will step down on the 15th of next month.

Conlan has led Binance’s brand-building efforts for three years and will support the transition process in an advisory role after her departure.

Binance said former Trust Wallet CEO Eowyn Chen will serve as interim CMO and oversee marketing and brand management during the transition period.