[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | Morpho Association Raises $175 Million in Funding Led by Paradigm and a16z Crypto

Morpho Association Raises $175 Million in Funding Led by Paradigm and a16z Crypto

According to WuBlockchain, Morpho Association raised $175 million in a funding round led by Paradigm, a16z Crypto, and Ribbit Capital.

Strategic investors participating in the round included Apollo Funds, Circle Ventures, VanEck, Ledger, and Cathay Innovation.

Morpho said it is building an open credit network that connects traditional finance with on-chain markets.

Public Companies Net Bought 166,984 BTC This Year

According to Odaily, based on BitcoinTreasuries data, public companies have net purchased 166,984 BTC so far this year.

This is about twice the 81,153 BTC mined during the same period. Public companies’ average daily BTC purchases were calculated at 912 BTC.

Trump Financial Disclosure Lists More Than $600 Million in 2025 Solana-Based Memecoin Income

According to Odaily, a Fox Business digital asset reporter said on X that President Trump’s financial disclosure document listed more than $600 million in income from a Solana-based memecoin in 2025.

Following the disclosure, Senator Gillibrand once again called for ethics reform to prevent presidents, members of Congress, and their spouses from issuing or endorsing digital assets.

Senator Gillibrand has long advocated for stronger ethics rules related to digital assets. However, reports that her son recently raised funds to launch a crypto derivatives exchange have brought additional scrutiny to her position.

Ethereum Validator Count Surpasses 900,000, Decentralization Advantage Over Solana Claimed

According to Odaily, SharpLink Co-CEO and former BlackRock executive Joseph Chalom said Ethereum has a decentralization advantage that Solana would find difficult to match, with more than 900,000 validators and over 1 million developers.

According to Electric Capital data, 1,012,824 developers have contributed code to Ethereum, with about 232,000 remaining active over the past 12 months.

Chalom pointed out that Solana has fewer than 800 validators, and 92% of them operate on the same client. SharpLink was reported to hold 886,725 ETH as of late June.

Strategy’s Michael Saylor: ‘About 100 Million People Now Have Bitcoin Exposure Through MSTR Common Stock’

According to Odaily, BitcoinTreasuries.net said on X that Strategy’s Michael Saylor stated, “About 100 million people now have Bitcoin exposure through MSTR common stock.”

Saylor also said Strategy has become the largest issuer of equities in the United States. Strategy is widely known as a public company holding a large amount of Bitcoin, and MSTR shares have attracted attention as an indirect Bitcoin investment vehicle.

1,625 BTC Transferred From Kraken to Unidentified Wallet

Whale Alert reported that 1,625 BTC was transferred from Kraken to an unidentified wallet. The transaction was worth about $110.4 million at the time of transfer.

Large transfers from exchanges to external wallets can be interpreted as a sign of reduced selling pressure, although the actual purpose of the holdings has not been confirmed.

Vitalik Buterin Transfers 79 ETH Through Railgun

According to Odaily, Onchain Lens reported that Vitalik Buterin transferred 79 ETH through the privacy protocol Railgun.

The transfer was worth about $137,000.

Sui Supports On-Chain Registration of Graded Pokémon Cards on Collectibles Platform

Sui said on X that graded Pokémon cards can now be registered on the Sui blockchain through the platform Ripstation. Users can trade those assets or redeem them for the physical cards.

Gulf Oil Supply Still Slow to Normalize Despite OPEC Output Increase

Despite a sharp increase in OPEC production, oil supply from the Gulf region remains far from normal levels, according to reports.

Sources said that after the Strait of Hormuz crisis, Middle Eastern crude flows were significantly disrupted, and despite headline production increases, it may still take time for real supply normalization.

Oil supply instability could affect energy prices and inflation expectations, prompting risk asset markets to closely monitor related developments.

Russia’s Fuel Shortage Deepens, Prepares to Import Jet Fuel

Foreign media reported that Russia’s fuel shortage is worsening, and the major oil-producing country is preparing to import jet fuel.

According to Julianne Geiger, Russia has moved to secure jet fuel from Asia due to domestic supply disruptions. The move is being interpreted as a sign of growing internal fuel supply pressure in one of the world’s leading energy exporters.