[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | Senator Scott Says Bitcoin and Digital Asset Clarity Bill Is Ready for Markup

President Trump Suggests He May Abandon the Ceasefire Agreement With Iran

President Trump said regarding whether to maintain the ceasefire with Iran, "I don't know if we need to break it. We might." The comment suggests the possibility of renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Vortexa Says Closure of the Strait of Hormuz Would Cause a Net Supply Loss of 9 Million Barrels Per Day

Vortexa said that a closure of the Strait of Hormuz would result in a net supply loss of about 9 million barrels per day in the global oil market. Although crude exports from the Atlantic Basin are increasing, the firm said they are still insufficient to offset the lost supply.

The report indicates that supply disruptions originating in the Middle East are becoming a broader source of instability across global energy markets. If the crude shortage persists, it could weigh on inflation and investor sentiment toward risk assets.

Senator Scott Says Bitcoin and Digital Asset Clarity Bill Is Ready for Markup

Senator Scott said that a Bitcoin and digital asset clarity bill has completed preparations to advance to the markup stage. He added that President Trump is expected to sign the bill this summer and that all 13 Republican members are prepared to vote in favor.

Pete Rizzo relayed the remarks on X on the 30th local time. However, the information currently stands as a cited statement rather than an official congressional document or White House announcement, meaning changes remain possible as the legislative process moves forward.

If the bill does advance, regulatory clarity for digital assets in the United States could improve, potentially affecting the broader market for major digital assets including Bitcoin. Discussions in Congress have already been ongoing over crypto market structure and regulatory authority.

Arbitrum Security Council Member Says Emergency Powers Were Used to Freeze $72 Million Controlled by North Korea-Linked Hackers

Arbitrum Security Council member Griff Green explained why emergency powers were used to freeze $72 million in funds controlled by hackers linked to North Korea.

According to Wu Blockchain, Green said in an April 23 Coinage interview that the action was taken to stop the movement of funds associated with North Korean hackers. The measure is being interpreted as a case of exercising emergency intervention authority in response to a confirmed security threat.

North Korea-linked hacking groups have repeatedly been identified in the global crypto industry in connection with attempts to launder stolen funds. Arbitrum's response appears aimed primarily at preventing further damage within the ecosystem.

White House Reviews Expanding U.S. Oil Production to Address Sharp Decline in Iranian Oil Exports

The White House is reportedly reviewing regulatory easing measures to boost U.S. oil production in response to a sharp decline in Iranian oil exports.

According to Julianne Geiger, the Trump administration is examining ways to increase domestic output to ease supply disruptions after maritime blockades constrained Iran's oil exports.

The review comes as concerns over global energy supply intensify due to the fallout from war in the Middle East. Greater oil price volatility could affect inflation and sentiment toward risk assets, making it a macro factor to watch for major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Iranian President Says Trust in the United States Is Completely Lost

Iran's president said the country has completely lost trust in the United States.

According to Odaily, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a call with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that Iran has maintained its position that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, but claimed that the United States and Israel attacked Iran twice during previous negotiations. He said similar actions could happen again and that trust in the United States has been completely destroyed.

The remarks are being interpreted as another sign casting doubt on the possibility of easing tensions between the United States and Iran.

S&P 500 Breaks Above 7,200 to Hit a Record High

The S&P 500, the benchmark U.S. stock index, rose above 7,200 to set a new all-time high.

On the 30th local time, Watcher.Guru reported that the S&P 500 had surpassed 7,200. Strength in equities could support broader risk sentiment and act favorably for assets such as cryptocurrencies.

Google Market Capitalization Surpasses $4.5 Trillion

Google's market capitalization surpassed $4.5 trillion. Watcher.Guru said the company added more than $300 billion in market value in a single day.

The source was the X account Watcher.Guru. The surge appears to have come as capital flowed into large-cap technology stocks during the trading session.

Benchmark Says Criticism of Strategy's STRC Structure as Circular Finance or a Ponzi Scheme Is Misguided

According to Odaily, Benchmark said criticism of Strategy's structure of issuing STRC preferred shares to continue buying Bitcoin as "circular finance" or a "Ponzi scheme" is a serious misunderstanding.

Benchmark analyst Mark Palmer explained that the structure is a sustainable capital framework designed to convert market demand for yield into long-term Bitcoin exposure.

According to an SEC Form 8-K filing, Strategy raised about $3.5 billion during the first three weeks of April, with more than 85% of that amount coming from STRC issuance. Over the following three weeks, the company bought a total of 51,364 BTC for about $3.9 billion across three separate purchases.

Strategy's Bitcoin holdings have now increased to 818,334 BTC, valued at about $62.5 billion. The company has recently re-entered a profit zone with roughly $700 million in unrealized gains.

Benchmark added that the structure does not depend solely on continuous new issuance and that the company could, if necessary, sell some Bitcoin to pay preferred dividends. Still, some market participants warn that if asset sales to fund dividend payments were to materialize, they could be interpreted as a risk signal and create additional market pressure.

Ethereum Foundation Opens Applications for the 7th Ethereum Protocol Fellowship

According to Odaily, the Ethereum Foundation has opened applications for the 7th cohort of the Ethereum Protocol Fellowship (EPF7). The application deadline is May 13.

EPF7 is a program designed to cultivate engineers who will contribute to Ethereum core protocol development. It covers client implementation, protocol specifications, testing, and preliminary research, centered on key network properties such as censorship resistance, open source, privacy, and security.

This cohort will be run as a smaller, more focused program with fewer participants. The Ethereum Foundation said the format is intended to increase the depth of mentoring, improve project contribution, and strengthen opportunities for collaboration with core development teams.

The program will run from June through November, and selected participants will receive mentoring from the Ethereum core developer community. Some participants will also receive monthly financial support so they can focus on protocol development.

The EPF has previously been operated with the goal of expanding the pipeline of Ethereum core research and development talent. The EPF team will hold an online information session at 15:00 UTC on May 6 to explain program details and the application process.