[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | Some Fed Officials Raise Possibility of Discussing a July Rate Hike

Some Fed Officials Raise Possibility of Discussing a July Rate Hike

Some Federal Reserve officials have fueled inflation concerns, leading to speculation that discussions of a rate hike could emerge at the July meeting.

According to Odaily, Nick Timiraos, often referred to as the “Fed whisperer,” said that Fed Chair Warsh presided over his first meeting since taking office last month, where the Federal Reserve unanimously decided to hold rates steady.

He said that if inflation concerns intensify in the coming weeks, some Fed officials could push for discussions at the July 28–29 meeting on reversing last year’s rate cuts.

Chair Warsh is scheduled to testify before Congress this week, and the Federal Reserve will also review the June inflation data.

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

The yield on the U.S. 2-year Treasury reached 4.2393%, the highest level in 17 months.

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

Higher short-term Treasury yields could reinforce concerns over monetary tightening and weigh on risk asset sentiment.

Brent Crude Jumps 4.5% on News of Renewed U.S.-Iran War

Brent crude surged 4.5% shortly after the market opened following reports of renewed war between the United States and Iran, according to Watcher.Guru.

The sharp rise in oil prices is seen as reflecting concerns over supply disruptions stemming from Middle East tensions. Escalating geopolitical risks could affect inflation pressures and sentiment toward risk assets.

IRGC Claims Attack on Jordan’s Prince Hassan Air Base

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it launched missile and drone attacks on Jordan’s Prince Hassan Air Base, according to Odaily.

The IRGC said the strikes set fire to the base’s fuel tanks and ammunition depots. It also described the attack as the first phase of its response to a U.S. strike on an Iranian coastal base.

BTC Falls Below $64,000

BTC fell below the $64,000 level.

PANews, citing OKX market data, reported that BTC traded at $63,985.20, down 0.30% on the day.

ETH Drops Below $1,800

ETH fell below the $1,800 mark.

Odaily, citing OKX market data, reported that ETH traded at $1,799.64, down 1.23% over 24 hours.

The $1,800 level is considered a short-term sentiment threshold for investors.

Focus This Week on CPI, PPI, Fed Remarks, and the Clarity Act

According to Odaily, a Fox Business digital asset reporter said on X that this week’s market focus will center on U.S. inflation data such as CPI and PPI, remarks from Federal Reserve officials, and developments surrounding the Clarity Act.

The latest inflation readings could influence expectations for the Fed’s next rate decision. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh may submit the semiannual monetary policy report to Congress and answer related questions, while Fed officials including Michelle Bowman, Christopher Waller, Michael Barr, and Lisa Cook, as well as regional Fed presidents, are also expected to speak.

Proposed revisions to the Clarity Act are being discussed with the aim of integrating drafts from the Senate Banking Committee and the Agriculture Committee. Some industry participants said key provisions are still under negotiation and that an ethics-related agreement has not yet been finalized. The impact on the timing of a full Senate vote remains uncertain, though the market is watching for the possibility of a vote as early as the week including the 20th.

BUIDL on Avalanche Surpasses $900 Million

BUIDL’s size on the Avalanche chain has exceeded $900 million. Its growth over the past week was recorded at 105%.

PANews, citing Rwa.xyz data, reported that BUIDL’s assets on Avalanche surpassed $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.

Strive Plans Additional Bitcoin Purchases

Strive, led by Vivek Ramaswamy, is planning additional Bitcoin purchases, according to X account @pete_rizzo_.

According to the account, Strive has continued buying BTC even during market downturns, and its balance sheet Bitcoin holdings are reportedly approaching 20,000 BTC.

As more companies continue adding Bitcoin to their treasury reserves, the planned purchase is being interpreted as another sign of sustained institutional demand.

Thailand Tightens AML Monitoring of 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 in relation 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 as part of efforts 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.