[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | Trump reportedly orders sinking of mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz

Trump reportedly orders sinking of mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz

President Trump said he ordered the Navy to sink any vessels that laid mines in the Strait of Hormuz. If the statement is accurate, military tensions in the Middle East could escalate sharply, increasing volatility in global financial markets and the cryptocurrency market.

According to panewslab.com on the 23rd, Trump said U.S. Navy minesweepers were carrying out mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz, and that he had instructed them to continue the mission and triple its intensity. He also claimed that all 159 Iranian naval vessels had been sunk.

The Strait of Hormuz is considered a critical route for global oil shipments. If concerns about military conflict in the region intensify, both international oil prices and demand for safe-haven assets could be affected, while major digital assets including Bitcoin and Ethereum may also experience significant short-term price swings.

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz effectively halted again

Vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has once again effectively come to a halt. Reports that Iran fired at ships passing through the strait have heightened concerns over disruptions to global energy supply and transport.

According to Irina Slav, the latest paralysis of the route has deepened concerns that if the war becomes prolonged, it could alter the structure of global energy trade itself.

The Strait of Hormuz is regarded as a key passage for global crude oil and energy flows. In previous periods of heightened Middle East tensions, international oil prices and global financial markets have repeatedly reacted sensitively to the possibility of the strait being blocked.

U.S. Senate again rejects bill to limit Trump's war powers on Iran

On the 22nd, the U.S. Senate once again rejected a bill aimed at limiting President Trump's war powers.

According to Odaily, the bill sought to restrict the president's authority to use military force in relation to Iran. It was the fifth time the Senate had rejected such a measure since U.S. military action involving Iran at the end of February.

With the bill's defeat, Trump's discretion over military responses toward Iran is expected to remain intact for the time being.

Brent crude rises above $100 per barrel

Brent crude climbed above $100 per barrel, rising 3.30% intraday.

According to Odaily, Gate data showed Brent crude moving above the $100 mark. The surge in oil prices could revive inflation concerns and weigh on risk appetite across assets, including cryptocurrencies.

Reuters: Iran's Nobitex transferred at least $2.3 billion in sanction-linked funds

Reuters reported on the 23rd that Nobitex, Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange, transferred at least $2.3 billion in funds through Tron and BNB Smart Chain since 2023.

According to the report, some of the funds originated from Iran's central bank (CBI), which is under U.S. sanctions, and were linked to sanctioned entities including the IRGC, Hamas, and Hezbollah.

Data from blockchain analytics firms Arkham and Elliptic showed that more than $2 billion moved on Tron alone, while about $317 million was transferred via BNB Smart Chain. Tens of millions of dollars were reportedly still circulating even after the outbreak of the conflict.

Nobitex had previously been accused of facilitating at least $366 million in sanctioned transactions since its founding in 2018.

More than 100 crypto firms and organizations urge U.S. Senate to consider the Clarity Act

According to Odaily, more than 100 cryptocurrency companies and industry groups, including Coinbase, Circle, Kraken, Ripple, a16z, Paradigm, and Consensys, sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Banking Committee urging it to move forward with deliberations on the market structure bill known as the Clarity Act.

The core of the bill is to establish a federal regulatory framework for the cryptocurrency market. The signatories argued that enforcement-only actions by regulators cannot create stable rules, and called for clearer division of oversight authority between the SEC and CFTC, protection for non-custodial tool developers, and unified disclosure standards.

They warned that if legislation is delayed, capital and innovation could move overseas. The U.S. crypto industry has long argued that regulatory uncertainty is a burden on business operations and fundraising.

U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno: crypto market structure bill could be completed by late May

U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno said legislation related to crypto market structure is expected to be completed by the end of May.

According to PANews, Moreno made the remarks at an event in Washington, criticizing opposition from banks over stablecoin yield issues as "a lot of noise in the system and all fake." He also urged the banking sector to accelerate the pace of innovation.

Moreno had previously warned that if the so-called Clarity bill does not pass in May, progress on future crypto-related legislation could stall.

Bitcoin ETF flows turn net positive across all tracked periods for the first time in months

Bloomberg senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said on X that Bitcoin ETF flows have turned net positive across all tracked periods for the first time in months.

He noted that cumulative inflows into BlackRock's spot Bitcoin ETF, IBIT, have reached roughly $3 billion, placing it among the top 1% of all ETFs in terms of fund inflow performance.

However, he added that cumulative inflows into Bitcoin ETFs would still need several billion dollars more to surpass the previous peak of $62.8 billion.

According to Odaily, Balchunas said the latest trend shows a clear improvement in investor sentiment toward Bitcoin ETFs and a recovery in market demand.

BlackRock's Bitcoin holdings expand to 806,700 BTC

BlackRock's Bitcoin holdings have grown to 806,700 BTC, according to Odaily citing Lookonchain data.

The report said BlackRock has continued to buy BTC recently, bringing the value of its holdings to about $63.73 billion.

The figure is interpreted as a sign that institutional demand for Bitcoin remains strong.

Arthur Hayes: Bitcoin unlikely to rally in earnest before Fed liquidity returns; Saylor discloses purchase of 34,164 BTC

According to Odaily, Arthur Hayes said Bitcoin is unlikely to enter a meaningful rally until the Federal Reserve resumes liquidity support to address balance-sheet problems in the banking sector.

Hayes argued that artificial intelligence will damage the incomes of knowledge workers and worsen consumer credit stress, ultimately prompting Fed intervention that could drive Bitcoin higher. He projected Bitcoin could reach $150,000 to $200,000 by summer 2026, $250,000 to $500,000 by year-end, and $1 million by 2028.

In the same report, Michael Saylor said on X that Strategy spent about $2.54 billion to purchase 34,164 BTC at an average price of $74,395. As of April 19, Strategy held 815,061 BTC, with a total purchase cost of about $61.56 billion and an average acquisition price of $75,527.

Saylor argued that corporate and spot ETF accumulation of Bitcoin could trigger a nonlinear repricing of the asset. However, this reflects the views of market participants, and actual price movements may vary depending on macroeconomic conditions and liquidity trends.