[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | U.S. and Iran Reach Preliminary Draft Agreement, Raising Hopes for Easing Tensions

A U.S. official said Iran conveyed to Washington through intermediaries that it was satisfied with the proposed draft agreement.

According to Odaily, the official said the preliminary agreement is focused on de-escalation and opening a new channel for negotiations, while more complicated issues such as the nuclear program and sanctions will be discussed in subsequent stages.

He added that even if a memorandum of understanding is signed, Iran would not receive immediate economic benefits, and any financial support or sanctions relief would depend on Iran carrying out its commitments. If Iran transfers its highly enriched uranium or dismantles nuclear facilities, the United States plans to provide economic incentives in phases.

Pakistan’s prime minister said a final text for a U.S.-Iran peace agreement has been produced.

According to Odaily, the Pakistani prime minister said on social media that although misinformation intended to disrupt the negotiations continues to circulate, the two sides have finalized the agreed text.

Pakistan also said it is working closely with both the United States and Iran to finalize the schedule for the next steps.

According to PANews, the key market variables next week will be the U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision, major U.S. economic data, and whether U.S.-Iran negotiations make progress.

The Fed will announce its FOMC rate decision and economic projections at 2:00 a.m. Thursday, followed by a press conference on monetary policy by Chair Washi at 2:30 p.m. Thursday.

In the United States, the June New York Fed Manufacturing Index and May industrial production will be released on Monday; the ADP employment report on Tuesday; crude oil inventories on Wednesday; and initial jobless claims, the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index, and the May Leading Economic Index on Thursday.

Earlier remarks by President Trump, Iran’s foreign minister, and Pakistan’s prime minister boosted expectations for a possible U.S.-Iran peace agreement. Markets are watching closely to see whether progress in the talks will lead to a reduction in geopolitical risk.

The Trump administration expressed optimism that a Bitcoin and cryptocurrency market-structure clarity bill could be passed by July 4.

According to @pete_rizzo_, a White House official said, “We are making major progress every day,” and added, “We remain optimistic that we can meet that timeline.”

The comments came as discussions continue in the United States over establishing a clearer regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies. If passed, the bill would likely draw market attention as a step toward institutional integration and reduced regulatory uncertainty.

Mike Novogratz said the Clarity Act, a bill to clarify rules for Bitcoin and cryptocurrency regulation, is 95% complete and is expected to pass Congress soon.

According to Odaily, Novogratz said the bill is “good legislation for the United States and for our industry.” The Clarity Act has been discussed as legislation intended to define regulatory standards and jurisdiction for digital assets more clearly.

According to SoSoValue data, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net inflows of $85.8498 million on the 12th (U.S. Eastern Time).

The product with the largest inflow was BlackRock’s IBIT, which saw daily net inflows of $57.6944 million. IBIT’s cumulative net inflows totaled $62.114 billion.

Fidelity’s FBTC recorded net inflows of $18.0047 million. FBTC’s cumulative net inflows stood at $10.448 billion.

Total net assets of spot Bitcoin ETFs were reported at $79.65 billion, accounting for 6.26% of Bitcoin’s total market capitalization. Cumulative net inflows reached $53.625 billion.

PANews, citing OKX market data, reported that Bitcoin (BTC) rose above $64,000.

According to the report, BTC traded at $64,004.60, up 0.64% on the day.

According to Odaily, SpaceX disclosed in its S-1 IPO filing submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it holds 18,712 BTC.

Using an estimated Bitcoin price of about $63,000 per coin, the holding is valued at roughly $1.18 billion. According to BitcoinTreasuries, SpaceX ranks as the world’s eighth-largest public corporate Bitcoin holder.

Tesla, also led by Elon Musk, holds 11,509 BTC, bringing the combined holdings of SpaceX and Tesla to 30,221 BTC. SpaceX’s average purchase price is reportedly about $35,000 per Bitcoin.

Technical disruptions occurred on the 13th at several Iranian banks, including the National Bank of Iran, Export Development Bank of Iran, and Commercial Bank of Iran, with recovery work underway, PANews reported citing Xinhua.

According to local outlet Tasnim, some customers reported problems from the morning involving mobile banking, online banking, ATMs, card terminals, and certain card services.

Fars News said a possible cyberattack had been suggested, though there was no official confirmation. The affected banks said their technical departments are investigating the cause and carrying out necessary recovery measures.

Source: Wu Blockchain. Quantstamp said that in its investigation into the June 8 H token security incident involving Humanity Protocol, the attack method and certificate-signing pattern were similar to those of North Korea-linked hacking groups.

According to the report, the attackers gained remote access to an executive’s device through a phishing attack and then copied wallet data and private keys. They subsequently upgraded the Ethereum-based H token contract and moved about 141.18 million H tokens.

The attackers were also found to have seized control of the proxy admin contract on BNB Smart Chain and minted additional H tokens. The investigation was commissioned by Humanity Protocol and publicly released by Quantstamp.