[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | U.S. CFTC Seeks to Expand Headcount to Meet Crypto and Prediction Market Regulatory Demand

BTC Falls Below $63,000

According to Odaily, BTC dropped below $63,000 based on OKX market data.

BTC is currently trading at $62,990, down 0.38% over the past 24 hours.

U.S. CFTC Seeks to Expand Headcount to Meet Crypto and Prediction Market Regulatory Demand

Source: PANews. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has canceled its headquarters relocation plan and instead extended the lease on its current office by five years in order to accommodate up to 100 new employees to respond to regulatory demand tied to prediction markets and cryptocurrencies.

PANews reported this on the 9th, citing Bloomberg. The CFTC has been expanding its role as a key oversight authority for prediction markets, and its workload is expected to increase further if the Clarity Act passes and designates it as a primary regulator for the crypto industry.

The agency’s headcount has previously fallen by about 25% since 2024, declining to 553 employees as of April. In its fiscal year 2027 budget request, the commission asked for authorization to increase staffing to 650.

Russia Reviews Restrictions on Trading 'Unfriendly' Crypto Assets Such as USDT and BNB

Russia is reportedly considering measures such as fees, advisories, and technical safeguards on the trading of so-called 'unfriendly' crypto assets for investor protection, according to Odaily.

Russian Deputy Finance Minister Ivan Chebeskov said during preparations for the second reading of the virtual asset market regulation bill that whether to allow trading in certain digital assets, including USDT and BNB, has become one of the key issues.

Chebeskov explained that such assets may pose elevated risks to Russian users, and authorities are reviewing ways to encourage holdings of other assets through economic incentives such as fee charges or official guidance.

The Russian Finance Ministry had previously reviewed excluding USDT from its virtual asset regulatory framework. Last December, the Russian central bank proposed a regulatory concept that would treat digital currencies and stablecoins as foreign exchange assets, allowing trading while banning their use for domestic payments.

U.S. Spot Solana ETFs Record $471,600 in Daily Net Outflows

U.S. spot Solana ETFs recorded net outflows of $471,600 during the day on June 8 (U.S. Eastern Time), according to PANews, citing SoSoValue data.

Fidelity Solana Fund ETF (FSOL) posted net inflows of $795,400, while Bitwise Solana Staking ETF (BSOL) saw net outflows of $1.4638 million.

As of the time of reporting, total net assets of spot SOL ETFs stood at $773 million, representing 1.98% of Solana’s market capitalization. Cumulative net inflows were tallied at $1.126 billion.

Bithumb to List CTR in KRW Market

Bithumb is set to list the CTR token in its KRW market.

PANews reported on the 9th, citing Bithumb’s official announcement, that trading for CTR is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. local time.

A listing in a domestic exchange’s KRW market is generally viewed as a factor that can improve the token’s liquidity and accessibility.

Upbit to List CTR in BTC and USDT Markets

According to PANews, Upbit will list the CTR token in its BTC and USDT markets, with trading scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. on June 9.

The listing is part of Upbit’s new market support initiative, allowing users to trade CTR in those markets once trading opens.

macOS Malware 'Reaper' Spreads by Stealing Crypto Wallet Data

macOS malware known as 'Reaper' is reportedly spreading through fake app download pages and stealing crypto wallet data and browser passwords.

According to PANews, Reaper is distributed through spoofed download pages impersonating popular apps such as WeChat and Miro. The malware tricks users into launching macOS Script Editor, hides malicious code, and then displays a fake Apple security update window to prompt entry of the user’s computer password.

Reaper is said to target desktop crypto wallet apps such as Ledger Live, Trezor Suite, and Exodus, altering internal code so it can intercept future transactions and siphon off funds.

It can also steal login credentials stored in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, as well as .docx, .pdf, and .wallet files stored in the Documents folder. Security experts warned users to verify download links and immediately close any page that unexpectedly requests password entry or asks them to launch Script Editor.

Metaplanet CEO Says Share Buybacks May Be Considered if mNAV Falls Below 1x

Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich said the company may consider share buybacks to maximize Bitcoin yield if its modified net asset value (mNAV) falls below 1x.

According to PANews, Gerovich said on X on the 9th that Bitcoin yield is the company’s core KPI and that capital allocation is designed to maximize shareholder returns. He added that a lower mNAV could imply greater upside potential.

He also noted that any share repurchase would need to comply with insider trading and disclosure regulations, and that the company cannot comment on specific timing or implementation until appropriate disclosures are made. Metaplanet is a listed Japanese company that holds Bitcoin as a principal treasury asset.

Coinbase x402 Launches on Injective

According to Odaily, Coinbase’s x402 protocol has launched on Injective, enabling AI agents to directly pay for services such as API calls in real time.

x402 uses the HTTP 402 'Payment Required' status code to process payments in a single HTTP interaction without accounts, subscriptions, or human intervention. Injective supports this use case with single-block payments, deterministic finality, and latency of about 650 milliseconds.

Binance Research Says Tokenized RWA and Crypto Payments Are Expanding Rapidly

Binance Research said in its June market analysis report that the use of tokenized real-world assets (RWA) and crypto payments is expanding rapidly.

According to PANews, Binance Research found that the active tokenized RWA market has grown by about 589% since the beginning of 2025, with bonds and money market funds accounting for most of the growth in dollar terms. The pre-IPO segment recorded the fastest growth at 422%.

The report said crypto card transaction volume in May exceeded $747 million, up 48.6% from the start of the year. That far outpaced the 3.2% increase in stablecoin supply over the same period.

By blockchain, BNB Chain and Solana accounted for most crypto card transaction volume. Ethereum held 53% of stablecoin supply but represented only 12% of crypto card transaction volume.

The report added that the crypto market correction in May was influenced by macroeconomic factors, and that Bitcoin tested major moving averages and short-term holder support zones.