[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | U.S. Financial Regulators Release Draft Implementing Rules Requiring Bank-Level KYC for Stablecoin Issuers

U.S. Financial Regulators Release Draft Implementing Rules Requiring Bank-Level KYC for Stablecoin Issuers

U.S. financial regulators have released a draft of implementing rules requiring stablecoin issuers to follow bank-level customer due diligence procedures.

According to PANews, financial regulatory agencies including the Federal Reserve and the Treasury jointly announced the draft implementing rules for the GENIUS Act. The draft requires stablecoin issuers to comply with the Bank Secrecy Act, verify customer identities, retain information such as names and addresses, and conduct checks against terrorist organization and sanctions lists.

The rules have now entered a 60-day public comment period and will be officially implemented once the final version is confirmed. Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr said the current framework is not sufficient to address illicit finance risks in secondary market transactions.

U.S. Senators to Meet Next Week to Finalize Bitcoin Clarity Bill Before August Recess

U.S. senators are expected to meet next week to finalize the Bitcoin Clarity bill before the August recess, according to a report citing Punchbowl.

The bill is said to focus on clarifying regulatory standards for cryptocurrencies. The market is watching whether it will help ease regulatory uncertainty.

Source: @pete_rizzo_

U.S.-Iran Talks in Switzerland Canceled

Switzerland’s foreign ministry confirmed that the U.S.-Iran talks that had been scheduled to take place in Switzerland were canceled.

PANews, citing CCTV News, reported that Switzerland’s foreign ministry confirmed on the 19th that the planned talks between the United States and Iran in Switzerland had been called off.

The meeting had drawn attention as a potential indicator of easing tensions between the two countries, and its cancellation may increase uncertainty surrounding Middle East geopolitics and sentiment toward risk assets.

U.S. Military Announces Official End of Strait of Hormuz Blockade

According to Watcher.Guru, the U.S. military announced that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has been officially lifted.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key route for Middle Eastern oil shipments. News of the lifting of the blockade could help ease energy market concerns and improve global risk asset sentiment.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs See Total Net Outflow of $90.6566 Million on June 18 U.S. Eastern Time

Odaily, citing SoSoValue data, reported that spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a total net outflow of $90.6566 million on June 18, U.S. Eastern Time.

Among spot Bitcoin ETFs, Morgan Stanley’s ETF MSBT posted a net inflow of $10.4337 million, ranking first in daily net inflows. MSBT’s cumulative net inflow stands at $301 million.

Meanwhile, BlackRock’s ETF IBIT saw a net outflow of $96.6552 million, the largest daily net outflow among the products. IBIT’s cumulative net inflow was tallied at $62.07 billion.

The total net assets of spot Bitcoin ETFs stand at $78.325 billion, accounting for 6.19% of Bitcoin’s total market capitalization. Cumulative net inflows amount to $53.398 billion.

2,500 BTC Transferred From Anonymous Wallet to OKX

According to Whale Alert, 2,500 BTC were transferred from an anonymous wallet to OKX. The transfer was worth about $156.84 million.

Large Bitcoin transfers to exchanges may be interpreted as a sign of possible selling preparation, making them a short-term supply-demand factor to watch.

1,000 BTC Transferred From Anonymous Wallet to Coinbase

Whale Alert reported that on the 18th, 1,000 BTC, worth about $62.38 million, were transferred from an anonymous wallet to Coinbase.

Large deposits to exchanges can be interpreted as a possible sign of selling pressure. However, it has not been confirmed whether the transferred amount was actually sold.

JPMorgan Analyzes Deteriorating Bitcoin Mining Profitability

JPMorgan said Bitcoin mining profitability has worsened in 2026, with Bitcoin trading below its estimated production cost for five consecutive months.

According to Wu Blockchain, JPMorgan estimated Bitcoin’s production cost at around $78,000 and said about 20% of miners are currently operating at a loss.

To secure operating funds, publicly listed mining companies sold more than 32,000 BTC in the first quarter of 2026. That figure exceeds total sales for all of 2025.

JPMorgan projected that if Bitcoin continues to trade below production cost, hash rate and mining difficulty could become more volatile, with more frequent fluctuations.

Newly Created Wallet Withdraws 533 BTC From Binance

According to Onchain Lens, a newly created wallet withdrew 533 BTC from Binance.

The withdrawal was worth about $33.4 million. Assets moving off exchanges are generally interpreted as a sign of reduced selling pressure, though additional flows should be monitored as this is only a single on-chain transaction.

31,000 BTC Options and 138,000 ETH Options Expire

According to Wu Blockchain, 31,000 BTC options expired, with a put-call ratio of 0.78, a max pain price of $65,000, and a notional value of $1.9 billion.

For ETH, 138,000 options expired, with a put-call ratio of 1.03. The max pain price was $1,725, and the notional value was $230 million.

Options expiry data is used as an indicator to gauge whether short-term volatility may increase.

Source: Wu Blockchain