[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETFs See Net Outflows for 9 Straight Trading Days, Totaling $2.84 Billion

U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETFs See Net Outflows for 9 Straight Trading Days, Totaling $2.84 Billion

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net outflows for nine consecutive trading days, with total outflows reaching approximately $2.84 billion, PANews reported, citing Cointelegraph.

This marks the longest outflow streak since the products launched in 2024, surpassing the previous record of eight trading days set in February 2025. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) was identified as a key driver of the outflows.

According to analysts, the capital flight reflects weakening institutional demand for Bitcoin ETFs. Meanwhile, some spot XRP ETFs and HYPE-related products have seen inflows, indicating a capital rotation within the crypto ETF market.

Spot Ethereum ETFs also recorded net outflows for 13 consecutive trading days, with cumulative outflows totaling about $694 million.

Iranian Parliament Expected to Approve Plan to Exercise Sovereign Jurisdiction Over the Strait of Hormuz

PANews, citing Xinhua News Agency, reported that Iran’s parliament is expected to approve a plan to exercise sovereign jurisdiction over the Strait of Hormuz and likely enact it as permanent law.

According to the Iranian Students News Agency, Iranian Parliament Speaker Salemi said that authority over managing the Strait of Hormuz belongs only to Iran and Oman. Iran has discussed the matter with Oman, which has reportedly expressed preliminary consent.

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Continues Maritime Blockade on Iranian Ports

According to Odaily, the Navigation and Communication Advisory and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) under U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said on the 30th that maritime blockade measures targeting Iranian ports remain in effect.

The restricted waters include parts of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and the northern Arabian Sea.

The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) also maintained the maritime security threat level in those waters at “severe” on the same day and advised shipowners, operators, and crew to closely monitor changes in the regional security situation.

EU Weighs Introducing Unified Tax Framework for Crypto Firms

PANews, citing Politico, reported that the European Commission is considering introducing an EU-wide unified tax framework for crypto companies during the new seven-year budget cycle from 2028 to 2034.

The Commission estimates that a 0.1% tax on crypto transactions could generate annual revenue of €3 billion to €4 billion, while a crypto capital gains tax could raise €1 billion to €2.4 billion per year.

The proposal is part of a broader tax plan to secure funding for the EU’s common budget and is currently under negotiation among member states.

Alephium TokenBridge Ethereum Cross-Chain Bridge Hacked, $815,000 Stolen

Alephium TokenBridge’s Ethereum cross-chain bridge was exploited through a vulnerability, resulting in the theft of about $815,000 in assets.

On the 30th, PANews reported that Blockaid said the attacker compromised three of four guardian keys and forged authentication data to drain assets in about seven minutes.

The attacker minted 13.76 million wrapped ALPH, far exceeding the circulating supply, and also illicitly withdrew USDT, USDC, WBTC, and WETH from the escrow pool.

Sui Mainnet Halted for Two Days; Base Activates Azul Mainnet Upgrade

Wu Blockchain reported in its weekly project update that the Sui mainnet was halted for two days, while Base activated its Azul mainnet upgrade.

Aave proposed standard asset listing rules. Ondo Finance founder Nathan Allman was also reported to have died unexpectedly.

Zama Founder Confirms Cause of cUSDC Contract Freeze

According to PANews, Zama founder Rand said he confirmed the cause of the cUSDC contract freeze with the help of on-chain analyst ZachXBT.

Rand explained that the freeze was due to access restrictions imposed under a court order related to addresses involved in the Overnight Finance hack. Those addresses had deposited about $12.5 million worth of USDC into the cUSDC contract, accounting for more than 99% of the contract’s funds.

Rand emphasized that the measure was unrelated to the Zama protocol itself or its privacy technology and did not constitute sanctions against Zama. Zama is currently discussing a resolution with the relevant parties and has temporarily paused the cUSDC, cUSDT, and cWETH contracts.

1,722 WBTC Transferred From HTX to Anonymous Wallet

According to Whale Alert, 1,722 WBTC were transferred from HTX to an anonymous wallet.

The transfer was valued at about $126.73 million. Large transfers from exchanges to external wallets may indicate a change in custody arrangements or preparations for over-the-counter transactions.

1,393 BTC Transferred From Anonymous Wallet to OKX

According to Whale Alert, 1,393 BTC, worth about $102.54 million, were transferred from an anonymous wallet to OKX.

Large inflows to exchanges may be interpreted as a sign of potential selling pressure, although it has not been confirmed whether the funds will actually be sold.

200,347,000 SUSDS Transferred From Anonymous Wallet to Justin Sun

According to Whale Alert, 200,347,000 SUSDS were transferred from an anonymous wallet to Justin Sun.

The transfer was valued at about $219.97 million. While the move represents a large on-chain transaction, its specific purpose has not been confirmed.