[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | U.S. Strikes Additional Iranian Military Sites Threatening the Strait of Hormuz, Downs Drones

U.S. Strikes Additional Iranian Military Sites Threatening the Strait of Hormuz, Downs Drones

According to Odaily, Reuters, citing a U.S. official, reported that the U.S. military carried out additional strikes on Iranian military sites that posed a threat to U.S. forces and commercial navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. military also intercepted and shot down several Iranian drones that threatened U.S. forces and maritime commercial traffic.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key global oil shipping route, and any escalation in Middle East military tensions could affect oil prices and risk-asset investor sentiment worldwide.

Trump: “No Deal Yet With Iran… We May Have to Go Back and Finish the Job if Necessary”

President Trump said that no agreement has yet been reached with Iran.

According to Odaily, Trump said Iran wants a deal, but the U.S. is not satisfied with the current situation. He added that if no agreement is reached, “we may have to go back and finish the job.”

The remarks came amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding Iran nuclear and security negotiations. Middle East tensions are widely seen as a factor that could increase volatility in oil and risk-asset markets.

Crypto Futures Liquidations Reach $314 Million in 24 Hours… BTC $103 Million, ETH $53.94 Million

PANews, citing CoinAnk data, reported that total liquidations in the crypto futures market reached $314 million over the past 24 hours.

Long liquidations totaled $273 million, while short liquidations came to $40.9837 million. Bitcoin (BTC) liquidations were $103 million, and Ethereum (ETH) liquidations were $53.943 million.

U.S. Bitcoin ETFs See Net Outflow of 3,638 BTC… Ethereum ETFs Also Lose 9,603 ETH

According to Odaily, Lookonchain estimated that U.S. Bitcoin ETFs recorded a net outflow of 3,638 BTC.

Ethereum ETFs also saw an outflow of 9,603 ETH, while Solana ETFs posted a net inflow of 2,859 SOL.

Anonymous Wallet Transfers $130 Million USDT to Bitfinex

According to Whale Alert, 130,174,329 USDT, worth approximately $130,038,296, was transferred from an anonymous wallet to Bitfinex.

The transaction was confirmed on the Solana network. Large stablecoin inflows to exchanges are often interpreted as sidelined buying power or a liquidity shift, drawing market attention.

Anonymous Wallet Transfers 1,006 BTC to Coinbase Institutional

According to Whale Alert, an anonymous wallet transferred 1,006 BTC to Coinbase Institutional.

The transfer was worth about $75.29 million. Large exchange inflows are often interpreted as a sign of potential selling, though they may also be related to institutional custody or over-the-counter transactions, so actual selling has not been confirmed.

United Texas Bank Launches 24/7 Digital Asset Payment Network After Becoming a National Bank

United Texas Bank has converted to a national bank under approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and is launching a 24/7 digital asset payment network. The bank aims to expand its role in connecting global digital asset firms with the U.S. banking system.

According to Odaily, the Dallas-based bank transitioned from a Texas-chartered bank to a nationally chartered bank. The bank said it has now secured the same type of federal charter as major large banks and gained direct access to the Federal Reserve.

United Texas Bank said it currently clears about $10 billion in U.S. dollar transactions per month for global digital asset companies. The move is seen as part of a broader push to expand digital asset payment infrastructure amid tighter federal rules for digital assets and stablecoins.

The bank plans to launch its 24/7 AI-powered payment network, “UTB Atomic,” alongside its compliance platform “UTB Prism Sentinel,” providing round-the-clock digital asset liquidity support while addressing regulatory requirements.

Bitcoin Miners Surge on Hopes of Pivot to AI and Hyperscale Computing

According to Odaily, Bitcoin mining companies extended their rally on expectations of a business shift toward AI and hyperscale computing.

IREN rose more than 13% on Wednesday, nearing an all-time high. Earlier, IREN announced $3 billion in convertible note financing, cooperation with Nvidia to build a 5-gigawatt AI data center, and the $625 million acquisition of Mirantis. On Tuesday, it also signed a $1.6 billion deal with Dell to supply Blackwell AI systems.

Cypher and Hut 8 both hit all-time highs. Cypher rose about 9.5% to $25, while Hut 8 climbed about 5% to $118. Hut 8 shares have risen roughly 600% over the past year.

TeraWulf also gained more than 6% on Wednesday. Its stock has surged about 800% over the past year, and quarterly high-performance computing revenue exceeded Bitcoin mining revenue for the first time.

Jefferies: Crypto and Blockchain IPOs to Rise Over Next 2 Years… Public Market Could Reach $1 Trillion Within 5 Years

Wall Street investment bank Jefferies said crypto and blockchain company IPOs are likely to increase over the next two years as institutional investors accelerate their transition toward blockchain-based financial infrastructure, with the public market potentially reaching $1 trillion within five years.

According to Odaily, Jefferies said in a report that market focus is shifting away from crypto price speculation and toward blockchain infrastructure integration by banks, exchanges, asset managers, and payment firms.

The report said Kraken parent company Payward and Securitize are among those pursuing IPOs, and more crypto-related companies may enter public markets in the future.

Jefferies identified tokenization as a core driver of this structural shift. It said money market funds, private credit, and on-chain payment systems are entering real-world adoption, and institutional uptake could accelerate further as regulation becomes clearer.

Ondo Tokenized Stocks TVL Hits Record High of $1.17 Billion

According to Odaily, total value locked (TVL) in Ondo’s tokenized stocks rose to about $1.17 billion, reaching a new all-time high.

TVL increased about 42.3% over the past month and about 11% over the past week. As the real-world asset (RWA) trend expands, institutional and crypto investor interest in on-chain stocks, bonds, and fund products is also growing.

The market sees 24/7 trading, on-chain settlement, and global asset accessibility as key drivers behind the growth of tokenized stocks.