[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | Charles Schwab Officially Launches Bitcoin Trading Service

Charles Schwab Officially Launches Bitcoin Trading Service

Bitcoin Magazine reported that Charles Schwab, which manages $12.6 trillion in assets, has officially launched a Bitcoin trading service.

Charles Schwab is one of the major U.S. brokerage firms, and the launch is seen as part of a broader move to expand Bitcoin access for traditional finance investors.

Source: Bitcoin Magazine

U.S. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Says Bitcoin Clarity Act Will Secure Enough Votes for Passage

French Hill, Chairman of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, said on Fox that the Bitcoin Clarity Act will secure enough votes needed for enactment.

According to @pete_rizzo_, Hill said Washington is moving quickly to get the bill signed and that comprehensive regulatory clarity for the U.S. crypto market is approaching.

The remarks came as the U.S. Congress pushes to establish rules and jurisdictional boundaries for the digital asset market. Resolving regulatory uncertainty is considered a key factor in the institutional adoption of Bitcoin and the broader crypto market.

Senator Lummis Says Clarity Bill Expected to Reach Senate Floor in July

Source: Bitcoin Magazine

U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis told Fox Business that the Clarity bill is expected to be brought to the Senate floor in July.

The Clarity bill is designed to streamline the structure of the U.S. digital asset market and clarify the authority of regulators, drawing attention for its potential to reduce regulatory uncertainty in the crypto industry.

BTC Falls Below $61,000

Bitcoin (BTC) fell below the $61,000 level.

According to PANews, BTC was trading at $60,978.10 on OKX, down 2.42% on the day.

BTC Drops Below $60,000

BTC fell below the $60,000 mark, showing weakness.

According to PANews, BTC traded at $59,999.90 on OKX, down 0.46% on the day.

ETH Falls Below $1,600

Ethereum (ETH) fell below $1,600 and traded at $1,599.99. On OKX, the daily decline was 1.13%.

According to PANews, ETH fell below the $1,600 level on OKX. While $1,600 is considered a short-term sentiment threshold, the current decline remains relatively limited.

1,000 BTC Transferred to Coinbase

According to Whale Alert, 1,000 BTC (about $61.16 million) was transferred from an unknown wallet to Coinbase.

When large amounts are moved to an exchange, the market may speculate about potential selling pressure, so participants are watching whether the BTC will actually be sold.

Whale Closes 800 BTC Long Position

According to Odaily, Lookonchain said that as BTC fell below $61,000, a whale (0xebe8...885f) closed a long position of 800 BTC.

The position was worth $48.8 million, and the loss was estimated at $1.26 million. This is another example of a large leveraged position being unwound during a price decline.

Anonymous Whale Transfers 135.57 Million USDC to Aave

According to Whale Alert, an anonymous whale wallet transferred 135,572,887 USDC (about $135.68 million) to Aave.

This transaction was identified on the Ethereum network as a large-scale stablecoin movement. Aave is a DeFi protocol that supports crypto deposits and lending, and the purpose of the transfer has not been disclosed.

Strategy Preferred Stock STRC Falls Below $82

According to Odaily, STRC, the preferred stock issued by Strategy, fell below $82 on the 25th, hitting a record low. STRC traded at $81.83, down 6.3%.

When STRC trades significantly below par value, it is interpreted as a sign that the market is demanding a higher yield. This may indicate that investors have lower confidence in Strategy’s credit condition or the stability of future dividends.

Strategy has previously relied heavily on STRC issuance to raise funds for Bitcoin purchases. If STRC continues trading below par for an extended period, the company’s cost of new issuance could rise, effectively forcing it to bear higher financing costs.