[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | EU bans transactions with 14 non-EU crypto platforms linked to evasion of Russia sanctions

EU bans transactions with 14 non-EU crypto platforms linked to evasion of Russia sanctions

The EU has imposed a transaction ban on 14 non-EU crypto platforms and entities to block the circumvention of sanctions against Russia.

Source: Wu Blockchain. According to TRM Labs, on July 23 the Council of the European Union adopted its 21st sanctions package against Russia and added Rapira, Ipoteka Pro, ABCeX, Whitebird, NoOnes Crypto, TradesX, Moneys, Bitpapa, XNode and XNode Pay, HTX, EXMO, A7 Nigeria, A7 Africa, and PilotFinance to the list of prohibited counterparties.

The targeted firms are reportedly based in Georgia, Panama, the United Arab Emirates, the Marshall Islands, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus. The package also includes authority for the EU to restrict crypto-asset services involving an entire third country if platforms from that jurisdiction are found to be helping Russia evade sanctions.

A total of 218 new sanctions designations were added in this package, making it the largest package in the past four years.

White House official says Bitcoin market structure bill could reach a Senate floor vote

A White House official said a Bitcoin-related market structure bill could be brought to the Senate floor and has a chance of passing.

According to @pete_rizzo_, the official said, “We are optimistic we can secure the necessary votes,” adding that “this bill deserves an opportunity for a floor vote in the Senate.”

The remarks come as discussions continue in the United States over establishing a clearer regulatory framework for digital assets.

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs see $240 million in net outflows, Ether ETFs also lose $70.62 million

According to Wu Blockchain, citing SoSoValue data, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net outflows of $240 million on July 24 (U.S. Eastern Time).

On the same day, U.S. spot Ether ETFs also posted net outflows of $70.62 million, ending a five-trading-day streak of net inflows.

Spot ETF fund flows are widely viewed as a key indicator of institutional investor demand.

Coinbase adds USDC payment capabilities for AI agents in its business services

Coinbase has introduced a feature in Coinbase Business that enables AI agents to execute payments in USDC.

According to Odaily, Coinbase said merchants can accept USDC through x402, an open payment standard developed in-house to support autonomous software-based payments.

Business customers can manage, settle, and convert related funds within the same account, and qualifying idle USDC balances can earn a 3.35% reward.

Coinbase Business launched in June 2025 and currently serves about 5,000 customers. Its cumulative payment and transaction processing volume has reached about $1 billion.

Initial use cases are centered on digital services such as APIs, cloud storage, and domains. Coinbase also added features allowing AI agents to view open orders, market depth, real-time prices, and trading volume.

Russia’s Sberbank plans to launch Bitcoin and crypto trading and custody services this year

Russia’s largest state-owned bank, Sberbank, plans to launch Bitcoin and cryptocurrency trading and custody services later this year, according to @pete_rizzo_.

Sberbank is one of Russia’s leading financial institutions, and the introduction of such services could expand crypto access for both retail and institutional customers.

Russia has been refining its digital asset regulatory framework, and the market is watching whether participation by major banks could drive broader adoption.

Robinhood in talks with Crypto.com on prediction market partnership

According to Odaily, The Wall Street Journal cited sources saying Robinhood is discussing a prediction market partnership with Crypto.com.

If finalized, prediction market products provided by Crypto.com could be integrated into Robinhood’s platform, allowing users to participate through Robinhood.

Robinhood has previously worked with Kalshi, Interactive Brokers’ ForecastEx, and Rottera to offer related contract products. The new talks are seen as part of Robinhood’s effort to expand its competitiveness in prediction markets.

Coinbase launches Coinbase Borrow service in the U.S.

Coinbase announced the launch of Coinbase Borrow in the United States, excluding New York State.

According to Odaily, Coinbase said on X that the service is supported by Jito and Morpho and operates on the Base network.

Fidelity urges the U.S. Senate to pass the CLARITY Act

Fidelity’s public policy team urged the U.S. Senate on X to pass the CLARITY Act.

Fidelity said, “It’s time to establish clear rules,” arguing that the bill is important for boosting investor confidence and providing certainty to market participants.

The CLARITY Act is designed to clarify the regulatory framework for digital asset markets, and Fidelity said its passage would help solidify U.S. leadership in the global digital asset sector.

Capital Group’s Smallcap World Fund buys 481,772 additional shares of Strive ASST

According to Odaily, BitcoinTreasuries.net said Capital Group’s Smallcap World Fund purchased an additional 481,772 shares of Bitcoin treasury company Strive ASST.

The additional purchase was worth $5.52 million, bringing the fund’s total holdings in Strive ASST to 2.93 million shares valued at $33.62 million.

Capital Group is a major global active asset manager overseeing $3.3 trillion in assets.

Sui launches gas-free stablecoin transfer feature

According to Odaily, Sui announced on X that it has launched a gas-free stablecoin transfer feature.

Sui users can now send stablecoins without paying separate gas fees or holding gas tokens. Sui said the feature is built directly into the protocol.