[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | Iran Announces Full Closure of the Strait of Hormuz Following U.S. Airstrikes

According to Watcher.Guru, Iran announced a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz following U.S. airstrikes.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's major oil shipping routes, and this measure could affect energy markets and investor sentiment toward global risk assets.

According to Odaily, the U.S. military said it had completed its latest strike operation in Iran.

Specific targets and the extent of the damage have not been disclosed. The development is drawing attention because heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East could fuel risk-off sentiment across financial markets.

PANews, citing OKX market data, reported that Bitcoin (BTC) fell below $62,000 and was trading at $61,993.40.

This marked a 1.03% decline from the previous day. Bitcoin is showing a short-term tug-of-war between buying and selling pressure around the key $62,000 level.

According to Coinglass, total liquidations in crypto futures contracts reached $363 million over the past 24 hours.

Of that total, long liquidations accounted for $233 million, while short liquidations came to $131 million. Bitcoin (BTC) liquidations totaled $100 million, and Ethereum (ETH) liquidations reached $78.74 million.

According to Odaily, analysts said SpaceX's initial public offering (IPO) could create short-term selling pressure in Bitcoin and the broader crypto market.

SpaceX is reportedly planning to issue shares at $135 each, raise $75 billion, and target a valuation of about $1.77 trillion. Up to 30% of the offering may be allocated to retail investors, prompting analysis that some investors could sell high-risk assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum to fund their IPO participation.

GSR's head of trading said crypto could serve as a source of funds for some investors entering the IPO. The market has previously speculated that if major IPOs from companies such as SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic move forward, capital could be drawn out of the crypto market.

However, some also believe a SpaceX listing could increase demand for related on-chain trading. Platforms such as Hyperliquid and Binance currently offer SpaceX-related perpetual contracts and tokenized stock products.

According to PANews, Delaware and New Jersey are pushing bills to ban crypto ATMs.

Delaware's House Economic Development Committee advanced HB441 to the full chamber, while New Jersey's Senate Commerce Committee unanimously passed a similar ban bill.

The Delaware bill requires existing crypto ATMs to be removed within 90 days of enactment and imposes fines of up to $10,000 for violations. The New Jersey bill sets fines of up to $10,000 for a first offense and up to $20,000 for repeat offenses.

Supporters of the bills argue that crypto ATM fees can reach as high as 20% of the transaction amount, far exceeding online exchange fees. Indiana, Tennessee, and Minnesota have previously enacted full bans on crypto ATMs.

The Osaka Exchange, a subsidiary of Japan Exchange Group, is seeking to launch Bitcoin futures trading in 2028, PANews reported on June 11, citing Nikkei.

Osaka Exchange President Akira Tagaya said in an interview that the move is intended to meet hedging demand from institutions investing in Bitcoin ETFs in Japan.

Japan's Financial Services Agency is pushing to revise the enforcement order of the Investment Trust Act by 2028 to classify cryptocurrencies as 'designated assets.' If implemented, asset managers would be allowed to create investment trusts that include cryptocurrencies.

Mastercard has launched AP4M, a payments infrastructure designed to support AI agents and machine-to-machine micropayments.

The goal is to reduce the cost and latency of frequent micropayments, including those made with stablecoins.

PANews, citing The Block, reported that Mastercard unveiled AP4M, a payment infrastructure for AI agents and machines. AP4M supports bank cards, accounts, and stablecoin payments on Mastercard's global network.

The system combines AI identity verification and access control, allowing users to set approval rules and spending limits. Initial partners include more than 30 firms, such as Coinbase, OKX, Polygon, Solana, Ripple, MoonPay, and Ava Labs.

Mastercard has previously expanded stablecoin payment support for USDC, PYUSD, and RLUSD, and it has also acquired stablecoin startup BVNK.

According to PANews, blockchain finance platform Figure Technology Solutions has signed a deal to acquire AI-based mortgage platform Kiavi for $717 million.

The transaction will be carried out through a joint venture between Sixth Street and Figure that will acquire Kiavi's assets. Figure expects the acquisition to bring its annual transaction volume to more than $7 billion.

Kiavi is known as a residential real estate investment lending platform with annual loan volume exceeding $30 billion. Once the deal closes, Kiavi's fix-and-flip and rental lending business will be integrated into Figure's on-chain capital markets system.

After the acquisition is completed, Kiavi CEO Arvind Mohan will join Figure as chief business officer.

According to Odaily, Tether Investments, an affiliate of Tether, led the Series C investment in humanoid robotics company Neura Robotics.

The round could total as much as $1.4 billion, reportedly setting a new record for private investment in robotics and physical AI.

Neura Robotics is a cognitive robotics company developing humanoid robots, precision robotic arms, autonomous mobile robots, and service robots.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said that as robots become more autonomous, financial and intelligence infrastructure must also advance, adding that WDK and QVAC will support machines in carrying out tasks and transactions independently.