[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | T. Rowe Price Active Cryptocurrency ETF Approved by SEC

T. Rowe Price Active Cryptocurrency ETF Approved by SEC

According to Odaily, T. Rowe Price’s actively managed cryptocurrency ETF was approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on June 12, 2026. The approval clears a key step toward listing on NYSE Arca, although trading has not yet begun.

The ETF is being structured to hold 5 to 15 cryptocurrencies. The current draft includes Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP, along with more volatile assets such as Dogecoin and Shiba Inu.

T. Rowe Price had submitted several amended filings since April. Market participants view this approval as a case that could broaden regulatory acceptance of multi-asset cryptocurrency ETFs.

Iran Issues Warning Regarding Passage Through the Strait of Hormuz

Source: Odaily. An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that measures taken by Iran to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz serve both national security and the common interests of the international community, adding that related services should carry a fee.

According to a recording from a public marine radio channel provided by a merchant ship sailor, the naval forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned nearby vessels on the night of the 13th local time not to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The broadcast reportedly stated that the strait had been completely closed and that any transit would be met with firm action.

However, the deputy chairman of Iran’s National Security Committee had earlier said, citing the contents of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States, that all commercial vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would resume without restriction.

Polymarket Faces Growing Controversy Over ‘Resolution Correction’ Clause

Prediction market platform Polymarket is facing mounting criticism after reversing what had appeared to be a finalized market result based on a ‘resolution correction’ clause.

According to Odaily, as a result of this action, a 20-year-old student’s $35,000 prediction was invalidated, and positions worth about $3.8 million across 1,838 accounts on the platform were liquidated.

The clause allows the interpretation of market resolution to be revised even after settlement, making it possible to change the final payout outcome. Traders argue that this kind of post-settlement revision undermines the predictability and finality of market rules.

Industry observers say this structure could create a difficult-to-hedge ‘resolution correction risk’ in prediction markets. If similar cases continue, high-risk liquidity may migrate toward exchanges regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) or platforms with formal arbitration procedures.

Polymarket had previously faced disputes involving UMA oracles and the settlement of a Strategy Bitcoin-related market, once again putting trust in the finality of prediction market settlement to the test.

USDC Circulation Declines by About 700 Million Over 7 Days

PANews, citing official data, reported that USDC circulation fell by about 700 million tokens in the seven days ending June 11.

During the same period, Circle issued about 8.5 billion USDC and redeemed about 8.2 billion USDC. Total USDC circulation currently stands at 74.8 billion, with reserves of about $75.0 billion.

The reserves consist of about $44.7 billion in overnight repurchase agreements, about $18.6 billion in U.S. Treasuries with maturities under three months, about $11.0 billion in deposits at major financial institutions, and about $700 million in other bank deposits.

Anonymous Whale Transfers 135.14 Million USDC to Aave

According to Whale Alert, an anonymous whale wallet transferred 135.14 million USDC, worth about $135.12 million, to Aave.

The transaction was confirmed on the Ethereum network. Aave is a major DeFi protocol that supports crypto deposits and lending.

Address Believed to Be Managed by SIREN Team Sells 201 Million SIREN Over 14 Hours

Source: PANews. According to on-chain analyst Eugene, an address identified as a ‘SIREN manager’ sold about 201 million SIREN over 14 hours and received about 27.70 million USDT.

Of that amount, 24.80 million USDT was transferred to Bitget and Bybit. As a result, the on-chain SIREN holdings of Bitget and Bybit fell from 682 million tokens to 468 million tokens.

One Address Opens Staggered Short Position in 23,205.35 ETH

Odaily, citing on-chain analyst Ai Yi Mo, reported that one address (0xa2e…f1468) opened a staggered short position in 23,205.35 ETH starting at 23:42 the previous night.

The position is valued at $39.03 million, with an average entry price of $1,680.8. The current unrealized loss is estimated at about $17,000.

While a large short position can affect short-term market sentiment, it is difficult to draw conclusions about price direction based on the actions of a single address alone.

CLARITY Act Virtually Impossible to Finalize Before July 4

Source: Odaily.

Cryptocurrency journalist Eleanor Terrett said it is ‘virtually impossible’ for the crypto market structure bill known as the CLARITY Act to become law before July 4.

She explained that this would require an ethics framework acceptable to both Republicans and Democrats, revisions to agriculture-related provisions, consolidation of content from multiple bills, securing 60 votes in the Senate, and completion of both House and Senate procedures.

The CLARITY Act is intended to establish a clearer regulatory framework for the cryptocurrency market in the United States. The assessment suggests that near-term passage is unlikely given the legislative calendar and procedural hurdles that remain.

Coinbase to Introduce Direct USDC Payment Function for AI Agents

Source: Odaily.

Coinbase Developer Platform said that since the launch of Coinbase for Agents, it has been providing features such as standalone account creation for AI agents, automated trading, and asset management.

In the coming weeks, Coinbase plans to enable Coinbase for Agents users to make direct payments using their USDC balances through the x402 protocol. This would allow agents not only to manage accounts but also to carry out actual payments using stablecoins.

Coinbase also unveiled a new Coinbase CLI, simplified login based on MCP, a demonstration of Claude integration, and developer wallets for iOS apps built on a Swift SDK. On June 16, it plans to release a system update that enhances payment- and agent-related features.

Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Expected to Fall About 9.55%

Wu Blockchain, citing TheMinerMag, reported that Bitcoin mining difficulty is expected to decline by about 9.55% in around eight hours.

This adjustment would mark the second-largest drop of the year, potentially increasing BTC production per active hash rate by more than 9%. Mining hashprice could also rise back above $30 per PH/s.

Earlier in June, network hash rate declined sharply amid price weakness. Reduced profitability led to the shutdown of older mining machines, while the reallocation of power capacity toward high-performance computing and AI data centers was also cited as a factor behind the lower hash rate.