[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | T. Rowe Price launches multi-token spot ETF investing in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP

FTX to begin fifth creditor distribution worth $900 million on July 31

FTX Recovery Trust and FTX announced that they will begin the next round of creditor fund distributions, worth about $900 million, on July 31.

This distribution marks FTX’s fifth creditor repayment. Eligible creditors are expected to receive funds within 1 to 3 business days through BitGo, Kraken, or Payoneer accounts.

Under FTX’s restructuring plan, convenience class claims under $50,000 will receive 120% repayment, while other claims will be distributed at around 103% to 105%.

FTX previously filed for bankruptcy in November 2022. Since then, the FTX Recovery Trust has distributed about $10 billion.

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2024, and his appeal of the conviction and sentence was dismissed last month.

U.S. reserve modernization bill discusses strategic Bitcoin reserve

The U.S. House is set to discuss H.R.8957, the “American Reserve Modernization Act,” aimed at establishing a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve, during an on-site hearing on the CLARITY Act in New York, according to Odaily.

The bill would allow the Treasury to acquire Bitcoin in a budget-neutral manner without new taxpayer spending, while requiring regular audits, secure custody standards, and public disclosure of the government’s Bitcoin holdings.

Supporters believe the bill could pave the way for Bitcoin to be included as a long-term strategic reserve asset alongside other national reserve assets. The hearing is centered on the CLARITY Act, which seeks to promote digital asset innovation, and the inclusion of the strategic Bitcoin reserve proposal indicates continued congressional discussion on the matter.

T. Rowe Price launches multi-token spot ETF investing in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP

T. Rowe Price, an asset manager with $1.89 trillion in assets under management, has launched an active multi-token spot ETF that invests in major cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP.

According to Odaily, T. Rowe Price’s ETF, “TKNZ,” trades on NYSE Arca, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved the product for listing and trading on June 12, 2026.

TKNZ is managed by Blue Macellari, T. Rowe Price’s head of digital assets. The portfolio manager can adjust allocation weights based on market trends, momentum shifts, and sector rotation.

As of July 17, TKNZ holdings were allocated as follows: Bitcoin 41.13%, Ethereum 18.31%, BNB 11.12%, Solana 9.46%, XRP 9.42%, and Hyperliquid 6.14%. These six assets account for more than 95% of the portfolio.

Iran reports casualties following U.S. airstrikes

According to Odaily, Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency reported on the 18th that U.S. forces carried out airstrikes on parts of Hormozgan Province, killing three people and injuring eight.

A local provincial government official said the strikes, which continued into the early morning, damaged three bridges and one tunnel.

Iranian tanker at Kharg Island reportedly hit by two U.S. missiles

According to Odaily, Iran’s state-run IRNA, citing a deputy governor of Bushehr Province, reported that the empty tanker Velma, docked at Kharg Island, was struck again by two U.S. missiles.

Kharg Island is considered a major Iranian crude oil export hub. The attack is seen as a factor that could heighten volatility in oil and financial markets amid rising tensions in the Middle East.

Uniswap proposes burning all new protocol fees through UNI burn mechanism

Uniswap is pushing a plan to allocate all new protocol fees to UNI token burns.

According to Odaily, Uniswap founder Hayden Adams said on X that Uniswap has submitted two governance proposals for final on-chain voting.

The proposals include enabling v2 and v3 protocol fees on the Robinhood chain and enabling v4 protocol fees on Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, Robinhood, BNB, Polygon, and Optimism.

Hayden explained that the new protocol fees would be fully routed into the existing UNI burn mechanism, and given current trading volumes—especially Robinhood-related volume—the impact on UNI burns could be significant.

Spot Ethereum ETFs record $36.726 million in net inflows

Spot Ethereum ETFs recorded net inflows of $36.7264 million on July 17 (U.S. Eastern Time). BlackRock’s ETHA ranked first with net inflows of $31.679 million.

According to PANews, citing SoSoValue data, Fidelity’s FETH posted net inflows of $5.0474 million during the same period. ETHA’s cumulative net inflows currently stand at $11.314 billion, while FETH’s cumulative net inflows total $2.128 billion.

The total net assets of spot Ethereum ETFs were measured at $9.967 billion. The ratio of ETF net assets to Ethereum’s total market capitalization was 4.48%, and cumulative net inflows reached $11.079 billion.

U.S. Democrats demand major revisions to CLARITY Act

CNBC reported on the 17th (local time) that U.S. Democrats are demanding major revisions to the CLARITY Act related to Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, according to a post on X by Pete Rizzo.

According to the report, Democrats argued that “elected officials should not profit from cryptocurrency” and raised concerns over President Trump’s crypto-related income and ethics issues.

The demand has emerged as a key issue in the legislative process to establish a U.S. regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies through the CLARITY Act.

ECB accelerates digital euro push amid spread of stablecoins

The European Central Bank (ECB) is accelerating its digital euro initiative, warning that the spread of stablecoins could erode the deposit base of commercial banks.

According to Cointelegraph, ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone said that if stablecoins are adopted at scale, commercial banks’ retail deposit bases could weaken and the existing competitive structure of the banking sector could shift.

This week, the ECB selected 36 payment service providers to participate in a 12-month digital euro pilot project. Participants include banks, fintech companies, and payment firms.

The pilot program is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2027 and is intended to assess the operational feasibility of a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the eurozone.

Cipollone said the digital euro could help preserve the status of public money, ensure banks remain involved in the payments ecosystem, and respond to consumers’ evolving financial needs.

Bank of America appoints head of global digital asset platform

According to Odaily, Bank of America has appointed Sonali Theisen as head of its global digital asset platform.

Theisen will oversee the design, development, scaling, and governance of the digital asset platform, as well as its integration with existing financial infrastructure.

Adam Dixon will be responsible for tokenized deposits and stablecoins, digital collateral transfers, and crypto trade settlement and custody.

Kevin Melsom has been appointed head of AI transformation for the platform and will drive the application of AI across business platforms and daily operations.