[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETFs See Over $2.8 Billion in Outflows Across 9 Consecutive Sessions

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net outflows for nine consecutive trading days, bringing total outflows to about $2.84 billion, according to PANews citing Cointelegraph.

This marks the longest streak since the products launched in 2024, surpassing the previous record of eight consecutive trading days set in February 2025. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) was cited as a key factor behind the outflows.

Analysts said the withdrawals reflect weakening institutional demand for Bitcoin ETFs. Meanwhile, some spot XRP ETFs and HYPE-related products saw inflows, indicating a rotation of capital within the crypto ETF market.

Spot Ethereum ETFs also posted net outflows for 13 consecutive trading days, with cumulative outflows totaling about $694 million.

Source: panewslab.com

In an interview with Fox News, President Trump said the United States and Iran are “very close” to a “very good agreement,” but added that if talks fail, he could ask the Department of Defense to intervene.

He said that if the desired outcome is not achieved, he would “solve it another way.” He added that a deal could ensure navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons.

The United States and Iran have been continuing negotiations over nuclear issues and broader Middle East security matters. Trump said, “You cannot reach a good agreement if you rush,” signaling a cautious stance on negotiations.

According to Odaily, The New York Times, citing multiple officials, reported that President Trump toughened the terms of a potential agreement aimed at ending the Iran conflict and sent a revised proposal to Iran.

The specific revisions were not disclosed, but Trump reportedly expressed concern over a clause that would unfreeze Iranian funds under the deal.

He was also said to be dissatisfied with Iran’s failure to respond quickly to the U.S. proposal. The revised offer is viewed as an attempt to increase pressure on Iran and accelerate acceptance of the deal.

PANews, citing Xinhua News Agency, reported that Iran’s parliament is expected to approve measures to exercise sovereign jurisdiction over the Strait of Hormuz and may codify them into permanent law.

According to Iran’s Student News Agency, Parliament Speaker Salimi said decision-making authority over the Strait of Hormuz belongs only to Iran and Oman. Iran has discussed the matter with Oman, which reportedly gave preliminary consent.

According to Odaily, the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) said on the 30th that a maritime blockade targeting Iranian ports remains in effect.

The restricted waters include the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and parts of the northern Arabian Sea.

The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) also kept the maritime security threat level for the region at “severe” the same day, advising shipowners, operators, and crews to closely monitor developments.

According to Wu Blockchain, Bloomberg reported on the 27th that SpaceX’s latest regulatory filing (S-1) showed the company holds 18,712 Bitcoin.

The holdings are valued at about $1.3 billion, and SpaceX classified them as treasury reserve assets alongside cash and bonds.

The filing indicated that SpaceX has not sold any Bitcoin since the end of 2024. The market views this as a potential example of long-term Bitcoin holding by a major corporation.

According to PANews, Laser Digital, the digital asset subsidiary of Nomura, received conditional approval in the United States to establish Laser Digital National Trust Bank.

Based in Zurich, Laser Digital was spun off from Nomura in 2022 and provides crypto trading services and investment opportunities to institutional clients. It manages more than $250 million in assets.

PANews, citing political outlet Politico, reported that the European Commission is considering introducing an EU-wide unified tax framework for crypto companies during the new seven-year budget cycle from 2028 to 2034.

The Commission estimates that imposing a 0.1% tax on crypto transactions could raise €3 billion to €4 billion annually, while a crypto capital gains tax could generate €1 billion to €2.4 billion per year.

The proposal is part of broader tax measures aimed at funding the EU’s common budget and is currently under negotiation among member states.

Authorities in Buenos Aires, Argentina, launched a major crackdown on investment fraud, arresting 24 people and seizing more than $8 million in USDT and about $60 million in cash.

According to PANews citing Infobae, ten judicial offices in Buenos Aires Province carried out simultaneous raids at 90 locations with local security forces. More than 80 electronic devices, including mobile phones, computers, tablets, and processors, were also seized.

The case is tied to alleged investment fraud believed to have caused around $3 billion in losses. The investigation was led by the Crypto Support and Coordination Group under the Buenos Aires Prosecutor’s Office.

The group said the amount seized exceeded the $2 million confiscated during Operation RainbowEx in 2024.

In its April 18 post-mortem on the rsETH incident, Aave said Kelp’s rsETH LayerZero V2 cross-chain bridge accepted forged messages during transfers from Unichain to Ethereum, causing the Ethereum-side adapter to release 116,500 rsETH.

According to Aave, no corresponding burn occurred on the Unichain side. Although the exploit occurred in third-party cross-chain bridge infrastructure, the attacker deposited the stolen rsETH into eight Aave V3 positions and borrowed 82,650 WETH and 821 wstETH, affecting Aave markets as well.

Aave said the attacker-held rsETH on Arbitrum has now been burned, and the LayerZero OFT adapter replenished 116,131.72 rsETH across five transactions. As a result, rsETH-backed collateral has been fully restored, and the affected WETH and rsETH markets have returned to normal.

According to Wu Blockchain, Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance has proposed allowing small and medium-sized enterprises to use digital assets, virtual assets, and intellectual property as collateral for bank loans.

The proposal is intended to improve access to financing for private companies and tech startups and is included in a draft amendment to the Law on Support for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, which is currently under public consultation.

The draft recognizes future-forming assets, property rights, digital assets, virtual assets, and other lawful assets as eligible loan collateral.