● BTC has completed its fourth halving
Data shows that at 08:09 on April 20, 2024, 8:09 EST, BTC successfully completed its fourth halving at block height 840000. The mining reward of the Bitcoin network was halved from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC. The last halving occurred in May 2020.
● BlackRock IBIT had a net inflow of US$30 million yesterday, and the continuous net outflow of the overall ETF has been reversed
According to BlockBeats, on April 20, HODL15Capital data showed that BlackRock IBIT had a net inflow of US$30 million yesterday. Although BRRR data has not yet been released, it has been confirmed that the overall situation of continuous net outflows has been reversed.
● BlackRock's IBIT fund's Bitcoin holdings increased to 273,140.8527
According to Foresight News, the latest official data from BlackRock shows that as of April 18, the Bitcoin holdings of its spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund IBIT reached 273,140.8527 BTC, an increase of 296.1342 BTC from the previous day. The market value of the fund is approximately US$17,305,368,614.86, and the current number of outstanding shares has risen to 479,040,000.
● Financial lawyer predicts SEC may refuse to approve spot Ethereum ETF
According to Odaily Planet Daily, financial lawyer Scott Johnsson said on the X platform that the spot Ethereum ETF is expected to be rejected by the SEC next month, and nothing may be approved later this year. He predicted that the SEC will determine a path within the next 60 days, which will have a direct impact on ETH and an indirect impact on the broader field. He also said that he would not be surprised if the SEC made another unforced error, and he left some room for a change in the political wind, but he did not see any signs that this was likely to happen.
● Binance CEO Richard Teng: The approval of Bitcoin ETF has boosted demand for Bitcoin and expanded its influence
According to Golden Finance, Binance CEO Richard Teng said that this year's Bitcoin halving is unique because it occurs amid a series of other major events in Bitcoin and the broader crypto ecosystem. In addition to the ETF breakthrough that has stimulated institutional interest and participation, another major trend in the crypto space today is the boom in Layer 2 and DeFi activities on the Bitcoin network, thanks to the popularity of the Ordinals protocol and Bitcoin inscriptions.
Richard Teng noted that historically, the price of Bitcoin has risen within six months of each halving event. The halving occurs every four years and cuts the number of Bitcoin rewards given to miners in half. He said the reduction in the supply of new coins is likely the reason why the market reacts to each event. However, he noted that the room for further growth depends on a range of factors, including overall market sentiment and adoption rates.
He added that the approval of a Bitcoin ETF has boosted demand for Bitcoin and expanded its reach.
● MicroStrategy founder Michael Saylor has sold 90% of his shares, earning about $370 million
According to PANews, MicroStrategy founder Michael Saylor signed a stock sale agreement with the company last year, allowing him to sell up to 400,000 shares by April this year. The latest documents show that as of this week, more than 90% of the plan has been completed, that is, 370,000 shares have been sold, and Saylor has pocketed about $370 million. Although MicroStrategy's stock price has fallen back over the past month, it is still up more than 90% this year after soaring 346% in 2023.
● Tether cooperates with TON Foundation to enable Telegram users to send encrypted payments
According to PANews, stablecoin issuer Tether has partnered with the TON Foundation to allow customers to send crypto payments using the Telegram encrypted instant messaging service. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said they could create the first powerful application that can be used as both a communication system and a bank account. Tether works closely with 124 law enforcement agencies in 40 different countries, abides by the sanctions rules of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, and has the ability to freeze assets when needed. Tether has worked with law enforcement and frozen $1.1 billion in funds since its founding in 2014. The company now publishes proof of assets supporting its reserves every quarter, with more than $90 billion in U.S. Treasuries backing USDT, and a stablecoin circulation supply coverage of 106%. The company made $6 billion in profits last year, of which $5 billion was used for its reserves. Steve Yun, chairman of the TON Foundation, said he hopes to bring more of Telegram's 900 million users to the TON blockchain and crypto wallets. Tether CEO said USDT will be launched on the TON network on April 20, and XAUT will be launched on the TON network in the coming months.
