Oil prices are rising amid the US-Iran conflict, but whether Bitcoin will suffer is up for debate, as history suggests a bullish BTC price outlook. Bitcoin (BTC) initially dropped before paring all losses, leaving market participants wondering what higher oil prices would mean for BTC price going forward. Key takeaways: Escalating Middle East conflict pushes oil to $79, putting Bitcoin at risk of a drop to $60,000 due to inflation shocks and delayed Fed rate cuts. Read more
Crypto ETPs saw $1 billion in inflows last week, led by $787 million into US spot Bitcoin ETFs, ending a five-week outflow streak of nearly $4 billion Crypto investment products recorded their first weekly inflows since January, snapping a five-week outflow streak totaling roughly $4 billion. Crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) attracted $1 billion last week, led by $882 million into Bitcoin (BTC) funds, according to a Monday report from CoinShares. “From a macro standpoint, it is difficult to attribute the shift in sentiment to a single catalyst,” said James Butterfill, CoinShares’ head of research. Read more
Sony Bank and JPYC will study real-time transfers enabling customers to buy the yen-pegged stablecoin JPYC directly from their bank accounts. Sony Bank said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with stablecoin issuer JPYC Inc. to study whether the Japanese yen-pegged stablecoin JPYC can be connected more directly to the bank’s deposit rails. In a statement on Monday, the companies said they will study real-time account transfers that would allow users to purchase JPYC instantly from their Sony Bank accounts through the JPYC EX platform, eliminating the need for manual bank transfers. Sony Bank said its Web3-focused subsidiary, BlockBloom, will play a central role in designing how the bank link, stablecoin rails and potential consumer services would work in practice. Read more
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Shanghai partners will study a blockchain cross-border platform linking cargo trade data, e-bills of lading and finance under Project Ensemble. Hong Kong and Shanghai authorities have agreed to deepen cooperation on using blockchain technology to streamline trade finance and cargo documentation, under a new partnership announced Monday. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the Shanghai Data Bureau (SDB) and the National Technology Innovation Center for Blockchain (NTICBC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deepen collaboration in digitizing cargo trade and finance. The parties will conduct joint research on the benefits of developing a blockchain-based “cross-border platform” for interlinking trade data, electronic bill of lading and financial applications under the HKMA’s Project Ensemble, an initiative launched in 2024 to explore tokenized market infrastructure and new digital rails for financial services. Read more