Yesterday, Bitcoin ETF saw a net inflow of $186.1 million, while Ethereum ETF saw a net inflow of $67.9 million.

**Reuters Survey: Nearly Two-Thirds of Economists See BOJ Hiking to 1% by June End Amid Iran Conflict Uncertainty** Nearly two-thirds of economists expect the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to raise its benchmark interest rate to 1% by the end of June, according to a Reuters survey, with market bets on a hike this month or June roughly balanced amid uncertainty from the Iran conflict. The survey, conducted April 7–14, polled 71 economists: 46 (65%) predicted the policy rate would hit 1% by June, up from 60% in March and 58% in February. Of the 40 economists who gave a specific timing, 38% picked April and 35% chose June—up from last month’s survey, where 32% favored June (the highest share then), followed by 30% for July and 27% for April. Economists still broadly expect the BOJ to tighten policy this quarter, a view unchanged since the U.S. launched military action against Iran on Feb. 28. The conflict has amplified market concerns over rising energy prices, resurgent inflation, and fur

April 16th — HTX market data shows HYPE has surged past $45, currently trading at $45.7412 with a 24-hour gain of 2.52%. The token has now returned to its pre-"10/11" crash level, sitting just 23% below its all-time high of $59.3.

As of April 16th, data from Arkham Monitor shows BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF holds $59.31 billion in Bitcoin, with an average entry price of $89,000. Amid Bitcoin’s recent rebound, the ETF’s holdings bottomed out on February 25th and have since gained over $11 billion in value.

On April 16, South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance announced (via Newsis) that a pilot project for digital currency use in treasury fund disbursement has been selected as a 2026 targeted regulatory sandbox topic. Currently, government agencies cover business advancement expenses primarily through government procurement cards (credit/debit cards). The pilot will allow for the issuance and payment of blockchain-based deposit tokens. The Korean government expects the move to boost fund utilization transparency—via predefined validity periods and industry scopes—and reduce fee burdens on small merchants by leveraging an intermediary-free payment structure. The pilot is set to officially launch in Q4 2024, starting first in Sejong City before expanding gradually to other regions.

April 16 — Data from The Block shows U.S.-Iran talks have curbed volatility in oil trading pairs, while U.S. equities have surged. On the Trade.xyz platform, open interest for S&P 500 index contracts has jumped over 40% in two days, rising from a range low of $281 million on April 14 to $407 million — now the largest open interest on the platform. Conversely, open interest for WTI Crude and Brent Crude contracts has dropped sharply, falling from $845 million and $352 million on April 14 to $389 million and $274 million, respectively.

April 16 – The U.S. super PAC Sentinel Action Fund, backed by the Solana Foundation, announced it will join its sister advocacy group Right Vote in committing $8 million to support Republican Jon Husted’s U.S. Senate re-election bid against Sherrod Brown in Ohio, aiming to block crypto skeptic and former Senator Sherrod Brown from returning to the chamber. Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show the Solana Foundation has donated $750,000 to Sentinel Action Fund, while Multicoin Capital has contributed $250,000.