Chinese crypto billionaire Li Lin is shifting a trading system and investment team from his family office, Avenir Group, to Hong Kong-listed Bitfire Group to capture rising institutional demand for Bitcoin. Bitfire said it will acquire the team and systems for $1.6 million, as Hong Kong steps up its push to become a global crypto hub even as mainland China's 2021 trading ban remains in place. Li sold a controlling stake in Huobi to Justin Sun for about $1 billion in 2022 and later refocused on Avenir. Bitfire now plans to roll out a regulated, bitcoin-denominated strategy called "Alpha BTC", aiming to attract inflows equivalent to more than 10,000 BTC, or roughly $760 million, within a year. The strategy is expected to seek returns through derivatives trading, including options, using bitcoin and ETFs such as the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) as underlying assets. Bitfire said the product will target both crypto-native investors and Hong Kong institutions.

BlockBeats reported that on April 22, American Bitcoin, a Trump family-backed mining company, said it has successfully powered up and deployed about 11,298 ASIC miners, pushing forward its expansion plan and boosting overall computing capacity. After the rollout, the company's self-owned hash rate reached about 28.1 EH/s, roughly 12% higher than before. Total miner count increased to around 89,242, with newly added hash rate of about 3.05 EH/s and efficiency of approximately 13.5 J/TH. Operationally, about 58,999 miners are currently online, generating roughly 25.0 EH/s of hash rate at an average energy efficiency of 14.1 J/TH. The company said the expansion will reinforce its structural advantage in accumulating Bitcoin.

Bitcoin (BTC) has extended its steady climb in recent weeks. CoinDesk reported that BTC briefly touched $78,000 earlier today, a level now acting as a notable resistance point. It marks the first time Bitcoin has reached $78,000 in nearly three months, last seen in early February. CoinGecko data show BTC up 2.5% over the past 24 hours, 5.3% over the past week, 8.9% over 14 days, and 13.8% over the past month. On a year-to-date basis, Bitcoin remains down 11.7%. The newsletter argues the latest rally may be supported by shifting macro and geopolitical expectations. One factor cited is President Trump's push to quickly secure a nuclear agreement with Iran. While the U.S.-Iran conflict has unsettled investors, expectations that a broader Middle East war could wind down soon may lift confidence. A deal could improve sentiment, and a reduction in war risk could pressure oil and natural gas prices lower, potentially boosting risk appetite—a setup that could benefit Bitcoin. A second potential catalyst cited is a leadership change at the Federal Reserve, with Kevin Warsh expected to take over as chair in May. While an April 2026 rate cut is described as unlikely, the piece suggests a reduction could come as soon as next month. Any rate cut could help spark another leg higher in Bitcoin, with Warsh portrayed as more aligned with President Trump's preference for lower interest rates. If both developments materialize, the article suggests Bitcoin and the wider crypto market could move into a new bull phase. It also notes that retail risk appetite remains muted, which could limit upside momentum.

Bitcoin's latest upswing wiped out $132 million in short positions over the past 24 hours. The move pushed the cryptocurrency to its highest levels since early February, leaving bearish traders visibly frustrated as the rally continues.

Morning Minute: Bitcoin Tops $78,000 as Trump Extends Ceasefire Indefinitely

CoinDesk reports that Bitcoin climbed to $78,000 on April 22, 2026, after traders took encouragement from news that the United States and Iran had extended their ceasefire agreement. In prediction markets, the implied odds of Bitcoin reaching $80,000 by the end of April stand at [此处应填写具体数值]. The "Yes" contract is priced at 65.5%, up from 44% 24 hours earlier. Another April $80,000 line was quoted at 50% at 8:48 AM, a 5-point increase as participants positioned for reduced geopolitical risk. The $150,000 target remains unchanged, with the "Yes" side at 0.1%. The ceasefire extension has tempered fears of renewed instability in the Middle East and potential energy-supply disruptions, a backdrop that often supports risk assets such as Bitcoin. Market liquidity indicators also point to active participation: the USDC market tied to the $80,000 target shows daily trading volume of $105,235, and it would take $24,792 in capital to move pricing by 5 percentage points. Traders are cautioned that the original headline circulated on social media, and position sizing should reflect confirmation from more concrete developments. With eight days left in April, the current price implies a potential 1.52x return on the "YES" contract. If Bitcoin breaks above $80,000, watch for institutional buying or related announcements from firms such as BlackRock and MicroStrategy. Remarks from President Trump and developments around the Strait of Hormuz could also sway sentiment. API access: structured predictive-market intelligence is available via API. Join the waitlist early.

Institutional participation in crypto is gaining momentum. Charles Schwab, one of the largest U.S. brokerage firms with more than $12.2 trillion in client assets, has introduced direct spot trading in Bitcoin and Ether for retail investors. The rollout lets clients buy and sell crypto alongside traditional investments through Schwab's existing platforms, reducing friction for mainstream investors. At launch, Schwab will charge a 0.75% transaction fee and will initially support BTC and ETH, with plans to add more assets. Full article by Frank Holmes (@bulldogholmes) at Kitco:

CoinDesk reported that BlackRock has purchased more than $900 million worth of bitcoin over the past five days, marking what appears to be its largest single-week accumulation of the year and accounting for over 90% of this week's total inflows into the broader bitcoin ETF market. Arkham Intelligence disclosed details of the transactions on Wednesday, April 22. The buying spree reinforces BlackRock's position as the world's largest bitcoin fund and has fueled speculation across crypto markets that tightening supply could support another leg higher in prices. The surge in demand is not limited to BlackRock. Other major holders, including MicroStrategy and Metaplanet, have also been increasing exposure. Large-scale purchases by institutions and whales have helped drain exchange balances, adding to supply-shock concerns. At press time, roughly 2.6 million bitcoins were held on exchanges, with demand for the largest cryptocurrency continuing to outpace available supply.

Two large, anonymous Bitcoin transfers totaling 7,996 BTC—valued at about $624.1 million—were recorded between unknown wallets within the past hour. The first transaction moved 4,997 BTC (roughly $390 million), followed shortly by a second transfer of 2,999 BTC (about $234 million). Source: Whale Alert