Crypto News Today (June 15): BTC Back Above $66K, Bank of Japan Announces Rate Hike, BlackRock BITA Fund Receives SEC Approval

In crypto news today (June 16), Bitcoin has surged above $66,000, continuing the bullish price action that began over the past weekend amid an incoming peace deal between the US and Iran, slowing ETF outflows, and the Bank of Japan raising interest rates.

Liquidations have picked up, with over $536M over the past 24-hours and $375M of that figure coming from short positions. Liquidations flipping from mostly longs to shorts signal that the market is currently in an uptrend and bears are being punished.

Of the other major caps, ETH and HYPE are standouts, up +4% and +12%, respectively. With bullish price action across the market, trading volume has picked up considerably, reaching $110Bn over the past 24 hours, up from around $70-80Bn late last week.

With Bitcoin and the broader market continuing to surge, the Fear & Greed Index has moved to 23/100, up from 20/100 yesterday. While still in ‘Extreme Fear’, this steady increase in the rating highlights positive investor sentiment slowly returning.

Crypto News Today: Bitcoin Surged to $67,000 Following Bank of Japan Rate Hike

​Bitcoin hit $67,200 overnight after the Bank of Japan raised interest rates to their highest level in 31 years as part of its fight against inflation. BTC USD has since settled at around $66,400 but continues on its quest to reclaim $70,000.

The Japanese regulator published its decision on June 16, with the Bank of Japan raising its policy rate by 25 basis points, from 0.75% to 1%.

This is the highest level since 1995, and while the move itself matched market expectations, the central bank’s statement included both hawkish signals about possible further tightening and measures aimed at easing investor concerns.

The central bank pointed to increased inflation risks as a reason for the hike. In particular, it noted that higher oil prices driven by geopolitical tensions are being passed through to consumer goods faster than expected. This means the Bank of Japan is ready for further rate hikes if price pressures intensify.

After decades of low inflation, Japan is now facing rising costs. In May, wholesale prices rose by more than +6% year-over-year, the fastest pace in three years. At the same time, headline inflation stood at 1.4% in April, remaining below the Bank of Japan’s 2% target.

Japan Hikes Rates To Highest Level In 30 Years

The Bank of Japan raised its short term policy rate to 1%, the highest level since 1995.

The move marks the second rate hike in roughly six months.

Officials continue to battle persistent inflation and rising import costs. pic.twitter.com/IhhQlHyrjY

— BSCN (@BSCNews) June 16, 2026

Bitcoin Income ETF from BlackRock Receives SEC Approval

​In other crypto news, BlackRock is moving closer to launching a new Bitcoin-linked income ETF after US regulators cleared a key step in the product’s approval process, which could provide yet another catalyst for Bitcoin’s quest to reclaim $70,000.

The fund, expected to trade under the ticker BITA, would extend BlackRock’s crypto ETF strategy beyond simple Bitcoin exposure and into options-based income.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has approved Nasdaq’s proposal to list and trade shares of the iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF, according to SEC documents.

ALL SET: the iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF $BITA is launching TOMORROW (tue). Confirmed by Nasdaq. Also, the ETF will target 15-25% annual yield while trying to capture at least 70% of bitcoin’s upside in process. pic.twitter.com/BK0M4cO4mj

— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) June 15, 2026

The fund is designed to reflect the performance of Bitcoin while generating premium income through an actively managed strategy of selling call options tied mainly to BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, known as IBIT.

The ETF is expected to list on Nasdaq under the BITA ticker. BlackRock also filed a Form 8-A, a registration step that market analysts often view as one of the final procedural moves before an ETF begins trading.

Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said the filing suggested a launch could come as soon as Thursday, June 18, though timing can still shift before trading begins.