Bitcoin climbs to $51,000, hits highest in more than two weeks

The largest cryptocurrency has advanced some 4% over the past two days and at one point reached $51,524 on Friday in Asian trading. Ether, the second-largest token, was near $4,100.

Bitcoin rose to about $51,000 and touched the highest level in more than two weeks, buoyed by wider positive sentiment in financial markets.

The digital coin is up some 76% so far in 2021, on course for a third year of gains.

The largest cryptocurrency has advanced some 4% over the past two days and at one point reached $51,524 on Friday in Asian trading. Ether, the second-largest token, was near $4,100.

Risk ardor has improved in global markets, evidenced by a record-high close for the S&P 500 on Thursday. It remains to be seen whether a receding tide of central bank liquidity will bring bigger challenges for cryptocurrency demand.

“I view Bitcoin as a high-beta risk asset,” said Ross Mayfield, an investment strategy analyst at Baird. “When risk appetite is up, it’s up big. And when risk appetite is down, it can be down big. It’s not perfectly correlated, that’s definitely too simple of a read, but it’s certainly not a volatility hedge.”

A technical study shows that Bitcoin has breached the upper bound of a so-called pennant technical pattern, and scaled its 20-day moving average.

While that suggests more gains may lie ahead, other technical signals point to the $53,000 to $55,000 zone as a potential test of the strength any such rally.

The digital coin is up some 76% so far in 2021, on course for a third year of gains.