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Breaking through $55,000, Bitcoin rises by 2.8%
Growing talk of institutional interest in Bitcoin and the possibility that US stimulus checks will bolster flows into financial markets are combining to lift cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin extended this week’s advance, breaking through $55,000 and stirring speculation the largest cryptocurrency could test the record it set last month.
The token rose as much as 2.8% on Wednesday and was trading at about $55,600 as of 9:23 am in Hong Kong. The wider Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index jumped to a two-week high amid a more general improvement in investor sentiment after US stocks surged on Tuesday.
“It wouldn’t shock to see the price make an assault on the February high of $58,350,” Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone Group Ltd., wrote in a note.
Growing talk of institutional interest in Bitcoin and the possibility that US stimulus checks will bolster flows into financial markets are combining to lift cryptocurrencies. The digital token has risen about 600% in the past year, splitting opinion on whether a precarious bubble or bigger bull run lies ahead.
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Bitcoin’s latest move higher has come as “the US passed the stimulus bill, and on the back of MicroStrategy and Meitu purchasing Bitcoin,” said Annabelle Huang of crypto financial-services firm Amber Group.
“We have seen an increase in interest levels from institutional players globally,” she added. “In China, a lot of high net worth individuals have been inquiring on how to add Bitcoin to their portfolio.”
Recent trends signal digital tokens are stepping closer to mainstream finance.
For instance, JPMorgan Chase & Co. has filed to issue notes linked to a basket of crypto stocks like MicroStrategy Inc. and Nvidia Corp. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has said it’s seeing substantial demand from institutions as it works to restart its cryptocurrency trading desk.
