Bitcoin’s first $1,000 weekend since 2017
Virtual currency rises as much as 6.9% to $7,445
Sydney: Bitcoin surged more than $1,000 (Dh3,670) this weekend to the highest level since August, as cryptocurrencies extended their rebound from a slump last month amid the New York attorney general’s investigation of a key part of the market.
Bitcoin rose as much as 6.9 per cent to $7,445, before trading at $7,323.86 as of 2.15pm Hong Kong time on Sunday, according to Bitstamp. That compares with $6,290.24 at Friday’s close. All five members of the Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index are up more than 8 per cent this weekend, based on pricing from Bitstamp and Bitfinex.
The price of Bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency, has more than doubled since its December 14 trough and is now rising for a sixth-straight day on Bitstamp. The decade-old token surged as intensifying trade tensions hammered global stocks in the past week to set fresh milestones for Bitcoin’s wild ride after it crashed last year from 2017’s peak above $19,000.
Virtual currencies slumped late last month as New York Attorney General Letitia James alleged an $850 million cover-up by the companies behind virtual currency Tether and Bitfinex — one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges. The Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto gauge tumbled 11 per cent in the week to April 26 for its biggest one-week slide this year.