Key Takeaways
- The price of bitcoin jumped above $100,000 for the first time since early February, lifting crypto-connected stocks.
- Coinbase shares rose, as did those of major bitcoin buyer Strategy and crypto miners Mara and Riot.
- Bitcoin surged as President Donald Trump announced a trade agreement with the U.K. and said that many more deals could be on the way, while expressing optimism about talks with China that are scheduled for this weekend.
Crypto stocks got a jolt Thursday as the price of bitcoin climbed above $100,000 for the first time since early February.
Bitcoin was at $101,000 recently, up from an overnight low around $96,000, as investors welcomed news of a trade agreement between the U.S. and U.K. and the prospect of more deals. President Donald Trump said Thursday that “many other deals” are in “serious stages of negotiations,” and expressed optimism that progress would be made in talks between U.S. and Chinese officials over the weekend.
The latest developments on trade provided a boost to risk assets broadly, as U.S. stocks also surged. Investors have been looking for concrete signs of progress on trade talks amid concerns that the tariffs the Trump administration has proposed will cause economic growth to stall.
Shares of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase (COIN) were up 6% in early-afternoon trading, while Strategy (MSTR), the Bitcoin buyer formerly known as MicroStrategy, added 7%. Bitcoin miners Riot Platforms (RIOT) and Mara Holdings (MARA) climbed 7% and 8%, respectively.
Bitcoin hit a record high of around $109,000 ahead of Trump’s inauguration in January amid optimism that the new administration would adopt policies to benefit the crypto industry. Trump has made efforts to be seen as a pro-crypto president, including signing an executive order in March that laid the groundwork for a strategic bitcoin reserve and a broader U.S. digital asset stockpile.
However, bitcoin stumbled in recent months, along with the U.S. stock market, as concerns about the potential impact of Trump’s trade policy weighed on risk appetite. With today’s rally, bitcoin has risen about 33% from its early-April low of $76,000.
