Bitcoin surges past $45,000 on its way to a 2-year peak as 2024 kicks off
Bitcoin picture from pexel.com On J an 2, the world's largest cryptocurrency, bitcoin, surged past $45,000 on Tuesday for the first time since April 2022. The price hit a 21-month high of $45,922, having gained 156% in the previous year, its strongest annual performance since 2020. It was last up 3.1% at $45,509, but it is still well below the record high of $69,000 it hit in November 2021. Tuesday saw ether, the second-most popular cryptocurrency, rise 1.2% to $2,386.50 after surging 91% in 2023. Crypto stocks, which track changes in bitcoin prices, also saw a surge, with Riot Platforms (RIOT.O), Marathon Digital (MARA.O), and CleanSpark (CLSK.O) all gaining between 7% and 10% following steep declines in the final trading day of 2023. MicroStrategy, a software company and bitcoin investor, added 13.4%, while ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO.P), which tracks bitcoin futures, added 7.8%. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has rejected multiple applications to launch spo...