By TrumpG 
Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, surged by 6.1% on Thursday, reaching an all-time high of $103,800. This marks a staggering 50% increase from its value the day after Donald Trump’s election victory in November. For the first time in history, Bitcoin has broken past the $100,000 mark.
Experts attribute this historic rise to two key factors: investors’ growing confidence in greater political and regulatory support from President-elect Donald Trump, and the influx of institutional money flowing into cryptocurrencies.
Trump’s shift in stance toward cryptocurrencies, which he once criticized as “scams,” came after major crypto investors backed his campaign, according to the Financial Times.
On Wednesday, Trump nominated crypto-market lawyer Paul Atkins to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). But that’s not all—Trump, who has promised to make the United States the “world’s Bitcoin superpower,” has already appointed several crypto enthusiasts to key roles in his future administration. These include Howard Lutnick as head of the Department of Commerce and Elon Musk to lead the newly-formed Office of Government Efficiency.
“Bitcoin hitting $100,000 is an incredible milestone for our movement. We never doubted, we never wavered, and we will never stop building,” wrote Kris Marszalek, CEO of the exchange Crypto.com, on X (formerly Twitter).
This surge past $100,000 comes just two years after one of the darkest periods in crypto history. In late 2022, the collapse of FTX triggered a market crisis, dragging Bitcoin’s price down to $16,000.
To recap, Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, was fined $4.3 billion for failing to prevent money laundering. Meanwhile, FTX’s CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March for defrauding clients.
The SEC, soon to be led by crypto-enthusiast Paul Atkins, launched lawsuits against several major crypto players, including Coinbase, Kraken, Crypto.com, Ripple, and blockchain software company ConsenSys.
Despite these challenges, crypto executives and traders are now predicting a “golden era” for the industry.
“Interest in cryptocurrencies is almost unstoppable,” says Jeff Kendrick, Global Head of Digital Asset Research at Standard Chartered, a British investment bank.
In addition to Trump’s victory, Bitcoin’s rise has been fueled by a flood of capital from major crypto funds, including BlackRock and Fidelity. These firms reaped billions after gaining regulatory approval in January.
Since Trump’s decisive win, cryptocurrency inflows have accelerated, with $4.4 billion pouring into the market since early November. BlackRock’s Bitcoin fund now manages $45 billion in assets.
“This time, Bitcoin’s growth is different. We have a pro-technology president, a red (Republican) Senate, and a red House,” said Cameron Winklevoss, widely known for his legal battles with Mark Zuckerberg over the creation of Facebook.
