$BTC

Bitcoin 100K, Intel CEO ousted, job growth rebounds: 3 big stories in markets this week

It was a long, grueling path for many in the crypto world, but it finally happened: The price of bitcoin crossed the $100,000 mark for the first time.

Beyond making bitcoin holders quite happy, given the digital currency has risen more than 50% in the past two months, the milestone reached on Wednesday provided some validation that digital assets are here to stay.

President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to ease crypto regulations and his nomination of Paul Atkins for chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission spurred the massive rally that brought ether (ETH=F), XRP (XRP-USD), and crypto-related stocks along for the ride.

“They’re calling it the ‘Paul Haul,’ which pulled bitcoin over the $100K,” Digital Chamber founder Perianne Boring told Yahoo Finance, referring to Atkins, who many crypto fans see as an ally to digital assets compared to outgoing SEC Chair Gary Gensler.

"CONGRATULATIONS BITCOINERS!!!" Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform early Thursday.#2024WithBinance