Crypto stocks climb as Bitcoin extends gains, hits 26-month high
15/02/2024 10:39
** Shares of cryptocurrency and blockchain-related companies
rise premarket after bitcoin gains for second straight day
** Bitcoin BTC= hits highest level since Dec. 3, 2021,
last up 1% at $52,282, a day after the world's biggest
cryptocurrency crossed $1 trillion in market cap
** Ether ETH= hits about 21-mth high, last at $2,799
** Crypto exchange Coinbase Global COIN.O rises 4.9%,
while Blockchain farm operator Bitfarms Ltd BITF.O up 9.5%
** J.P. Morgan upgrades COIN to "neutral" from "underweight"
** Crypto miners Riot Platforms Inc RIOT.O , Marathon
Digital MARA.O , U.S.-listed shares of Hut 8 HUT.O , and Bit
Digital BTBT.O up between 3.4% and 6.2%
** Software firm and BTC buyer MicroStrategy MSTR.O gains
3.7%
** BTC mining machine maker Canaan Inc CAN.O up 8.8%
** ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF BITO.P adds 1.2%
** Up to Wednesday's close, BTC had risen nearly 23% YTD
after more than doubling in value in 2023
(Reporting by Amruta Khandekar in Bengaluru)