Bitcoin Rally Buoys Global Bourses

Tokyo: Bitcoin surpassed $100,000 for the first time, while Asian shares were mostly higher Thursday, taking their cues from another Wall Street record rally. US futures edged lower while oil prices crept up. Bitcoin has been nudging toward $100,000 and it surged late Wednesday, US time, after President-elect Donald Trump chose crypto advocate Paul Atkins as his nominee to head the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The cryptocurrency has climbed dramatically from $69,374 on Nov 5, Election Day. As of 11 pm ET, it was up 4.7 per cent at $103,308.27. South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.6 per cent to 2,449.74, extending a 1.4 per cent decline the day before as President Yoon Suk Yeol was facing possible impeachment after he suddenly declared martial law on Tuesday night.