Cryptocurrencies rose to start the year, rebounding from recent losses as investor optimism returned to the market.
The price of bitcoin rose 2% to $96,711.71 Thursday, bringing its new year gain to about 3% when counting trading from the Jan. 1 session.
The CoinDesk 20 index, a measure of the broader cryptocurrency market, advanced 4%. The token tied to Solana, the popular Ethereum competitor, led the gains with a 7% increase. Crypto stocks Coinbase and MicroStrategy each climbed 4% as well.
This year is expected to be a banner year for the crypto industry thanks to a more favorable regulatory environment promised by President-elect Donald Trump. Investors are hoping Congress will pass its first ever crypto focused legislation – which could be centered around stablecoins or market structure.
Traders are also keen to see the crypto public equity markets open up with more initial public offerings and progress on a potential national strategic bitcoin reserve.
Crypto assets slid into the end of 2024. Although the post-election rally that sent bitcoin to new records above $100,000 had fizzled, the flagship cryptocurrency still ended the year up more than 120%. Long-term holders took some profits while others sold amid renewed uncertainty about the direction of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts in 2025.