Bitcoin Nears $100,000 | Ledger’s Big Break

A historic rally fueled by Trump’s crypto agenda pushes bitcoin to new heights.

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Nina Bambysheva Staff Writer, Forbes Money & Markets
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Steven Ehrlich Director, Forbes Digital Assets
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THE BIG BULL

Crypto isn’t just back. It’s booming. Bitcoin hit a new all-time high of $99,456.01 on November 22. Major altcoins are rallying too: Solana (SOL) touched $262.93, surpassing its 2021 peak.

Behind the surge:

- BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust: More than $40 billion in assets within 10 months, buoyed by record spot ETF inflows post-election. Of the $1.3 billion influx, BlackRock captured 85%.

- Market movers: Coinbase stock has jumped 58% since the election and MicroStrategy is up 50%.

The bull run signals rising confidence in crypto’s mainstreaming—and in the market’s belief that Trump’s pro-crypto rhetoric could deliver.

LEDGER’S GOLDEN AGE

When crypto prices spike, so does the risk of theft. Ledger, the Paris-based crypto security firm, is thriving in the chaos. Its flagship hardware wallets, which protect the private keys unlocking digital assets, are selling at unprecedented rates—3x increase in hardware sales during bitcoin’s rally from $68,000 to $98,000 and 3.5x surge in transactions on Ledger Live, its companion app. CEO Pascal Gauthier has grander ambitions: positioning Ledger as a cornerstone of the digital era. In his vision, its devices will be as essential to your online life as a passport is to global travel. Read more.

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CURRENT PRICE OF TOP 5 COINS (7-Day % Change)

Coin

Price

Percent Change

Bitcoin (BTC)

$98,989

8.0%

Ether (ETH)

$3,307

7.3%

Tether (USDT)

$1.00

0.0%

Solana (SOL)

$256

17.3%

Binance Coin (BNB)

$626

1.6%

Sources: Forbes Digital Assets, CoinGecko. Prices as of 5:25 p.m. on November 22, 2024.

SATOSHI’S STASH

Bitcoin is knocking on $100K’s door, with the market up 90% year to date. But who holds the biggest fortune? Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, recently freed from prison, leads Forbes’ crypto rich list with $61.6 billion. But the real wealth story is Bitcoin’s elusive creator, Satoshi Nakamoto.

At current prices, Satoshi’s estimated holdings—600,000 to 1.1 million BTC—could be worth $106 billion, enough to surpass Bill Gates ($104.9 billion) and claim the 15th spot on the global billionaire rankings. Yet Satoshi’s identity, like his holdings, remains shrouded in mystery.

ELSEWHERE

SEC Chair Gary Gensler Resigns, Leaves Legacy Of Division And Crypto Feuds

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