Bitcoin rallies to all-time high of $66,000 following the launch of ETF in US

NEW YORK. Bitcoin rallied to a record, topping $66,000 for the first time as optimism surged for greater mainstream acceptance in the wake of the successful launch of the inaugural exchange-traded fund for US investors.

Demand for the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF continued to surge, with more than 29 million shares changing hands Wednesday, or more than during the fund’s almost record-breaking debut. That’s equal to more than $1.2 billion in volume. The first Bitcoin-linked exchange-traded fund listed in the US launched on Tuesday as the second-most heavily traded fund on record.

The token plunged below $30,000 in June amid criticism of its energy consumption and China’s cryptocurrency crackdown.