Investing.com – Bitcoin traded higher on Wednesday, a day after hitting fresh all-time highs amid growing interest from institutional investors, while bitcoin cash surged after cryptocurrency exchanged Bitstamp launched trading of Bitcoin Cash.
On the U.S.-based Bitfinex exchange, bitcoin rose to $8179.9, up $100.5, or 1.24% after rising to an all-time high of $8380 on Tuesday. Bitcoin’s market cap rose to $135 billion.
The positive optimism on bitcoin comes amid signs of rising institutional demand as JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) said on Tuesday, it was considering whether to provide its clients access to a bitcoin futures following the CME Group’s announcement on Sunday to introduce bitcoin futures before the end of the year.
"Effective Sunday[,] 10 December 2017 for trade date Monday[,] 11 December 2017, and pending all relevant regulatory review periods, please be advised that CME will launch Bitcoin Futures." The CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) noted on its website.
Other cryptocurrencies mirrored bitcoin’s move higher as Bitcoin cash surged 13.55% to $1,325.10 after cryptocurrency exchanged Bitstamp launched trading of Bitcoin Cash.
Bitcoin gold fell 5.71% to $234.50, while Ethereum, the second largest cryptocurrency by market cap, rose 2.04% to $367.17.