Bitcoin price hits all-time high, while major card issuer embraces crypto

Bitcoin has reached a new record high, soaring past the $68,000 mark for the first time ever. As altcoins follow suit, the total market capitalization of all crypto tokens approached $3 trillion.

Reaching an all-time high of $68,382, bitcoin rose by nearly 5% during Asian trading hours on Tuesday. As of 05:30 GMT, the rally slowed, but the cryptocurrency was still trading close to the $68,000 mark.

Since the start of October, bitcoin has been bullish, with the crypto market in total adding nearly $1 trillion to its total value in one month. The total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies reached nearly $3 trillion overnight, according to CoinMarketCap. As bitcoin is increasingly viewed by investors as a store of value asset, blockchain data from Glassnode shows that the number of unique wallets with a positive bitcoin balance is now edging close to its record high of 38.7 million in May.

Ether, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, also set a new record on Tuesday, reaching $4,823.95 per coin.

Meanwhile, CoinDesk reported that Mastercard has launched crypto-linked payment cards in the Asia-Pacific. The cards will enable consumers and businesses across the region to instantly convert cryptocurrencies into traditional fiat money for payments, the company said in a statement on Monday.

Mastercard also said last month it was working on ways to allow merchants and banks in the US to build cryptocurrency into their offerings with digital asset platform Bakkt.

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