Bitcoin-linked stocks exploded in the early days of 2025, claiming the top spots as the biggest gainers in the U.S. market. Riot Platforms skyrocketed by 17.97%, ending the day at $12.34, adding $1.88 to its stock price. CleanSpark wasn’t far behind, jumping 14.29% to $10.80. Marathon Digital Holdings and Bitdeer Technologies matched strides with identical gains of 14.12%, closing at $19.64 and $26.10, respectively. MicroStrategy, the Bitcoin juggernaut, posted a 13.22% rally, shooting up $39.65 to close at $339.66. These gains highlight the surging investor confidence in Bitcoin-centric equities. US stocks see modest recovery The broader stock market also rebounded after ending 2024 on a sour note. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.8% to 42,569.94, the S&P 500 gained 1.3% to hit 5,915.99, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.8%, closing at 19,519.58. Investors were already optimistic, with the tech sector leading the charge. Tesla climbed 8% after smashing sales records in China. Nvidia added over 4%, boosting the Nasdaq’s performance. The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is widely seen as pro-crypto, with expectations for favorable policies that could drive further adoption. The new administration is stacked with crypto supporters. Howard Lutnick at Commerce, Paul Atkins at the SEC, and David Sacks as AI and crypto czar—they’re all in. Analysts predict that Bitcoin could hit $150,000 to $200,000 in 2025, thanks to increased institutional interest and regulatory clarity. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 just wrapped up 2024 with its ugliest year-end slump in over seven decades. Between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the benchmark index dropped 2.6%, its worst holiday season decline since records began in 1952. But it wasn’t just the U.S. market feeling the pressure. China’s yuan slipped past 7.3 per dollar for the first time since 2023. Analysts see this as a possible move by the People’s Bank of China to stimulate growth by letting the currency weaken. This comes as Chinese stocks hit their lowest levels since September, and sovereign bond yields plummeted to record lows. From Zero to Web3 Pro: Your 90-Day Career Launch Plan
