Computers & internet

Bitcoin Hits Record $111,000 Amid US Regulatory Progress

Published MAY 22 2025

Story

Above: Bitcoin cryptocurrency cryptomonnaie coin covered with fake blood placed on a desk in Clermont-Ferrand France on May 16 2025. Image credit: Romain Costaseca/AFP via Getty Images

The Facts

Bitcoin reached a new all-time high of $111,886 during early trading hours in London on Thursday, surpassing its previous record of $109,000 set in January, as cryptocurrency markets showed strong momentum.
www.ft.com
CNBC
Bitcoin was trading above $111,000 despite a drop in U.S. stock markets the day before. An improved macroeconomic environment, as investors seek riskier assets, has reportedly fueled its recent surge.
Au
CNBC
The surge comes as U.S. lawmakers advance the GENIUS Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at creating the first regulatory framework for stablecoins, marking a significant step toward crypto industry regulation under the Trump administration.
EuroNews
Au
Major financial institutions have embraced cryptocurrency, with JPMorgan Chase announcing it will allow clients to buy Bitcoin (despite CEO Jamie Dimon's previous skepticism), joining other Wall Street giants like BlackRock and Morgan Stanley.
Time
FOX News
The rally occurred despite a weak U.S. Treasury auction and Moody's recent downgrade of U.S. sovereign debt. An Australia court recently ruled that Bitcoin qualifies as property of a similar nature to the Australian dollar, rather than a speculative asset like foreign currency.
EuroNews
CoinGeek
More than $3.6 billion in institutional investment flowed into U.S. Bitcoin ETFs this month, marking the largest inflow since January. There is speculation prices will climb to $300,000 by June, giving Bitcoin a market capitalization of around $6 trillion.
www.ft.com
Forbes

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The Spin

Cynical narrative

Bitcoin's meteoric rise represents history's greatest financial bubble — a speculative fever dream built on nothing but faith and hype. Unlike productive assets that generate real value, Bitcoin remains worthless digital vapor, transforming legitimate financial institutions into gambling facilitators while threatening pension funds and retirement savings with inevitable catastrophic collapse.

Finanz und Wirtschaft

www.ft.com

Optimist narrative

Bitcoin skeptics must swallow their pride and acknowledge that they were spectacularly wrong. Surging past $100,000, Bitcoin has proven its revolutionary disruption of finance, attracting institutional billions and government adoption. While traditionalists cling to outdated paradigms, Bitcoin delivers consistent upward momentum, validating early believers who saw its utility beyond mere speculation.