Bitcoin Surges Past $102k as Crypto Market Caps $3.47T – (New York)

The cryptocurrency market witnessed a remarkable uptick on Monday, with valuations rising by $11 billion to an 18-day high of $3.47 trillion.

Cryptocurrency valuations soared on Monday, rising by $11 billion to reach an 18-day high of $3.47 trillion. Bitcoin surged past the $102,480 mark, extending its gains for a seventh consecutive day.

Fresh investments poured in as global corporate markets reopened following the holiday season. MicroStrategy announced a significant purchase of $101 million in Bitcoin, while Japanese digital asset management firm MetaPlanet revealed plans to increase its holdings to 10,000 BTC this year.

Among altcoins, Injective (INJ) enjoyed a standout performance, rising over 12% to surpass $25 for the first time in 2025. This surge was driven by speculation surrounding upcoming token burn auctions on its layer-1 blockchain. Filecoin (FIL) also gained traction, rising 5% to cross $6, thanks to its new listing on Bithumb, South Korea's second-largest crypto exchange.

The Crypto AI sector saw strong performance, with its market cap increasing by 3% within 24 hours to exceed $54.6 billion. This growth is linked to the success of AI technologies like OpenAI's ChatGPT and advancements by chipmaker NVIDIA. Leading projects in this sector include Render, Fetch.ai, and NEAR Protocol, which enjoyed impressive weekly gains of 24.2%, 7.2%, and 12.5%, respectively.

On the regulatory front, Gemini Trust Co. settled a $5 million lawsuit with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over misleading statements made in 2017 regarding Bitcoin futures. U.S. Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michael Barr announced his resignation, highlighting the need for stablecoin regulation.

Highlighting the impact of the crypto-friendly policies of the incoming Trump administration, Ripple Labs CEO Brad Garlinghouse noted a surge in U.S. hiring and business deals. This optimism has coincided with a staggering 300% increase in XRP prices since the election, contributing to the overall vitality of the crypto market in 2025.