** Shares of cryptocurrency and blockchain-related firms rise premarket as bitcoin hits highest levels since early Mar

** Bitcoin BTC=, world's biggest cryptocurrency, up 1.6% to $88,685, while Ether ETH= advances 3.6% to $1,635

** BTC rose nearly 3% on Mon even after U.S. President Donald Trump's renewed tirade against Fed Chair Powell sent stocks into a tailspin

** Crypto exchange Coinbase Global COIN.O up 1%, and BTC compiler Strategy MSTR.O, formerly known as MicroStrategy, up ~2% before the bell

** Retail trading platform Robinhood HOOD.O up >1% premarket

** Crypto miners up: Riot Platforms RIOT.O 2%, Mara Holdings MARA.O 2%, Cleanspark CLSK.O 2.8%, Bit Digital BTBT.O 1%

** ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF BITO.P and iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF IBIT.O both rising 1.4% premarket

** BTC has rallied 19% from 2025 low of about $74,446 hit on Apr 7. Still, the cryptocurrency is well shy of record high of about $109,000 it touched in mid-Jan, per LSEG data

(Lance Tupper is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

((lance.tupper@tr.com 1-646-279-6380))