Crypto Daily is our column tracking crypto market trends, offering timely insights and valuable updates to keep you informed.

Bitcoin Surges Above $106,000 on Strategic Reserve Hopes

Bitcoin surged to a record high above $106,000 in early Asian trade on Monday, boosted by comments from President-elect Donald Trump that suggested he plans to create a U.S. bitcoin strategic reserve similar to its strategic oil reserve.

Bitcoin , the world's biggest and best known cryptocurrency, hit a high of $106,606 and last traded at $104,913.

"We're gonna do something great with crypto because we don't want China or anybody else - not just China but others are embracing it - and we want to be the head," Trump told CNBC late last week.

Trump’s Crypto Project Is Buying Niche Tokens Worth Millions of Dollars

Donald Trump’s crypto project, World Liberty Financial, appears to be buying specialized digital tokens worth millions of dollars as speculation increases that the decentralized finance lending platform is moving closer to becoming operational.

Digital wallet belonging to the project have bought 2,731 Ether, 4,043 AAVE and 78,387 LINK tokens since Dec. 11, according to data compiled by blockchain data firm Nansen. A representative of World Liberty Financial did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

World Liberty Financial was unveiled in September as a DeFi project, a type of crypto projects that mimic financial activities like lending and trading without any intermediaries. The Trump family, including President-elect Donald Trump and his sons Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, have been actively promoting the project through social media and public appearances. The project’s initial token sale struggled to meet its goals until controversial crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun invested $30 million. World Liberty Financial’s founders, Chase Herro and Zachary Folkman, were not well-known in the crypto industry.

Saylor’s MicroStrategy Scores Again With Nasdaq 100 Addition

MicroStrategy, the dot-com-era software maker whose metamorphosis into a leveraged bet on Bitcoin has transfixed Wall Street, is joining the Nasdaq 100 Index, the benchmark’s overseer said Friday. Shares rose 7% in overnight trading.

Software company Palantir Technologies Inc. and Axon Enterprise, Inc., a maker of Tasers and police body cameras, will also be added.

Illumina, SUPER MICRO COMPUTER INC. and Moderna, Inc. will be removed from the Nasdaq 100. The changes will be effective prior to market open on Monday, Dec. 23.

Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto Ranks Among World's Wealthiest

According to PANews, Bitcoin's anonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, has ascended to the position of the 16th richest individual globally. This development follows the surge in Bitcoin's price, which has reached $106,000, consequently elevating Nakamoto's estimated personal wealth to $106 billion. This financial milestone places Nakamoto ahead of notable figures such as Michael Bloomberg in terms of global wealth rankings.

The rise in Bitcoin's value has significantly impacted Nakamoto's financial standing, given that the creator is believed to hold a substantial amount of Bitcoin. This increase in wealth underscores the growing influence and acceptance of cryptocurrencies in the global financial landscape. Nakamoto's identity remains a mystery, adding an intriguing element to the narrative of wealth accumulation through digital currencies. As Bitcoin continues to gain traction, the financial implications for its early adopters and creators become increasingly significant.

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Bitcoin's Network Hashrate Breaks 805 EH/S, Setting a New Historical High

According to Odaily Planet Daily, the latest data from hashrateindex shows that based on the seven-day simple moving average (SMA), Bitcoin's network hashrate has broken the 800 EH/s mark, reaching 805 EH/s, a new historical high.

Bitcoin Spot ETF Flow

The Bitcoin spot ETF with the highest net inflow on Dec 13 was iShares Bitcoin Trust, with a net inflow of $393.03 million. Following that was Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, with a net inflow of 59.96 million, according to SoSoValue.

As of now, the total net asset value of Bitcoin spot ETFs is $114.97 billion, and the ETF net asset ratio (market value compared to total Bitcoin market value) is 5.71%.