Hut 8 Mining Corp (HUT), a major Canadian Bitcoin mining company, saw its stock surge 5.40% in the pre-market session on Thursday, riding on the tailwinds of Bitcoin's price rally towards the psychologically important $100,000 mark.
The cryptocurrency's surge was driven by two key factors: President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of crypto-friendly lawyer Paul Atkins to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell likening Bitcoin to digital gold.
Atkins, who has previously criticized regulatory actions against cryptocurrencies, is expected to usher in a more favorable regulatory environment for the industry under the incoming Trump administration. Meanwhile, Powell's remarks suggesting Bitcoin is a store of value akin to gold have further fueled the cryptocurrency's ascent, drawing in more investor interest.