** Shares of blank-check firm Cantor Equity Partners CEP.O jump as much as 40.4% in early trading; last up 30.4% at $32.35
** Stock closed up 50.3% at $24.80 on Thursday, after surging 55.4% on Wednesday
** About 54 million CEP shares changed hands on Thursday, data compiled by LSEG shows
** CEP on Wednesday announced a $3.6 billion crypto venture, called Twenty One Capital, in partnership with stablecoin issuer Tether, Japanese investment giant SoftBank 9984.T and crypto exchange Bitfinex
** Twenty One will be a publicly traded bitcoin-holding company
** CEP is backed by Cantor Fitzgerald, an investment banking and brokerage firm chaired by Brandon Lutnick, the son of U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick
(Reporting by Arasu Kannagi Basil in Bengaluru)
((ArasuKannagi.Basil@thomsonreuters.com;))