Key facts
- Bitcoin reached a 33-week high above $86,500 on Bitstamp.
- The rally triggered nearly $800 million in crypto short liquidations over 24 hours.
- WTI crude oil fell below $92 per barrel.
- The S&P 500 gained 1.6% and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 2.4%.
- The ECB launched Pontes to allow settlement of wholesale tokenized asset transactions in central bank money.
- North Korean hacking group WaterPlum stole at least $10.7 million by posing as recruiters.
Bitcoin surged past $86,000 on Monday, reaching its highest level since late January, as a confluence of factors including falling oil prices and a rally in US stocks provided momentum. The cryptocurrency's rise also triggered significant liquidations of short positions.
In parallel, the European Central Bank (ECB) launched its Pontes system, designed to allow financial institutions to settle wholesale tokenized asset transactions using central bank money. This initiative aims to provide a stable alternative to private settlement assets like stablecoins and is part of the Eurosystem's broader strategy for tokenized finance.
Meanwhile, authorities in Japan, Germany, Australia, and the US issued an advisory linking the North Korean hacking group WaterPlum, also known as Contagious Interview, to a sophisticated scam. The group allegedly stole at least $10.7 million in cryptocurrency by posing as recruiters for legitimate crypto and AI companies, targeting job seekers with malware.