Bitcoin has once again soared past the $100,000 level, buoyed by positive investor sentiment following the announcement of a new trade agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom. As of April 9, 2025, the world’s most valuable cryptocurrency was trading at $102,784.57, showing a 3.73% increase from the previous day (as of 10:30 AM).
This development has sparked optimism in the broader crypto market, with analysts interpreting the easing of international trade tensions under President Donald Trump as a major boost to investor confidence.
Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency, has shown an impressive surge of 16.20%, bringing its current price to $2,213.45. Other key altcoins are also posting significant gains:
Solana: +7.35%
XRP: +4.68%
Cardano: +7.67%
Stellar: +8.02%
Chainlink: +7.30%
“Bitcoin has surged past the $100,000 milestone, signaling robust bullish momentum. Ethereum also exhibits strength, trading above $2,000, with increased whale activity and a resurgence in DeFi activity contributing to its upward trajectory,” said Himanshu Maradiya, Founder and Chairman of CIFDAQ.
“The Bitcoin price smashes above the psychological barrier at $100K and marks the local highs at $104,175. After reclaiming a $2 trillion market cap, Bitcoin has become the world’s fifth-largest asset, surpassing Amazon. Besides, the altcoins have also gained huge momentum as Ethereum rises above the pivotal resistance at $2,200 with over a 20% jump and Solana above $160,” said CoinDCX in a statement.
This marks a new high in Bitcoin’s valuation journey, with its market cap now placing it above tech giant Amazon, highlighting how far digital assets have come in the global investment landscape.
The trigger for the crypto rally appears to be the recently concluded US-UK trade deal between President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The agreement includes tariff relief and hints at a broader de-escalation of earlier trade disputes.
“The current surge marks the second leg of the broader bullish rally, and the opportunity to buy Bitcoin below the $100,000 mark may now be behind us. With institutional interest accelerating across the board, this rally underscores the rapid maturation of the crypto market and its growing acceptance as a mainstream asset class,” said Himanshu Maradiya.
The improved geopolitical environment, along with rising institutional demand, is helping digital assets gain a more prominent footing in mainstream financial portfolios.
Bitcoin, the pioneering decentralized digital currency, emerged from the confluence of cryptographic principles and a vision for peer-to-peer electronic cash, independent of traditional financial institutions. Its history began with an anonymous entity known as Satoshi Nakamoto.
Before Bitcoin's inception in 2009, various attempts at creating digital currencies existed. Cryptographers like David Chaum with ecash in the 1980s and concepts like bit gold proposed by Nick Szabo in 1998 explored cryptographic solutions for digital money. Wei Dai's b-money (1998) also envisioned a decentralized electronic cash system.
Adam Back's Hashcash (1997) introduced the concept of proof-of-work, a crucial element later adopted by Bitcoin. While innovative, these earlier attempts faced challenges like centralization requirements or susceptibility to double-spending and Sybil attacks.
The groundwork for Bitcoin was laid with the registration of the domain name bitcoin.org on August 18, 2008. On October 31, 2008, a whitepaper titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System" was published on a cryptography mailing list by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto. This paper detailed a novel system for electronic transactions without relying on trusted third parties.
The Bitcoin network officially came into existence on January 3, 2009, when Satoshi Nakamoto mined the genesis block (the first block on the blockchain). This block contained the now-famous text: "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks," serving as both a timestamp and a subtle commentary on the existing financial system.
The first open-source Bitcoin client was released on January 9, 2009, and early adopters began mining and interacting with the network. The first recorded Bitcoin transaction occurred on January 12, 2009, when Satoshi Nakamoto sent 10 BTC to computer scientist Hal Finney, a known cryptography enthusiast and early supporter.
In its initial phase, Bitcoin primarily attracted cryptography enthusiasts and individuals interested in its ideological underpinnings. As it wasn't traded on exchanges, assigning a real-world monetary value was challenging.
A significant early milestone occurred on May 22, 2010, now celebrated as "Bitcoin Pizza Day." Programmer Laszlo Hanyecz famously offered 10,000 BTC for two pizzas, marking the first known commercial transaction using Bitcoin. At the time, this amount was worth approximately $41.
As Bitcoin's user base grew, the need for platforms to trade it emerged. The first cryptocurrency exchange, Mt. Gox, was launched in July 2010. This facilitated price discovery and increased accessibility to Bitcoin.
The early years also saw the emergence of alternative cryptocurrencies (altcoins) seeking to improve upon Bitcoin's design or offer different functionalities.
Bitcoin's anonymity features also led to its adoption on dark web marketplaces like Silk Road, which exclusively used Bitcoin for transactions until its shutdown in October 2013. This association brought both notoriety and increased public awareness to Bitcoin.
The price of Bitcoin experienced significant volatility in its early years. It reached parity with the US dollar in February 2011 and saw its first major price surge later that year.
The first significant price crash occurred in 2013, following a substantial climb to over $1,000. This period also highlighted the risks associated with early-stage cryptocurrency markets. The 2014 collapse of Mt. Gox due to a massive hack further shook the market and underscored security vulnerabilities.
Despite early challenges, Bitcoin gradually gained mainstream attention. By 2017, its price experienced another dramatic surge, reaching nearly $20,000, driven by increased retail and institutional interest.
The emergence of smart contract platforms like Ethereum in 2015 expanded the potential use cases of blockchain technology beyond just currency.
In more recent years, particularly in the early 2020s, institutional adoption of Bitcoin as a store of value has grown, with companies like Tesla and MicroStrategy adding it to their balance sheets. The launch of Bitcoin ETFs in the United States in early 2024 further broadened its accessibility to traditional investors.
The identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains one of the biggest mysteries in the cryptocurrency world. Despite numerous theories and investigations, the individual or group behind this pseudonym has never been definitively identified and has been largely absent from public communication since around 2011.
The combination of improving international trade relations and a growing appetite for crypto among institutions has reignited bullish momentum across the digital asset space. Bitcoin reclaiming the $100,000 mark not only signals investor confidence but also reaffirms its position as a leading financial asset globally. With Ethereum and other altcoins rallying in tandem, the crypto market appears to be entering a strong new phase, with further growth likely if macroeconomic conditions remain supportive.