Bitcoin Hits All-Time High Over $105,000 Amid 'Trump Rally'...

US-Centered Virtual Asset Hegemony War
Possible Russian Participation Observed
Continued Net Inflow of Institutional Funds

Bitcoin prices have once again reached an all-time high, fueled by the 'Trump Rally' led by Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States. It is also observed that institutional funds are steadily flowing in as BlackRock Asset Management, the world's largest asset management company, advocates for including virtual assets as part of portfolios.

According to the global virtual asset market monitoring site CoinMarketCap, as of 8:36 a.m. on the 16th, Bitcoin was trading at $104,645.61, up 3.20% from the previous session. During the morning session, Bitcoin rose to $105,047.54, setting a new all-time high. Ethereum, the leading altcoin (altcoins excluding Bitcoin), rose 2.10% compared to the previous day, along with Ripple (2.04%), Solana (1.73%), Dogecoin (2.02%), and Tron (1.43%), all showing upward trends.

The market is paying close attention to President-elect Trump's actions following his actual inauguration. During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump, who called himself the 'virtual asset president,' recently secured market confidence by appointing individuals with pro-virtual asset tendencies. For example, Trump recently nominated Paul Atkins as chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He is known to have a pro-virtual asset stance. This is related to Gary Gensler, a representative 'regulator' and former SEC chairman, announcing his early resignation to coincide with Trump's inauguration on January 20 next year.

There is also a positive market sentiment regarding the possibility of Russia joining the U.S.-centered virtual asset hegemony battle. According to foreign media such as Forbes, the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported on the 9th (local time) that Anton Tatchev, a member of the national parliament, proposed a plan to strategically stockpile Bitcoin assets in Russia, and a copy of the document was obtained. The 'strategic stockpiling' of Bitcoin is interpreted as Bitcoin being recognized as an asset with certain value in Russia, following the U.S. Forbes stated, "Trump firmly embraced Bitcoin and virtual assets this year, and it has been leaked that Russia may start a 'Bitcoin Cold War.'"

Participation by institutional investors has also become more active. BlackRock, the world's largest asset management company, recently recommended a 'buy' in a report, stating that "allocating up to 2% of investment portfolios to Bitcoin is reasonable." On the 5th (Korean time), when Bitcoin prices surpassed $100,000, BlackRock's Bitcoin spot exchange-traded fund (ETF), IBIT, exceeded $50 billion in assets under management (AUM). This was achieved in just 228 days since its launch, much faster than the 1,329-day record set by IEFA, which showed the fastest asset growth among U.S. ETFs.

According to virtual asset data provider Alternative, the Fear & Greed Index, which measures investor sentiment as of that day, stood at 80 points (extreme greed), higher than last week's 79 points (greed). Alternative's Fear & Greed Index ranges from 0, indicating extreme fear and pessimism about investing, to 100, indicating strong optimism.