Welcome to another edition of Crypto NFT Today! The past two weeks have been full of must-know events that will define the future of blockchain, cryptocurrency, and NFTs.

With crypto being named a big driver in 2024’s tech stocks, bitcoin trades being around $97,000, and more, there’s lots of essential news you should know about. So, let’s dive in and see what’s happening! 

Crypto Named Big Driver in 2024 Tech Stocks

With a launch of spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds in January, crypto had a strong 2024, further fueled by Donald Trump’s election win, which saw significant support from the crypto industry. Several crypto-related stocks experienced a substantial boost.

With just four trading days remaining in the year, here are the five best-performing U.S. tech stocks of 2024 among companies valued at $5 billion or more.

Bitcoin Trades Around $97,000

Bitcoin hovered around the $97,000 mark on Friday, recovering from earlier losses amid broader investor caution toward risk assets.

Earlier in the day, Bitcoin dipped below $93,000 before rebounding in volatile trading.

At the time of reporting, the digital asset was priced at $96,597.36, near the level it reached about 24 hours ago. The cryptocurrency had hit an all-time high above $108,000 earlier this week but has since experienced a sharp sell-off.

Trump’s Pick for NASA Leader Big in Crypto

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to run NASA, Jared Isaacman, is a 41-year-old space enthusiast who, just months ago, commanded the world’s first all-civilian mission to orbit.

In addition to his space ambitions, Isaacman is a fintech billionaire. He is the founder of Shift4, a fintech company that offers secure payment processing solutions for businesses. The company’s stock has surged nearly 40% this year, raising its market cap to $9.3 billion. Isaacman founded the business in 1999 at the age of 16 and took it public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2020.

Israel Set to Debut Six Bitcoin Mutual Funds

Six mutual funds tracking the price of Bitcoin (BTC) will launch in Israel next week, following approval from the Israel Securities Authority (ISA), according to a report by Calcalist on Wednesday.

The funds will all begin operations on Dec. 31, as required by the regulator. Final approval for the funds was granted last week.