According to CoinDesk: Bitcoin rose 1.3% to over $82,700 during Asian trading on Wednesday, approaching the $83,000 level, as technology stocks rebounded following strong results from SpaceX and Super Microcomputer, which revived momentum in the artificial intelligence sector.
Zcash (ZEC) led the gains among major cryptocurrencies, rising 11% to around $1,260, after the network developers announced the block height at which the next major update, known as NU7, will be activated.
The update aims to reduce the time between blocks from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, enabling transaction confirmations three times faster. It also allocates 60% of transaction fees to a reserve fund that is redistributed over time. The update has been rolling out on the Zcash beta network since early October.
Gains extended to several major cryptocurrencies, with Hyperliquid (HYPE) and Dogecoin (DOGE) each rising by more than 3%, XRP climbing nearly 3% to $1.33, and Ethereum gaining 2% to around $2,450. BNB and Solana (SOL) also saw gains of between 1% and 2%, while Tron (TRX) remained stable, according to CoinDesk data.
In Asian stock markets, South Korea's Kospi index rose 3.7%, and Taiwan's Taiex index climbed 1.4%. During extended trading, SpaceX shares jumped 8% and SuperMicrosoft shares surged 16%, while Nasdaq 100 futures rose 1%.
In contrast, shares of Australian data center developer NextDC fell by 40% after the company lowered its future outlook.
In the energy markets, Brent crude surpassed $110 a barrel, amid concerns about supply disruptions resulting from attacks targeting ships near the Strait of Hormuz, along with indications of a further decline in US oil inventories.
In the financial markets, the US dollar rose slightly, while US Treasury bonds partially retreated from their gains recorded on Tuesday.
