Crypto Today: Bitcoin continues to push higher above $8000

The total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies increased to a new all-time high at $243 billion on Monday, doubling its size since mid-September, when it was $120 billion. Moreover, the total market capitalization excluding bitcoin rose above the $100 billion threshold for the first time today. With a 56%, bitcoin continues to dominate the market while etherum (14%) and bitcoin cash (%8) come next.

Following a rather quiet weekend, the BTC/USD pair gained traction in the last 24 hours and advanced to a fresh record high at $8270 and was last seen trading at $8200, adding nearly 2%. In the meantime, both the BCH/USD (bitcoin cash) and the ETH/USD (etherum) pairs are also up 2% on the day.

After CME Group Inc. and Cboe Global Markets Inc.’s announcements to offer bitcoin futures, etherum, the second biggest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, is set to get its own futures according to a recent Bloomberg article. Citing two people familiar with the matter, "by the first or second quarter, yet-unnamed exchange going by the code name “Virtuoso,” plans to offer futures, non-deliverable forwards, swaps and forwards, and it’s possible -- though this is not yet decided -- that some of the contracts will deliver ether to holders if held to expiration," Bloomberg reported.