Bitcoin hits $1 trillion in market value as cryptocurrency surge continues

Bitcoin hits $1 trillion in market value as cryptocurrency surge continues

The digital currency was trading at just under $54,000 per coin on Friday as it hit the new level, up more than 3% in the last 24 hours. The price of bitcoin has now gained about 350% over the past six months. Prior to the recent surge, the digital asset has never traded above $20,000.

The price of bitcoin crossed another major milestone on Friday, as the cryptocurrency's market value surpassed $1 trillion, according to Coindesk.

The move has been fueled in part by increased adoption of the cryptocurrency by major investors and companies. The oldest bank in the United States, the Bank of New York Mellon, announced earlier this month that it was moving into the space. Elon Musk's Tesla converted some of its balance sheet cash into bitcoin earlier this year and said it would start accepting the digital tokens as payment.

Pro-bitcoin investors and entrepreneurs celebrated the milestone on social media.

"From white paper to $1 Trillion. #Bitcoin is eating gold alive," Gemini's Cameron Winklevoss said on Twitter.

"RIP bears," tweeted Morgan Creek Digital Assets co-founder Anthony Pompliano.

Market value is calculated by multiplying the price of bitcoin by the number created. While not a perfect comparison, the $1 trillion market value would