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A screenshot of bitcoin trading activity taken at around 8am on 3 November 2017 on the Bitstamp website 

The cryptocurrency ended trading at an all-time high of $6,450 on Wednesday, and then ended a further 4% higher, at $7,030, on Thursday, according to Reuters.

The news agency said the jump followed the announcement on Tuesday that the world’s largest derivatives exchange, CME Group, would launch a bitcoin futures market “in the fourth quarter of 2017”.

Bitcoin has gained 485% in value over the past six months and 947% over the past year on Bitstamp. The firm’s website stated that bitcoin traded at $1447.75 on 2 May 2017 and at $742 on 2 November 2016.

Before market open on Friday, it was set to begin trading at $7,030, or €6,199.