Bitcoin surpasses $100,000 after Trump's SEC nomination

Bitcoin continues to break records in the wake of Donald Trump's victory. His latest appointment, that of Paul Atkins to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), propelled the cryptocurrency past the $100,000 mark.

Its price reached $102,700 early Thursday in Asian exchanges, marking a new milestone in the cryptocurrency's history.

During his campaign, Trump promised to turn the United States into "the crypto capital of the planet and the Bitcoin superpower of the world." He also, in a moment that went viral, paid his bar tab using cryptocurrency and later announced a crypto platform under the Trump Organization.

The day after his election victory, Bitcoin hit its then-record high, $75,389. Since Nov. 5, has risen nearly 50%, according to AFP.

In unveiling the choice of Atkins, Trump noted that the founder of financial consulting firm Patomak Global Partners recognized "that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before." Last year, the nominee criticized the government agency he may now head for disfavoring the crypto industry. His predecessor, Gary Gensler, was widely criticized from within the industry for promoting controls and regulations.

Atkins was SEC commissioner from 2002 to 2008. In addition to founding Patomak Global Partners, he is co-chair of the Digital Camera Token Alliance. He was part of the transition team of the first Trump administration.