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國際時事跟讀VIP Ep.K929: Bitcoin's $100,000 Milestone: Politics Meets Wall Street

Highlights 主題摘要：

• Bitcoin's breakthrough to $100,000 represents a fundamental shift from speculative asset to mainstream investment, driven by Wall Street's adoption through ETFs and institutional investments totaling billions of dollars.
• President-elect Trump's support for cryptocurrency and appointment of crypto-friendly Paul Atkins as SEC Chair has created a more favorable political environment, contributing to a 49% price increase since the election.
• While Federal Reserve Chair Powell's comparison of Bitcoin to gold adds credibility, experts still caution about its volatility and speculative nature, suggesting it remains unsuitable for risk-averse investors.

Bitcoin's remarkable journey to $100,000 marks a watershed moment in cryptocurrency history, driven by a powerful combination of institutional adoption and political backing. The digital currency crossed this historic threshold on December 5, 2024, representing a staggering gain of more than 140% since the beginning of the year, leaving many traditional investors who once dismissed such predictions reassessing their stance. This unprecedented achievement has sparked intense discussions about the future of digital currencies in the global financial landscape.

比特幣突破 10 萬美元的驚人旅程，標誌著加密貨幣史上的重要時刻，這個成就源自於機構投資的採納與政治支持的強大結合。這種數位貨幣於 2024 年 12 月 5 日突破這個歷史性的門檻，自年初以來已上漲超過 140％，讓許多曾經對此預測持懷疑態度的傳統投資者不得不重新評估他們的立場。這項前所未有的成就也引發了關於數位貨幣在全球金融版圖中未來發展的熱烈討論。

The transformation of Bitcoin from a speculative asset to a mainstream investment vehicle can be largely attributed to Wall Street's growing embrace. January 2024 saw the landmark launch of Bitcoin ETFs, with the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) leading the charge and accumulating an impressive $50 billion in assets. This institutional acceptance has fundamentally altered the cryptocurrency landscape, as major investment firms have poured tens of billions of dollars into these new financial products, demonstrating unprecedented confidence in digital assets. Standard Chartered Bank reports that institutions have net-bought 683,000 bitcoins year-to-date, with a significant portion of these purchases occurring in the weeks following the US election.

比特幣從投機性資產轉變為主流投資工具，很大程度上歸功於華爾街的廣泛採納。2024 年 1 月，比特幣 ETF（Bitcoin ETFs）具有里程碑意義的推出，其中安碩（iShares）比特幣信託基金（Bitcoin Trust，IBIT）領先群倫，累積了令人印象深刻的 500 億美元資產。主要投資公司對這些新金融產品投入了數百億美元，展現出前所未有的信心，徹底改變了加密貨幣的投資環境。渣打銀行（Standard Chartered Bank）報告指出，機構投資者今年至今已淨買入 683,000 個比特幣，其中相當大一部分是在美國大選後幾週內完成的。

The 2024 presidential election has played a pivotal role in Bitcoin's ascent, with President-elect Donald Trump emerging as an unexpected champion of cryptocurrency. Trump's appearance at the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville and his commitment to making the United States a "crypto capital" signaled a dramatic shift in political attitudes toward digital currencies. His selection of Paul Atkins, known for his crypto-friendly stance, as the incoming SEC Chair represents a stark departure from the previous administration's more skeptical approach. This political transformation has contributed significantly to Bitcoin's price surge, with a remarkable 49% increase since the November election. The crypto industry's substantial lobbying efforts during the election cycle have seemingly paid off, creating a more favorable regulatory environment for digital assets.

2024 年總統大選在比特幣的崛起過程中扮演關鍵角色，當選總統川普意外成為加密貨幣的擁護者。川普在納什維爾的比特幣大會上亮相，以及他承諾要將美國打造成「加密貨幣之都」，標誌著政治態度對數位貨幣的重大轉變。他提名保羅．阿特金斯擔任美國證券交易委員會（SEC）主席，而保羅支持加密貨幣的立場，與前任的質疑態度形成鮮明對比。這種政治轉變為比特幣價格帶來顯著影響，自大選以來漲幅達驚人的 49％。加密貨幣產業在選舉期間的大量遊說工作似乎已見成效，為數位資產創造了更有利的監管環境。

The cryptocurrency's breakthrough has also gained legitimacy from unexpected quarters. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's recent comparison of Bitcoin to gold rather than the U.S. dollar has added another layer of credibility to the digital asset. However, experts caution that Bitcoin's notorious volatility remains a concern. Investment analyst Dan Coatsworth describes the $100,000 milestone as a "magic moment" while warning that Bitcoin's speculative nature and unpredictability make it unsuitable for risk-averse investors. Despite these concerns, the convergence of institutional support, political backing, and growing mainstream acceptance suggests that Bitcoin's role in the global financial system continues to evolve and strengthen. As platforms like Robinhood continue to make cryptocurrency trading more accessible to retail investors, the digital currency's influence appears poised to expand further in the coming years.

加密貨幣的突破也從意想不到的領域獲得認可。聯準會主席鮑爾（Jerome Powell）最近將比特幣與黃金而非美元進行比較，為這種數位資產增添了另一層可信度。然而，專家提醒比特幣的波動性仍令人擔憂。投資分析師丹．科茨沃斯（Dan Coatsworth）將突破 10 萬美元稱為「魔幻時刻」，同時警告比特幣的投機性質和不可預測性使其不適合投資者用於規避風險。儘管存在這些顧慮，機構支持、政治支持和日益增長的主流接受度的匯集，表明比特幣在全球金融體系中的角色將持續演進和加強。隨著網路券商羅賓漢（Robinhood）等平台持續讓散戶投資者更容易參與加密貨幣交易，這種數位貨幣的影響力在未來幾年似乎將進一步擴大。

Keyword Drills 關鍵字：

1. Watershed (Wa-ter-shed) [noun. an important turning point or moment when big changes happen]: Bitcoin's remarkable journey to $100,000 marks a watershed moment in cryptocurrency history.
2. Seemingly (Seem-ing-ly) [adverb. appearing to be something, even if not completely sure]: The crypto industry's substantial lobbying efforts during the election cycle have seemingly paid off.
3. Legitimacy (Le-git-i-ma-cy) [noun. the quality of being real, acceptable, and trustworthy]: The cryptocurrency's breakthrough has also gained legitimacy from unexpected quarters.
4. Volatility (Vol-a-til-i-ty) [noun. the way something changes quickly and unpredictably]: However, experts caution that Bitcoin's notorious volatility remains a concern.
5. Unpredictability (Un-pre-dict-a-bil-i-ty) [noun. the quality of being impossible to know what will happen]: Bitcoin's speculative nature and unpredictability make it unsuitable for risk-averse investors.

Reference article:
1. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/05/the-road-to-100000-whats-behind-bitcoins-storied-2024-run.html
2. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqjz04lv5q9o