Bitcoin extended its recent advance on Thursday, rising to about $116,500 and lifting the token’s market capitalization to roughly $2.32 trillion. The latest leg higher builds on Wednesday’s move past $115,000 and underscores renewed risk appetite across digital assets. The rally was broad-based. Ethereum climbed above $3,800 for the first time in months, while Solana traded as high as $173. Traders are watching whether ether can challenge the psychological $4,000 level after clearing successive technical resistance zones this week. Separately, blockchain data tracked by Whale Alert showed payments firm Circle minting two large batches of its USDC stablecoin—about $250 million and $100 million—at its treasury address on the Solana network late Wednesday. The roughly $350 million increase in circulating USDC adds fresh dollar liquidity that could filter into crypto markets.