Investing.com - Cryptocurrencies were higher on Wednesday, as the bullish trend continued.
Bitcoin rose 0.80% to $7,109.90 on the Bitfinex exchange, as of 8:11 AM ET (12:11 GMT). Still, bitcoin has struggled to gain ground so far this year, falling nearly 70% since its peak of almost $20,000 in December.
Virtual coins remain bolstered by news that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will review its decision to reject the applications of Bitcoin exchange traded funds.
Cryptocurrencies overall were higher, with the coin market cap of total market capitalization at $232 billion at the time of writing, compared to $228 billion on Tuesday.
Ethereum, the second-biggest alternative currency by market cap, rose 2.31% to $295.05, while XRP, the third-largest virtual currency, inched down 0.34% to $0.34819 and Litecoin was at $62.714, up 2.32%.
In other news, Colorado is investigating companies for promoting unregistered initial coin offerings in the state. The ICO task force was set up in May. The agency announced Monday that it issued a show-cause notice to three companies “(a)s part of an investigation into what has become a trend of allegedly fraudulent companies looking to make quick money.”
Meanwhile, 42% of the world’s top 50 universities offer at least one course on cryptocurrencies or blockchain, a report from Coinbase found. As the digital coins have grown in popularity, more and more students are asking for more courses on the new technology.
David Yermack, chair of the finance department at NYY Stern School of Business, said only 35 students signed up when the school first offered a blockchain course, but now 230 students have signed up.
The majority of of universities that offer courses in digital currencies are based in the U.S., with Stanford University topping the list with 10 courses on blockchain and virtual coins.